Curious Artila Sprinkles29 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I've almost beat Avadon. So I'm wondering which Spiderweb game should I play next? Geneforge? Avernum? I want challenge and good story and game balance. I think Avadon has great story and challenge, though the game balance was a bit weird in that calculating DPS of your own party was a little hard to comprehend due to lack of information on how tough enemies' defense actually is. I'm hoping the other games don't have this particular problem. There seems to be a lot of sequels, so which part of which series do you recommend? I honestly don't think I will play them ALL. (SO MANY!) So I would like a recommendation on the ones that you like best. Thanks! Btw I bought Avadon and Legend of Grimrock instead of Mass Effect 3 and I do not regret it one bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Lilith Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Originally Posted By: Sprinkles29 I want challenge and good story and game balance. I think Avadon has great story and challenge, though the game balance was a bit weird in that calculating DPS of your own party was a little hard to comprehend due to lack of information on how tough enemies' defense actually is. I'm hoping the other games don't have this particular problem. Actually, there is information available on enemies' defenses. If you look at the transcript window, you can see how much of the damage you're doing with each hit is being blocked by the enemy's resistance. (In Avadon, the transcript window is toggled by pressing T; in other games it's always on.) Quote: There seems to be a lot of sequels, so which part of which series do you recommend? I honestly don't think I will play them ALL. (SO MANY!) So I would like a recommendation on the ones that you like best. Thanks! Geneforge 4 and 5 are both good places to start with the Geneforge series; you'll pick up enough of the backstory to get the idea of what's going on, and they're a bit more playable than earlier games. Avernum's a bit trickier to give a recommendation on: every game contributes significantly to the overall plot of the series, although Avernum 4 is pretty skippable. You might as well start with Avernum: Escape from the Pit, an enhanced remake of the first Avernum game. Try the demos of games that appeal to you and see what you like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 What Tyran is trying to say is "Nethergate", or perhaps "Nethergate: Resurrection". It's a stand-alone, so if you're looking for a series, you might have to disappoint him. You might try Avernum: Escape from the Pit. It's fresh out for Windows so you'll be right there with the community. It's interface is comprable to the second Avernum trilogy and the later Geneforges, so you shouldn't be too handicapped that way. That said, if you want to play them all, starting at the beginning's a good way to go. Geneforge 1 is a bit archaic, but a good play, and Geneforge 2's one of the best, plot wise. The original Avernum trilogy follows the same pattern, and BoA's probably your best bang for your buck unless you want to go back to Exile. Oh, and as Lillith mentioned, all the demos are large and free on the site here. They give a good sense of each game (although I hear Avadon's better than its demo). Try 'em out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Originally Posted By: Actaeon What Tyran is trying to say is "Nethergate", or perhaps "Nethergate: Resurrection". It's a stand-alone, so if you're looking for a series, you might have to disappoint him. They all disappoint me. No one understands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Triumph Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 You really should listen to Tyranicus. Nethergate: Resurrection is still my favorite Spiderweb game (out of the six that I've bought). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 You could always get BoE. FOSS, plus there's like 300 user-created scenarios. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Goldengirl Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 The neat thing about all of the Spiderweb games is the massive (MASSIVE) free demos available for each game. Play around a bit before you buy; there is no rush. That said, the Geneforge series is easily the best. Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotghroth Rhapsody Mysterious Man Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Originally Posted By: Goldenking That said, the Geneforge series is easily the best. Just saying. Your mom was the best last night... *cough* Sorry, dunno what prompted that... probably my incredible lack of maturity. I'd say buy the first Avernum Trilogy. What is it, like $15 for all 3 now? You can learn the joys of Rentar-Ihrno! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Student of Trinity Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Depending how much retro you can handle, I'd suggest the original Geneforge. It's quite a bit cruder than Jeff's more recent games, in the interface as well as in the display graphics, but I don't find it so horrible that it gets in the way of the game. And Geneforge is also primitive in game structure, in that there's very little sense that anyone else is doing anything while you explore the island. And you ultimately have only a few choices to make. But the static world actually makes sense in this case, because of the particular story that unfolds. It's all logical, and the sense that everything is in stasis until you disturb it adds to the atmosphere. The choices that you make are profound. It's a really interesting story. It's also quite a different style of game, full of weird creatures like vlish and glaahks and thahds. All the Geneforge games are good, in my opinion. I'd