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Well, Emily wasn't exactly a normal human by the time we meet her. It might depend on how she was altered, and what was used as a template for the modifications.

Thank you, I'm glad google works for this. I didn't try that because I was under the impression that the Geneforge wiki was incomplete/dead, but I guess not. That makes the detail work for this a lot easier.

Lord Rahul's wife is Lady Anjali. Yes, she is a Shaper. It is really not hard to google these things. Fifteen seconds.

You're being conspiratorial! Aren't serviles not quite the same as humans, biologically? Why did it also affect Emily?

I mean, that is how diseases in the real world work. The thing that makes a pathogen cause disease has something to do with host cells, and is therefore species-dependent.

You could be right, though I could have sworn Lord Rahul's wife was one of the primary loyalist trainers in GF3. I'm not in a position to really check though.

I don't remember anything like that and from what I remember from Taygen's info, it is deep romantic connections that are frown upon.

Then why did it affect only serviles?

Yeah, but that wasn't an engineered disease, as far as I could tell. It seems to have just come up from people living in a swamp, which sounds normal to me.

Could be, unless the Geneforge is powerful enough to flat out nullify the oath magic, then there would be truly no stopping of Trajkov

"Recently"? MattP hasn't posted in more than 16 years...

Doesn't Lord Rahul in GF3 have a Shaper wife? I thought it was marriage to a common that was looked down on, as with Taygen, for info-sec reasons.

You know, this is something of a lore anachronism, but given the new lore concerning Sholai oath-magic in G2I, one could hypothesize that Trajikov's behavior is being moderated by the terms of certain oaths he took before his expedition. One would expect his superiors would want to hold him to certain rules of behavior, assuming the geas described can be used in that way.

To be fair though, I always thought that Trajkov being able to handle the Geneforge is rather unrealistic, even shapers could go mad when they use the Geneforge, how long can Trajkov keep it together before he too suffers the same fate

If it run in families, there would be very few Shapers left, as they strongly look down on families. You create life though magic, not through nature! So, I think it is not purely inherent talent because then it would have been "bred out" of the population. PS. I edited my post above after you posted.

I wonder if that is because they are creations? After all, it is possible to upgrade your own creations after making them without apparent ill-effect. Perhaps beings fashioned from essence are more adaptable, less likely to lose themselves? It depends on just how Sucia-tech and its process differs from traditional Shaping. Also, drakons are born with the ability to manipulate essence. I wonder if in humans, that runs in families, or if it is a purely learned skill?

There is crafting, but you have to bring certain items to certain characters. As for the notes, there is a character in Barzahl's shaping halls who will take them. Be warned that if you go in there without being a Barzite and get spotted, Barzahl and his followers turn hostile permanently

That Trakjov's madness was not blatant, doesn't mean it wasn't there. I agree that he handled it well though. As for the "from a Doylist perspective, this has to do with the fact that the exact effects of self-Shaping developed over the course of the series" ... the PC in GF1 becomes more detached than Tuldaric is, a powerhungry psychopath. After you use the Geneforge and go to the continent you see even Shapers as insignificant insects. And the other Shapers that use the Geneforge if you didn't destroy it are the same. Terrestia is ravaged by 12 Monarchs. I have not seen the Barzhite ending of GF2-I but I doubt Barzhal becomes as mad as the GF1-M protagonist. I read in the endings that even Goetch the Shaper that the Sholai stole goes ballistic and lands with a huge force and starts tearing stuff up. Thus... yes, Trakjov seems to the be the one handling it the best from humans. Even the much Lauded GF4 protagonist, that uses a different and lesser one goes mad when he or she downs several canisters. The Drakons handle the Geneforge and the canisters better. And from GF4 (Litalia reigns it in albeit remaining irrevocably lacking empathy and being mad to the end of her days). There is also ample evidence that Shapers are not having a full house up there to begin with. Think of it: They are arrogant, extremely powerful, can create life with a whim and they are reigned in by a very rigid set of laws. Then, Canisters / Geneforge. That's already breaking the laws. So, a Shaper that is ready to do it (Rawal) has already removed the "breaks" (obedience to one of the most sacred parts of Shaper Law) before he even takes his first canister. And he or she does that ... for power. So, again, we already have an individual with the afomentioned traits removing the breaks in the quest for power. Then, we have the progressive lack of empathy and cannister addiction. Addiction makes people do things they wouldn't do and take risks they wouldn't take. Lack of Empathy on someone that can create life with a thought will sooner or later translate on "Life is expendable, cause I can replace it". The thought of "Oh, a car killed your dog? I will replace it with a better dog!" but for people. All those are there BEFORE the madness begins for Shapers.

That's too bad. I've consulted his walkthroughs many times, but I come here when I start feeling frustrated. 🙂 Does this game have crafting? I noticed there's an anvil in the remake. Also, does anyone besides the starting alchemist need herbs? I finished her quest and I've been saving a sprig of wiry moss just in case. If anyone can tell me who buys research notes, I'd appreciate it.

Trajikov is one of the key examples of someone handling Geneforge tech remarkably well, better than any other subject, in fact. Of course, from a Doylist perspective, this has to do with the fact that the exact effects of self-Shaping developed over the course of the series, but given that Jeff saw fit not to change the endings for the remake (with one exception, in the loyalist ending), it points to the exact mental effects of the Geneforge depending on one's starting point, physically and mentally. In fact GF4 reinforces this, with the protagonist not being mad despite using a Geneforge, albeit a reduced one, from the beginning. Given this, I have to chalk it up to Trajikov not being a Shaper, either technically or culturally, and thus having a different mindset, just as the GF4 PC was a commoner beforehand. There is something about Shaper training, and its worldview that mixes poorly with whatever heightened mental and physical state the Geneforge and canisters produce. Relatedly, there is also evidence from GF2 that the negative effects of canister use can be ameliorated up to a point by spacing out use, and giving the subject time to acclimate.

Litalia shaped the sense out of herself with the canisters much like Master Hoge, albeit to a lesser degree. The canisters can cause the user to go insane, especially one who has touched the Geneforge as shown very well in Geneforge 4. That's part of why the Shapers prohibit their use

MattP hasn't posted recently, at least with his old account. A pity since he did such detailed game guides.

But it is not just in GF3 though; in all games a disease is mentioned. I mean, in GF2-I there's a big quest to fight a disease.

Great! Thank you. Does MattP post on this forum? I would like to thank him.

Ah, I haven't played GF3 in almost a decade, nor did it really stick with me. Thanks for the reminder!