How does this compare to Avernum and Geneforge?

[Mr. Gilly]

I'll admit that I have never played a game of this style and find the low-tech "everything" to be a bit challenging to get into. That being said, I want to challenge myself and my imagination. I'm a very creative person and find the storytelling to be very engaging. My first RPG (used very generally) was Final Fantasy 7, so my idea of RPGs was always very flashy and Japanese-y.

As I began to explore the GOG RPG Sale, I discovered an entire genre that I had never touched before: Divinity, Geneforge, Avernum, Neverwinter Nights, Tyranny, Pillars of Eternity, etc.

Is there a particular game of this type that all of you would recommend? I was drawn to Avernum because of the "underworld" setting, which reminded me of Arx Fatalis, a game I very much love.

[Xargock]

I really enjoyed Nethergate when I first played it (like 30+ hours into it easily; it's replayable too, as it has two divergent storylines); this game is very much a precursor to the Avernum series. The gameplay is a little primitive, *but the storytelling* is where it's at. The characters are super customizable, and there's a lot of problem-solving and optimizing you get to do in the game, which is nice.

If you want to see a really polished game in this vein, Queen's Wish: The Conqueror by this company is very modern (in some cases, a little too modern for older fans of the genre's tastes). I would highly recommend both.

[Freedomshot]

This is utter garbage - enjoy :)

[Jmills30]

Im a bit biased as I seem to hold the original Avernum trilogy above all the other Spiderweb games as it was the first one I played. But ive since gone back and replayed it and it still held up to me. theyre all good in my opinion. But I think the polish is finest in that series particularly. However I think the avadon series is his newest and probably is the easiest for someone unused to the style to get into. But if you can bear the "oldness" Id recomend the original Avernum Trilogy (available on gog) with each one in that series getting progressively better. they work well enough as standalones if you prefer one of the settings to another (you said you'd prefer underground? in that case please check out the secound one in that series, Avernum 2: Crystal Souls)

[Jmills30]

Id add that the game is text heavy, there are always graphics on screen, but the magic is in the story/novel like experience that really supports the gradual power gain of your group... managed right even low level charaters can kill higher lvl stuff but nothing beats the feeling of when you get to high levels and you get to really start throwing your weight around.