suggest trying the first one's demo, and seeing if you can cope with its primitive features. If so, you'll have a cool experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Play the demos in order of release until you find one with an interface you can stand. If that turns out to be Exile... do not make other plans for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Student of Trinity Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 You know, that's really the best answer. We should just sticky it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I still firmly believe that such a sticky should exist. And perhaps compiled by moderators and locked so it doesn't degenerate like the last one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk Ceiling Durkheim Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 @Actaeon: Dare I ask what happened to the last one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Here. It's not so much that it went poorly as that it wasn't a sticky-worthy thread. There are several issues with such a plan, not least of which is the how many opportunities this recurring thread gives for: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Perhaps the mods could create a topic that lists the merits and drawbacks of each game and sticky it. If someone has something to say, it is either edited into the main post and the reply is deleted, or the reply is just deleted. Of course, it could be like the CoC link, and everyone's eyes just glaze over it as they go to make a new OMG WHAT GAME GOOD thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Mods can't agree any better than the rest of you. Tyranicus will start off with Nethergate, Dikiyoba will push Geneforge, and Slarty will eventually finish his analysis on why we all missed the best game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Dikiyoba Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Originally Posted By: Randomizer Dikiyoba will push Geneforge Hey! I do try to tailor my recommendations toward what the original poster is looking for. If they say they tried Geneforge already and didn't like it, I recommend something else. (If there is an argument to be made against stickying one of these topics, it's that different people are looking for very different things. Some people can't stand the clunkiness of the old games, some people can't stand the simplied mechanics of the newer games, some people like large parties, some people just want a lone PC, and so on. So a sticky thread would need to provide enough information on each game for people to figure out what game matches their preferences best. Yes, Dikiyoba is overthinking this.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I'd say Dikiyoba is thinking just the right amount. What I'm suggesting is more a "guide to choosing your next game" than a chance to push our own agendas. Too lazy to lurk? Play the demos. Too lazy to play the demos? Here's our point by point of each series' advantages (and the order to play them in). Too lazy to click the sticky and still want to make your own post? Spammerific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Alorael at Large Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 There are so many opinions, and they change with every new game. The consensus will also change with new members coming and old ones leaving. Different people have different desires for their games that might shift the recommendations one way or another. Ultimately, I think there's no harm in having people ask this question over and over and getting it answered over and over. The topics aren't a problem, they give us all a chance to play partisan for our favorites, and I think it's nice for newcomers to see fervently held beliefs about relative merits. If nothing else, it conveys very nicely that all these games enjoyed. —Alorael, who also doesn't think anyone really wants the job of curating the recommendations in a way that makes them helpful, accurate, and good advertising copy. The repeated swarm of posts does a better job on all fronts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk Ceiling Durkheim Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I think if there's any salvageable idea in here, it's a sticky that describes various series' attributes. Not recommendations, not pros and cons (since as a couple people have mentioned, one man's meat is another's poison), but a list of the ways in which the games differ from one another on core gameplay and story mechanics. Things like the updates to the inventory systems, the type of skill system employed, even something as simple as party size/whether you have a party or not. That last one, especially, could stand a little elucidation, since I don't think the Geneforge pages on SW's site ever make explicit the fact that you don't have a traditional RPG party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice ex post slarto Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Originally Posted By: Spires and Tunnels —Alorael, who also doesn't think anyone really wants the job of curating the recommendations in a way that makes them helpful, accurate, and good advertising copy. Apparently, you aren't familiar with the things I spend my time doing when I am trying to avoid my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Originally Posted By: HOUSE of S Originally Posted By: Spires and Tunnels —Alorael, who also doesn't think anyone really wants the job of curating the recommendations in a way that makes them helpful, accurate, and good advertising copy. Apparently, you aren't familiar with the things I spend my time avoiding doing when I am trying to avoid my life. FYT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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