Diving In to Spiderweb Games on a High-End Mac

[ProgPariah77]

I noticed that all of Spiderweb's games are available for the Mac OS. As a recent convert to Mac (from the godawful Windows 8 OS), I'm interested to get into these RPGs, but I'm uncertain as to which series' to jump into. I'm already playing the iPad-compatible games on my iPad, but outside of these, what are my best bets? Please include your rationale with your response if possible, and thanks in advance for your counsel!

 

Rob

[Randomizer]

The most recent games work best with new Macs. The older the game, like Exile series, the more likely you will need to run it with an emulator or using WINE to make a Windows version run on a Mac.

 

The best bet is to download the Demo and try it out since there is a fierce debate over which is the best series. Each series has its merits in spite of the fact that some players like think they are the best.

 

Blades of Exile is open sourced and there are versions to run on newer computers.

 

Avernum 1 to 3, the First Avernum Trilogy needs OS 10.7 using Rosetta or earlier OS to run natively. Any thing from Avernum 4 to 6 should run.

 

The Geneforge series should run, but you may prefer the last two games because the interface is closer to the iPad available games.

 

Nethergate: Resurrection will be easier to play compared to its original version.

 

Welcome to Spiderweb Software. Please leave your sanity at the door. That way you can find it as you get conflicting advice and the flames rise.

[Balladeer]

I have a fondness for the Exile series but I'm old school. 2D always looked better to me. Avernum is basically the same story with a newer engine. 3D graphics and maps with hills and trees that specials can hide behind. If you like that kind of thing.*shrugs*

 

I haven't played Geneforge yet... I thought I bought it, years ago, but couldn't find it when I finally went looking... on my to-do list.

 

The original Nethergate is imho not Jeff's best. Story felt flat to me especially in comparison to Exile/Avernum. Haven't played Resurrection, probably won't.

 

Can't say much about what exactly will work with what but that's my two cents...

[Kelandon]

First things first, for clarity. The Exile series (which was Spiderweb's first) has been remade once and is in the process of being remade a second time. Exile 1 was remade into Avernum 1 which was remade into Avernum: Escape from the Pit. I think it's best to start there, normally, because that's where Spiderweb started.

 

The challenge is that Avernum 2 and Avernum 3 haven't been remade yet, so to continue the series, you have to go back to an older engine. I like the older Avernum engine, especially in Avernum 2, but feelings are mixed on that point. You could wait for those games to be remade.

 

Nethergate (or its remake, Nethergate: Resurrection) is highly regarded around here — I think it ranks in the top few Spiderweb games — but it's also in the older Avernum engine.

 

The Geneforge series all looks somewhat like the iPad games — Geneforge started the new Spiderweb branding of games — though the first few look a little cruder than the recent games. I like Geneforge 1 a lot, but if you just can't adjust to the graphics, jump ahead to Geneforge 3 or 4.

 

Avadon 1 and 2 are relatively recent, but you probably already have them on iPad. I think Avadon 1 is the best game Spiderweb has done (excluding remakes) since Geneforge 4, at least, and maybe since Geneforge 1 or Nethergate.

 

So, where would I start? I'd take the games in this order:

 

Avernum 1 (or A:EftP)

Avernum 2-3

Nethergate (or N:R)

Geneforge 1-5

Avernum 4-6

Avadon 1-2

 

This is loosely chronological, and I think it's easiest to handle the gameplay changes this way. If something is too old (doesn't work, too clunky) skip ahead to the next chunk. Keep skipping until you find something you're comfortable with.

 

I like the developing storylines over the series, but if you don't care, here's how I'd rank Spiderweb games, personally:

 

1. Exile 1/Avernum 1/A:EftP

2. Nethergate/N:R

3. Geneforge 1

4. Avadon 1

5. Exile 2/Avernum 2

6. Exile 3/Avernum 3

7. Avadon 2

8. Geneforge 4

9. Geneforge 2

10. Avernum 6

11. Geneforge 5

12. Avernum 5

13. Geneforge 3

14. Avernum 4

 

Blades of Exile and Blades of Avernum are kind of different, because the main point is the user-made scenarios.

[adc.]

GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEFFFFFFFFFFFFFORRRRRRRRRRRGEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OOOOOOOOOONNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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Geneforge in a nutshell: Creations vs. Creators | Creations rebelled after they grew themselves a brain, aided by rogue creators who broke the rules. Terrestria was then plunged to war, pick a side! Choose a side! Take a side!

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Avernum in a nutshell: Rebel vs. Empire | Rebels, misfits, petty criminal and those who are not meant to live in the surface are sent to the underworld, never to see the sun again. After that, they want to take revenge to those who oppressed them. Typically, you are one of them.

=====

Exile: ???

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Nethergate in a nutshell: Romans vs. Celtics with real magic | Yes

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Avadon: ???

 

Was trying to avoid spoilers.

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-Nightwatcher

[ProgPariah77]

Hey, thanks so much for your responses!

 

OK, based on the info you have provided, I've formulated what seems to me an optimal approach (see what you think):

 

1. As I said, I already own the four iPad titles [Avadon I and II, Avernum: Escape, and Avernum 6 (!)]], so it makes sense to play those on the iPad (probably Avernum: Escape, then Avadon I, then Avernum II [which should be out later this year], then Avadon II, etc.)

 

2. On the MAC, it looks like Nethergate: Resurrection first, then on to/through the Geneforge series.

 

3. If I've still got the "bug" after playing through these, I may even dip into "Blades of Exile" and/or "Blades of Avernum."

 

So are all of the games part of the same narrative world, or do each of the various series take place in their own unique "universe"?

 

Also, are there other series of a similar ilk (i.e. classic RPG) that you would recommend for the MAC or the iPad? (I'm already into Baldur's Gate I and II on the iPad.)

 

Rob

[adc.]

So are all of the games part of the same narrative world, or do each of the various series take place in their own unique "universe"?

 

Also, are there other series of a similar ilk (i.e. classic RPG) that you would recommend for the MAC or the iPad? (I'm already into Baldur's Gate I and II on the iPad.)

 

 

If they were part of each other, a nine-headed cave ornk who owns the Black Fortress, would try to rebel against the empire, sending Celts covered in woad to the Empire Council. Events following that would result in a victorious triumph of the nine-headed creature against the Empire Council, declaring that all animals should gain a higher status than men. The Celtics would then, hire Nord assassins kill their oppressors. Livestocks proving themselves too powerful, they enslaved the Nords. The Ornk Empire grew and retaliated against the celts who now have gone into hiding. Smuggling Woad Shampoo Skooma-smell to the Altmeri Dominion, the High Elves agreed to destroy the Ornks and their nine-headed leader with unforeseen tactics. The Ornks were defeated by the Altmers and surrendered to the elves. The elves took them as prisoner. The Ornks betrayed the elves by sending J.C. Denton on a mission, along with Adam Jensen with stun guns. Then the duo turned against their employer and spilled their meat. They ate merrily until they were fat enough to crush the floor beneath them, sending them to Oblivion where they met their fates from the Daedric Princes. The Celts then raised enough food for them to survive. But everytime they've tried planting, Steve steps on their plantation, destroying their farm and angering them. Their hatred turned them into Sith and using their remaining strength, they summoned Alduin into the plane to destroy everything that they wanted to be.

 

That explains why they don't have the same narrative world.

 

 

None, because Spiderweb is unique.

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Idk, Knights of the Old Republic maybe? It's cool, but I don't think it has a Mac OS version. Hearing of the emulators, it might work though.

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-Nightwatcher

[Jerakeen]

So are all of the games part of the same narrative world, or do each of the various series take place in their own unique "universe"?

Each series is set in its own universe.

[Tyranicus]

Idk, Knights of the Old Republic maybe? It's cool, but I don't think it has a Mac OS version.

There is a Mac version on Steam.

[Kelandon]

To convert to Mac fully, you have to make sure not to put "Mac" in all caps. "PC" is an acronym ("Personal Computer"). "Mac" is an abbreviation ("Macintosh"). You'll give away that you're not really a Mac person if you write "MAC."

 

Shibboleths aside, it looks like you've got a lot of playing ahead of you! Have fun!

[ProgPariah77]

@Miindovahzen: Right - snap! I also have KotOR on the iPad; a great game indeed.

 

@ Kelandon: I stand corrected; a Mac "newby," as I said.

^ (see what I did there?)