Avernum 5, April Update
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 12:32
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The lumbering beast has finally begun to move. I have completed the first section/town/adventure/tutorial. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it out much before Christmas, but it's certainly moving. The tutorial section is much more of an adventure than before, with scripted events, actual fights, and it gets you involved in the plot. The plot, as promised, is very intricate, and the political intrigue begins pretty much immediately. I'm having a bit more fun writing the dialogue, because the setup for this Avernum game is very different from the previous games. Your starting position is, it's safe to say, completely opposite from what it was before. There are secret doors. But they work differently than they did before. (They'd really have to.) You will never have to find one to complete the game. I am concentrating to cut down on the trash and have a smaller number of bigger fights. This will make the game more interesting for groups, but more punishing for single characters. I will do my best to make sure a singleton can still complete the game on the lower difficulty levels. One change ... smaller parties will get experience from creatures at higher levels than 4 person parties do. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 12:36
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Sweet on all accounts. Especially the part about having fun while writing the dialogue. That's a good sign if anything is! Grats on the progress. -------------------- 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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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 14:11
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I love it. Can't wait! -------------------- 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 |
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Guardian
Member # 6670
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 14:41
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Youpi for getting into the action quickly and political intrigue! -------------------- Now is not the time to start being entirely reasonable, Elan. - Roy (OotS #139) Posts: 1509 | Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 14:50
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Thanks for reducing the boring parts. You don't have to place all those spoons and other things that can't be sold. Us obsessive compulsives get tired of hauling them back to be sold or placed in pretty piles. Still like to see how it works for singleton characters. The experience penalty at the end was a pain. You might be surprised at the difficulty level that we can do. After all when you need more bodies there are summoning and charm spells for instant allies. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 6193
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 14:55
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Jeff's on a roll here; the Nethergate remake is in beta, he released the BoE source code, and now he's started on A5. Nicely done. -------------------- 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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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 15:22
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"Thanks for reducing the boring parts. You don't have to place all those spoons and other things that can't be sold. Us obsessive compulsives get tired of hauling them back to be sold or placed in pretty piles." Placing them is a psychological need on my part. You won't be able to sell trivial items anymore, though. So now you have less of a motive to haul around spoons. "Still like to see how it works for singleton characters. The experience penalty at the end was a pain. You might be surprised at the difficulty level that we can do." The Hard and Torment difficulties will be noticably harder in Avernum 5 than Avernum 4. I'm not going to say they'll be impossible for a singleton, but it'll hurt. The singleton experience bonus will remain, though. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Canned
Member # 8014
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 15:34
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(dances in a way not suitible for people under the age of 128) Will you have more crude humor in the dialoge? I love crude humor. "This livestock seems friendly enough, but it has neither the inclination nor the ability to speak". Funny stuff makes me want to play it more. -------------------- I can transform into almost anything, though not sanity. My brother tried to type something here. I just erased it. Posts: 1799 | Registered: Sunday, February 4 2007 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 15:48
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Actually, I want to second that, though I wouldn't call it crude humor. There were a lot of GREAT sets of dialogue with different livestock, cats, and so on, throughout Exile and also, I think, Nethergate. I miss those details. -------------------- 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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Apprentice
Member # 6844
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 16:25
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Glad to hear that you're having fun Jeff! When I think back to when I first played Exile, it was everything a young boy could have dreamed of. It was about a banished nation upheaving against their malevolent overground Empire, whilst still trying to adapt to the perils of a land they'd been forced into. A mystical world where justice and adventure stood against a shimmering backdrop a twisted caverns and murky lakes! (All of this in 1.7 MB!!) It seems so nostalgic to think about now.. Then came Avernum 4. No disrespect, and it's not because I'm now 10 years older, but it just wasn't the same world. I think it was mostly an image problem & partly gameplay. I really hope you take this chance to take us back to that old place we all know and love. And it sounds like thats what you're doing. Secret doors!! We love it! [ Thursday, April 26, 2007 16:31: Message edited by: GrimeHead ] Posts: 7 | Registered: Thursday, March 2 2006 08:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 5360
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 16:27
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Wow, Jeff. We thank you for this bountiful harvest. Amen. -------------------- 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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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 17:17
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Hmm. Starting position is different from before. It is interesting to imagine what that means. -------------------- 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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Apprentice
Member # 6844
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 17:32
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"Starting position is different from before. It is interesting to imagine what that means" I think this is a good idea. It mean you will either play as an official, such as a mayor or someone with influence. Or someone from the Empire. But most likely as a Vahnatai Posts: 7 | Registered: Thursday, March 2 2006 08:00 |
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Canned
Member # 8014
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 17:36
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(slaps face with own hand) That "" thing as quoting somthing is what Jeff does. No one else can. Also, NO PLAYING VANATAI, this is final (from what Jeff said). And in A1, A2, A4 we have started north east. Must be a different section. -------------------- I can transform into almost anything, though not sanity. My brother tried to type something here. I just erased it. Posts: 1799 | Registered: Sunday, February 4 2007 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 18:17
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Jeff mentioned earlier about a new cave section so I'm guessing that we don't start in Eastern Avernum. Avernum 2 had the chance to start with a fight in the opening fort so it looks like we get to fight something better than rats and goblins at the start. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7420
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 18:17
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quote:Good. You should know that the little things don't go unappreciated, at least not by me. As for the new starting point... maybe we'll be brigands? That would be such sweet irony. -------------------- You lose. Posts: 2156 | Registered: Thursday, August 24 2006 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 6844
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 19:50
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Rebel Muffin, get a grip, i've made 2 posts.. hardly the most likely person to know "what Jeff does". Oh ****! I did it again, didn't I? (slaps Rebel Muffin repeatedly with lead pipe!) :P Posts: 7 | Registered: Thursday, March 2 2006 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 20:50
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quote:I for one enjoy the spoons and similar details, and I'm glad to hear they're still in. I've never known why people feel compelled to haul every trowel in the game back to Kriszan and sell them in a glorious trowel-fest... -------------------- 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 |
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Apprentice
Member # 8426
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written Thursday, April 26 2007 21:17
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I have to admit that a4 (and a5 will be too[ hopefully]) is good becuase after playing all the Exile games, I new most of it like the back of my hand! Posts: 6 | Registered: Sunday, April 1 2007 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 8530
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written Friday, April 27 2007 00:06
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What are some of the new mechanics you are introducing into this one Jeff? Anything that you think will stand head and shoulder above previous Exiles/Avernums? Posts: 20 | Registered: Wednesday, April 18 2007 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 7557
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written Friday, April 27 2007 05:23
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*Dances around in manic extasy* Oh YeaH oh YEAh OH yeahYEAHYEahHHHyeah! -------------------- The force is with ME! I'm not so sure about YOU! Trust me, you do not want to click this link Posts: 942 | Registered: Sunday, October 8 2006 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Friday, April 27 2007 09:13
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quote: quote:—Alorael, who thinks that entry 2 is the really exciting one here. Hack and slash may be more than simple hack and slash! Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 247
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written Friday, April 27 2007 12:19
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Very Good! -------------------- The Knight Between Posts. Posts: 2395 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00 |
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Canned
Member # 8014
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written Friday, April 27 2007 14:57
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quote:You skimmed the CoC, didn't you? No flame wars and no masking cuss words are in it. I have enough people flamming at me. Also, I gave you a tip. Excuse me if I sound like a mini mod again, but this was against me so I had to stick up for myself (which was easy). Oh, and you don't know my name here! :P Anyway, I think we will start as adventurers. But as for where we start... -------------------- I can transform into almost anything, though not sanity. My brother tried to type something here. I just erased it. Posts: 1799 | Registered: Sunday, February 4 2007 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Friday, April 27 2007 15:32
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quote:Actually, the rule is against partially masked profanity. It's okay if you mask out every letter. -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |