G5: Is hard just hard?

[Chopkinsca]

I finally made my way through the Geneforge series and actually started playing G5. I played 2, 3 and 4 twice each, on tricky difficulty. I feel like I have some grasp on how these games play at this point. I'm going through G5 on hard and progress has always felt like a struggle. I feel like I'm now running out of places to go that I can actually manage. I guess I can go around again and see if I missed any possible progress. Is this a normal experience? The second, third and fourth games were on the easier side, so maybe they made me soft.

 

Oh, this is where I'm at with exploring this wonderful world.

Spoiler

 

[Randomizer]

Geneforge 5 has more zones that work better with one class where it is easier with melee attacks or range attacks. Same if you play a Shaper with creations since this game works best with battle creations since the other two were nerfed since earlier games.

 

Just make sure you didn't miss side quests especially in the towns.

 

Good luck

[alhoon]

I think you're running in a kind of difficulty jump that occurs when you clear those areas. You can always lower the difficulty a bit. After a while in the new areas, you will get back to being reasonably challenged again. 

[Superdeath25]

I have beaten Geneforge 5 six times and it is still quite a struggle.  Geneforge 5 is kind of like a comprehensive final exam as it tests you on everything you learned from the other games and pushes you to your limits.  I have not dared to try it on the hardest difficulties. Death is often one misclick away.  It is definitely a very good game though

[Ircher]

Having recently played this, Geneforge 5 is definitely a big difficulty jump from the last few. This part of the game is especially the difficult. If I were you, I would try to clear out the stoneworks and move on to the lower half. The stoneworks can be tough, but it should be doable if you are around the same level I was at this point in the game (about 17 as a shaper).

Edited December 6, 2021 by Ircher
Grammar.

[Chopkinsca]

11 minutes ago, Ircher said:

If I were you, I would try to clear out the stoneworks and move on to the lower half.

That's what I ended up doing and now I have quite a few options open up to me now.

 

3 hours ago, alhoon said:

You can always lower the difficulty a bit.

Never! haha. I did think about it, but I always feel wrong doing that. Though if it came to lowering the difficulty, or just stop playing, I think the lowered difficulty would be better. I'll only do that as a last resort.

 

4 hours ago, Randomizer said:

game works best with battle creations since the other two were nerfed since earlier games.

I didn't know that. Since it's my first time playing, I avoided reading a bunch of info on the game. That makes me want to replay and do a battle creation build. In my replaying this series, I've fallen in love with the series as a whole. I feel that's part of what makes the series great, being so replayable. 

[alhoon]

The other creations are fine. Yes, Clawbugs and War Tralls are good, but Vlish are powerful too and Cryoras are cheap and effective. 

[Chopkinsca]

Yep, my fire creations are doing fine. Throughout the series I only went into battle shaping once. I was thinking my next G5 replay will focus on battle shaping.

[Slawbug]

Battle shaping is great in G5 because, finally, for pretty much the first time, it's usable and effective.  It's not that the other shaping options are too weak to use suddenly.

 

There are a few things that pushed the limits of balance in G5, particularly the existence of the Sorceress.  Creations are always a strong strategy in Geneforge, and so is Mental Magic.  So I think having these increased min-maxing opportunities led to a slightly harder game overall.

[Chopkinsca]

The difficulty is a welcome change. I find I have to be on my toes more, but it's also the first time I'm playing the game. All others in the series, I've played before, so I had a latent memory of some things. Even more when I immediately replayed 2, 3 and 4 a second time on completion this time through. I'm kind of afraid of torment for 5, but maybe I'll learn the game more.

 

Again, the series has really won me over. 

[Aze]

Its definitely interesting, but G5 is by far the hardest of the series. I've beat G1-G4 on torment, and only G4 was moderately difficult (I do a bit of powergaming and read the FAQs, so it does reduce the difficulty somewhat). G5 constantly throws lethal situations at you, and theres a lot of content that generally needs skipping until you're stronger, or severe abuse of the combat system to power through. I'm stymied by the number of regular enemies (rats, worms!) that have 10-12 AP and can punch a hole through your team. Acid is far more lethal on G5 than previous games, and aura effects just feel incredibly unfair on torment (unbound for example). G5 Torment truly feels like the game is imbalanced, and it is expected that you are both an experienced Geneforge player and also powergaming or consulting a guide to relatively maximize your character power. My shaper is level 40, just about to enter Dera and yet I constantly need to be pre-buffed before fights if I want to survive.

 

However, I do think that the leadership and mechanics of G5 is way more forgiving and the checks are easier to pass than prior games. There is also a tremendous amount of exp on the map, which opens up possibilities for long term creations that you roll throughout endgame. That being said, it could be a hassle to try to get a cryoa to level 50 due to the lack of resistances.