First post - Request for Recommendation
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Apprentice
Member # 7239
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written Saturday, June 17 2006 23:57
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Hello everyone, I've stumbled across Spiderweb after reading a review of Oblivion on Rpgdot of all things. I'm rather interested in the Spiderweb games & would like to ask an open question of you. Which Spiderweb game(s) do you recommend I play? From the information I could find online, I can gather that Geneforge 3 & Avernum 4 are the most recent games, and that the former is open-ended whilst the latter is quite linear. Although I'm taken with the likes of Oblivion now, I have in the past tremendously enjoyed games such as Startrail, Ultima (anything before 8) & the old Gold Box games. One smaller question, do I understand correctly that if I dl any of the demo's I shall be able to upgrade to the full version via a simple online transaction? (I'm in Russia, so I wish to avoid CD's if possible) I appreciate that any advice is going to be personal, but that's all I'm looking for & I thank anyone who takes the time to reply. Posts: 2 | Registered: Sunday, June 18 2006 07:00 |
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BANNED
Member # 2064
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 00:26
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From my personal experience, I really enjoyed the Exile 1-Blades series, and after those I played Nethergate, And then the Avernum series. -------------------- I am an idiot. Posts: 775 | Registered: Friday, October 11 2002 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 1092
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 00:28
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Try out the Avernum series. Starting from the first game gives you a bit of direction in the rest of the series. Exile may be a tad old, and is a 2-D, flat version of Avernum anyway. Geneforge I have no idea about but Avernum is still a good choice. About the online transaction thing, I don't know, I haven't done it. I have very little money so I can't purchase any of the games. [ Sunday, June 18, 2006 00:29: Message edited by: Cairo Jim ] -------------------- When you think you can't get any lower in life and hit rock bottom, God hands you a shovel. Why should I say somthin intelligent when idiots like you make me look intelligent in the first place. Posts: 615 | Registered: Friday, May 3 2002 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 01:05
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You can buy registration codes for most games online; the exceptions are Nethergate and Blades of Exile, which are normally available only on CD. However, if you email Spiderweb Software and explain your situation, they'll be quite willing to provide a secure download location for the full version of Nethergate/BoE after you've paid your fee. As for which games I'd recommend, well, Blades of Exile deserves special mention. It comes with a scenario editor allowing players to create their own adventures, and about 300 scenarios have been made. Some individual scenarios rival entire SW games in size and quality. -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 6581
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 01:46
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I suggest you the Geneforge Series. They have a very interesting plot. -------------------- Download Geneforge 4: Rebellion You have 6 posts. Nobody cares what you think. - Thuryl Wikipedia may be your friend, but UBB is not. - Dikiyoba Posts: 1310 | Registered: Tuesday, December 20 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 02:33
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First, the obligatory: - Blades of Exile - Blades of Avernum You haven't really lived before playing these. As for the rest: I enjoyed the first three Avernum games very much, and Avernum II and Avernum III are my favorites. The original Exile games (which have the same setting and plot but an older engine) are also very good, but possibly only for those who like old games with simply graphics. Personally, I liked Exile III and II, but the I couldn't get used to the somewhat rough interface of Exile I. Opinions are divided on Avernum 4. Personally I didn't like it a lot, but I've seen many people who do. It basically takes the graphics and interface to a new level, which many hard-core Exile fans aren't happy with. If Geneforge wasn't "retro" enough for you, you'll probably think that about A4 too (but what do I know, a lot of people like smooth graphics). Geneforge is based on an interesting premise, but I think the series doesn't progress much. GF1 was good, GF2 was nice but not as new, and by GF3 I felt like I was playing the same game again with somewhat different characters. [ Sunday, June 18, 2006 08:15: Message edited by: Drow ] -------------------- Encyclopaedia Ermariana • Forum Archives • Forum Statistics • RSS [Topic / Forum] My Blog • Polaris • I eat novels for breakfast. Polaris is dead, long live Polaris. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 5483
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 03:47
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I really liked the Geneforge series, but didn't care too much for the others. I'm kind of picky about RPGs. While Geneforge 3 was the best of the three, I would reccomend starting from the beginning because you may not want to go back due to added stuff as the series progressed. -------------------- Ignorance Is bliss -Cypher (Matrix) Don't think you can; know you can -Morpheus (Matrix) sanity is overrated :) Posts: 130 | Registered: Monday, February 7 2005 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 7223
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 03:49
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Get the demos of every game your computer can handle. Then decide. -------------------- Polaris The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. - H.P. Lovecraft Posts: 164 | Registered: Wednesday, June 14 2006 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 5132
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 04:00
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Everyone's giving different opinions, we're not really helping you decide. I strongly recommend Blades of Exile. In my opinion, it's the best game in the world. I somewhat liked Avernum 2 and Exile 3, though there's still better stuff out there. I didn't care for Blades of Avernum, myself. SubTerra is also pretty fun, although it was only published by Spiderweb, not made by. -------------------- "Let us see what the new day brings." - Temas, Areni. Visit my realm! Rate My Scenarios! Fort Emerald Robbery The Nephils' Defense The Final Spire The Fifth Tower of Magi The Portal Posts: 626 | Registered: Monday, October 25 2004 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 6581
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 04:21
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quote:What you expected? :) I like Mr. Bookworm opinion. Is the same that I did. -------------------- Download Geneforge 4: Rebellion You have 6 posts. Nobody cares what you think. - Thuryl Wikipedia may be your friend, but UBB is not. - Dikiyoba Posts: 1310 | Registered: Tuesday, December 20 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 05:00
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Every game in each series is different from the others in spells and interfaces. Spells with the same name will work differently. The Exile series has the best and most spells. Avernum has few spells, but the first three games and blades has 3D landscapes. Geneforge has a more plot driven system, but you tend to die a lot on the highest difficulty levels. My favorites are Exile 2 and Avernum 2. The blades games are nice because there are many scenarios with more being added so you get more for your money. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6489
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 06:25
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 In other words: Nethergate! -------------------- "You're drinking liquor because you're thirsty? How nasty is your freaking water?" —Lazarus Spiderweb Chat Room Avernum RP • Summaries • OoC • Roster Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things. Posts: 1556 | Registered: Sunday, November 20 2005 08:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 5969
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 06:39
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quote:FYT. :P The Exile games are quite old (the first one is from 1994, I believe), but I personally find this gives them a certain charm. It depends on your aesthetics. -------------------- A C, an E-flat, and a G walk into the Tower of the Magi. Ambrin walks up to them and says, "Hey! It's the Triad!" Kelner snorts and says, "Pretty minor Triad if you ask me." Posts: 242 | Registered: Thursday, June 16 2005 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 7195
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 06:51
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HI! I totally agree with the proposition to try the demos, but you should also look for some reviews, they're everywhere on the net, really - some are even very good! :) But, since you wanted a personal opinion, here it is: I most enjoyed Exile2 - maybe, coz I got the first two E games on a demo-game CD and got attached to it; but then again, I think that, if you're that sort of player, you can get the most unique items and item improvements (spell combos, blessings, extra fire damage, ...) in E2. In my personal opinion, Avernum games suffered from this - although A3 corrected this a bit. (A note of interest: in A4 and Geneforge series, you can edit your items when you get bored of them - ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL!) The only problem with Exile is that it is very old in graphics, interface, etc. - and I also read something about not working properly on newer Windows versions, I think it is at the download pages ... The reason I liked Avernum better was the fact that you could drop items and not lose them - which was very hard to do in exile - to much so in my opinion!!! As for Geneforge, as far as I played it, 1 is cool, 2 is, for me, very much improved (trainers for skills, spells - and you really needed gold you earned). 3 is cool, cause it was the only one I finished actually - but it lacks in replayability apart from the totally shaper/totally antishaper choices. Although it has a very nice touch for crafting your own objects - MORE OF THAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER :D As for A4 - I enjoyed it quite a lot, but it was TOO short!!! And my final advice: If you can start from the beginning - at least the demos of previous games - it can prove to be a lot more satisfying - at least it was so for me at Geneforge!! Oh, I almost forgot: YOU MUST GET BLADES!!! BOTH OF THEM IF YOU CAN!!!! Edit: boldness [ Sunday, June 18, 2006 06:57: Message edited by: Anarhiztok ] -------------------- I don't care what you say, I'm punk and Hardcore all the way! Posts: 185 | Registered: Sunday, June 4 2006 07:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 07:00
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Another vote for "Download the demos and see which ones you like best." Dikiyoba can't even recommend a series to start with, since Dikiyoba has yet to buy a complete series. Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6489
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 07:18
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quote:It does say that, buti have had no issues running the Exile games using Windows XP Pro SP2, so I'm not sure what that's about. Maybe they don't run well on Windows 2000. It had some backwards-compatibility issues. One thing I do know is that none of the Exiles work on the new Intel Macs. -------------------- "You're drinking liquor because you're thirsty? How nasty is your freaking water?" —Lazarus Spiderweb Chat Room Avernum RP • Summaries • OoC • Roster Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things. Posts: 1556 | Registered: Sunday, November 20 2005 08:00 |
