Rotghroth Rhapsody Tracer Bullet Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I noticed in my travels through Geneforge, that most people hover between Lawful Neutral and Lawful Good, with Shaper government being LN-LE (Lawful Evil being defined as a society where people obey harsh rules out of fear of retribution). There are a few people floating around who count as fully LG and many full-blown madman Chaotic Evils. So where am I going with this? I feel that in Geneforge 3 (and Geneforge 4 especially) that neither side is altruist, and walking two paths has bad consequences. To illustrate: If, in G4, you go Shaper to prevent the creation of the Unbound: Click to reveal.. You become an outcast. Not good. If you support the Rebels (and keep them alive by supporting the Unbound): Click to reveal.. Chaos. Destruction. Ugh. Also not good. If you play an altruist, who supports the serviles and rebukes the drakons (and Unbound): Click to reveal.. You go to a concentration camp and "know you did the right thing" Please, please, is there a way around this terrible dead end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Triumph Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 No. Neither Rebels nor Shapers are "good," in G3 and G4. The lack of choice is one of the things criticized about G3. G4 at least offered a little more choice, with the introduction of the Trakovites, but even that's a very small part of the game. However, I'd note that "doing the right thing," doesn't always lead to an immediate happy ending in real life - but it's at least nice to have a "right thing" available to choose whether to do it. G3 really only let you choose your poison. I, personally, prefer the greater freedom of action seen in G1 and G2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Txgangsta Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Welcome to Jeff's bittersweet endings. Every Geneforge game has them as the most common endings, if not the only endings. Jeff just loves to end on a half cadence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk Ceiling Durkheim Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I'm not sure this is all that much of a problem. There are certainly situations in real life (and other works of fiction) in which both sides of a conflict are morally compromised in some major way. It doesn't make for very good escapism, but that hardly means it can't be a good story. Just not a happy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 You have to remember in Geneforge all the sides are scum. No matter how much they claim the moral highground, they all do dispicable things. In Geneforge 1, the Awaken still leave little puddles of red behind whenever you turn in a spy from the other factions. The Obeyers deliberately use a mind servant to send creations after the Awaken. The Takers are living downstream from the toxic wastes coming from a sealed Shaper lab and want to kill all Shapers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Dikiyoba Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Geneforge 1 and 2 did have a happy ending to go with the mixed and unhappy endings, though. That makes a huge difference. Dikiyoba thought it did, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Was the G1 happy ending the one when you use the Geneforge, destroy it, and murder everybody who opposes you, establishing yourself as the ruler of a powerful kingdom in the wilderness in opposition to the Shapers? Because I think I've mentioned that I think that's the best ending in any SW game. Or damn near any game, for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Aoslare Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 No faction was completely innocent in Geneforge 1 and 2. But there were factions that were, by most standards, less guilty than others. In Geneforge 1, none of the factions were particularly malicious; the Takers were angry, but not nearly as violent as the later Rebels. In Geneforge 2, the Awakened participated in the scheming to hurt the other factions, but their goals (and their results, in their ending) did not involve mass killings. And the Aodare Loyalist path (Loyalist + kill Zakary) had ethics that were at least internally consistent (if unindulgent to serviles), plus it was sensible and effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotghroth Rhapsody Tracer Bullet Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Of course: I know Geneforge 2 quite well, thank you. Down to the High Vizzedra's last words. But I just didn't know G3 and G4 as well. Thank you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotghroth Rhapsody Tracer Bullet Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Originally Posted By: Txgangsta Welcome to Jeff's bittersweet endings. Every Geneforge game has them as the most common endings, if not the only endings. Jeff just loves to end on a half cadence. Not bittersweet. Just a sort of a "bang-thy-head-against-yonder-wall-for-verily-there-is-nary-another-way" conclusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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