My recent addiction to shrapnel games.

[Beorne]

Originally posted by Cainehill:
Spiderweb Software (www.spiderwebsoftware.com) is a very well regarded indie - about 10 games, I think mostly turn-based, multi characters RPGs.

After long time playing Japan RPG on PS I'd like to buy an RPG on PC. Being a DOM2 addicted, is very important for me the advice of other DOM2 loving palyers.
I've through the "What other games do you play" thread to make some ideas about good rpg, and the usual popular titles are coming out: NWN, Morr, BG, Diablo etc. Surely very good products with some good points and some flaws each. Surely products with money on great graphics and marketing.
But I'm not a high quality graphics fan, apart JRPG I played and loved NetHack, Adom, Dom2, SEIVG etc. I love depth.
So, can you tell me if the SpiderWeb rpg have more depth than the cited classics? Is the comparing a no mathc like Dom2 vs AoW (a pretty game suddenly becoming a mediocre product after you put hands on the unknown Dom2)

Thank you

[Karacan]

Spiderweb published the Avernum series (formerly known as Exile), and Avernum III is a really, really good game that feels very open ended due to the huge world. The storyline is also pretty good, and the game gets fiendishly difficult but very interesting towards the end.

I also really like the "do as thou wilt" way of character development in Spiderweb rpgs, and the way that in battle, tactics are much more important than dicing luck, especially in dungeons and similar places.

However, the graphics are outdated and the interface takes some time to become second nature, but maybe that's just me.

[Cainehill]

Originally posted by Beorne:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cainehill:
Spiderweb Software (www.spiderwebsoftware.com) is a very well regarded indie - about 10 games, I think mostly turn-based, multi characters RPGs.

After long time playing Japan RPG on PS I'd like to buy an RPG on PC. Being a DOM2 addicted, is very important for me the advice of other DOM2 loving palyers.
I've through the "What other games do you play" thread to make some ideas about good rpg, and the usual popular titles are coming out: NWN, Morr, BG, Diablo etc. Surely very good products with some good points and some flaws each. Surely products with money on great graphics and marketing.
But I'm not a high quality graphics fan, apart JRPG I played and loved NetHack, Adom, Dom2, SEIVG etc. I love depth.
So, can you tell me if the SpiderWeb rpg have more depth than the cited classics? Is the comparing a no mathc like Dom2 vs AoW (a pretty game suddenly becoming a mediocre product after you put hands on the unknown Dom2)

---

The Spiderweb RPGs tend to have some real RP in them, unlike, say, Diablo2 (which I confess I've played thousands of hours of). Different factions, plot lines, quests that actually make a difference.

Definately better in terms of depth than MorrowWind, the original Baldur's Gate, and the like. But you don't need to try too hard for people's opinions with these ones - just download one of the demos and give it a spin. The demos aren't crippleware - 1/3 to 1/2 the game is right there to play, no turn limits, no magic research limits.

They're no graphical wonderland, albeit I think the later ones especially have serviceable art, but - without fancy graphics, the guy has made a living doing indie RPGs for ten years or so.

But give 'em a try - I had my issues with the early ones, in particular inventory management could be a pain. Everyone has different pain thresholds for things like that though, and the later ones may have improved the UI.

(Oh - while I never finished them ( the only RPG I can recall finishing was Wizardry 1 and Bard's Tale 1 ), Baldur's Gate 2 and even more so, Planescape Torment were, imo, pretty damn good RPGs given the handicap of using the AD&D rules.)

[fahdiz]

Originally posted by Arryn:
Korsun Pocket is good. Be warned that Pacific War is by the same developer as Uncommon Valor, and appears to use the same engine. (The engine's okay; the developer isn't. IMO.)

WitP is the best PTO sim I've played, actually.

[Arryn]

Originally posted by fahdiz:
WitP is the best PTO sim I've played, actually.

Considering how few PTO sims there are, that isn't saying anything of significance. If MOO3 were the only space 4X game in existence it would still suck, even if one could say (biting one's tongue) that it was (by default only) the "best" space 4X. Ugh.

[fahdiz]

Originally posted by Arryn:

quote:

---

Originally posted by fahdiz:
WitP is the best PTO sim I've played, actually.

Considering how few PTO sims there are, that isn't saying anything of significance. If MOO3 were the only space 4X game in existence it would still suck, even if one could say (biting one's tongue) that it was (by default only) the "best" space 4X. Ugh.

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Heh. What I mean to say is that not only is it the best PTO sim I've played, it is also a deeply enjoyable game.

[PvK]

I'd definitely recommend trying demos of Spiderweb's games to see if you like them. I haven't tried BG2 yet, but I have seen Diablo and Morrowind and would say they are all different genres and have different strengths, but Avernum III had some very good stuff that I liked a lot better than Diablo and Morrowind. The comparison was a bit like Dominions vs. AOW in that the combat system seemed much more sensible and tactics-oriented, and I liked the details and freedom of action and potential to do different things. The character dialogs are not like many CRPGs where you are just reading a bunch of dialog and have no real choices to make. In Avernum, your choices of what to say and ask often had effects on what happened, who your allies were, events and so on.

PvK

[Boron]

i would try steel panthers waw from matrix games it is freeware and the nicest ww 2 turn based game i know .
i would further try steel panthers mbt and steel panthers ww2 both freeware too and they can now be found here on the shrapnelsite .

[Reanimator]

I would recommend galactic civilizations as well. (www.galciv.com) Its a lot simpler than se4 (you can only play as the humans, though how you want to make those humans, pacifists, techies, or war gods is all up to you) but the ai for the other races and the game world are very very well done.

[Thilock_Dominus]

I would recommend you to try: Ishar I + II + III. They are old dos games so you have to run dosbots or alike if you are on XP. I's used many hours on them when they came out
I think the company behind it is called 'Silirias' or something, dunno if they exist anymore.


best regards
Thilock