Yoav

Fun... I find it hard to wait. Too bad there's still so much time to wait for it... Especially since I'm a PC user. For both nostalgy and discussion purposes, here's a (very very long) mail I sent SpiderWeb about a year ago: Quote: Hello, I've played all three games in the Geneforge series and want to add to the many compliments you have probably already received for it. I spent much of my so little time playing Geneforge with enthusiasm, and definately the games' playability are their strongest quality. Although I liked 'Geneforge III' less than its predecessors, You do seem to try and supply the user with more small game features with every new version. As adequate in a feedback, here is what I would like to see in the next Geneforge, should one ever be created (Even though it does not currently seem likely). I think some of the following can greatly improve the game's playability, some would contribute to its reliability and some are just plain neat. This is rather long, I hope you are ready...: 1. Authority and control - Since powerful Shapers can many times gain control over some rogue creation, of even one of a less powerful Shaper, I think a change in the whole control system in the game could be in order. Now a creation's owner is always predetermined, outside of some specific creations you could take over with Leadership skills or temporary uses of the Dominate spell. I think that every creation should have some 'loyalty' quality or something like that, depending on its intelligence, creature type, creator (level/skills/etc), the distance from its creator perhaps, the creations around (type/owner) and specific circumstances. If it gets under some limit, the creature might go rogue. If it gets even lower and a powerful Shaper is around, the creation might choose to join him/her. This quality may or may not be visible to the player, but I think it would add a new dimension to the game. I envision some very powerful Shaper going through a land full of very weak, rogue creations (the such that would barely give any exprerience anyway) and just collecting them all by gaining control over them, to later use them as an army against some other strong enemy. I also see a Guardian with weak shaping skills doing most of his/her fighting by hand, since creations wandering too far go rogue or join the powerful enemy Shaper. Finally, a moderate Shaper might choose to create a strong but smart Thahd and not a stronger Clawbug, since the enemy Thahds are more likely to join and army of other Thahds. Or perhaps a mind-tricking Vlish would contiribute. This may possibly add more only in advanced parts of the game, and should not take effect too often (A player would not like to start the game with its initial Fyora going rogue), but might add some very interesting aspects. It would be more interesting but much more complicated if these effects would remain when one travels (going to another area). 2. Guards and Ambushes - One of the important things points RPGs, in my opinion, and indeed one that seems to have received some attention in Genefore, is giving the player the feeling that his/her actions affect and change the world, that he/she is not playing in a static environment. Here is an idea to greatly improve this, in my opinion: A strong Shaper might be able to leave a loyal creation to guard some area (not in the current map), just like enemy Shaper many times do (e.g. Litalia leaving creations to guard over entrances to important locations, and many other examples). This might require some very high skills like authority, creature intelligence and perhaps extra essence (maybe leave an essence pod?), however. Since it seems the next Geneforge might be in much of a war setting, this might prove useful in both protecting areas and making the people of a town like you more (or less, depending on who the guard should protect...). I do admit, however, that this feature might be somewhat problematic in the current style of the game. 3. Mines and Traps - I think that the ability to create and place mines would be very nice, since it is related to being a good Shaper, and most players feel that they are quite good Shapers (e.g. in 'Geneforge I' after you use the Geneforge...). This might be very useful in intercepting patrols or tricking enemies that are strong but foolish. In addition to creating them, a player with good Mechanics skill might be able to change to behavior of a mine (i.e. to only damage creations, or even ones of a specific type). The same might go for pylons and other living traps. This feature might simply add to the variety and reliability in the game if it is limited to the curent area (i.e. your mines disappear/go back to their initial behavior when you travel), and might otherwise join my previous point (2) in changing the style of the game (e.g. one could plant mines in the entrance to a town if an attack is likely). But again, this change in game style may not be wanted. 4. Creation Intelligence and Abilities - I think creations should be able to do more than just fight (and sometimes suicide on mines for their creator). It seems logical that in order to well infiltrate a city of hostile Drayks, one would create a very intelligent and loyal Drayk. The Drayk might be able to talk others into believing things a Shaper might never be able to (since they hate Shapers). In the extreme, a powerful Shaper might simply be able to create a Servile (and the implications of this need not be specified). A smaller change but still useful, is finally giving creations the ability to use spells like a Shaper - the player should be able to choose from the spells the creations can case, and not just choose between a ranged and melee attack letting the creation use its default attack (e.g. a Terror Vlish might have several mind spells to choose from). 5. Skills and Learning - I think a very nice ability would be to learn not only from people and canisters, but also from experience. This means that if you kill or even see many Cryoas and inspect them, having a high Fire Shaping skill might enable you to learn how to create one (or improve the type you can already create). It seems logical that a powerful Shaper would be able to immitate creations seen elsewhere. Perhaps some new skill might contirbute to this ability, such as 'Anatomy', but this may also pend only Shaping skills. This would greatly improve the game reliablity and playablity in my view, as well as simply be fun. Another option to this, second in betterness but yet nice, is giving ability points as well as skill points to let the user choose what to improve (given that the Shaping skills are adequate of course). As I said, I like the other option much more. 6. Small Issues - There are several things in the game that simply disturb me in that they seem too artificial or just annoying. One reliability issue is the fact that killing a store owner would give you close to nothing whereas giving him/her some money would give you rare equipment, or the other way around. I think any store should have its entire gold and equipment available to thievery (quietly) and robbery (by force). There are many other game features that might help to prevent a player from abusing this (e.g. guarding the money and equipment in some safe near the store with a sealed door and traps, but it must be synchronized with what you buy/sell!). Another reliability issue is the use of boats and the such (in 'Genefore III') - it is not very logical that a simple boat (not a hard-to-anchor ship or such) would only be able to take you to one specific place. Perhaps the whole use of boats is problematic here... Some annoying feature in 'Genefore III', in my opinion, is the 'special' areas to which you cannot travel. I think every area change should be available in the travel map, even if it originates in the center of an area... I think the improvement of creations gives no reason to want to keep or help a specific creation, since even given unlimited experience, your creation can only get as far as your essence permits - or in other words - as well as you can create a new one. So one would usually absorb a creation and go to some friendly town to recreate it. I think that if creation experience would become more relevant, and if improving your creations would not require any essence, you would try harder to keep your creations alive (and not send them to their death to clear a path of mines), and sometimes send them to train by killing weaker rogues, etc. One would also likely invest more in creating an loyal creation (accroding to my point (1) to keep it for along time, thus encouraging a player to act like a responsible Shaper and not some crazy human with Shaping abilities. Finally, the ability to Shape during battle seems important. If enemy shapers and Spwners can do it, why can't I? You could limit the abuse of this feature by taking many action points for such a thing, or requiring a relatively quiet envorinment (e.g. the Shaper is not attacked in the relevant round, etc.). Perhaps creations created in battle should also be weaker, since the Shaper can give less attention and concentration. And as introduced in 'Genefore III', maybe a very strong Shaper should be able to create Fading creations that would waste essence (i.e. use up an essence pod) and disappear in travel or such. That's it! I hope there would indeed come a 'Geneforge IV' anytime soon, and that you would consider my suggestions for the very least... Thank you for your time! Yoav.