Is there any point in playing Avernum 1?

[Marcus Aurelius]

Please excuse this question if it has been answered half a dozen times before. But is there any point in playing Avernum 1 after Avernum:Escape from the Pit? ( I just recently bought the whole Avernum set on GOG).

[Randomizer]

It's a different game engine than Exile 1 and Avernum: Escape from the Pit, so the combat experience will be different. More content than Exile, but less than A:EftP.

 

If you are just playing for the plot, than skip it.

[Alorael at Large]

I would say no. The engine is different, but in practice that means it's showing its age. Skills work differently but the combat mechanics are fairly similar. The plot's the same. Most of the writing is identical. Playing A1 might be interesting later to see how the game has evolved, but it's not so replayable that I'd do it right away.

 

—Alorael, who considers the lack of a quest log, the lack of explicit information on which equipment does what, and the absence of battle disciplines significant unselling points.

[BMA]

Just play enough of it to realize how awesome A:Eftp really is.

 

It certainly is an interesting contrast from the game-developer's point of view.

[Earth]

main difference besides graphics is skill system (player can freely spend points where he wants unlike in Avadon and AEFTP and future games).

[PorkSol]

I had to give up on it. I was getting repetitive stress injury from individually buffing the same buffs every fight and repeatedly bumping into every wall in order to find secret doors. So I looked at maps to see where the secret doors were, to save me from having to check every wall. But I kept noticing spoilers while checking the maps.

[Earth]

and of course no autorecovery when entering town (need healer or rent room), better spells and haste working as its supposed to aka giving 2 attacks per turn not 2 attacks per turn once in a while.

[Monfred]

Well it make sense to play original Avernum 1 for a while in order to get adjusted to the interface and game mechanics of Avernum 2 and 3, if you plan to play them in any near future.

[Mosquito---Slayer]

Well it make sense to play original Avernum 1 for a while in order to get adjusted to the interface and game mechanics of Avernum 2 and 3, if you plan to play them in any near future.

I'd say just play A2 and A3 demo for it, they are in some subtle ways better than A1.

[stranger]

The engine is better in A2 and especially A3. There are various other improvements to UI, skills, and gameplay as you would expect from successive releases in the same line.

After playing EFtP I started an A1 game and it is my favorite engine (only 4 games using it?), and I think free skill choice is more appropriate than a tree. Also I was so happy to let Jay and Andrew into the party!

My biggest problem with A1 is no quest list. Also the up/down/left/right movement with arrow keys, which is changed in A3 to diagonals.

[Death Knight]

There are a few determining factors here and it all goes down to your playstyle. Avernum 1 can be a lot of fun and the build system is top notch. However, if you are not very good at making the 'Right' choices with your skills/stats the other game Avernum's remake is better. However, Avernum Escape from the Pit, while looks are good, has a very small build choice with your skills.

 

At lvl 32 your fighters and archers will have maxed out all of their skills on combat arts with only the possibility of missing out on riposte (as no one usually gets that).

 

The only way build is recognized differently in your fighters and archers is how often you place points into dexterity, strength and endurance.