This is my second module (the first one being Asphyxia). Thanks for taking a look at Live Forever.
I'll be blunt; this is the best book you'll ever play. It has everything of nothing. Wall-of-text conversations. Flawed boss fights. A linear story. Woefully inept scripting. Poorly written dialogue. Hell, I haven't entirely decided what the story's about. Maybe it has something to do with a gem. Maybe a little bit about living forever. Or maybe it has nothing to do with either of those. Wouldn't that be ironic?
You'll have to see for yourself. Let me know what you come up with after playing. Maybe we'll solve the mystery, together. If that sounds like a challenge, then it absolutely is. =)
Good luck.
...
And yeah, I know. Quite the hook to get you to download, right? Mom always told me I was great with the sales pitches.
Thanks to OuterParadise for helping with some of the area design.
I wish there were more mods like this. I've played nearly all "popular" mods and a few not so popular once, but this is my favourite so far. Great writing and great story. I for once liked the ending, it actually made you think.
Posted by jet at on10/10/10
oh btw. if anyone ever finishes this module on HC all the way let me knw. must play on normal I think.. _________________________ Jet's Halfling Village
Posted by jet at on10/10/10
Really deep module here. totally interesting story, and let me say I played a lot of modules before this one but this kinda is unique. The conversations were too long sometimes yet, I wouldnt want it shortened in any way. ++ Spoilers ++ Didnt really get the ending til I read the comments in this page. I must say way unorthodox, yet thoroughly interesting. deep. profound. a must play. _________________________ Jet's Halfling Village
Posted by yldenfrei at on09/21/10
I downloaded this last year, but only managed to play it now, along with Asyphyxia. Where Asyphyxia goes the way of the OC with "save the world from evil", this one goes the way of MoTB, with the heavy heavy heavy theme (did I say heavy, cause it is, with a weight of ten tons!). Being cast on the other side of the heroic pond was a very nice move. Just as it is enriching to play Evil on a Good oriented storyline, the same goes when you play Good/Lawful in this Chaotic/Evil story (but mostly Chaotic, yes). And it wasn't linear at all. The circular storytelling, the constantly repeated lines, hopping from one mouth to another, the deja vu is so intense I was smiling all throughout. The battles were god hard. I was actually swearing at my computer a lot, I must have made Blood very proud. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable, though. Far from it. The battles actually give you motivation for that foul mood you'll carry throughout the story. Heck, I chose some grumpy answers just because I was so exhausted by the fights. To pour your personality as much as you can to your chosen player character would be mandatory to enjoy this campaign to its fullest. To be wishy washy with your answers would dilute the impact of many of the deja vu's that you'll come across. The way your old answers transform into new meanings is absolutely breathtaking. I was tempted to change my answer in the end when everything became clear, but I stood by my old answers and it gave an immense depth to my character, I literally cried at her stone-cold convictions. Long story short: Magnificent. ^_^ ===Juicy Spoilers=== *What? Did I hear it right? He sold his soul AGAIN? Ha! So he managed to die after all! Ha! HA! *Wait who was it that he really loved? Me or the old crone? Wow. He actually had a heart? *Whoever gave the idea of lighting the braziers anyway? And why exactly did I follow that order? P.S. I've been using nwvault since forever, but I just had to register now for this comment. It's THAT worth it.
Posted by cemeteryschild at on09/07/10
great mod!
Posted by valyrd at on08/23/10
Epic.
Posted by Kaeldorn at on07/21/10
I think you're correct about the reason why Blood has come to see Aelies and tell the tale, and I don't think it's sappy.. it's actually quite interesting. But it's only Blood's part, and not the sole 'meaning' of the story and the way it's presented to the player. I think arch nemesis' message of 'snap out of it, get real and see things for how futile they really are' and him having the last word opposing the player's attachment to dreams and fantasies is at least as important. It's not for no reason that Aelies is borderline out of character almost half the lines that he speaks. Anyways.. that's the beauty of it, isn't it? The story has more facets/meanings to it, and we each find another that strikes us hardest. That's philosophy for you ;)
Posted by eternal_icefire at on07/26/10
AHA! I think figured it out! I think I understand the story... thanks to jumping back to the really early comments on the module and a book series I am currently reading. **SPOLIER** So thanks to the Oasis song list you left us, Ser Azenn (back in Oct. of last year), I went and listened to the songs until I was sure I knew the meanings and then went back and replayed Live Forever. I was pretty sure I knew it then, but I kept my mouth shut. When I was about to go on a trip a few months ago, I went to BN and bought the first four books of a five book series my friends recommended. Within the early pages of the first book, I remembered Live Forever. Why? Because the narrator's predicament reminded me of Blood. The narrator of the story in the series can't die due to the fact (from what he says in the first book) a curse laid on him by the main female character minutes before her death (and it sounds like she did it because the narrator abandoned her). The only way he can break the curse (and finally die) is to tell her story in full and tell it truthfully. I'm currently on the assumption (but I'm not positive; I don't own the fifth and final book nor have I read it) that the narrator is the guy that is in love with the character that curses the narrator before she died. The narrator reminds me of Blood. So, what I'm saying basically is: It's a very well hidden love story. Blood love(s/d)the main character. The reason he tells the story to Aelies and returns the gem is so he can *finally* die with a clean conscious after abandoning the main character to their death and taking the gem for selfish reasons. *****SPOILER OVER!***** So... can the bashing on my theory and myself begin for having a sappy girl moment / theory?
Posted by Kaeldorn at on07/21/10
To Skree about the ending, this is what I made of it: The last words that the villain tells us basically summarize the message that the whole story was about. It was all 'just' a fantasy. The hero never really existed and was a figment of our imagination. Something we created in an attempt to be something meaningful. It's already hinted at in the final few words that Blood and the villain (the embodiment of realism, as opposed to his brother who lives in a world of elves, magic and dreams). If you think about it, reality effectively kills dreams here. That's the real ending of the story; what would have happened with the hero is made irrelevant. It's left in the dark on purpose.
Posted by Kaeldorn at on07/21/10
I just finished playing this module, and I'm still baffled at how brilliant it was. The psychological/philosophical aspect, the picture that is painted of faith and dreams versus the harsh, cold and cruel pointlessness that is reality is far more sophisticated than any game's story has touched upon in years. I'd level it on par with Planescape: Torment, or perhaps even slightly above, as the entire time I played through this I not once felt like I was experiencing 'filler' content. Including the combat, which was almost always meaningful to the story and never brainless. The tactics used did remind me a bit of some WoW boss strategies from years back, but that doesn't matter one bit, because that part of the game (and this mod) was well-made and refreshing compared to your average RPG combat strategies. Progression was just right and every fight was challenging, but manageable. For the record, I do not share the author's outlook on paladins, I actually admire the ways of the really good ones who aren't full of themselves. Because of that, and probably because I fall into the desperate dreamer category, I was struck by the conclusion with a certain sadness. It was really a slap in the face.. but that was exactly what was intended, I believe. This story was enticing. It had merit. To a realist, it would still be one big joy-ride to laugh at how 'silly' dreaming, fantasy and wanting to be a hero is, with top-notch dialogue that is very often cynical in ways that most game developers these days wouldn't dare. These must have been some of the best hours I've spent in my life. And I've never rated anything on the Vault this high yet, but here you go.. this one was a masterpiece. Genuinely groundbreaking. A 10 :)
10 - A Masterpiece, Genuinely Groundbreaking 9 - Outstanding, a Must Have 8 - Excellent, Recommended to Anyone 7 - Very Good, Deserves a Look 6 - Good, Qualified Recommendation 5 - Fair, Solid yet Unremarkable 4 - Some Merit, Requires Improvements 3 - Poor Execution, Potential Unrealized 2 - Very Little Appeal 1 - Not Recommended to Anyone
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