For a newbie to either series: Geneforge 5 or Avernum 6?

[Yeesh]

I'm thinking about wasting some more of my sad, sad life. I've played none of the earlier games, and I wonder which one of these is the better bet. I certainly don't have the energy to play both, or to play the previous games first. I probably don't have the energy to play one, but I'm trying to be optimistic.

But is one shorter? That might be a good thing.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[betamin]

I didn't play avernum 6 but all of the older ones are very grindy, no appeal other than combat and a little c&c. Geneforge 5 I did play and it was great, it has a kinda deus ex approach to it since you can resolve all situations in different ways, has a lot of significant c&c, passable combat and a great soundtrack (lie).

In short it depends on what you are looking for but geneforge is imo the better game.

 

[Jason]

The Avernums are more about dungeon crawling and exploration and killing shit. The Geneforges are more about factions and story and choices and creating creatures to kill shit for you. Both series are generally worth your time, but as betamin said, it depends on what you're looking for.

 

[Trash]

Avernum also has the whole "exploration" thing going on with a huge underground world with all sorts of nooks and crannies to discover. Why not download the demos of both games and see which one suits your taste?

 

[Beautiful Clown Painting]

The Avernum serie (which is my favourite of the two) gets back to a kind of Ultima atmosphere, party-based and dungeon-crawling (kind of Ultima V with a quest log and an automap). The Geneforge serie is more of a C&C, story-driven and somehow more linear venture.

 

[Azrael the cat]

I'm a Geneforge prefererrer myself. Seriously, as others have said, it depends on what you are looking for. They are very different series, so if you're after a dungeon crawler go Avernum, if you're after something with insane amounts of C+C and that's story-driven go Geneforge. Ignore any comments about Geneforge being more linear. It's probably the LEAST linear story-driven crpg you've ever encountered. It is insanely non-linear - MUCH more so than, say, FO or Arcanum. By G5 there's insane numbers of different endings, different ending objectives on different parts of the worldmap, different factions to choose from and subfactions to promote within those factions. Many many different npcs to affect, who also have massive effects on the gameworld. If you're looking for that kind of game, than G5 does it brilliantly. Avernum does dungeon crawling brilliantly.

The only thing both of them suck at is graphics. Real pity as well, because the gameplay deserves more of an audience than it gets.

 

[Beautiful Clown Painting]

I don't understand how people can say that Vogel games graphics are puke-inducing. Apart from the character portraits in the Avernum serie, graphics are pretty decent, in fact I prefer them to those from U6/U7.

 

[SCO]

Geneforge 5 was pretty cool, Avernum 5 was map after map of fighting, by some predefined main pc that was pretty stupid (there is a choice you can make but it is "fake"). Some cool dungeons, but not so hot as all that.

 

[Monocause]

Try both. Get G5, with the Avernum series, start with Avernum 2 and see if you can stand the graphics. If not, go straight for A6.

Avernum 2 and 3 remain the best in the series. A1 would be excellent too but the engine lacking some rather important stuff (fe. a quest list)

Stay away from A4, easily the worst part in the series and the tedium levels are unbearable.Tried to finish it four or five times and always got bored at the chitrach caves. If you thought NWN2's orc caves to be boring, they're nothiing compared to the chitrach caves.

 

[Paula Tormeson IV]

Download the Geneforge 5 demo and play it. That's how I got hooked.

 

[reaven]

I gotta say i like more avernum

 

[Fowyr]

Don't play A1-A3. Play Exiles instead. And try Geneforge first.

 

[Suchy]

No discussion necessary. Avernum has furries, so Geneforge wins by default.

 

[Micmu]

Start with Geneforge 1, for fuck's sake.

Also, Avernum 3 >> all other Avernums.

I'm playing A6 right now, it's a cool game, but not a proper Avernum anymore since he switched the engine in A4.

 

[ElectricOtter]

Don't play A1-A3. Play Exiles instead. And try Geneforge first.

This. Also, Exile 3 is the best in the series.

 

[PorkaMorka]

Avernum 6 has the advantage of (supposedly) having the most hand crafted encounters requiring non standard tactics, which may make things more interesting to the new player.

What I mean is a lot of fights with unique scripts and abilities for the enemies and unique tactics needed, as opposed to just clearing trash mobs over and over.

So it might be a better starting point than say Avernum 1.

I can't comment on Geneforge as I've refused to ever play any of the games, as I am not comfortable with the themes of genetic contamination or the lack of a full party.

 

[mondblut]

Exile series are the best Avernum.

 

[Korgan]

Also, Avernum 3 >> all other Avernums.

Oh yes. Ironically, it's also the one where you mostly explore the surface world (there's a whole damn continent). A1 and A2 are great as well, switching to the Geneforge engine did very little good.

 

[betamin]

I can't comment on Geneforge as I've refused to ever play any of the games, as I am not comfortable with the themes of genetic contamination

Kodex point +1

 

[coaster]

Nethergate>Avernum. Although I haven't tried any of the Geneforges yet.

 

[Luzur]

Also, Avernum 3 >> all other Avernums.

Oh yes. Ironically, it's also the one where you mostly explore the surface world (there's a whole damn continent). A1 and A2 are great as well, switching to the Geneforge engine did very little good.

this. its more fun.

also, if you are good at photoshop you can change alot of the graphics in the Data folder.
including the character dolls.

 

[Beautiful Clown Painting]

Nethergate is indeed a great game in a great setting, you should also try it.

 

[Korgan]

Also, Avernum 3 >> all other Avernums.

Oh yes. Ironically, it's also the one where you mostly explore the surface world (there's a whole damn continent). A1 and A2 are great as well, switching to the Geneforge engine did very little good.

this. its more fun.

also, if you are good at photoshop you can change alot of the graphics in the Data folder.
including the character dolls.

Lawl. I remember shooping off the amazon woman's bikini when I was 12.