Evnissyen

In that case, Sokre must've had a pretty big stash... I've never had a problem with maintaining large hordes in one area. ...Remembering that huge pile of loot I'd arranged at the front doors of Khyryk's tower in Geneforge 3, I imagine any item-threshold per area to be rather high.

Ghaldring: You sound like one of those music fans who get all upset when their favorite artist decides to do something different. And you still haven't explained why the more modern graphics suddenly became incorrect. You also still haven't explained your terms. As for mine: "Primitive" is tied to technological advancement along a timeline. That which is described as primitive is that which presents itself at an earlier point in that timeline of technological advancement than that which presents itself later. By that description, G4's graphics are also 'primitive'... but less primitive than A3's. Now it's your turn. (By the way: You've been sounding a little more than just a bit angry, lately. Maybe you should take a few deep breaths? None of us are out to get you, you know.) Perhaps the "Geneforge recycling" accusation might be settled of Jeff decides on a different visual tactic for A6 than for G5... though by then perhaps, in sequel-terms, it might be too late to satisfy everyone who's still upset about the graphics advancement (or 'crossover', however you want to look at it). Oh, and finally: I actually agree with Nalyd that the Mona Lisa would look good with a Mohawk. I'm sure somebody's done one, at some point. Progress, see?

Maybe somebody should convince Jeff to change the system? I'm sure he's got it well codified within his code, and all... but I'm not sure it should take all that much effort to change that calculation system? Of course, now with the more linear system, it's not as much of a problem.

I wasn't on these boards, of course, when G3 & A4 came out, but I still suspect that a lot of the negativity that purportedly emerged and obviously persists in regard to those two games was initially reactionary and thus continues to be so.

No, it seems more like a recurring political attack ad. EDIT: Or defense ad.

Hmm... I remember the dialogue that Dikiyoba wrote out... and I remember the captive serviles rebelling (and consequently their getting killed)... but for some reason I do not remember Khur, oh well. It really was a while ago. One forgets these details.

Aw, to hell with Microsoft. It takes a few seconds to download an updated spellchecker (whose dictionary Firefox does update every few months). Where's the issue?

The advantage with the Avernum 4/5 system is that movement is pretty quick. The disadvantage is that you don't get pretty images of your character striding across the screen, but in terms of actual gameplay I suppose the former is better. At any rate: the movement system in both A4/5 and the Geneforge series (the point, click and go system) are a great improvement on the clump-clump-clump movement of the original Avernum trilogy. Of course, this begs the question: Fineghal: Why not just download the demos and see for yourself?

Ghaldring: Silly Luddite. You haven't explained your terms. On another subject: I must commend and thank Lord Bob for introducing me to the phrase "ratio of story-to-killing". I like that.

I think Eschalon would probably make a better graphical role model than Diablo would. I don't see the Diablo connection either, personally... except perhaps for the fact that the new Geneforge has more black in it than it typically has had in the past, but even there, no... I don't really see the visual connection. As for spell-checking: People, don't your browsers have spell-checkers? I know Firefox does, because that's the one that I use. I'm always having to teach my word processor new words, myself. (Some of the words I use are deliberately not "real words"... others are not common ones.) Also, I never use the grammar-checker. Too deluded. It really can't work properly if it can't understand context. (Besides... my grammar is proper enough, I think.)

Oh... right. Moseh is the one I meant. I think I remember now: Monarch's the piggy in the middle who thinks he's "captured" Khyryk. I remember. The army of technicians, and all. I think I do remember being able to keep Moseh from draining me on my second run through when I took the quest to repair him... but when I went in there on first-run to kill him, I couldn't keep myself from getting drained. I remember doing a test by boosting my leadership (via cheat) to a higher level than should normally be useful even by end-game, but it still made no difference. I then assumed it was just something I'd have to live with. I suppose nobody's going to prove me wrong? Please?

Yes, I clearly remember discussing #2 (though not the LAN approach)... and I think I vaguely remember discussing #1. On #1: Yes, I've always wanted to play a super-powerful character in Geneforge, to whom everyone would respond by becoming stronger themselves. Or... and I think I remember bringing up this idea... having an option at end-game to go back into the game with your super-powerful character and clean the whole land of sentient beings. That wouldn't be as fun, though, as Callsign's idea would be. On #2: No! I prefer the solitariness of the game. Reading a book is a solitary experience, and so are the SW games. Besides: Even the LAN approach, I suspect, would demand too much extra programming... and this approach would of course not be applicable in most circumstances... too much work for too little gain. On #3: I think that the essential problem is: Magic forges are not portable. They're far too heavy, and also Jeff's made a point, in the series, of expressing that they're extremely rare. Even wizards have to sometimes send you out to locate one for you, or clear an infested area that contains a magic forge. I don't see why the stationary forge is such a hassle... except when it's held in a place which is a hassle to get to... like in G4 especially, where the thing was stuck in a closed room in the middle of the map. At least that's something Jeff could do: place the magic forge a little bit closer to the entryway. The specialness of the magic forge is important, I think, and I think Alorael makes a good point in that the workshops are there for a reason... and having a portable device to enhance your items, therefore, removes something from the world that we've become immersed in.

Now that I think of it... Is there a way to talk sense into Monarch before he drains you? Having high Leadership doesn't seem to do it. I hate being drained of skills I've worked so hard to acquire.

One of the things in GF1 that really bugs me is the Power Core, which will kill all your creations. When I went through GF1 I went through as an agent, and only just before taking on the Power Station did I start making creations.... Playing a Shaper is mostly fun with new games, since there're always new creations. Obviously not the case when you're going from GF4 to GF1... so I chose the traditionally(?) most powerful character, and my favorite (since she's a loner as well as powerful): the Agent. I played through GF3 maybe three or four times (I loved that game), for both allegiances and as both Agent and Shaper... but I never played as a Guardian. (And I think I only dragged Alwan along with me once. I never liked that sour tool.) I was interested in seeing how the guardian character would play out... but I quickly decided it was too difficult and that the difficulty that this character was having sort of took the fun out of it. (I usually play on HARD, since NORMAL is too easy... but the game seems to lean toward magic to a degree that it seems to make playing a character who's weak in magic really almost non-viable... I predicted that I'd really end up having to pour all these skill points into magic which I should've been spending instead on Quick Action and so forth.

But of course, "religion" can be tricky word. Again I'm speaking, though less than most people would, from a place of relative ignorance (although I've looked into Wicca, and even "Satanism" which adopts the Wiccan (and subsequently Christian) symbol, more than most people have -- anyway far enough to see the overlaps)... but I'm not so sure that Satanism and Wicca are really so much religions as they are lifestyles? But thanks for the link, Nalyd, no less. I'll add it to my collection. (ha!) I did look at the Church of Satan's website, a while ago (I still have the bookmark for it), but didn't spend much time there and I don't trust it... "Satanism" seems to mean different things to different people.

...Or else the game should provide some reasonable explanation for your character's extraordinary talent. I'm not complaining about the extraordinary talent I have in SW games... it's just that I wish I knew a good reason why I should be in possession of it, and why nobody but me seems to notice that I'm unduly powerful.

Who's Hennet? I haven't played AD&D since I was a kid, so I have no clue.

Interesting. So if I do get around to G2: You're saying it's a bad idea to play a shaper? Or just an absurdly weak shaper? Oh well, looks like I'll be playing an agent yet again. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever get around to playing G2, since G1 ended up boring me. (I got tired of having to hack my way through areas that gave me 0 XP because I should've cleared them already... and there didn't seem to be very many unique challenges or interesting events, I suppose. G3 was better, there. Plus it bothered me that the merchants kept running out of cash.) So... since the G2 demo, as I remember it, doesn't really seem to demonstrate any big advancement in the game or plot, I don't really have the urge to play it. The Shanti disappearance is a nice idea, and I suppose necessary if not obvious, but it's not interesting enough to get me to play the game past the demo. I guess being able to get people to forge items for you is a plus. Maybe some day I'll get around to playing it, but for now there're too many other games I'm interested in playing and haven't gotten around to yet. If somebody can inspire me to play G2 I think I'll be thankful, because I feel like it's a missing piece in my grasp of the whole Geneforge story. I believed Sucia Island should be vital to this story, and I think it is... I'm not so certain about the Barzites, however.

Feo: I thought Satanists were mostly free-will atheists poking fun at Christianity? (While others are drawn to it just for the concept of rebellion and maybe a somewhat unhealthy identification with the Satan character?) Also, isn't the "pig sacrificing" stuff very nearly entirely myth? I don't know any Satanists, personally (I'm an atheist myself, and if it makes you feel more comfortable: there are a number of like-minded people on these forums.) Forgive me if I mistook your first message as that of a 'devout' Christian (not that I dislike Christians, of course, only the ones who try to push their beliefs upon other people). Anyhow, I suppose literally any story at all can be matched inaccurately and even unfairly with another well-known story, especially moral plays... and for particularly religious people it's only natural that the linked story should be found in the Bible (hence my first thought that you were a devout Christian). The Geneforge games are very much moral plays, maybe G3 most of all since there are only two sides and both are clearly wrong... but that in no way connects Geneforge to any other moral play that's been written, of which of course there are many. I for one would enjoy a conversation about Satanism. I have much to learn in that area. For one, I've never heard the one about lettuce being an "unclean food". That's pretty funny, actually.

Micawber: You really need to look for that sense of humor. Or stop insulting others for having one.

I think I remember sparing him and he being apologetic as hell when I returned (after the "pleaseforgiveme" cheat, of course, since I'd stolen their scrolls), as well as the leader, what's-his-name... but he did not back up his apologies with money, or anything like that. I felt like killing him anyway, but didn't want to fight the whole town for little to no XP. I was wondering about some of this stuff myself when I went through that area... but I found it difficult to trial-check since 1. if I remember right, after you go hostile in Anama: everyone attacks you on your way to the gates . . . and 2. of course: you need to get through all of the Howling Depths and the subsequent areas and then down the river to the next area whence you can teleport back... in order to find out the results of your actions. I suspect that if you kill off the whole town except Micky and then forgive him: You'll find him wandering around an empty town when you return. I also suspect that if you kill him: While he'll be gone, the Anama leader will still be apologetic about the whole nasty affair and nobody will punch you.

Well, it sounds like the problem's been solved, but just in case it hasn't, there's also this thread from a while back. Of course, if this is your second run through, then perhaps that thread won't help you either, and perhaps it is some sort of bug where once in a long while the walls do not break down in order to properly allow you to enter. What I do remember (I think) is that you can only get to the Mindwarp Chitrach through other tunnels whose walls are then broken down by ambushing chitrachs, and that, once in the Mindwarp's lair, you have to spend a nearly exhaustive amount of time wandering around waiting for the passages to reveal themselves one by one until finally you get to her (him?). I think I also remember that the southwest tunnel was not accessible because of the Mindwarp's mindwarping.

Thrasher: How'd you do that? (Question asked despite the fact that, perhaps unfortunately, I can't recall any "unreachable" switches. Maybe I just didn't look for them.)

Ghaldring: It's called progress. I don't expect A6 to look like A5, either, now that the new Geneforge finale is getting a makeover; and it's partly for that reason that I eagerly await the new look of Avernum 6 . . . though not as much, maybe, as I eagerly await Geneforge 5. I'm also not sure why the 3d graphics of A4 & A5 are, to you, false, whereas the more primitive graphics in the original trilogy are correct. Anyhow... Brock makes a good point. Unfortunately, the biggest thing that keeps me from getting into the Exile series is the visually confusing graphics.

Well, in A5 you can edit your character and just give yourself 30 in tool use. Of course, that would be cheating... but... honestly, it's a minor cheat. I say go for it.