Best?

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AuthorTopic: Best?
Apprentice
Member # 4831
Profile #0
Which game is the best in the trilogy. I only have enough money to register one right now, and I want to know which one it should be. I figure it's best to start with 1 and go through the entire thing, but at the same time, which is the best of all 3. And what about Blades? I'm just curious.
Posts: 1 | Registered: Sunday, August 8 2004 07:00
Warrior
Member # 4778
Profile Homepage #1
in my opinion, it is the best to go through from 1 to blades, because of the story. but i began with 2 and then 1,3,blades. doesn't matter that much. blades is best in my opinion, cause there are 4 small scenarios, and more coming, instead of one big story. but of the trilogy i think avernum2 is the best.

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www.bigblue.de.gg BoA graphics and more
Posts: 188 | Registered: Monday, July 26 2004 07:00
Infiltrator
Member # 4389
Profile Homepage #2
Avernum 2 is the best plot-wise and also fun-wise, IMO.
Avernum 3 is the best size-wise and if you want piles of stuff to do.

I'd register Blades in a year or two; there'll be way more third-party scenarios. There'll also be a bigger community of scenario developers with more knowledge and skill with the engine to help you out.

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fame fame fatal fame
it can play hideous tricks on the brain
Posts: 407 | Registered: Friday, May 14 2004 07:00
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
Profile Homepage #3
I think it's best to start with A1 if you want to understand the plot without having to catch up from being a bit behind. The others are kind of stand-alone, but A1 actually has an explanation of the basic plot concepts of the trilogy.

Start with A2 if you don't care about catching up and like plot the best. A2 had probably the best overall plot (although each one individually had decent sub-plots, too).

Start with A3 if you want the most bang for your buck. A3 is a LARGE game, almost the size of A1 and A2 put together. It has probably the worst overall plotline, but to be honest, I didn't even notice that until people at these boards mentioned it and I thought about it for a while. A3 is fun, and its predecessor (E3) was Spiderweb's best-selling game.

Blades of Avernum will be an even better buy than A3 in about two or three years, but you'll have to wait a while for it to mature. Basically, Blades gives us (the community) the opportunity to make and play 3rd-party scenarios with a VERY powerful scripting engine. Since we already have devoted BoE designers who are by and large making the switch, this will be a great game in a little while, but it's so new that not much is out yet.

And that's my rather verbose answer.

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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
Agent
Member # 2820
Profile #4
I absolutely loved A1, but you should beware that it is not the most polished of Jeff's games. It lacks some of the cool things that occur in the other ones (like beams, moving walls, missing a few spells, Vahnatai presence are just spoilers and teasers, the no right-click for look, you don't autopickup for selected character when you click on an item, damage cap is much lower than the other games, etc.).

From the start, I never liked A2 so I didn't register it. A3 was huge and full of [fun] stuff to do (like in Exile 3), and it implements a ton of different things into the Avernum engine, so it would be the best value from A1-3.

But BoA will probably have a big list of good scenarios pretty soon. If you are waiting for a price cut, don't hold your breath. Exile I is still going for $25. But they have occasional -$3 sales.

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Thuryl: I mean, most of us don't go around consuming our own bodily fluids, no matter how delicious they are.
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Alorael: War and violence would end if we all had each other's babies!
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Drakefyre: Those are hideous mangos.
Posts: 1415 | Registered: Thursday, March 27 2003 08:00
Warrior
Member # 4654
Profile #5
actually i like A3 the best. its big and has quite a few side quests. all that you need from a game actually!!!! but A2 has the best plot.

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life is too short to be taken seriously.hmm.but its also the longest thing a person can ever do!
Posts: 78 | Registered: Friday, July 2 2004 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 4632
Profile #6
i like a3 alot, it has more stuff to do. my top choices are a3 or BoA. (i dont really how you gotta move diagnolly on a1 and a2 with the keyboard.)
Posts: 15 | Registered: Monday, June 28 2004 07:00
Erudite*
Member # 3042
Profile #7
If you're planning on eventually getting them all, I'd say go for A1 first. However, I liked A2 the best because, as it has been mentioned, it has the best plot.

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Ex-member-#2475.
Post count = 406 + whatever it says below.
Posts: 402 | Registered: Thursday, May 29 2003 07:00
Warrior
Member # 2694
Profile #8
I have a similar problem. I have good parties made in the demos of A3 and BOA and I've used them to the limit. I only want to order one game, but I'm not sure whether to go with the already big world of A3 or the potentially bigger and better world of BOA.

Also if I get BOA I'm thinking of making a scenario or two. I've made plug-ins for non-spiderweb games so stuff like that is fun for me.

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"Attaining one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the pinnacle of excellence. Subjugating the enemy's army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Posts: 72 | Registered: Sunday, February 23 2003 08:00
Warrior
Member # 4987
Profile Homepage #9
My suggestion is this. If you plan on playing a game, A2 all the way. If you want to make games, BOA, on the other hand if you like to stare at a repetitive game, A3.
Posts: 60 | Registered: Sunday, September 19 2004 07:00
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
Profile Homepage #10
If you're looking for a good game to play over the next month or so and then forget about, buy A3. If you want a game that will produce good gameplay at a slightly reduced amount now but continually progressing over the next, oh, probably at least seven or eight years, buy BoA.

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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
Law Bringer
Member # 335
Profile Homepage #11
Avernum 2 has the best plot and some more polish, Avernum 1 is the introduction, and Avernum 3 is the largest. A3 also has slightly different systems for equipment and damage calculation, so it plays a bit differently.

I'd save up a little bit more money and get the trilogy CD. You save $20 and avoid all the prioritizing worries. But if you need a game now and can't come up with an extra $30, I'd go with... well... decide for yourself! All three demos are large, free, and well worth playing to get a feel for the games.

—Alorael, who definitely thinks that A2 has the best demo. A3 has the largest, and just playing the A1 demo will give you a lot of background that helps with the next two games. The A2 demo gives you most of what you need to know about a certain group. So even if you end up buying A3, be sure to play all the demos.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 3933
Profile #12
i also recommend to buy the trilogy as a whole.
if you dont have the money for that, id say a2.
be warned though that a3 mostly is more fun to people not that used to avernum, because youre outdoors mostly and you have much more freedom to walk around and do whatever you want to do.
but still, a2 is the most stylish.

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OH MY GOD IT'S THE FUNKY ****!!!
Posts: 425 | Registered: Wednesday, January 28 2004 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 303
Profile #13
Avernum 3 is my personal favorite. :cool:

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My name's Solberg. Pronounced Sol-Berg. Exile/Avernum's Greatest LIVING Archmage! I'm sure you've heard of me at some point.
Posts: 385 | Registered: Tuesday, November 20 2001 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 55
Profile Homepage #14
I'd take Avernum 2 to my own personal grave, but Avernum 3 is still a darned good game, easily the largest of the three and, if you can only buy one, probably stands well enough on its own.

Blades of Avernum is obviously worth a look, but it'll be quite a while before there's enough good BoA scenarios out there for you to get more gameplay in than you would with A3. And, of course, there's just something about one, big, grand epic plot like in A3. Playing a bunch of smaller scenarios just isn't the same, to me.
Posts: 236 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Warrior
Member # 4971
Profile Homepage #15
Well the BEST i think it´s A3 because of the updates. But for understanding all the history, i´d like to register the 1 and later 2 and later 3.
Posts: 65 | Registered: Wednesday, September 15 2004 07:00