Avernum: Escape From the Pit - Blog Post

There was a period of time when I was very critical of Jeff for "reusing everything". This was around the time of Avernum 4 and Geneforge 3, when everything he did was either a remake of an old game or the exact same story retold in a slightly different way. We are not talking about using genres stereotypes like Bioware does or anything like that, we are talking about taking the exact same stories, monsters, dungeon designs, plot points, etc. and just rehashing them with minor changes. Many of these things were creative the first time but had stopped being creative long ago.

Since then though Jeff has been much better. Avernum 5 and 6 were both great games, Avadon was good and actually (gasp) original, and even the last geneforge games at least made an effort to be different. It's just worrying to see him go back to his old pattern of rehashing everything. Hopefully he continues doing some new work as well.

fadedc said:

It's just worrying to see him go back to his old pattern of rehashing everything. Hopefully he continues doing some new work as well.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry ...

[SPOILER ALERT]

In case you haven't figured it out yet, this move has little to do with the Mac or even PC I would estimate, and EVERYTHING to do with the iPad. He will sell enough of Mac & PC copies, but after having Avadon in the top 20 RPGs on iTunes for a couple of MONTHS ... I have little doubt that he made more there than on the Mac & PC sales combined!

I have no insider knowledge, but based on covering and reviewing his stuff and being in contact with his PR people, I am fairly comfortable with that.

Well if anything that has me even more worried, because that suggests that the most profitable route for him will be to remake his old games and push them onto the Ipad as a steady stream of new games, rather then to spend extra time developing new creative content.

txa1265 said:

I wouldn't worry …

[SPOILER ALERT]

In case you haven't figured it out yet, this move has little to do with the Mac or even PC I would estimate, and EVERYTHING to do with the iPad. He will sell enough of Mac & PC copies, but after having Avadon in the top 20 RPGs on iTunes for a couple of MONTHS … I have little doubt that he made more there than on the Mac & PC sales combined!

I have no insider knowledge, but based on covering and reviewing his stuff and being in contact with his PR people, I am fairly comfortable with that.

Click to expand...

He also posted this little bit.

Since 1995, my work has gotten a lot tighter, more controlled, and generally less eccentric. This has been both good and bad. It's also unavoidable. I'm older and more experienced now, and that sort of fresh, unfocused enthusiasm is just not available to me anymore. I still write good games (or, at least, games that sell), but my changing tastes and increasing age have made me unable to do some things and more able to do certain new things.

For example, if you tried Avadon: The Black Fortress and didn't like it, I'm sorry. That is the sort of game I write now. This will change. Five years from now, I'll do something entirely different. (I really, really want to return to open-ended non-linear games at least once before I retire.) But for now, that's it. If you hate my new games, then there is nothing I can do about that.

But, if you don't like the new stuff, I suggest trying Avernum. It's old-school, and it's really neat. I hope you like it.

Click to expand...

He is right just don't play his games then. I tried two of his games and I never got into them. I also never bothered again. So yes his games sell we know that so If you enjoy them good but not everyone is going to.

Well, my idea of old-school isn't an old game with visuals from 1990. It's more about challenging combat, intricate mechanics, engaging story/dialogue/puzzles - and things of that nature.

Those things that have been lost in most modern cRPGs.

I've tried ~3-4 of his games, and I find them universally bad - but that's not an objective statement. I just dislike his art style, the drone-like presentation, and the clunky UIs.

That said, I am relatively superficial when it comes to visuals and presentation. I don't need fancy stuff - but there's a certain minimum that I need. Eschalon is a good example of very basic visuals - but done with talent and care.

Avadon was a great visual improvement, but ironically it seemed much less intricate and "old-school" compared to his earlier stuff. Maybe that's in my head, but playing it was like watching paint dry. OTOH, I was very entertained by Eschalon and something like Baldur's Gate can still engage me almost like it was 15 years ago.

As for his above statement, I have to say I think it translates to:

I'm not longer a passionate developer, and I no longer create games for the sake of the art. I've found a sure-fire way to develop games that will yield a decent return, and that's what I'm going to stick with - until I one day develop one final game with a bit of passion in the heart.

Sounds really bad, I suppose, but I don't really think so. It's not like he's obligated to innovate or be awfully creative. He's just developing games as a means to make a living, and there's nothing wrong with that. What's more, he's still got a lot of fans who apparently want more of the same thing - so I don't blame him in the least. All I know is that I'm even less likely to play his stuff now than before.