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Ever bought someone a Spiderweb game as a gift? in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Tuesday, September 11 2007 05:52 Profile #2
Well that's a given. I'll probably slog through the Trilogy first myself. If I can only find the time.....!
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Ever bought someone a Spiderweb game as a gift? in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Tuesday, September 11 2007 05:43 Profile #0
Have you bought a Spiderweb game for someone else? How did they like it?

I'm planning to get one for my brother (b-day). He likes NWN, Baldur's Gate, among more mainstream games like Resident Evil stuff, but I checked the demo and I think he'll like Geneforge IV.

I know the site says "no prior Geneforge experience required", but are there a lot of inside references in Geneforge 4 that he'll miss?

I'm playing NG:R and BOA myself, but I think he'll be impressed more with the slicker GUI in G4 (not sure he's as into the "retro" thing as I am, probably not).
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
noob info in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Monday, September 10 2007 16:32 Profile #84
quote:

—Alorael, who likes subjectivity. It gives him room to execute his unchecked will and whimsy on a helpless forum.[/QB]
OK, I've got to say it and try to make it not sound like brown-nosing to an elder member. How can you have almost 14,000 posts, and manage to have a pretty darned witty line from "Alorael" at the end of each one?

Seriously, the ones I've read thus far have all been pretty good.

And just for the newbies like me, who is Alorael anyway?
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
noob info in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Monday, September 10 2007 16:17 Profile #82
quote:
Originally written by Wiz:


And yes, she has a point. I'm pretty sure most of the posts generally regarded to be spam would be considered interesting/useful by the poster.
As a mod / staff member myself of an automotive site that at any time has 4-500 members logged in, I've noticed some differences in the "rules" of various boards and find them interesting --- like other cultures almost.

The loose definition of "spam" on other boards, for instance, that we just don't have the time to bother with. We have a stricter definition of the term. Spam is stuff from a newly registered user trying to sell something or redirect traffic to some site completely unrelated to the board for personal gain.

Repetitive posting about nonsense could also be considered spam as well, but we don't get many of those, and that is subjective. Spam is not subjective --- on the board I'm a mod at, at least.

We don't lock or delete threads often, but then people usually don't come to an automotive news site to make trouble. And mental pre-teens looking to vent against authority figures aren't usually interested with discussion of the newest car platform being developed in Brazil with an ethanol-capable engine. Not for long, anyway.

Religion and politics are a no-no. Usually go nowhere good. Hard to moderate when they are related to automotive news, though.

We also don't tolerate banned users coming back and trying to lure users to their new boards that were created mainly to whine about why they were banned. IP ban time for those few.

Repeated personal taunts and jabs (one level below an out and out "attack") that aren't meant in fun are discouraged, even if not explicitly forbidden in the Rules of Conduct.

But that's another site, and another world. The rules here are fine with me. But arbitrarily calling posts "spam" for no clear reason is...unfortunate.

Anyway, thought I'd post my 2 cents, doubtful they will bring much more than a few taunts and jabs my way (ha). :P ;)
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Music in Avernum 5 in Avernum 4
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Monday, September 10 2007 10:20 Profile #10
quote:
Originally written by Frobozz:

quote:
Originally written by Jawaj:

and it would increase download size a lot.
Not if he used the Amiga module formats that older DOS (and Amiga) games used. Jazz Jackrabbit for example has 32 music files for only 3MB of space.
Commodore 64-syle SID music, too. ;)

14 Kilobytes(!) for every song from Origin's "Times of Lore", for instance: http://www.lemon64.com/music/sid/Galway_Martin/Times_of_Lore.sid

Tiny SID for Windows is 13KB.
http://www.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de/~sinsch/TinySid.htm

But then I actually think these games would be great with that kind of retro music while others here might disagree.

[ Monday, September 10, 2007 10:24: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
The Nephil Search: Escape in Blades of Avernum
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Monday, September 10 2007 09:09 Profile #11
This sounds like it has the potential to be a great one --- checked your site and sig and the latest updates are back in May, still working on it?

