Spiderweb software is an indie game company and one of the very first - they have been making indie games since 1994!
They focus on RPG games using their very special isometric view engine. The game has very primitive graphics and sounds, and focuses very heavily on the gameplay and storytelling aspect
Each of the games has well over 20++ hours of gameplay in it , and an EXTREMELY loyal set of fans.
You have been banished to the underworld, never to see the light of day again.
The surface is ruled by the cruel Emperor Hawthorne, master of the Empire. All of the known lands are subject to his brutal command. Everyone who speaks out, who misbehaves, who doesn’t fit in is cast into the dark, volcanic pits of Avernum, far below the surface. There, you are expected to die, a victim of starvation, horrible monsters, or simple despair.
But not all of the Avernites have surrendered. With magic and steel, they are forging a new nation deep underground. You can join them and fight for safety. Or freedom. Or even, if you dare, revenge on the surface-worlders who tried to destroy you.
Their main series, the exile/avernum series is a fantasy story set in a world with magic/dragons/ogres etc. The story goes that the Empire (rulers of the land) discovered a set of underground caves, full of baddies and monsters. The empire is massively corrupt, and they started using these caves as a prison where they would send anyone and everyone into whom they didn't like for almost any reason
These caves are called avernum - people on the surface have no idea what goes on down there, it's dark and full of monsters. Somehow the people who were being teleported into these caves created a whole civilisation
In the first avernum, escape from the pit, you play a band of adventurers who have just been sent into avernum. There are various story quests (which i wont spoil!) but it's an absolutely fantastic story
edit: One thing, this guy doesn't know how to level up his characters lol - theres a MAGIC tab where you can use to level up magic stuff, don't give melee weapons to your priests/sorcs!
Also, as a general guide to making your characters, don't make jack of all trades, try to focus on one statpoint only, and focus on one set of weapons/spells per character (dual wielding, pole weapons, bows, mage spells, priest spells etc.) - This is pretty much enough to guide you through so you don't screw up your character, specialising is important! ----
One of the hallmarks of Spiderweb games is that you can play their demos for free! Their demo usually covers the first few 4-5 hours of gameplay and they are GREAT ways to try out the game and see if you like it
The storytelling and RPG aspect of the games are absolutely incredible.
The Exile series was the origional series they created, followed by the avernum series which is the EXACT same plot as exile, but with a much newer and updated engine And you know what, the game has SO much replayability i've played all of them!
In fact, the gameplay and storytelling is so incredible and has so much replay value, they have made the game AGAIN - they are remaking avernum escape from the pit, the first episode of the avernum series (imho, the best story of the lot)
Since the old avernum (and exile series) has a very outdated engine and barely runs on windows 7, it's amazing that they have made the game again, since i really wanted to play it!
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I absolutely recommend everyone to at least try out the demo for avernum escape from the pit (their newest game).
PLEASE do not be put off by the graphics and sounds. This is a massive tribute to old style RPG's which focus on gameplay and story instead of flashy graphics and music. Just give the demo a go!
Also if you like avernum, be sure to try out their geneforge series also! I personally prefer avernum since the story is much better but geneforge has the really cool aspect of the whole creation system (lol pokemon)
Last edit: 2012-06-12 19:07:28
Telcontar United Kingdom. June 12 2012 19:14. Posts 15880
Ahh, good old Spiderweb. I can still remember playing Exiled 3: Ruined World for like 12 hours straight when I was a kid. I kind of forgot about them, but it's nice to hear they're still up and about. I might check the new title out. Thanks!
Oh wait, so this new Avernum is the reboot of the first Avernum, which is the reboot of the original Exiled? -_- I wish they came up with something new.
Last edit: 2012-06-12 19:49:05
Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta.
The Geneforge series is better than the Exile/Avernum one. Lots of different routes in which to interact with the world, many of different endings etc.
I stopped playing Avernum: Escape from the Pit because the difficulty levels are seriously screwed up. I was playing in the next difficulty level after the default one (forget the name), and everything I should be doing story-wise just kicked my ass even after I'd spent hours grinding weaker mobs to level up. Sliths were absurdly strong.
I might start over some day in Normal difficulty... highly recommend others to do the same if they plan to play Avernum: Escape from the Pit.
Last edit: 2012-06-12 23:43:26
Ranking of SC2 Matchups by how fun they are to watch: ZvP 10/10 | PvT 8/10 | PvP 7/10 | TvZ 5/10 | TvT 4/10 | ZvZ 1/10
BrTarolg United Kingdom. June 13 2012 00:14. Posts 2498
On June 12 2012 23:23 JohannesH wrote: The Geneforge series is better than the Exile/Avernum one. Lots of different routes in which to interact with the world, many of different endings etc.
