Jeff's New Series Announced

[Alex]

Alvedon is a brand of Paracetamol pills here in Sweden, so this was my second association, after Avalon.

Also, Tristram reminds me of Harry Potter in plate mail, but at least they didn't name him Lancelot.

 

The skill tree of pretty damsel Nathalie looks like a mix of Geneforge and Diablo II to me.

 

Still, despite the generic fantasy theme, I was pleased to read about the new game, and I'll definitely check the demo out.

[Elwro]

Hm, to me it sounds like a mix of Avernum + Abaddon (y'know, from the Apocalypse).

 

But yup, "Aardvark's Avengment" would be my vote.

[Celtic Minstrel]

Originally Posted By: Spidweb

Lynaeus - Linn-Hard A-Uss.

Um, what? What on earth is a "Hard A"? Vowels usually have long and short forms; hard and soft is usually for consonants... at least in English.

Originally Posted By: Soul of Wit

When Jeff says "hard A" he's not saying to pronounce the word "hard", he's saying that it's a long (hard) 'A' sound.

...wait, what? Hard = long now? When did that happen?

Well, anyway, I would pronounce it something like "Linayus".


And it sounds interesting so far.

[Milla]

So, Redbeard and his "Wives" huh?

[Triumph]

Bluebeard, I think, not Redbeard.

[Monroe]

The story and such look awesome. I just wish, and have been wishing for several games now, that explored land would be a different color on the minimap. It would look so much nicer.

[Student of Trinity]

It would also be a lot easier to figure out where you have and haven't been. I'm a completionist, or at least a wanna-be completionist, and I generally want to cover every square. The mini-map could help a lot with this, but currently doesn't.

[Monroe]

That actually articulated my feelings as well, Student of Trinity. By 'nicer' I suppose I mean 'more useful.'

[The Ratt]

Well that's one thing Geneforge has going for it. Everything is is zones, so it's easier to tell where you are, where you haven't been, and where you have to go.

[tehpineapple]

I think a healthy dose of cautious optimism is called for.

 

I'm not going to start ***** on a game I know nothing about yet. and FYI: generic name != generic game.

 

Looking forward to more details, particularly relating to combat/magic mechanics. Jeff is quite correct when he says he's earned faith when it comes to awesome plots and cool puzzles.

 

EDIT: Profanity.

[Milla]

Originally Posted By: Triumph

Bluebeard, I think, not Redbeard.

Actually I think Jeff did mention Redbeard earlier in the thread.

[Lilith]

i am lackbeard the pirate

 

behold my mighty lack of facial hair

[waterplant]

I think I just got comfortable with the name Avadon. Maybe it's like naming a baby 'Mollusc' - you'd get used to it eventually. The 'A' abbreviation for both Avernum and Avadon may become confusing.

 

Since I've never actually spoken the word Avernum the pronunciation of Lynaeus isn't so important to me as it's unlikely to enter my vocabulary.

[Dintiradan]

Originally Posted By: waterplant

Maybe it's like naming a baby 'Mollusc' - you'd get used to it eventually.

This is an oddly specific example.

[waterplant]

Well, yeh - you know...

[Student of Trinity]

Ah, of course. Say no more.

[The Ratt]

You know, that name actually kind of works. Maybe I'll name my next cat mollusc.

[Mea Tulpa]

*faceshell*

[Dantius]

Originally Posted By: CRISIS on INFINITE SLARTIES

*faceshell*

CRISIS on INFINITE MOLLUSCS?

[Randomizer]

Originally Posted By: Dantius

Originally Posted By: CRISIS on INFINITE SLARTIES

*faceshell*

CRISIS on INFINITE MOLLUSCS?

Just clam up.

[Mea Tulpa]

I met a member from an antique age

Who said: Two vast and gothic asterisks

Are in the topic. Near them, on the page,

Half sunk, a shattered smiley lies, whose frown

And wrinkled brow, and sigh of cold quitclaim

Tell that its author well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these ascii things,

The hand that typed them and the limp forehead.

And in the signature these words are <i>:

"My name is Terror's Martyr, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye Oldbie, and DIE!!!!!!!"

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal flame, adroit and dry

The overpunned replies go far astray.

[Lilith]

your scansion needs work

[Dikiyoba]

Originally Posted By: waterplant

Maybe it's like naming a baby 'Mollusc' - you'd get used to it eventually.

Nope, sorry. It's not working for me. You've turned "mollusc" into an inherently funny word for me (despite the puns' best efforts), but it's still a terrible name to give a person.

Unless you meant you'd give the name to a baby pet octopus or land snail, in which case Dikiyoba is fine with the name.

[Lilith]

but crabs are arthropods

[Triumph]

Biology fail.

 

Or maybe just taxonomy fail?

[Lilith]

i'm firin' intercontinetal cladistic missiles right at ya from australia

[Student of Trinity]

Slarty's scansion is fine if you can count all the "!!!!!!" as an extra syllable, which you probably should.