I realize this is a very old thread, but it seemed better to revive than post anew.

[ Monday, September 10, 2007 09:20: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
N:R blessing pools in Nethergate
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Monday, September 10 2007 08:48 Profile #12
I thought the same thing but didn't try to unequip it. Perhaps if the graphic or some more obvious description had changed it would have made it easier to tell. Still seems useful, though, if the bonuses stack with the equivalent buff cast spell from your Druids in battle, since I almost always cast that after Shielding.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Heads will roll in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Saturday, September 8 2007 09:46 Profile #26
Holy bolded centered text, Batman!

A page design like this is not complete without <BLINK> tags and a corny X-files MIDI.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Is this "SubTerra"? in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Saturday, September 8 2007 09:41 Profile #6
Thanks for the link Mystic, and Iffy, that post on non-support was what got me curious in the first place. :)
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Is this "SubTerra"? in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Saturday, September 8 2007 06:40 Profile #3
Praise Google, I found the Lost Souls page as well: http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/lostsouls/index.html

Lost Souls is one ingenious, tactical challenge after another, featuring beautiful graphics and sounds and 60 levels to conquer. It is by Richard White, the creator of Ocean Bound, and distributed by Spiderweb Software Inc., makers of the award-winning Exile series.

Features

· 60 levels to conquer
· Three difficulty settings per level
· Deploy soldiers, archers and knights
· Build bridges
· Capture vital guard towers
· Control territory
· Ambient Sounds

Requirements:

Lost Souls requires a 25MHz 68030 Macintosh or higher, 5 MB of free RAM, 2.5 MB of hard disk space and a minimum 13 inch monitor capable of supporting thousands of colours. System 7 is also required.

A windows version is not available and will not be developed. This decision is made by the developer.

IMAGE(http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/images/LostSouls/ls_shot1.gif)
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Is this "SubTerra"? in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Saturday, September 8 2007 06:38 Profile #2
Thanks. I finally found a link to it on one of the front pages.

I also found this "Galactic Core" game, but only through a Google search, that must be the Richard White games: Galactic Core, Lost Souls, and Ocean Bound (not sure if these were all offered here or not). For member #7, I'm sure this stuff is all old news. :)

http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/GalacticCore/index.html

Seems like you can still download the demo but can't order it. Chromite Software also seems to be a dead link.

Again, just poking around and wondering.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Is this "SubTerra"? in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Saturday, September 8 2007 05:30 Profile #0
I dug around for references to the "discontinued support" game Subterra mentioned in these forums, and found this:

http://crystalshard.net/index.php?p=6

Not to be a Topic Necromancer, but is this the game that Spiderweb Software used to also offer at one time?

Just curious.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Challenging Nethergate "Role-Play" Character Builds in Nethergate
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Saturday, September 8 2007 05:13 Profile #10
Anyone else have a couple of "different" stats or even special traits that they hyper-focus on to make a type of character that might not be immediately obvious as "playable" (read: challenging)?

How about a Celt Berserker --- unlike Blades of Avernum that has a Berserker class but no such Weaponry skill, I noticed you could really make one via the Berserker skill. Heavy focus on that skill to the detriment of others --- how would that turn out? Maybe Mighty Warrior trait on top of it?

[ Saturday, September 08, 2007 05:15: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Registering a demo question, also regarding cd. in The Exile Trilogy
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Friday, September 7 2007 13:27 Profile #4
quote:
Originally written by The Mystic:

I only order the games on CD.
I'll be doing that from now on, too. I upgrade my PC and play around with operating systems too much to keep bugging Spiderware about a reg. code.

