Avernum V
Pages
| Author | Topic: Avernum V |
|---|---|
|
Warrior
Member # 3289
|
written Sunday, May 14 2006 13:37
Profile
Homepage
I'd like to see a return to the vahnatai lands, especially where you first visited in A2. Might be a bit tricky with the current situation with Rentar Ihrno but I think it could be done. -------------------- My head is longer my own - I am furious. When will my torment end?... If anybody is frustrated or unhappy in this lycee, it is me! They will make me lose my head. - Jean-Francois Champolloin Posts: 74 | Registered: Wednesday, July 30 2003 07:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 6908
|
written Tuesday, May 16 2006 03:54
Profile
Just a thought for a detail in Avernum 5: - I want to see snow in the game and everything which accompanies it: nations, creatures, landscapes. Sorry if I missed too much, skipping A4, still I understand, that no action there took place in some northern areas. Thinking of a new area to discover may be it will be for good to remember some geographical traits of an human-inhabited planet? That's not a plot suggestion, still seems to be an interesting trait. N.B. Saying "snow" I don't mean "winter". -------------------- 9 masks sing in a choir: Gnome Dwarf Slith Giant Troll Troglo Human Nephil Vahnatai "If the mask under mask to SE of mask to the left of mask and to the right of me is the mask below the mask to the right of mask to the right of mask below me is the same, then who am I?" radix: +2 nicothodes: +1 salmon:+1 Posts: 203 | Registered: Tuesday, March 14 2006 08:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 3513
|
written Tuesday, May 16 2006 17:07
Profile
Homepage
How are you going to have snow in a cave? -------------------- Nobody appreciates me. It's all "Igor! Fetch some wine!" "Igor! Clean up this experiment!" or "Igor! Bury this in the garden, we're leaving town in 10 minutes!" —Alorael, who tried to become a deivore once. The priest gave him a funny look after the third wafer. Posts: 301 | Registered: Thursday, October 2 2003 07:00 |
|
Shaper
Member # 247
|
written Tuesday, May 16 2006 18:22
Profile
Homepage
You've never heard of a snow-cave? -------------------- The Knight Between Posts. Posts: 2395 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 6908
|
written Tuesday, May 16 2006 18:32
Profile
At first I thought not only about the caves, but of the surface, as well. Still, at the northern side I expect to meet the eternally frozen caves. I think that Ice Lizard should originate from north to keep the proper fauna balance. Otherwise their existence is a bit of nonsense from the point of evolution. May be :) -------------------- 9 masks sing in a choir: Gnome Dwarf Slith Giant Troll Troglo Human Nephil Vahnatai "If the mask under mask to SE of mask to the left of mask and to the right of me is the mask below the mask to the right of mask to the right of mask below me is the same, then who am I?" radix: +2 nicothodes: +1 salmon:+1 Posts: 203 | Registered: Tuesday, March 14 2006 08:00 |
|
BANNED
Member # 5663
|
written Wednesday, May 17 2006 17:29
Profile
I would like for Jeff to fix the weight of his items...he did improve it from earlier Avernums to 4, but (going from 12 pouds to 9 for a normal one-handed sword) 6-9 pounds for a one-handed sword is still a bit over the top. That's even a bit much for a two-hander realistically speaking. The average 1 handed battle sword weighs between 2.5 and 3 pounds, while the average 2 handed battle sword is 4-6, though 6 is uncommon. Swords didn't weigh a lot until they stopped being main battle weapons. Decorative and parade 1 handed swords could weigh up to 8 or 9 pounds but are nearly useless in combat. Unless everyone in Ermarian (sp?) has resorted to using display swords for some reason, these weapons need to go on a diet. I only have info on sword weight, but a few others seemed miscalculated...like a pir of gloves-not gauntlets-weighing 2 pounds seems a little much to me but I can't be certain. -------------------- I'm drunk as think as you not am I. Posts: 64 | Registered: Sunday, April 3 2005 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
|
written Wednesday, May 17 2006 20:29
Profile
Homepage
Well, this would make it necessary to lower the PCs' carrrying capacities. But I see your point. -------------------- 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 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 549
|
written Thursday, May 18 2006 21:49
Profile
Here's an idea. A series of cave quakes cause panic and an exodus of Avernites. Empire and Avernite mages assure the people that it's nothing major and that the quakes will subside soon. Valorim is having trouble supporting the influx of new Avernite arrivals and you're hired to help the mages investigate the quakes. Basically you climb down deep below Avernum, trying to discover the source of the quakes. You're guided by mage scryers. There's long periods of time without being able to go back to town. Limited opportunities to resupply. Lots of nasty surprises from the shadows. Some new skills for deep cave exploration and survival. More interdependence within your party. Skill synergy between the party members. You have to be able to really fend for yourself. A few Vahnatai/Slith towns, a couple of demon/undead dungeons, and a few surprises to change the scenery. No uber bad guys are involved, your major enemies are nature and time. Posts: 227 | Registered: Thursday, January 24 2002 08:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 6908
