Avadon 14: FIGHT!

Oh freakin' wow. I have just survived a major dungeon fight--SOLO!


Yes, I got abandoned in the dungeon. Couldn't take my shadowwalker and shaman. Just me. That's the plot of the game. And then I went the wrong way--even though there was a perfectly good warning that I'd get swarmed if I went that way. I tried to follow the directions, I just got it backwards.


And so I ran straight into the whole damned camp of bandits--and got swarmed.


Fortunately, I like these "Circle of Fire" scrolls. I've been saving them up. They do lots of nice damage, all going out in a circle from my character. I was completely surrounded, and I set off about four of those, which pretty much took care of the swarm. Also I had a goodly amount of assault crystals and battle crystals, and quite a few recharging items. 


Also, I used a couple of the zombies I've been carting around in a little bag (you get this bag of chilled bones. You can use it to generate zombies who will fight for you, or you might use them in a cold drink--such is the humor in Jeff's games).


The really exciting stuff, though, was when I kept running into more and more enemies. I still didn't realize I'd gone the wrong way. I actually defeated most of the camp--SOLO! Once I ran into the evil wizard I was down to only a few more scrolls, potions and crystals--but I got him. Somehow. He drains your magical abilities. It's really bad.


However, I survived. 


Now then. Did I remember to save the game between the swarm of enemies and the wizard? Of course not. I would have had to do the whole thing again if he'd killed me.


I supposed that means that this game indeed is easier than Jeff's previous efforts. Really, I shouldn't have been able to do all of that. I would never have been able to do it in an Avernum game (although fanatics do beat those games as singletons on the torment setting).


Now, all this was after completing the Titan Keep quest--which was super easy because you get a swarm of fighters on your side for once. Even fighting the bosses in the basement wasn't all that tough. Fun, but not really worrying.


This fight, though, was worrying. I was sure I'd never get out of it. If not for those Circle of Fire scrolls, I wouldn't have. Also, I put some points into my own healing, and got some regneration when I needed it most.


But then I decided to further explore the dungeon (after saving!) and found both the route I should have taken and an old drake. I suspect that's where I can find the drake's egg for the drake's egg quest. But she (it) got me. 


At least I had saved the game after all my bandit battles.


Whew.


And that's what makes these games so much fun. You do get immersed in them.


Now of course, the problem here is that I used up all that stuff that I'm probably going to need later. I have a couple of saved games from my encounter with the Mindtaker drake. I both killed him and let him go just to see which reward was better. If you let him go you get a great shield. If you kill him you get a great weapon. I went with the kill option, because I've already got some great shields and I don't need another one. Also, my sorceress is much happier if we kill the guy, because that's what she set out to do. 


However, I saved that game just before my dungeon fight. I think it would be prudent to go back and replay the whole thing to avoid the swarm, and go the way I'm supposed to go. I hate to use all those great Circle of Fire scrolls on just one fight, when you just know things are going to get more difficult.


Yeah, I think I'll do that.


However, wow. It was an exciting battle!


Update: Well phooey. It turned out that I'd done a massive amount of stuff since killing the mindtaker drake. Yeah, I could do it all again, but I think I'll just let it all stand instead.


So, I wiped out the bandit den singlehanded. I'll let that stand.


Up-update: Aha! I did save a game just as I was starting that quest. So I redid the fight. Yup, indeed, I was supposed to go the other way. I even advanced the plot a bit by doing it correctly. Also, I had the added advantage of knowing a bit more about how to fight the mage, so I got him more easily this time.


Also, I decided to try to just steal the drake egg (I was quite right about that) and not kill the poor old "withered" drake. I hasted and ran to the nest, grabbed the egg and tried to outrun the drake. Alas, however, she chased me all the way until I had to fight her. This time I killed her, and I feel badly about it, but she was, after all, only a computer avatar and not a real drake with emotions and stuff.


So I'm now back on the true plot of the game with plenty of good stuff intact, including my Circle of Fire scrolls.


Still, I have to say that I am rather proud to have wiped out almost the whole camp singlehandedly. Not bad!


(Memo: Steve Jobs died yesterday. Mourn. It's because of him that I've enjoyed 27 years of Apple products, including this computer. He changed the world.


What a massive waste. RIP Mr. Jobs. You earned it.


Here is perhaps the most accurate obit I've seen.)


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Avadon 13: Got the Bad Guy

So, despite the fact that Redbeard pardoned him, I went ahead and slaughtered the slaughterer of my tank's patrol. Good thing, too. Got some of the best armor in the game offa that guy. If I'd followed my usual peaceful instincts, I would have missed that.


