First game recommendation

[powski]

Hi Forum,

 

I just discovered the company while searching for games like these.

 

Any recommendation on which game to start with?

 

thanks!

[Upon Mars.]

Hi, welcome to Spiderwebsoftware forums! To Answer to your question I'd say: it really depends on what you whish for. Nethergate and Avernum are nice for a beginning. I don't know about Avadon and you can start with any game in the geneforge series without having to play the precedent one (although I tend to beleive that the first one was the best and the most compelling one.)

[springacres]

Avadon 1 was my first Spiderweb game, so I'm rather partial to it myself. It's the beginning of a trilogy and is as good a place as any to start.

 

When playing games in a series, I personally think it's best to start with the first game in the series or as close to it as possible, but that's just me. I have yet to see a Spiderweb game that can't be played as a stand-alone game, however, so feel free to pick and choose. If in doubt - just pick a random demo and try it out!

[Alorael at Large]

All the games have sizeable demos. You can give a bunch of them a try and see what you like for yourself!

 

But there are actually quite a lot of games, so here's some guidance: the Avadon, Avernum, and Geneforge games are all series and all have different characters. They also all become more advanced over the series. It makes sense to try to start at the beginning; if Geneforge 1 is too crude for your tastes, try 2. Then 3. But if the entire style of the game isn't what you want, try jumping to a different series.

 

Avernum is complicated by the fact that the original trilogy (Avernum 1-3) uses a different engine from Avernum 4-6, and the originals are being remade. Avernum: Escape From the Pit is a remake of Avernum 1: same story (with a few additions), very different engine, moderately different gameplay.

 

As far as details go, Avernum is more free-roaming adventure with a four-person party, especially the earlier games. You have more freedom to explore, and you'll face fewer moral quandaries (more in later games). The world is a fairly generic fantasy (generic generic, not Tolkien/D&D generic, so expect no elves or dwarves), but with an emphasis on life in caves. Geneforge takes place in a rather distinct world, and you play with a single protagonist, but depending on class you may summon a large entourage of loyal monsters. The series is all about hard choices and competing agendas among different factions without obvious good and evil. Avadon has fewer factions and less emphasis on choosing among them, but it too has a world full of moral grays. You have a single protagonist but a party of three at any time, and you can swap out among predetermined classes.

 

Speaking of classes, Avernum has nothing of the sort (though you'll want to specialize characters), Geneforge has classes only in variation in base stats and how expensive various stats are to train, and Avadon has very distinct classes.

 

There's also Nethergate, which uses the original Avernum engine, plays out something like two linked games in one, and is often (loudly) considered by some to have the best plot of a Spiderweb game. If you like the engine, definitely give it a try.

 

And there's the original Exile trilogy, of which Avernum 1-3 are remakes. It's free to download but definitely showing its age.

 

—Alorael, who hopes he has dumped enough info for you to make an educated choice in which demos to download first.

[Randomizer]

All the older games have sizeable demos. You can give a bunch of them a try and see what you like for yourself!

FYT

 

Avadon has the smallest demo and recent games have shrunk considerably.

[springacres]

You have to admit, though, the demos are still big in terms of how much gameplay they allow before requiring the player to make a purchase.

[Kelandon]

I think at this point I recommend starting with Nethergate. Generally, I'd suggest proceeding roughly chronologically but sticking with a series (and an engine) for a few games:

 

NETHERGATE/ORIGINAL AVERNUM: Avernum 1-3, Nethergate: Resurrection

EARLY GENEFORGE: Geneforge 1-2

LATER AVERNUM: Avernum 4-6

LATER GENEFORGE: Geneforge 3-5

AVADON: Avadon 1-2

 

If the Nethergate engine is too crude for you, jump ahead to Geneforge 1, and if that's still too crude, jump ahead to Geneforge 3 (it's a little awkward to start in the middle of Avernum, but less so to start in the middle of Geneforge).

 

If Geneforge is not really your style, start with Avadon 1-2. Then work your way back to Avernum: Escape from the Pit, then Avernum 4-6 (unless the Avernum 2 remake is out by that time, in which case put that after A:EftP).

 

Alternatively, you could proceed strictly chronologically.

 

I think that wherever possible the best place to start with Spiderweb is where Spiderweb started: Exile 1/Avernum 1/Avernum: Escape from the Pit (these are three versions of the same game in three different game engines; you can start with any of them).

[powski]

Thanks much for the input! Escape from the Pit is looking like a winner.

[Edgwyn]

I think that is a good choice. I would then do the Avadon series next.

[RainbowDashRadical]

Not the Geneforge Series? I think that is the winner over all of them .

 

Well if you decide to give it a try, start with Genforge 1, 4 or 5.

[Edgwyn]

I play the Spiderweb games because I am looking for an old school dungeon crawl CRPG ala Wizardry or the Bard's Tale, so my advice/opinions are biased. I have not played Genforge and the concept doesn't really appeal to me, no matter how well executed it may be.