Profile for Synergy
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Synergy |
| Member number | 6292 |
| Title | Shaper |
| Postcount | 2009 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
Recent posts
Pages
| Author | Recent posts |
|---|---|
| Almaria warning(possible spoilers)... in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 21:40
Profile
I haven't encountered any game ruining bugs since earlier betas, though I have in V1.0 encountered, or am aware of, bugs in fighting Hrickis (happened to me once), the arena combat in Spire, the Hakaai location outside the final fortress, and a textual non-sequitor that still exists in the final cutscenes. Sometimes also, if you finish quests before being given them, or even simply after having finished quests, you get weird sequences of dialog with other people which seem non-sensical or redundant, but it doesn't affect gameplay. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Alchemy in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 21:06
Profile
Yeah, for me, the challenge would be not having Energy Potions or Invulnerability Potions for occasional use and convenience. Acquiring the Emerald Chestguard, for instance, can be exceedingly difficult on Torment without at least one Invulnerability Potion. Ephesos, I tried using daze in that battle, which worked for you, but I failed to Daze the foe every time I tried except once with my two mages. Your mages must be more potent than mine. I was forced to face my adversary's summons on Torment. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| So What Makes a Torment Capable Party? in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 21:01
Profile
Will someone comment some more on how much Luck they think is worthwhile for what sort of PC's? I always give my PC's one Luck to start with, but rarely wind up giving them more than 2-3 Luck by the end of the game, as something else always seems more pressing. But maybe more luck for the meat shield up front would be worthwhile, as already discussed recently, and leaving him with the Clover Boots for this reason. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| If I Could Make My Own Fantasy Game... in General | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 20:40
Profile
How thoroughly...gruesome, arghhh(etc.). The first two suggestions might find homes readily enough in the sort of world I was painting. The lung-boring beetles I think I'd pass on. There is no way I'm ever going to learn to program a game, but if a powerful and versatile enough game editor ever came along, I wouldn't hesitate to give it a try. The BoA editor isn't it. This is why I think Jeff should solicit his audience for some new ideas...I bet many of us could come up with some, uh, fantastic game and plot ideas. -------------------- A4 Items List A4 Singleton G4 Items List G4 Forging List G4 Insidious Infiltrator NR Items List Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Alchemy in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 20:32
Profile
Awl thu uzuelle poatians arr thair, ecksept thu bawlm ov lyfe, whitch iz noa longrr needead, annd thu graemould sallv. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Tower Colony (Possible Spoilers) in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 20:13
Profile
If it helps any, there are four stairways to upstairs areas in the Tower Colony, and each upstairs area is disconnected from all the others. The Tower is still largely in ruins, and much of the upper area is still rubble. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Alchemy in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 18:39
Profile
Craftmaster Strine might make you wish you held on to all your herbs if you didn't. Otherwise, a talented player, or one with multiple magicians and enough First Aid will find little need for herbs and potions, and um, scrolls and wands while we're at it. I keep thinking that would make a decent game challenge..Torment, any PC construction you like, no cheats, no potions, no wands, no scrolls. Anything else goes. Not being able to use the occasional Invulnerability Potion would make my game more difficult, for sure..though I rarely truly need one. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| So What Makes a Torment Capable Party? in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 17:52
Profile
Welcome back, Vlish and congratulations on surviving the Icy Rain. I just finished getting through the E. Gallery on Torment too. My main fighter has a lot of Dexterity and Parry, but only one or two in Gymnastics so far. Parry is very helpful, and he does parry half or more blows aimed at him. I was working him up to getting trainable Blademaster for offensive purposes. Maybe I'll have to throw some Gymnastics at him first and see how that helps. Are you saying you are giving Gymnastics to all your PC's or only to your frontman? That's 8 Dex and 6 Strength, a lot to invest for magicians. I've been using your slith-priest model for my fourth PC, but he has been dying more than anyone else. That shield really seems to make a difference. Sliths aren't looking any "tougher" in actual gameplay. I might have to go with Alorael on his opinion of sliths, but I am sticking with this game in the meantime. EDIT: The party I assembled which made it through the E. Gallery on Torment; 1) Human melee fighter, Elite Warrior, Strong Will, focus on Dexterity and Parry 2) Nephil archer/mage, Deadeye, Natural Mage, boosting Sharpshooter now 3) Human thief/mage, Nimble Fingers, Natural Mage (Tool Use quickly up to 15—he can already magically open L20 doors) 4) Slith priest/pole, Pure Spirit, not quite yet trainable in Anatomy. He dies a lot. Maybe I should give him Parry first. If I did it again: Same as above, but make the priest a human priest/mage, stopping off mage spells at Icy Rain or Lightning Spray. It is joyous beyong words having three mages in one’s party...three (or six!) opportunities to Haste or cast Fireballs or Icy Rain. Fireball is the cheapest way to dispatch chitrachs. [ Monday, December 19, 2005 18:08: Message edited by: Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| walkthrough in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 17:39
Profile
arghhhhhhhhh has aptly chosen a name for himself, has he not? That's the initial response he keeps evoking from me, anyway. EDIT: Hey Ephestuffs, or whatever your name is (I can't be bothered to scroll up to check), how is Mertis going with four magicians? [ Monday, December 19, 2005 18:16: Message edited by: Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| If I Could Make My Own Fantasy Game... in General | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 17:29
Profile
What would it look like and how would it work? What would it have and what would it not have? I think about this all the time while playing games. How would I do this? How would I change and improve this? Here are some things I might build into the kind of fantasy game I would like to play, and assuming that budget and programming are not limitations. It’s a little bit of a fusion of Civilization and Avernum and my own ideas, just for fun. The game would be running over a period of years or even decades, and there would be a visible calendar running to see how long you have been at it. It is turn-based. My favorite games typically are. It includes the exploring of large worlds. This is one thing I love in my favorite games: Civilzation and the Averna—the fun of “seeing what’s out there”, but also having something vital to do with it once it is found. A well-designed world is fun and unpredictable to explore and subdue and utilize. The world would operate somewhat like Avernum 4, with one continuous world, but you could zoom out to see the bigger map more like the outdoor view of previous Averna. Graphics would probably be 3/4 top down view like A1-3, but nicer and more varied, including plenty of dramatic and functional elevation. Some terrain would simply be impassible unless you had enough of certain skills in your party. It involves the devlopment, management, acquisition, and growth of things: a home base, towns, cities, PC’s, skills, relationships with one another and other cultures, etc. The foes are clever, diverse, varied, have personalities, and are intelligent. I would enjoy an Avernum type game with many intelligent humanoids such as trolls, goblins, bandits, enemy soldiers, mages, priests, wizards, and other humansm along with animals and critters. I think too many fantasy games think too much like D&D where you have gazillions of weird magical creatures which are silly or nonsensical. I like fantasy that has enough realism at the same time to help immerse me in that imagined world as if it could be real—more like Tolkien achieved. I very much like the use of magic. I do not especially like “magical beings” like eye-gazers which are ugly blobs full of eyes floating somehow through the air. A powerful mage in robes casting nasty spells at my PC’s is more real and unnerving to me than some magical blob doing it. Even strange beings should still obey the laws of physics and biology to all appearances. Undead in various forms I like, assuming there is a sorceror or spell to be summoning and controlling them. Natural four-legged critters in the wild make most sense to me, though some can be bred and altered by intelligent beings. There would be no giant spiders or scorpions, because a huge arachnid with an exoskeleton would rupture under its own weight at such dimensions. It has to be realistic enough to be possible on some level. A large troll or dinosaur-sized lizard or bird is possible. A living puddle of slime that moves as fast as me is not. NO ALIENS WITH NEW AGE CRYSTALS, LASER BEAMS, OR FACTORIES would be included in my FANTASY world. Herbs and potions are cool for healing and curing and strengthening, because some campaigns out into the wilderness will be very long, and you need means to do these things (resting also helps), but herbs would be much more regional and rare in general. No or very few wands and scrolls. You need to use real magicians on the spot if you want magic. There will be nighttime. If you want to run around in the dark, or if you cast light or use torches in the dark, you will face perils you might rather not (attracting all sorts of predators you won’t see until they are close upon you). If you don’t rest, your health begins to go down. If you do rest, you wake up when it is dawn again. THE STORY: You begin as a party of settlers and explorers who have been shipwrecked on a shore