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BANNED
Member # 4
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 09:05
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If you like most of SW games, odds are you'll still like BoE/BoA... but it's a different experience. In general, BoX adventures tend to be far more "compacted" than an Exile/Avernum game, the plot tends to move a lot quicker, combat varies wildly from one scenario to the next, plots can range from the mundane (a monster plague) to the exciting (run for your life) to the truly bizarre. Combat can range from moderately difficult to hard to nonexistant, and can redefine the rules at will. But if you buy Blades of Exile, it's almost guaranteed that there will be a great deal of scenarios you will find entertaining. Not all of them (some are puzzle-heavy, some are combat-repetitive, etc), but a great deal. -------------------- * Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 09:16
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Blades of Exile is a good purchase. I recommend starting with the first game that used a particular engine and working forward, because it's sort of annoying to go backward. In that case, I recommend Nethergate (optionally — it's great but not part of a series), Avernum 1, Avernum 2, Avernum 3, and Blades of Avernum, in that order. Alternatively, you could play Geneforge 1, Geneforge 2, and Geneforge 3, in that order. Or, if you want, you can play Exile 1, Exile 2, Exile 3, and Blades of Exile, in that order. In any case, one way to know what you want to do is to download the demos of Exile 1, Avernum 1, and Geneforge 1 (and possibly Nethergate), and play a little bit of each. That will tell you which series to start with. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Smoo: Get ready to face the walls! Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 09:46
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But remember, many of the quirks in E1 are pretty much fixed in E3 along with more interactive graphics and a better interface. But they're all good enough games to warrant your playing. Choose one and play it. ;) -------------------- -ben4808 Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 11:19
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I'd recommend downloading the demos. They really do give you a great idea of whether you prefer the style of Avernum, Geneforge, Nethergate, or Exile. I'd recommend all the Avernums (IV a bit less, but still recommended), Nethergate, and Blades of Exile, but as you can see, tastes vary. —Alorael, who would recommend against any Exiles or Nethergate if you have an Intel Mac. Since you seem to have Oblivion, that's not a problem. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 7239
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 12:18
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Hey everyone, thankyou very much. Until I asked this question I was not even considering the Blades games, as I was making the assumption that Avernum 4 & Geneforge 3, as the most recent releases, would be the best. Having said that out loud, it seems silly given that in my OP I mentioned that I liked the Ultima series up til 8! Posts: 2 | Registered: Sunday, June 18 2006 07:00 |
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E Equals MC What!!!!
Member # 5491
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 12:27
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Blades of Exile rules, hard. If you can handle the 2d engine, get it. Blades of Avernum is made on the same principle as BoE, but lacks the range, depth, and quality of scenarios. Still a decent buy, especially if you're interested in trying your hand at scenario design but can't hack the Exile engine. -------------------- SupaNik: Aran, you're not big enough to threaten Ash. Dammit, even JV had to think twice. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 12:27
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quote:They're too similar. Avernum 4 is the first time that the Avernum series wound up using the Geneforge engine, and the result was a little less satisfactory than the rest of the Avernum series. That said, I strongly suggest Avernum 2, which is generally said to be the best of the series. That, or Blades of Avernum, whose base of scenarios is finally growing. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 7233
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written Sunday, June 18 2006 16:16
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Hi! (This is my first post) Well, here's another vote for "Download all the demos and try the one which you like best..." But, I'll give you my opnion, I still think that Geneforge 2 and Geneforge 3 has the most replay value, although you may want to try out the other series. I would also recommend that you would try out the demos in the order (e.g. Geneforge 1, 2 and so on). I also know that this sounds like a summary of the above, but it is still a review after all :) -------------------- No news is good news :) Posts: 6 | Registered: Saturday, June 17 2006 07:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Monday, June 19 2006 02:46
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My list in order: Blades of Exile Exile II Exile III Avernum Nethergate Avernum 2 Exile I Avernum 3 Geneforge Blades of Avernum Avernum 4 Geneforge 2 Geneforge 3 I really think that the Exile series has a lot of charm and simple intricacies that place it above everything else. -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy Encyclopedia Ermariana - Trapped in the Closet ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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