Editorial Geneforge 3 Wrap Report on RPG Vault

[Fez]

Tags: Geneforge 3; Jeff Vogel; Spiderweb Software

<A href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/">RPG Vault</a> has a new <A href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/629/629843p1.html">Geneforge 3 Wrap Report</a> feature, which contains <A href="http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/">Spiderweb Software</a> developer Jeff Vogel's thoughts on Geneforge 3:
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<blockquote>So far, the reaction to Geneforge 3 has been very much what I expected. My games mainly cater to a small, elite cadre of old-school RPG fans, and I've gotten a pretty good idea of what they like. With the increasing shortage of good, meaty single-player RPGs these days, as long as I work hard, I can maintain my audience. It's a big game, with cool dungeons, and an interesting plot. It's worked out.</blockquote>
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It makes for some interesting reading, giving some insight into the mind of Jeff Vogel and what goes on behind the scenes.

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

The only thing that irks me about his games is the lack of music.

 

[Sol Invictus]

The interface really sucks.

 

[deus]

The interface could be better, but it isn't that bad. The only thing I hate is how you can't click on items to pick them up.

 

[corvax]

i only played the demo and found the interface as my biggest gripe. i don't mind the animations, graphics, and (no)music. i understand his lack of resources but c'mon the interface looks as if done in ms paint. it lacks certain definition. but regardless the game is pretty cool. as soon as i pay my bills and have $ left i'll buy it.

 

[Fez]

They improved the inventory display for Geneforge 3. It makes the previous titles look more awkward. There were some other small improvements too. Shame that Vogel chose that sunny delight vomit pattern for it.

 

[Jed]

In the middle of GF3 now. It rules. Yes, some of the interface issues are irksome, but really there's not a lot to qualitatively nitpick on these games. The moral ambiguity alone is enough to sell GF3 on. If you are a fan of old-school RPGs, there is really no excuse for not playing this now.

 

[Eclecticist]

I listen to Sigur Ros whenever I play Geneforge. It's the perfect match. I don't listen to them at any other times, so they remind me of the games and I often forget that it isn't actually connected in any way to the games.

 

[Jason]

There's something odd about a Morbid Angel fan listening to Sigur Ros. Something unnatural.

 

[Shagnak]

Not really.
In my experience, MA fans have unusually eclectic tastes for lovers of extreme music.

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

Most people I know listen to whatever is good, regardless of genre. Whether it be Mastodon or explosions in the sky, or sigur ros.

 

[Shagnak]

Mastodon! :shock:
They rock too!

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

:D

 

[Elwro]

I learned all Schubert's symphonies by heart while playing Geneforge 1. I'm finishing Avernum now and it's C. P. E. Bach's time :D

But I wanted to ask: do any elements of Geneforge 3's plot refer to what happened in Geneforge 2? Is it better to play them in order?

 

[Jed]

There are minor references, but by and large GF3 is independent of previous GFs, but GF2 is really great, too, so I wouldn't miss out on it.

 

[Fez]

You can play them all out of sequence without too much trouble. Ideally you'd start with the first one, but GF3 has the best tutorial to start with.

 

[Psilon]

Suggestion: Play a Shaper in 1, Guardian in 2, and Agent in 3. The spell selection in GF3 is ridiculously powerful compared to that in 1, especially since you can manufacture magical ammo.

I enjoyed GF3, but it feels like sequelitis to me. The combat still isn't that great, and in fact poison attacks become practically useless in the last two islands. As a result, the Cryoa I practically never upgraded due to spending all my essence on my Searing Artila became far more valuable in the endgame than my Terror Vlish. Ice works pretty well against non-undead, and acid does wonders against practically everything but bosses and some turrets, but poison just isn't worth the effort. Most of the bosses aren't too hard, either, relying more on 2000+ hit points and summoning meat shields every other turn than actual danger or strategy.

Leadership and Mechanics have been improved, but they won't win the game for you. The inventory system is indeed a lot better, but the rest of the interface hasn't changed. There's still no dialog history other than the journal, and not all the quest entries behave the way you'd expect. Also, recycling and enlarging the Avernum boat graphic was the most blatant attempt to save a buck I've ever seen in his games, especially when he already went all-out and did a winter tile set!

Also, I won't spoil the ending text for you, but your actions really don't matter much. Whereas Geneforge 1 tracked your choices fairly heavily, the GF3 ending is much more faction-specific. With only two factions, both of which encourage zealotry (since only the truly loyal/rebellious are worthy of training in advanced spells), I don't see much replay value on the horizon.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Sigur Ros is pretty good