I want my other two characters back!

[Naomi]

Just switched from Exile to Avernum and am horrified that we're now limited to 4-character parties... I'm getting splattered! Gimme beack Feodoric and Michael... how DO you people manage to get through the game with just 4 people and the same numbered monster packs as before?

[WiKiSpidweb]

You can do much more damage in Avernum.

[The Lurker]

Quote:

Originally written by Naomi:
Just switched from Exile to Avernum and am horrified that we're now limited to 4-character parties... I'm getting splattered! Gimme beack Feodoric and Michael... how DO you people manage to get through the game with just 4 people and the same numbered monster packs as before?

The XP system is different? The combat system is less complicated? It's possible to finish the game as a singleton? Monsters are now restricted to only one combat square? I wouldn't know... I played Exile after Avernum, and I thought Blades of Avernum to be a lot easier than Blades of Exile...

EDIT : Ah, okay. Thanks, WKS.

[WiKiSpidweb]

I'm not sure how the one combat square thing makes it easier or harder.

[Randomizer]

You have to approach combat differently. There is no more running up to engage monsters unless they are close enough to hit in the same round. Let the monsters waste actions coming after you. Missle weapons work better than in Exile.

 

Spellcasters are more powerful initially even wihout area effects. In Avernum 1 it's possible to start with lightning spray by customizing a natural mage with a high enough mage spell level. Just keep checking the spells known list.

 

It takes awhile to get use to the differences between Avernum system and Exile. After a few hours and different encounters you will develope your own style. Since monsters in dungeons aren't replaced, just go in kill a few and leave. The treasure sits on the floor waiting to be picked up later. All you have to watch for are random encounters in the wilderness and you can avoid them or race to town to recharge.

[Ephesos]

Personally, I never had a problem with only having four people. In fact, the one time I tried Exile, I was flabbergasted as to why I'd need two extra people.

[Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas]

Well, I had fun with pummeling stuff to bloody pulps with 4 magi and 2 priest/fighters.

 

Avernum seems to be too specialized.

[Dintiradan]

By RMEC:

Quote:

Avernum seems to be too specialized.

It caters to min/maxers like me. Before entering Thalni's beta, I spent about an hour in Kel's HLPM, creating a party min/maxed towards the hidden skills.

 

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(Distinct mowing sound.)

[Fort]

Who needs 6 PCs in the Avernum games? Each one can deal and take a huge amount of punishment. Since when could you assassinate for 300 in Exile? A 250 hp cap for your PCs? Ridiculous!

 

I agree that the characters have to be much more specialized, but it should not be a problem becuase people can still find enough skill points to pull off singletons or duos.

 

But really, the source of passion for this argument is in that I absolutely love killing monsters in one hit in Avernum.

[1337 h4x0r]

Personally, I prefer having the extra to PCs, it gives me a wider variety of characters and makes the game more fun for me.

[Bomber]

Quote:

how DO you people manage to get through the game with just 4 people and the same numbered monster packs as before?

You think 4 people is tough try one.

[dareva]

On the contrary, I found that when I went back and replayed E3 after playing A2, those two extra characters rather annoyed me. You don't really need a fighter, a fighter/trap disarmer, a fighter/archer/lockpicker, a mage, a priest, and a mage/priest after all. (That's the way I always divided up the duties in Exile games, anyway.)

[Fort]

More people in your party never hurt as long as you can keep up with keeping them all alive. My only irritation with full parties in Exile was that the experience is not distributed evenly, so that the first three characters are twice as powerful as the last three. Then they contribute much less to battles and die more often as well.

[Zeviz]

Managing the experience in Exile games is just another element of strategy, especially trying to make sure the priest doesn't fall too far behind. However, I am glad that I don't have to worry about this in Avernum. The only drawback of Avernum system is that there is no way to compensate for difference in XP penalties between characters. (In Exile, I could just let my Slith get more killing blows than my human.)

 

Quote:

Avernum seems to be too specialized.

-------------------------------------------------

It caters to min/maxers like me. Before entering Thalni's beta, I spent about an hour in Kel's HLPM, creating a party min/maxed towards the hidden skills.

What's "min/maxing" in this context?

[Lilith]

Quote:

Originally written by Zeviz:
What's "min/maxing" in this context?

Character optimisation, essentially.

[Noddy]

I've never played any of the Exile games, but I couldn't imagine playing with 6 characters. I always play Avernum with 1 character, I've never played with more.

 

I'd just find it too much of a hassle to be managing 6 characters (in combat, though not in the rest of the game). It's the same reason I never bothered to finish Ultima 5, because you couldn't set NPCs to AI, and the game was too hard with one character.

 

I always set creations to AI in Geneforge as well, regardless of how much Intelligence I've given them.

[Mister Fox]

Avernum is a bit easier and you don't really need 6 characters, you don't even need two if you're good. Exile is more for people who want a challenge, and the graphics were charming in their own way.

[Randomizer]

The two extra characters in Exile are useful because of how the game engine deals with treasure that falls on the floor after killing a monster. In Avernum, unless it's a wilderness encounter from A1-3, the treasure remains to be picked up later. In Exile the treasure is always gone when you leave the area. The extra characters allow you to pick up more loot so you can finish off a dungeon and never need to come back. OR you can keep redoing a dungeon for the monster treasure and experience, but that becomes boring.

[Meeshka]

I think, I should vote for 6 characters in a gang. I always wondered how Duke Nukem manages with all those monsters. A bigger gang opportunities are... well... more realistic to me. May be RPG is not for me? Should I switch to RTS and guide armies?