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What game should I begin with? in General
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Monday, December 19 2005 22:44 Profile #14
Some of us are shallow enough to find Exile unfortunately unplayable now, though. I tried Exile 3 before Avernum 3 came out, and I couldn't even make it out of Fort Emergence before giving up. The interface is just so....augh. The spells are just...well, even worse (ie more complicated) than Nethergate. The graphics may be manuscripty to you, but to me they're just pixelated and unrefined.
The Avernum Trilogy, on the other hand, is beautiful. Particularly 2 and 3; I much preferred the few new graphics they introduced to the series.

If you're capable of enjoying Exile, more power to you. You've been through a unique game-playing experience. ;)

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Longest Word in General
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Monday, December 19 2005 22:40 Profile #22
I think this is the first longest-word conversation I've ever seen where people threw in Latin and protein names. Congrats on a dubious accomplishment.
Having said that, I like disestablishmentarianism the most, despite the fact that OS X's spellcheck doesn't seem to like it. Disestablishmentarianism, as others have said, was a word used in a meaningful way for some period of time, is entirely native English, and doesn't rely on academic semi-English. Plus its meaning can't really be conveyed without the pre/post-fixes, so I consider them 'legitimate.' :)

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Level 3 spells in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Monday, December 19 2005 19:26 Profile #0
I'm confused about how they work now. If you get a point from a spellbook before you've learned (from sages/mages) the spell up to level 2, is it possible to get to level 3 in that spell?
I've just found the spellbook for Heal and I haven't previously learned it.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Is this game nothing but combat? in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Monday, December 19 2005 16:43 Profile #21
quote:
Originally written by Laurana:

It's not annoying enough to make me really mad, but I liked to be able to race to places by parking my thumb on the arrow key and watching my party speed across the landscape from above.

I guess I'm just not used to the navigation yet.
You can still do that, can't you? I mean, keyboard navigation still works, though I suppose it may be slower than it used to be (Powerbooks are not conducive to using a keypad, and I just can't get used to the little arrow keys)>

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
First Impressions in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Monday, December 19 2005 16:40 Profile #42
quote:
Originally written by Student of Trinity:

There are keyboard shortcuts for casting spells, just not for targeting them.
Yeah, and we want shortcuts for targeting. If we had to choose to cast a spell and then select it with the mouse....*shudder*

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
How I rank A4 and why in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Sunday, December 18 2005 18:04 Profile #31
quote:
Originally written by *i:

TM, I'm getting sick of you quoting me by editing my posts. Your opinions are not god, so please stop acting like it.
I didn't even notice the first time I saw him do that; I just wondered why he wasn't commenting after the quote. :rolleyes:

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Hunting Tolliver help in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Sunday, December 18 2005 17:48 Profile #5
I'm pretty sure the traps are level 12.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
The Worst Game Ever in General
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Saturday, December 17 2005 11:40 Profile #65
quote:
Originally written by Thuryl:

To be fair, I can think of at least three HyperCard games which didn't suck.
Is Myst one of them? :D

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Formello's Shade in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Saturday, December 17 2005 04:50 Profile #4
It will eventually appear after you do some stuff.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
How I rank A4 and why in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Friday, December 16 2005 02:27 Profile #3
quote:
Originally written by Ephesos:

Distances are perfectly realistic. Have you noticed how long it takes to run from Fort Draco to Fort Monastery?
It takes about five times longer than it takes to run through Fort Draco. So, not really that long. :P
In an older game it would probably have been only 2 map distances, but those two maps would have been 15 or 20 times as far as outdoors-level map of Fort Draco, which is much more realistic.
I'm not really arguing for the old style or the new style here; I really think it's just more of a sidestep.

Oh, and there actually is a grid when you go into combat, you just have to look closely.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Unseen enemies visible? in Tech Support
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Thursday, December 15 2005 16:28 Profile #3
quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

This happened to me several times, but then I checked the automap and saw a red dot somewhere in sight but hidden behind a tree or something. You've made sure to check the automap for red dots?
The first thing I tried.
Now it's vaguely possible there's also an automap bug that kept it from updating properly, but I don't think we want to go there just yet. ;)

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
No tool ? in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Thursday, December 15 2005 16:20 Profile #14
quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

You know, I thought that too, but the OED didn't mention anything about that. The dictionaries I checked only made a passing reference to the idea. It's not as integral to the definition as I thought.
The Oxford American Dictionary (through the built-in Dictionary widget) carries "bad or unsatisfactory" as a denotated meaning of the word.

And while I like the new death system, am I the only one who thinks it lets you off a little too easily?

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
So What Makes a Torment Capable Party? in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Wednesday, December 14 2005 23:43 Profile #21
Is that new to A4? Because I thought I saw in a previous game how you could make all of the archetypes with the 75 skill points.

Of course, it's also harder for the archetypes to waste points in this game given the reduction in useless skills.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
A nation of immigrants in General
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Wednesday, December 14 2005 16:01 Profile #12
I'm pretty much a mutt with a small portion of Native American (I think Cherokee), so I really wouldn't exist.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
What games? in General
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 18:29 Profile #29
I'm currently playing Deus Ex and Avernum 4. The only game I play on a very recurring fashion is America's Army.

