G4 Highlight Predictor

[Student of Trinity]

I made a poll before G3, asking people to guess how you would end up travelling between islands. My assumption that there would be several different exotic ways turned out to be way wrong. So with this worthless track record in Geneforge N anticipation polls, here we go again.

 

You are allowed to choose several options, including highlights that might not all be possible in the same game.

[John S]

If I don't argue about something here, that means I agree.

 

I doubt that we'll see a separate faction for the Awakened. First of all, because Jeff doesn't have the time to outdo G1 with its multiple factions. This is because now, he'll have to make NPCs respond differently based on whether the PC is a servile or human, as well as (I assume) G4 being larger than G1 and having more opportunities for such encounters. The second reason is because if there's going to be an all-out war, those who can't make up their mind generally are mistaken for the enemy by both sides.

 

Being able to summon demons would be a pleasant change from Jeff's solid record of making basic, undepressing games. I would really appreciate a little more straying from the target market of 9-year-olds, but it's not going to happen. Too many nosy, fearful mothers (but not fathers, for some strange reason) trying to pass on their fear of fairy-tale monsters to their little dears.

 

I don't understand what's meant by "super-artifact" and "super-creation". Do you mean creations like Ur-Drakons, or even stronger things? Do you mean artifacts like rechargeable blessing-and-hasting wands, or do you mean something like a Geneforge?

 

The Shaper Council hasn't appeared except in the endings so far. If they did appear, they wouldn't be done justice because of the Geneforge engine's inability to display anything more detailed than a vaguely human-shaped figure. I would like something impressive and dramatic, and I know that all I'd get would be a color-shifted Shaper graphic.

 

Learned Darian has appeared in every single Geneforge, right? And undergone a sex change, if I remember correctly. If that couldn't keep him down for just one sequel, nor could ravenous creations touch her, then there are few things that would be strong enough to take Darian down.

[MagmaDragoon]

First Choice: No. The Geneforge Area would be the last one (or, why not, the first. You are a Rebel, right? You can use it to be able to shape though, not to gain godlike powers) exploring area in the game; so, who need god power at that point?

 

Second Choice: Yes. I think this will be the last chapter with the old-chief. Maybe YOU will be the master chief when you kill it (Rebel Ending, very opened to GF5, since you will decide how to rule your new empire) or simply slay it for the Shapers (Loyal Ending).

 

Third Choice: No. As Jeff said, no Awanaked in GF4, so I don't bother myself to think about this.

 

Fourth Choice: Yes. Not like a regular cration, though. Like a quest: find correct reciper an make your own, personalized demon/golem/mechanical creation or golem that travel with you like Alwan or Greta (so he cannot die forever, at least).

 

Fiveth-Sixth Choice: Why not? But be aware: one exclude the other. A super creation, OR a super artifact. Not both. Maybe the super creation would be an exclusive creation that grow stronger and different during the game; and the artifact a sword/armor (choosed at benginning) that grow his power when you slain bosses/during the game.

 

Seventh Choice: Uhmm... But how many person count the Council? I really don't know that, maybe this can be another Rebel ending when you rest Loyal at your current master, Ghaldring.

 

Eighth Choice: Definitly. Darian MUST DIE THIS TIME!, so he/she stop to change gender/sex ( ).

 

EDIT: This is the longest reply that I ever wrote.

[Dikiyoba]

Dikiyoba chose:

1. Using a Geneforge and attaining godlike power.

2. Summoning a demon.

3. Crushing the Shaper Council.

4. Dancing on Learned Darian's grave.

 

Or, in summary, the Shapers are going down!

[Micawber]

I remember that thread! I was holding out for a drayk-style boat as in GF1.

 

I voted for no big surprises, just the little things. I predict another inconclusive ending (i.e. ghaldring/shaper council both still intact).

[AnarhIztok2511]

I also voted for the crushing of the shapers.

 

Basically coz they're evil - even more than ghaldrig (or whatever his/her name) and also coz if the series doesn't end now, the next game will come out very much later with all the plans spiderweb has.

 

But the ending i'd really like to see'd be where you, together with the serviles, destroy both sides!!!

Or maybe that you die and Learned darian dances on your grave.

[Zeviz]

The game will start at the funeral of Learned Darian. It will be a festive affair, with lots of drinking and dancing to celebrate his/her life. While you are dancing on Darian's grave, his/her ghost will appear and tell you how to craft the Crystal of Ultimate Knowledge to revive the Awakened and lead them to power.

 

You will spend the first part of the game gathering followers and looking for ingredients of the Crystal of Ultimate Knowledge. A lot of abandoned mines and sealed labs will feature prominently in your search. When all the ingredients are gathered, you will perform the Great Crafting Ritual. Unfortunately, an ill-timed attack by Shaper troops will disrupt the ritual and cause a demon to be summoned instead. After defeating both the demon and the Shaper attack force, you’ll try to use the partially completed crystal, but you’ll get only partial information on how to create Geneforge.

 

The next part of the game will be spent looking for instructions and ingredients necessary to create the Geneforge. During this time you’ll travel through lands more and more ruined by the fighting and teeming with progressively more powerful enemies, so that by the endgame every swamp path will be patrolled by groups of half a dozen Ur-Drakons and Eye-Beasts, or Shaper generals and arch-mages.

 

Finally, you’ll be able to re-create Geneforge and use it to attain godlike power. At this point it would still be possible for Shapers and Rebels to stop you if they’d join their forces, but they continue to fight each other, allowing you to grow an army of super-powerful creations. With this unstoppable army you easily slay Ghaldring and crush the Shaper Council.

 

This is what happens when you let people check all 8 checkboxes.

[Student of Trinity]

Hey, I checked them all myself. But I'm thinking more along the lines of discovering a conspiracy between Ghaldring and the Shaper Council, compelling you to crush them both. Then as a final plot twist, Learned Darian turns out to have been the Jorge of Geneforge all along, secretly manipulating everyone while pursuing independent research into ultimate artifacts.

 

The Geneforge was nothing next to Darian's Sapphire Noseguard, but after a fight in which Gazers die like gnats you finally slay Darian, who confesses with his dying breath that she was really Danette's immortal clone, and the world can at last know peace.

[Randomizer]

Dancing on Learned Darian's grave will be the highlight after it is revealed that he/she has been manipulating everyone since GF1.

Darian first discovered and used the Geneforge before the Sholai came to Sucia Island. This explains why Darian is still around plaguing adventurers.

 

All the regular gamers will kill Learned Darian just so they won't have to see him/her in GF5. The how I killed Learned Darian will become the longest thread in Geneforge 4 forum.

[Delicious Vlish]

I predict a battle with the Shaper Council themselves. As a quest. Maybe one of the end game quests. Hunt them down and slay each one of them, one Shaper, one Guardian, and one Agent. (The Agent of course will not use the patented Delicious Vlish Agent AI™ and will be a total pushover)

[Dikiyoba]

Originally by Randomizer:

 

Quote:

All the regular gamers will kill Learned Darian just so they won't have to see him/her in GF5. The how I killed Learned Darian will become the longest thread in Geneforge 4 forum.

No, no. It will be more like A3, where players can kill Learned Darian, but it won't change the ending at all, and Learned Darian won't really be dead. Players will speculate that Learned Darian will be the main villian in G5, only to discover that Learned Darian dies mysteriously between G4 and G5 and that his/her niche has been filled by an ambiguously-gendered drakon and that the villians of G5 are still the rebels verus the Shapers.

 

Oddly enough, Dikiyoba doesn't despise Learned Darian at all.

[Retlaw May]

First of all:

You will all be crushed for your words against the just and mighty Shaper Empire!

Second:

I killed Learned Darian in G3 (and probably in G1 too since I used the Geneforge and killed everything that moved).

Lastly:

Does anyone know if this is the last Geneforge or not? I don't particularly want to see the series end, but I'm getting tired of vague and inconclusive endings that usually don't fit what I did in the previous games. If I took over the world in the first place, none of this would have happened!

[Randomizer]

Quote:

Originally written by Retlaw May:
Does anyone know if this is the last Geneforge or not?

Jeff hasn't announced beyond planning to do an update to Nethergate. I'm guesing Avernum 5 will come before a Geneforge 5. You can always start speculating after GF4 release based upon the various endings.

It would be nice to get away from the Rebel/Loyalist plots.