Fledgling Fyora Andkat Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I've recently purchased Geneforge after noticing that the series was available on Steam, as I remembered having greatly enjoyed the demo for the original when I played it roughly a decade ago. However, as I have a pronounced tendency to gimp my character on the first run through a game, I wanted to clarify what Shapers should be investing in with regards to their skill points. In regards to shaping skills: I've heard that Battle Shaping is pretty questionable relative to Magic Shaping and Fire Shaping, but should I actually bother to invest in both Fire and Magic or just focus my points in one of these two areas in order to get very high level creations of that type? I've heard that healing and buffing spells are pretty useful, but at the stage in the game I'm at I've found that supporting a large number of creations leaves me with relatively little essence to actually cast these spells. Are these worth a significant investment of skill points for a Shaper? I've been told that Mechanics 5 is roughly sufficient for most of the game. However, even early on most of the locks I'm encountering require several living tools to open even with Mechanics 5? Should I realistically be pumping this a bit more? Finally, given the considerable expense of attributes in general. what end level of intelligence should a Shaper aim for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Triumph Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 To achieve the greatest possible power, you will want to invest all your shaping your skill in only one area, either Fire or Magic shaping. Because of the way the mechanics in this game (and only this game) work, basically each time you up your chosen shaping skill, you'll probably want to absorb your creations and remake them. Basically, levels of shaping skill offer significant increases in the stats of your creations. You don't need to invest in Healing Craft or whatever it's called, and probably not Blessing Magic either. Those spells are valuable, but as you said, you cannot cast them right due to essence issues anyway. As you go through the game, keep raising your Intelligence. Eventually, you'll end up with enough essence to have your creations and cast some support spells too. Oh, don't spend essence boosting the stats of your creations (other than getting their intelligence to 2). The key to boosting creation stats in this game is to keep upping your chosen shaping skill and then making new creatures. I don't know who told you mechanics 5...they were wrong. You want more like 10 or 12 to get most stuff, IIRC. I already mentioned Intelligence...I'd say 15 or so would be by the endgame. I hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fledgling Fyora Andkat Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Thanks! On the whole, is Magic or Fire shaping the better way to go? Currently I've yet to actually acquire the canister for Artilas and I've heard that one of the factions gives you bonuses to Fire Shaping, but I've heard that Artilas and Vlish are incredibly effective. Is either one particularly better than the other? Finally, how early should I be aiming to get my speech to 10? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Triumph Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 You can be happy and beat up enemies with either Fire or Magic shaping. More than anything else, I think it will come down to your flavor preference - army of Vlish or an army of drayks / cryodrayks. One advantage to vlish is that they cost less essence. I don't really remember when / where you might want your speech upgraded. Sorry. Click to reveal.. ("Where to find artila canisters") According my hint book, there is an artila canister in the Ruined School zone, and another in the Pentil Woods zone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Hume Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 IMO, magic shaping is a better choice by a large margin. Fire creations may be as good as magic creations, but fire shaping cost 1 more skill points each level, and in GF1, it is very desirable to boost you shaping skill up to 20. Besides, you really don't need to boost your int to more than 10. You end the game around level 20, which means you don't have that much skill points to waste. What makes the matter worse, each two Intelligience points over 10 only works as one. Finally, cheap creation in GF1 are quite effective only if their levels are high enough. I have beat the game with 7 freshly created artillas, with my shaper did nothing but cast haste. On torment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Upon Mars. Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Originally Posted By: Triumph I don't really remember when / where you might want your speech upgraded. Sorry. You mean leadership? I KNOW: Click to reveal.. ("Where to get leadership") Look for a small servile sage in Drayk's Vale but beware, you will have to bypass a mean cryodrayk with lots of money or dispose of his cryodrayks servants. In any case you'll have to beat the [censored] out of him to get the gloves of the hammer which are quite nice mind you. Either way you'll have to pay the servile: At each teaching session he gives you +1 leadership for 2000 gold pieces. But don't worry there are some really well protected emeralds around the vale provided that you butchered both the neutral (for the moment) ghosts and the hostile cryodrayks. For the skill and canister locations check out this site with MINOR spoilers:http://www.anthonygoreham.net/geneforge.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Triumph Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The original poster's question was about what point in the game he needs at least 10 leadership, not about where he can find leadership upgrades. If I recall correctly, the highest leadership requirements early in the game involve convincing different Servile faction leaders to let you join them. There are also some late game uses, but by late game you ought to be able to pump it to whatever you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Upon Mars. Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 WOOPS! Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Nim Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Pumping mechanics with skillpoints to 10 or more in GF1 is a waste. You get no exp for opening locks so mech is not preferrable to unlock there, living tools are a dime a dozen and there aren't that many other mech checks. Mines can be dodged and the exp from them doesn't matter anyway due to how fast you approach the exp ceiling. Or long story short, getting mech to 5 with skillpoints is enough. Buy training till 10 once you can and use the tinkers gloves for those few 12 cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fledgling Fyora Andkat Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 I've heard that one of the factions provides some fire shaping training as a perk for joining and moreover you start with 1 more point of Fire Shaping than Magic shaping. If you happen to affiliate with the relevant faction, would the difference in point cost per level still make magic shaping a better overall choice in terms of efficiency? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Upon Mars. Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Originally Posted By: Andkat I've heard that one of the factions provides some fire shaping training as a perk for joining and moreover you start with 1 more point of Fire Shaping than Magic shaping. *Spoilers bellow*It's the Obeyers of pentil. Originally Posted By: Andkat If you happen to affiliate with the relevant faction, would the difference in point cost per level still make magic shaping a better overall choice in terms of efficiency? Well knowning that the strongest creation in the whole are the drayk series (especially the cryodrayks) you can invest points in fire shaping in the late game. You might also just invest early on in magic shaping for the artila and vlish creations which are quite good by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Hume Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I find drayk and crydrayk disappointing. They are only slightly better than artila/vlish of the same level. I am quite sure they are not worth the essense cost. Okay, even if you get 2 fire shaping levels for free, by raising it to 20, you need 18*4=72 points, while magic cost 20*3=60, still a lot cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Upon Mars. Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 I don't know about the vlish but the artila is really weak, i'd rather employ the drayk for the extra-bite. But yeah like most 3 class creations they seem a little disappointing but they are still the best creations in the whole game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasoned Roamer Demon Blade Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 vlish melee attack give poision but no damage whatsoever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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