Spiderweb Avernum 4: Greed and Glory - Jeff Vogel returns to the Avernum remakes

[Infinitron]

I guess this means that Queen's Wish is dead.

 

[GaelicVigil]

If anyone is interested, I've uploaded Exile 1 & 2. It's already ready to run in modern Windows and includes the older sprites.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/qcytei3cdkhw2f2/Exile1_2.rar/file

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

DAMN IT VOGEL YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GIVE US A GENEFORGE 3 REMAKE

That'll be after this one.

Nah. At least, his initial plan was to do Queen's Wish 3 after A4. And only after that -- G3.

Infinitron

:

Vogel explicitly says in his AMA first post:

Over the next two years, we want to finish the Queen’s Wish series and remaster Avernum 4.

 

[Infinitron]

DAMN IT VOGEL YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GIVE US A GENEFORGE 3 REMAKE

That'll be after this one.

Nah. At least, his initial plan was to do Queen's Wish 3 after A4. And only after that -- G3.

Infinitron

:

Vogel explicitly says in his AMA first post:

Over the next two years, we want to finish the Queen’s Wish series and remaster Avernum 4.

Six months ago. We'll see.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4206901

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter Week One Update!​

Greetings, supporters! It's time for the first update of how things are going. The first of many, because we're making the game!

Our Kickstarter funded a few hours after it started, and it made its first stretch goal soon after that. We're going to spend the next year making Avernum 4: Greed and Glory, and we will be adding a new, long storyline. When the Kickstarter is done, we'll ask backers for things they would like to see in it.

We're pretty optimistic about reaching the next stretch goal: Adding a new, randomly-generated arena mode. We've never made something like that before, and we're excited about it. After 30 years, we so rarely get a chance to try something new.

None of the reward tiers have sold out, so we still have plenty to sell. We're excited to see how things go from here, and we still have plenty of plans for getting the word out. In the meantime, we will be writing the game. It's a big one, and there is so much to do.

Thank you again for your support! Back to work, and you’ll hear from us next week.

- Jeff Vogel

Freezing solid a few goblins loitering outside your fort. Ground effects are one of many abilities we've added that weren't present in Avernum 4.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4214808

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter Week Two Update!​

Greetings, kind supporters! The Kickstarter is half over, and, just a few minutes ago, we hit our second Stretch Goal. Thank you!

This stretch goal is something I’ve been half-thinking about for quite some time. There will be a randomly-generated arena mode. (For those familiar with the world, it will be in the Abyss.) You will have to fight through a series of battles, each using a different set of game mechanics. Each trial you pass unlocks a reward and another trial. There will be Achievements for it. You can go through trials until you fail, and that's when you know how strong your group is. I’m looking forward to making this!

As the Kickstarter runs, we are still writing Avernum 4: Greed and Glory. We hit a big milestone today: We finished the first city and the first dungeon, done and fully playable. This traditionally is the point when we switch from making an engine to writing a game, and it’s always a huge step. We added a ton of dialog and story, and several new encounters. Those who played the original game will immediately see a lot of changes, and we’re really happy about them.

Two weeks to go, and we’ll keep trying to get the word out. Thank you again, and you’ll hear more soon!

- Jeff Vogel

We are adding lots of new characters and expanding the lore, dialogue, and story. It's a great deal of fun to make up new stuff in Avernum after all these years away.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4220167

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter Week Three Update!​

Greetings, backers! Our Kickstarter is down to only one week. The stress is almost over, and soon we can take a long nap.

We have made the first two Stretch Goals. Alas, we probably won’t make the third. Most of the big ticket support levels are sold out. We are still very happy with how things have gone, and we will look into ways to get more human art created in an affordable way. Of course, we might also have a great sales week. (You never can tell.) Again, thank you all so much for believing in us.

We are still pushing the PR. For example, we just did a podcast interview for Andrew Pappas at RenGen Marketing. I say a bunch about current games, Avernum 4, and the tough state the game industry is in. Thanks for the visibility!

