I'm sad that this is your last new game. I played Nethergate and Avernum as a teenager, way back in the 1990s.
I'll be honest, the Avernum series remains by far my favorite among your creations. It felt vast, gritty, and open-ended. There was something deliciously old-school and pulp-y about it. It was humorous, but not outright farcical (unlike, say, Zork).
30 years later, the appeal hasn't faded. I feel deep affection towards the series, and probably will as long as I live. It meant something, unlike the vast majority of over-produced AAA games.
Looks promising - the one design decision I didn't like with the first one was the relative lack of distinct artifacts (always part of the charm of the other spiderweb games and a motivation to explore) and looks like this has been changed in the second one. I did like some other design points, particularly the pressure to do a dungeon all in one go.
I've been around since the very first version of Exile, the 1.0 one where the automaps weren't remembered when you left an area. I downloaded the demo from (I think) usenet over my newfangled modem in...was it 1994? You were the first what's now called developer I ever sent brief fan mail to on this new strange thing called email and I was tickled when you replied. It feels pretty strange, nearly three decades later, to be nearing the end of the run on different levels. Not there yet by any means, but you can kind of see it from here. Heartfelt thanks for an insanely great body of work.
I wasn't a big fan of QW1, but I'm still going to buy the sequel, because even my least favourite Spiderweb Software game is still something to look forward to (unlike some high-budget AAA almost-MMOs I can name). Er, that is, if I could find a way to pay you, sanctions and all. I don't think you accept direct international transfers?
It is sad to hear this is you last new game series, but I guess this is the way of bottom feeders - there is no institution to carry on. Would you consider open-sourcing your games someday, if only on your deathbed (hopefully some long time away!), so that future generations can keep them running on the newer hardware? A big-budget game is likely to get a remake or remaster, but small indie games like yours could be lost forever, and I think it would make the world a little poorer.
Why are you going to hang it up? Sad to hear, been playing your games since I was 9, Exile III was my first real RPG. Now I'm 35 and beat Queen's Wish last year, take my money damn it!
Have you written anywhere about why you’ve stayed so indie and not collaborated on larger budget projects to provide writing/design work? Or have you and I missed it? I know that contract work is one way that folks try to insulate themselves from the risk of low sales, so I’m curious to hear why you decided that’s not for you.
I'm sad that this is your last new game. I played Nethergate and Avernum as a teenager, way back in the 1990s.
I'll be honest, the Avernum series remains by far my favorite among your creations. It felt vast, gritty, and open-ended. There was something deliciously old-school and pulp-y about it. It was humorous, but not outright farcical (unlike, say, Zork).
30 years later, the appeal hasn't faded. I feel deep affection towards the series, and probably will as long as I live. It meant something, unlike the vast majority of over-produced AAA games.
Looks promising - the one design decision I didn't like with the first one was the relative lack of distinct artifacts (always part of the charm of the other spiderweb games and a motivation to explore) and looks like this has been changed in the second one. I did like some other design points, particularly the pressure to do a dungeon all in one go.
I've been around since the very first version of Exile, the 1.0 one where the automaps weren't remembered when you left an area. I downloaded the demo from (I think) usenet over my newfangled modem in...was it 1994? You were the first what's now called developer I ever sent brief fan mail to on this new strange thing called email and I was tickled when you replied. It feels pretty strange, nearly three decades later, to be nearing the end of the run on different levels. Not there yet by any means, but you can kind of see it from here. Heartfelt thanks for an insanely great body of work.
I loved Queen's Wish 1, and I'm enjoying QW2 so far! But, um, are you aware of the resolution problems in full-screen mode?
(I'm not sure where we're supposed to go to report a bug.)
I wasn't a big fan of QW1, but I'm still going to buy the sequel, because even my least favourite Spiderweb Software game is still something to look forward to (unlike some high-budget AAA almost-MMOs I can name). Er, that is, if I could find a way to pay you, sanctions and all. I don't think you accept direct international transfers?
It is sad to hear this is you last new game series, but I guess this is the way of bottom feeders - there is no institution to carry on. Would you consider open-sourcing your games someday, if only on your deathbed (hopefully some long time away!), so that future generations can keep them running on the newer hardware? A big-budget game is likely to get a remake or remaster, but small indie games like yours could be lost forever, and I think it would make the world a little poorer.
Why are you going to hang it up? Sad to hear, been playing your games since I was 9, Exile III was my first real RPG. Now I'm 35 and beat Queen's Wish last year, take my money damn it!
Have you written anywhere about why you’ve stayed so indie and not collaborated on larger budget projects to provide writing/design work? Or have you and I missed it? I know that contract work is one way that folks try to insulate themselves from the risk of low sales, so I’m curious to hear why you decided that’s not for you.