Desmarestia

Leopold and his group of refugees from G4 remind me almost uncannily of the farmers in Seven Samurai, especially the scene where Kikuchiyo discovers the farmers' stash of "scavenged" armor. What do you think?

As a general rule, search for the smallest possible chunk of text that should be exclusive to what you're looking for. In this case, you could search for "feather" because you can reasonably expect it to appear in every mention of these tokens but nowhere else. "Feathered token" is too specific and would miss phrasings like "feathery token", "feather token", or "token with feathers on". On the other hand, merely "token" is too broad if there are other tokens in the game and too narrow if there is any chance Jeff used words like "chit" or "symbol" to describe the same thing.

Another option is to search for the chunk of code that gives you the item in question, such as "set_spec_item(x,1)" which adds one of the special item numbered x to your pack. It should show up every time the game gives you one of this item.

If you've taken the trouble to tiptoe through the territory, an agile assassination makes your weary work worthwhile.

You can kill the guards, but the patrols respawn when you leave the area. Also, if one of the patrols notices you, really tough monsters will spawning in to puke lightning all over you. You'll have better luck sneaking around the patrols and killing the shapers at the far end; they stay dead at least.

Turning the Pass hostile doesn't affect your reputation or ability to complete quests, as far as I'm aware.

According to scripts, several creatures (Shapers, servant minds, Greta, etc) use Essence Orbs, but none use Shocking rain. It should be safe, assuming it works.

I haven't tested this, but it seems like it might work.

Open gf5objsmisc.txt and replace this:

begindefineability 31; // energy damage rain, is a spell, medium damage	ab_name = "Shocking Rain";	ab_missile_type_fired = 134;		ab_stat_ability_linked_to = 45; 	ab_stat_for_ability_bonus = 9;	ab_damage_type = 1;	ab_effect_base = 10;	ab_effect_per_level = 5;		//ab_num_of_missiles = 3;	ab_ability_sound = 107;	//ab_impact_sound = 117;	ab_energy_cost = 75;	ab_essence_cost = 4;begindefineability 32; // ice rain, low damage	ab_name = "Icy Rain";	ab_missile_type_fired = 139;		ab_damage_type = 6;	ab_effect_base = 5;	ab_effect_per_level = 3;		ab_ability_sound = 107;

With this:

begindefineability 31;	import = 5;	ab_name = "Essence Orbs";begindefineability 32; // ice rain, low damage	import = 30;	ab_name = "Icy Rain";	ab_missile_type_fired = 139;      	ab_stat_ability_linked_to = 45; 	ab_stat_for_ability_bonus = 9;		ab_damage_type = 6;	ab_effect_base = 5;	ab_effect_per_level = 3;		ab_ability_sound = 107;   	ab_energy_cost = 75;	ab_essence_cost = 4;

Basically, this should overwrite the Shocking Rain ability with the Essence Orbs ability, allowing you to cast it as you would Shocking Rain. Equally importantly, it should not cause Icy Crystals to behave weirdly. Let me know if it works.

A Google search reveals that a Jonathan Huang is the only person who knows about these cheats. And by "knows about," I of course mean "made up."

Something else to consider is that Khyryk's name might get corrupted as he fades into history, similarly to Trajkov's actions leading to the existence of the Trakovites (the other explanation being that "Trajkovites" rolls off the tongue like a cyanoacrylate lollipop).

I like the idea of naming a group after Khyryk. Khyrites, maybe? Khyryk walks alone (cue Green Day) so few would suspect people of being his minions.

Actually, Khyrite potentially sounds like some kind of sparkly mineral.

You disapprove. All right, let me try to justify myself. Your goal here is to find a word that describes someone with both Rebel and Shaper sympathies. Shabels doesn't mean anything. You're trying create a word by combining syllables from existing ones, but English doesn't work that way. Shapers implies something. Rebels implies something else. What does Shabels imply? It's impossible to tell because you don't know what aspects are being taken from the original two concepts.

I think it's supposed to be Solidified Flame. Maybe. I've never played it all the way through.

EDIT: no, it's definitely a Deep Focus Orb according to the recipe.

What ingredients are you using? Are you making the Purifying Elixer, perfecting the belt, and adding all the other ingredients in three separate steps?

It's a thread devoted to finding the best portmanteau of "Shapers" and "Rebels." The whole thing is absurd and pointless. At least "Rapers" accurately reflects the attitude of some Terrestians.

Mechanics, definitely. A hallmark of the RPG genre is that you are encouraged to go where you aren't permitted and take what isn't yours. Lethal obstructions such as mines and pylons are often placed in an effort to deter such behavior, and disarming them is preferable to dying in fire.

6. Once you've cleared a zone, you can choose your point of entry into it by first clicking on the zone adjacent to the entrance you want. Then, when you click on the zone you want to enter, the arrowhead should point to the correct entrance and you will be dropped off there.

You also might be thinking of Diamond Spray. It shoots multiple white bolts whereas Essence Orbs has multiple purple bolts. In G4 and earlier, you could cast Diamond Spray with certain magical items, somewhat balancing out the fact that mages were obnoxiously eager to use it on you.

...oh. That's what that means. I never bothered to connect the "science fiction twist" and "mutant monsters" aspects. Durr.

DES: Hey Master Jared, whatcha doing?

JARED: I am manipulating the biological framework of this animal in an attempt to create a variant with different characteristics.

DES: *eyes glaze over*

JARED: I'm making monsters.

DES: Sweet!

If the question is whether the stress in ge-ne-forge belongs on the first syllable when ge-ne-tics is stressed on the second syllable, I'm going to have to stand by my original position. Words ending with the suffix etic always stress the et syllable. Since forge is not a suffix but the second half of a compound word, I see no reason for a trisyllabic form of geneforge to follow a similar rule.

Salassar will attack you no matter what, but you can get him to fight you without help. Maybe that's what you're thinking of? There's also Eessarian in the guest chambers, whom you can avoid fighting through stealth.

I think Salassar's death is probably canon because Khressia mentions him by name in G5 and realizes that Ghaldring is trying to dispose of him in the same way.

You have to kill Salassar, whom Ghaldring (justifiably) considers a threat to his power. The whole Quessa-Uss sequence is the result of Ghaldring's plot to dispose of Salassar without losing his moral authority among the other drakons.

I jumped into the series at G4 and pronounced it jenna-forge because, as far as I could tell, the thing "generates" warriors. Later, I realized the game's fantasy aspect has actual scientific themes running through it, which was when gene-forge started making more sense.

Had I known the name was supposed to mean something instead of just sounding vaguely awesome, I probably would have gone with the second pronunciation sooner.

It's like the Zinio Reader, but even more annoying! If that's possible.

Archon - seems I've been undone by my own ignorance. Having only played the last two games, I never considered what might have happened during those seven years you mentioned.

On a side note, I love these boards. I love how debates tend not to degenerate into utter flaming chaos, even when one of the participants is being an ignorant n00b. *stares at feet*