Speculating about Avernum 4's plot
Pages
| Author | Topic: Speculating about Avernum 4's plot |
|---|---|
|
This Side Towards Enemy
Member # 3098
|
written Thursday, January 6 2005 11:28
Profile
The sliths and nephilim had forts. They had very little character development. They were bad because they were monsters, also they consorted with demons etc. therefore it was necessary for you to exterminate them. Riveting. -------------------- Voice of Reasonable Morality Posts: 961 | Registered: Thursday, June 12 2003 07:00 |
|
By Committee
Member # 4233
|
written Thursday, January 6 2005 12:06
Profile
I kind of enjoyed the Warcraft III approach of having an utterly outside influence come into play that turn all interracial relations on their heads in the game world. I reckon this would be the sort of approach Jeff will have to take in order to make the game fresh, given the progressively increasing scope from game to game in the series. Unfortunately, demonic/alien/whatever invasion has been done to death. Still, there are other cliches around to draw upon... time travel, cross-dimensional travel, meeting the people on the moon, an evil force drawing down the death comet, the messianic hero, etc. [ Thursday, January 06, 2005 12:32: Message edited by: Andrew Miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
|
Agent
Member # 4574
|
written Friday, January 7 2005 15:03
Profile
How about this you work for the avernum goverment. doing simple quests. Then you wipe out a slith nest. The near death king Micah calls you to the castle. He gives you and several other talented starters some secret information. He and his messanger have found proof of good vahtnai. His messenger died giving Micah the info. Micah dies. New king. Everyone is against you. Except the other people who were told. The leader of the 'cospiracy' is Erick. Son of the dead Erika. Thats all for me -------------------- Bringing the gift of Giant Intelligent Friendly Talking Spiders to all. That is to say I'm bringing the gift of GIFTS to all. Posts: 1186 | Registered: Friday, June 18 2004 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5302
|
written Friday, January 7 2005 16:59
Profile
What I think would be interesting would be if the party wasn't some random band of adventurers, like he usually does- perhaps having the party be a group of bandits, and in the beginning everyone would hate you- towns wouldn't let you in, you'd frequently fight soldiers and guards (not the freakishly tough ones like in Exile III. I hated those guys.) and eventually you'd have to find a way of getting the Empire (or Avernum, depending on if its in the caverns or not.) to forgive you for your crimes. Posts: 70 | Registered: Sunday, December 19 2004 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 335
|
written Friday, January 7 2005 17:49
Profile
Homepage
While everyone can come up with a plot, and many are good ones, we've wandered a little bit from speculation about what Jeff will do. A bandit party is unlikely; it's too far off the beaten, money-making path. A sudden appearance of a new influence is quite possible, though. The vahnatai played that role (possibly as literal aliens) in E2/A2. There's no reason that Jeff couldn't pull a similar stunt in A4. —Alorael, who actually considers it quite likely. Unless there is some kind of political struggle between the Empire and Avernum or the game revolves around killing vahnatai (ugh), there aren't many enemies left to pound. The slithzerikai and nephilim already got thorough ethnic cleansing in A1 and A2. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
|
written Friday, January 7 2005 18:10
Profile
Homepage
If he tries doing surface vs. cave and Vahnatai as secret villains again, I will *so* not buy the game. Okay, so I probably will, but still I'd be very disappointed. :rolleyes: -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 549
|
written Saturday, January 8 2005 14:57
Profile
Vahnatai PCs can be easily balanced by making them weaker the longer they stay in the sunlight. Posts: 227 | Registered: Thursday, January 24 2002 08:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5321
|
written Saturday, January 8 2005 19:22
Profile
quote:I would hope that thier would be no dancieng around the issue, and its blatantlly and bloodilly clear that the vahnatai should be wiped from the underworld liek the pesky inhumane beasts that they are!! :D ;) :) Posts: 59 | Registered: Friday, December 24 2004 08:00 |
|
Master
Member # 1046
|
written Saturday, January 8 2005 21:00
Profile
Homepage
bigot. :P what he needs to do is add Orcs to Avernum. GLORY TO THE HORDE! :rolleyes: -------------------- Polaris - Weather balloons, ninjas, and your big daddy Wise Man. What more could you want? Undead Theories - Don't Ask, Don't Tell Posts: 3323 | Registered: Thursday, April 25 2002 07:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 3862
