Spiderweb Geneforge 2 - Infestation remake from Spiderweb Software

[Jack Slash]

The Takers are fucking idiots, they ditch the shapers and quickly replace them with Drakons.

They used to be my least favourite faction, too, but after playing the remakes, I started sympathising with the Takers more and more.

I just find it relatable somehow that, after centuries of undisputed Shaper oppression, it was neither the Awakened compromise nor any further lateral movements in the Shaper circles that brought about the change - instead, it took the undiluted, congealed hatred to create an ultimate living weapon (Ghaldring) and disrupt the old ways. And the Takers don't just hate the Shapers - they also hate themselves and each other, and so they go on the path of continuous reshaping of themselves, discarding the outdated bodies and inefficient concepts without a moment's thought or gratitude for previous accomplishments that allowed them to get this far. And the lengths they go to achieve their goals - the game frequently mentions how the Takers get the worst lands, the worst living conditions, the least amount of food, and a lot of random NPCs you meet are on the brink of starvation. And yet, their labs are the biggest, and their war machine has the most gas in its tank - always.

It's only Jeff's canon, of course, but it's easy to feel commiserative with these mad, ruthless and unapologetic weirdos.

 

[Mauman]

Meh....the Takers have always been giant self-destructive fucktards. I usually take great glee in genociding them.

Now I do have sympathy for the Awakened, but at the end of the day I'm loyalist/non-aligned to the core.

 

[Dayyālu]

Now I do have sympathy for the Awakened, but at the end of the day I'm loyalist/non-aligned to the core.

The Awakened are the "sensible" option.... until they aren't. Historically they lose and lose and lose until all that's left is a "moderate" faction of Rebels that exist because the Takers with blood and insanity mauled Shaper society in open warfare, and the Shapers are weakened enough to consider other options. Of course, in their endings they manage to make everything work, but in the Vogel canon the "moderate rebel" positions aren't simply sustainable against Shaper rigidity and Rebel insanity.

In Geneforge 2 their weakness is further underlined by being dependant on Zachary for their mere existence (he gave them support, shielded them and hid them) and they're over-cultivating the valley with uncontrolled Shaping because they don't fully understand that the Shaper laws have a good reason to exist. They may be moral, but they're not practical.

I also like being nonaligned, and it's honestly good to see how weak you are in refusing everything. No canisters? Well, you're significantly weaker. All trainers bar the Shaper Camp cost a lot more and some trainers are flat-out refusing to deal with you. You get even less quests, less gold and less experience. There's no gameplay advantage whatsoever in being "pure unaligned" bar having to deal with the same shit with less power (and of course avoiding Canister Madness) but it feels good: too often in games refusing "the Evil Power" is trivially easy because the other options are equivalent, in Geneforge 2 you're going to struggle for purity and discipline.

 

[Mauman]

Now I do have sympathy for the Awakened, but at the end of the day I'm loyalist/non-aligned to the core.

There's no gameplay advantage whatsoever in being "pure unaligned" bar having to deal with the same shit with less power

Phariston exists :D

Also, While we note that Awakened are the "sensible" option, they are also giant hypocrites. Their whole end-game existence relies on

Spoiler

obedient Drakon creations

.

I don't blame them, but it does make the whole "creation rights" thing fall flat on it's face. Especially when you're being tasked to kill "rogues" they created

 

[fantadomat]

Meh....the Takers have always been giant self-destructive fucktards. I usually take great glee in genociding them.

Now I do have sympathy for the Awakened, but at the end of the day I'm loyalist/non-aligned to the core.

I intent on killing them all and fucking off.