Ev Nova is a fairly different game from its predecessors in terms of storyline and combat. You should definitely try the prequels (they're available as free add-ons to Nova itself; check the Add-ons page at Ambrosia), but be aware that they don't look anywhere near as good as Nova does. Many ships are basically squares with smaller squares on them.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
The Worst Game Ever in General
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 18:24 Profile #54
quote:
Originally written by Eldibs:

quote:
Eldibs: When you solve the game, the game is over. What is so odd about that?
It's not odd, it's just bad. You can't enjoy the game as long.
Replayability is not king, or something like Asteroids would be the best game of all time.
Moreover, I'm betting playing Riven once takes more time than playing HL2 three times. And if you replay a shooter more often than that, there's something wrong with you. ;)

quote:
quote:
Half-Life offers a certain amount of immersion, but I never felt like I was actually in Black Mesa - I definitely felt like I was actually on Riven.
I'm exactly the opposite. It felt like I was in Black Mesa (and City 17), but not in Riven.
Different people, different tastes. ;) I felt like I was in both, for the record.

quote:
quote:
Sure, the Myst series isn't very replayable, but that misses the point. The more you rely on story, situation, and character to provide the enjoyment, the less replayable the game is going to be.
Sometimes, the story can be good enough to warrant playing through multiple times. Also, that's why you put in multiple endings. Look at Deus Ex. There are 3 endings, and there are many things you can do to alter the course of the game. Its story is one of the highest (if not the highest) rated there is.
Deus Ex is not exactly your typical FPS. And it doesn't have the same level of immersion as Riven...I'm playing through Deus Ex right now, and it's a stellar game (easily on my top 10 list) but I don't ever feel like I'm in its world--unlike with HL2 and Riven.

quote:
Sure, all sorts of games have aliens, but how many involve aliens, the government, an unknown agency, and lots of realistic-sounding science mumbo-jumbo all at once?
*blinks*
There are present-day stories involving aliens that don't involve the government and secret agencies?

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
some suggestions after playing a bit. in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 17:48 Profile #8
Oh, yeah. I only noticed that in a few battles, but it did indeed suck.
Something he could have fixed for this engine! ;)

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
some suggestions after playing a bit. in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 14:51 Profile #6
quote:
Originally written by Ytterbium-Enhanced Razor:

It works with any letter A through L. Those correspond to the 12 slots on the ground from which you can get stuff. When you press one of the letters, a ground slot is selected, and if you have an item selected the item is dropped. If you don't, an item in that slot is picked up.
Well, that makes sense in a strange kind of way.

quote:
—Alorael, who is just glad to see that pressing A with an item selected doesn't swap it with the item in the A slot. That would imply that pressing A is the same as clicking the A slot, like targeting in A1-3, and that design was always singularly nonsensical.
I agree swapping the item with the ground's "a" slot would be wierd, but are you saying you didn't like classic Avernum targeting?

EDIT: I apparently still suck at this UBB Code.

[ Tuesday, December 13, 2005 14:52: Message edited by: SNM ]

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
some suggestions after playing a bit. in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 12:23 Profile #4
quote:
Originally written by Synergy67:

To drop something, just click on it while in a PC's inventory, and press "a"--it will drop onto the ground.
With "a"? You can do it with "d" too, which makes me wonder if there's yet another keyboard shortcut for it. "D"(rop) makes sense to me, but "a" not so much. ;)

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
ETA on windows version? in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 12:19 Profile #10
I wasn't referring so much to the graphics as the keyboard shortcuts. Am I the only one who misses being able to target spells by hitting letter keys? Or being able to use a shortcut for every button on the screen. Or being able to use "look" which I think would still be nice to have; there have been a few times I missed stairs or whatever because they were mostly hidden behind walls.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
No tool ? in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 10:41 Profile #1
You don't need lockpicks any longer.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
ETA on windows version? in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 10:39 Profile #8
Okay, well, the graphics engine is the same then. :P

And if he was going to such great lengths why didn't he just give us a new one that looked a little more like Avernum? :(

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
First Impressions in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 10:36 Profile #8
One of the prefs lets you turn on an autoscroll to move with your party.
As for characters not dying...well, it works better for me this way, anyway. It used to be that whenever one of my characters died I'd just reload; I don't do that any longer. It's more fun! ;)

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
ETA on windows version? in Avernum 4
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Tuesday, December 13 2005 00:46 Profile #5
It's been a while since he wrote a totally new engine--Geneforge was the beginning of his current one, and that was 3.5-4 years ago. He's not going to take that kind of trouble until he's ready to do another new engine, which could be a while. BoA's engine had its roots in Nethergate from a very very long time ago. ;)
Essentially he seems to like the game-writing much more than the coding, so he spends lots of time on the former and as little as possible on the latter. And porting may take more time, but that's time that's later rather than right now.

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Unseen enemies visible? in Tech Support
SNM
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
 written Monday, December 12 2005 22:30 Profile #0
A few times in A4 I've tried to exit combat only to be told an enemy is visible, only to have it not be in sight. The most recent example was in a dark cave and the enemy was a few bats perhaps 3 squares past visible range (I moved a character ;) ).

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There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00

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