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JustJeff88 posted:I had the shareware version of Exile 3 as a lad and I never bought the full version, but even the demo was so substantial that I don't think that I ever even got to the point where I couldn't do anything else without plumping for the entire game. http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/productsOld.html
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Sep 18, 2016 04:01
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For those wondering, the overworld dimensions that we've covered so far - north/south and east/west are the same as Exile 1's overworld map, except turned 90'. 7x6 so far, rather than 6x7. And each map 'tile' is about 25% larger on each axis. We've covered more ground than there is in the whole of the first game. ((Also, this post should push the thread onto the next page for the update I'm currently working on.))
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Sep 18, 2016 04:04
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Parts Kit posted:If you are up for running a virtual machine or have an old computer with a 32 bit OS still around the games are free now. Oh, I know. I even found copies of Exile 1-3 that are wrapped to run natively in 64-bit OSs, but I honestly don't think that I can enjoy such archaic games anymore due to the clunky interfaces and so on. Also, berryjon's narrative LPs are so enjoyable that playing the same game with no party give-and-take or goofy lines from Sass or Ember would probably just seem boring to me.
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Sep 18, 2016 04:12
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JustJeff88 posted:Oh, I know. I even found copies of Exile 1-3 that are wrapped to run natively in 64-bit OSs,
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Sep 18, 2016 04:26
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http://www.old-games.com/search/?s=Exile Bottom of the page.
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Sep 18, 2016 04:36
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Update 36 – Lorelei (1) There's a lot going on in this update, so I had to split it into two. Then pad it out again so the two parts weren't too short. Not sorry at all!  “I suppose we should head north. If the geography of the region is any indication, that's about the only way left we have to go.” “We could go back and report to Anaximander.” “We could, but there's nothing to report yet. We haven't done anything. No, we go north.”  “Naturally, your 'north' is more a nor'easterly direction.”  “Well, we are a little ways west of their Castle.” Yeah, I'm dominating fights thanks to all the buffs and debuffs going around. Thanks for voting for a heavy magic party, everyone!  “Ooooh! Back door!” “Not back enough. That would be the tunnel connecting them to the Giants.” “And this particular... actually, what is this called? I mean, it's not a valley. It's more like a depression between the mountains to our right, and a smaller ridge to the left.” “Well, it's not a cuesta, and the mountains aren't steep enough to form palisades. To narrow to be a ravine or canyon. Valley it is!”   “Hold up!” “Well, no one said anything about being at peace with the Troglodytes.” “Charge?” “CHARGE!” “Come on, be a challenge!” Spoilers: They're not. You know, from the way their pictures and map icons are like, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Troglodytes of Exile are not the smaller lizard folk from D&D. “I'm going to have to agree with Sass. Valley.” “...” “Wait a moment...” “Even the Empire wouldn't do this. They would rebuild a town with materials if they had to, but to completely destroy it like this? It's a waste.”  “Hold on...”  “The rest of you stay back, and let me handle this.” “Hello there!” “Of course I would!” Nice source here for the mage-less party. Of which I am not. There's also Dust of Cleansing and Scrolls of Flame, Slow and Fireball if you scroll down. “And we finally loop back to the road north.” “Why are we going off the road again?” “Because our job is exploration?” “And we're back on the road.” What I did was I filled in my non-cheating map by following the mountains west then north from Castle Troglo. And even without the road, the geography does a really good job of getting you to go to Lorelei. “Huh. That's relevant.” “Anything I should know about?” “Nope.”  “Search away!”  “You're expected, by the way. I've sent a runner ahead.” “Is that good or bad?” “And what are you checking for?” “Both, sad to say. You'll be briefed when you get to Lorelei. And to answer the Nephil's question, there's a growing Skribbane problem that is coming off Bigail and headed our way. Rumors have it that Gale has it worse than us, and Lorelei is just a distribution point.” “Ugh, drugs.” “Thank you for your time.” “Even with everything else going on, there's still petty crime.” “And corruption. And major crime.”   “Calloc! We know where that is now!” "No, that says Malloc, not Calloc. “And we do have a couple leads to investigate in that direction.” “Yeah, but we're here now.” “Art, going straight into a problem?” “Well, we're still working on the same problem.”  “...” “Yeah, everyone, stick together. We'll go around town and talk to people as we come across them.”   And Lorelei is one of the densest towns in the game. I love it! It actually feels urban.  “She wasn't kidding. A lot of these rocks show impact stressors.” “And they're in small craters.” The streets of Lorelei are littered with rocks, a nice touch even if no attacks happen while you're in town.  “Looks like a nice place.”  “Why thank you.” You meet the keeper of this small, cramped inn. You notice his leg is in a cast. “I'm Winterhouse. Welcome to the Caring Cubbyhole inn. You'll have to excuse me for not standing to greet you.” He pats his leg cast. “Had a little accident. We have a nice room free. It's only 4 gold for the night.” “That must have been some accident.” “Yeah. Accidentally stepped under a thrown bolder. My fault for going outdoors.” While I love the fact that there are so many NPCs in this town, they all have short conversations. Winterhouse here is typical. They introduce themselves, then you can do business with them, and then they have 1-3 further pieces of conversation.  “Delilah, you're up.” And if you're not a member of the Anama?  “Hello.” You meet a priest of the Anama. He looks you over, nodding in approval at your rings. He's a tall, distinguished man, the sort to be not at all concerned with what other people thing of him or his beliefs. “I am Father Mundt. Welcome to this sanctuary, fellow follower.” “I am Delilah. Thank you for your hospitality. I must admit some confusion as to why we have a sanctuary here.” “Of course. I guard this sanctuary, a place of safety for those who share our beliefs.” “My job it to provide succour and rejuvenation for those of our beliefs who are passing through to more hostile lands.” “I doubt I am in need of those services, but so that I am informed, what are they?” “I can provide you healing at a very reasonable rate. Not free, I am afraid, as I must work to support myself in this city. In addition, I have alchemical herbs you can purchase. After all, alchemy is nature's great gift to us.” “I would like to see those, thank you.” I miss Greymold actually being rare. You know, when it was a major effort to find the damned stuff, and people weren't certain where to find it, even on the surface? “Again, I am confused as to why we would need something like this for our beliefs.” “Few believe as we do in these parts. Sometimes their reactions can be hostile. That is the reason for this protected sanctuary.” “Thank you Father. I will return should it be in our fates.” “You are welcome.” “Got to say, I like this park. Too bad it's walled off.” “Horses!” “We keep putting off buying them, you know.”  “PLEASE?” “...”  Because you wouldn't believe me if I said this guy was Fabio otherwise. “I am Lewis,” he says in a deep, manly voice. “Hello good sir. We saw your sign.” “I am a horseman, by trade. I breed and raise the mighty beasts.” A trickle of sweat trickles down his muscular chest as he speaks. “... Tell me about how you raise them, if you don't mind.” His chest heaves mightily. “It's been a difficult job. Unsafe to take the mighty beasts out, what with the giants.” “The Giants are a serious problem?” “You never know when a flying rock will cripple one of them. I've been keeping them inside for some time. Not good for them.” “You certainly do a good job of taking care of your mighty beasts.” “Yes, the mightiest and most noble of beasts. Deserving of mighty and noble owners much like yourselves. For 600 gold, I can outfit you with a group of sweaty chargers, even one for your large scaly friend there. A purchase you'll never regret.” “Horse!” “You don't even know how to ride!” “I think we can't put it off any longer. Pay the man, Matthias.” You pay him the 600 gold. "Thank you, mightily thewed warriors. You can take one of the horses in the stables. And treat them well! They're great beasts!" Considering who the party consists of, the idea of any of them being 'mightily thewed' is hilarious. “Oh great. Now someone has to teach Sass how to ride.” “Not it.” “I hate you all.”  When you get close, this warty beggarwoman kneels and extends her bowl. She's old and thin, and extremely brave to be out on the street like this. “Greetings, bold adventurers. It is an honor. My name is Deborah.” “Hello there. Why are you out and about?” She bows her head. “My farm was lost in a giant attack.” “Have the giants taken much from you?” “My farm, and my husband. Now I am reduced to begging while trying to regain a more respectable place. Could you please give me a few coins?” “We can spare a few coins.” You give her a few coins. She is beside herself with thanks. “And kind adventurers, I have advice in return!” “We are always willing to listen to advice.” “...” “Is Sass invisible, or what?”  “Seems like a narrow business. Well, let's see what's going on here” “You mean, aside from the secret room?” “Oh hush.” The woman behind the counter is busy repairing a chainmail gauntlet. As she works, she occasionally looks up at you with an amused expression. She acts as if she knows much that you don't. “Bronwyn.” “Kendra.” “Business?” “Oh, I deal with gloves. I love gloves. They're utterly fascinating.” You detect the subtle traces of facetiousness in her voice. I worked with a manager who used that word wrongly, thinking it meant smugly, or with arrogance. And when I corrected them, well, I didn't exactly help my case. So seeing it here is a nice reminder that what you say is just as important as how to say it.  “Just gloves?” “Yes. You can sell me goods. Any goods. From anywhere.” She winks. “Then you can purchase my fine, high quality gloves. You may have heard I have other goods. I sure don't. Just wonderful, protective, warm, snug, five-fingered gloves.” “Well, I know the sorts of goods you would purchase for your obviously fine gloves, but I don't have any on me right now. Perhaps I can see your wares in the mean time?” I hate gloves for armor as they all have at least 1 Encumbrance, and, true to old-school gaming paradigms, utterly wreck your ability to cast mage spells on top of that.  “This, this is a nice place.” “Shall we knock?” Oh, I have plans for this place. But for now, we'll have to leave it be. “Guess not. On with the self-guided tour!”  “Ah, best presentation time.” “Greetings.”  