|
written Sunday, January 9 2005 18:04
Profile
I'm thinking that a new major species being intoduced to A4 would be a good idea. I can't say that having only Nephilim or Sliths continuing on would boring because we've had humans this whole time through yet their personalities prove to be as exotic as ever. A new monster race would be cool though. I'm still wondering what you could add to fill this spot. -------------------- Legends tell that Avernum, Is a gateway to the underworld, from which the dead never return, Well thats a lie because im here now aren't I. -------------------------------- "Never get into a fight with an idiot. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." Posts: 312 | Registered: Tuesday, January 6 2004 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 335
|
written Sunday, January 9 2005 18:12
Profile
Homepage
A new race has already shown up once in Avernum. A second one would be pushing newcomers' luck. The discovery of a new continent of humans or nephilim who have no prior contact with the Empire, or at least who have had no contact for hundreds of years and no interest in being absorbed, would provide an interesting conflict (done right, of course). It even meets Jeff's mold. New, unexplored lands that are well separated from everything that doesn't fit in the game are just the thing. There could even be some justification to tie it with Avernum as well as the Empire. Maybe the underdogs can conspire to bring down the Empire like it clearly deserves (see A1/A2)! —Alorael, who did not once think of calling this mysterious continent Doston. He also does not care to think about how he just violated his own request for relevance. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
|
written Monday, January 10 2005 00:53
Profile
Homepage
quote:On that note, we could have a scenario playing some time during the 4th-6th century, reenacting Ironclad's campaign against the Nephilim, Giants and Troglodytes. It certainly has one of those moral conflicts Jeff loves to put in. But please, no Vahnatai. [ Monday, January 10, 2005 00:54: Message edited by: From East to West he passed away. ] -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
|
Agent
Member # 2759
|
written Friday, January 14 2005 12:11
Profile
Homepage
Going back to what Jeff is really likely to do: the game is called "Avernum 4" and I postulate it will again be centred around the caves of Avernum in some way. It occurs to me that since Micah's crew moved into Valorim, that means the lands of Avernum are now abandoned. Nature abhors a vacuum... So, a plausible scenario is that someone else has moved into the caves formerly known as Avernum. [Maybe Grah-Hoth/ vahnatai/ sliths/ Sulfras as per suggestions above, maybe someone new.] Now, you are part of a small band of intrepid adventurers sent in to find out what's been happening in these caves. You'll find a whole new society has sprung up which is, initially at least, suspicious/hostile to your presence. However, they will recruit your party to tackle a new unexpected deadly threat. -------------------- Everything I know about the Avernum Trilogy: [ A1 | A2 | A3 ] Posts: 1104 | Registered: Monday, March 10 2003 08:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5302
|
written Friday, January 14 2005 16:07
Profile
Avernum isn't abandoned- I seem to remember it saying somewhere that many of the Avernites did not want to leave. Posts: 70 | Registered: Sunday, December 19 2004 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
|
written Saturday, January 15 2005 08:54
Profile
Homepage
Definitely true. Doing some speculation on my own, I am pretty sure there is even migration both ways. Think about it (from the inhabitants', not Jeff's viewpoint) - the surface is largely empty of hostile forces, and the rest of them is rapidly diminishing. Avernum, on the other hand, has potential to expand (the caves haven't been all explored), and has many dangers waiting. An adventurous explorer would desire nothing more than to go down to Avernum, and now that traffic is open, I'm sure a lot of surface people go down there... -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
|
BANNED
Member # 5219
|
written Saturday, January 15 2005 16:13
Profile
quote:Probably those stubborn old rat bastards. :P In which case, population dies pretty quickly. Maybe not. :) -------------------- You can take my Windows XP when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 394 | Registered: Saturday, November 20 2004 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
|
written Sunday, January 16 2005 23:38
Profile
Homepage