Besides, 10 years from now if I want to go back and play them, the CD's will always install and play just fine.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Frustrating Avernum 1 problem(s) in The Avernum Trilogy
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Friday, September 7 2007 06:59 Profile #9
Sounds fixable if you could only map a key on your keyboard to act as the mouse button...
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
You Choice, Your Music.. in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Friday, September 7 2007 06:54 Profile #10
Too much to list, so I'll just write what I've been listening to recently:

Armin van Buuren
Bryan Ferry
Yazawa Eikichi

Lots of game remixes from this site:

http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01072/
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
BOA Promotional CD Question in Blades of Avernum
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Thursday, September 6 2007 18:55 Profile #6
Got my CD today and no registration code. Just uninstalled my demo 'cause I wasn't very far into it, still playing Nethergate. I use a lot of different machines and upgrade frequently, so I'll be ordering my Spiderweb games on CD from here on out. Worth the 4 bucks -- actually it should be much cheaper if you consider the trilogies and what you save on those, and of course the Geneforge and BOA promotional CDs could also be considered to actually be 11 bucks each...

Thinking of getting Avernum 4 CD and the Geneforge promotional CD next. Now if I can only find the time to play these games as much as I want to...

[ Thursday, September 06, 2007 18:57: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
What have you been reading lately? in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Wednesday, September 5 2007 19:29 Profile #482
Gotta feel for the Wheel of Time junkies. I saw the series was going nowhere fast (or slow) and stopped after book 2 or so. Would be more aptly named Neverending Story if that title wasn't already taken. Or the not-so "Final Fantasy".

As to the "who has time to read?" --- one thing I'm impressed with is Jeff Vogel's dungeon room descriptions when there's some kind of deadly puzzle. Or in Nethergate, where he writes colorful details about some hut in the middle of the swamp. I love that kind of stuff. Reminds me of pen & paper RPG gaming. Not enough of that in the big development houses beyond moving the plot along. Jeff's descriptions go far beyond what is required and add a lot of flavor, more than making up for whatever the graphics lack.

Anyone else remember a game called Temple of Apshai by Epyx? The graphics were minimal so it came with a little booklet you were supposed to read the room descriptions in. It gave you a hint about what might be in the corner of the room or what creatures might be there.

Would be fun to take those room descriptions (I think I have a text file somewhere) and do a Blades of Avernum scenario off of it.

[ Wednesday, September 05, 2007 19:32: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Music for Avernum V in Avernum 4
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Wednesday, September 5 2007 19:20 Profile #14
quote:
Originally written by Polygnosis:

It's Nethergate, and the ambient sounds are based on the area type, not the chapter or party. Caves get drippy cave noises
Eek - you'd think I could get the name of the game I've been playing for the last several days straight - I had to edit it, that was so bad. I'll have to try the Genentech series after this. ;)

Yep, it's the noises like bats, or rats, or creepy crawlies that I like along with the drippy sounds.

I wanted to say where I was but didn't know how without giving away spoilers. Seems it wasn't important. :)

Could also be that I'm using nice speakers instead of junky earphones that makes that dungeon echo effect sound even nicer.

[ Wednesday, September 05, 2007 19:20: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Music for Avernum V in Avernum 4
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Wednesday, September 5 2007 16:56 Profile #12
quote:
Originally written by Enraged Slith:

Starcraft and Diablo both have an incredible music track.
Diablo had a creepy soundtrack in one of the dungeons with what could only be described as....evil babies crying in the background. Really made you sweat those scenes with big meat cleaver guys running after you.

I can't remember the Starcraft soundtrack.

Netherworld: Ressurection has a pretty good dungeon soundtrack in (avoiding spoilers here) Act (Chapter?) 2 - Celts. Not much music but cool ambient effects. I'm still new to the Spiderweb games so I'm not sure if that's been used in other games before.

One of my favorite "ambient sountracks" from when I was just a pre-teen with my Commodore64 was Temple of Apshai, the original, not the Trilogy. It had these low tones and made hums and buzzing notes that added to the effect of a scary dungeon settting. The trilogy had no music that I can recall. Add to that the original Temple and Curse of Ra were set on a black screen with white walls as opposed to the white backdrop and colored walls in the Trilogy, and the Trilogy just felt too....nice to be engaging.