on their way to explore a fabled continent. Perhaps these people were fleeing persecution or opressive rulership in the place they fled. Or perhaps they were sent out on a mission by their government to explore the rumored strange lands of a continent across the waters. Either way, you have no reliable knowledge of what is there, just that something IS there, and there are ancient legends of strange histories and desolations of these mysterious lands. Nor are you entirely sure where you have prematurely arrived. Beginning cutscenes or animations would show your party nearing their destination, but being run aground by a storm, and being forced to establish a settlement near the shore—the beginnings of a village to set up as a basecamp from which to continue their quest of exploration and colonization. The ship is largely destroyed, but some goods have been salvaged to get a new village running. At the beginning, you, the player/PC are singly selected by the chief or captain of the settlement to perform tasks and run missions to help get the settlement secured and functioning. The leader tells you were brought along on the trip for your various talents. You now must choose, by assigning your skill points, what those talents for your primary PC will be. Early on, wilderness and fighting skills and hardiness are important to survive, so you’ll be likely to select those. A source of fresh water must first be discovered. You go out alone to find it, and it will involve clearing some kind of animal or crude humanoid riff-raff out of the way. Once it is cleared, and you survive and report to the chief, you begin to see animated people walking back and forth to the water hole and the village begins to flourish a little bit more. Next, the chief instructs you to go find food sources of either fruit or game, and bring some back. Off you go again, facing hazards of the wilds. Once established, animated humans can be seen going out to hunt or harvest in those areas and the village begis to be built faster. Your reputation and the scope of your tasks begins to increase, so at some point, you are sent to explore the land and report back what resources are available. You are given one more PC to help with your task, selecting a type—archer, fighter of some weapons type, a tinkerer (good with traps or devices), woodsman/ranger, or magicians. Based on what kinds of life and threats you have encountered so far, you will have to choose what is going to be most essential to your current task..probably a woodsman/ranger/axeman type would be essential, whereas a magician would be nearly pointless, but perhaps a good challenge. Resources such as wood, iron, gold, silver, copper, bronze, or other things useful to setting up forges and making implements would be discovered, and between each and your settlement is some challenge or hazard to overcome. It might take a tinkerer to devise a means to get at something or an archer to kill an enemy too strong to kill face to face, or a strong swordsman to hack through some nasty critters in the way. It might take a powerful enough axeman to hack through some impenetrable forest to get to a new area to explore. (Or powerful enough magic). Each mission accomplished helps make new functionality and growth for your village, and you are rewarded in coins, so eventually markets and blacksmiths are set up to sell you initially crude gear to equip you for more difficult and long-ranged missions. As your reputation and the challenge of missions increase, more PC’s are added to your party (up to 5-6 ultimately). When you hire/join each, you have a base of allocated skill points already established depending on their talents. These grow depending specifically on the type of experience they gain. If a tinkerer operates a device or disarms a trap successfully, his “tool use” skills increase. If a fighter kills something with a sword, his sword abilities increase. Your PC’s grow through direct use of their skills and experience, but you can also train or gain skills from certain situations or trainers along the way. Eventually, when you are strong and able enough to find out through exploration and conquest, you realize you are on an island, but at one point on the far side of the island, you are very near a possible continent. The island as it is secured, becomes increasingly colonized. You see some settlements pop up on the island, even becoming towns and cities in time. Better weapons and armor have become available. As you discover and secure luxuries for the people, your repuation increases, and things become more affordable, and more and better PC’s are willing to join you from the hiring board. But now, as the island populates, your mission is to explore by boat and make it to the mainland. As you venture further and further inland on this vast continent, more resources, foes, monsters, etc., are discovered—some friendly people to inform, join, or help you too. As the map is developed and a landing area secured, a bridge is built by the settlers to the mainland, and your civilization expands onto the mainland as you secure lands and resources, making friends of any other residents, or conquering the occupants (probably a choice to do either in many cases, depending on how you go about it). There would be large expanses