Can we expect more Geneforge remakes?

[supercow]

I know Jeff has mentioned that he's close to retirement. I also think he mentioned that Queen's Wish will be a trilogy.

 

Is there any room in there for a GF2, and maybe even GF3 remake?

 

I'd like to play the rest of the GF series, but if there are going to be remakes, I'd prefer to wait for those instead. (I almost never reply games I've already played, even if they're remasters, just to head off the "why not both?" replies in advance).

[Randomizer]

Jeff intends to make remakes of the next two Geneforge games and from what we saw in the last one with new material. Since he is still working on the iOS version of Queen's Wish 2, it will probably be 2 years before the next game.

 

Current plans:

Geneforge 2 remake

Queen's Wish 3

Geneforge 3 remake

?????

[alhoon]

Any news on the subject now that Queen's Vlish wish 2 is made for ipads? 

[TheUmbra]

This is on the homepage:

Quote

Coming Soon: We have finally completed Queen’s Wish 2 for all platforms! We’re now preparing a really exciting remaster, with a Kickstarter coming in early 2023.

Join the mailing list to not miss any news.

Edited November 3, 2022 by TheUmbra

[alhoon]

On 11/3/2022 at 12:09 PM, TheUmbra said:

This is on the homepage:

Join the mailing list to not miss any news.

Time to tell my godchild that she's not getting anything expensive for Christmas or her birthday. I need the money.

 

PS. All of you beta-testers! Remember that not everyone is a pro. GF-Mutagen was torturous at the first levels. I never hated Vlish so much as I did by the time I crawled, half-dead in Pentil- at normal difficulty.

Edited November 5, 2022 by alhoon

[Enobarbus World]

Most of the beta testers aren't pros either.  I do sometimes wish the feedback Jeff gets from testers was a little more balanced, but c'est la vie.

[Randomizer]

Game balance feedback is divided into:

 

Nothing - No problem encountered.

Nothing - I quit playing because it was too hard.

Somrthing was wrong with the game here. 

Something was wrong with a script here - usually rising punctuation so it won't continue to the next command.

It's too hard with no reason.

It's too hard with a reason.

I can"t figure out what to do here.

The boss monster is a wimp. - Make it harder. (my favorite)

 

Jeff usually ignored the last unless the boss monster wasn't suppose to die here.

[alhoon]

 

Sooo... was it reported that it was hard to get to Pentil through the Vlish hordes, even in normal difficulty? I found the experience frustrating, not just hard. 

 

  

On 11/5/2022 at 8:39 AM, handle with air said:

Most of the beta testers aren't pros either.  I do sometimes wish the feedback Jeff gets from testers was a little more balanced, but c'est la vie.

 

Well, we have people, a lot of people, that do solo runs in nightmare difficulty and manage to finish the game. That's what I mean by "pro". I.e. not actual professional beta-tester, but people so experienced in the game and its mechanics that can pass what is a modest challenge for us less optimized people like a breeze. 

 

Or, and I accept that's a possibility even if it pains me to say it, it can be that it's not those people are just so good but that I am a bad player. 

Considering I didn't have any severe issues except in a couple of battles in GF4-5 though (Moseh, Monarch, a couple of Unbound and a %$#$#@$ random gazer in a pass) I don't think I am a bad player. Or not too bad at least.

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by alhoon

[Enobarbus World]

When I said most of the beta testers aren't pros, that's exactly what I meant, too.  Most of them do not do solo runs in nightmare difficulty.

 

You seem to be jumping to the conclusion that, if you struggle with an area, it must mean that either you are a terrible player, or the area is poorly balanced.  That's ridiculous!  There are other possibilities too.  For example, maybe you're a perfectly good player who simply hasn't figured out a good strategy for that area.  Sometimes, changing up your approach can really help.

[alhoon]

Now that you mention it, to be honest I didn't find GF:M too difficult except of a few instances. The combo of the creations and their powers perhaps threw me off a bit. 

[Randomizer]

7 hours ago, handle with air said:

When I said most of the beta testers aren't pros, that's exactly what I meant, too.  Most of them do not do solo runs in nightmare difficulty.

 

You seem to be jumping to the conclusion that, if you struggle with an area, it must mean that either you are a terrible player, or the area is poorly balanced.  That's ridiculous!  There are other possibilities too.  For example, maybe you're a perfectly good player who simply hasn't figured out a good strategy for that area.  Sometimes, changing up your approach can really help.

Almost all thereat testers are for normal or veteran difficulty. There are now maybe 2 or 3 torment (nightmare) difficulty testers left since Jeff has few game buyers that play at that difficulty. As long as it is possible , that's good enough.

 

The Pentil Words has always been an extremely hard zone on normal difficulty going back to the original version. That's why you get the hint from a servile in the previous zone to hug the edge going through the zone. Not that the previous zone is much better when roamers converge on you.

 

The best strategy has always been to crop forward, pick off a valise and retreat out of the zone if you get the message that it calls fr help. You have the same problem in other Geneforge games going through a vlish zone.

