what does A4 offer us?

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Author	Topic: what does A4 offer us?
the incredible edible PENIS BANNED Member # 3477	written Monday, December 26 2005 04:37 Profile #0 what can you do in this new game? i am personally a windows user so i have no idea what is going on can you buy a house like in A3? is there a character editor? is there skribbane? are there any xian items(skull)? and remember kids, dont chew skribbane :D Posts: 296 \| Registered: Monday, September 22 2003 07:00
Student of Trinity Electric Sheep One Member # 3431	written Monday, December 26 2005 06:22 Profile #1 No. No. No. No. What it does offer is: better 3D, Geneforge-style (in fact, all too Geneforge-style for many old Avernites); big, wide-open world -- no separation between town and country, no zones; the main thing: a lot of interesting battles, in an engine that admits a wide range of tactical twists. Especially if you play on Torment, you have to think about how to build your party, and how to attack different enemies. You could almost say it's more of a strategy game than an RPG. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 \| Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
Delicious Vlish His Mighty Tentacle Member # 627	written Monday, December 26 2005 06:34 Profile #2 quote: Originally written by Student of Trinity: You could almost say it's more of a strategy game than an RPG. Hrm... I would agree with you. -------------------- If I could make just one wish, I would want a tasty vlish. Geneforge IV. Still no tasty vlish. Posts: 1104 \| Registered: Tuesday, February 12 2002 08:00
Or else o'erleap. Law Bringer Member # 335	written Monday, December 26 2005 08:22 Profile Homepage #3 All CRPGs are strategy and tactics games mechanically, and that's become far more part of the definition of role-playing game than role-playing. The difference is that Avernum has hitherto been light on the tactics and A4 makes tactics very important. The suffering of the plot is entirely unrelated. —Alorael, who wouldn't play Avernum expecting anything more than combat challenges and the world of Avernum. All the excess baggage has fallen by the wayside. Unfortunately some good stuff was considered baggage. Posts: 14579 \| Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
the incredible edible PENIS BANNED Member # 3477	written Monday, December 26 2005 08:38 Profile #4 wait, so there is no longer a world map like in avernums but neither is it different areas like geneforge? its just one big map with lots of walking in between towns? Posts: 296 \| Registered: Monday, September 22 2003 07:00
Slarty Raven v. Writing Desk Member # 261	written Monday, December 26 2005 09:03 Profile Homepage #5 Yeah. You can think of it a bit like Geneforge minus the zoomed out map. I miss the map, but it honestly works quite well. It reminds me a lot of some of the Ultima games. Ultima V and VI (and maybe some more, I can't remember) had single, seamless maps where on one screen a house takes up the whole view, move south fifteen steps and suddenly the scale has "changed" and there are five mountains onscreen. This may not be a coincidence - I think I remember Jeff citing Ultima as a major influence on Exile. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 \| Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Dikiyoba Councilor Member # 6600	written Monday, December 26 2005 13:34 Profile Homepage #6 I was actually disappointed to see that Avernum 4 is more like Geneforge, since I liked the worlds being distinct. Oh well. As soon as the Windows version is out, I will try it anyway and will probably enjoy it. Don't worry. Dikiyoba will live. Posts: 4346 \| Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00
SNM Shock Trooper Member # 4239	written Monday, December 26 2005 15:04 Profile #7 They're going to end up uniting the two worlds, sad as that may be. Seriously, they keep on sharing graphics, and today I had a dialogue where a Vahnatai told me he was not a Shaper. Capitalized, and without mention of crystals. You'd think that JV would start to avoid stuff like that after these silly conspiracies start floating around unless they're true. :rolleyes: Okay, maybe not. But they really ought to keep the graphics distinct even if the engines aren't. -------------------- There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were. Posts: 322 \| Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Thuryl ...b10010b... Member # 869	written Monday, December 26 2005 15:12 Profile Homepage #8 Vahnatai spellcasters have been called Shapers ever since Exile 2. :P -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 \| Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
SNM Shock Trooper Member # 4239	written Monday, December 26 2005 15:55 Profile #9 I never played Exile. In Avernum 2, they were indeed called shapers, but I'm pretty sure it was lowercase. Plus, as I mentioned, JV should avoid such things unless he's actually going to unite the worlds. Which would suck. -------------------- There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were. Posts: 322 \| Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
