Game News Avernum 6 details

[Monolith]

Tags: Avernum 6; Jeff Vogel; Spiderweb Software

Jeff Vogel <a href="http://www.avernum.com/avernum6/index.html">has revealed</a> some details about Avernum 6, the last installment in the series.
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<blockquote>System Requirements:
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PC Running Windows 2000 or later or Macintosh running System 10.3.9 or later.
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800 MhZ processor. Minimum 1.6 GhZ processor recommended.
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Video card or processor with OpenGL support and 32 MB video RAM (64 MB recommended).
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512 MB RAM.
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200 MB hard disk space.
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1024x600 screen resolution with 32 bit color.
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Avernum 6 will run natively on Intel Macintoshes.</blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.avernum.com/avernum6/shots.html">Here</a> are 5 screenshots. If you look closely you might notice the clever use of normal mapping.
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Thanks, Tranny Luv...

 

[Trash]

Oh dear, that actually looks passable. :decline

 

[Durwyn]

It seems that he got a little better at graphics. Isn't Avernum 6 the last game on this engine ?

 

[Joe Krow]

Hunt for hundreds of different magical.

 

[GthrustBaby]

I AM SO PUMPED FOR THIS GAME

 

[Monocause]

*sigh* he still reuses the same crappy PC graphics. If he's short on money to hire someone to make new ones, he could've asked the community. I remember that the SW boards held quite a few talented guys who'd probably happily do this for free.

Anyway, this may turn out to be my most anticipated RPG of 2009. Unless AoD comes out.

 

[Hoodoo]

Wield two blades at the same time to reap extra destruction.

 

[Andhaira]

He's using the same ugly engine he used for Avernum 5. I liked the avernum 4 engine the best.

 

[ElectricOtter]

Interface looks 100 times better than A5-4's. Looks awesome. Better graphics. And the Avernum 4 engine and the Avernum 5 engine are the same engine with a few minor tweaks.



Probably going to LP it just because.

 

[Jasede]

Still looks like shit.
*Graphics whore*

He should just make them all ASCII, that is honestly easier on the eyes. (ADOM is one of the prettiest games I know with its crisp, high-res ASCII)

 

[flushfire]

*sigh* he still reuses the same crappy PC graphics. If he's short on money to hire someone to make new ones, he could've asked the community. I remember that the SW boards held quite a few talented guys who'd probably happily do this for free.

true. since it looks like the in-game sprites have been redone, im completely baffled as to why he's keeping the same crappy PC portraits. it's not like it'll take a lot of effort to improve those as they're just static bmps that anybody with decent drawing skill can replace.

 

[Korgan]

As you wander the gigantic world of Avernum, you will experience:

* An enormous world. Hundreds of quests, dozens of dungeons and enemy fortresses, and multitudes of characters.
* A fascinating storyline, full of surprises, treachery, and epic battles.
* Many unique encounters. Not just mindless hack and slash. Many unusual enemies that will require clever tactics to defeat.
* Rich game system with over 50 spells and battle disciplines, many character building options, and powerful secret skills to unlock.
* Unique game world. Unique races and settings make Avernum different from any RPG out there.
* Experience with previous Avernum games is completely unnecessary to enjoy Avernum 6.

What the fuck, he keeps copypasting the feature list.
Also, the fuck's with the requirements? Back in the day, Fallout Tactics needed less than a quarter of that and looked about 5 times better.

 

[Shannow]

*sigh* he still reuses the same crappy PC graphics. If he's short on money to hire someone to make new ones, he could've asked the community. I remember that the SW boards held quite a few talented guys who'd probably happily do this for free.

Can't speak for him, but I'd feel bad selling something others gave me for free. I'd simply make it possible to import your own portraits BG-style. I wouldn't be selling other people's art and my customers could customize the game to their wants.

 

[karnot]

If you look closely you might notice the clever use of normal mapping.

Uh...what ? Nor...what ??? Normal mapping ? Are you serious ? With that scale ? In a game with fixed camera ?

Not only i dont see it, but i have no idea why anyone would want to use it in such projects.

 

[thesheeep]

Epic irony fail (either by me or karnot).

But this really is teh first of his games where the graphics are not a complete no-go for me.

 

[Monolith]

If you look closely you might notice the clever use of normal mapping.

Uh...what ? Nor...what ??? Normal mapping ? Are you serious ? With that scale ? In a game with fixed camera ?

Not only i dont see it, but i have no idea why anyone would want to use it in such projects.

You DO know what normal mapping is, right? Honestly, look again, is so obvious.

