It actually came out in the spring, but I didn't check up on them until today. Spiderweb Software, one of my all-time favorite shareware companies, has released Blades of Avernum. It's a scenario-based RPG for Mac or Windows. You're given a few scenarios to start out playing, and you can download for free scenarios other people have written. Blades of Avernum comes with the editor, which allows you to make fairly complex scenarios.
It's actually a rewrite of Blades of Exile, which came out about six years ago. Jeff Vogel (programmer/author) wrote the Exile trilogy back when I was in middle/high school, and has been spending the last few years upgrading the engine. This completes the rewrite of the Exile series (now called Avernum).
It's really really good. His storylines are tight, with plenty of fluff and substance tossed in. Other folks make surprisingly good scenarios. It's incredible fun to write your own.
Anyhow, I just finished the first scenario today (free with demo). I'll buy it this weekend and start formulating a scenario. I wrote one six years ago for Blades of Exile the summer before college. It was a fun process. I can't wait to get started with this one.
[ July 19, 2004, 08:20 AM: Message edited by: Suneun ]
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Sounds really different. Are there any other games that compare to it in gameplay? I've never heard of it before.
Kwea
Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :
It's closest to the Ultima IV style games. It's a top-down (or, slight angle view down) view of your character party (four characters).
1) You build your chars, giving them stats. This has grown more complex from Vogel's original set of stats, but it's not excessive.
2) You move around the screen using mouse or keypad. Use (g) to get items nearby, (f) to enter fight mode, (p) for priest spells, etc.
3) Turn based. Once your party moves, all other monsters move.
4) Spells. There are Priest spells and Mage spells. You have to purchase or find spells on your adventure, you don't automatically get it with your leveling.
5) When you level, you increase your stats ("train") however you'd like. There are penalties the higher you go in a stat (takes more points to increase).
Stuff like that. Conversations with NPCs are done with conversation options. He used to do it by clicking on "clue words" in the conversation, which was nice because it was possible to miss something. Now, you can't miss conversation links, and sometimes you have to make a decision between the things you choose to say.
Anyhow. You should download and try it =)
Edit; Blades of Avernum is a good starting point, because it requires no background knowledge of the world. Geneforge uses a similar (though not identical, I vaguely remember) engine but I didn't like it as much as the Exile trilogy. Avernum I, II, and III are the newly done trilogy, though Avernum I is probably about four years old at this point.
[ July 17, 2004, 03:00 AM: Message edited by: Suneun ]
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I just downloaded it, and will try it...some other time. It is a little late, even for me...
Thanks for the heads-up about it. I love RPG's, and this sounds interesting.
Kwea
[ July 17, 2004, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Kwea ]
Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :
Oh the pain. I opened up the scenario editor and started reading the manual...
Jeff Vogel decided to make this one work with a scripting language. So all special events refer to a script you write that sets variables and such. Oh the pain. I liked scripting, but only for tiny things. Learning to do this for an entire game will be... educational.
*returns to the 110 page manual*
Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :
Okay. I've made better headway with the manual. There are hundreds of supported functions (is that the right word?) in the appendix, and it's a simplified language. So, I should be okay...
I have an idea so far that I really like, so I'm happy about the prospect of working on this game for a while.
(still thinks there are more hatrackers who would love the demo)
Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :
So in my story, I'm hoping to make the player choose among ideologies. The "Intellect," the "Anarchist," the "Honorable," and "Traditional" (the culture the player starts in). Am I missing a main ideology I should have put in?
Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :
Okay. The "traditional" starting city is going to be a region that's devoted to worshipping their God (a sun God, I think). They'll be farming/hunting people, with strong ties to their natural surroundings. Their God offers them blessings and good weather, and is very consistent about it. These people live a comfortable life. Nothing changes much for them, because they don't see a need. They build families, farms, and trade with their neighbors. The life-altering event for them is when they're sent out to "soulforge" and bring back an artifact, something to give to their temple in thanks.
That's what's going to set out the adventuring party. It's time for them to find the proper artifact. And Soulforge.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
BTW, I have been fooling round a bit with the demo of the game, and it's pretty cool. Old school, but cool.
Posted by Human (Member # 2985) on :
I downloaded the demo...it's pretty nice! I jsut have a question...how the hell do you lower all the magic barriers in the school? I know they're blocking access to the last things I need, but I have no idea how to open them.
Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :
Hmm, I think actually most of the barriers just hide extra goodies. You can't learn the correct spell in the first scenario, but there are a few scattered special crystals that let you dispel them (Piercing Crystal, maybe?). Worry about getting the key from the golem, that was what got me stuck for ages.
If you're talking about the special neon barrier things instead of the barriers that look like fine mesh, then you need a quest Item that will remove the neon barriers. Once you have that item, you can Use it to dispel those special barrier types.
Kwea- it's very old school but in an awesome way.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Yea, it is...
Thanks for mentioning it to us.
I have time to play it now that I don't plat CoH...
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)