Slarty Raven v. Writing Desk Member # 261	written Monday, December 26 2005 16:07 Profile Homepage #10 The shared graphics are admittedly a little creepy. Drayks and drakes are one thing, but chitrachs are definitely not clawbugs, and replacing 2/3 of the equipment with Geneforge equipment was also a bit much. IMHO. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 \| Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
*i The Establishment Member # 6	written Monday, December 26 2005 17:59 Profile #11 Yes, but to paraphrase Jeff Vogel: $$¢$¢¢$!! -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 \| Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
Xoid Shock Trooper Member # 932	written Monday, December 26 2005 18:12 Profile #12 quote: Originally written by Skribbane now? Ask me how.: What can you do in this rehased mess that Vogel dares to call a new game? -------------------- Microsoft Patents Ones, Zeroes (March 25, 1998) "Asians are good at Starcraft because they're always squinting, thus they can see things sharply. Remember to always squint in war." ~ Sun-Tzu Posts: 215 \| Registered: Sunday, April 7 2002 08:00
LetheRunner Apprentice Member # 6603	written Monday, December 26 2005 18:17 Profile #13 Listen, all I have heard is negativity about this game on here--but it isn't a bad game at all. I certainly lament the loss of puzzles, but I don't agree that the plot has degraded from the other games. I enjoyed the story, just like I have enjoyed the stories from all the other mainline Avernum games. I liked most of the skill revisions which occurred and the most of the combat. What really irked me at times were some of the boss fights, namely Dorikas. -------------------- But honor is like the undead: it requites constant attention and frequent violence. Posts: 7 \| Registered: Saturday, December 24 2005 08:00
*i The Establishment Member # 6	written Monday, December 26 2005 18:44 Profile #14 The problem is the story was just too predictable. Aside from the Darkside Loyalist plot, we all had a good idea where things were going to go after Fort Draco. By the end of the demo, one would have to be pretty dense not to be able to predict exactly how the game is going to end. I was hoping for a surprise, but I was not to be given that... -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 \| Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
Delicious Vlish His Mighty Tentacle Member # 627	written Monday, December 26 2005 18:48 Profile #15 I realised who did it the moment I saw a razordisk in the mines by Fort Draco. I also knew who did it in Exile III the moment I found a waveblade in the Filth Factory. I saw the waveblade and thought "What's that doing here on the surface? I found some of those robe thingies too in Jordan's tower, and he must have found them in the slime's caves. JINKIES!" And from that moment on, I knew who did it. I was really hoping that my early theory on who did it would have been correct... If anybody recalls, I was saying (hoping) that the Sliths had done it. -------------------- If I could make just one wish, I would want a tasty vlish. Geneforge IV. Still no tasty vlish. Posts: 1104 \| Registered: Tuesday, February 12 2002 08:00
Slarty Raven v. Writing Desk Member # 261	written Monday, December 26 2005 19:08 Profile Homepage #16 That would have been cool. Although somewhat odd, since the main slith kingdom is supposed to be peace-loving. ...or did that change from Ex to Av as well? -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 \| Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Ephesos Law Bringer Member # 4153	written Monday, December 26 2005 19:10 Profile Homepage #17 quote: Originally written by Delicious Vlish: I realised who did it the moment I saw a razordisk in the mines by Fort Draco. As soon as I saw a chitrach drop a piercing crystal and a razordisk in the Eastern Gallery, I knew it for sure. Before then, I had successfully fooled myself into thinking that the vahnatai were not the main enemy. -------------------- Thuryl: "Runescape: for people who are too stupid to save their games." Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. Posts: 4130 \| Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00
Xoid Shock Trooper Member # 932	written Monday, December 26 2005 19:28 Profile #18 I wouldn't have had a problem with Rentar being a few stubbies short of a six pack and causing problems, if it wasn't done so... predictably. Assassinations, chemical warfare, guerilla warfare, an alliance with the Darkling Sliths, ANYTHING but what Jeff actually decided upon. Avernum 4 is little more than the bastard love child of Avernum 1 or 2's setting, Avernum 3's lackluster plot, and Geneforge's engine. EDIT 1: quote: Originally written by Slartucker: That would have been cool. Although somewhat odd, since the main slith kingdom is supposed to be peace-loving. ...or did that change from Ex to Av as well? Za-Khazi Run is considered canon, even if everyone wished it never existed. Therefore, the barbaric army of Sss-Thss is still around, even if it was defeated previously. EDIT 2: I really thought that i would want to slap me for taking a leaf out of TM's book and ramming words down someone else's throat through "quoting" them. [ Monday, December 26, 2005 19:40: Message edited by: CPeters ] -------------------- Microsoft Patents Ones, Zeroes (March 25, 1998) "Asians are good at Starcraft because they're always squinting, thus they can see things sharply. Remember to always squint in war." ~ Sun-Tzu Posts: 215* \| Registered: Sunday, April 7 2002 08:00