We are still working on Avernum 4: Greed and Glory, but we’re taking a quick break to update some of our older games. When the Kickstarter is done, we want no distractions keeping us away from the new title.

That’s all for now. You’ll hear from us in a week, with final numbers and news about where we go from here!

- Jeff Vogel

This shot is from when we were testing out more powerful creatures and ground effects. In the original Avernum 4, you couldn't make the battlefield a hellscape of ice and lava. Now you can!

 

[HoboForEternity]

4 is the worst avernum IMO, i hope jeff still has the juice to make it interesting

 

[Modron]

4 is the worst avernum IMO, i hope jeff still has the juice to make it interesting

Haven't played them but I also haven't heard anyone complain about the new areas in G1/G2 remakes so I wouldn't rule out Vogel being able to spruce it up a bit. Crispy how was the added content in the Geneforge Remakes?

 

[Crispy]

@Crispy how was the added content in the Geneforge Remakes?

Can't really comment because I never played any of the originals.

 

[Modron]

I did notice there were some new areas in even just the demo of Geneforge 2, wonder how many he added.

 

[Agesilaus]

4 is the worst avernum IMO, i hope jeff still has the juice to make it interesting

Haven't played them but I also haven't heard anyone complain about the new areas in G1/G2 remakes so I wouldn't rule out Vogel being able to spruce it up a bit. Crispy how was the added content in the Geneforge Remakes?

I reckon he did a good job. Added a magical peacock and a plant monster, new abilities for the guardian class, decent quests (peacock maze in g1, expanded sholai quests in g2, some other stuff I forgot), bretty good.

 

[Arvennios]

The Kickstarter campaign was a success, the 2nd best to date, with all stretch goals reached.

 

[Infinitron]

US$ 91,424
pledged of US$ 30,000 goal
1,503
backers

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4226379

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter ... We're Making a Game!​

The Kickstarter for Avernum 4: Greed and Glory is done, and it was a huge success! It funded right away. We reached two stretch goals and almost reached a third. We are hugely grateful for all your trust and support, and we’re ready to make a great game.

This is a good time to make sure email updates from Kickstarter don’t end up in your spam filter. We’ll be sending out regular messages, some of which will ask for your feedback and ideas. Watch out for them, especially if you backed at a high level where you’re adding content to the game.

Stretch Goals

We reached two stretch goals. We will be adding a whole new storyline with several new zones. In a few weeks, we’ll ask for requests for things you would like to see in it. This is a great chance to let us know about some Avernum lore you’d like to see expanded.

We will also be adding a challenge arena zone. This will create short, intense, randomized adventures. The more you do, the harder they get. (And the better the rewards are.) We wanted players to have a chance to measure just how tough their party is!

We didn’t make the New Human Art goal, but we got very close. Close enough that we’re looking into options for getting some nice new human art. This is long overdue, and we'll see what we can do.

High Level Backers

We are creating a design guide for Avernum 4: Greed and Glory, full of information about the setting and the new storyline. If you backed at a high level and are contributing content, it is very important to watch for and read these messages. We will be sending you a link to the design guide in about a month, and we want to get as many submissions as possible by February, 2025.

When you get the guide, please try not to procrastinate. The earlier we get your designs, the better we can integrate them into the game. We can’t wait to see your ideas!

Now To Make a Game …

The engine for Avernum 4: Greed and Glory is almost done. Now begins the longest phase of development: Making the world. Remaking the dungeons. Editing and expanding the dialogue. Adding new quests and other material. It’s a lot of painstaking work, but we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t love it.

Thank you again for enabling us to continue our dream lives as humble toymakers, and we’ll do all we can to make a game that justifies your trust in us. Talk to you soon!

- Jeff Vogel

For a little extra fun, we finally implemented a proper lock-picking system. Another use for your Luck skill!

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4245557

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter, November Update #1​

Greetings from Spiderweb Software! The Kickstarter is done. The dust has settled. Serious development of Avernum 4: Greed and Glory is happening. We hope it’s ready in a year.

