Just one complaint

[feline monstrosity]

I am a big fan of the Avernum series, I have enjoyed playing them all. But I do have one complaint for Avernum 4: why did you have to update to using 3D sprites? I so much prefered the 2D ones, they gave it a different feel! Anyhoo, that's my opinion, otherwise keep up the good work!

[Dark Mage]

Ow I assure you that you are the only one here that prefer the old 2d engine...

 

Almost all of us think the same that you...fortunately that will change in A5, but we still don't know what to expect of this game...I think it will be great anyway...

[Ephesos]

Quote:

Originally written by Dark Mage:
Ow I assure you that you are the only one here that prefer the old 2d engine...

Um... actually, a notable handful of people around here still prefer Exile to Avernum. I'm not one of them, but they do exist.

[Dikiyoba]

And they get pretty ticked off when you tell them they don't exist or their opinion is wrong.

 

Dikiyoba.

[Sudanna]

Well, they are the likely minority, so. . . They're wrong. Hey, that's democracy, baby.

[WiKiSpidweb]

WRONG!

[Sudanna]

Hmm. That's odd. Guess there's too many nostalgic oldbies unwilling to admit that the newer is better. . .

[Randomizer]

It's not that new is better, it's why ruin a good thing. There were a lot of nice features in Exile. Avernum had a great three dimensional landscape that got flatten in A4. To save time Jeff imported too many Geneforge features and changed the game in ways that upset fans.

 

A5 should be better if Jeff follows through on what he said.

[Synergy]

I had kind of an odd experience between Exile and Avernum. I played a little of Exile III on a MacAddict CD-ROM back in the late 90's and kind of liked it, but was almost overwhelmed with how big and involved the game seemed. I thought the graphics were quaint and the world somehow felt magical, and it reminded me of the fun I had playing Ultima IV many years prior.

 

A few years later, I started playing again and really enjoyed Exile III. I went online to look for a FAQ, I think, and found SW and learned there were these Avernum games, which were updated versions of the Exile Games. I thought it was a real pity the Exile name was not maintained, because I thought it was a far superior title for the series.

 

Graphically, Exile had this sort of cavey green glow feel to me, which went well with the game. I liked the little special encounter nodules. Avernum had more of a detailed, literal view of the world. I'm a sucker for art and aesthetics, so Avernum won, even though I liked the spells better in Exile, and having six characters. I also missed some sense of atmosphere the Exile graphics gave me that the Avernum graphics didn't.

 

If I had played Exile for years before Avernum, I can see how I might have really prefered the original. Home is where the heart is. We get attached to what is first and familiar to us. That's probably part of the loyalty for many.

 

Some reasons people prefer Exile to Avernum are probably parallel to reasons I prefer Civilization II and III to Civ IV.

 

-S-

[feline monstrosity]

It's not that I prefer Exile, I played the Avernum games before I played Exile anyway, I actually only touched a little on Exile and never really played it. I just prefered the graphics engine for the Avernums up as far as Blades of Avernum and didn't like what he did with Avernum IV. But if you say Avernum V will be better then I am pleased.

[Shadestorm]

I liked the new graphics. It's the reason A4 has been the only Avernum game I've bought.

[ArchMage81]

I do think graphics should be revised cause i think the hellhound looks like a frog or human in 4 legs.

 

I have only seen green dragons, you guys seemed to use only one color for each beastiary.

 

And why all mages are blue? make them pink, yellow, black.

 

Also if it is as i read, that there is no point in increasing a spell power, why not put a person at start of the game that explains it. You could call him the Party Instructor. And it could explain how to create good parties. And that its better to save money for skills instead of spells. He could give you tips in exchange for doing the first town quests.

[Randomizer]

If you ever read the threads about making a party, you will see there is a wide range of opinions on what makes a good party. There is no concensus on how to start, what to use skill points for, and what to buy.

[Dikiyoba]

Well, I would much rather have an optional dialogue set than two mandatory sections of tutorial.

 

Dikiyoba probably figured out how to equip armor the first time through. Dikiyoba doesn't need to see it again.

[Aoslare]

I know Jeff has posted in the past that the tutorial sections work well with his target audience, and that a lot of players need to walk straight into them.

 

I think that makes sense, but it would be really, really nice to have an option to skip the tutorial. It wouldn't be hard to make it something you can't activate by accident. I mean, even Exile 3 let you turn off that !@#$ instant help.

[Enraged Slith]

Exile 2 has the best tutorial. Players who dont equip themselves at the starting armory quickly learn from their Nephilim neighbors how difficult it is to fight naked. Those who retreat and attempt to streak through the wilderness are quickly found and mauled to death by pretentious rodents.

 

EDIT: This goes double for Exile 1 where you didn't even start out with food or gold.

[Aoslare]

Exile 1 had the TuTORial. And the... no, I don't suppose I can make an awful enough pun out of Thairl.

[Randomizer]

Was it Blades of Avernum that had the optional tutorial that you could skip and go straight into a game by going through the portal?

[Kelandon]

Or remove the Tutorial scenario from the scenario folder, as I eventually did.

[Fungus Shamegne 26]

I didn't like the Avernum style that much. I prefered the Exile style.

 

NOTE: I'm quickfire. I will proceed to change my name according to spells or Items.