Blades Of Exile

''Exile'' is a series of role-playing video games created by Jeff Vogel of Spiderweb Software. They were released as shareware titles for Macintosh and Windows systems. ''Exile III'' was also ported to Linux by a third party. There were four games released in the series. All of the games were later revived in the '' Avernum'' series. Common to all games in the ''Exile'' series are 2D graphics and basic sound. The graphics in the first versions of ''Exile I'' and ''II'' had simple textures, colours and outlines, which were then replaced in later versions with ''Exile III''s graphics. The games are designed to be non-linear and long in gameplay length.

Gameplay

In each game, the player is required to create six characters to form a party of adventurers or may instead use a default party. The characters' general, combat, magic and miscellaneous skills can be customized along with the character names and graphics. From ''Exile II'' onward, characters can have their traits and race configured.

The games have three modes including Outdoor Mode, Town Mode and Combat Mode. In Outdoor Mode, the party can enter a town, engage a group of enemies in Combat Mode and rest (if the party has food). In Town Mode, the party can talk to people, purchase from shops (provided they have enough gold), train the characters (provided they have sufficient gold and skill points), find sub-quests, pick up items (from ''Exile 2'' onward, items can be stolen) and enter Combat Mode. In Combat Mode, the party can attack enemies, defend themselves and pick up adjacent items. Combat Mode can be ended at any time in towns, but can only end outdoors when all enemies are killed.

Magic is divided into Mage and Priest spell types. Spells for attacking can only be cast in Combat Mode. Some spells, such as Light spells, can be cast at any time. Other spells can only be cast outdoors or in town when not in Combat Mode. Players can create a character equipped with spells up to level 3, but higher level or certain spells must be purchased or found in special encounters.

Games

''Exile I: Escape from the Pit''

The first game of the ''Exile'' trilogy released in January 1995 sees a party of newly created characters thrown from the world above into the subterranean world known as Exile. Once here, the party discovers a civilization formed from the outcasts of the Empire above, a culture beset by constant warfare and monsters galore. The party meets with many of those who wish to get revenge on the Empire for the wrongs it has done to the peoples of Exile.

The characters become a rallying point around which the people of Exile who desire vengeance gather to focus their energies into finding a way to strike back against the cruel Emperor of the surface. Together, the party manages to assassinate Emperor Hawthorne in his throne room, banish the demon king Grah-hoth who was becoming a significant threat to the citizens of Exile, and secure an escape route to the surface.

''Exile II: Crystal Souls''

The second ''Exile'' game follows directly from the first, released in November 1996. The Empire has begun to recognise the threat the Exiles pose and begin sending their army down into Exile in huge numbers. To make matters worse, unknown barriers of energy are sprouting up around the world – sometimes aiding the Exiles, sometimes helping the Empire who can afford the losses much more easily than the Exiles.

A new party of characters meets one of the creatures causing the barriers sprouting up in Exile and go to meet with the unknown race to negotiate. In the end, the party is more successful - and the Vahnatai joins with the Exiles to drive out the Empire. With the support of the Vahnatai the Exiles turn the tables on the Empire and successfully repulse their invasion.

''Exile III: Ruined World''

The final release in the ''Exile'' trilogy takes place some time after ''Exile II'', released in January 1997. The Linux version was ported b
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in Summer, 2000. A lot of preparation has taken place and now the Exiles are ready to send a selected few back into the light of the surface. However, while the members of the expedition are at first stunned by the sheer beauty of the land around them, they begin to notice that things are not as perfect as they seem. The slimes the party encounters are only the first part of what becomes a series of monsters and terrible occurrences that are blighting the Empire and laying it to waste.

While scouting the land, as were the expedition members' orders from the nation of Exile, the members are asked by the Empire to help save the surface from its blight. They bring the Exiles and the Empire together as allies trying to find the cause of the destruction.

''Blades of Exile''

''Blades of Exile'' was released in December 1997, consisting of three short scenarios set after the main trilogy as well as an editor that allows players to create their own scenarios, which need not be set in the ''Exile'' game world at all. Several hundred custom-made scenarios have been designed since the release of the game in 1997. The most prominent meeting places on the web of the ''Blades of Exile'' community are the official company-hosted internet forum. These forums offer support for beginning designers and players, reviews of new scenarios and general discussions about the use of the scenario editor. In June 2007, Jeff Vogel released the source code and game content for ''Blades of Exile'', which is currently under version 2 of the GNU General Public License.

