Avernum 5 - 9.01 (10.0/6.0)

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AuthorTopic: Avernum 5 - 9.01 (10.0/6.0)
Infiltrator
Member # 5132
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I'd say it's that time. You know the drill, for those of you who don't, rate A5 1-10

[ Sunday, March 09, 2008 06:26: Message edited by: BainIhrno ]

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Posts: 626 | Registered: Monday, October 25 2004 07:00
Agent
Member # 8030
Profile Homepage #1
9.96

Superb and captivating. The only games I've played that compare are EV Nova and Alpha Centauri. The characters actually act like humans, and the combat system is superior to any other turn-based RPG. The interplay of personality and environment in the game are amazing, let alone the abundance of adventure available at one's disposal. Not only is there an abundance of adventure, but a wide range of different items, creatures, and various miscellanea. The plot is excellent and engrossing, and the writing itself is novel-like. Overall, there's no role playing game I've seen that's anywhere near as great as Avernum 5.

[ Saturday, March 08, 2008 14:13: Message edited by: Excalibur ]

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Decca Records - "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out."
Posts: 1384 | Registered: Tuesday, February 6 2007 08:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #2
8.5

There were parts that weren't all that exciting. For instance, no matter how many times you clear off the bridge to Dorikas's Fortress, the guards seem to keep respawning. On the otherhand, I really loved the parts where it felt like I was being chased down (i.e. the Howling Depths). Overall it was a great game.

[ Saturday, March 08, 2008 14:22: Message edited by: Lt. Sullust ]

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
Profile #3
A+ for story.
A for intuitiveness of interface.
A for repeatability.

Damn Jeff. You really have outdone yourself this time.

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Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00
Law Bringer
Member # 335
Profile Homepage #4
I'll give it a round 9. It's not perfect, but it's up there with A2 and Nethergate.

—Alorael, who thinks he would rate it higher if he weren't disinclined to rate it above A2. Maybe he should bump A2 up to 9.4 and put A5 at 9.2.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Law Bringer
Member # 6785
Profile #5
9.7 since it a way better gaming engine. All it needs to be perfect is to allow us to explore more instead of being trapped by quests blocking the road.
Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00
Apprentice
Member # 14365
Profile Homepage #6
I'd give it a solid 7. As the first Spiderweb game I've purchased, I was a little disappointed but overall it was a great game. For some reason it just didn't feel as big to me as some of the other Avernums (and especially Exile). The first 4/5ths of the game felt rather slow paced to me (Howling Depths being the exception). Also I was a bit disappointed in the endings.
Also, no Demonslayer?
Posts: 13 | Registered: Thursday, February 21 2008 08:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #7
Like A4, a very solid game; however, most of A4's lacks and blemishes have been filled in. Not having any major flaws is unusual and very cool. Although it doesn't have the energy and engagingness of E2 or Nethergate, it does have some innovations that are pretty neat in their own right, like the battle disciplines. Its biggest flaw is that it could have been better, a bit of a backhanded compliment.

9.0 -- as good as a game can be, without being spectacular in some way

p.s. anyone have links to the other ratings threads? I'd like to cross-reference my old votes too, but don't have them handy.

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
"Slartucker is going to have a cow when he hears about this," Synergy said.
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
Profile Homepage #8
quote:
Originally written by Disappearer:

Like A4, a very solid game; however, most of A4's lacks and blemishes have been filled in.
Seconded, and extended. I think A5 exceeds every facet of A4, by a significant margin.

However, like Alo, I don't think it beats A2 (or Blades, for that matter). So, I'll have to go with a round 9 as well. (I just can't remember what my A2 and BoA ratings were)

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Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice.
Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00
Agent
Member # 8030
Profile Homepage #9
Geneforge 4

Nethergate
Geneforge 2
That's all I could find.

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Decca Records - "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out."
Posts: 1384 | Registered: Tuesday, February 6 2007 08:00
Lifecrafter
Member # 7252
Profile #10
Solid story, solid gameplay, solid game..I give it a solid 9..-1 for the fact that you really have to finish the quests first to proceed..@_@

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Posts: 732 | Registered: Saturday, June 24 2006 07:00
Infiltrator
Member # 10578
Profile Homepage #11
9.5

All the advantages of the A4 system (new first aid, no arrows, etc.), plus a whole lot. Battle disciplines are probably my favorite addition ever, and I love the way the plot moves, even if it's pretty linear at times. An excellent game, surpassed only by Nethergate in my opinion. :D

Edit: How could I forget? A5 also contains my favorite super-dungeon, Upper Khora-Vysss! :)

[ Sunday, March 09, 2008 04:49: Message edited by: Taliesin ]

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Love is the movement.
Posts: 432 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2007 07:00
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
Profile #12
I don't really believe in such fine-grained scales as this 0.0 to 10.0 scale, where people give scores in 0.1 intervals. Comparing games is inevitably comparing apples with oranges, and you can do that, but only up to a point.

A5 is about as good as it could have been without being quite a different kind of game, and I think it's my favorite Spiderweb game so far. I guess I can imagine a variation of the game that made it more awesome to my particular taste. So I'd give it a 9.5. But with the understanding that for Jeff to make any game that got a 10.0 from me would probably be a bad business decision on his part — I think the things that gave it that extra .5 kick from me would lose him customers that didn't have my obsessions.

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Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
Shock Trooper
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Profile #13
IMAGE(http://www.kidsread.net/ten.jpg)

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Posts: 263 | Registered: Sunday, September 9 2007 07:00
Master
Member # 5977
Profile Homepage #14
Being the "bad guys" once, namely, The Empire, and seeing all the Avernites, once the good guys, as the bad guys, is something that turned my whole perception of the Avernum games upside down, and I love it. I love to walk around in Avernum and see how the people, that in previous games were my friends, are now my enemy, having me be on my guard in just about all instances where I meet with them.

Also, the new graphics for spells and such make me smile, and I love foring of fire bolt, just because it is a genuine fire bolt, and not just flames like in Avernum 4.

The plot? I must say I haven't played enough of Avernum 5 to get a real taste of it, but for as far as I can see, it'll probably be compelling.

And gameplay is good. I like to be able to choose between clickety-click with the mouse or using the keyboard. The interface is intuitive (but for as far as I'm concerned it has never been not intuitive) and and these battle disciplnes are interesting. it makes fights just that bit more interesting.

8.9

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Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00
Shaper
Member # 7420
Profile Homepage #15
6

I don't think I've ever given anything by Jeff lower than an eight, making this my least favorite Spiderweb game. I suppose I blame the weak main villain, Dorikas. The fact that you were chasing him yet he and his minions were painfully absent from most of the game hurt the plot in my opinion. There is supposed to be more of an emphasis on exploration, yet the entire 'frontier' already has fully staffed towns and firmly entrenched governments. I guess I just don't get what Jeff was going for in this one... was this game just a big set up for Avernum 6?

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Posts: 2156 | Registered: Thursday, August 24 2006 07:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #16
Avernum 1
Avernum 2 -- I think.
Avernum 3
Avernum 4
Blades of Avernum

Exile 1
Exile 2
Blades of Exile

Geneforge 1

We're still missing links for Geneforge 3 and Exile 3, which I can't find.

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
"Slartucker is going to have a cow when he hears about this," Synergy said.
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5132
Profile Homepage #17
quote:
Originally written by Student of Trinity:

I don't really believe in such fine-grained scales as this 0.0 to 10.0 scale, where people give scores in 0.1 intervals. Comparing games is inevitably comparing apples with oranges, and you can do that, but only up to a point.
I agree, I've realized that 7.6 8.5 etc is pretty silly, but I don't think that system can really be changed now. I may just change all my ratings to whole numbers, or not considering the ratings would be messed up.

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"Let us see what the new day brings." - Temas, Areni.

Visit my realm!

My Movies

Rate My Scenarios!
Fort Emerald Robbery
The Nephils' Defense
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Posts: 626 | Registered: Monday, October 25 2004 07:00
Law Bringer
Member # 335
Profile Homepage #18
A more complete A2 rating thread is here. Also, entertainingly, HotU gives exactly the same rating.

—Alorael, who thinks ratings can be a little more fine-grained than whole numbers. Maybe by half-points?
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Apprentice
Member # 14365
Profile Homepage #19
quote:
Originally written by Emperor Tullegolar:

6
I guess I just don't get what Jeff was going for in this one... was this game just a big set up for Avernum 6?

This is basically how I felt. A lot of the events in the game felt like it was setting up for the final (I think) installment of the Avernum saga. I've got a few of predictions, but I guess we'll just have to see what happens and hope the series goes out with a bang.
Posts: 13 | Registered: Thursday, February 21 2008 08:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #20
The boat pathing left something to be desired. However, I did find that it made the traveling by water much more entertaining. It brought back found memories of the Exile series where I had to click once for each movement...

[ Monday, March 10, 2008 13:20: Message edited by: Lt. Sullust ]

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #21
In Exile you could just hold down one button to go as far as you needed. I remember doing that frequently to travel between Draco and Formello in Exile 2 without random fights.

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
"Slartucker is going to have a cow when he hears about this," Synergy said.
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Agent
Member # 8030
Profile Homepage #22
I recall the keypad movement working perfectly, my complaints were focused more towards the dialog windows and buying/selling interface.

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Decca Records - "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out."
Posts: 1384 | Registered: Tuesday, February 6 2007 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 55
Profile Homepage #23
8.3.

Pros: Almost everything to do with the engine and interface. The story. The characters. The look. The atmosphere. Casting 'Return Life' on a pit we've been in four times before this one and making it look cool again. Original and interesting dungeons with original and interesting enemies.

Cons: Minor niggling details. Several things that didn't feel quite right. A lot of irritating, time-consuming random monster encounters. The linear nature of the plot. The Big Reveal, if you were loyal to the Empire, of who was the one passing on your information was a little overdone for something so totally predictable. While the new characters were invariably excellent, the returning ones weren't always.

A damned good game, but not a brilliant one.
Posts: 236 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 8411
Profile #24
I'd rate it along the lines of a 3-4
It wasn't as bad as Avernum 4 but it still is lacking a lot of what the Exile series had.

1. The game world in AV 4 / 5 is quite small, perhaps some believe it isn't but it really quite is when compared to the older games.

2. I liked having to pay to train skills and visiting a trainer.

3. I liked in the older exile games being able to face an entire army of troglodytes and other creatures and even being able to mass summon my own army. I can't even summon but a few creatures and there are no large battles.

4. Random encounters are almost non existent in comparison to the later games. I miss being able to run across large parties of monsters trying to prevent my movement.

5. Dungeons don't respawn, not even a little. Perhaps some people dislike it that they respawn but I myself loved it. It also was nice that when I ran out of a dungeon in exile without finishing off the big boss and I came back later I'd have to fight my way through the new hordes.

6. Artwork is another big thing for me. The way the older exiles were with their artwork while being lower res was beautiful yet while the system that we have now in AV4, 5, Geneforge is nice, art wise it's just not cutting it for me. It really needs to be fixed. All of the creatures tend to look the same, all the NPCs look the same there's no variation.

7. Exploration in the newer games unfortunately is taking a rapid decline and when there is a little bit of exploration even in such a small world map it means I have to visit every single town before scouting out the nearby caverns because if I don't then I worry that I miss a quest.

8. What happened to there usually being an npc in most towns that bought misc stuff? Most of the items in AV 5 you can't even sell or trade anymore, sure it's junk and the amount you received was pitiful. But it was still something you could grab and barter.

9. There's this whole " The evil guy is trying to kill you, he has spies everywhere! He's going to get you!" And yet there's almost no encounters with these spies and very little development in terms of story throughout the game.

I liked being able to try out an empire view on things which was nice, but overall the game is a bit disappointing.

I'm not trying to bash, it's just I don't feel that the more recent game releases are doing any justice to the franchise that we know and love. A few things were fixed and made better, but it's still not up to par with Exile, AV 1-3.
Posts: 14 | Registered: Friday, March 30 2007 07:00

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