|
written Thursday, May 18 2006 22:21
Profile
quote:And what is the point? I mean in the end everyone in a team, who survived wil understand they are the best friends ever met and return and live happily ever after? What for was that mess with quakes? Or was it just the "trailer" that you wrote? -------------------- 9 masks sing in a choir: Gnome Dwarf Slith Giant Troll Troglo Human Nephil Vahnatai "If the mask under mask to SE of mask to the left of mask and to the right of me is the mask below the mask to the right of mask to the right of mask below me is the same, then who am I?" radix: +2 nicothodes: +1 salmon:+1 Posts: 203 | Registered: Tuesday, March 14 2006 08:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 7002
|
written Friday, May 19 2006 01:09
Profile
There's really no point to that unless something is causing the cave-quakes. You'd just wander around. You literally have to have a main bad guy. It gives the story focus. -------------------- Polaris Posts: 193 | Registered: Thursday, April 6 2006 07:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 6908
|
written Friday, May 19 2006 03:27
Profile
On a second thought, quakes may be the signals to some planet catastrophe, so when you find that out your quest is to undertake all the steps to arrange the emigration to... well, theró are no spaceships yet, are there? :( So, we need to have a bad guy or an evil overlord, so that after studying the todo list of him we should find a weak spot and save the planet. Edit: typo. And did I say "we"? I meant "they", of course, the team of adventurers. :) [ Friday, May 19, 2006 03:28: Message edited by: Meeshka ] -------------------- 9 masks sing in a choir: Gnome Dwarf Slith Giant Troll Troglo Human Nephil Vahnatai "If the mask under mask to SE of mask to the left of mask and to the right of me is the mask below the mask to the right of mask to the right of mask below me is the same, then who am I?" radix: +2 nicothodes: +1 salmon:+1 Posts: 203 | Registered: Tuesday, March 14 2006 08:00 |
|
...b10010b...
Member # 869
|
written Friday, May 19 2006 06:42
Profile
Homepage
quote:Bull. Edmund Hillary's ascent of Mount Everest doesn't have any villains in it, but it still makes for a riveting story. [ Friday, May 19, 2006 06:43: Message edited by: Thuryl ] -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
|
Councilor
Member # 6600
|
written Friday, May 19 2006 07:21
Profile
Homepage
But would it make a good Avernum-style game? Dikiyoba. Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
|
The Establishment
Member # 6
|
written Friday, May 19 2006 09:59
Profile
quote:In the style of Avernum I, yeah, I'd say so. The real purpose in that was to run around and do lots of quests. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
|
written Friday, May 19 2006 15:23
Profile
Homepage
quote:One possibility is, as *i pointed out, a game that is a combination of a large number of unrelated quests. Another option is to have a storyline focused primarily on character development (soldiers in training, travellers trying to get somewhere, etc.) Such a game would probably be very linear, but could still make a good BoE scenario. (I had a scenario like this planned before I lost interest in BoE again.) -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 549
|
written Friday, May 19 2006 19:27
Profile
quote:Why does there have to be an intelligence behind every catastrophe? How can you possibly say that there's no point to preventing natural disasters? Sometimes the most frightening disasters are the naturally occurring ones. Plus you think that just because they prevent a catastrophic series of quakes, if that does happen, that everything will go back to normal? If a series of earthquakes hits the town you live in and then a while later the government tells you that they just prevented a cataclysmic quake that could have destroyed your entire town and every town within a hundred mile radius, are you going to feel safe living there? Another thing is that just because it's naturally occurring does not mean there isn't something unnatural making it worse and there are always those unscrupulous enough to take advantage of such situations. [ Friday, May 19, 2006 19:39: Message edited by: Vicheron ] Posts: 227 | Registered: Thursday, January 24 2002 08:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 6908
|
written Saturday, May 20 2006 03:43
Profile
