Jeff Interview at IMG
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Shaper
Member # 247
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written Friday, May 18 2007 13:47
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Here. Empire soldiers yea. I always wanted to be on the right side for once. [ Friday, May 18, 2007 13:48: Message edited by: VCH ] -------------------- The Knight Between Posts. Posts: 2395 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Friday, May 18 2007 14:21
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Huh. GF5 will be the last, and A6 will be the last, and then we get something new. I am a little worried at his statement to the effect that he'll revisit the original Avernum Trilogy after some point, though. We want new games, not revived zombie ones. And I'm sending this over to General, because it's more general than specific. -------------------- 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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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Friday, May 18 2007 16:41
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So, revisiting Exile takes us to Avernum. Revisiting Avernum will take us??? -------------------- quote: Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Friday, May 18 2007 16:53
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Stygium, obviously. —Alorael, who wouldn't take these series finales too seriously. E3/A3 was the last, remember? Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Friday, May 18 2007 16:58
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"First, Nethergate's sales were a little disappointing. Now don't get me wrong. Over the long run, I've been very happy with how it did. But, at the time, I didn't think sales justified a sequel." This is relieving, and somewhat different from what we've heard here. The Zombie Avernum comments are a little hard to chew on, I agree. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7420
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written Friday, May 18 2007 17:03
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quote:Rarely does someone say something better than I could have myself, but that about sums it up. I do, however, still hope we can join the Darkside Loyalists and help them restore the Empire to its former glory. Heil Hawthorne! -------------------- You lose. Posts: 2156 | Registered: Thursday, August 24 2006 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Friday, May 18 2007 17:35
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Since BoE source code is getting updated it would be possible for Jeff to use it as a starting point to continue the Exile series without that annoying Vahnatai plot line. It seems like Jeff will go back to Exile/Avernum 1 at some point and modernize it with a newer engine and more dungeons. It will be interesting to play Avernum 5 as Empire soldiers stuck down in Avernum with the worms. It ought to warm ET's ice cube of a heart. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7420
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written Friday, May 18 2007 18:16
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quote:My heart died with Rentar.  -------------------- You lose. Posts: 2156 | Registered: Thursday, August 24 2006 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 6193
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written Friday, May 18 2007 18:24
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When I heard we'd be playing something other than adventurers in A5, empire soldiers was the first thing I thought of. I'm very pleased with this twist Jeff's thrown in, and with the new more plot-driven approach that he's apparently taking. -------------------- Guaranteed to blow your mind. Frostbite: Get It While It's...... Hot? Posts: 900 | Registered: Monday, August 8 2005 07:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Friday, May 18 2007 18:27
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 -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Friday, May 18 2007 18:50
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quote:Not quite. He said it would be the end of the second Avernum trilogy. He also said that he planned on carrying Avernum for as long as he could, so I'd say he plans to continue for more than two trilogies. -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Friday, May 18 2007 22:30
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I'll be posting another Avernum 5 progress update in a few days. All I will say at this point is that your starting role in Avernum 5 (as Empire soldiers) is a kick in the pants, and I'm having a lot of fun writing it. For the first time in a long, long time, Avernum is truly an alien environment. Except this time, instead of welcoming you, they hate you and occasionally try to make you have an "Accident." "So, revisiting Exile takes us to Avernum. Revisiting Avernum will take us???" To Exile. :eek: I have a religious belief here, and I am not going to be talked out of it. I do not believe that good old computer games should die and disappear, any more than good old books or movies should. I think Fallout 1 and 2 should be playable in the year 2010 or 2020. Same for Baldur's Gate 2. And KOTOR. And, yes I'm gonna say it so brace yourself, Exile. As long as I live and breathe and there are new generations of gamers who are discovering rpgs, I am going to update my games so that they run on comtemporary machines and have the flashiest everything I am capable, with my limited skills, of providing. And when I die, I'll make sure all the source code is released, so anyone who cares can do the same. I am sorry that some portions of my audience is irritated by this. But seriously, I think my view has merit, and I am busting my hump creating cool new games. So cut me some slack. Oh, and I have exactly no plans for new Avernum games past 6 and Geneforge games past 5. It will be past time for something all new. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 5360
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written Friday, May 18 2007 22:57
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Good philosophy, Jeff. We appreciate it. Pity that there won't be a G6, though. Nalyd is sure that you have your reasons, though. -------------------- May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it. Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Friday, May 18 2007 23:01
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"Pity that there won't be a G6, though. Nalyd is sure that you have your reasons, though." 1. The storyline would work better at 5 than 6 parts. Though it's a close decision. 5 1/2 games would be perfect, but it won't work. 2. I am suffering real design fatigue in that engine. New play elements in Geneforge 4 helped a lot, but I don't think I have enough juice for two full games. (Please note when I say that that I am very very proud of Geneforge 4.) - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 5977
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written Friday, May 18 2007 23:19
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For some reason, I always liked helping the Empire in BoA, and I'm glad I will now be an integrated part of it in Avernum 5. It looks like I'll witness Avernum now from a totally different perspective: instead of wandering the lands of yourbirth, you get thrown in hell. And I'm also veeery curious about the new game you will be planning to make. -------------------- Play and rate my scenarios: Where the rivers meet View my upcoming scenario: The Nephil Search: Escape. Give us your drek! Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Friday, May 18 2007 23:33