Still haven't started the major quest of the day--the Titan Keep. Am cleaning up some of the minor quests. Also, I bought the expensive blessings from the Incantor at the Kellendrian castle. I mean, what else am I gonna spend my money on? She has an expensive "wizard's bow" too, and I'm saving up for that.


But I did manage to find my blademaster, and, moody though he is, I did his quest for him, which resulted in the aforementioned armor.


When you finally find the bad guy who ambushed my guy years ago, he produces a paper showing that Redbeard pardoned him. For once, I didn't go along with it. Hah.


I did do a stupid thing, though. A poor peasant had saved up to pay me for slaughtering some salamanders, but I did it for free. 


Sap.


I mean, it violated my philosophy of always stealing everything from the computer people, including the starving peasant computer people.


Sap.


Anyway, I think I'm pretty much ready to start the quest. After doing all that stuff I went back to the Avadon castle and did my housekeeping. I sorted out the good armor and placed it on my d00ds. I enhanced stuff. I sold stuff that's been cluttering up the inventory and that I'm never gonna use (such as good, but lesser amour and weapons). 


One thing that I kinda don't like about this game is that you have to go back to the home base to do all of that. In the Avernum games when you found the good stuff, all your guys were there and you could just equip the stuff on the spot.


And plus, I think I've figured out what is a bit less compelling about this game than about the Avenum games. There is no definitive overriding goal for the game, other than just playing and advancing and finishing it. Fun, sure, but what are we doing in this game? OK, there are multiple hints that something somewhere is causing problems for Avadon, and we'll find out what that is sometime, but it's too vague to provide a real goal in the game.


In the Avernum games, you knew what you were fighting. Either it was the Empire trying to wipe us all out, or the Vahnatai were attacking us, or something like that. We had real goals: destroy the Vahanati barriers, find the Orb of Thralni, find Demonslayer--that sort of thing. These quests took up weeks of playtime. Even in Nethergate, you knew what you were doing from the start: get the magical people to the Nethergate if you're playing as the Celts, or stop them if you're playing as the Romans. There was a purpose to everything.


This time we just keep going back to the same three areas with expanded quests. No doubt it'll all come together in the end, but so far I don't see an overall reason to do all of this, other than that we're "Hands" of Avadon and this it's our job. The fact that Avadon is the preeminent, looming, unopposable power in this world actually lessens the game's sense of danger. In Avernum, you knew that you were the lesser power, fighting one that easily could overwhelm you. Even when you played as Empire soldiers in Avernum V, you spent the whole game in an isolated, remote area where you could be beaten. 


It just doesn't appear that Avadon could lose.


It's still plenty of fun, but not as compelling. There just isn't enough of a plot, at least in comparison to Jeff's earlier games. I do appreciate, though, that we get to know our individual d00ds in this game. There were teensy hints about Sschah and the others in the Avernum games, but this time they have real personalities. That's a great improvement and certainly does add interest, but it doesn't overcome the lack of a dominating plotline.


Anyhoo, I now know for certain that I'm more than 60% through the game. I looked at the forum, and saw an entry that said when you get the lockpick satchel you're about 60% finished, and I got that early last night.


Also, finally I'm getting some named weapons. The Rod of the Sun, the Ivy-Covered Rod. The Blademaster armor. That kind of thing. Makes your d00ds much more powerful.


And power I will need if I'm going to tackle Redbeard! Also, that blue dragon.


But, it was satisfying to make the right decision last night, and get the goodies.


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Avadon 12: Re-start!

Oh dear, I took a week off to do nothing but my Kirkus books (I'm a full month ahead!) when I got a miserable cold. Luckily, Dad didn't get it. First time I've been sick in the eight years I've been doing this. 


However, as a result, I almost forgot how to fight in this game.


Went back to the wizard's lair to pick up a magical tome for the librarian. It was guarded by assorted demons. Got wiped out once and lost characters twice. At one point I was down to nobody but my sorceress, who's always vulnerable, but fortunately I'd already vanquished most of the demons I was fighting and the last one was almost dead. He kept fighting at two shots per round, though. Still, she got it with her trusty arrow. I had even forgotten to give her the "Wand of the Sun" that I won from the wizard. Luckily that's useless against demons (well, except for ice demons). So, silly me.


That just shows you that you need to keep momentum up in these games. Lots of what you do is almost muscle memory, even though this is all turn-based combat that can be left for hours between moves if necessary.