[ Wednesday, September 05, 2007 17:04: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Challenging Nethergate "Role-Play" Character Builds in Nethergate
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Wednesday, September 5 2007 08:58 Profile #8
Ouch - after playing I ran into the limitations of First Aid:

1. Cannot be used during combat
2. Can only be used 3 times per day on a character

While it is effective when used after combat, and at higher levels will clear other afflictions, you can't hope to rely on it like the heal spell.

So....keeping Hippocrates "playable"

Hippocrates - Roman Medic / Apothecary

IMAGE(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6955/untitlednv7.jpg)

Party tweaked:

1. All-around Centurion (Primary Spear / pole arm use with some basic melee - backup Roman short sword - some Javelin for when distance can't be closed) - Your only real "normal" character, but aside from Spear focus he should spread points amongst every Melee Skill except slings, and every attribute except intelligence, even if you would not. Consider him triathlon man.

2. Anateus (see first post)

3. Hippocrates (see above, replaces Javelin focused pre-created character as a decent Slinger)

4. Druid-wannabe Roman - as in the pre-created, focus on WAR spells, Hippocrates is supposed to supply potions and first aid for most of the healing. Druid provides some back up healing if potions run out or inventory is stripped from characters (no herbs, potions or first aid kits...it could happen) - But will always try to put x2 points into War over Healing.

NO ONE BUT HIPPOCRATES CAN HAVE RATIONAL MIND...will make relying on Hippocrates' potions during battle impossible.

[ Wednesday, September 05, 2007 08:59: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Best in-game Spiderweb Art? in General
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Wednesday, September 5 2007 04:53 Profile #10
quote:
Originally written by root:

quote:
Originally written by Third Degree Freedom:

All the Foglio skill pictures are genius.
Seconded.
Thirded here. I went and picked up this book because I wanted some more Foglio: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Genius -Omnibus-Phil-Foglio/dp/1890856401/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3217713-1260123?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189000355&sr=8-1

310 pages...!

[ Wednesday, September 05, 2007 04:54: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Music for Avernum V in Avernum 4
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Wednesday, September 5 2007 04:15 Profile #10
Old-skool RPG tunes for your playlist:

http://files-upload.com/files/482308/10.MID
http://files-upload.com/files/482311/14.MID
http://files-upload.com/files/482306/4.MID
http://files-upload.com/files/482312/22.MID
http://files-upload.com/files/482314/40.MID
http://files-upload.com/files/482316/5032.MID

[ Wednesday, September 05, 2007 04:34: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Music for Avernum V in Avernum 4
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Wednesday, September 5 2007 03:39 Profile #9
So what music do you guys listen to? Just any old tunes or something more RPG specific?

I like these soundtracks:

Conan (first Arnold movie)
1492
LOTR trilogy (of course)I also have some MIDI files and game music I play on occasion (some I ripped/extracted myself). I listen to:
Ravenloft 2 - Stone Prophet
Necronomicon - FM Towns (too obscure, don't ask)
Ultimas (MIDIs up all over the place)
For hard core retro, see the "music" tab here: http://www.lemon64.com/
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00
Challenging Nethergate "Role-Play" Character Builds in Nethergate
Ming
Warrior
Member # 10234
 written Tuesday, September 4 2007 19:14 Profile #4
So you could do Rational Mind, just stay away from the potions, but I had him cut out as a kind of strong medic with some apothecary skills.

I guess it depends on what the game designer thinks of potions. Are they "magic"? Or could they be considered herbal remedies / medicines / supplements with near-magical efficacy? Or to take that one step further, the components themselves have "magical" qualities, but the art of brewing the potions could be considered strictly scientific?

If its just "magic", then Hippocrates should put those herbal points into more First Aid.

[ Tuesday, September 04, 2007 19:15: Message edited by: Ming ]
Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00

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