Tips

[Merteuil]

As promised in other threads I am now going to try the first gene forge demo before committing to buying it or Nethergate. As such is their any immediate tips I can get from you guys? I'm going to look around in the strategy central area but I suspect a lot of that will go straight over my head.

[RainbowDashRadical]

Okay, assuming you want simple clear-cut answers, this is what I got. Yes, I recommend playing the demo first before you buy Geneforge 1. I would recommend starting with Geneforge 1, but if you decide you don't like it, go ahead and skip to Geneforge 4, or even 5 i you'd like. Experience with the other games aren't needed to enjoy them, and they both reflect back on the older games as well, so you won't miss out on too much. In my opinion, all the games are good .

 

Tip? Well what kind of tips are you looking for? If you have never played a spiderweb software game before, I highly suggest starting on the easiest difficulty. The games can be a challenge for a first-timer. Also, with any spiderweb game, there are certain choices you can make in the game. Those choices affect the game. So, before making any major choices, be sure to explore and cover all viable options you have.

 

Gameplay tips: I recommend having either a Shaper or Guardian for Geneforge. Agent can be tricky. Guardians rule on lower difficulty. And also, follow the strait-forward rules of any RPG, invest in skill points that match your characters strengths. If your Guardian can't handle magic, then don't put points in to magic. I'm sure once you play the game, things will explain themselves.

 

To sum it up: Play the demo first, and if you like it, buy it! Start the game on the easiest difficulty, and play either a Shaper or Guardian. (Shaper is magic/sorcery based, Guardian is strait up warrior with the ability to create monsters). If you don't like teh first Geneforge, then don't give up. Try the 4 or 5th! Or even the 2nd!. Don't try the 3rd, its not a good way to start the series. Let's just say Geneforge 3 could've been better .

 

About Nethergate, well I have no tips for you there. Never played it...and with the newer games from Spidweb, I don't think I ever will. Sorry about that .

 

But regardless of what anyone has to say, the most important thing to remember is: HAVE FUN!! If you don't have fun, then your gameplay experience was for naught.

 

~RainbowDashRadical

[Merteuil]

Okay cool thank you. I've no problem with the antiquated engine and graphics whatsoever and I'll be glad to start with the first. Makes sense to me seeing as they are sequels and the such. As for difficulty I'll probably start on normal and make saves every 10% of the game or something silly in order to have fall-backs in case I realize I've built my character all wrong. I've been able to figure out this is a good idea if not much else immediately from the strategy central. I am kinda looking at Agent though, seems if you want to be a pure-mage kinda person, Agent is the way to go. How much trouble am I in for doing this?

[RainbowDashRadical]

You aren't in that much trouble if you play Agent. I'll go ahead and tell you how I start out with my Agent build on Geneforge 1 (assuming this is the one you are playing)

 

The first thing I always do is make my primary target Spellcraft. I always raise Spellcraft first, and nothing else. You see the skill point system is very unique compared to the others. I won't go into much detail on it...but the important thing to remember is the 10-cap rule. All skills on the skill-tree of diminished in effect after you reach 10. First my 1/2, an then after level 20 (which I doubt you'll even reach) 1/3. So rule of thumb, never raise a skill past 10.

 

SO, get your spellcraft to 10 before upgrading anything else. You should be around level 8 by the time its level 10. Once that is done, I usually start focusing my points in mechanics and leadership. Get leadership to 6, and mechanics to 8. Well you don't have to do it in one go, just try to get it there before you reach Kazg. While you are upgrading mechanics and leadership, also level up your intelligence. You will want a good essence pool, else you'll be traveling back to town a lot to recharge (its not fun trust me ). I believe 5 is a good # in the beginning. You'll want higher at the late-game stages. (even middle game actually).

 

But yes, in the beginning, you focus on 4 skills. Spellcraft, Mechanics, Leadership, and Intelligence. Spellcraft is the most important. Its your bread and butter of the game. Its actually cool, because you'll start doing 70 damage with firebolt, more with searer I think. You won't need to put in points into Healing craft, since Spellcraft affects it too. You should be able to heal yourself for 40 no problem. And you'll save TONS of living tools. With such high spell strength on all spells, you'll be beast in almost everything . Also, if you can manage (once all those 4 primary skills look good), try to put a few skills in Melee skills. Its useful if you ever get swarmed and are forced to pick off a few close-ranged monsters.

 

In my opinion the Agent is a pretty fun class to play in Geneforge. Its just a bit harder the first game because you don't have very many spells as you do the later game (only 12 i believe, the others have like 30). But its fun nonetheless. You just have to be a little more strategic with your gameplay. I wish you good luck in your first playthrough .

 

~RainbowDashRadical

[Merteuil]

Okay thanks, that's exactly what I needed

A clear-cut guide on how to survive as an Agent in my first Geneforge guide.

[Student of Trinity]

In one way an Agent is a good choice for a first play-through. You probably won't build many creations, maybe even none at all, so you'll have less micro-managing to do in combat, and the game will go faster. Take Easy difficulty and that will be fine.

 

For the full Geneforge experience, you kind of have to play a Shaper at some point. Then you get to have some of those bizarre creatures on your side. Eventually you may be wheeling around a little army of seven personal monsters, and by cunning tactics, you can crush the enemy. This is a style of play that's much less generic in an RPG.

[adc.]

I recommend: Guardian.

I also recommend Shapers, but shapers are quite weak in Geneforge 1. Enemies can dismember you easily even when you're behind 7 proxies.

Shapers in Geneforge 1 can shape only a few creations, and they heavily rely on searer or burning spray for protection. Guardians are so tough at starting game that you can send them to the Moon in a blink or turn the whole area into Mordor.

 

Guardians can withstand damage from simple creatures and can usually one-hit-kill them. They can also shape at least one or two fyoras in the starting game for support.

 

But I recommend Shapers on Geneforge 3-5 as they've got decent resistances and a good health bar. They can also shape fyoras, which are quite strong too.

 

Also, another tip is, do not go east from Vakkiri, it will drive you insane. You must venture there when you are quite good with the game.

-----

-Nightwatcher

[Merteuil]

Okay, don't go east, noted

I'm going ahead and trying Agent and I made it to Vakkiri before I went to bed last night, I"ll probably start exploring that and seeing what happens for a little bit before I go to work in an hour.

[RainbowDashRadical]

If I recall shapers are practically the strongest in geneforge 1. And they can create way more than just a few. And shaping is much, much more powerful in geneforge 1 than ANY other geneforge in the series. Mainly because its system is unique than the others. When you raise your shaping skill monsters level up but their attributes are the same # as their level + what you added. yourself. For example, you create a thahd at level 8. It'll have all its attributes at 8 + whatever you added upon creation. In the other geneforges the attributes are half of their level. So you are very much rewarded for focusing in one shaping circle and are practically beast with a shaper. With 5-7 creations you ultimately do more damage in 1 round than any other class. AND its magic is decent.

 

Guardians tend to get tougher late game because the monsters are tougher and you don't have much magic to back you up. The first time I played it was Guardian But I didn't strategize my points right and ended up dying lots when approached the lands beyond Kazg.

 

~RainbowDashRadical

[griffin]

Isn't it don't go too far north? One zone north of Vakkiri is fine, but more than that and you'll be in the wastes. Though that's not in the demo anyways.

[RainbowDashRadical]

I've always wondered if its possible to sneak into the rogue wastes early in the game and grab a powerful canister. Though which one is usuable? And how to accomplish such a daunting task?

[griffin]

You can sneak all the way to the NW and NE corner important zones with a lot of effort and reloading I think. Though it takes forever and can be very frustrating (honestly I cheated with "clearthisarea" as soon as I knew I could get through both directions successfully). Getting Speed as soon as possible helps a lot, though I made it to the NW without it.

 

There's a couple places where stealth alone is insufficient (Drayk's Vale without speed and The Front Gate with it come to mind), but one can shape a fyora or two to distract the enemies just long enough to get by.

[Questionably Legal]

If I recall shapers are practically the strongest in geneforge 1. And they can create way more than just a few. And shaping is much, much more powerful in geneforge 1 than ANY other geneforge in the series. Mainly because its system is unique than the others. When you raise your shaping skill monsters level up but their attributes are the same # as their level + what you added. yourself. For example, you create a thahd at level 8. It'll have all its attributes at 8 + whatever you added upon creation. In the other geneforges the attributes are half of their level. So you are very much rewarded for focusing in one shaping circle and are practically beast with a shaper. With 5-7 creations you ultimately do more damage in 1 round than any other class. AND its magic is decent.

 

Shapers have strong creations in G1, but their personal survivability is very low, plus they have low strength, so you'll have to constantly head back to town to empty your pack.

[RainbowDashRadical]

Their survivability may be low, but if you use the landscape wisely, your creations should be able to keep you from getting hit. As for an empty pack, I always just keep the junk with me until it reaches the max of 20 items. Shapers almost always have 2AP, and my creations are strong enough to handle their own. I won't do this if its a harder area, however, such as let's say, Spirit City. Its important you can cast blessing spells in those areas.