I think mechanically the game is a lot better, though the story aspect isn't as good as the avernum series (especially the first trilogy, the second trilogy is a bit weak imho)
Yeah this game isn't easy, it's a hard game! Some good tips would be to spend time in areas you can beat - avoid the sliths for a while, i wouldn't be engaging them until you start exploring most of the great cave
Theres plenty of nephils, spiders, bats, bandits and other goodies (undead also) before you should go after the sliths
defenestrate United States. June 13 2012 04:20. Posts 574
Geneforge is one of the best RPG series I've ever played. In terms of writing and enjoyability of combat, it's easily better than Baldur's Gate and almost as good as the first two Fallouts. Best twenty bucks (entire series on Steam) I've ever spent on games.
We believe that we invent symbols. The truth is that they invent us; we are their creatures, shaped by their hard, defining edges.
On June 13 2012 00:14 BrTarolg wrote: Theres plenty of nephils, spiders, bats, bandits and other goodies (undead also) before you should go after the sliths
There were none of those easy pickings left for me before sliths; it was either sliths, or tower of the magi to the south, or aranea to the north for me. Everything up to that point I had already cleared, and all of those next challenges were impossibly hard for my party. At that point I started grinding for exp, but three levels later I was still no match for any of them.
Then when I tried reducing the difficulty level to the standard one, I tore through the sliths trivially, as I was clearly overlevelled for them... which is why I said the difficulty levels are seriously screwed up. If the step from one difficulty level to the next goes from "you win every fight easily on the first try" to "need to grind weaker enemies for 10 hours before you're powerful enough to even attempt the fights", then whoever tweaked the difficulty level modifiers did a piss-poor job...
Ranking of SC2 Matchups by how fun they are to watch: ZvP 10/10 | PvT 8/10 | PvP 7/10 | TvZ 5/10 | TvT 4/10 | ZvZ 1/10
BrTarolg United Kingdom. June 13 2012 15:08. Posts 2498
Oh yeah it's generally advised you don't do any of the higher difficulties unless you are EXTREMELY experienced at the game
To beat the higher difficulties although you need a bit of grinding, you need a lot more experience in battle tactics and character creation in order to win every fight
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Btw defenestrate, which of the geneforge games do you think is the best? I kind of wanna play geneforge again but not sure which one i wanna pick up. I beat the first one and played half of 2 and 3
QuanticHawk United States. June 13 2012 23:29. Posts 21515
I got the Avalon demo for my Xoom, looks interesting. Will play it when I get enough time. Also got Avernum demo for PC, but it will need to wait until I finish GoT rpg and Max payne 3. It also looks interesting. I love party based rpg games with tactical combat.
defenestrate United States. June 15 2012 00:46. Posts 574
On June 13 2012 15:08 BrTarolg wrote: Btw defenestrate, which of the geneforge games do you think is the best? I kind of wanna play geneforge again but not sure which one i wanna pick up. I beat the first one and played half of 2 and 3
2>=1>5>4>>>3, assuming you play them in order. I played a solo Shaper-supremacist agent all the way through (except 2, where I was a solo Barzite guardian). 1 and 2 are by far the best written. The last two are more polished (weight restrictions on worn gear only, better graphics engine, greater variety of foes) and have a grand scope of conflict, showing the true colors of the respective factions under great pressure. 3 is a pretty good game in its own right, but the writing is a lot weaker.
If you play 2 again, I recommend Barzahl's faction. His was the most gratifying game ending I had ever experienced.
Last edit: 2012-06-15 00:47:08
We believe that we invent symbols. The truth is that they invent us; we are their creatures, shaped by their hard, defining edges.
BrTarolg United Kingdom. June 16 2012 01:13. Posts 2498
On June 13 2012 23:29 Hawk wrote: I wish I could get the original Exile series to work on my computer. I love that art style and music way more than the Avernum ones.
The third is the best by far. I never cared much for 4-6. For some reason, 4 drags my computer to its knees. 5 and 6 are fine though.
Ah man exile 3 is absolutely fantastic and is the one that got me to fall in love with the game. I love all the little quirks it had to it and the element of "overpoweredness" and "secret tricks" you could do haha
Also, capture soul was such a boss spell if you ever get it to work on some of the better enemies haha. Spellcasting in that game was so much fun
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I'm trying g5 atm, simply because it's the latest one. Seems interesting but doesn't quite capture me with the story like the avernum/exile series did
I do admit, avernum 4-6 arn't quite as good as a1-3 so the fact theya re remaking the first one is a real treat for me :D
I started on Exile 2. One of my favourite games of all time. Beat all the Exiles, Avernums 1-3, and Geneforge 1.... I should really start playing again
The Exile series has one of the best stories I've ever read in any form of anything. It's depth is truly amazing.
Last edit: 2012-06-16 01:25:04
Bug Fixes Fixed an issue where, when facing a SlayerS terran, completing a hatchery would cause a medivac and 8 marines to randomly spawn nearby and attack it.
-Archangel- Croatia. June 19 2012 22:33. Posts 3662
I started playing Avernum: Escape from the Pit and it is awesome. Just the kind of RPG I want. I am having more fun then with Mass Effect games. All the graphics and voice over cannot help if the base game is not good enough. That being said, I could still enjoy these games more if they had better graphics and a bit more complex combat system.
Also people that enjoy these games, you might look into Knights of the Chalice, indy D&D party based turn based RPG. A really fun game.
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