 

[JarlFrank]

Still looks like shit. I'll probably give it a try, I began to like his games, but that doesn't change the fact that they look like something that has been eaten, puked out, eaten again and finally shat out. I'm looking forward to him using a new engine for his next game, hopefully the graphics will be better. Right now they're merely tolerable.

 

[Monocause]

Still looks like shit. I'll probably give it a try, I began to like his games, but that doesn't change the fact that they look like something that has been eaten, puked out, eaten again and finally shat out. I'm looking forward to him using a new engine for his next game, hopefully the graphics will be better. Right now they're merely tolerable.

You really think it looks bad? I loved the Nethergate engine on which Av's 1-3 and blades were based. Just so that Jeff later Geneforgised Avernum, which was a downgrade in terms of graphics.

http://www.qweas.com/downloads/games/ot ... rnum-4.jpg

Take a look at this. Notice worse lightning, no elevations. And the horrible, horrible looking interface, with lots of unused space. The character sprites were also much worse. Av 5 looked better, but still bad.

http://rampantgames.com/blog/uploaded_i ... 777748.jpg

Tough luck. IIRC Jeff made the change because the Nethergate engine was getting really outdated, more difficult to script and modify etc. It's good that, seeing Av6, the change finally paid off aesthetically, just too bad that it's the last game in the series :evil:

 

[JarlFrank]

The screenshot you posted looks better than, say, Avernum 5, yes. But I still don't find the graphics aesthetically pleasing at all. It's not because it looks amateurish, it's because some of it is just plain ugly and some of the textures have weird colors that are unpleasing to the eye. I like Vogel's games for what they are, but the graphics are ugly. Still better than Oblivion though.

 

[ElectricOtter]

You really think it looks bad? I loved the Nethergate engine on which Av's 1-3 and blades were based. Just so that Jeff later Geneforgised Avernum, which was a downgrade in terms of graphics.

http://www.qweas.com/downloads/games/ot ... rnum-4.jpg

Take a look at this. Notice worse lightning, no elevations. And the horrible, horrible looking interface, with lots of unused space. The character sprites were also much worse. Av 5 looked better, but still bad.

http://rampantgames.com/blog/uploaded_i ... 777748.jpg

Tough luck. IIRC Jeff made the change because the Nethergate engine was getting really outdated, more difficult to script and modify etc. It's good that, seeing Av6, the change finally paid off aesthetically, just too bad that it's the last game in the series :evil:

Yeah, I remember Nethergate. Fuckin' awesome.

Avernum 2 will always be the best game in the series for me, but when did the codex turn graphics whores? Sure, they look like shit, but some of his games were awesome dungeon romps.

 

[Data4]

You really think it looks bad? I loved the Nethergate engine on which Av's 1-3 and blades were based. Just so that Jeff later Geneforgised Avernum, which was a downgrade in terms of graphics.

http://www.qweas.com/downloads/games/ot ... rnum-4.jpg

Take a look at this. Notice worse lightning, no elevations. And the horrible, horrible looking interface, with lots of unused space. The character sprites were also much worse. Av 5 looked better, but still bad.

http://rampantgames.com/blog/uploaded_i ... 777748.jpg

Tough luck. IIRC Jeff made the change because the Nethergate engine was getting really outdated, more difficult to script and modify etc. It's good that, seeing Av6, the change finally paid off aesthetically, just too bad that it's the last game in the series :evil:

Yeah, I remember Nethergate. Fuckin' awesome.

Avernum 2 will always be the best game in the series for me, but when did the codex turn graphics whores? Sure, they look like shit, but some of his games were awesome dungeon romps.

I've never played any of the Avernum games, but I'm going to assume they're decent gameplay-wise. I think once the merits of decent gameplay are established, the graphics become open to debate. Shiny graphics are only a problem when they take priority over the gameplay.

 

[Trash]

The Avernum games are real fun turn-based dungeon crawlers set in an enormous underground cavern filled with all sorts of interesting things. The graphics are perfectly functional.

 

[MetalCraze]

Graphics looks ok. Except for the game having fucking furries with a shitty art for them - no thanks.

 

[Lord Rocket]

The problem with Avernum's graphics isn't the engine or the UI or any of that shit, it's the awful, amateurish character portraits. Jeez, just look at that Garth fucker in the Avernum... 3?... screenshot Monocause posted.

 

[Micmu]

The Avernum games are real fun turn-based dungeon crawlers set in an enormous underground cavern filled with all sorts of interesting things. The graphics are perfectly functional.

Indeed!

It's pretty sad to see a thread full of bitching about graphics and posts beginning with "It looks like...". Another horrid display of "the decline". Jesus, just like at those IGN sites.

:spits: