And so, at last, I have managed to purchase the full copy of Avernum 2: Crystal Souls. Excess expenses have prevented me from spending the measly $20 for four months. Also, my precious Emerald Cat, the blog's official mascot, has passed away far too soon. I just stopped my life for a month when I found out she couldn't be saved, and spent every second I could with her.
It's been so long since I started this that I decided to just begin again. This time, however, there are no restrictions, no shareware demons, and I can buy boats. Also, with my purchase of the game from Spiderweb's own store (let's keep Jeff in business, shall we?) I got a Steam key for it. Nice touch!
I grabbed a couple of screenshots from the beginning of the game. When you get out of your original location and venture out into the wilderness, you find this nice graphic:
Click to embiggen
I started again with a human party and until I refinish the demo area, I'm playing on "casual." I've never done that before with a Spiderweb game, but hey, I did this whole area before on "normal" and I just want to get through it again and get on with the game. When I enter the area beyond the demo I'll switch back to "normal." I tried a human party on "hard" a month or so ago and found that it really was quite hard. Too hard, in fact, to really have fun. The casual setting is far too easy, of course. My enemies drop when I almost blow on them. Plus, I just ventured out (in my new boat that I couldn't get before) and found a swampy cave with what looked like a Titan in it, and after quite a battle, I slew the guy. I should never have been able to do that at this stage of the game. I can't even access his treasure, because I don't have the lock picking skills I ought to have at that point in the game.
So I'll go back to doing the game in the order I ought to be doing it in. I'm supposed to attack the Nephil fort, and I left it there.
And here's the game's description of what we'll find:
Click to embiggen
Why humans? I read on the Spiderweb Forum that for whatever reason, a full human party advances faster. That's never been the case before, but they say it's so. I originally started with two humans, a slith and a nephil. I always wanted to try one of the kitties because they're supposed to be superior archers. However, I really didn't notice much difference.
I stubbornly keep with my old party names and positions. These are the ones I started with in the original Avernum games from more than a decade ago (we're on the third iteration now), and I'm just used to them. So, Aldous remains my lead soldier--that hasn't changed in the new games. I have a rebel I've named Maximillian, just because the name popped into my head. And, I have Cordelia as a priest, because that's what she used to be, and Mycroft as my sorcerer bringing up the rear. Those, except for Max, are the original party members the original games gave you as a starter party. I like 'em, and I'm keeping them. (Of course, you can custom make your parties any way you like. I'm just used to accepting the nicely balanced parties the game starts with--hence, I've custom made my party into the original standard party.)
Tips for new players: as always in all adventures and RPGs, search everywhere and take everything that isn't nailed down, even from poor peasants (they are computer people; they are not real). Sadly, we can't close doors anymore to steal stuff, but there's plenty there to steal if you watch for characters to wander away. Many do. Always explore the entire perimeters of all towns in the game; Jeff always hides something there to pick up. Sometimes there will be enemies there too. Click on every barrel, crate, cabinet and door. Click on the intact coffins in tomb areas--these very often have nice goodies in them. Click on fireplaces and nests--you'll usually find loot. Click on piles of skulls. Most won't have anything but skulls in them, but Jeff likes to hide some really nice stuff in the occasional pile of skulls. Later we'll be on the lookout for little piles of "dirt," which often contain really nice items. Put everything of value (mouse over the item and the game will give you a value, or not) into your junk bag and sell it all, even crude daggers and vases are worth 20 coins and you'll get five for 'em. Of late, Spiderweb games have had far less available money than they used to have, so you'll need every coin. Spells, especially, are expensive.
Be sure to click on all dead bodies that you find. These almost always have loot, sometimes really major stuff. Careful, often you can't see them very well. Plus, Jeff likes to hide things behind walls that obscure your view. These walls become transparent if you stand in the right area, and you can find loot there. It isn't a mistake--it's part of the Spiderweb gameplay.
And come back to places with areas that you can't access when you get your skills up. There are always goodies in those places.
So I left my little party at the beginning of the Nephil fort. It'll be an easy fight, but I want to get going in this game, finally!
(And eventually I really will finish Baldur's Gate, if I can. If not, well, I'll want to replay it sometime anyway. For now though, I've waited long enough for Crystal Souls!)
Onward!
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