Best game path to follow?

[Eigenvalue]

Unlike with the previous Avernum and Geneforge games, these days I am absolutely out of time and cannot play the game for more than 2-3 hours per week. Hence I would like to hear your advice on what is the most enjoyable game flow. Browsing through the forum (and having played the game for just a bit), I have seen that there seems to be several big alternatives in the game: to accept Gladwell's geas or not to accept it, to join Anama or not to join. Is there also an option to join Darkside loyalists or not to join? How many different paths are there overall - 8, or are some of these choices mutually exclusive? Are there other alternatives I have not listed here? And, most importantly, what is the most enjoyable flow? For example, if I do not want to get towns angry at me, I must not take Gladwell geas? And if I join Anama, I will not be able to use any magic, so there is no need to train a mage or a priest character? And the last question, for powergamers out there, can one actually do all of the possible things and quests by shifting between various decisions or once some decisions are made some quests become impossible to obtain?

[*i]

You can indeed join the Darkside Loyalists. From a power gamer perspective, this is the preferred option because Dervish Tholman will train you at Extremely Cheap rates in most combat skills and, less importantly, Ruth will sell the best spells at similar rates. On my second play through I made a mad dash for the Darkside Loyalists to get this option.

 

Some analysis on Gladwell and the Anama:

 

Joining the Anama AND Gladwell are mutually exclusive to a point. Getting one of Gladwell's items will anger the Anama. Unfortunately, this is the second item so to join both you would have to live with the curse for a while. Doing the third and fifth rewards also make it impossible to get the best Melanchion's Desire reward (which almost balances out Gladwell's bonus). Also, when you kill Gladwell and break the geas, the stat bonuses go away leaving you with just the items. I'm assuming you can skip an item and do the next in the sequence; I've never tested this assertion. If this is false, it invalidates this analysis.

 

So let's say you got Gladwell's geas, did the first, skipped the second and third, and did the forth, but not the fifth. After doing so, you went back and killed Gladwell. All you come out with are two items. Now by joining the Anama, you cannot do Shafrir's or the last Melanchion's desire quest. All you get for doing them are a decent sword and armor, really not all that great. You are far better to forego the Anama and do the other two, in my opinion as the stat boosts from Melanchion's desire outweigh these two.

 

So reflecting on it, trying to power game here really only comes out ahead by three decent items and the stat boosts from the Melanchion's Desire quests +1 RES/STR/DEX/INT. Not really worth the trouble.

 

In conclusion: Gladwell is worth it if you follow all the way through for the additional treasure although you have to make towns angry; getting out of the deal is really not that beneficial. The Anama really only give you the ability to learn priest spells early; their rewards do not make up for the losses. IMHO, what you get from Gladwell is really not all that worth it and the Anama are a waste of time.

 

I would say to pick a path most comfortable to you and just work with it.

[Khoth]

From a non-powergaming perspective, I think it's best to join Gladwell. By the time you get to kill him, you'll really hate him, so it's more satisfying than most fights.