You meet an aging woman, whose hair is start to be shot through with iron bands of gray. She wears the mayor's sash of Lorelei, which seems to weigh her down as if it was made of lead. “I am Mayor Bruette. Welcome, adventurers.” “Hello again, Mayor. I am Art.” “I am the mayor of the fair city of Lorelei. I am currently charged with maintaining the city.” “Lorelei is a welcoming city, I will give it that much easy.” “Yes. Being the mayor of Lorelei is currently a taxing job. I'm afraid I have the sacred duty of maintaining it as best I can.” “The maintenance of a city is...” “The Empire has, alas, withdrawn from this area. Fortunately, I am sure this is only a temporary thing.” “The Empire ... when did that happen? We have asked many, but they haven't answered.” “Have we?” “Hush! And no. She's just being political.” “The continent of Valorim is under quarantine. Empire Troops have not come to aid us for some time. However, I am sure it is temporary. All we need to do is survive, and they will surely come to our aid soon.” “Good Mayor, even if it is temporary, surely you should act?” “Some of my troops criticize me for doing nothing to fight the giants. What fools they are! Anything we do may interfere with what the Empire is planning to do to help us! Do they not better see the whole picture? That is why, if you've here for a mission, you've come to the wrong place.” “Mayor, a mission would be sanction to act..!” * * * “She's lost it.” “I agree.” “Which is why the Dervish wants to talk to us.” “One town where the leadership it too much, the other where it is too little. Have these people become so complacent with the presence of the Empire that they would break in its absence?” “Perhaps. But then again, some rise to the challenge. Others fall.”  “ooh, metal!”  A stocky woman sits behind the counter, polishing a new, steel shield. She looks pleased to see potential customers. “I am Gertrude, the armorsmith.” “Sass, Slith!” “Yes, I have heard rumors about your kind. To the south, and to the west. And in Exile, but there's no way for you to be up here then, is there.” “I'm supposed to say no to that.” “Well, it doesn't matter. I'm the town armorsmith. I'm pleased to see you – things have been slow lately.” “Why would they be slow? There are Giants out there!” “And not likely to change any. Nobody wants to stay in a city in which death strikes those who walk the streets at random.” “Random streets, or random walking?” “Yes, to both.” “But is death common?” “The giants lob boulders over the walls, day and night. They move up, throw a few, and run before our soldiers can do anything about it. Nobody goes out. Not a good business environment, let me tell you.” You know what just occurred to me? Why are there no augmentations for armors? Just weapons? “Quiet, aren't you?” Just a random Giant in prison, apparently.  “A University?” “Is that important?” “There is nothing like it in Exile! A place of higher learning!” “Yeah, this doesn't match what I remember.”  You meet a wizened, scholarly looking man with a bushy beard. He has bits of finely ground herbs under his fingernails and green stains on his robes. “Hello! I'm Matthias.” “I am Carlos, of the University of Valorim.” “Ah, it is a pleasure to be here. Do you work here?” “I am a teacher at the University of Valorim. And very proud of it, as well.” “I'm from out of town, down south. What are you a teacher in??” “We had instructors in history, literature and other arts. Then the instructors fled. Now we, that is, I, only teach alchemy.” “Wait. What happened to the other instructors?” “There were four. Then three of them fled because of the giants. I teach alchemy now. That's all we offer. But we will be a great school one day, I'm sure of it!” “Any plans for the University?” “This is the first University in all of Valorim. Small, I know. One classroom. Few instructors. But it's a start!” “What alchemy do you offer?” “I have been teaching several valuable recipes. I know how to make potions that speed one up or restore magical energy. Both require Wormgrass and Glowing Nettle. I can also teach how to make Greymold Salve, bane to diseases of all sorts. All it requires is Graymold. If you want to purchase a recipe, let me know.” I'm done banging my head on the wall with the proliferation of a major plot element in Exile 1.  “Wow. He wasn't kidding when he said it was small.” “What was your formal education like?” “More practical than not. It's not like I was the first born.” Making the cut here.
berryjon fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Sep 18, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 08:33
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Update 36A – Lorelei (2) Welcome back!  “Hello!” “Hey Sandra! Anything new?” “No. Have you talked with the leadership yet?” “Mayor? Yes. Dervish? No. Working on it. Thanks for the advice back in Sharimik, it helped!” “You're welcome.” And here is proof that Sandra moves between the two cities. Her dialogue doesn't change though.  “Well, this would be nice. If we needed the services.”  A woman with dark skin and hair stands to greet you when you approach. She was intensely studying a thick tome when you entered. “I am Yukiko. Sometimes I go by Yukiko the Learned.” “Bronwyn, no fancy titles.” “I am the chief instructor for Lorelei Vocational Technologies. I see by your bearing that you are adventurers.” “We are. You related to the Golddale Vo-Tech?” “And that man? No.” “I take it you're an instructor then?” “Yes. That means I'm the one who gets stuck with doing the bulk of the training.” “What is Vocational Technologies?” What is it with trainers in this game and being angry all the time? It's like they're all at their wits end dealing with every idiot that crosses their door.  “Wait. That church sells weapons? This, I have to see!” You see a man in long, flowing priest's robes. In your experience, behind the till is a rather incongruous position for a priest to be in. “I am Father Carson. Welcome.” “Hello there. I have to ask...” “I am a priest of the Church of the Divine Lucre. As part of my worship, I run this shop.” “Why would a priest run a store?” He frowns. “I don't feel like discussing my faith right now. Certainly not for free. We believe that the best way to improve the world is to improve ourselves, and will bring everyone up with us. But enough of all that. Time for worship.” Still managing to not sound like a pyramid scheme! And they're a nice contrast to the Anama, so there's that. “What do you worship in a store?” “What better purpose can there be fora prayer than to improve the world? Improve my standing and wealth, improve your blade. For a fee, I will place a blessing on an identified, non-magical weapon you own. Would you like this augmentation?” I don't remember what this guy does to the weapon, but it's very expensive. Even more than the guy handing out +2's! “And more... conventional things for sale?” I'm good. “This is weird.” “Really weird.” “Oh god. I know that voice. I think.”  