Just to clarify, I have played Avernums 1-4 and Geneforges 1-5, plus Nethergate. It's the new engine and skill systems I'm wondering.
I'm a newb when it comes to Jeff Vogel games, and I'd like to try out the Exile and Geneforge series, so I'd figure I ask here.
Should I play the Exile series before Avernum? I heard Avernum was a remake of Exile, but I'm also hearing the usual Codex grumbling about them.
As Exile II in 1996 it was his best, I think. As it was only his second game "re-hash" of storylines feels slightly unfair. Back then it felt like a very plausible continuation of the first Exile.I am late to this thread, sorry about that. I have bought and supported all Vogel's releases, mainly based on the codex's unfailing support. I have found each and every one of them to be original in srory at least until "crystal Souls." Just boring overall, a rehash of storylines and maps with a sprinkling of aliens. This is not Jeff's smallest game but it is his worst.
I'm a newb when it comes to Jeff Vogel games, and I'd like to try out the Exile and Geneforge series, so I'd figure I ask here.
Should I play the Exile series before Avernum? I heard Avernum was a remake of Exile, but I'm also hearing the usual Codex grumbling about them.
A2CS Remix isn't out yet. http://spiderwebforums.ipbhost.com/index.php?/topic/21752-a2cs-remix-testers-wanted/ Apart from that I don't think there are any mods.The HP bloat killed this game for me, I ended up quitting in a dungeon where room after room, my party of mages would cast their best AoE spells again and again and it still took forever to whittle down the opponents' HP. Is there any mod that fixes it?
I like the Avernum series. I would say that the Geneforge series was more interesting and fun to me. Geneforge 2 being the best. That was my starting point with Spiderweb.
Yeah, HP bloat is a common problem in his games. For some reason all the enemies have much higher HP than you, and you must constantly use healing to bridge that gap while whittling them down. While the healing spells the enemy (extremely rarely) uses, are weaker than yours.The HP bloat killed this game for me, I ended up quitting in a dungeon where room after room, my party of mages would cast their best AoE spells again and again and it still took forever to whittle down the opponents' HP. Is there any mod that fixes it?
Fixed. He started that shit in G5/A6. At least he recognizes that it's a problem.Yeah, HP bloat is a common problem in his newer games.
http://spiderwebforums.ipbhost.com/...-avadon-3-the-warborn-changes-and-discussion/* Difficulty
My games have long dealt with difficulty by making foes have more health and do more damage. I want to handle this in a smarter way.
I am strongly considering having area of effect spells do friendly fire damage on Hard and Torment level. I want combat positioning in my games to make a difference, and this will be a key part of that. I will also make the more nasty foe abilities (like charm and fear) be more common on higher difficulties.
As he says, difficulty = more hp is a long time trend of his. Always been that way iirc. Though his earlier games were often extremely easy after a certain point, instead - part of it is how he's made more elaborate boss battles now, but other than that did he simply scale the enemy hp's up across all difficulty levels to get to the current situation? Or increase the difference between normal and torment?Fixed. He started that shit in G5/A6. At least he recognizes that it's a problem. http://spiderwebforums.ipbhost.com/...-avadon-3-the-warborn-changes-and-discussion/
Just checked to make sure, the first Geneforge game where HP change on difficulty is 5. The named Alpha in the first area has his hitpoints go from 216 on casual to 576 on torment. Though I also think he upped boss HPs in general which leads to them having way too much HPs compared to their trash versions.As he says, difficulty = more hp is a long time trend of his. Always been that way iirc. Though his earlier games were often extremely easy after a certain point, instead - part of it is how he's made more elaborate boss battles now, but other than that did he simply scale the enemy hp's up across all difficulty levels to get to the current situation? Or increase the difference between normal and torment?
Just checked to make sure, the first Geneforge game where HP change on difficulty is 5. The named Alpha in the first area has his hitpoints go from 216 on casual to 576 on torment. Though I also think he upped boss HPs in general which leads to them having way too much HPs compared to their trash versions.
G1-4 "only" have damage scaling, 2x from normal to torment afaik.
We're not talking about level scaling here, which his other games don't have, but of the difference between difficulty levels.There was a very rough HP (and maybe damage) scaling already for Blades of Exile. Mainly because the shortish scenarios would in theory work best for a fairly narrow range of party/character lvls. If one's party exceeded some sum of lvls, monster's hp doubled. And for some reason this could be halfway through a scenario and change difficulty more than intended. At least this was my experience.