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Rentar-Ihrno in The Avernum Trilogy
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Saturday, March 17 2007 08:11 Profile Homepage #33
That said, the ease with which Ernest, working by himself, can teleport people across half a continent makes you wonder just how deep Exile has to be in order to be unreachable by such means.

Maybe teleporting "through" solid rock is harder, though I'm not sure how much "through" applies to teleportation anyway.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Who's the Hottest? Male Edition in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Saturday, March 17 2007 08:06 Profile Homepage #27
quote:
Originally written by Emperor Tullegolar:

Barzahl probably would have gotten more votes had I not made the comment in the first post. A pity, really, considering the fact that he contributed more to the art of shaping than any other single being in the history of the games.
Except for Danette.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Rentar-Ihrno in The Avernum Trilogy
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Saturday, March 17 2007 04:14 Profile Homepage #30
quote:
Originally written by Fifteen Second Delay:

You can't always count on end-of-game deus ex machina wizardry, though.

—Alorael, who is always confused by teleportation in Avernum. Sometimes it seems trivial. Sometimes nobody can teleport out of Avernum without going to inordinate lengths to collect gadgets and locations and such. Is there an anti-teleportation barrier twenty feet below sea level?
I would imagine that you always need special gadgets. In the early days of Exile, there just weren't any. Later, they were around and just not mentioned.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Really anticipated ideas for A5?? in Avernum 4
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Saturday, March 17 2007 04:09 Profile Homepage #67
To be fair, Nephils get a bonus which is identical in effect to a Dex bonus -- they get the offensive bonus from Bows and Throws and the defensive bonus from Gymnastics.

Even Exile's bonuses are pretty paltry, though, compared with the obvious physical differences among the races. What would make more sense to me -- and this would also be an easy way to balance a race like the Vahnatai -- would be to have different skill point costs and HP/SP formulas for each race, kind of like Geneforge does with its classes.

Another option would be to have equipment restrictions, kind of like Nethergate did. Vahnatai are never described, that I can think of, as wearing plate armor.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Are Drakons superior beings? in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Friday, March 16 2007 16:46 Profile Homepage #52
quote:
Originally written by Thuryl:

quote:
Originally written by Emperor Tullegolar:

but at least they aren't factually untrue (like drakon have innate shaping abilites
Actually, I think there's a case to be made for this. Isn't there a reference somewhere to Ghaldring being "the first drakon with the ability to Shape"? This must refer to innate Shaping ability rather than Shaping ability as such, since Ghaldring himself was Shaped by Easss.
I thought I remembered that reference, too. But grep dug up only about 50 references to Easss Shaping Ghaldring.

I think what we're thinking of is that drakons were the first creation with the ability to Shape.

AHA! GREP TO THE RESCUE!

Issss-Ta the Drayk says:
"No Shaper, that is for sure. I was made by Easss, the first drakon who could shape, the creator of Ghaldring. No, Ghaldring was not the first drakon who could Shape, whatever he is claiming now."

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Geneforge 5: Improvements, Innovations etc in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Friday, March 16 2007 15:46 Profile Homepage #42
Battle creations were at least theoretically useful in G1 and G2, when most of them did have higher combat bonuses than other creations, and when melee damage was higher than missile damage (d8 vs d6-8) rather than lower (d4 vs d3-12).

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Geneforge world geographical questioning. in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Friday, March 16 2007 14:16 Profile Homepage #25
Ack. ET, I have to apologize; Drypeak isn't west of Burwood, it's west of Illya. I mixed up the province names.

Anyway, that doesn't look terribly plausible.

I looked up the "western sea" references in G1. There are actually two. One is just the narration, as Dikiyoba pointed out. The other is Gnorrel (the leader of the Takers, and Trajkov's ally). Here's all the relevant text plus the text about Sucia and Dillame's location:

GNORREL: "There are humans on this island, who have come from far across the western sea"

MASHA: "We are people from land far away. Icy land, harsh, across sea. We are great explorers, so we came here." This makes sense. No Shaper has ever crossed the western sea. Some consider it to be impassable.

ENDING: You depart Sucia island at last, setting course for the mainland. The island was not as remote as you imagined it. It is only fifty miles from the nearest Shaper settlement. Fifty miles and two centuries. In but a day, you arrive at the coastal settlement of Dillame. There are a dozen Shapers there, working to tame this wild coast, populate it with friendly fauna, and make it safe for settlement.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Come see my back-fired plan!! in General
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Friday, March 16 2007 12:41 Profile Homepage #26
...
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Where You At Now? in General
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Friday, March 16 2007 12:38 Profile Homepage #19
Look at all this graduatin'!

Graduated two years ago with a fairly irrelevant BA in Linguistics. I work full time at a residential treatment facility, where I do various therapeutic work with severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents.

Future plans: very tentatively, go to grad school for a PsyD and do family therapy.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Et tu, Brute? in General
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Friday, March 16 2007 09:48 Profile Homepage #15
Caecilius est pater.
Metella est mater.
Quintus est filius.
Clemens est servus.
Grumio est coquus.
Cerberus est canis.

I think I still have the first chapter or two memorized...

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Geneforge 5: Improvements, Innovations etc in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Friday, March 16 2007 09:42 Profile Homepage #40
How would the balancing be tricky? Geneforge ONE had creations with unlimited slowing ability. G4 had creations that could curse. Haste and Bless are also far cheaper spells than others that are already emulated by creations (Aura of Flames and Kill, I'm looking at you). And Jeff would have to work hard to make a creation more broken than the G3 Vlish.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Geneforge world geographical questioning. in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Thursday, March 15 2007 20:19 Profile Homepage #19
Well, who knows what that one Sholai meant by the western sea. Western relative to the Sholai homeland, maybe?