of strange, ancient lands not occupied by humans at present (for the most part), but hiding old ruins, and some mystery of ancient desolations that befell the land and ancient magics, and many weird and wondrous or dangerous surprises. Ultimately, you will put the pieces of the puzzle together to find out who was there and what befell the ancient peoples. Perhaps something of the ancient threats still linger to be dispatched. You are on the surface primarily in this world, but there would be plenty in way of caves or dungeons to explore, especially in parts of the continent which may have been destroyed long ago by great earthquakes or volcanos, leaving ancient ruins underground. Of course there would be valuables and artifacts to loot and acquire, but it would be a bit more precious and rare, not requiring you to carry around suits of armor and many other common things. Having someone skilled enough to learn the ancient languages would enable the learning of new skills or spells. Lingering hermits or settlements would also have wisdom or training or relics to impart. Far in, some grave threats to your new civilization are discovered and must be successfully dealt with or they will overrun and destroy your new towns and cities, one by one, cut off your resources, etc. Various missions will be required, and you might assemble different party makeups depending on the mission you are going back out on...maybe some enemies have taken over the water source for a town far into the new continent, and surrounded it, and you must go take it back or the town will die. One of many possibilities. Maybe you can use diplomacy or trade to make friends of foes instead—or get two groups to fight each other instead. Maybe you can use weird magic to cause them all to flee in terror or develop a dreadful disease. Ways of achieving ends would be truly diverse and numerous. Or if you are strong enough, you can always hack through them. Overall, the paths, routes, and sequence of things would be quite variable, and experience would be gained based upon what PC’s you select to work with you and what sorts of talents you employ. If you want to fight and kill a lot, you can make mighty fighters, but your diplomacy skills may suffer and you will lose out on other benefits gained from other abilities, including being able to acquire magic and knowledge. Scoring or winning would involve the survival and establishment of your new civilization, conquering or befriending your neighbors, securing all needed resources and thoroughfares to connect your new towns and cities. Scoring might be based upon kills, diplomatic successes, reputation and power/skill acquired, timing, or any other mesurable variables involved. This is all very rough, but it’s the sort of fun I like with plenty of strategy, exploration, a real breathing kind of growing world, intelligent adversaries, branching paths and many possible choices, realistic, honed, growing talents and skills, and a sense of real impending peril at times if you don’t act wisely. You will hit monsters, foes or challenges that might be way over your head just about anywhere, but if you pool the right party together, you can find ways to beat them, and it might take better weapons, armor, or magic skills, etc. later on to be able to do it. Or maybe you can do it now, if you can convince someone else to do your dirty work for you...or maybe you are clever enough to use magic to cause some chain of events in your favor. This is just one game idea I thought up. Let’s hear some others which would include the things you would most like to have in a fantasy game. -------------------- A4 Items List A4 Singleton G4 Items List G4 Forging List G4 Insidious Infiltrator NR Items List Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| First Impressions in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, December 19 2005 15:10
Profile
I agree with you, though I found the game playable without any carpal-tunnel inducing keyboard shortcut deficits. Any good game or software these days should be designed so you can do just about anything possible through mouse control or keyboard shortcut. I get very annoyed at games which do not offer keyboard shortcuts for repetitive actions. In the beta for A4, there was no keystroke for switching melee and missile weapons until I (and others I presume) asked for it, for instance. That one is very handy, and the lack of the option was very annoying until it was introduced. The target selection for spells is not bad, because there are area spells now, rather than "heat-seeking missle" selective spells. You get the circle of victims now, not the random target selector. Of course, target selection for spells which only strike individual targets would have been nice, and certainly so for missles. Little things bug me—like the fact that to save a game now or create a PC's name you have to backspace all the way through whatever you are writing over instead of being able to select and delete the old and rename it. This is a step backwords in convenience and intuition, but it's a small gripe. [ Monday, December 19, 2005 15:12: Message edited by: Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Just hit the registration barrier. in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Sunday, December 18 2005 20:50
Profile
You can get marklar if you have marklar and marklar. This marklar brought to you by marklar. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| What would you do with a billion dollars? in General | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Sunday, December 18 2005 20:42
Profile
Time remains a stalwart foe, No machine shall e'er o'erthrow. I, for one, am glad that this is so, Lest TM conspire to lay me low. [ Sunday, December 18, 2005 20:44: Message edited by: Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Item Locations A4 Singleton G4 Items List G4 Forging List The Insidious Infiltrator Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Bow Before Me as if I Were Your God in General | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Sunday, December 18 2005 19:17
Profile
Lady Davida, your custom title is also part of the lyrics to the old punk industrial Nitzer Ebb song "Join in the Chant" and is what I always think of when I see it. This has been hopelessly cryptic factoid #242f. (In honor of the hopelessly cryptic TM). We now return you to your regularly-scheduled deprogramming. P.S. TM — You really should look into expanding your repertoire of "jokes"—perhaps until you have at least as many jokes as imaginarily molested mothers. [ Sunday, December 18, 2005 19:33: Message edited by: Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Items List A4 Singleton G4 Items List G4 Forging List G4 Insidious Infiltrator NR Items List Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| walkthrough in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Sunday, December 18 2005 18:53
Profile
quote:Well, see, I did this silly thing where I linked your need for metaphorical armor against teasing with a way you can find some really good armor in the story of Avernum 4 you wish we would write for you. Isn't that hilarious? P.S. - I'd still work on the Santa angle, if I were you. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Athron's lair key in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Sunday, December 18 2005 18:19
Profile
quote: quote:What do you think? -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Is this game nothing but combat? in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Sunday, December 18 2005 18:17
Profile
Chico, you're....odd. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Hunting Tolliver help in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Sunday, December 18 2005 18:04
Profile
I've said this elsewhere, but Tool Use of 8 is ideal to start one PC with, because it enables you to break into Lark's room in Fort Monastery to read his scrolls and—even better—to break into the storeroom under the fort right at the beginning and get that wand and shield ring offered later as a reward. Down south at Grindstone downstairs below one hut, there is a lot of stored loot to be had, but the last two traps are levels 9 & 10, so it's good to use your thief's first two promotions to get him up to level 10 Tool Use to get at it while you are in the area. There's something fairly precious behind Trap Level 10, and there are actually two of those precious things there. You will be happy to use your five-finger discount to make them yours. By the time you make it to Formello, you will want your Tool Use up to nearly 15, if for no other reason than you can rob richman Giscard of the very nice prize upstairs in his house without triggering a very nasty trap, as well as rob the Formello treasury upstairs from the mayor for some very good coinage and loot. These are all very worthwhile involuntary donations to your worthy cause, so keeping your Tool Use up to the task of ulocking the generosity of others is easier than trying to remember to come back later. After hitting level 15, you never really need to raise it again, especially if your thief is also a mage, like mine. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| walkthrough in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Sunday, December 18 2005 17:47
Profile
quote:Oh, man, you just can't TRY to write this stuff! I like the "Syngery" and "Spiring" touch in this one especially. argh^9 (may I just call you argh?)—Trust me, you haven't seen me trying to beat you down, and you'd know if I was. (Look for my review of Canopy back in Sept., when I was a noob, for an example of Synergy Truly UNamused). Teasing, well now that's another matter, but I could swear you're doing all you can to make us unable to resist the temptation. Silly posts invite silly replies, and asking a community to generate a complete walkthrough for someone who is not even going to play the game is really quite silly, or just plain maniacally ego-centric and demanding. I decided to go with "silly" and respond accordingly, though if you reacquaint yourself with my first reply to your, um, request, you will see I gave you an entirely untormentifying answer. I recommend acquiring some better armor, so you are less easily wounded. Talk with Ariadne in Fort Dranlon. She'll send you on a wild quest to get some. It's a great story too. You could read all about it of course, if you got the game for yourself. It' s not too late to try to impress Santa with how nice you've been, making you truly Avernum-worthy this year. (Though I forsee that some may reply with the insistence that it is being naughty that makes you Avernum-worthy this year). [ Sunday, December 18, 2005 18:14: Message edited by: Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Report Your Stats Here (Uncle Spam Needs YOU!) in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Friday, December 16 2005 19:18
