Avernum: Escape from the Pit is now available for Mac computers from Spiderweb Software. You can check out the demo to see how you like it. If you have played earlier Avernum games the demo is much smaller than usual and only covers the Eastern Gallery.

The game uses an interface similar to Avadon: The Black Fortress but the spell system goes back to the first trilogy of Avernum with 3 different levels of spell effects for each spell.

Go here for link to download:
http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/products.html

Wow, that was fast. Now I guess I'll have to decide whether I'll take a crack at this, or Avadon, first.

A couple of questions:
Do you know what the order of operating system releases will be? I'm actually thinking about waiting until the iPad version comes out. Of course, that assumes I can stand waiting that long.

I assume you were one of the Beta testers. How do you compare this version with the original?

The iPad version will probably be out in 3 to 4 months. Jeff takes a few weeks to see if regular players find any significant bugs or have complaints that need to be fixed with the current version. Windows will be in about 6 to 7 months.

The game fixes lots of interface problems with the original version and gives you lots of things that have been added over the years in later games. The junk bag from Avadon to hold items you are planning to sell allows one click selling. Battle disciplines have been added that started in Avernum 5 are here with some changes. Caches in outdoor areas from Avernum 3 for odd pieces of loot. Travel Pylons from Avernum 4 to quick travel to the Tower of Magi and then to the large cities. Dual wielding of swords from the old Exile series that was added in Avernum 6. No wait command from the older trilogy that meant you had to be the last to go to haste your party and slow your foes.

It kept most of the features that made the first version great especially an open world where you can just explore and not have to worry about following the quest path. There are still a few places that you can't enter until you finish a quest, but these were in the original game. About 20% of the game is new with extra dungeon levels in the cities and a new town. Lots of new quests and only one quest missing from the last version. Basically the only limit is pushing into an area that is above your level and dying. Of course if you can figure out how to survive you can get more experience.

No level cap. The average game with doing all the quest will be about level 35, but you can keep collecting herbs for wisdom crystals to raise your party as high as you want if you have the patience. Or use the editor to adjust your party to fix a build mistake or raise stats and abilities to the game's maximum amounts.

I miss some of the old Avernum 1 spells that were overpowering. Some spells have been added and others changed.

Hmmmm. I think I need to restrain myself until after the holidays for this one, but ... Hmmmmmmmmm.

Let me chime in here, my son, as many know, beta tests for spiderweb. I've had to listen to him testing stuff for weeks! He wouldn't tell me anything about it. Well, seeing it was released yesterday he got me a copy for both of my computers (box and laptop). I made the mistake of trying it out..let's just say the late afternoon and evening flew by! I didn't get anything done I'd planned on. The game really does have a lot of new stuff and makes it fresh from the old one. I do like the addition of 'bulletin boards' for quests that were added and the very beginning stuff that goes on before you find your way upstairs to the arrival fort. I've only gotten as far as Silver and now headed a bit north of the arrival fort, having gone back to talk to a woman about Anastasia.

I think it is worth getting the new version, at least so far.

Okay, so I downloaded the demo. That doesn't mean I'm going to play it right now, right? Right?!

You know, of course, that you will not be able to wait to play the demo. Then, you won't be able to give it up, and you will be playing the full game in no time at all. Let us know what you think of it. I really want to wait for the iPad version, but don't know if I can hold off that long...

I have, in fact, played a little of the demo (just through the arrival fort). In terms of interface, it has a lot of the good elements of Avadon and Avernum so it's easy for me to pick up. I never did play either of the two earlier versions of this game story, so I have no comparison to make there. It looks like it should be fun.

You do know that Jeff has spent years studying how computer games hook their players so they have to have their fix?

Well, he has obviously figured it out because he has done very well for an independent shop. Having a demo would seem to part of the formula. I know it worked on me.......

Avernum: Escape from the Pit has just been released for the iPad. It's available in the iTunes store.

Rumor has it that the Windows version will be out in a week or so.....

Windows version is officially released tomorrow, April 11.

Avernum's new series is awesome ........for the following reasons:

-Avadon's skill and attribute system. I feel that this is killer as it makes the game much more manageable. With the avadon system, its alot more laid back with point spending than the previous which has you saving up points for 1 small level of melee.

-You get to decide who goes first in your party regardless. This is great as i like to set up my party with 2 tank fighters up front going first, while my rogue goes 3rd and waits for the opportunity to strike.

-Same awesome story with better graphics. Alright this one is kind of meh. I find that avernum 4's graphics are just plain old fine in my book. The old graphics werent too good but they werent that bad. This doesnt really determine much but it helps.

-Much more character types. In previous games (4-6) melee revolved around 2-4 skills. Melee, quick action, and possibly anatomy. Thats it as Lethal blow is out as you can never get enough points for it, and even blademaster in avernum4-5 was hard to get enough points.

-Ranged weapons are actually a lot more interesting with 2 skills that they go by-Lethal blow and sniper both of which makes ranged weapon slightly good though still not better than melee.

-Traits are friggin awesome. They can make the game that much more awesome if you can play the right character the right way. For example, i made a dex based fighter that relies on a high dex to avoid getting hit for many things. Normally in avadon you only need 1 to strength every level except odds which go to dex or endurance. That doesnt work in avernum as you will still get hit for a melee fighter. I found a way around that with the traits. Take just 2 levels of bows or thrown weapons and you get the 5 trait tree for dex which gives you 5 levels of dex.

Basically the traits system rocks and this is one of the better games if not one of the best made by jeff.

Alright i reached a dead end. Has anyone been able to hit things at all in this game? Ive almost given up on this game as enemies have bizarre chance to hit and damage penalties that even the original avernum never had. In original avernum1-3, you just need 12 weapon skill at beginning to be able to reliably hit things for the rest of the game so long as you casually raise weapon skills.

In the present game in mertis, im unable to hit a thing and enemies can hit me for lethal blows all the time destroying me in the process. I pumped strength for all my melee characters and whats amazing is that no else seems to have the problem on the regular spiderweb forums.