*i The Establishment Member # 6	written Monday, December 26 2005 20:38 Profile #19 Sss-Thssss' savage loyalists are alive and well (well until you get to them at least) in A4. To those who haven't found them, take the tunnel in the chitrach forest in the northern part of the Great Cave and it will lead you into the lands of the dark Slithzerikai. Some nice items, but otherwise disappointing. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 \| Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
Dikiyoba Councilor Member # 6600	written Monday, December 26 2005 21:29 Profile Homepage #20 Originally by SNM: quote: They're going to end up uniting the two worlds, sad as that may be. Seriously, they keep on sharing graphics, and today I had a dialogue where a Vahnatai told me he was not a Shaper. Capitalized, and without mention of crystals. You'd think that JV would start to avoid stuff like that after these silly conspiracies start floating around unless they're true. It's obvious. Most Shapers are going to end up using a few too many canisters, which will give them gray skin, bulbous eyes, a skeletel frame, an inability to survive in the sun, a love for crystals, and will flee underground, where they will call themselves Vahnatai. The only thing they will retain of their previous identity is the title "Shaper" for their wizards and dislike for common humans. Shoali and the non-Shapers of the Shaper lands will meet up, evolve into one powerful society that takes over the entire surface of the planet and call their country the Empire. Drakons will become dragons. Drayks will become drakes. Clawbugs will become chitratches. Battle alphas will become giants. Fyoras will become various annoying reptiles. Eyebeasts and gazers will become, well, eyebeasts and gazers. And giant rats will still be giant rats. Demon-summoning will become perfectly legal. Nephil and sliths will have been created by the Shapers/Vahnatai. Etc, etc. Then the Empire will stumble upon the underground tunnels and say, "Hey, why don't we get rid of some annoying people?" You know the story from there. Dikiyoba wonders where the other class of Vahnatai magicians, "Keepers," came from. Posts: 4346 \| Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00
*i The Establishment Member # 6	written Monday, December 26 2005 21:48 Profile #21 The Keepers are most likely the keepers of the Vahnatai magical secrets. They seem to be a higher up in the magical ranks of the Vahnatai. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 \| Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
Slarty Raven v. Writing Desk Member # 261	written Monday, December 26 2005 22:15 Profile Homepage #22 Oh, my god. PLEASE tell me the giants don't look like battle alphas. I know the evil sliths are still around. However, Ex 1 + 2 made it clear that all the sliths in Exile were originally part of Sss-Thsss's clan/group/whatever, which was itself exiled from the main Slith kingdom because they were too violent. While there are many Sliths in Avernum, their power really doesn't seem to compare. They have never achieved more than a stalemate with Avernum's forces even though they pretty much fight just 2 forts at a time (Emerald and Dranlon), plus sometimes Cotra. Presumably, if Avernum could ignore all of its many other aggressors and concentrate entirely on the sliths, the sliths wouldn't last very long. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 \| Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Or else o'erleap. Law Bringer Member # 335	written Monday, December 26 2005 22:51 Profile Homepage #23 I think Shapers have always been capitalized in Exile/Avernum. Ponders, too. That's not a sign of impending unity. We still haven't accounted for the Vlish population. What happened to them in Avernum? The giants don't look like battle alphas. They look like giants. I, too, thought of the vahnatai when I saw the first signs of vahnatai, but I held onto the hope that it was going to be a clever twist, perhaps even a subtle and sarcastic joke and the poor plot of A3. When Darkside Loyalist signs started showing up, I felt those seeds of hope begin to flower. And then I ran into Rentar-Ihrno, and, well, that was that. —Alorael, who isn't so sure about ZKR's canon status. Fort Cavalier and those sliths aren't mentioned anywhere else, nor is the new member of the Triad. In fact, Kelner in the Tower Colony seems to imply that the Triad disbanded after the ToM disaster in A3. He also claims that he was a member around then, though, so he's either senile or there was some time in between the disaster and the disbanding. Posts: 14579 \| Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Thuryl ...b10010b... Member # 869	written Monday, December 26 2005 23:22 Profile Homepage #24 quote: Originally written by Two pipe solo: We still haven't accounted for the Vlish population. What happened to them in Avernum? Sea monsters. -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 \| Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00