Avernum or Exile. A question, not a poll.

[Soltedas]

I have been advised that I might like Exile more than I like Avernum. I understand that Exile is alot older than Avernum, and that Avernum is in fact based on Exile. (a rewrite?)

I have just started playing Avernum and I love it. I intend to complete it.

My question is, how different are the games? Would it spoil Exile to play the Avernum series? (I know that I could simply download the demo and see for myself but I am also playing Geneforge. If I do play Exile, it won't be for awhile.)

[Lilith]

The Avernum series is indeed a remake of the Exile series. Plotwise, they're almost identical. In terms of gameplay, they're very different. Play the Exile 3 demo and see how you like the gameplay (Exile 2's engine is slightly simpler, and Exile 1's is significantly more so).

[Thralni]

If you do intend to play Exile, prepare yourself for a game-play, so totaly diferent, that you will probably get annoyed in the beginning. Just try it and see for yourself. There are minor differences. For exapmle, in Exile 2, there is west of fort Draco, north of that big ruined Nephilim fort, a remote temple, with alot of loot. It isn't there in Avernum 2.

[Drakefyre]

That's one of the few differences.

 

Personally, I prefer Exile's gameplay, although you may not. Each person's different, so try both. And yes, the Exile plot will be 'spoiled' by playing Avernum, but since they're the same, the only difference is which engine you play it in.

[Suspicious Vlish]

Quote:

My question is, how different are the games?

Mega-different.

The plot and the maps are the same, but the experience is totally different. The gameplay is the major difference. The spell system in Avernum has been mangled, as well as the alchemy (do NOT call it potions...).

Quote:

Would it spoil Exile to play the Avernum series?

I'd play Exile first. That's what I done (had no choice, Avernum wasn't out when I played Exile).

I'm old school, and prefer Exile over Avernum. Call me crazy, but nothing beats the original (and being able to wield two dual waveblades dipped in killer poison).

[Thralni]

The spell department indeed was totally different in Avernum. One great disadvantage, I would say. Probably done so because of the need to make all these graphics for the spells when they are used.

[Flrec]

I think playing games in the opposite order in which they were released, ie, playing the oldest last, is very difficult. Exile 1-3 had a lot of different tweaks and improvements as the series went along and playing older games can be quite fustrating. The Avernum series sees less adjustments esp 2 and 3, but you can still feel the difference between 1 and 2 in terms of user interface like the right mouse click action.

[Zeviz]

Another thing you could try is mixing the two series. Since the storylines are identical, you can compare E1 demo with A1 demo, E2 demo with A2 demo and E3 demo with A3 demo and choose the one you like more from each pair.

[Kelandon]

Spiderweb\'s words on the subject.

 

The dialogue system is also different between A1 and E1. In E1, you ask words of your own choosing, rather than selecting options from a list.

 

Try out the demo; it's large enough that you get an idea of what you're dealing with.

[Soltedas]

You guys are right. I played it for awhile early hours and despite the similarities, the feel is completely different. For me it's like a whole new game. I like the spell-casting better also, and I feel that I am right there amongst my characters. I like having six characters, I've always wanted to use an Archer. I can see that playing Avernum and Exile simultaneously will be no problem. I can imagine some parallel universe thing going on, or that the world of Exile is a subconscious dream of one of my Avernum characters, or vice-versa. Whatever. I like it.

 

The problem is, is that these games are too good.

"Just try the demo, if you don't like it, then you don't have to register it"... Right. As if I'm not going to register it.

 

As always, thanks for the replys.

[Alorael at Large]

While I've had some archery fun in Avernum, I've never found the skill or weapons to be useful in Exile. Just a warning.

 

—Alorael, who isn't sure if this experience is general or just his own Exile quirk. He's experienced plenty of those.

[The Almighty Doer of Stuff]

Archery is useless in Exile, but very useful in Avernum. But there are so many fun spells in Exile that aren't there in Avernum. Firestorm r0xx0rz. "EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK! EEK!" I love that...

[Micawber]

The question "Avernum or Exile" has only one answer: Get both! Play both! Buy both!

 

This way, you get the best of all worlds. Plus, you can play spot the difference (sometimes the puzzles are the same, sometimes they're different). And as a bonus you'll become so familiar with the geography of Exile/Avernum you'll know it better than your home town...

 

Re archery, admittedly this is pretty useless in E1 and E2, but I found that bolts do a fair amount of damage in E3 - enough to justify the investment in skill points, IMHO.

[Thralni]

the archery is really no good. My nephil whom I ALWAYS give the bow and arrows, also in Avernum, just hits FAR MORE in avernum in comparison to exile.

[Micawber]

Maximum archery and dexterity, bless party x2, fury crossbow, gold accuracy ring... Die naga, die!

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(slowly)

 

EDIT: I forgot the major advantage of archery in Exile over Avernum: it only counts as 3 APs, not 4, so you can often get twice as many shots.

[Thralni]

Its an advantage if you hit something, but I mostly don't hit anything. I don't want to only hit things with all the things you mentioned in the previous post (fury crossbow, max archery and the like).

[Micawber]

That's funny because I really find it more useful at lower levels - if you forgo bashing weapons and spend a lot of one PC's skill points on archery then they can become quite effective in dealing with goblins, unicorns, roaches etc. In my experience (and I admit yours may be different) the limitations really start with the tougher monsters like giants and golems where your archer loses the advantage of being able to hit from a distance without being hit back.

 

Having said all that, it is of course undoubtedly true that archery is MILES better in Avernum than it is in Exile.

[Drakefyre]

The only reason I ever use ranged weapons are to get those pesky things up on ledges in Avernum, or to sneak around a corner, fire off a razordisk, and sneak back around without being seen in Exile.

[Alorael at Large]

Ranged weapons are also nice for times when you get stuck in a one space wide hallway, ledge, or other confined space. Having more than one character able to hit baddies is convenient. In similar confined areas, you can use ranged weapons to take out enemy archres and casters even when they're buried in their allies and can't be reached for melee annihilation.

 

—Alorael, who has also been known to equip the Fury Crossbow on purely melee characters in A3. +1 AP is +1 AP whether or not you shoot with it.

[Drakefyre]

More than one PC? Heavens, no!

 

One convenient thing about Avernum is that my singleton rarely has to go into combat mode in towns.

[Walter]

The only thing I ever used archery in Avernum for is when There were enemies difficult to kill with magic standing on the other side of a pit or up on a ledge so I can't reach them in mellee without spending several rounds finding the way around.

[Thralni]

Quote:

Originally written by Exterior Monologue:
In similar confined areas, you can use ranged weapons to take out enemy archres and casters even when they're buried in their allies and can't be reached for melee annihilation.

OK, so this is were i use my archers for in Avernum. In exile I use my casters.

[Alorael at Large]

Avernum suffers from a lack of Wound. Casters are worthless when you're facing some horrible omni-resistant bug-eyed, tentacled, slavering beast who spits liquid doom.

 

—Alorael, who knows how Arctic solves problems like this. It's even less pretty.