We’ll be sending out updates about Avernum 4 every other month or so. We’ll let you know how work is progressing and ask for your feedback. We’ll also let you know when we send out backer surveys and when to watch for rewards. If you ever notice that you haven’t heard from us for a while, be sure to check your spam filter.

Also, we're ready for your suggestions and ideas for designing the game. Let’s get to work!

What We Are Doing Right Now

We spent 6 months early this year on the Avernum 4: Greed and Glory engine. This included a huge reworking of the terrain art, polishing creatures and magic items, and programming in all of the new features. We still have a bunch of engine stuff to do, but the core is done and playable.

Most of the next 6-8 months will be redesigning the world. We are going through all of the sections of Avernum 4, usually at the rate of 2 per day, and spending hours polishing each one and adding content. In future update, we’ll go into more detail about how this works and what this involves.

So what are we doing? Grinding. Lots of grinding.

The New Quest Line

We will be adding a whole new quest line to Avernum 4: Greed and Glory. These new storylines tend to be big deals, taking place in new sections with new, fancy rewards. We have some ideas for what we want it to be, but it’s still a very vague idea.

As promised, we want to hear requests from the audience. A character you want to see more of? A storyline that wasn’t developed enough? A bit of the Avernum universe that needs more lore? We want to hear what you want.

Until the end of November, send your ideas and requests to avernumgame@gmail.com. We will read and consider all of your suggestions and work some of them into the new story!

High-End Backer Design Ideas

If you backed Avernum 4 at a high level where you get to add something to the game, thank you! We have sent out the instructions for how to add your contributions. The deadline is March 31, 2025, so it’s definitely time to start thinking.

If you never got a message, be sure to check your spam folder. If you still don’t find it, contact us at avernumgame@gmail.com or message us over Kickstarter.

Custom Hand-Drawn Art

If you backed Avernum 4 at the level where you get a custom portrait of a character, we have sent out the instructions for how to get it. No freelancer is available forever, so it is a very, very good idea to request your art as soon as possible. Check your email for more information. If you didn’t get it, contact us at the email address above.

Back To Work

And now we get back to work. We are but humble toymakers. Thanks again for your support, and we’ll have more to say soon!

- Jeff Vogel

This isn't a very interesting screenshot. Just a bridge checkpoint outside Fort Draco. However, if you look closely at the map, you'll see that I added a system to place marks. You can remind yourself where the really nice potion ingredient patches are!

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4275065

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter, December Update #2​

Greetings from Spiderweb Software! It's been a bit more than a month since the Kickstarter ended, and it's time for an update. We've been making good progress, and we have plenty of updates (and requests for feedback).

How the Game Is Going

We're about a quarter of the way through adapting the world. Or, at least, the base world, before we add tons of new quests and areas. We got many great suggestions and requests for characters and events to work into the new storyline. It's greatly appreciated, and we have listened.

As for the remastering, right now it's just a long period of grinding. Original Avernum 4 had 151 sections with content. We're going through them and redoing/expanding every element. We usually do 8 sections a week. Less if we do a city or other super-detailed section.

The simplest sections take a minimum of two and a half hours.

One hour goes to reworking the terrain. Avernum 4: Greed and Glory has around 5-6 times as many terrain types, and we're using them to make the world more detailed and lived-in. We're also giving each major area a distinct look.

The second hour goes to the stuff on the terrain. Creatures, dialogue, encounters, treasure, etc. This all gets expanded and polished. We try to add new stuff to find in every section. We rebalance the fights and shift them around so that irritating bits (like too many tiny fights) are removed and encounters are more fun. Every conversation has a few questions added to it, so that we can expand the lore of Avernum.

The final half hour is tweaking and testing.

Note that this is the theoretical minimum. Most sections actually take longer, because we add a new quest or encounter.

Once I've done that 151 times and spent a few weeks doing the all-new stuff, we'll have a game!

High-End Backer Design Ideas

If you backed Avernum 4 at a high level where you get to add something to the game, we sent a message with information about a month ago. We've gotten a surprisingly low number of designs. We urge backers to get us their ideas soon.

We know it's a busy time of year, but we really do want to start working your ideas in. Again, the reworking is already a quarter done. The sooner we get your ideas, the more freedom we have to put them into cool areas.

(And also, if you have an idea using a specific character or location, you don't want another creator to grab them for their idea first.)

If you never got a message, be sure to check your spam folder. If you still don’t find it, contact us at avernumgame@gmail.com or message us over Kickstarter.

Custom Hand-Drawn Art

If you backed Avernum 4 at the level where you get a custom portrait of a character, we have sent out the instructions for how to get it. If you can't find it, contact us at avernumgame@gmail.com. Please try to send your choice soon, while I'm sure the freelancers have time.

And that is what's been happening. Still shooting for a late 2025 release. Thanks again for your support, and you'll hear from us soon!

- Jeff Vogel

An ambush in the Eastern Gallery. We have added a lot of new cave graphics so that different areas have their own look. The map marking feature is working well. No new human art yet, but we're working on it.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4277751

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter, January Update #3​

Greetings from Spiderweb Software! The holidays are over. We slowed down for a bit and got a nice rest. Then we ramped up to full speed and continued work on Avernum 4: Greed and Glory. Here is the latest update …

Progress On the World

We are months into the process of reworking the original Avernum 4 game world, and we have plenty more months to go. For people familiar with the original game, we just finished our pass of the Eastern Gallery, the third major region in the game (with five to go). That makes us about 40% done with the first pass, before we add new material.

The Eastern Gallery was, honestly, not a great part of Avernum 4. It was infested with bugs called chitrachs. However, these were implemented in a pretty uninteresting way. Too many bugs, spread out so that fighting them was irritating, surrounded by little of interest. I must have been in a period of sustained burnout when I did this section originally.

I'm thrilled to have the chance to massively rework it. I've rearranged the bugs so they are easier to avoid and less annoying to fight. I’ve reworked the fights so they’re faster (and bloodier). Lastly,I’ve added a bunch of new material and characters to underdeveloped areas. I’m quite happy with how it has turned out so far. When I add even more new material, it will be better still.

I’ve also been playing the game a lot. The game system of Avernum 4: Greed and Glory is a mix of Avernum 3: Ruined World and the original Avernum 4. This means that it’s a new enough system to require a lot of playing and tweaking and polishing. The game is starting to feel fun.

Progress is going at a good pace. We’re still hoping to ship the game around October, 2025.

High-End Backer Design Ideas

The deadline for backer ideas is March 30, and that day fast approaches! If you backed Avernum 4 at a high level where you get to add something to the game, we emailed you with information about it at the beginning of November. If you never got a message, contact us at avernumgame@gmail.com or message us over Kickstarter. We’ll send you instructions right away.

We are starting to work your ideas in. The sooner we get your ideas, the more freedom we have to put them into cool areas. Once April starts, I will take the information I have from you and turn your idea into its glorious, playable final form.

New Human Art

We reached the final stretch goal for Avernum 4: Greed and Glory after the Kickstarter ended, and we are working on adding new human art now. We have a skilled artist working on designing new human models and animations. Progress is good. It will be a really cool, versatile system, and we’re very excited about it.

And that is where we’re at right now. You’ll hear from us again soon, and we hope you have a great year!

- Jeff Vogel

Testing out the magic circle test east of Formello. It's one of those multi-phase encounters that's great for figuring out if the balance is right. Are the fights too easy or hard? Just as importantly, are they too fast or too slow?

 

[sosmoflux]

I got baited into playing one of these some years ago
Climbed a well into a castle town or something
Was certainly something

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4320858

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter, February Update #4​

Greetings from Spiderweb Software! We are still making excellent progress on Avernum 4: Greed and Glory. An October release is the current plan. We have a few small updates and a nice piece of art to share with you!

The World Is Half Done

We just got halfway through remaking the old world, and we played a bunch of it to make sure the game works and is fun. (It does and is.) For fans of the original Avernum 4, we just finished the mad, paranoid city of Almaria, which is kind of the hinge for the whole game world and story.

The new Avernum 4 really feels a lot more like a real place. We have packed all the caves and passages with detail. Fungal forests. Hidden tunnels. Strange workshops. Wineries. Mines, active and abandoned. We added a lot of different sorts of terrain, and we're using them to create a fascinating, alien world to explore (and get lost in). Different regions get different looks, furniture, and flora.

I honestly think Avernum feels more like a real place now than ever.

Now that we know which areas feel more and less developed, we can start putting in user-made content. Which reminds me ...

The Deadline Approaches

If you backed at a level where you can add user-made content, remember that the deadline is the end of March. Happily, we have heard from most backers now. There's a still a lot of people at the less expensive levels who haven't chipped in, though.

What does the deadline mean? Most importantly, this is when we start actually implementing peoples' ideas. Right now, if you add details or make changes, we can handle that. Once your contribution has actually been written and tested, however, we become far less able to make changes. (I am very happy to code your quest once. I really don't want to do it twice.)

So if you sent the outline of something but forgot to add the details, consider doing that. If not, I will take your idea and do all I can to turn it into something people enjoy playing.

The Other Awards

We are working on all the other goodies for backers now. We usually get really serious about it about five months before release, so June or so. If you are waiting for merch, don't worry. It's happening.

New Avernum 4 Art

We're very happy to say that our long time collaborator Ben Resnick is working on Avernum 4. He's already made a great interface and logo. He has also made a detailed world map, attached to this update. More art is on the way, and we're always thrilled with what he makes.

I haven't said much about the new human art yet. That's because we were working on finding an artist and designing the new icons. Now we can say that Remos Turcuman, a skilled icon-maker who has been working with us for some years now, is completely redoing the human art. It's a modular system that will allow us to do a lot of really cool stuff.

We're really excited about the new system, and we hope to have something to show you soon. Thanks so much to everyone who supported us in making this new system.

And that's all for February. Back to work, and you'll hear more from us soon!

- Jeff Vogel

The world map for Avernum 4: Greed and Glory. In game, it will feature all major locations and quest destinations. It'll also show where you have placed custom map marks.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4372282

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter, April Update #5​

Greetings from Spiderweb Software! It has been a while since the last update. A lot of hard work has gone into the game, and it’s required a lot of concentration. We’ve finally found a moment to take a breath and give a status report before we dive in again.

Testing Has Started

The game world is about 2/3 adapted. For those familiar with original Avernum 4, we finished the Great Cave, which means we’re quite a ways in.

We’ve also put a lot of time into putting backer-created content into the game. Our backers submitted a lot of really elaborate, really cool encounters. I’m having fun putting them in and am very happy with the results, but it’s taking a lot of time. Happily, the result will be a world that feels far more fleshed out and full of cool stuff.

I also let the first wave of our elite volunteer alpha testing corps loose on the game. I’ve been giving them a new chunk of Avernum 4 to test each week. It’s been a slow, painstaking process, but bugs are being fixed and balance is being polished.

Finally, our freelancers are making piles of great art. The new human art system is close to the point where we can show some screenshots. We just need a few more icons.

Everything is still on schedule for an October release.

A Few Thoughts About Backer Content

Letting Kickstarter backers add quests, characters, and other content to the game is still one of the must successful experiments we’ve ever done.

I am pretty good at making game stories, though, as I age, I’m not as good as I once was at making weird, funny side stuff. I tend to really focus on elaborate main stories, get lost in those, and not have energy left to think of strange diversions.

That’s where you come in. The ideas we’ve gotten are really unique. They have led to long, involved quest lines that don’t have anything to do with epic heroics and huge battles. The new material has a lot of humor and variety, and it also helps to add lore and detail to the world.

