The Orakur are WHAT?! (spoils)

[Lightning]

I'm not quite done with the game yet, but after running into the room with the you-know-what, my next save after that was titled: "you've got to be #@%*ing me!" I really like Eschalon in general, don't get me wrong; I suppose this plot device could be interesting. But I was expecting something a bit more... uh... original? Believable? That didn't make me go WTF as I read the dialogue?

Or maybe that's what BW was going for. If so, he definitely got it.

[CrazyBernie]

Yes... it's true. The Orakur are sentient creatures that developed from the foot fungi of a troll.

[SpottedShroom]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't really like mixing sci-fi with my fantasy genres. That said, it was at least a pretty minor part of Book II - yes, the whole plot revolves around The One and the Orakur, but you really only get one "grey" NPC, two computers to destroy, and a cut scene, all within a few minutes of each other.

Now if Book III has extended episodes of running around through space ships and introduces the "computer hacking" skill, then I'll be unhappy.

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Now if Book III has extended episodes of running around through space ships and introduces the "computer hacking" skill, then I'll be unhappy.

I'm pretty sure that "computer hacking" will be an extension of the Cleaving Weapons skill.

[Randomizer]

Actually the revelation in light of everything that you have learn up until then about the One and the Four Stars leads to the conclusion that the dying Orakur was lying to you. All the earlier information is that the One wants all 4 of the crux and not just 2. So Book 3 will be to find the if the truth is out there.

[avv]

I think the orakur are shameless rip-offs from Vahnatai of Avernum game series. Both look like aliens, live deep underground, have superior technology and have problems with renegade members of high status.

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Hmmmm. I think we're going to find out that the Orakur are actually like the Lectroids from Buckaroo Banzai, and you don't know it but you're one of them. Yeah. That's it! I'll have to name my next character John Bigbootee. Now, where was that crazed Italian physicist -- I mean, mage -- possessed by a megalomaniacal alien?

[Slarty]

I also had the reaction that the Orakur looked suspiciously similar to the Vahnatai (just like the Sentinel Stalk is described down to the last detail as if it were a Turret, from another Spiderweb game). That said, the Vahnatai first appeared in 1995 and at the time they looked suspiciously like that infamous alien from the X-files. So, yeah.

I do find it interesting that almost every computer/console RPG series that is ostensibly fantasy, seems to end up "going sci-fi" at some point.

[BasiliskWrangler]

I also had the reaction that the Orakur looked suspiciously similar to the Vahnatai (just like the Sentinel Stalk is described down to the last detail as if it were a Turret, from another Spiderweb game). That said, the Vahnatai first appeared in 1995 and at the time they looked suspiciously like that infamous alien from the X-files. So, yeah.

I do find it interesting that almost every computer/console RPG series that is ostensibly fantasy, seems to end up "going sci-fi" at some point.

I just read about the Vahnatai. Here's what I can say:

As much as I respect Spiderweb's games, I honestly have not played them very much. I always download the demos and I've purchased a couple over the years which I did not finsih. I can truthfully say the Orakur were not modeled after the Vahnatai as I didn't know about them until this thread.

However, I will not suggest a "coincidence" either because based on what I read of the Vahnatai, the Orakur are most certainly not the same. Perhaps they share some physical similarities, but until Book III is released no one knows what the true origins of the Orakur are, nor whether Shina or Korren or anyone else is telling you the truth about what is going on.

With your memories destroyed, what you know of yourself is only what others have told you...

[TheSlue]

I've played all the Exile/Avernum games... Besides the fact that the Orakur and Vahnatai look like stereotypical aliens, they are pretty damn unsimilar. The Vahnatai don't have superior technology... They have a very different system of MAGIC from the humans. And even the humans are better at the crystal portal technology than the Vahnatai are. The humans are the only ones that can warp armies and supplies from the surface to Avernum. The Vahnatai are better at making waveblades though. Gotta love those. Also, you don't see the Vahnatai waving around any plasma wands. Rip-offs? Not even close.

[Randomizer]

The Orakur are much closed to the Greys of UFO mythos than Vahnatai from Spiderweb Games. Whether these are from The X-Files as the direct inspiration, then maybe you are an imperfect clone.

[JOG]

The Orakur are much closed to the Greys of UFO mythos than Vahnatai from Spiderweb Games. Whether these are from The X-Files as the direct inspiration, then maybe you are an imperfect clone.

Uhm Might & Magic anyone?

The Orakur may look like Vahnatai and look and feel like Greys, but the crux of the Might&Magic series is the influence spacefaring beings have on a fantasy world. At least there are no "iron wizards" to fight in Eschalon.

If the author needs a powerful antagonist that doesn't even recognise your inconsequential existence until the very end, you usually get that great old evil god/demon/dragon that was imprisoned/banished a gazillion years ago by the (meanwhile extinct) circle of the ancient high elven mage kings.

Aliens are fine for me, as long as they stay true to their role, and don't recruit that sword swinging guy in robes to rescue the princess from that moon-sized space-station...

[OhLookyAPotato]

I just finished.

My reaction was much the same. I played the game, for the most part enjoying it (except for a certain point when I entered the guild area for the second time *without* the looking glass, promptly resulting in me being locked in there and having to edit my save... grr...). Then, I get to Talushorn. I'm wandering around... and I see what appears to be a small child in a cage. At that point I'm thinking, "Oh, this should be interesting."

Then I talk to the "child." The first thing I notice is that the avatar graphic for this person looks a hell of a like like a "grey." Then I read through the text.

At this point, I'm thinking, "Surely not..."

Then I finish up the game.

So my thoughts are this: I'm looking forward to Book 3 because I know that A) it will be a good game, and B) I'm curious to see how a new world is handled. Having said that, however, I must say this...

ALIENS?! REALLY? WTF?!

I mean, yeah, taking into account JOG's comment, the antagonist of such a plot is typically something like an ancient, evil being.. but... C'MON.

Sigh. Onto waiting for Book 3, though without much enthusiasm in terms of plot.

[Elveronion]

i've been away becasue i didn't want to see any spoilers. i've finished the game twice.

now about the orakur...who said they were aliens???? we don't know what they are!! bw has always suprized me with twists and turns and i'm sure book 3 will be no different.

so the orakur say they are "not from the world" but that doesn't mean they come form planet pluto!! lol perhaps they are extra dimetional travelers, or maybe they are related to the dwarves like the books say. maybe they are advanced gnomes cause gnomes in other games are always inventors.

maybe eschalon is their world and humans are aliens. see, eveyone here is stupid for ASSuming they know what is going on. i know book 3 is going to amaze us true fans!!!

[Lightning]

now about the orakur...who said they were aliens???? we don't know what they are!! bw has always suprized me with twists and turns and i'm sure book 3 will be no different.

This is true, but the mere fact that they looked like the picturesque greys from sci-fi just didn't react well with me.

I wasn't actually thinking about parallels with Spiderweb Software's work, though I've been a longstanding fan of Jeff's games. Jeff managed to keep the alien-like creatures in his games fresh by doing some interesting things with an overused concept. We might well indeed see the same thing in Book III of Eschalon, and if so, I look forward to it.

Well, I look forward to Book III regardless of what's done with it, honestly. It makes me cry when I think about there being even a *possibility* of no Book III.