This man is of average height and build. His appearance is nondescript in every way, except for one. His eyes are intensely bright and alert. “Afternoon. Care to tell us why your room looks less like it's been lived in, and more like a model?” “I am Dwaine. I have been waiting for you.” “Not interested.” “Hah! No. I am an Exile. From Unspec, like yourselves. I've been waiting for your arrival.” “I swear, I thought I stamped out people calling it Unspec before I retired....” “Well, Exile or not, you have my attention. Our attention. Maybe not Sass'” “You say something?” “See?” “I don't miss Exile at all, I'm afraid. Spying up here is intensely dangerous, but I wouldn't go back.” “Well, we have arrived. What do you want of us?” “Yes. I have a few things to report. A few odd facts. The leaders of the cities are confused. The Empire has quarantined the whole continent. There's a thieves guild in Lorelei. Nothing exotic. However, I have managed to worm out one piece of information. It's about Empress Prazac.” “!!!” “The first two pieces of information are already known. What's this about a thieves guild?” “It's a Guild of criminals. No doubt they possess much illicit information that would be useful to us. I know their leader is in the city, but I don't know where. I also know that they do a lot of business involving packages from Shayder. If you could contact them, it could be very interesting. Just so you know.” “And what is this about the Empress Prazac?” "The Empire is ruled by Empress Prazac. We all know that. What I've found out is that she's here! She's in Blackcrag Fortress, only 200 miles north, come down to personally deal with the monsters. She's tough, but fair. If we can speak with her, we may be able to deal with her. Tell Anaximander about this as soon as you can!" (You take note of this.) I'll have to keep this event flag in mind. I'm not certain if it's necessary to finish the game or not, but the whole 'You take note of this', and that it's added to the journal, and Anaximander will react to it tells me that it is. “Why is the Empress here, and not at Imperial Center?” “I couldn't tell you. Not a lot of news from outside of Valorim, you can understand. Maybe she's here to personally oversee things? A show for the court?” “But the Empire surely has some major presence on the continent?” "It's insane! The Empire saw all the problems down here, and just up and went 'We can't deal with this.' They closed the borders, sealed up the Keep of Tinraya, and left." “We've heard about the Keep. But nothing more than it was attacked. What can you tell us?” "Can't find much about that. Even asking about it is bad news. It was the biggest city in Valorim, up to the northwest. Then some monster hit it, some monster even worse than everything else, even the golems. The whole place was devastated, and the Empire walled it off so the creatures couldn't escape." “What about the golems?” "Gale, to the northeast, has been bombarded by waves of golems. Nasty, nasty creatures. Don't know much about it." “Thanks. We'll be in touch.”  “Does the Empress being here mean much of anything?” “Heh. You know what I've done, right?” “If you believe the Sliths from Blosk, a lot. Anything in particular.” “Think of it like this. I killed Hawethorn. I killed Garzahd. What do you think will happen when the Empress finds out I'm here?” “Uh... Prince Karmas struck down the Emperor, and Kai-Lyss is credited with slaying Garzahd in a Mind Duel. Why would they worry about you?” “Because I was instrumental in both events. They'll think I'm going for a three-peat.” “Hey there. Couldn't help but notice you didn't have a sign out front.” “It got knocked off by a stone. Haven't replaced it yet.” This man must be Internal Affairs. He's surrounded by a veritable cloud of forms, schedules and notes, which he valiantly battles with a goose quill pen. “I'm Lyle. No need to introduce yourself. I know your names. The reports out of the south were complete.” “Have a seat.” You sit. “I'm Internal Affairs for Lorelei. A job of uneven difficulty, let me tell you.” “We'll try to not be difficult.” “Thanks. With the giants coming and going, people mainly stay inside and don't do anything. That makes things easier. But I sometimes have to go out and serve papers and inspect things. That makes things harder.” He leans forward and lowers his voice. “It would be better if our leadership was stronger.” “Yes, so it would seem. Surely Internal Affairs has better things to do?” “Why yes, actually. The main thing that would concern you is that I'm the mission dispatcher. Also, oddly, I've been given a mansion to sell.” I could do two of these right now. I don't know where Laverne is at the moment, though I'm certain someone will tell me before I have a chance to crawl through all the previous updates, and the one to Mother Melamed should be easy enough. And we haven't been to Gale yet, so good luck making that run in the dark. “So, your leadership?” He says quietly “Our mighty mayor seems inclined to wait until the Empire sends help before taking action. Unfortunately, I feel help is not likely to come.” He shrugs. “But what can I do? I'm just the jobs dispatcher.” “Very different situation than in Sharimik.” “How is Mayor Knight anyways? The reports I get from there are... sanitized.” “You really want to know?” “Yes.” He glares. “Short answer then. Knight is trying to turn Sharimik into his own fiefdom, with Levin openly soliciting bribes. Commander Corie is trying to do her best, but can't overcome the other two.” “Accusations of bribery? That's serious.” “We're a thousand gold lighter so we could get his permission to act as envoys between Sharimik and the Troglodyte King.” “... This will require further