quote:Why does there have to be an intelligence behind every catastrophe? How can you possibly say that there's no point to preventing natural disasters? [/quote]Yes there is. As I wrote above, and seems you've missed it. A small one can be prevented by evacuation (or magically stopping a quake). Planetary cataclism on Ermarian is harder to prevent, I think. Still some pages earlier I seemed to make a proposal for a plot which will prevent a war/or any other "unnatural" disaster. Concretely prevent. A party will have to undertake some number of quests: diplomacy, assasination, stealing,... oh, whatever, that's adventuring. And the cataclism won't breakthrough. quote:Agreed. It won't. But back to Avernum. This time all the Avernites should leave Avernum for some sanctuary? quote:Again, agreed. The only difference of natural and unnatural then is that you can give a 100% guarantee of ending the latter and no guarantee for the former? What will your team be up to then? quote:There are. Marauders. But again, only if it is a local catastrophe. -------------------- 9 masks sing in a choir: Gnome Dwarf Slith Giant Troll Troglo Human Nephil Vahnatai "If the mask under mask to SE of mask to the left of mask and to the right of me is the mask below the mask to the right of mask to the right of mask below me is the same, then who am I?" radix: +2 nicothodes: +1 salmon:+1 Posts: 203 | Registered: Tuesday, March 14 2006 08:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 7143
|
written Saturday, May 20 2006 09:37
Profile
Warning: This idea is suited for BoA and I didn't play through A4. I like the idea of the Slith homeland as the playing area, but that they are the peaceful society (or at least basically good as described in the hints of the Avernum trilogy) and that the humans and other species that found a way in are the "barbarian invaders." A role reverse is good every once in a while ;) Though I would mainly want to see this for the purpose of exploring their homeland. -------------------- "After I'm dead I'd rather have people ask why I have no monument than why I have one." - Cato the Elder (234-149 BC) "The mind, if it exists, is nothing but an unfortunate after effect of the brain process." -Kripke "One should die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly." -Friedich Nietzche Posts: 333 | Registered: Saturday, May 20 2006 07:00 |
|
Councilor
Member # 6600
|
written Saturday, May 20 2006 10:29
Profile
Homepage
Originally by Retlaw May: quote:Have you played Bahssikava? It sounds like you'd be interested in it. Dikiyoba. Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 335
|
written Saturday, May 20 2006 11:37
Profile
Homepage
Everything is fine now, but a looming cataclysm threatens destruction! The only problem with the plot is that if all goes well, nothing exciting happens. There's a reason heroes show up when things look darkest. —Alorael, who wouldn't mind a cataclysm returning Avernum to its hardscrabble roots, though. Avernum was better when steel was rare. (Better for players. Not so very nice for inhabitants.) Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
|
The Establishment
Member # 6
|
written Saturday, May 20 2006 13:30
Profile
A lot of what makes a good story is how the characters react to the events around them. With the quake thing, there need not be a major overarching storyline. There should, however, be major goals involving getting Avernum back on track from the cataclysm. As far as quakes being preventable by magic, that argument is a load as it's a fantasy universe and the parameters can be set however the author feels. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 7143
|
written Sunday, May 21 2006 16:14
Profile
As someone mentioned earlier, a weakness of the Avernum series is that the ncp's don't seem to react to much in their conversations. I would like to see ncp's react to what they have heard of your deeds. Also, I beleive that the engine run for the first 3 of the series was much better than the one run for the fourth game. I didn't even make it through half an hour with the new engine. -------------------- "After I'm dead I'd rather have people ask why I have no monument than why I have one." - Cato the Elder (234-149 BC) "The mind, if it exists, is nothing but an unfortunate after effect of the brain process." -Kripke "One should die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly." -Friedich Nietzche Posts: 333 | Registered: Saturday, May 20 2006 07:00 |
|
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
|
written Sunday, May 21 2006 20:22
Profile
Homepage
quote:National Circus Projects? National Car Parks? New Communist Parties? Northern Celestial Poles? -------------------- 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 # 6785
|
written Sunday, May 21 2006 21:29
Profile
ncp as in non-character person, you know noobie. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
|
...b10010b...
Member # 869
|
written Sunday, May 21 2006 21:40
Profile
Homepage
quote:The term you are looking for is "NPC", as in "non-player character". Fool. -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |