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Let's Play Geneforge 5


Blxz

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No rush, I enjoy the fact that you keep posting in this thread at least. Breaks up the monotony of having my name stretching down the page. And a Happy New Year to you and the rest of the forumites too. Enjoy what is left of your holidays (if you still have any).

 

Meanwhile, for anyone up to date, come check out

where I finally encounter a very polarising figure from the previous two games. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about her, but time will decide what I end up doing with her.
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I liked her message of hope…that you could overcome the arrogance and lack of conscience induced by canisters and geneforges by not using them for a long time…I was inclined to cut her some slack because I assumed her worst crimes had been committed under their influence. I will say this: if you join the Trakovites, you don’t have to give up shaping your own creatures (and you can still learn to make them elsewhere).

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I liked her message of hope…that you could overcome the arrogance and lack of conscience induced by canisters and geneforges by not using them for a long time…I was inclined to cut her some slack because I assumed her worst crimes had been committed under their influence. I will say this: if you join the Trakovites, you don’t have to give up shaping your own creatures (and you can still learn to make them elsewhere).

 

That is good to know. I am not a skilled enough player to go through the entire game with nothing but cryoa and vlish. I can barely make it through the current zones without huge casualties (as becomes more evident in upcoming episodes).

 

Anyway, I really, recommend you postpone joining a faction as much as possible.

 

Considering I don't know how to join the Trakovites yet I think you can rest assured that nothing will be happening on that front for some time. But I will take that advice onboard; normally I am keen to join a faction as fast as possible. But I've seen that this can tend to limit the amount of content available to me as the game goes on. Might hold off for a while yet.

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Watching episode 21. I'm... a dozen episodes behind hence a good 2 movie-time behind. I remember that zone. A pain in the butt if you ask me, but I got a couple of things that were nice. I don't remember what. I was that pathetic back then.

 

Anyway, I replied here to say this: I actually laughed out with a comment: "I wonder if I can take an Unbound on". It was -right- after it took you 3 attacks to kill a Vlish. That, was indeed funny. No offence, I'm not ripping at you. I was, as I said as weak back then. And as cocky.

 

I still think you should raise leadership a bit.

 

 

EDIT: Oh... that sneaky Unbound. Taking out all your group in 2 rounds without taking damage while you were luckily away was probably the answer to your question on whether to fight an unbound with cryoras...

:)

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I know. I love this game series. I've said it before in other threads but it just feels like Jeff knows exactly what I'm thinking as I play. That Unbound turning up was just icing on the cake.

1, 2 and 5 so far are the definite best installments. 3 and 4 were a little average in my mind.

 

Regarding leadership, I waver back and forth a lot on that. Currently I am 'for' more leadership but no doubt that will change again soon.

 

And in video related news,

is out now. I'm trapped behind enemy lines with a depleted force and confronted by a spawner. This one was a real challenge.

 

(also, as a side note, I have finally received my new microphone so expect future episodes 35 and onwards to finally get rid of that annoying background hissing noise)

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I have to say this: Nothing like waking up from an afternoon nap, brewing a cup of coffee and watching someone duking it out in the unkind world of Geneforge with a host of Cryoras while the coffee works its way into your system and you get ready for your afternoon activities.

 

Watching episode 22.

Suggestion: While I may be too late for the party, being 14-15 episodes behind so far, I would suggest finding a nice empty house somewhere you have easy access to, and dropping the crafting materials so they don't clog your inventory. I did this in Penta.

Suggestion2: I had the healing sandals on my inventory and wore them when I needed the extra healing (to cast group spells etc) while usually I wore other items.

 

An important one: Be -VERY- careful with what artifacts you make! The order in which you use the items matters. I hope I told you on time.

Frankly, I would suggest checking a guide first to find out WHICH artifacts you want to make (names, not recipes) and then once you find the recipe, experiment; if you don't get the proper artifact name, don't make one.

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Watching E23.

I like that you started naming the episodes BTW. I kept the clover boots (and the captain's shiv) till the very end of the game. Was swapping out the boots often, but you never know when you'll need that extra stealth.

It's especially useful with the Unbound. You can sneak up right past their noses (so to speak) with those boots

 

Howdy! 6 creations. You're a gang boss now. :)

 

Episode24 has a problem around 5:08 for about a minute and a few shorter problem around 12:30 and a bit later

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Thanks for the comments. There have been a few issues that I've been unable to prevent in a few videos lately. The recording software has been shitting itself and I've been fighting it a bit. I think I have things under control now but please let me know if anything else seems out of order. Sadly I picked it up too late to fix it and I can't go back and re-record.

 

Regarding artifacts, I haven't made any yet. Unsure why the crafting order matters though?

 

And for future you,

is now active. I can feel a boss fight coming on. I've played enough spiderweb games to get the boss fight feels.

 

EDIT: And I would like to apologise. I have become aware that episode 36 is corrupted from the 18.30 mark onwards. This is unprofessional and I can only apologise. I believe that it is fixed for later recordings such as the upcoming boss fight. Sadly I cannot fix episode 36. Will be more vigilant in future. Maybe you can be generous and attribute it to my newbie recording skills?

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I am not sure why it is different, but it is. When I mean crafting order, I mean this:

 

Purified something + material A ~> minor artifact A

Purified something + material B ~> minor artifact B

minor artifact A + material B ~> major artifact AB

minor artifact B + material A ~> major artifact BA

 

Major artifact BA is somewhat different than AB!

 

What I mean? To avoid spoilers:

Assume AB gives a +3 bonus to piano skill and a +2 to playing the harmonica skill.

BA would give a +3 bonus to Harmonica skill and a +2 to piano skill.

 

You usually get an inkling before hand, as in A gives +2 to piano and B +2 to harmonica skill. But it's not uniform for all artifacts.

 

That kind of thing. So, be VERY careful when you make something. If not sure, and you don't want to just check from the web what each artifact does and decide beforehand what to go for...

Go for the artifact once you have both A and B so you can make both AB and BA. Or just take the risk.

 

If you want, I could tell you here what artifacts I consider best for shapers\lifecrafters. Or you could ask elsewhere in the forum, cause I'm not sure that I agree with everyone.

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I don't really need to know which artifacts are best for anyone, I'll muddle along and figure it out. What I would appreciate though is if you notice I have gone past an area and missed an important ingredient. At the moment I am a little concerned that you are asking me about artifacts and I am still 6-10 episodes ahead of you and haven't found ANY special ingredients.

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I'm trying to avoid using any guides on this playthrough. Hence why I have probably missed a lot of things. I'm always happy to accept any advice offered by viewers but if you want to withhold then that's also fine.

 

And the next episode is ready.

.

 

Fair warning, this is the last episode with lag and freezing issues. Most of it is fine but it does go wonky in a few parts. I've spent a long time tinkering and testing the next few episodes and it appears that from 38 onwards the issue is fixed. Needed a full reinstall of OBS and a host of other changes to undo the damage from the latest update. There is also good news in that I have a brand new microphone that is being used from episodes 39 and onwards so my voice will be much clearer if no less terrible.

 

Enjoy.

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You haven't missed many things, I don't remember where I found most ingredients... but I remember where I got -one- ingredient and you have missed it. :)

 

Or more accurately, avoiding spoilers: I have done a quest you have avoided yet about at your level, using stealth, and got an ingredient. I had my first artifact IIRC around the time AFTER I was in the Stoneworks. I think. Not sure. I've forgotten the order a bit, which is a reason I like your videos. Remind me of stuff.

 

About the freezes... as long as the golem fight you mention is not wonky, I'll enjoy it. The golem fight was ... memorable. Not that much because of the (great) difficulty, but because of the other revelations that you already know. I still remember the final moments of the ... person responsible for me fighting the golem.

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As a note: I don't pay much attention to your inventory. I have noticed that you have one ingredient unless I was mistaken at a time I have two.

I'll take a better look next time, but as I said, I'm not sure WHEN I got most of my ingredients. Keep in mind: I didn't use them all. :)

 

Before you move to the next area, make sure you have some awesome magic gloves (forget the name) that give lots of mechanics. I remember finding them... before I moved out of Astoria's province.

On second thought... at end game with ALL my "mechanics bonus" equipment on, I had 1 mechanics more than you do. :) You'll probably never need the items.

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Episode 25, around 1:40. That little storage there in Penta, with the chest, is where I dropped most of my equipment. Near the end of the game, I probably had like 40 items there that I couldn't bring myself to sell. I was throwing crystals and crafting material there, as well as swamp herbs and research notes. Oh, just watching it brought up... emotions.

 

 

Aah... learned Dominic and his speech of "I know I will one day die protecting this place from a Shaper". The reason I sold the papers to them immediatelly instead of poking around for a better price.

I liked his stoicism and realism about the situation and his life expectancy.

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Well, it was not memorable to me, like my first Unbound kill, that took me 2 reloads, and a stack of healing spores and curing spores + extra items to give boosts while I cast spells.

 

 

I have a ... suggestion for your strategy (while wathing episode 25, Penta). Perhaps you should postpone opening locks until after you explored as much as you can from a place. Talked to people.

You used living tools twice as I saw, for doors that would be opened in a dialogue.

Really, you have mechanics 12. :) If unlock (that works with mechanics IIRC since if you put on mechanic gear it unlocks doors that it doesn't without) doesn't open a lock... it's not meant to be opened yet.

As a note, with unlock 1 I could open all doors I could open with 1 Living tool and at 2, I could open most (but not all) doors that required 2 living tools.

 

 

 

 

As a note, I think there was something of great value (item or ingredient) in that geniously made escape route, that crosses an open highway right next to a fort that is described as "able to turn around a force of a dozen Unbound" or something.

But perhaps I confuse it with GF4.

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Episode 27, Kaz, with the Servile and the "junk" that happens to be speciallized shaper equipment:

I was pro-shaper at that point and leadership helped me out I think. I had no problem buying from him... although IIRC he was expensive.

He had materials that you could use in recipies to make a profit though.

 

Anyway, I always find it interesting that Kaz had someone selling shaping equipment to the rebels but no Shaping hall or something or any Drakon insulting you while making cannisters.

Perhaps they ship it to rebel lands to the east with those wagons and other Serviles.

As for the East side of the Shadow Road, unless I'm very mistaken it's FULL of mechanic checks. I couldn't clear it all. Perhaps nice stuff awaits there for people like you.

 

I feel quite ... glad that you bumped leadership to 8. It would be good to have a little more... but you'll soon start finding those infiltrator items that give leadership\mechanics bonus.

There are a couple of places, not more, that you get an awesome reward for having high leadership. For some reason... I remember GF4's such places and not GF5.

 

Episode 28 sound issues: If I make commend on the audio, now the sounds of picking up stuff and such are too loud. I thought to lower the volume on my PC but then I couldn't listen to your descriptions. I don't know how or if you can address that, or whether you want to. It was though kinda annoying in the anvil part.

 

There was no freezes in this episode that I recall.

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is up and ready. Minor issues with some new enemy types costs me part of my army but I've restructured and hopefully am coming back stronger. The shaper is still alive at least, that is the best part about having an expendable army. (I can feel myself moving more and more pro-shaper the more I play this game.)
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So a brief update on the series; I've formalised my release schedule for Geneforge as a part of trying to make my channel just a little bit more professional. As such, Geneforge 5 will update on every odd date (15, 17, 19, etc.)

 

Up until this point episodes have been coming out approximately 3 times a week and have been a bit random. Make sure to subscribe to the channel to catch the episodes as they come out. Of course I will still be posting links here in the evenings on the days when they come out after I finish work.

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is out in the wild. Enjoy the further explorations into Perikalia. This place is big.

 

In related news. I've been playing with the sound a bit in the last few recording sessions. It seems there is essentially no real way to control in game sound so I'm going to be recording my voice in a separate program and merging the files during the render process in order to finally balance the sound levels.

 

This won't take effect until after episode 49 since I've already recorded that far.

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I would suggest against that Blxz. OK the system wasn't perfect but it more or less worked. Doing what you say opens a whole can of worms that could lead to problems. For example, I'll find more disorienting a half-second delay than the loud ingame sounds. Please, keep doing what you do; it works.

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Sea caves? Never did that part.

 

They were pretty fun. I got wiped out the first time about 10 eps or so in simply because I had a Cryoa heavy build which is useless against ghosts. Some careful restructuring of the army has made my force much more potent but still vastly underpowered.

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They were pretty fun. I got wiped out the first time about 10 eps or so in simply because I had a Cryoa heavy build which is useless against ghosts. Some careful restructuring of the army has made my force much more potent but still vastly underpowered.

I did that once with some Cryoa builds and found attacking with them in melee lets them use their physical damage bite. Not the best fights, but it works.
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I did that once with some Cryoa builds and found attacking with them in melee lets them use their physical damage bite. Not the best fights, but it works.

 

Yeah, I did resort to that but coupled with being underlevelled for the area (based on my skill level) I really couldn't progress past the first mini endurance fight. No way I would have beaten the boss. Coming back though it was FAR easier than I figured.

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