Rotghroth Rhapsody Feo Takahari Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Hmm . . . has anyone else noticed that the world of Geneforge has very advanced and very primitive technology side by side, as if some really high-powered stuff survived an apocalypse of some sort? And did anyone see in G3 that not even the Shapers can remember the origins of, say, a Vlish, indicating that their records are lost? And might it not be coincidental that almost everyone who has funny-colored skin (green, blue, etc.) has magical potential? (Sadly, it's no longer everyone.) Furthermore, has it struck anyone else that it seems the people who have natural shaping and magical capabilities start out as arrogant and people-hating as characters who use canisters to improve themselves to an equivalent skill level? I myself am hoping we find out in the final game that all the people who use magic are descended from users of the original genetic modifications, and that it was warfare among those people that sunk the Geneforge world into barbarism. One can always hope. (And yes, I've had this theory since the first game, but I only just figured out the technical problems that kept me from using the forums. Oh well.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Sudanna Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 There are theories that state exactly that- Look for The Secret in G1. Also, Shaping has been around for one hell of a long time, by all accounts. Records will be lost, especially when few copies exist and access to them is limited, as it is with books on Shaping. Also, if the rulers are focused almost exclusively on the improvement of Shaping, as they are, with that amount of time(And with magical help), you can expect a skewed technology level. Actually, only the canister-users have discolored skin. The discolored graphics are due to a relatively low graphics budget. The Shapers don't start out arrogant, they are made that way. Side effect of being a member of an elite ruling cabal with the power to create life with the wave of a hand. As to non-Shaper mages, Nalyd hasn't seen any disproportionate amount of arrogance in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotghroth Rhapsody Feo Takahari Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 My search for "The Secret" in "Geneforge series" turned up exactly 1 result. Would you please be kind enough to provide a link? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Sudanna Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Nalyd looked, but only found old debates. Heh, reminders of his (Past? Probably not ) noobishness. He can remember just about nothing about it offhand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Dikiyoba Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 The Big Secret Dikiyoba. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Upon Mars. Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 What we know is where bioengerniered diseases,artilas, fyora, servile and shapers all began. The seeds of their construction and destruction is on sucia Isle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Sudanna Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Shaping isn't directly destroying anyone, because everyone uses it. Their doom was due to uncontrolled use of Shaping and ignorance of it's power. And probably a little power-lust, too. Forging an empire and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk Evnissyen Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Hmm... an interesting post. I would argue, myself, with the idea that the Geneforge world is an especially technologically advanced one. Nearly everything in the game that is made to channel magic appears to be a life form shaped by the Shapers. Even the doors are alive. The control panels are alive. The mines are alive. Its a world based on magic, not technology, and the devices seem to be living material magically shaped expressly for the purpose of channeling magic. Although the boat that the Sholai, in G1, come in on is shown to have sails (at least in the beginning... I got bored just before the end of the game): even the Shapers' boats are alive. In G3 the boats appear to be rowboats. I suspect it might very well be the case that apart from their ignorance of magic, the Sholai are more technologically advanced than the Shapers. Apart from all the devices and such that make the world look technologically advanced, it seems to be a rather primitive world in which people still use swords and bows to fight and control people with. Speaking of glowing green skin: It's just occurred to me that it would be a nice touch, in the final Geneforge, if cannister-modified people develop glowing green skin that tends to intensify with the number of cannisters used. I suspect it won't be a feature, therefore we'll never see it, oh well. Then again, it's only a tiny little figure wandering around the screen... I suppose, maybe, adding glowing green skin wouldn't be much of an addition... especially if you color your character green initially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Dikiyoba Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 The Sholai do have magic. You run across several mages that did not get their power from canisters. They just don't have Shaping. Dikiyoba. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Sudanna Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 If Nalyd remembers correctly, G1 had a feature where, if you used enough canisters, you started to glow faintly. He could be mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrulous Glaahk Brock The Archmage Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 You were described as glowing, the picture of you on screen didn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Sudanna Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 No, Nalyd distinctly remembers the little Shaper figure glowing faintly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrulous Glaahk Brock The Archmage Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 How many did you use Nalyd? all of them? Because I used every one I found and went into every area, and used the Geneforge, and didn't see glowing....Maybe I should go load that save file...I'll be back in five minutes. EDIT: I didn't see any glow, but the original save file that went everywhere is gone, the farthest along one was clearing out all the areas after Geneforging, had like 3 left.... *shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Nioca Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Look at the Shaper's inventory pic. However, that glow is there regardless of how many canisters you use, even if you didn't use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Kelandon Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 I thought it was a later GF that introduced the glow for using lots of canisters. Certainly GF2 has glowing NPCs. (But I guess Trajkov in GF1 glowed, too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrulous Glaahk Brock The Archmage Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Yes, but do the PCs ever glow? I haven't seen it on screen, but I never really looked at the inventory pic.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Nioca Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 No, they do not. Well, they're textually described as glowing, but they aren't graphically putting off a glow. Either that, or your PC is expecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk John S Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Originally Posted By: Nioca No, they do not. Well, they're textually described as glowing, but they aren't graphically putting off a glow. Either that, or your PC is expecting. I've seen the same thing (or seen that there is nothing to be seen?). The PC never glows due to canister use. Nalyd, you might be thinking of the PC glowing in Geneforge 4 in dimly lit areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Lord Safey Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 The shaper empire is so old that it even they don't know how old they are. Their are shaper ghost so old they don't remember who or what they where in life. In geneforge 1 their was only one spirit that remembered anything about the shapers. I say the shapers are at least 4 to 5 thousands years old and their age could be anywhere in the 10 of thousands. Whats the oldest civilization we know of today that existed. How long ago where they founded? I like to think of the shapers as incredibly ancient empire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Sudanna Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 For such an ancient empire, they don't have much in the way of metropolises, ruins, or history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Goldengirl Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Originally Posted By: The Limper. For such an ancient empire, they don't have much in the way of metropolises, ruins, or history. I don't think the Shaper empire is too old. Two centuries, as implied by G1, seems a bit young, but it makes some sense. I mean, when you can spawn neverending armies, conquering two continents, most likely connected by land, doesn't seem so hard. And, from there, it doesn't seem unreasonable to say that the frontier, far away lands of eastern Terrestia would only be starting to have "large towns". Everything major is still in the west, is what I s'pose I'm trying to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 GF5 clarifies that the Shaper Empire is more like 500 years old. At least you get some ideas from when they conquered some areas and how peaceful the west coast areas are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Sudanna Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 That makes much more sense. Nalyd would like to see some historical texts in G5- Who were the heroes of the first Shapers, what were the situation? He feels it would be much more understandable if he knew their origins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast The Mystic Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Originally Posted By: John S The PC never glows due to canister use. But I remember seeing a thread somewhere saying that you could change the script to make your PC glow. I never tried it, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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