quote:Probably those stubborn old rat bastards. :P In which case, population dies pretty quickly. Maybe not. :) [/b][/quote]Definitely not. quote:Avernum was used as a prison for well over forty years (you are sent by Hawthorne III in Avernum 1, and it has already been used as a prison for decades before then by Hawthorne II.) A generation of Avernites was born in the caverns - why should they return to a surface they have never seen? -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
|
Triad Mage
Member # 7
|
written Monday, January 17 2005 03:13
Profile
Homepage
It's much more than 40 years down in the caves. -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy desperance.net - We're Everywhere ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
|
written Monday, January 17 2005 03:56
Profile
Homepage
I was not sure how long, but I knew it was more than forty years, so I said "well over". Forty was enough to make my point, so I left it at that. :P -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 335
|
written Monday, January 17 2005 12:44
Profile
Homepage
As long as Avernum isn't an isolated prison and decent food and materials can be imported, Avernum is also a far more tolerant and unrepressive place to live. There are surely a few free souls on the surface who wouldn't mind giving up some sunlight for freedom. —Alorael, who would really like to know how many people have to commute through Fort Emergence and the Portal Fort to get to work and then back home every day. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
|
Agent
Member # 2210
|
written Monday, January 17 2005 13:20
Profile
A lot of people will want to go to Avernum. The surface is basically explored. I think that various adventurers and wealth seekers will go to the edges of Avernum into the slith lands and Vahnati lands and cause trouble. It will be very hard to stop them. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5274
|
written Friday, January 21 2005 22:14
Profile
I think it would be interesting to see some sort of split develop in the Empire itself maybe between the moderates like Prazac and the more hardline generals, which could possibly escalate into a civil war with Avernum manipulating the situation for its own gain. -------------------- I assume my reputation for arrogant presumption precedes me Posts: 107 | Registered: Thursday, December 9 2004 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
|
written Saturday, January 22 2005 15:26
Profile
Homepage
quote:It is probably not so much the two portals as the day's journey that lies between the two fortresses... that Upper Avernum thing annoyed me every time in E3 and A3. Then again, perhaps by this time they've made a direct teleporter straight down from Emergence to the Tower of Magi? -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 3978
|
written Monday, January 24 2005 06:51
Profile
What I would personally like to see in Avernum 4: A quick tying of all those loose, dangling plots that never seemed to get tied off A return of a lot of the old cast that is still surviving to celebrate events, etc., to set the stage for what happens. I'm thinking more along the lines of, the Bahsikavva is opened up. The old sliths poor into the caverns to check out whats going on. Also, the shaky alliances between the empire and avernum crumble away, theres just no way it can stay there. Result? The new influx of good-slithy warriors from the lost bahsikavva join you and the Vahnati to fight against the Empire. I'm guessing the Vahnati will die out by the end of A4, but hey, I could be wrong ;) not to mention, there IS likely to be something along the lines of a succession....argument :P I dont think it'll escalate into allout war. Probably the succession dealy is where you will see "cold-war esque" spies and assassins. Posts: 125 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 335
|
written Monday, January 24 2005 12:49
Profile
Homepage
Lost B belongs to Kelandon and his scenario! An alliance between sliths who have no ties to either the Empire or Avernum and no reason to trust the latter or dislike the former would be hard to justify, especially when they are predisposed to dislike the friends of their enemies, the formerly evil sliths of Avernum. Avernum is equally unlikely to align with the vahnatai after putting so much work into cozying up with the Empire and ruining Rentar-Ihrno's plans. She probably wouldn't take Avernum back even if it asked. The rest of the vahnatai are not at all involved, unlikely to become involved, and consequently unlikely to experience genocide. —Alorael, who actually wouldn't mind seeing some more information on the other sliths from Jeff if it weren't a perfect example of A4 ruining BoE/A designers' work. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |