I know we have some fans here. Which is the best Spiderweb RPG to start with? Male, 24, like drinking milk in a steamy bubble bath, thanks.
“Geneforge” by a wide margin is the best, in fact it’s the only shareware game I have ever parted with my hard earned cash over, I even bought a CD just in case.
Geneforge is excellent, and is a big technical advance from Avernum.
I haven’t broken the seal on my copy of Avernum 3 yet, since I’m still making my way through Avernum 2, but it’s got a fantastic sense of scale. Very old-school Ultima-esque, though with a bit more frustrating combat system (lots of enemies that can wipe you out in one turn).
Third time’s the (lucky oirish) charm. Geneforge is the one to get.
Skip the Exiles; the Avernums are straight up overhauls of that series. Start with Avernum 1, play through 3, and then play Geneforge.
Geneforge is by far the easiest to get into, and my favourite - although the Avernums will keep you going longer.
I really wish they would put these things on pocketpc.
I second this. Though I also think Nethergate is a good one. If you play all the others and are still jonesing for more, get Nethergate.
Concur. Avernum is an excellent series and you really need to start at the beginning to get the most from the storyline.
I’d suggest Geneforge as well.
Jeff Vogel, the founder of Spiderweb Software, posted a very interesting blog entry where he details the cost and revenue from one of his games (Geneforge 4). This is an interesting read for anyone who dabbles in or dreams of developing an indie game, or is just curious like me.