[Milla]

Originally Posted By: Student of Trinity

Slarty's scansion is fine if you can count all the "!!!!!!" as an extra syllable, which you probably should.

Would it be pronounced as an extended clicking sound?

[Student of Trinity]

I don't know. I was sort of thinking of just yelling "Die — ie!" Or else maybe pausing for a beat and glaring fiercely. I mean, it should be that "!!!" is to "..." just as "!" is to ".", right?

 

Though I guess by that logic I should accept ",,,", ";;;", ":::" and "???" as elliptical punctuations, too. Hmmm.

 

"???" seems pretty obvious, but I kind of like ",,,". It suggests a sort of double-take pause, in which you're about to go on, but then you pause again, before going on without mentioning what made you pause. A hesitation during which the mind slightly boggles, but then you shrug it off and go on. I guess ";;;" would be sort of similar only more dramatic.

 

I can't think what ":::" would be. Maybe a kind of pregnant omission of an implied conclusion.

 

As in ,,, I'll leave it to Alorael to discuss the most awesome elliptical punctuation of all ::: since he is the expert.

[Dantius]

Originally Posted By: Student of Trinity

I kind of like ",,,". It suggests a sort of double-take pause, in which you're about to go on, but then you pause again, before going on without mentioning what made you pause. A hesitation during which the mind slightly boggles, but then you shrug it off and go on. I guess ";;;" would be sort of similar only more dramatic. .

So like the experience you get after reading one of Slarty's posts?

[Dintiradan]

Whenever I see multiple punctuation symbols in a row, I read them as separating null clauses.

[*i]

Anyway...back on topic...

[Mea Tulpa]

In this particular case, I think topic drift occured because nobody had much else to say about the original topic -- it's not as if people weren't interested in it. I'm sure more comments will come as Jeff releases more details about the game and the game world.

[*i]

Not arguing with you Slarty nor is it an indictment of anybody; just trying to bump the topic back on track.

[Goldengirl]

Originally Posted By: Milla

Originally Posted By: Student of Trinity

Slarty's scansion is fine if you can count all the "!!!!!!" as an extra syllable, which you probably should.

Would it be pronounced as an extended clicking sound?

Not unless the Gods are crazy!

[Alorael at Large]

I will try to live up to the burden SoT has given me and the charge placed upon us all by *i. And,,,!:: I will fail.

 

—Alorael, who will go ahead and say that Jeff's games lend themselves to the kind of heavy backstory that he seems to be channeling here. If you can use text rather than lots of talking or scenery or whatever, it can be delivered more naturally. Or rather, the delivery seems less forced and divorced from the rest of the game when the entire game is delivered that way.

[Kelandon]

Sounds interesting enough that I'll play it. I've been a little away from Spidweb for the most part lately (failing to complete GF4 basically killed my Spidweb playing days, and then I got distracted by the awesomeness that is ScummVM, which took me into the Monkey Island series, which...), but a new series is likely to bring me back.

[VCH]

I like how the game compares your current gear with a new piece in your inventory when you scroll over it.

 

Also I wonder what the scarabs are for . . . charms maybe?

[The Mystic]

Originally Posted By: VCH

I like how the game compares your current gear with a new piece in your inventory when you scroll over it.

Same here. It sounds very useful.

Originally Posted By: VCH

Also I wonder what the scarabs are for . . . charms maybe?

My guess is that they give you certain buffs when equipped. Or they act similar to wands/potions/scrolls. Or they're some form of insignia. Only Jeff knows for sure, and he's not telling yet.

[Celtic Minstrel]

Originally Posted By: Monroe

The story and such look awesome. I just wish, and have been wishing for several games now, that explored land would be a different color on the minimap. It would look so much nicer.

...wait, isn't this covered by the fact that unexplored land is black?

Unless he changed that when I wasn't looking, which is entirely possible.

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: Celtic Minstrel

...wait, isn't this covered by the fact that unexplored land is black?

Unless he changed that when I wasn't looking, which is entirely possible.

what was the last avernum game you actually played

[Celtic Minstrel]

Avernum 4, the demo.

[Mea Tulpa]

*facepalm*

[Celtic Minstrel]

Stop that, you'll break your face.

[K_I_L_E_R]

I think Jeff should have called his game something along the lines of "Geneavum".

[Dantius]

Originally Posted By: K_I_L_E_R

I think Jeff should have called his game something along the lines of "Geneavum".

I prefer "Netheforge"

[Randomizer]

Averforgegate the unholy blending of what has gone before.

[Dantius]

Originally Posted By: Randomizer

Averforgegate the unholy blending of what has gone before.

Igor, it's... ALLLIIIIIIVVVEEEE!

[Triumph]

Originally Posted By: Randomizer

Averforgegate

Alternatively, Averforgegate could be the name of the political scandal that erupts when it turns out high ranking government officials tried to combine Avernum and Geneforge.

[The Ratt]

Well, thank goodness they left Nethergate out of the confusion.