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alhoon

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Everything posted by alhoon

  1. Thanks. I think that's a reasonable answer and it certainly fits the place. Whether it's the only reason or not, it certainly is an important reason. When Alwan is holding the line literally, sending people to die over easily accessible by sea failed colonies in a desert is a waste. Even Taygen admits his place is low priority.
  2. So far, I find Unbound EVERYWHERE in the Dera Reaches. Is there an explanation on how there are so many so far from the Drakon fortress? Don't tell me please, just tell me "yes and you'll find later" or "no, it's because of the assumed success in the first attack". The shapers from what I've seen have more or less abandoned Dera Reaches to Taygen's camps and inefficiency as he makes and remakes creations. They hold the town, the fortified Eastern zones ... and that is it so far. Everything else is packed with rogues and Unbound. I even found an Unbound kept in seclusion by Cryo-drayks, feeding him lots of stuff. I killed the Drayks aaaand... the Unbound started running around. He was close the gate to one of the concentration camps for creations that had NOTHING to save them from the Unbound except of bound creations. Even a couple of the Cryodrayks could take that place down. And the Shapers had the wondrous idea to make a pylon-field outside their city that stops everything except Unbound. So the place is literally crawling with the things. Inside pylons so I can't get everywhere. Thankfully my creations ignore those pylons too.
  3. Well, if we assume that the academy starts at 16 instead of 18, and that it's 4 years because it includes the necessary brainwashing (which is easier done in younger ages), Alwan would be 19-20 in the start of GF3. Now if we assume that after the academy, squire-like training along with the stuff you mentioned after the end of the academy, the period of "shaper prospect" as called in GF5, it could take a few years of menial jobs along with training under a full guardian that has 3-4 prospectives. Probably at that time they narrow down their training, focusing more in one area. That could be 3-4 years or so. However, a post-academy guardian-in-training, could see some action. So for Alwan the period was probably cut down and he was serving his "post-academy" training under guardians on the field cause of his actions in GF3. There he could have been distinguished, progressed to full Guardian within 1-2 years of such service and then... serving as a guardian and rising through the ranks in the 7-8 years that follow till GF4 starts.
  4. According to the description in GF5, he is young. So was Greta in GF4 and GF5. According to his story as told by him and as told by others (his yesmen but also Greta) he's young and after GF3 he more or less joined the Shaper army and rose in ranks. There's also another young Guardian, very young, leading a fort in GF5. Hence I don't think Guardians go to all these "Extra" studies. Probably serving as well as training. Like squires did or a similar place. I.e. while Shapers may spend years after academy in menial tasks and then advanced training, I think that for Guardians it is academy, service\training (like squires) for a couple of years and then at your 21-22 you are a low-rank Guardian. Alwan during the special circumstances, and having proven his loyalty probably skipped part of that. As for Litalia, she's insane and she has shaped and de-shaped herself. So pinning her age is not possible on appearances and her memory and reliability is low. From the into of GF5, the rebellion is at its 10th-11th year. Later we learn that the Unbound are around for about 3-4 years. As such, by the intro and narrative, GF5 should be 11-12 years after the start of GF3 and 10-11 after its end and 3-4 years after GF4 end.
  5. Just set foot in Dera Reaches. The cannister madness returned but I managed to hold it off. I see, right away, that Taygen's faction is not for me. I met some serviles, beaten every day for being serviles. It will be quite hard I guess to raise my standing with shapers (Shaky as it is right now) in this place. In the Oasis, everyone gives me grief about my creations. Taygen's consort though, seemed nice. Taygen himself, while radical, doesn't seem hateable either. I don't like his laws or mostly, how they are enforced, but so far he's like a weird old grand-pa. For the time, I prefer him from Alwan and he's miles ahead of Rawal. However, as far as shapers go, I would consider Taygen a borderline shaper; not for the consort but for his views on creations. I believe after the war ended and things settled down, he would be considered heretic and dangerous and would be disciplined by the rest of the shapers. So... how are Trakovites hunted down for their dangerous ideas but "Taygenites" are just frowned upon? Because Taygen is a councilor and nobody wants to risk opening another front yet.
  6. I don't think I would need something so high. I'm at level 44 and I would bunker down in the essence pool and start going Moseh, sending out high level Drayks boosted by my items that raise their stats. It would take some time, but I would probably clear up the "cannon fodder". And even without "cheat-making dozens of creations by the essence pool", I test-attacked Alwan's fort at my level. It was suprisingly easy, even when my 4 creations were surrounded by 12+ guards and serviles. I didn't play the whole thing cause I just did it to see how it goes, but I could kill 2 guards per round. And if I decided to really go crazy, I would have made a couple more creations to soak attacks. But I agree. Why it had to be THAT fort and not the one with the snobbish guardian and shaper?
  7. If Vener (a captive in Alwan's castle) is to be believed, Rawal saved my character's ... life so be it. The way Vener describes me, with skin completely like wax, glowing eyes, face shifting all the time, completely lost in madness... that's worse than Litalia or Shaila (the lifecrafter gone mad in GF4). It reinforced my decision to NOT partake in cannisters any more. (I have already used like 8-9. I stole lots from Gazaki Uss. A very powerful spell and all level 5 creations. I walk around with a Drakon, a Gazer, a Wartrall and my trusty Cryora as a mascot) Also, I completed the Secret Access Road quest for the Drakons... and next time I passed by fort Rockfall it has already fallen. A pity. I liked the budding romance between the commander and the pretty merchant Felicia there. I was sorry for two things. First is that I didn't take the fort down myself and second for the death of those two. Let's hope that they survived although I consider it unlikely. QUESTION: How can I access the forge in there? The lock is still closed and I can't find a way to open it. Should I go aaaaall the way up to enchant my stuff?
  8. A drakon gave me a quest to kill... Litalia. And not tell Ghalding cause he will kill us. According to the drakon labmaster, when she told Ghalding about Litalia being a "Traitor" he was so enraged that he nearly killed her.
  9. I had the same question and I was told it makes a very minor difference. You may go canister-mad on a single encounter I am told. Yet in several discussions I am told that I have yet enough control (I don't consume many canisters) but it's not like it makes a difference.
  10. Many good times in those games (GF4 and halfway GF5) that I've played. What springs to mind is the following: GF4, being called a freak for having been changed in order to throw a small bolt of fire and able to shape Fyoras and a couple more things by someone who: Is kept alive by essence alone as he is nailed to the floor by large crystals and supporting machinery and draws out the lives of captives to feed his power. Yes, that guy called me a freak because I had touched the geneforge and 3-4 cannisters. Also, he told me that I'm an abomination that shouldn't be allowed to exist because of my illegally and unethically way to gain power. That from the guy that turns sucks the life out of people, including his own faction when they came to bring him to sanity in order to gain more power. Another memorable scene was when, in GF5, I discovered who was the leader of the Trakovites! (I won't say it because it's a spoiler) And another one, kinda sad one, was in GF4 when I decided to absorb my trusty drayk, that we have been together through a lot, good and bad... because I could now make Drakons and needed to free up the essence. Also, unlike other creations in my employ (wingbolt, Kashyyk) Drayks I've met were always sentient with a strong personality. So, I had to kill a trusty companion just because it was convenient. And I did. I felt so... shaper at that time.
  11. I Went Moseh on some Kyshaaks SE from Perikalia. I made 3 plated clawbugs with so much dex (thanks to my items and boost) that the Kyshaaks have 0% chance to hit. I have them with 0 int, so I sit by the corner of the zone and press end turn while my clawbugs destroy EVERYTHING unhindered. It feels so ... shaper right now. Moseh (without being nailed to a machine or drawing life from serviles) for the win!
  12. She's not reliable source about anything except being totally dedicated to a cause, kill, kill, kill... and abandoning it after a time. Shaper, she massacred tons of Drakons and Drayks. Rebel, she attacked a school and helped create the Unbound. Trakovite (with tons of creations, mind you) and already asked me to do an assassination for starters. I love her I may go Trakovite after all (I know I will at some point; I plan to go as far as possible unaligned and then try varous factions)
  13. LITALIA IS TRAKOVITE NOW! ! ! She gave me the usual "chilling talk" that I have come to expect from her. Hints on terrorism. Trakovites fighting back. That's the same Litalia that in GF4 wanted the Trakovite Drayk, bless be his hide for telling me how to stop the Unbound without dooming the rebellion, dead AT ALL COSTS. That had given orders for Trakovites to be killed among the rebel lands on sight. That she was shaping herself to power and then shaping herself back to humanity... That's the same Litalia that I tried to convince OUT of building the Unbound and was losing influence with the Rebels as she was trying to convince me that the Unbound are absolutely needed and she is 100% behind them. We're not talking GF4 Greta's "well, I don't like it but we have no alternative" we're talking bat-crazy hag being 100% behind the plan to unleash the Unbound. And now, Litalia tells me how she was disgusted by the Unbound and how she fears her friend, cowarrior, other-hand-of-the-rebellion Ghaldring has shaped out his sanity for power. Also, for a Trakovite haven, there's a heck of a lot Kashyyks, Tralls and wingbolts. And she admits that she will shape to protect the trakovites. One shaper is an army. And Litalia is powerful, tactical, intelligent, zealot and insane. Trakovites are more than a nuisance or they will be soon under her. She brought the rebellion up and along with a rogue drakon, the shaper empire to its knees. And now she starts again. Strong speech by her. She seems to really care for Ghaldring... but I'm not sure she won't ask me to kill him (don't tell me please). She's bat-crazy. And yet, some of the Trakovite creations say the right thing: "Drakons are turning to shapers". Now I am, again, torn between Astoria, Litalia and Drakons. Litalia out of loyalty from GF4. And for opposing (finally) Ghaldring. And because you told me that Trakovite path is moderate. What a glorious, glorious game series to make me ponder for hours which of those imaginary (but deeply developed) NPCs I will fall behind. To forge personal loyalty with, to want to know their stories deeper. Hadn't have this much fun with an RPG for years; I've read books that seem to have less story to say than these games. BTW, Litalia told me that I have the power to control the cannister madness, or that I have learned to do it. NOTE: I'm 95% sure that GF5 starts 10 years after the rebellion began and 4 years after the Unbound were unleashed. In her story, Litalia made it sound as if she and her buddy Ghaldring were mass-shaping for years before the attack on the school, I would say GF3 is 7-8 years after GF2. So I think we're like 18-19 years after GF2... but if Drakons were around for longer then it's hard to pin it down. NOTE2: Both Litalia and the narrative hint we have been enemies in the past with her.
  14. I found an old Drakon in a crypt, very old apparently, one of the first created. He's against cannister mass consumption (and he told me to do the same) and accused Ghaldring of being shaper-wannabe. My question is... how long ago were the events of GF2? In the beginning of the game, we're 10 years or so in the rebellion. How can a drakon be "very old" already? I thought we were like 20-30 years from GF2
  15. I found it in this forum, this link http://spiderwebforums.ipbhost.com/index.php?/topic/21737-geneforge-graphics-enhancement/
  16. Hi! Welcome here. I'm new myself. Good luck to your project. May I suggest you use the mod for Geneforge that updates the graphics?
  17. QUESTION: If I attack Alwan's forts (for the XP and loot, I don't mind the people there) do I go Auto-rebel? It makes kinda 100% sense for everyone to consider you an enemy of the Shapers if you go berserk and take down a whole fort... but, I have to ask just in case I can soar up some nice XP.
  18. I haven't played G1 and G2, but from what I heard in GF4 and in Penta, the awakened serviles were all about "we are sentient creatures, we can coexist with the shapers if they let us"... like Penta does. The very existance of Penta is a testament to what I think awakened work for, although the serviles there think that one day or another a Shaper will come by and kill them all. I also haven't played GF3 (more than a few mins that is), but in GF4 the character, while important enough to be there, is not the one making the plans AT ALL. They are made by zealots and fanatics. Alwan plans to destroy every last rebel. Drakons ignore everyone and decide by themselves to kill every last shaper. You are left with a switch. You either doom the rebellion or doom the shapers with Trakovite option (a single batch of Unbound) being the most moderate. I wish there was a more moderate option; something like convincing the Drakons to create batches of 50 Unbound instead of 100, that would wither and die within 3-4 weeks, instead of having a lifespan of years. Back to GF5, I am conflicted between going for Astoria and going for the rebels. I want to kill Rawal (haven't met shaper Taygen the mad yet) but I don't want the Drakons to win; they will just become as bad as the shapers. I was also thinking about my, kinda naive, "let's kill X councilor real quick cause I really think he's bad for the world, but I'll side with Astoria" Agent Astoria (or any councilor) may want some of their rivals out. I doubt that includes "Dead". Even if it does mean they prefered some of them dead... what about the hundreds of other shapers? To kill Rawal for the indignities he brought on me, I'll have to cleave through his (innocent) guards and assistants. Then, word that "the treacherous freak in Rawal's employ killed him!" would spread like wildfire! It's not that shapers need a lot of convincing to turn on me. No councilor, even those that agreed with the act, would be even able to stop his or her guards from attacking me. If anyone tried, he or she would be branded rebel\traitor. And again, it's not that the shapers are hard to convince to call others traitors (i.e. Astoria).
  19. Well, considering that Astoria says "You're too close to the shapers, I can't trust you" it seems the developers thought the same. If you're too good with the shapers, Astoria doesn't trust you. Hence, Astoria is oddly...the moderate. For both sides.
  20. Ahem... I figured the bad way that I need to remove the control tool first. I have guessed he would go for the autokill option, but I wanted to see how much I could harm him before he did that. QUESTION: Rebels = Ghaldring only? No moderate rebel faction, like Astoria is for the shapers? I thought there would be Shaper harsh\moderate and rebel harsh\moderate + Trakovite or Rawal
  21. Ahem... what's that quest I got from Rawal about a possible Trakovite Councilor? A disease to wipe out all creations (of course myself with them)? Has everyone got really, really mad? That's near-Monarch level insanity. And I say that after going for the Trakovite ending in GF4 (because I didn't like the Unbound, not because I'm against shaping) EDIT: I defeated the Unbound! An army of them (ok, that's 6-7) holed up in the castle! I also found materials to make artifacts. I have artifacts and items to give my creations a ton of bonuses to their stats. New creations I can make are about the same level as most of my leveled up ones. I could banker up next to an essense pool, keep my high lvl war trall and send out waves of creations to slowly whittle down defenders from the security of the room. I.e. I could play Moseh-like I am unstopable now. Should I go kill Rawal now? Or he will kill me with the command tool automatically? If I kill him, do the shapers turn upon me? Oh well, I'll see. I'll save the game and attack him.
  22. I Met with Ghaldring. Except this time he proclaimed himself lord of the Rebellion. He was less annoying than usual (despite the tests; they were less demeaning than GF4). "We heard about a powerful shaper coming out of nowhere, acting as an unaligned agent" owww... He even didn't do his test stuff on me when I told him I'll be insulted. Flatery from Ghaldring. I am top-notch. And yes, I see what you were all saying about the cannister background. For a Drakon to say that... he talks to a non-human. My char was a cannister junky to a degree that Drakons consider him valuable. Hence, I am, indeed, a creation. Greta had a lot to say about the Drakons... including a warning she gave "His Arrogance" Ghaldring that when the war is won, ALL of the rebels will be free, whatever the Drakons think about it. Or they will face a 2nd rebellion. Well, it wasn't a secret but to listen her say it to Ghaldring's face... Again... I had to play hide-and-seek with the Unbound. Unbound mk-2 actually. Akhari Blaze had trouble enough containing the Mk-1 ones in GF4 and those seemed more powerful\crazy. It's TOO great a risk. For everyone. If a couple of them slip out of control in the rebel lands, there will be loses which would trigger more Unbound becoming rogue prematurely as their handlers die. And if 10-12 Unbound break away... there will be ruins this side of the Line too. I believe Ghaldring is lying about his offer of truce. The even-worse Unbound are being tested. I believe he plans to break his own truce in a year or so, after having slipped a few Unbound and Unbound mk2 (or mk3, why stop at 2 after all??) in the shapers' lands. The part that he was lying to me when I was talking to him, doesn't give him much credibility anyway. This made betraying him for that awesome, awesome creation str+4, dex+4 belt and giving info about the Unbound mk-2 and the castle (as if Shapers will ever reach it) easier. That belt... I can't pass it up. Now, with my Kashyyk, War Trall, veteran Drayk and high level, boosted Cryora and that nice nice belt... I can finally try to fight the Unbound. Those beasts were hunting me for half the game. Now it's payback! Another thing: Alwan kiiinda recognised me. Greta knew about my memory loss, acted as if she knew me; Ghaldring too. My character considered Greta very familiar but couldn't remember Could it be that I'm playing a GF2 or GF3 shaper? (don't answer me please! It's a rhetoric question) Servile stuff: I met Mekhen, the servile that helped me in the very beginning. The one I -did not- betray to Rawal. She told me that after the first year back, she was more a worker than a spy, that servitude is bred in serviles. That shook my loyalty to Astoria. After all, Astoria is a shaper, even if a peculiar one. Also, she agrees with me that Rawal cares about power and not to squash the rebellion, he's not a big threat (yet)
  23. I want to cry... I passed up a Rotgroth cannister. Well, it's still there near the grave of that Gazer with the 6-7 weird things (thanks for that Rebels) that I had to fight like 6-7 times to win without losing anyone of my trusty creations. But at the tme, I have found a shaper to train me in Kashyyks, so... Anyway. I found a spellcasting outsider serving Rawal inside rules-crazy Alwan's city! I hope that this guy's mention of "resources in the foundry repository" means books or stuff and not cannisters for shaping his followers. Like Rawal gave to me once. And it's the geneforge in the basement too... So, things start to look quite bad for Rawal. He's teaching (at the least, quite possibly shaping) outsiders to use magic. Not just "freaks" like me, but outsider humans. Of course, Rawal being a councilor (till I kill him!) he may actually say "I'm a councilor so I declare that person eligible to learn a little of magic". But I have the STRONG suspicion that Rawal trains (or shapes) his followers without any regard of the Shaper law. To surmise my feelings so far: - Rawal is not interested in the least about shaper law or values, he's just interested in power and quite possibly enforcing "Rawal Law" instead of Shaper law if he wins. He's immoral and powerhungry and if left unchecked he may well become a great threat to the land. - Alwan is a fanatic. Loyal, willing to bend the law as long as it's done to win the war. He 100% believes in the shaper laws but he seems to think that to win the war, exceptions to those sacred laws must be made. I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of a victorious war he may request to stand trial for his crimes. - Astoria is... sensible and realistic. She betrays SOME of the most sacred shaper laws but she does it because the situation seems to be "change and humiliation or total annihilation within a few years" - Rogue, non-rebel Drayks everywhere cursing the Drakons. But tidings for the rebelion. In the light of this, I think that Astoria's is the best way. Not even a "least bad" way, but a good way. Shapers keeping control of most of the land with more respect to creations while Drakon plans for annihilation of anything shapers hold (and the majority of other life) fail. Other stuff: I see ruins everywhere. Drayks are opposing the Drakons. Unbound give me a merry chase through half of Mera province. Agent Astoria wants to deal with the Drakons (through me). General Alwan is willing AGAIN to trust an outsider that according to his beliefs should not exist. A shaper gal, in Alwan's land studdies barred creations. And Rawal... Rawal ignores every shaper law in existance. When I saw the "rebel" ending in GF4, I didn't think that things would go THAT bad.
  24. Really? I had dialogues of "You seem not that much affected by cannisters" I get here and there and there are times that I get a "you manage to keep your temper down". But I guess cannister-madness doesn't affect everyone the same way. Monarch went completely bonkers \ megalomania GF4 hero flew into rage Litalia was... weird in GF4. Jared lost his humanity to the point Drakons considered him shaped enough for respect. GF5 got Amnesia... So, aside of one encounter, I won't have any problems from cannister use? I consider "dialogue interruptions" as problems even if they don't get to combat. (and yes, consequences aside I would totally take a cannister for War Tralls and I already got one for Drayks. I will also get Gazers and Drakons, consequences be damned)
  25. I would like to add, that at the point you hit the door, stuff happens. The AI takes control of your character and creations as you walk in the room and stand nicely around Moseh. Perhaps it doesn't find the character if the first slot is empty and goes ????
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