My games should have involved adventures that provide a break from the main story. I haven’t been good at making those in the back half of my career. Now you can force me, and that’s awesome!

Kickstarter Rewards

We are working on the stickers, certificates, and other cool merch. The design for a Spider sticker is done and can be seen below. We will get test versions of the other stickers in a few days.

In 1-2 months, we will end late backing of the Kickstarter and send surveys asking where you want your rewards mailed. We’ll send an update warning you when to expect the surveys, so watch for that!

The new material is also being added to the game at a good clip. The new storyline is almost half done. Most backer content has been added. We think you’ll like it!

And that is where we are at right now. We’ll try to send out a new update as soon as we can show off the human art. Enjoy the Spring!

- Jeff Vogel

We have a bunch of great new art from Hungarian artist Gábor Szügyi. He has created a bunch of really cool new views of Avernum, some of which we will release as desktop art soon!

Soon, we will have all three stickers for backers completed. This is the first one, featuring our Official Mascot!

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/avernum-4-greed-and-glory/posts/4410043

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory Kickstarter, June Update #6​

Greetings from Spiderweb Software! Time for another update for the spring. We’ve made a lot of good progress on Avernum 4: Greed and Glory, and cool stuff is about to happen!

Testing Going Well, and the World Is Almost Done

The game world for Avernum 4: Greed and Glory should be done by the end of June. This will be a huge milestone, and I’m really looking forward to it. The original world of Avernum 4 was enormous, and making it was pretty exhausting. The new world is packed with more stuff. Tons of new quests, dialogue, dungeons, and lore. There are new, out of the way encounters and adventures stretching all over the place. The story now has lots of factions and choices, leading to some wild endings.

I’m really proud of how this game is working out. The world has gotten so big and complex that I can barely track all of it. I go back and look at early parts and the things I find surprise me. I want there to be enough stuff that any two players will have wildly different experiences.

As I've said, Avernum feels so much more like a real place now than it ever did before. The caves feel dense, complex, alien, and cool, but there’s a lot of light and fun and silly stuff too. For me, all the new elements are layering together to make a world that feels complex, and that’s what I’m always striving to do.

Testing is also going well. Our small, elite early test squad has sent hundreds of reports, helping me make the game clean and the balance tight. Whatever your preferred difficulty level, I’ll be able to show you a good time. I’m hoping the advance beta test for certain backers will start in 2 months or so.

Surveys Going Out Soon!

We are planning to send out your Kickstarter Surveys in the next week or two. Then your support and patience will be rewarded by the mailing of your certificates, stickers, art, and other goodies!

Please keep an eye on your email for your survey. If you haven’t seen it in 2 weeks, check your spam filter. We’ll send out a reminder about this next month so that we can help those whose surveys never arrived for whatever reason.

So that is the news … Development is going well! Below, you can see what some of the backer rewards will look like. There is also a new screenshot which shows some of the new human art. Enjoy, and you’ll hear more soon!

- Jeff Vogel

A battle with a demon in the tunnels under the Great Cave. If you look carefully, you can see some of the new human art. Custom equipment. More animations. It should be improving the look of our games for years to come.

A selected of the physical merch for backers. Surveys will be sent out soon!

 

[duskvile]

This is all fine but next Avernum 7 has to be made in Unreal 5. Vogel needs to step up in this industry.

 

[Tweed]

This is the one with the shadowlords, right?

 

[Fargus]

This is all fine but next Avernum 7 has to be made in Unreal 5. Vogel needs to step up in this industry.

If i remember correct, Vogel is done with new games and plans to focus on remasters.

No Geneforge 6 on UE5

 

[Agesilaus]

This is all fine but next Avernum 7 has to be made in Unreal 5. Vogel needs to step up in this industry.

If i remember correct, Vogel is done with new games and plans to focus on remasters.

No Geneforge 6 on UE5

Generally true, but I hear Nethergate 2 is being made as an apple exclusive (oculus/vr headset only)