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G4 is something to be proud of, all right. And better to have the Geneforge series leave us at the top of its game, than drag on half a game too long. I guess the ultimate scenario for me would be to squeeze that last 1.5 games into a big G5 with a super-cool extended endgame, and leave out just enough possible stuff to lie in Jeff's brain as a dormant seed, so that in a few years it grows into something more -- either a G6, or a new game with some recognizable Geneforgy elements. As to keeping the old games alive, I'd like to see how well the BoE source code release works. It might turn out that Jeff could leave at least some of the maintenance task to his fan/customer community. I wonder a bit about the economics of this. There will always be people who want to play old games, but they may not be willing to pay much for the privilege. I can see a pattern where an upgrade cycle or two is followed by public release, and after that Spiderweb's financial interest in maintenance plummets. So the BoE experiment would be important for the long term future. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 06:04
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quote:I was under the impression that you'd basically accomplished this when you Carbonized stuff (and then, I think, Universalized it). What more do you need to do to keep the games accessible? If you're just going to update Avernum to be more flashy, I'm not sure that you have a good idea. As you know, your games are never going to be as flashy or graphically impressive as the big titles. Old-school is forever, though, and Avernum is old-school. People are going to want to play games that look and feel like Avernum until the end of time, extra flash or no. I'm all in favor of keeping games functional on modern computers, but that's not quite the same as doing a re-write as Avernum was of Exile. But then, I suppose you probably know what you're doing. quote:I think we're all looking forward to something new. :) -------------------- 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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Shock Trooper
Member # 1829
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 06:06
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Empire soldiers would mean no playable Nephilim or Slithzerikai for the first time since the first game in either of the Exile-based series, I'd guess. That's unusual, though not a bad thing in general. It also opens up some, hm, 'interesting' conversations between members of those races and your group. While Slithzerikai don't have that much experience with the Empire), they'll mostly know them from the stories of those banished to Exile/Avernum (And from the Empire War of course!), which is kind of like only ever having read the propaganda. Posts: 206 | Registered: Tuesday, September 3 2002 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 06:14
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Even Universal will be outdated one day. And to be honest, I liked the changes from Exile to Avernum (although I know I'm not necessarily in the majority on these boards). I think new things are great, but I'm fine with seeing a mechanical overhaul with the same plot once in a while.e —Alorael, who thinks A4 shows what mechanics can do. A4's plot is, well, minimal, but the engine is fun. If the engine had been used for a remake of an older Avernum, there would be no room for complaint on that score. There would be complaints, of course, but that's life. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 06:32
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Jeff's already said there will be Nephil and Slith PCs (with 4 graphics each instead of 2, yay!). I wonder how that can be reconciled with being Empire soldiers. I don't think there's anyone, even here, who doesn't like at least a few of the changes made between Exile and Avernum. And there don't seem to be many people who have a serious problem with Avernum 1, either. The most serious complaints are really just over Exile 2's atmosphere and Exile 3's vibrancy. And then all the whining over BoA and A4 just gets thrown in, even though it has nothing to do with the E to A conversion. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 52
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 06:39
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quote:I agree. It is an absolute waste to see the amount of games that are lost to the progress of technology. Sure you can find emulators - but they are often buggy and not easy for novice users to find/install/use. Many of now have Macs with no OS9 left, so you can't boot the Classic layer to play older games. I supposed I could dig my ancient ibook out of the cupboard (I'm hoping my great great grandchildren will be able to sell it for squillions one day ;) ) but really it seems absurd that I can't play older games on a newer computer. A couple of games that really deserve to be updated are System's Twilight - an absolute Mac puzzle classic - and Jewel of Arabia: Dreamers, a sadly overlooked RPG from Qnote software. Of course part of the problem is that software companies merge/dissolve/vanish and there is no one to update these games. Many of them turn up on Abandonware sites but there is still no one able/willing to reengineer the source code. When you think about the work that goes into these games and the immense joy they bring to players, it is a tragic, tragic waste. -------------------- Behind, the sea of time and space roars and follows swiftly Posts: 280 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 52
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 06:40
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quote:That means you'll have to invent an entire new world/universe. Which kind of makes you God, doesn't it?! ;) -------------------- Behind, the sea of time and space roars and follows swiftly Posts: 280 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 8406
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 07:02
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it's probably sometime around 870, sliths and nephils may have been integrated into imperial society. Posts: 47 | Registered: Thursday, March 29 2007 07:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 07:18
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I emailed one of the Jewel of Arabia programmers in I think late 2005, and he was still around, and quite tickled to get mail about JoA. That really was a wonderful game. It is possible to play this stuff on an Intel Mac, though it does take some setup. If you're invested enough, Basilisk II seems to work well for many people. I set it up this spring so I could play Exile III, and it was easy once I got it going. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Saturday, May 19 2007 10:41
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"I wonder how that can be reconciled with being Empire soldiers." Empress Prazac's increased tolerance of the non-human is already established in the game world. It seems like it would be plausible (in fact, desirable) for the military to have a few agents from these races for certain jobs. Such as, say, dealing with Avernum. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |