Noman

56 minutes ago, Amira The Hot Potato said:

I think what they are saying is they expected Infestation to be a different story(??) It's not. The main story plot will be the same as the original GF2 but there's more lore and things added

yes, that is what i thought. Thank you.

I know the funamentals should be the same but the story is too, so far. I downloaded the demo from Steam.  Shanti is taking me to Drypeak to see Zachary and Barzall, one of whom is supposedly dead. Minor quests of find the smart servile, find bars of iron. kill 3 bad rogues in area.  I am hoping the story will change soon. I played Mutagen and enjoyed it but do not want to play it again.

The demo for Geneforge Infestation is very much like Geneforge Mutagen.  So far there is only a small difference even as to the quests.  I thought it was so familiar that I installed Geneforge Mutagen and took a look. Yep, much the same.  What gives?

On 12/18/2022 at 1:23 AM, Mechalibur said:

You don't need that many levels. My latest torment character ended at level 18.

 

I think airshock is very good, even for shapers. The stun chance is the same regardless of how many points you have in battle magic. The base damage is also perfectly acceptable even if you don't have a bunch of bonuses. Dominate is probably even more useful though.

Thank you for everyone's help.  I am out west now but it seems like I only have two choices:  Kill hordes of enemies for very little experience or go east and get killed by the Sholai supermen. Maybe I should try the Agent to see if there are any powerful spells available to them. The Sholai seem to have the best of everything and my top of the line creations just get destroyed quickly. Daze and Air Shock are useless except on low level enemies--I have tried them many times. Maybe an Agent has some abilities to counter the Super Sholai?  Or maybe I am just a bad player. But I have tried over and over with different tactics to no avail!  Frustrated!

15 hours ago, Mechalibur said:

No. Bite is strength, the ice blast (and Swoop and Ice Breath) are based on magic.

Ok, that makes more sense.

So if my Cryoa takes a bite out of somebody or shoots him with a cold spray then both are considered magic? 

Cryoas have 2 or 3 magic upgrades. What value is this since they use a cold spray weapon only?

2 hours ago, Randomizer said:

You need to find other areas to explore that will still give experience and some quests. Try heading west. There should some places where you can fight and gain some experience.

 

The Front Gate is a hard area and is meant to be avoided. If you joined the Taker faction, then you can walk in, but otherwise you can get overwhelmed at the gate as Shoiai pour out unless you can keep hitting them with area effect attacks.

 

Airshock and other attack spells aren't as useful to Shapers because you put points in Shaping skills and not the ones to increase magic damage. This game rewards specialization and not being able to do most things.

 

Good luck.

Thank you. But it looks like I'm going to need a great many levels. 

A shaper on Normal difficulty with 3 cryoas and 1 drayk. At level 14 with all creations built up as far as I can go. It is very hard to get any experience now because I am too advance for most enemies. Even the Sholai give only a little experience. Finally got Airshock but it seems to be rather useless as it only does very small damage over a large area, nice for killng low level enemies but get no experience. Just found an area call 'Front Gate' and was slaughtered by many high level Sholai.  To all you people banging through this game on torment--How do you do it?  I'm bored killing tons of enemies for no experience. Thank you.

Played several Avernum and Geneforge games but on this one I can't figure out how to light a candle for light. Same with food, how to eat it? I think I have tried everything! 

7 minutes ago, alhoon said:

Did you get the XP and rewards? If yes, then it is a minor issue. 

Yes, that is why I have never mentioned it here. It is minor.

I killed the spawner and reported to the woodsman in Pentil but the quest is still in my journel. I read somewhere that this happens sometimes for other quests as well.

2 hours ago, BenS said:

The Servant Mind shuts down the chronic poison/acid dmg you take from walking around, but not the red pools which will nail you if you get too close. Still, Essence Shield and healing will see you through that. I don't know if you've left this area yet, but there are some worthwhile things there.

  Hide contents

There's an Airshock canister in the SE; a quest item upstairs in Deep Records Storage; and a Mica Band (ring) on a body in the NW (as you or I would consider NW, not the game's weird mapping convention)

 

Thanks, I agree, the game does have a weird mapping convention. There doesn't seem to be any reason for it either.

3 hours ago, Randomizer said:

Go through the south control area with mechanics and talk to the servant mind to  turn things off later. 

 

Essence shield and protection will reduce damage, but you might want to stay in combat mode just to have time for healing if you are taking too much damage and not paying attention to fixing it.

I don't know why I didn't see that southern path before. However the Servant Mind said he would shut down the defenses but the red pools are still there. Of course I could go up that path to the exit but rest of the area is still too deadly. I guess there isn't anything there worth exploring anyway. Thanks.

Any tips on how to survive the Vats area? All those deadly vats kill me very quickly. They seem to be everywhere with no way through.

1 hour ago, Randomizer said:

The mind only shuts down the outer crypt pylons so you still have to deal with more.

Not on the easy difficulty. He shuts them all down doesn't he?

I think there is a Mind that will shut down the pylons if you feed it.  Those continually spawning things make it hard enough without the pylons. I really hate areas like that. 

42 minutes ago, stilltim said:

I had a similar problem on my initial playthrough. I found both of the orbs, but managed to lose one. Fortunately, I had some mid game saves to go back to.  I don't know of any way to reset it, though.

 

What I can say is that (if it's similar to its function in the original Geneforge), the Inner Crypt (which this door gives access to) is not essential for finishing the game. It's just a really hard zone (maybe the hardest in the game) that can give you some extra experience before you have to face off against the thugs at the Guarded Docks.

 

The original GF2 had a similar near end game zone that had two objects as keys. Lost one of those too. *!@%^*

I am really good at forgetting to keep an extensive log of saves so I can't load one. I may have sold the first Orb by accident.  Inventory is so limited and there are too many items I wanted to keep in case I might need them in the future. The Orb probably went in my junk bag. I never finished GF2. I like Mutagen better.

3 hours ago, TriRodent said:

Scroll down a little bit to the "Spiky Silver Orb" thread...

I remember killing the starving thadt but no orb. I just went back to the Western Wastes and searched all over with no luck I don't even have the other orb. I've done most of the areas too.  It is boring to kill creations for no experience! Thanks for the help.

There is a door on the far side that won't open. It is one of those blue doors with circles on it. Does it lead to another area and why won't it open? This area stays red so it must be the door as I've cleared everything else except the continuing respawners which can't be stopped.

On some mines there is a gray spot, as we are told. What does this mean?

6 minutes ago, BenS said:

Did Alonzo by any chance (I doubt it, b/c it was a special item he gives to you per the quest line) drop a key? It might be the only way to enter the Barrens Bunker to the north, where 2 related quest lines end in spectacular fashion. I would hate to think you can't get in there at all b/c he's dead. Check your Special Items for a key (don't remember the exact name but it might be as simple as Barrens Bunker key), as well as the area you fought him (not likely to be there but...). If by some chance you can get in there now, you might not be prepared for the 3rd & last Ascended--assuming you can even get to her (there's a combat path, and a non-combat path). If you do get there, don't worry for now about the empty underground area. That will be the culmination of the Servant Mind's quest line, and one of the most memorable fights of the game later on, IMO.

 

I really hope you're not cut off from that area, as I too hate missing things.

I  just checked my special items and yes there is a key called 'barren key' Alonzo must have dropped it when he died. Jeff doesn't miss a trick.

21 minutes ago, BenS said:

Um, do you have a save before entering that area? Ascended Alonzo is part of an interesting quest line, that starts w/ a different Ascended in an area just to the E of the Inutile Village near Ellhrah's Keep. Once you get the item Randomizer noted above in that area, the serviles won't be hostile to you any longer. The Servant Mind has his own somewhat related quest line.

Looks like I should have gone to the Ascended Lab first but it is too late now. I do not have a save.  Actually I forgot about that Lab. I see that I shouldn't have killed Alonzo but he left me no choice since I didn't have the feather. Wish I had known this. I hate missing things. Thanks anyway.

I got to the Barren Research area and was greeted as usual by hostility.  Killed a few serviles and went a little further only to be murdered by a gonzo named Alonzo. I went away to stock up on stuff to hurt him came back and won- barely!  Alonzo was worse than any monster in the game. Anyway I went to talk to the Mind then over to the Ascended Hall. A voice greeted me and wanted to talk but there was no  one there. Anywhere. Where is he?

5 minutes ago, googoogjoob said:

It depends. The "mine with waving feeler" sprite is used for three different types of mines. One type (probably the rarest overall) is clustered in a group around a yellow crystal- these you can deactivate by interacting with the crystal before it goes off, and passing a Mechanics check. Another type can be deactivated by using a spore box in the area- which may or may not require passing a Mechanics check to use, depending on where it is. The last type can only be deactivated by detonating them remotely with a spore baton of the appropriate color (nb: the color of the mine's sprite doesn't necessarily indicate which-color spore baton will detonate it), which doesn't involve Mechanics at all.

That's what I wanted to know. Thanks.