alhoon

Very good!

Hmmm? I don't remember him. Is he the guy that teaches Spellcraft in the early parts of GF4? Can he shape or he's just an unapproved mage?

Monarch? Closer than Bennhold to Lifecrafter; rogue Shapers are in the perhaps-they-count group.

Academically, I was trying to think of non-Drakon Lifecrafters in GF4-5. Perhaps make a list. Some like Jared are clearly Lifecrafters. Others... I am not sure if they count.

The clear ones:

- Jared (GF4)

- Greta (GF4-5)

- Shaila (GF4)

- Burkes (GF4)

And the perhaps-they-count ones:

- Sage Olipha (GF5). Not a Shaper, not geneforged, studies on how to Shape creations, has canisters. I would call him more of a unaligned shaper-wannabe than a Lifecrafter personally.

- Footracer (GF5). A Servile with a control tool that allows her to Shape. Supposedly fights for the Rebellion although she and her bunch are more like bandits connected with the Drakons through mutual dislike of the Shapers than actually allied with the Rebellion. Not sure if she counts because the control tool allows her to Shape.

- Litalia (GF4-5). Well, she was a Shaper and Shaper-trained, but has gone canister-junky. I think she counts as a lifecrafter.

- Bennhold (GF5). He doesn't Shape in combat but he has a ton of creations in his lair that don't hurt him so... perhaps he is a Lifecrafter after all? Personally I would put him in the same category as Olipha even if he could Shape.

- Talis-Eye (GF5) (perhaps I have the name wrong). Non Drakon but not human either. Still, it can Shape and is\was a rebel. 

- The Rogue Mind in Control Core B (GF5). Well, it can Shape and it is against the Shapers... I would count it as a traitor Shaper though and not a Lifecrafter. 

- Monarch (GF4). Shaper trained because of his age but against the Shapers (and the Rebellion). Still, he makes the "perhaps he counts" list.

I probably forget some. Anyone willing to help?

Welcome. This is the Geneforge forum, another series of the Spiderweb games. If you don't like the older-fashioned games, I would suggest, in fact strongly recommend as awesome, GF4-5. They're "new enough" for me.

Although I have to say that even though the older games in the series are clunky, the story is very entertaining.

If I may ask, how do non-meat eaters (Vegans and vegetarians) fare in the rights of creations?

Told my sister my GF2 adventure while we were in a road trip. Down to explaining the different factions etc.

She seemed to like it most from the GF stories I've told her so far, although that may be the case that I spent a couple of hours telling her my experience with GF2 from the beginning to the end as a story instead of telling her this and that while playing the game.

She didn't agree with my view on everything (including my unmitigated hate for Lying Zakary the Deceiver) despite hearing the story from me, without any effort from myself to give her an unbiased view and certainly not about LZtD. She also didn't share my admiration for Tuldaric, disagreed with my view that Shanti had to die and doesn't understand what appeal I saw with the Takers. Yet, aside of some diverging opinion on the above we are in agreement with my sister about most things GF2-story-wise.

Thank you for the trouble. 

If I may, what is the correlation (if any) between cat-people and coffee drinking?

On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 3:14 PM, Samcast said:

The two files within the .rar file.

 

One file the G4itemschars contains a rework (not balanced after realizing to late) for the Pyro-Roamer into a guardian roamer

 

The other file is z2upStronghold or something (sorry i forgot), this grants the user all creations at their basic level just for opening a door and entering. 3 points into all creations. I wanted this to be balanced but having end game creations doesn't really allow it. But still hopefully it makes a fun run through for people who want to try all creations at a balanced level (I believe)

By trainer mod, I meant the one that grants the user all creations...

Personally, I was stunned by the large number of people that avoid coffee and to a lesser degree those that don't consume alcohol. I frankly expected a 0 on no-coffee and 3-4 on alcohol.

I would also be interested to see how it correlates to guns, if it's not too much work.

Thank you for the efforts.

Could the GF4 strategy central thread please be updated to include these mods? Or at least the "Trainer" one that gives all creations? 

And a suggestion for the trainer mod for GF4: Perhaps change the "here you get all creations" point from "opening a door" to ... using the Geneforge for the first time?

Version 2 added!

Changes:

- Rebalance of some creations (Like the Plated Clawbug) to bring their functionality closer to their essence cost.

- Added Therion and the two versions of the Deadeye sisters.

As an outsider, I would like to state my opinion:

I feel this thread about an optional survey nobody was forced to take or finish, has turned (again in my opinion) too hostile and political.

8 minutes ago, Blink of Terraxia said:

Also, alhoon, you keep editing your posts to tone them down after other people have already replied to them.  It just happened with your post above and Lilith's response.  While I applaud the thought process there and use it myself, it works a lot better if you do it before you post.  Once someone else has read your post and replied, it's a little bit like pulling the rug out from under them to go and edit your post.

That's because after I type them and I read them I think "Oh, that gives the wrong tone" and I correct them. I try to polish them up before post for some time in the forums here, but answers are coming too fast for me to put a post, read it carefully, read the post I quote again. It is a habit I have from chat messaging.

@Triumph: Those labels are why I put "conservative" as my answer. It is because I am a conservative not as the explanation suggested but as a person and by the definition the label "conservative"  usually means (i.e. to describe social conservatives). Since I assume the results would be given in the graphs like the previous one, I didn't want to be put in the "liberal" side because many people may mistake that as socially progressive while I am socially conservative.

@ADoS: that's a good idea but truth be told, "My post was a crappy mess" or "my post was half-finished and poorly thought" which is the reason I usually edit, is not really complimenting.  

@Lilith:

Oh, you're right. That is a mistake. It should have been "some of the questions could be clearer " there. I didn't intend to make it sound as a demand. To my defense, I hopefully made it clear by now that it wasn't a demand.

15 minutes ago, Lilith said:

 

I don't see any uproar. I see people disagreeing with you. Since you've made it known that you're unhappy when other people characterize your own statements in ways you don't like, please try to remember how that feels when you're about to hastily accuse others of making an uproar.

I didn't mean that there are people with pitchforks coming after me. I wondered why after I made a clear post on the survey being American-based, there were two posts in a row reminding me that it's American based, with one post making the erroneous claim that I make demands and complains even after It's  clearly stated in my post that these are suggestions for possible improvement. "Uproar" is an exaggeration. "You are making complaints and you demand everyone else tailors their comments" is not an exaggeration, it's an erroneous accusation based on a poster's personal (and wrong) opinions about my posting habits.

You sound more worked up about this than literally anyone else here.

Really? I am not worked up, I was just taken aback by the accusation that I habitually make complains and demands on others to tailor their comments according to my styles. 

I find that since that remark is both untrue and paints me (falsely) in a bad light, that I shouldn't leave it unchallenged, i.e. explain that I didn't do that. Which I did with a post that quoted the part that I believe explain that.

The responses you're getting are from people who would happily improve the poll if possible, but who are trying to explain you... that the issues you cite are inherent hazards of cross-cultural communication and can't really be "fixed." People want you to know there's no America-centric discrimination going on.

Which I find strange that I had to be told, twice, since I have put that in my post at the first place.

Ironically, in light of your comment, you're the one whose responses have come across to us as upset, and we're trying to calm YOU down. That may not be at all what you intended, but it has sort of sounded that way. Maybe we're all just confused about how much any of this bothers each other?

Thank you. I just wanted to make clear that I find the Survey OK, that there was no need (at least for my benefit) to remind me the obvious since I have actually put that in my post and that I don't demand others to tailor their remarks nor that I make complains about my incomplete knowledge.

4 hours ago, alhoon said:

It was not a bad survey and as the Author of it said, the forums are American-based and so is the Survey. 

I never said it's a problem. I thought it was a clear "if you want to improve it, perhaps... " Nor I am the only one that mentioned it is not as easy for a non-English speaker, despite me clearly stating that in an American-Based forum so would be the survey. I don't understand the uproar here. I suggested a possible improvement. You don't like my suggestion? Don't adopt it.

6 minutes ago, Triumph said:

Actually, Alhoon's definition is a passable summary of what is sometimes called classical liberalism. Now, at least in America, mostly the only people who would talk about "classical liberalism" these days are history / politics nerds, but he's not crazy for associating "liberal" with such views.

I am used to discussions where Liberal means economic liberalism.

And before anyone hits at this, no, I am not complaining nor I "demand" that the forum would adopt that definition that few of the posters have encountered.

46 minutes ago, Blink of Terraxia said:

Isn't this standard operating procedure for being on the Internet?  Especially when you visit a site where most people have a different set of life experiences then you do?  I'm having a hard time seeing a problem here.

 

you have missing knowledge (due to not wanting to play G1, and missing parts of other games) but that leads you to complain and to demand that everyone else* tailor their comments to your unique situation.  That's just not how communication works.

 

*Including games that came out 14 years ago.

"Isn't this standard operating procedure for being on the Internet? " Yes as I said in the last part of my post.

"That leads you to complain and to demand that everyone else* tailor their comments to your unique situation." Care to show me how a "I googled it and it was fine, as is the survey! Thank you" = complain and demand for everyone else to tailor comments to my unique situation?

I don't think I am the one missing the point here.

12 hours ago, Triumph said:

I am curious what aspects of the poll you found "US-centric.

I am not sure it would count as "US-centric" but certainly it could use some improvement for people that haven't caught up with all the nuisances of modern life or English language.

Certain things like "Uber", I have not encountered before. I didn't even know what that service was and I had to google it. Another example is the word liberal. It has different meaning in much of the world than presented in the poll (Little government oversight of economy, free market, few regulations, low taxes). Another case is the distinction between "Vegan" and "Vegetarian" (I eat everything so I didn't check it).

As I said, perhaps it has to do more than I am 35+ than with not being an American. 

However: Google helps. I may not remember the word for Uber-like or Lift-like companies but I became a bit wiser. It was not a bad survey and as the Author of it said, the forums are American-based and so is the Survey. 

Well, there's a reason I stayed within the GF games only (aside of finding them very cheap in a sale and buying the bunch for a few $$), and that is that the world of GF allows me to make my own party... literally. That's different and very original from the "default" fantasy world. What I mean is that while for example Pillars of Eternity had memorable characters... I kinda lost interest in the game after a few hours. With another game, Tyranny, I was a bit more invested and clocked ... 15 hours? 20? About that. Once upon a time, I spent... 30-40 hours on Skyrim. That was a game I liked a lot but I find it hard to remember any particular NPC. I liked the graphics, the leveling system, the crafting... but the villains? None comes to mind.

I doubt I will forget Monarch, Taygen, Moseh, Litalia, Ghaldring, Rawal, Learned Pinnar, Greta, Alwan, Astoria, LZtD, Master Hoge, Lankan, Dubi-? (OK, I will never learn his name, but I remember the character), Lord Rahul etc for many many years. I mean, I am discussing those fellows with people that haven't played the game. It is not that rare that I will talk to a friend that is vaguely aware of the game about say politics and say "that politician should go easy on the canister abuse!" or about blow steam about my students (I am a Teaching Assistant) in the Uni and say "there are times like this that I find I can't 100% blame Litalia..." (I am kidding, I love my job and my students; but they are damn frustrating at times). And that pic Triumph sent about the "best defense" on a Thesis? I had a discussion (prep-talk) with a student before he defended his thesis and I said "Look, you have nothing to fear; they could have big scorpid-like creatures big as a table there and you would still manage to defend your work!"  

With Geneforge (except GF3) I have finished the games I have started. That is rare for me. GF5 I finished with most endings. GF2 with all the problems I have with it, I plan to finish it with the Takers too to learn more about Drayk ~> Drakon and their geneforge (OK also because I liked their flag!). And we're talking about a chain of games that for GF2-3 I found the gameplay downright annoying and for GF4-5 just passable but still clunky.

And yet, I finished the games, spending 115 hours (I clocked) in GF5, and ~80 in GF4 because the world felt so original compared to the average fantasy world, and of course, because the NPCs.

1 hour ago, Narrow of Cobblestone said:

This isn't the first time we've told you this, but you have really wanted to hope it happens sooner.  I don't blame you for being so eager, but this is the reality.

As we say in here, "Hope is the last thing to die". I will try to repress the memory of "in a couple of years" too but I think it is futile at this point to deny that 99% it will be indeed, late 2019.

Actually, what do you guys prefer? A new game completely or a remake of GF1 in a new engine? I vastly prefer a remake of GF1.

(Not that I am suggesting the opinion of 5-10 people out of 50K-100K that have the games matters, just academically speaking)

1 hour ago, Narrow of Cobblestone said:

FWIW, once Avernum 3 is out, Geneforge 1 is the most likely target to receive an update.  That said, I would not expect it to be the next release after A3 -- that will probably be a new game.  (And of course there's no guarantee Jeff will stick to past patterns and do G1 at that point, even if it is our best guess right now.)  So I would not expect an updated G1 until 2019, probably late 2019.

 

Also, I would expect significant game mechanics changes when it is updated, so even if it looks more like G5, it might not play like G5.  That's been the case with all of Jeff's previous remakes (Exile to Avernum, Nethergate to N:R, and Avernum to Avernum Remake).  And remember that G5 is already 9 years old and will be 11 years old, at least, by the time any G1 remake hits.  That's over a decade of time for Jeff's design sensibilities to change.

Late 2019? I really hope you're wrong here. I don't think I can hold off for so long. Recently I've tried playing other RPGs but I find their worlds and characters somewhat lacking in originality. And I find that I miss the "comfort" of the Shaper/Rebel divide, or for GF2 the No-creation-rights / Creation-rights divide.

As for playing as GF5, I don't mind as long as the screen is bigger, the inventory is not a horrible pain to navigate, items that are essential are not the same color and icon as other stuff, I can see the value of things I pick up instead of having to walk to a vendor, there are no misleading "dex affects chance to hit!" etc.

Frankly I liked all changes I saw in gameplay from game to game (or at least I don't remember any problem). GF3 plays better IMO than GF2. GF4 than GF3. GF5 than GF4. Speed? I prefer the GF5 version. Way to show the creations? Prefer the GF4/5 version. Leveling creations? Prefer the GF4/5 version. Inventory? Prefer the GF4/5 version. etc.

So, I am really optimistic that a GF1-remake would actually be better for my gameplay preferences than GF5.

2 hours ago, Owenmoz said:

 

 

Lmao but for real even if they feel clunky and hard as games I really think you should just finish them as they are. Of all people here you seem to be the most invested 

in geneforge lore. I think you'd really benefit from it.

I hear that here often enough... I also was told that most people like GF1 the best, even if they didn't start there. It is damn tempting, but I hope to hold out, slooooowly itching through the rest of GF2 and GF3 till there's an update of the game. I would buy it even if it costs 30$ if it's in GF5's engine. I won't wait for bug-fixes and stuff. Let it crash every 2 hours for all I care.  

As for disruption, in game mechanics yes, I understand what it does. I don't know if it's Shaping or normal mages can do it. And even if only Shapers can do it... it is very rarely used. I only recall Rawal using it. And the follow-up question of course is... in all those instances when you "unShape" a creation, breaking it down to essence... do you actually use disruption?

I understand that GF1 would tell me much about Lore. However, based on moderately disappointing amount of lore present in GF2, or the difficulty of finding such lore*, for the new creations (for me! Don't jump to attack me all of you early GF-lovers! Personal opinion), I am not sure  I will get enough. I have resigned by now that my personal tastes are not the same as the author of the games, especially in the early ones.

Characters... I disagree. All games I have seen have very distinct characters. The good, the bad and the in-between. I may hate them as personalities (Rawal, Taygen, Lying Zakary the Deceiver, I-decided-I-don't-like-people-so-I-will-kill-them-all Monarch etc) but they are the people you love to hate. It is a great part of the appeal for me in the games frankly. The system? That I can't say I like. The story? Very good. The characters? Memorable and very good. The world? not-as-much-info-as-I-want but very... original. Seems well thought.

I so, so much want the author to use a better engine. Or at least the GF5 version. Given proper funds (which are unfortunately beyond a one-man-studio), I could easily see these games reach the success (at least in cult-status) of Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment.

If I win the lottery or something, I would certainly try to fund Jeff for a few months to convert GF1 to GF5's engine before the other games he seems intent to update first.

*Example: I found out why we don't see Rotdhizons often even when tier 5s are routinely around. They are crazy according to one servile in an area that I may well have overlooked that told me "Go calm that thing there. It is completely bonkers. Unfortunately, that's the default Rotdhizon. Not one that got crazy" and I went "ohhhh, that's why there are no Rotdhizons seen along with rots in later games!".  I am absolutely sure there is more info hiding in places in GF2 that I would really love to know.

I guess that is part of the "mystery appeal" many of you like.

I don't have the full list but:

In Geneforge 2 it is iron and shaper equipment. In GF4-5 it is research notes. GF5 also has swamp herbs.

16 minutes ago, rist said:

A bit of experimentation suggests that mines do energy damage. Only about 80% sure.

Some mines do different damage. But in general yes, I found that resistance to be quite useful in GF2.