Avernum: Escape From the Pit Announced

[Nyx]

Jeff Vogel has news for all you Spiderweb Software fans. Looks like it's time for a rewriting of its most popular indie game, Avernum.

Story.

[Wheels]

yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

I hope he uses this new engine for the next Avadon game.

[Drav]

Considering Jeff reuses everything for everything, I'd say that is a safe bet. Richard Garriott he is not.

[Wheels]

Considering Jeff reuses everything for everything, I'd say that is a safe bet. Richard Garriott he is not.

very true, my thought there was he may have already started on it prior to this given the success of the first one.

[Drav]

Realistically, I don't think a company with 3 employees would be working on two games at the same time. His work on Avadon and its various ports seemed relatively sequential. I'd say whatever improvements he makes to Avadon's engine in this game (if any) will be find their way into Avadon 2.

[Ocelot]

Aaaaand, there it is. There's that same loaf of bread graphic they've been using forever in the inventory of one of the screenshots. What is it with that loaf of bread?

[Drav]

It took Jeff like 10 years to change those Avernum portraits that looked like they were drawn in MS Paint. He'll use that bread sprite until judgement day.

[Wheels]

Aaaaand, there it is. There's that same loaf of bread graphic they've been using forever in the inventory of one of the screenshots. What is it with that loaf of bread?

I guess Jeff thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread?

[Namos]

Oddly enough, Jeff Vogel is the first to take the Japanese route of re-rebooting a game

[Ocelot]

Oddly enough, Jeff Vogel is the first to take the Japanese route of re-rebooting a game

Nah, this is hardly the first Western game that's had a remake/modern refresh. It seems to happen frequently in the world of adventure games, and Quest for Glory 1 had a VGA remake, so it's not even the first RPG to do so.

[Namos]

However, as far as I know, this game would be the first to be a refresh of a refresh by a Western developer (Avernum was a refresh of the original Exile, after all), ala what Square has been doing with FF4. Although Tomb Raider might qualify.

Vogel has a talent for conceptualizing interesting worlds and RPGs. Geneforge was a very unique setting. It's why I have a hard time accepting the fact he has elected to just tread water like this.

[Ocelot]

Oh, re-rebooting. I missed that part, and I forgot about Exile, despite having played it. Heh.

[shoptroll]

However, as far as I know, this game would be the first to be a refresh of a refresh by a Western developer (Avernum was a refresh of the original Exile, after all)

King's Quest. First version was in 1984, followed by a VGA remake in 1990. AGDInteractive did an unofficial refresh in 2001.

[Drav]

Well, at least he's selling the game half-price to anyone who bought the original Exile or Avernum. Actually, if you buy Exile first and then the new Avernum, you'll end up getting Exile for just $2.50 more. I have it on good authority* that Exile is substantially better than the popamole games that Jeff has made since.

*Note: may not actually be a good authority

[Ocelot]

King's Quest. First version was in 1984, followed by a VGA remake in 1990. AGDInteractive did an unofficial refresh in 2001.

I dunno if fan-refreshes count, though.