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Exile or Avernum?


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I first got into Avernum in 2003 when I got a magazine with a demo disc containing the A3 demo on it. That game is one of my favourite childhood games, even if I did use the official strategy guide to get through it... I still have that tattered old book somewhere...

 

Anyway, so when I heard the original trilogy was being recreated yet again, I decided that I should finally get around to playing the other two. My question is, Exile or Avernum? I'm incredibly used to the interface and gameplay of Avernum's engine, but would Exile provide a more "purer" experience?

 

Opinions would be great. Thanks.

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Well, in my opinion, I prefer Avernum 1 and 2 over Exile 1 and 2. Then again, I like E3 and A3 equally. Considering you are used to the way the Avernum engine works, you probably would want to play A1-2. I didn't exactly like the way things worked in E1-2. Like for example the dialogue system. That's probably the greatest reason I prefer A1-2 to E1-2. Anyway, if you feel that you prefer the Avernum engine, then play A1-2. If you're feeling retro though and want a pure experience, then go with E1-2, It's really your choice.

 

Oh, and I've been waiting to be able to say this:

 

Welcome to Spiderweb Software! Please leave your sanity at the door. smile

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Thanks for asking! smile

 

Unless you have some experience in older computer-based RPGs, the dialogue system alone should be enough to deter you from laying Exile 1 and Exile 2. While Exile 2 is my personal favorite in the lot, the interface is... difficult... compared to its Avernite counterpart, and even Exile 3.

But Exile is a "purer" old-school experience. If you've played Wizardry or Nethack or Castle of the Winds, you'll get used to the interface and graphics easily enough. And the random items. And the inane spells.

Personally, I'd also recommend hunting down the original graphics sets (hmm... I think I might upload them to the Blades Forge when I'm done here), if you end up playing Exile's first two, just for the full experience.

 

Exile 3 is a beast of its own. While it and Avernum 3 are in terms of plot and most of the geography the same, there are a good deal of subtle, significant differences between them, and I would encourage you, if you have the time and money, to play both. Exile 3 is a freaking excellently-made game. Avernum 3 wasn't quite the jump as its Exile counterpart, but it still plays well, as you know.

 

And once you're done exploring the trilogy (or even before you're done), I would strongly, STRONGLY recommend that you check out the Blades games. I'm partial to BoA, myself, but BoE is free now, and it has an entire library of excellent scenarios.

 

As a word of warning, both of the first episodes are the first of their kind for Jeff, and so the interface and worlds will seem incomplete as compared to your past experience. It's okay, you'll get used to it as long as, and I probably don't need to say it, you play the first game first. tongue

 

_________________________

The Silent Assassin's portion of this post has been preemptively censored because of certain trends of action upon users who talk about A4 a certain way.

Suffice to say, Avadon is fun, as well, and you should always support your favorite shareware developers.

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Pure? The experiences are different. The plots are pretty much the same. You can very quickly figure out which engine you prefer from the demos, and then play the one you want. Or both, if you're intrigued by both engines.

 

—Alorael, who thinks Exile is much closer to its early Ultima roots and Avernum has gone on a little bit more to be more like games of the '90s. Neither is somehow closer to some Platonic ideal of roleplaying game set in caves.

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Having played through all of both the Exile series and the Avernum series, I would have to rate my satisfaction level thusly (this is just the opinion of an old guy and not a reflection of the whole SW community):

 

#1: Exile 3 and Blades of Exile; Sure it's an older interface, but the 6 vs 4 party and the range of spells put them to the top.

#2: Avernum 3; Basically the same interface as A1 & A2, but a bit more refined.

#3: Exile 2; same remarks as above, just slightly less than E3

#4: Avernum 2; liked it better than A1 but not as much as A3

#5: Avernum 1; here it finally comes down to the better interface

#6: Exile 1; arguably the most primitive game, but it was the first one I had played, so I still like it.

#7: Avernum 4; the change in the game engine and the loss of distance was a bit off-putting to me.

#8: Avernum 5 and 6 are about even here. I just couldn't get into the story, and the plot had become so linear.

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