investigation.” “Talk to Sandra. She works for the Mayor indirectly. Tell her that I sent you, and that she can work with you in this regard. Corruption is something we can all agree needs to be stamped out.” “So, on more pleasant thoughts, what's this about the mansion in the corner of town?” “The owner of Hawke's Manse, a huge, beautiful mansion at the northwest corner of town, was killed by a boulder. He had no heirs. I was told to find a buyer for it. A bargain, only 8000 gold. The only thing necessary is to find a purchaser.” “What was Hawke like?” “Not much to say. He participated in the invasion of Exile as a Captain, and retired afterwards due to medical problems. He acquired the house, and then had his accident.” “Thanks for your time.” “And yours. Please don't forget to talk to the Commander. She'll be able to help you better than I.” “Well, that's a thing.” “Very much.” “Someone should warn Sandra.”  “I messed up, didn't I?” “Nothing we can't fix.” “This smells good!” This small shop is filled with feathers. They're everywhere – floating in the air, getting caught in your hair, making you sneeze. Through the cloud, you see a young woman stuffing a bird and preparing it for roasting. “Wow!” “I'm Ligaya. Sorry about the feathers.” “You make feathers here?” “I sell fine food!” she says chirpily, while picking bits of feather off the stuffed bird. “I like food!” “I am a specialist in the preparation of all manner of avian life forms. Turkeys, doves, pheasants, finches, chickens, ravens, I can prepare them all. It's even easier with the giants about.” Haven't had raven before. Anyone want to chime in with their experiences with it? “How do the giants make things easier?” She pauses to pull a small bit of down out of her eye. “When throwing rocks at the city, they often aim at birds. I think it relieves the tedium. They get collected and I make them delicious! Sort of a tiny dividend of all the danger. Care to purchase some of my wares?” “How do you collect them?” “I have Deborah do most of the collecting for me. She's a beggarwoman, and needs the work. I do worry about her though, what with all the rocks falling.” “Is this really meat?” I wouldn't trust it, and it's way to expensive to buy. Ever. “Wait. Who was that in here just now? They seemed ... tall?”  Civilization Flashbacks! You can't build a University until the city has a Library in it!  This woman clearly needs more sun. She's clearly been locked up in here with her scrolls for some time. She doesn't seem to mind too much. “Hello?” “Hello. I am Yessenia. I am the official Librarian of Lorelei.” “Nice to meet you. Have you been librarian for long?” “Unfortunately, my salary was recently cut. No money left for me. I have to make money in other ways. Maybe I'll go up to Moon. They have an excellent collection up there.” “Forgive me, we've come up out of Krizsan. Moon?” “The town of Moon is north of here, at the north end of Lake Tomor. They have a really great library. They even have spell books! That's what I hear. They might may me what I'm worth.” “Surely your money woes are not as bad as it seems?” “I have been duplicating maps of Midori province for a little extra change. You can purchase one for only 50 gold. Also, I do a bit of identification.” “I'll take that map, thank you!” The paper is cheap, and the quality of the copying is poor. However, this is still a serviceable map of the city of Loreli's surroundings. “Thanks! So, are you safe here in Lorelei?” “Being in Lorelei has been hazardous for some time. Fortunately, I am generally disinclined to go outside anyway.” “Going outside isn't bad at all!” She shakes her head sadly. “My skin becomes painfully burned by even short exposure to the sun. I would not have chosen to spend every moment my life indoors looking after books. But then, one does what one must.” Are we sure she's not another Exile spy? We've met... three so far.  “Hrm. Another random store. Let's see what they have in stock.” You meet a dusty man. Everything in this shop is dusty. The items, the counter, the proprietor. It's sort of like a junk shop, but some of the things actually look valuable. “Hail and well met!” He brushes some dust off his arm, and moves up to shake your hand. “I'm Randall.” “Matthias.” “I'm an item salesman. I'm so glad you arrived – business has been terrible.” “I get that. Everyone is having a terrible day.” “Well, what do you expect? Every day, someone gets killed, or wounded by a flying rock. No thanks to our leaders.” “We've met the Mayor. She not the leader you want?” “Nobody in charge does anything! We just put up walls to get knocked down and absorb more punishment. Lousy for business. Just lousy.” “Well, I think we can help with that. What do you have?”  This is almost as good as Storm Port's selection! The Helm of Speed, Mithral Chain and Crystal Shield are mine!  Note to self – tidy up armor and equipment before the next update. “Nice plants. Shame they have to be indoors like this.”  “You're expected in the office. You walked past the door.” “Thanks.”  I love the random stuff on shelves sometimes.  You meet the commander of the guard of Lorelei. She sits at her desk writing notes and order, but wears full plate armor while doing it. Not surprising, considering she's an Empire Dervish, the most dedicated and single-minded of the Empire's troops. “Hello.” “As I said before, I am Dervish Bruskrud. Have a seat, Exiles.” Meeting an Empire Dervish and not being attacked immediately is somewhat disconcerting. “I'm Art. But you already know that. So, get down to business.” She turns toward you, adjusting her breastplate slightly. “I am the commander of the forces of Lorelei. I lead us in our battles against the Giants. You're probably wondering why I am welcoming a band of Exiles.” “I see tact is still not on the training schedule. How does a Dervish wind up as a garrison commander?” “I command my troops, all loyal and strong men and women, in the crushing war with the giants.” She clenches a gauntleted fist. “It would be less of a struggle if our leadership were not so feeble.” “I've noticed the giant problem.” “You have but to look on the streets, to walk our empty streets among shattered buildings, to see the effect the giants have had on us. But that is not the worst of it. The worst thing is the feebleness of our leaders.” “I've met the mayor. She's broken, not feeble.” She looks distressed, as if it's a struggle to say what she's saying. “Our mayor refuses to act! She lets our people die while waiting for the Empire to aid us. My Empire, that I swore to give my life for, has shut us off. We must fend for ourselves.” “But you're not alone. Even if we weren't here, you could rally the other cities, the other provinces. Take out one problem at a time.” “I wish it were that simple. But it is not. That is why I have welcomed you here. I you will accept it. I have a mission for you.” “And yet, we are Exiles.” “I did not serve in the Exile War, but I lost friends in it.” She shakes her head wearily. “That is ancient history. Now, only Exiles have had any luck fending off the plagues of monsters that afflict us. Some may think you're responsible for them, but I do not see it. That is why I have allowed you into my city.” “Tell me the mission.” “I have heard that you have taken on the task of getting the Troglodytes access to the Giants lands. While I cannot authorize such a mission on my end, I can do this.” “The giant's caverns are southeast of here. They've captured several of our soldiers. Also, they've taken many of the personal possessions of those slain. Items that by right belong to the families. Free the soldiers. Return the dead's possessions, and I will pay you, even if it is out of my own pocket.” “Done.” “The rest of you, wait outside.” “Like hell.” “Well?” “Go ahead. Help yourselves to their kitchen. I need anything, you'll know after I knock her through a wall.” “I want to see that!” “Take care.” “...” “...” “When the report came up from Krizsan province, I didn't believe it.” “I'm an unbelievable woman.” “You look ... old.” “I'm pushing fifty, you know. I am old.” “It doesn't seem like it. I suppose though, having you here makes things easier. I can at least pretend that it's another Dervish doing this mission.” “I haven't been one since I got Exiled.” “I assure you, despite our solidarity with the Throne, many of us thought what happened was suspect at best. Quite a few thought that the mage had finally gone mad. Others still did not think at all.” “Not enough to help.” “You could help yourself. And your actions proved it.” “I was wondering where you were that day in the Spire.” “Our loyalty is to the throne. Not to the person sitting on it. And if the person makes a mistake, is it not our responsibility to correct it? You asked why I am running the Garrison here? I've been 'retired'. Not officially, mind you. You saw it, before you were Exiled. The newer Dervishes were all muscle, no brains.” “I did. But don't forget, I was promoted. Ceremonial.” “You still acted like one of us. We know what happened in that place, and what you did earned you a place among us. And I will treat you as you are.” “An Exile?” “A Dervish. I think in a way you're still loyal.” “Did you happen to miss the part where I killed Hawthorn and Garzahd? Destroyed great works of the Empire? Slain armies?” For the first time, a small smile came to her face. “We're Dervishes. I would be disappointed if you didn't do such things. We have a reputation to maintain.” “Prazac is at Blackcrag. What can I expect? We don't know much about her.” “The Empress has been trying to rebuild the Empire, and consolidate power in the years since her ascension. Garzahd's war was costly as our best Legions were sent in first, and there they died, or surrendered in shame after. Many sought to punish the throne for the failures, and if the Empress is, as you say, at Blackcrag, then it can only mean she is showing power and leadership.” “I feared as much.” “We have taken up too much time. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. What you did to earn your rank is still required reading, even for the new trainees.” “Why? So they can see what a traitor did?” “No. So they know that you fought.”* * *  “So, what's next?” “Where's the horses?” First thing actually is for me to figure out where this Captain is that I'm supposed to ask about the Dragons here in town. Second thing is up for a vote! WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?
berryjon fucked around with this message at 23:18 on Sep 18, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 08:46
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A.Kill The Giants
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Sep 18, 2016 09:12
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I'm going to vote for A. Almost entirely because I can't wait to see how Art reacts to the next event.
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Sep 18, 2016 09:40
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A. Gotta stop the rain of stones. 
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Sep 18, 2016 09:42
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Yeah, not gonna miss out on Giant funtimes after that speech. I suspect Art's going to have a bout of focus for an update or two.  A.
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Sep 18, 2016 12:32
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All aboard the A 
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Sep 18, 2016 13:24
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Deal with problems as you come to them. That means fight the Giants. A few typos: "crushing was" instead of "war" (and there's another word substitution a little later in the dervish's transcription, I think it was "it" instead of "is"?), "thee-peat" instead of "three-peat". Sass reacts to seeing Malloc as if he now knows where Calloc is (you can just move that bit of dialog until after you buy the map). You can also access the thief's guild right now if you want to, just ask the glove shopkeeper the right word. But maybe you're saving that for later.