[alhoon]

Well, you don't expect me, a SHAPER and actually a cannister-junkied one to take seriously the warnings of a lowly servile about the dangers that mere creations could pose to a shaper, did you?! 

The previous zone with the roamers was OK IMO. And honestly, I didn't hug the edge. I eventually had to do that after several load-and-repeat finding the path of least resistance. 

 

Another area I had problems with was in GF5, that area that has an Unbound and a thrice-bedamned rotdhizon. The first Unbound you encounter that sneaks around and is not always in the same place. I couldn't properly investigate that area till I was several levels above. Not that I could face an Unbound until I got like level 25, but at least I could run away with most/all my creations and I could leave an expendable one away to warn me if the Unbound showed up. Warn me with its horrible death that is. Short, but horrible death. Before I could afford an extra creation as Unbound-snack, it was a very stressful zone. 

Edited November 8, 2022 by alhoon

[Enobarbus World]

On 11/7/2022 at 10:52 AM, Randomizer said:

The best strategy has always been to crop forward, pick off a valise

 

It was only a matter of time until some Barzite started turning vlish into handbags!  For shame.

[Randomizer]

Autocorrect made that funnier than I thought .

 

It should be creep forward to take out the vllish.

[Mechalibur]

Huh, I never really had trouble with the Vlish in the woods. The spawner was really tricky, naturally, but that's supposed to be more difficult than the patrols, I'd guess.

 

Anyway, I definitely report when stuff seems in the beta way too difficult (the Western Wastes used to be even more difficult - you're welcome :P), but the Pentil Woods Vlish never really struck me as notably more difficult. Guess we just had different experiences.

[alhoon]

The Western Wastes? This was manageable. At the time in the Woods there was a feeling of impeding doom, of one #$@# vlish screeeeeetching the alarm and obliteration. Other difficult parts were avoidable or I felt I had a good chance. If things turned  bad, I would load. I remember a couple of areas (probably Western Wastes) where I could save every 10 steps to be ready for the next encounter. But by that time, I had blessing magic and creations to do blessings etc. There were things to do and things to try. Different strategies, different items to use. In the woods it was "Run like crazy and pray you kill the Vlish you see before the End rides on tentacles." as my tactical options were few. 

 

That stupid bridge with the Solai, was a similar case of #$@#$-cy. I remember saving so I could juuuust go to right location for my plan. Took me like 20 tries to get that bridge cleared without significant losses. And then I found out I had to load as I needed those Sholai there (Takers). 
I guess it was supposed to be as hard, with the thrice-bedamned Solai, but then you have to wonder why the Geneforge in Southern-something in GF4 that was mass-producing rebels didn't turn the war. If the Sholai turned to such monsters (and the Barzites after them in GF2), then GF4 rebellion should be unstoppable. 

 

But in any case I get what you mean: Those areas were supposed to be hard.

Edited November 11, 2022 by alhoon

[Enobarbus World]

Using different creations, spells, or items is definitely one big chunk of your strategic options.  Another big chunk, though, is controlling when and how you're going to be in battle in the first place.  Ambushing vlish before they can call for help: that is a strategy!  Picking off enemies one at a time: strategy.  Positioning your characters so the vulnerable ones don't die immediately: strategy.  It sounds like you don't enjoy those, which is fine, but that's a limitation you're placing on the game, not the other way around.  (Kind of like how not playing G1 was a limitation you used to place on your ability to discuss Geneforge  )

 

As for the G4 geneforge, this is covered extensively in-game: it's not the same version of a geneforge, and the associated augmenting is different.  Also, the fact that a bunch of Augmented Sholai were hard for your low-levelled Shaper trainee (isolated and alone) doesn't really say much about how tough they'd be for experienced Shapers, with newer technology (hi wingbolts) and full support, to take down.

[alhoon]

Well, true, but I DO like the positioning and trying different combos etc. And I like picking off enemies one at a time. I was doing that in the Pylons levels in GF1:M and also in the Kyshaak zone in GF5. Or the Unbound Castle in GF5. All in all, I just thought that reaching Pentil should be easier. 

 

As for the geneforge in GF4... yeah, I remember that. Also, that GF didn't need special gloves if I recall correctly. However Shaila was powerful. Perhaps she was the exception and not the rule. 

[Enobarbus World]

Shaila definitely was not as powerful as the PC/Trajkov/Goettsch become in the G1 endings where they use the Geneforge.

[alhoon]

21 hours ago, handle with air said:

Shaila definitely was not as powerful as the PC/Trajkov/Goettsch become in the G1 endings where they use the Geneforge.

 

Just reading that, made me laugh.

Shaila is not as powerful as a drunken Sholai recruit. Comparison with the big ones is beyond hilarious. I would put her about the same difficulty as a good Vlish. 

That said, what I was trying to convey was that Shaila is more powerful than the PC once he uses the GF4 geneforge. I.e. you need to buff up with other quests before taking on Shaila.