Release

On December 1, 1998, the first three ''Exile'' games also came packaged on a CD called the "Exile Trilogy CD". As of July 8, 2013, these games are freeware on Spiderweb Software's website.

Reception

Reviews described the ''Exile'' trilogy as a "throwback" to old fashioned role-playing games, with deep, complex gameplay and simplistic graphics. ''Computer Games Strategy Plus'' rated ''Exile: Escape from the Pit'' three and a half out of five stars, calling it "one of the year's best shareware games." The reviewer dropped a half star for its "primitive graphics" but found the game addictive and recommended it to veteran players "hungry for good, old fashioned fantasy role-playing games". ''Inside Mac Games'' rated ''Exile'' four out of five, calling it an Ultima-style role-playing game that required "patience and thoroughness" and had slightly "cheesy" graphics and sound. ''Inside Mac Games'' named ''Exile'' as runner up to '' Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest'' for the best role-playing game of 1996.

''Inside Mac Games'' said that ''Exile II: Crystal Souls'' had "a size, scope and depth of plot unmatched in Macintosh role-playing games." ''Exile II: Crystal Souls'' was an honorable mention for ''MacUser''s award for the best shareware game of 1996, behind winner ''Escape Velocity''.

''Computer Gaming World'' said that ''Exile III: Ruined World'' appears at first to be "a shareware game with primitive graphics" but reveals itself to be a "remarkably deep" traditional role-playing game with deceptive complexity. The reviewer praised the "well written and witty" NPC dialogue and elegant interface. Emil Pagliarulo reviewed ''Exile III'' positively for the ''Adrenaline Vault'', rating the game four out of five stars and calling it an "engrossing, thoroughly entertaining ..epic computer role-playing game" with simplistic presentation and "enormous depth". ''Inside Mac Games'' called ''Exile III'' "huge" and "highly detailed", with quality graphics, "an elegant interface", and "one of the largest and most detailed worlds and plots a fantasy role-playing game has offered". ''Exile III'' received the 1998 ZDNet Shareware Game of the Year award, selected by the editors of Ziff-Davis magazines ''FamilyPC'', ''PC Magazine'', and ''Computer Gaming World''.

''Avernum''

Spiderweb Software has remade the ''Exile'' trilogy twice. The games were remade in 2000–2002 as the '' First Trilogy'' of the ''Avernum'' series, which replaced the two-dimensional tile-based graphics system of ''Exile'' with an isometric one and made numerous changes to the RPG system and some changes to the content. The remakes were followed by a remake of ''Blades of Exile'', '' Blades of Avernum'', in 2004. The ''Exile'' trilogy was rebooted for a second time with the release of '' Avernum: Escape from the Pit'' (2011), '' Avernum 2: Crystal Souls'' (2015), and '' Avernum 3: Ruined World'' (2018); the remakes featured an enhanced game engine and expanded storylines.

Engine and interface

While the game engine itself remained relatively similar between all games in the series, the interface went through many changes. Each iteration sported a new layout and color scheme, as well the individual elements, like the inventory and character roster boxes, were also changed to display information differently. Between ''Exile I'' and ''Exile II'' the most notable difference is a background color change as well as a change to the border of the play window. Between ''Exile II'' and ''Exile III'' the interface was changed significantly in that the colors and window styles were changed again but the player roster was overhauled and an inventory window was added. The changes between ''Exile III'' and ''Blades of Exile'' were more subtle and were again of the color and style nature.

See also

*List of open source games

References

External links

Spiderweb SoftwareEncyclopedia Ermariana
- an extensive encyclopedia of Exile
*

{{Spiderweb Software

Indie video games
Linux games
Classic Mac OS games
Role-playing video games
Spiderweb Software games
Video game franchises
Video games with tile-based graphics
Windows games
Open-source video games
1997 video games
1996 video games
1995 video games
Video game franchises introduced in 1995
Video games developed in the United States