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Sep 18, 2016 15:51
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A. Plot, ho!
vdate fucked around with this message at 13:25 on Sep 19, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 16:03
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:A few typos: "crushing was" instead of "war" (and there's another word substitution a little later in the dervish's transcription, I think it was "it" instead of "is"?), "thee-peat" instead of "three-peat". Sass reacts to seeing Malloc as if he now knows where Calloc is (you can just move that bit of dialog until after you buy the map). Fixed the typos. And I added in a line after Sass' from Matthias pointing out the mistake. And I'm waiting on the package from Shayder before entering the guild.
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Sep 18, 2016 18:47
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Ah, Lorelei. After registering, this is easily my favourite city in the game. I really like the street style, as it gives it an identity compared to the other city's layouts. Plus, it has a trainer, horses, Hawk's Manse, plot relevance with Dwaine and the Thieves' Guild, and that random shop which always has great stuff in it. It's such a cool city! Also, in relation to what to do next, A. beat the poo poo out of the Giants. They deserve it. Besides, B. is better suited after we're done the giants, and pretty much everything over by C. we should wait until we at least have level 6 spells. I recall dragons, rakshasa, undead, nagas, and one area with gazers.
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Sep 18, 2016 19:45
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Since the reremake of Ruined World won't be out for a year and a half or so, has anyone played Avernum 3 (the REmake)? I just wondered how it was similar/different in terms of plot, scope and so on.
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Sep 18, 2016 20:52
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Even if the streets were clear, they don't seem very throngable. What are they, two tiles wide at best?
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Sep 18, 2016 21:04
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Glazius posted:Even if the streets were clear, they don't seem very throngable. What are they, two tiles wide at best? Its part of the compression that the larger cities get due to the limitations of the engine. The streets are two tiles wide, otherwise the party could get hemmed in by roving NPCs. And tight streets are more historically accurate - it's only with the invention of the auto that more than just major streets became as wide as they are today. Look at older European roads to see what I mean. And unless something massive happens, it looks like I'll be dealing with the Giants next.
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Sep 18, 2016 22:15
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I think the librarian is meant to be an albino rather than just a pale Exile. The names in this province are interesting, though. There's some Japanese words vaguely thrown in (Yukiko and Midori) and programming jokes (Malloc and Calloc), then some real Seattle suburbs (Poulsbo and Bremerton). But what's going on with "Moon" and "Wainscotting"?
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Sep 18, 2016 22:32
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Mr VacBob posted:I think the librarian is meant to be an albino rather than just a pale Exile. quote:The names in this province are interesting, though. There's some Japanese words vaguely thrown in (Yukiko and Midori) and programming jokes (Malloc and Calloc), then some real Seattle suburbs (Poulsbo and Bremerton). But what's going on with "Moon" and "Wainscotting"? Jeff Vogel had to come up with a lot of names for Exile 3, and he freely admits that he took them from pretty much wherever. As long as it sounds like a name, why not use it as one?
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Sep 18, 2016 22:37
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berryjon posted:
*Supposedly - it's possible there's a bug somewhere or clever way to sneak in, but the intent is that you need to talk to Prazac to get into Tinraya.
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Sep 18, 2016 22:39
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MagusofStars posted:Not only is talking to Prazac required to finish the game, Dwaine actually also told you why it's required - because the Keep of Tinraya was completely walled up by the Empire and cannot be accessed* without talking to them. I was more addressing the point that talking to Dwaine may or may not have been required. Talking to Prazac (spoilers!), is as you say, required to complete the game. TooMuchAbstraction posted:Jeff Vogel had to come up with a lot of names for Exile 3, and he freely admits that he took them from pretty much wherever. As long as it sounds like a name, why not use it as one? Reminds me that the best weapon in Baldur's Gate 1, the longsword 'Varscona' is named for the hotel about a block west of Bioware's office at the time. Which I should know. I live in Edmonton, and worked at a pizza place that got the occasional 3am call from them.
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Sep 18, 2016 22:44
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Some minor typo's "Help of Speed" should be Helm of Speed. and “I haven't been once since I got Exiled.” should probably be “I haven't been one since I got Exiled.”
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Sep 18, 2016 23:14
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Oh yeah, that reminds me -- the Helm of Speed is not like the Boots/Ring of Speed. The latter provide 1 bonus AP point each turn, so characters start with 5 AP, or 6 with both items, assuming they aren't encumbered. The Helm of Speed instead periodically casts a low-level Haste spell on the wearer (just like the Fang Necklace periodically blesses its wearer). It's nice, no question, but it's not reliable. Getting a strong Haste spell on a character with 6 base AP is ridiculous, especially if they're a dual-wield melee character. That's upwards of 10 strikes in a single turn!
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Sep 18, 2016 23:22
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Jeff Vogel had to come up with a lot of names for Exile 3, and he freely admits that he took them from pretty much wherever. As long as it sounds like a name, why not use it as one? Not just for the towns, but also for ... more or less everything. The bloodthirsty, killing-machine hard-as-nails top rank in the Imperial army, for example, are named after a ascetic religious order. Kinda threw my players for a loop when I lifted the term wholesale for my own RPG.
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Sep 18, 2016 23:23
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MagusofStars posted:*Supposedly - it's possible there's a bug somewhere or clever way to sneak in, but the intent is that you need to talk to Prazac to get into Tinraya. On a bug-related note, somewhere in the northwest of Valorim is a place in a mountain range that you'd just baaaaarely be able to fly in and out of. Problem is, the tile you "land" on is one of those mountain tiles that's walkable even though it looks like a mountain... and the game apparently doesn't check properly for that. It sees mountain and stops before wondering if it's walkable, and thus it treats it as "welp you landed on the mountains to your deaths, reload save?". The only way to get past there (or at least, the only way I was able to get past there myself, some nearly-two-decades ago...) to see what's up is to use Cheat Engine or similar to extend your flying distance far enough to land on a normal land tile. This may be why so few people found E3's easter egg zone. This mountain stuff I'm babbling about is more akin to the place in E2 near Erika's tower and an efreet where you get the Eas Ter Egg teleporter code, so it's not the actual easter egg zone entrance itself.
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Sep 19, 2016 00:24
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rodomontade posted:I remember someone on the Spiderweb forums talking about a similar strategy: If you put all your skill points into Strength at level 1, it didn't matter that you had no health or weapon skill -- all the blessings meant your one character was untouchable and would completely wreck anyone in his way, and would get about 30-40 HP on the first level up. I tried it in the Fort Ganrick fight in Exile II and had a character dishing out between 25-50 damage per hit and completely destroying the nephil party. Pretty fun way to start the game. 
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Sep 19, 2016 02:36
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Parts Kit posted:Giving this a shot in E3, pumped all 3 fighters up to STR 11, aside from the third one which has 13. Weeeeeeeaaaaak! Use a Slith with Strength 20 at Character creation, then they get the racial +2 for a starting strength of 22.
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Sep 19, 2016 02:53
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berryjon posted:Weeeeeeeaaaaak! Dammit, now I want to make a party consisting of two sliths with All The Traits and 22 starting strength. And both become mage-priest-warrior god-kings wearing mithral chain, rings/boots of speed, and dual flaming steel waveblades. I wonder how long it takes to get to 250 health, starting from 6 and with the 22 strength bonus. The early levels will probably be a little rough with no HP and no spellcasting. Or any other skills, for that matter.
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Sep 19, 2016 03:50
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berryjon posted:Weeeeeeeaaaaak! ed: even with blessings the character still missed a good bit from the 1 DEX and 2 pole weapon skill, and unfortunately my health rolls sucked so at level 4 it's only 25. Still, pretty funny. Parts Kit fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Sep 19, 2016 |
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Sep 19, 2016 03:57
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I hope you guys are happy with your votes. 5 hours (including breaks), 1 town, 5 dungeons, 650 images later, and I've started a war between the Troglodytes and the Giants. Once all that is processed, it'll be something quite personal for Art to deal with.
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Sep 19, 2016 08:39
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berryjon posted:Once all that is processed, it'll be something quite personal for Art to deal with. 'Long time, no see', hm? Or does that come later? (A blind guess based on the hints you've dropped throughout the trilogy.)
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Sep 19, 2016 13:30
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vdate posted:'Long time, no see', hm? Or does that come later? I'm pretty sure I know what berryjon's talking about, but speculating would almost certainly be spoilers. Assuming I'm right, you're way off.
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Sep 19, 2016 16:00
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I haven't a clue what jon is referring to, so I'm excited in a totally dumb sort of way. Not that jon hasn't been dropping hints about Art's past since Exile 1. Talk about your slow-boil plot reveals.
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Sep 19, 2016 18:43
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Oh jeez, I almost forgot! You're right that gauntlets, for the most part, suck. The only ones worth wearing are Magic, and even then only on warriors/priests with high defense stats. However, leather gloves and non-gauntlet gloves have no encumbrance. They may only protect 1 damage, but it's better than nothing and has no real penalties. I was also going to suggest getting the nimble gloves for Delilah/Bronwyn, but I've forgotten if they already had pairs.
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Sep 19, 2016 19:47
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You've been lamenting a lack of a challenge lately. Thus, I suggest we go west. EDIT: drat, should have stayed up to date better. Oh well. War is always good fun.
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Sep 20, 2016 00:14
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FreakyM posted:You've been lamenting a lack of a challenge lately. Thus, I suggest we go west. EDIT: drat, should have stayed up to date better. Oh well. War is always good fun. Fact of the matter is, if you know what you're doing in the Exile games, they're not usually very challenging. There's too many systems you can abuse to gain major advantages over your opponents, because they simply aren't all that smart. IMO this is better than a game where your opponents are stupid and there's not a lot you can do to gain an advantage aside from making your numbers bigger.
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Sep 20, 2016 00:54
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Fact of the matter is, if you know what you're doing in the Exile games, they're not usually very challenging. There's too many systems you can abuse to gain major advantages over your opponents, because they simply aren't all that smart.
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Sep 20, 2016 01:14
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If someone could find a good picture of a lizardman on a horse, I would be in your debt. My GoogleFu has failed me.
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Sep 21, 2016 02:14
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