Profile
I'm trying to get a gauge for how leveling up and eXperience Points operate over the course of a game with various XP penalties. Would anyone at any point in their game, especially further in, report the following basic stats? Location: Eastern Gallery (3/4 through the quests in the area) 4 PCs, Levels: 15-16 XP Penalties: 25% - 35% each Average XP earned per kill: chitrachs: 1-2 / cave widows: 6 As you might see from my current stats, even with significant XP penalties, not too far into the game XP for kills are low. At some point, I think these may jump up again. More data will better show the variations in how this will work. [ Friday, December 16, 2005 20:12: Message edited by: Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| Athron's lair key in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Friday, December 16 2005 18:32
Profile
quote:Yes, at least by level 3 of Cure, your priest can cure acid. I just cured acid that the Boneborer spewed on my fighter. It might work with less than level 3, but you can attain level 3 in the Eastern Gallery. [ Friday, December 16, 2005 18:39: Message edited by: Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| A Light in the Dark in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Friday, December 16 2005 15:30
Profile
So you don't think the light-snuffing magic of the first Spiral Crypt was adding much to the psych-out of the experience? You can achieve a lot of effect with lighting. But this all goes to show how some of us are more visually, aesthetically, or atmospherically-oriented than others, and how plot is everything to some, while others want character development or ease of use. One thing that is simply true: people who don't care about about the visuals (graphics, animations, lighting effects, elevations) will never be upset by better visuals, where those of us who find it very enhancing of the gaming experience might be pretty disappointed by a lack of them. One solution might be that normally your party would be assumed to be carrying torches, and there is a circle of lit area around you as you move in dark places, but in some circumstances, magic might snuff it out or diminish it, and only a powerful enough light spell could counter that effect, but not a torch. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| This thread is a spoiler. in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Friday, December 16 2005 15:19
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Facing a living or undead incarnation of our final foe would have been more satisfying for more of us, I think. You wouldn't believe how basic and boring the original final conflict was in the first beta I saw. I, and no doubt, other testers asked for more elements and foes in the final fight and we got a few more, at the least. I would have liked to have seen some kind of serious ambush though. That final series of fights in A3 seemed worthy of someone so powerful and powerfully protected. In A4 it's surprisingly meek, the nasty V-Lord notwithstanding. I also just realized there are no animated cutscenes in A4 at all, just text and pictures at the start and end. All this kind of reminds me of how Civilization 3 was after Civ 2. Civ 3 had a whole new engine and many improved elements, but it was only halfway there and had some bad flaws, and it has taken another game afterwards to apparently really put some polish on it and get it right. (Civ 4) That's kind of how I think A4 has turned out—a lot of improvements and changes with a new engine which hopefully will be much better polished in A5—and it better reinclude elevation or I will vote with my feet. I personally enjoy fewer bugs and blobs and critters to fight, and more intelligent adversaries like the bandits and mages. It's more satisfying bantering with and then dispatching a human adversary than going on "another bug hunt". The lack of dervishes or true soldiers in this game to fight was a little disappointing. I always enjoy dispatching some smug 'n' snotty Empire Dervish. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Friday, December 16 2005 14:39
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I would have rather faced her as an Hwraithe, I suppose. I have no idea what the "rules" for crystal souls are supposed to be, so I went with the premise. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
| This thread is a spoiler. in Avernum 4 | |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Friday, December 16 2005 12:50
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Once you have magic in a game, pretty much anything you think up is "possible" in any way you want it to be. Why dissect it as if it were science? I find it rather intuitively silly and not much in line with previous Averna that a crystal soul can move itself around in the first place. But I can't argue about whether or not it should be possible. -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |