Avernum Rewrite Major Request

[Death Knight]

I have a large request. Jeff, please add some bit of better negative traits (the ones that give better exp but have very negative perks). I will list just a few ideas for ones, that arent too bad compared to the abyssmal regulars.

 

-Smaller Build: This will just mean that you get less damage from strength. This would be great for archer characters and thieves as you need to focus more on the physical damage skills like melee instead of strength stat in general. This would really help as you will be of a higher level than the rest of the party. Dex builds will have more meaning too.

 

-Strongly consider something like this for strength and maybe one for intelligence and all other stats.

 

-Bad Farsight: This would entail that you dont play as spell and missile user classes and instead focus on melee due to missing with almost any missile attack and spell. This would be a cool idea for a character that only wants to be a standard fighter.

 

Thats all i have so far. Hopefully others can add a few new ideas.

 

All im going to say as an endnote, is that traits are good and i like jeff putting them in. However, i feel as though the positive ones are the only ones that people take. The negatives that are already there should be kept there, but Jeff could add some new ones that might actually work. Without that, then there is no absolute reason to put the negative ones in, as any faq and source ive read insults the mere encouragement of it.

[Micawber]

For so long as you can only pick two traits, and so long as advantages bestow the permanent benefits they currently do (which increase as you level), I'd never consider using disadvantages. If we were allowed to pick 3-4 traits, then they might *possibly* come back into play.

[Randomizer]

If you want Jeff to consider changes than email him, because new traits aren't likely to be considered.

 

Most likely changes will be adding battle disciplines and area effect spells from Avernum 6. Improved graphics with walking animations like in Avadon.

[Kennedy]

To maximize the speed of leveling I usually chose brittle bones and completely inept. Of course I had to use the character editor to heal myself frequently.

[Death Knight]

Originally Posted By: Kennedy

To maximize the speed of leveling I usually chose brittle bones and completely inept. Of course I had to use the character editor to heal myself frequently.

Thats the problem though. The negative traits are supposed to hinder but not make it so the game is unplayable. Take arcanum for example, you get positive and negative things that happen. Im not even saying that you get that, but at least make it within a reasonable ballpark.

For example, Bad Eyesight might make your character bad with almost any ranged devices, but on the bright side, you will get a lot more experience which will enable you to get stronger faster. That can be a worthy trade off if you think about it. That is something that is worth considering. Not taking them out, but think about it, the last one on the list is ridiculous. Sure the experience gain is good, but you stub your toe once, and your dead.

[Alorael at Large]

There are a couple of problems. First, the leveling system means that percent modifications to experience actually don't make a very large difference over the course of the game. You gain less experience, so you're behind in levels, so you get more experience for the things you do, and it's much more even than it looks.

 

Secondly, pairing advantages and disadvantages usually means you put them on a character who will wring the most benefit while suffering the least harm.

 

In the original trilogy, there are some truly terrible traits (Sluggish), but most actually aren't so bad. You can play through with a Completely Inept, Cursed at Birth single character; it's been done! The problem is mostly that you're wasting trait slots. Those traits are precious, and there are much more valuable things to spend them on.

 

—Alorael, who can see problems already. "Small Stature" is pretty bad for anyone in melee ever, because the the weapon skill and Strength have the same effect normally. You'd be roughly halving damage at high levels, and that's crippling. But for a wizard, the trait is free experience; they'll be using spells or bows. No downside, just benefit.

[Death Knight]

Wait so you get more experience for kills you make? I didnt know that at all. Either way, i still dont think they should fool with the traits, other than making them a bit better.

[Harehunter]

If I understand this correctly, the experience you gain from killing something of a higher level than you are is greater than the the experience you would gain if your level is greater than than the monster.

 

For example, killing goblins while you are weaker than they are will give 1x experience points. When your party has achieved a level that is equal to them, you get 25% less experience (I don't know the actual value). Eventually you gain enough levels that you get so little experience from killing them it becomes a complete waste of time.

 

So to sum up Aloreal's argument, since your rate of gaining levels is slower, it takes you longer to cross the threshold at which those lesser monsters become insignificant.

[Death Knight]

I just got an email from jeff, and he said that he will (like someone mentioned) be not only redoing the traits, but making the whole system work in a way that more than makes up for the previous system's inadequacies. Ill guess that this will be somewhat like original fallout's traits that you pick at character creation.

 

This rewrite is getting pretty exciting, I hope I can finish geneforge in time!

[Txgangsta]

Please, never ever make level caps ever again. Ever. I hate them.

[The Mystic]

I don't really mind the level caps, as long as they're impractical, if not impossible, to reach. In Avernum 1, I hit the cap somewhat early in midgame, and long before I complete any game-winning quests. This really sucks, because I would've really liked to be a bit stronger during the battle with Hawthorne and/or Grah-Hoth.