Geneforge 4: Sociopath run?

[RaustBlackDragon]

"I intend to find out who has the most treasure, kill them, take it, and repeat the process."

 

I friggin' love that line, and when I play geneforge 4, I want to play a character who could say it with a straight face.

 

so, I'm gonna play a sociopath, most likely guzzling down every canister I find, and I have a few questions:

 

1: Since I'll be violently insane to the point where I resort to violence needlessly, is there any point to investing in leadership?

2: Bearing in mind that my goal is to eventually slaughter as many characters as humanly possible,Who should I ally myself with? I do need to ally with SOMEBODY, right?

[Lilith]

1) Leadership helps lower the reputation requirements for quests, which is very useful if you want to be a successful double agent.

 

2) You know what I just said about being a double agent? That's a thing you can do, and is generally the optimal way to play. Make sure to keep in contact with the Shapers, do at least some of their quests early on, and keep reporting to them even for quests you complete in a pro-Rebel way so they don't give up on you. Play your cards right and you won't have to make a final choice on who to side with until the very end of the game.

[Randomizer]

This game still allows you to solve problems using leadership and then kill them for extra experience and loot. For instance Shaila's thahd in the Boiling Mudpit in the demo.

 

As Lilith points out playing both sides only makes it better. In Burwood you can help the Shaper Infiltrators and then get the Rebel quests to kill them all. Picking a side only works against you.

[RaustBlackDragon]

This game still allows you to solve problems using leadership and then kill them for extra experience and loot. For instance Shaila's thahd in the Boiling Mudpit in the demo.

 

As Lilith points out playing both sides only makes it better. In Burwood you can help the Shaper Infiltrators and then get the Rebel quests to kill them all. Picking a side only works against you.

 

Are there any critical hindrances that going all-out canister junkie adds to this path? Any allies I wind up fighting?

[Randomizer]

All out canisters means you will no longer get a leadership option for certain zones, but you were going to kill them anyway for their loot. You won't fight allies, but some fights won't give you time to buff.

[wackypanda]

Tangentially related: Do you make the factions hostile if you backtrack to completed chapters and wipe out their strongholds?

[Randomizer]

Some don't matter like the Shaper Camp in the Demo since it has spawners to prevent you ever clearing the zone. Others like the Rebel Safehouse will make a difference, but I haven't tried it.

[wackypanda]

The demo Shaper camp is hostile by default. I think any zone that is hostile by default can be cleared, or as close to cleared as spawners will allow, without consequences. So yes, I'm thinking more about ones like the Rebel Safehouse.

[Nim]

Some don't matter like the Shaper Camp in the Demo since it has spawners to prevent you ever clearing the zone. Others like the Rebel Safehouse will make a difference, but I haven't tried it.

Nobody cares if you wipe out the rebel camps (safehouse, fens camp, derenton). Just remember to finish quests and buy everything you want before going on a rampage .

[Questionably Legal]

Reminds me of a playthrough of A4 I did a while back where I killed every living thing that crossed my path... untill I got to the castle.

 

I also failed to kill those @# !*% ultra-shades in the cities.