I went back to the dragon's lair in Kva and got that dungeon quest. Nope, it wasn't the crypt ghost, although I wiped him out rather easily this time, as I'm now at level 22. It really was the drake. Spiffy. I've got three drake skins now. One more and I can get two new pairs of pants.


So far I haven't started on my major quest for this segment of the game. I've still got some minor quests to clear up, so I think I'll do as many of those as possible. Then I have to go find my tank (blademaster). It seems that all of your friendly helpers go AWOL at some point in this game. I've retrieved the shaman, now my tank is missing.


I had contemplated going out with just my two vulnerable characters, my shaman and my sorceress, but I think they'd get wiped out. They've both got good range attacks, but they can't use them on every turn. You use up the spell energy and have to wait up to eight or so turns to use the spell again. That's a long time. I think you do need melee fighters hacking away in these fights. Heh. Maybe I should try it just for fun.


I wonder if you get all your fighters at once in the endgame. Apparently you get a choice to attack Redbeard or not. That would happen in the castle, where all of your characters live. So why not give us all of them! I betcha that's what happens.


Anyway, now I'm mostly healthy again, and I'm taking a few days off from Kirkus books. I do want to get the front room finally completely ready to paint--put down my dropcloths, finish taping and get the sockets off--but there will be time for Avadon!


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Avadon 11: Off to See the Wizard

Well he was hard to find, but I have vanquished the evil wizard. So he wasn't the endgame. Something else will be tougher.


Actually he really isn't all that tough if you realize what to do. Get him away from his summoned demon assistant and you can attack him. Sometimes. The tough bit is getting through all the imps and various hellish enemies that the demon summons. (That demon is really a great guy. Good humor. Be sure to talk with him after the battle. Ask him to talk about himself. Ha.)


Fortunately, I was strong enough to do it. And it did it with my shaman, too. Not the sorceress. See? If you give her enough dexterity points, she becomes quite useful. Really, she's good.


The main fun of getting the wizard is all the stuff you have to go through to find him. He has three, count 'em, three towers. You have to gain entrance to that area. And there is a whole lotta great loot! I've got so many good enhancements now that I don't know what to do with them all.


Also got a nice spider, the Widow of Bones, who frankly wasn't that tough. Got numerous demons along the way. Plenty of ghosts and ghasts. Looted the shaman-in-the-woods' bedroom. Well, she charges too much for her stuff.


So that was a long quest, but quite a good one. Nifty.


And yup, I've been sent back to the Kva for the third time. Strange. Jeff normally doesn't re-use areas like this. I assume he had to get the game out in record time, and it's a from-the-ground-up brand new game. So he's become efficient. It'll be very interesting to see what the sequel looks like!


However, the game really is going to have to wait for a bit. I want to get a good head start on my Kirkus books. So, later for Avadon!


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Avadon 10: Got 'Em!

Ok, the second time through wasn't that tough, and I even forgot to use my nifty assault crystal. Kept my sorceress back a bit so she could flee out of the entrance, just flinging spells from afar and she was mostly fine. She did get drawn into the room more than I would have liked, and got confused once when the pylons went off, but most of the time she fended even that off. Frankly, the confusion spell isn't much. Only lasts one turn.


There are some unfinished missions in that area as well, so it means we'll be going back there. 


Interesting that Jeff isn't using even close to the whole map. I'm now at level 20, which means that I'm more than halfway through the game. I've been to Kva twice already, with obviously at least one more mission there. I'm just being sent back to Kelvaria. I guess that Jeff just didn't have time to fill out the whole map with this from-the-ground-up new game. It's supposed to be the first of a trilogy. Apparently he'll be building on the thing with the next two games.


(I've read on the Spiderweb Forum that we max out at level 30 in this game, which is low. I've also read some complaints about that, saying that you hit level 30 quite a while before the end of the game, so maybe I'm only halfway finished. We'll see.)


I was able to grab another drake skin, and took that to the leatherworker in the Beraza Pits area. She made me a seriously nifty tunic. Found another skin later, went back and got the one I'd stored in my cabinet earlier and got another tunic for my second shadowwalker. Would love to get the leggings too, but we'll have to see just how many drake skins are in the game.


Wow, that cheat that adds sparkles to the hidden switches is wonderful. There is no way I would have found several switches without it. I would have been wandering around in the Beraza Pits forever without that cheat.


So I went back and found Jenell, my shaman. She had accumulated eight lovely points, and I shoved about half of them into dexterity for her. Now she's far more useful. She still misses, but not nearly as often, and she has a really nice ranged spell, earthquake, that takes a whole lot out of a lot of enemies. We had a battle against another shaman that wasn't too tough, but still was fun. Got some decent loot out of it.


So, now I'm back at the castle, ready for my next mission. I think I'll take my tank (blademaster) this time. He has some truly great bashing skills, and his missile attack is good too. I'm also building up to some decent skills with my main character.


Had to take a few days off for some rush Kirkus stuff (a rush book didn't arrive on time because of bad weather back east), but that's done. I do have to grind out a few more just to keep ahead of the game, and I have to start painting (finally!) my front room, so it may be a few days before I do much more with the game.


However, ya never know! Avadon calls!


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Avadon 9: Waiting for the Big Battle

Waiting 'cause I've already lost once. This one is a serious boss.


However, losing can help one prepare for the second try.


I have killed the five basilisks required by the beastmaster, along with varied spiders, rats, bats and wolves, and pretty much scoured out the two areas before the boss battle. I've collected plenty 'o loot, and have descended into the pit of magic.


There's a drake there. He does magic. He isn't nice.


Now, I know I can't just step up and massacre a drake, especially one that uses magic. However, I have learned that by forcing it to replenish it's "pets" when I damage them, it loses power.  Clearly, I have to last long enough to do enough damage that it becomes so weakened that I can kill it.


I'm frankly amazed at how long I lasted. My sorceress went down fast, of course, and I'm not sure it's worth it to try to sustain her. I mean, she's good, but she's easily damaged, and I need the healing stuff for my two shadowwalkers.


Confounding the issue is that you have to keep running from one side of the room to the other, or you'll become confused for a turn or two. Jeff loves this kind of puzzle. He lets two pylons glow red on one side of the room. You have time to move. If you don't move, you get hit by the pylon. However, I think I can stay mostly in the middle and be OK.


I've noticed that it's a waste of time to fight the various ghouls the drake throws your way. I need to damage the fighters instead, because that's what weakens the drake.


However, I've learned this stuff, and it's kinda late. I had lots of fun making my way into this lair--had a really nice demon to fight who kept sending imps my way. The only way to get him was to make my way to a certain spot where I could hit him with razordiscs. Otherwise the fight would have gone on all night. After I got him and cleared out the remaining imps, I figured out the puzzle to get in the portcullis. Not difficult, actually, especially if you know Jeff's games.


So, I've lost one battle with the drake, but I learned what I have to do. If I can keep both shadowwalkers alive I think I can get it next time.


Until then, it'll have to wait.


Sleepy times now.


Till tomorrow!


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Avadon 8: Boss Slaughtering

Even though I was rudely interrupted by the Great San Diego Blackout (which apparently, blacked out most of south Southern California and Baja), I managed to get a bad boss.


(I'm proud though. During the blackout, I cooked dinner for Dad over the gas fireplace, because we have an electric stove. Lightly sauteed salmon in butter. Also boiled up some peas. Worked great! One of the best dinners we've had in awhile, actually. Also shoved the milk into the freezer and saved that.)


First, I did try the game on "hard." Went upstairs in the library to dispatch some nasty skeletons and got slaughtered. OK. Turned it back down to "normal," which made a huge difference. I bagged the skeletons, and set off to the new area.


Traveled all over the castle, stole stuff, got the major quest set up, and off I went into the Beraza Woods. First, though, there are some nifty minor quests to complete. One of those turned out to be quite the quest!


In an abandoned farmhouse, we fight some rats. Easy peasy. Then, we go down. There we fight more rats. Then we go down again. More rats. Down again.


Once we get to the bottom layer we find the evil spirit that's infesting the area, and she is tricky. She got me twice before I wised up to her.


Problem is, she teleports anybody who directly attacks her far away down a twisty corridor and surrounds him with more ghosts to battle. I realized that I could get her with razordisks, fireballs, and a lovely wolf my sorceress conjured up. Wasn't easy, and I used up lotsa stuff to get her, but finally she expired. Whew!


And that was on normal. So I take it back about the game being too easy.


One thing I really like, and I've mentioned it before, is that your team members occasionally comment and we get lots of their personalities and backstories. This time I luckily decided to take my sorceress and my other shadowwalker. The sorceress is Kelendrian, and the shadowwalker is from an enemy land. He was quite nervous about being in this place.


Also, my shaman has disappeared, but I'm betting I'll meet up with her sometime soon. It'll be fun to see how many levels she's gained. Maybe I can up her dexterity so she won't miss so often.


Well, gotta publish this before the power gives up again!


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