Sleeping Dragon

Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba Dikiyoba assumes that canisters/Geneforges affect the entire body and not just certain parts of it (just because it is the easiest to imagine, really) I'm pretty sure that every cell in your body has in it the DNA with the instructions for your entire body, so you would be correct in assuming this. Slarty, sadly, there were no human survivors from Drypeak Valley (that we know of). So no, I don't think there has been time for anyone who has used canisters to have kids. Except for drakons maybe, but they are all so heavily altered, there would be no real control group for their children.

Everyone should do that at least once. For the full experience, you know.

Well, you are very heavily armed. Must be intimidating.

It depends on what you did the first time. Did you try cheating? Did you play as an evil person? Try wiping out all friendly towns? How did you play your original game?

The big difference for me is that the Trakovites support the independence of creations. They Shapers would be times times as tempting and as powerful if they would only see creations as equal beings to deal with. That, for me, is why the Trakovites are better. At least, in the absence of the AWakened.

So does Litalia. Regardless, I certainly won't complain if she does return in the next game. I just hope we can cut down on the humans who unquestioningly serve the drakons, that's all.

Originally Posted By: Ha$$oNiaN btw why no background music in the exile 2 file anymore?? =( You can find all the Spiderweb music on this site: "http://music.nethergate.net/". I love their music. Thanks to the guy that owns that site for keeping it up. Though it is missing Avernum 5.

I like artilas, but I find I have to upgrade me creations as I go through the game. I usually stick with magical creations, ending up with eyebeasts and gazers at the end. Magical creations just seem like the most interesting kinds to me. Battle creations are a bit dull, and the fire ones seem overused in the game. Not that I don't appreciate each and every creation out there, however.

Thank you for answering my original question. But, if what Dikiyoba says is true, some canisters would actually give you creation DNA? There have got to be some canister users out there who would not be happy to hear that. Perhaps Shaper Grimm was correct after all, canisters do make you a creation. I believe that if canisters effect your DNA, it is granted that these traits will be passed on. Hmm, does that mean infants would be running around able to cast aura of flames at will? I suppose they would have to level up first to get enough mana for that to be possible...

Slarty, the Greta and Litalia you described still seem very similar to me. Both don't like the drakons much, but continue to serve them regardless. The canister issues Litalia has would seem to add a bit more to her, making Greta, I don't know, obsolete? I agree that canisters are bad, the mind should be strengthened before the body. However, I also believe that the Trakovites will modify their ideology to be more reasonable. No shaping at all simply doesn't seem reasonable, if only because they will lose the war without it. I think they will eventually allow some shaping, no canisters or geneforges, and a balance will be reached. Then they will truly be the most tempting faction out there.

Aw, when did he say that? How sad.

Originally Posted By: Zeviz If you give up on finding the way in, I have a page with the temple's secret extracted from the script. It's not as satisfying as finding it out the proper way, but I can post the link if you want. I would like to see that link, please. I feel like I haven't played Geneforge 1 in a long time and alas, my saved games are all gone now.

Ghaldring died in the Shaper ending, so I don't think that one will happen since the player has yet to get a chance to fight him. The Trakovite ending is likely, but I believe the Rebel ending is possible as well since the Shapers seemed to have the upper hand throughout most of the last game. The Rebel ending would leave them weakened and I think it would also leave the Rebellion weakened due to the unpopularity of the unbound. Perfect opportunities for new factions to rise. I was disappointed that Greta was such a big supporter of the unbound idea. I would have like to have had her return as the leader of a splinter faction of the Rebellion in the next game, but I think it is likely that she will not return at all with how far gone she had become at the end of the last game. She had become a redundant Litalia character. Alwan is still good to go, it seems. He's become the quintessential conservative Shaper. Sorry to get off topic at the end there.

But when you learn something from a book, it doesn't effect your DNA (at least I don't think). Geneforge 1 implies that canisters do write such skills into your DNA. My question was more regarding how they are made. If, as the maker suggests, they are created from existing DNA, then how did, for example, the first ever bolt of fire canister get created if there was no one around with bolt of fire in their DNA to make the canister?

Forgive me if this question is a bit technical, I feel a bit like a nerd asking about it but I figure this would be the place to do so. You have the opportunity to speak with a genuine canister maker in the latest Geneforge game and he explains a bit about how canisters are made. He says he actually uses his own genetic makeup as a sample for each canister. That makes perfect sense for canisters that would increase strength and dexterity and such, as those traits are largely genetic (though they would require canisters makers in excellent physical condition), but how does this process work for skills such as spells and shaping abilities? This would seem to imply that spells become a part of your DNA once you've learned them, otherwise how would you ever be able to convert a learned ability into a gene altering canister? I'm sorry if I am over-thinking this, but I was curious if anyone else here ever thinks about these things.

Will they just rename themselves after their new leader do you think? But yes, I didn't mean THE Barzites as you say, merely using them as a reference for their ideology.

I also enjoyed the openness of Avernum 3, though I don't understand what made you group it with Avernum 1.

I prefer bosses that you can fight multiple times throughout the game. Master Hodge is a good example of this. He seems to be quite an underrated character, as he underwent a transformation that really defined what canisters can do to a person over time, for me at least. I apologize for the example being from the wrong game for this particular forum. I agree that people who are optionally killable are good as well. I feel like killing Epiron-Bok should have perhaps had an effecting on the game's ending, though, even if it were just one or two lines.

Forgive me if what I said was confusing, it made sense to me I suppose. I figured that if the difference between a Shaper and a Barzite is simply that Barzites like to use canisters, that would place them somewhere between the two major factions. Perhaps moderate was not the correct word, but they are certainly some kind of median, assuming there is a straight line between the two major factions.

I believe you are referring to Moref's lair. If you have been doing the special ingredient quests for Lark in the first city, you will have the Moref the Shade quest. Talk to the woman in the northern sector of the tower about it and she will point you towards a key.

I humbly disagree. I think the last few games have been building towards open dissension within both of the major sects. I do not think the old sects were so much eaten up as they were destroyed; their ideas are still valid. The two major sects have both alienated so many of their own followers, that I feel any new sects would be able to quickly and easily establish themselves in the chaos of the war. I believe the major sects are weakened enough at this point for this to be possible, and, as was said before by others, the Awakened and Barzites would be able to split from the existing sides (Awakened as moderates from the Rebels and Barzites as moderates from the Shapers), not necessarily just appear on their own from nothing. At least, I hope this could all happen. I hope I don't presume too much, but I, too, wish the return of the old factions.

I'm fairly sure I remember reading a topic here where Spidweb himself said that siding with Redmark and killing Dorikas was the obvious choice. The Avernum series, unlike Geneforge, tends to have clear protagonists and antagonists and the good guys always seem to win. Unless he decides to throw us a curve ball. Having Dorikas win would certainly make for an interesting sequel, though I was actually a fan of General Redmark, if only for his heritage.

I believe an Awakened faction would more likely evolve from human and servile rebels rather than radical Shapers. And creations most certainly could ally with those against shaping, Zindahjira. There was a drayk as one of the primary Trakovite contacts in Genforge 4, if I recall correctly. It makes sense, really; as a creation, why would they want any more creations to be brought into the world as a slave as they were? They tend to prefer to reproduce naturally. Trakovites have nothing against creations, merely the conditions that have risen due to the practice's propagation.

I like the way the world map isn't entirely accurate, it's more realistic this way. I especially enjoyed the Avernum 4 map, where you were often exploring areas beyond the cartographer's knowledge. If you want a more detailed map, your essentially cheating (which if perfectly fine) and you can thus make use of the various other resources out there, such as the maps in the hint books.

Originally Posted By: TobyLinn With the empire now having a hidden fortress in Avernum lands, I wonder how that will effect Avernum 6. I don't understand why the Empire was so excited to have that fortress. It isn't exactly located in the most strategic location, is it? It's in the middle of nowhere with it's closest neighbors being a dragon and the vahnatai, both of which hate the Empire worse than Avernum does.