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Rentar-Ihrno in The Avernum Trilogy
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Thursday, March 15 2007 19:37 Profile Homepage #23
Aimee Kilser would be a wonderful surprise -- although given my distaste for the direction the story has gone in post-1996, maybe not.

Kelner, I dunno. Kelner seems to have emulated Solberg's caution, but not his magical prowess. Solberg was powerful enough to be Erika and Garzahd's peer on the surface. He was a rare expert in an unusual and demanding field of magic (minddueling). Kelner was powerful enough to be an administrator for years... and years... and years. Yes, he was on the Triad, but he's the only Triad member we never saw ANY magic from. Even Seletine put a bundle of wands together. I mean, sheesh. Sorry excuse for a wizard, Kelner is.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Geneforge world geographical questioning. in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Thursday, March 15 2007 19:25 Profile Homepage #17
It's worth pointing out that G1-4 all occur relatively close to each other. Sucia Island, while in the middle of the ocean, is described as being not too far from Dillame (yes, Dillame is mentioned in G1). Drypeak Valley is just west of Burwood Province, and the Ashen Isles are north of the northeast part of Terrestia.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Nalyd: in General
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Thursday, March 15 2007 19:18 Profile Homepage #49
Go directly to jail.
Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Rentar-Ihrno in The Avernum Trilogy
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Thursday, March 15 2007 06:46 Profile Homepage #19
Don't forget Rone.

I think it would be safe to say that, as of the end of A4, X is the most powerful mage extant -- given the seemingly frail states of Solberg and Rone.

There were a number of other second- and third-tier wizards in the earlier games, and it's not hard to imagine one or two of them growing in power and skill significantly. However, they all seem to have died (Mahdavi, Silverio), become demented (Thompson, Vidrain) or disappeared (Enla, Ostoth). The dragons disappeared as well. Pathass is still around, and potentially among the most powerful magic-users, but he isn't a mage.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Really anticipated ideas for A5?? in Avernum 4
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Tuesday, March 13 2007 19:17 Profile Homepage #54
Levels have stagnated even for non-singletons in pretty much every Jeff game save Nethergate. It was most noticeable in A4 and G4 though, it's true.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Who's the Hottest? Male Edition in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Tuesday, March 13 2007 19:15 Profile Homepage #9
Wasn't it Zakary?

And Barzahl didn't make me question my lifestyle, ET...

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
am i in the latest fashion...? in Avernum 4
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Tuesday, March 13 2007 05:51 Profile Homepage #16
The strength might be affected by spellcasting power at very low levels of blessing -- I haven't tested that, and that's the way it always was in Exile. Regardless, there is definitely an easily achievable limit beyond which spellcasting power only adds to blessing duration.

...Come to think of it, I'm not 100% sure this is how blessing affects damage. I think it is, but I haven't tested and I know others (Randomizer?) have suggested it just adds a percentage factor to damage, the converse of shielding. I find this pretty unlikely, but it's possible.

Blessing does, however, affect to-hit chance just like extra levels of attack strength do.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Episode 3 Continued in General
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Tuesday, March 13 2007 02:44 Profile Homepage #384
...you know, I think I honestly preferred the original -X- incarnation. Slews of petty, sometimes catty replies are much worse than a stale gimmick.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
am i in the latest fashion...? in Avernum 4
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Monday, March 12 2007 04:33 Profile Homepage #11
Also, blessing. Blessing adds a good-sized chunk of combat bonus.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Governments in Blades of Avernum
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Sunday, March 11 2007 17:32 Profile Homepage #5
Bargha is not a rogue state. Bargha is in the Abyss, which is pretty much never part of the Exile/Avernum government even though it's in the caves.

Also, the Council appears to have been disbanded as of A4.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Geneforge 4 - 9.41 (9.9/8.8) in General
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Saturday, March 10 2007 14:14 Profile Homepage #5
G4 was a good, solid game -- like every spidweb game. It improved on many of the flaws of its predecessors. Less captivating than it could have been, and definitely not top tier among spidweb games, but better than almost every recent offering. It earns points in particular for building NPC characters, restoring balanced gameplay (at least mostly) and expanding class and creation options mildly.

8.8

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
On the Road to Weapons of Mass Destruction in General
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Wednesday, March 7 2007 07:35 Profile Homepage #100
I, for one, respect Excalibur for backing out. I don't agree with any of his (her?) assertions, but there is always wisdom in recognizing when an argument isn't going to be productive.

At a certain point this does become running away, and it's critical that you are not too picky in staying out of conflict if you want to learn and grow at all. But a thread on an internet forum in which the most vocal contributors are so obstinate in their views, and in which invective has already been invoked -- this isn't a fertilizing opportunity, it's just a pile.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Avernum 5 Early, Early Notes in Avernum 4
Slarty
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
 written Tuesday, March 6 2007 19:48 Profile Homepage #213
quote:
Originally written by Dikiyoba:

Originally by Nikki:

quote:
And I must be the only person who couldn't care about alchemy. All I ever use are energy elixirs anyway, and I don't care whether or not I make them or buy them.
Same here. All Dikiyoba ever used the skill for was for an occasional graymold salve.
Same here, and I find it ironic that Dikiyoba agrees, given her alchemocentric role in the scripts.

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Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00

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