Game News Geneforge 5: Because 4 just isn't enough

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Geneforge 5

<a href="http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge5/index.html">Geneforge 5: Overthrow is coming this way</a>. A new page for it has apparently just been put up:
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<blockquote>Spiderweb Software brings you Geneforge 5: Overthrow, the final chapter in their fantasy epic. Return to the world of the Shapers one final time. Explore a vast, war-torn world, create and mold your own army of strange, powerful monsters, and choose a side to help lead to final victory.
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Geneforge 5: Overthrow features:
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<ul><li>Enormous world, with over 80 areas to explore.
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<li>Choose among five different factions, each with its own beliefs, cities, and quests. Help the rebels or fight them. Your choices will shape the world.
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<li>Dozens of different endings. Choose for yourself how the saga will finally end.
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<li>Many paths to victory. Slay your enemies or use stealth and diplomacy to outwit them. Become engrossed in the storyline or just go out and wreak havoc.
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<li>Lots of replay value.
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<li>Prior experience with the Geneforge series is completely unnecessary.</ul></blockquote>
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Prior experience with the Geneforge series would probably be detrimental, given they're all the same. AMIRITE?
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Spotted @ <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com">GameBanshee</a>

 

[Jasede]

They are.

 

[Aikanaro]

They are - but that's fine, because they're all the same in a fantastic way. Sure, it'd be nice if Vogel moved on to different things, but it's not that important. I'm quite happy to play another Geneforge game. Ecstatic, actually. There are no other developers consistently releasing high quality RPGs, and the Geneforge setting and plot are both interesting enough to warrent being spread out over several games.

 

[thesheeep]

True... and I'm no graphics whore... but PLEEEAAAASEEE

 

[Trash]

The geneforce setting and games have been quite a lot of fun. They have been consistent high quality hack and slash rog's in a original and interesting setting. I do hope that after this he'll either come up with a new setting or try a different kind of game.

Anyway, I'm glad we got a guy like Vogel around. His games helped me get through the rpg drought of recent years.

 

[Sodomy]

Having kept track of this on their forums, so far what the Jeff has said has been saying the right things:

5 Joinable factions (up from 2 in G3 and 3 in G4; back to the G1 and G2 standard)

World structured more like in 1 and 2, with a large area that can be accessed from the start (provided you can survive the encounters), as opposed to the smaller, compartmentalized areas of 3 & 4. Also, apparently the MQ will be more like the first two, with less of the "crawl through the same dungeon and choose which side you help at the end of it" that 3 & 4 had.

Magic system revamped to make keeping buff spells up less of a pain in the ass.

Players will be able to start as either a shaper or a rebel. Shapers will have their choice of the three "classic" classes, while rebels will have the 5 classes from G4.

 

[Serious_Business]

True... and I'm no graphics whore... but PLEEEAAAASEEE

Yes you are

To make the games (and justify all those sequels) truly interesting, he should have them linked. The end of the first game should influence the second, etc. Either you'd plug your save file to the new game or answer some questions at the start (or have the option not to of course). I'm not sure if he could make it work, doubt it because this is obviously a guy milking his cow (anyone saying otherwise seriously has problems now). But with something like that, it would be pretty awesome (depending on how much your choices have consequences...). Right now you play a game, start the other, really, everything you did didn't matter for shit, yeah that's great, now let's start over all again, no thanks. I realise it would probably be too much work to make it consequential (especially up to the 5th game), but that's what it's all about. Is he working hard or pulling shit here, what do you think?

 

[Trash]

I think you're being a bit too negative there.

 

[JarlFrank]

True... and I'm no graphics whore... but PLEEEAAAASEEE

Yes, please. I could make better graphics with a bunch of pencils, a piece of paper and a scanner.

 

[Niektory]

True... and I'm no graphics whore... but PLEEEAAAASEEE

Yes, please. I could make better graphics with a bunch of pencils, a piece of paper and a scanner.

Go ahead. We're waiting.

 

[JarlFrank]

True... and I'm no graphics whore... but PLEEEAAAASEEE

Yes, please. I could make better graphics with a bunch of pencils, a piece of paper and a scanner.

Go ahead. We're waiting.

http://jarlfrank.deviantart.com/gallery/

It's pretty old work, though, but it does look better than Jeff Vogel's graphics. I'd wish he'd just change the color scheme or something, those bright colors are probably the thing that hurts my eyes when I play his games. Should be more dark.

 

[Kingston]

No, I'm sorry, Jeff Vogel's graphics look better than your big-titted heroines.

 

[Ander Vinz]

http://jarlfrank.deviantart.com/gallery/

Awesome! What camera do you use?

 

[Jasede]

Kids, kids, calm down. Jeff's and Jarl's art is both shit!

 

[Kingston]

Maybe they are one and the same? How fucked up would that be?

 

[Korgan]

Same fucking feature list as in 3 and 4, except for the number of factions. Geneforge has always been solid, but doesn't Vogel want to evolve a bit? Oh, and I kinda hate the series for giving its retarded engine to Avernum 4 and 5. A1-3 looked and felt so much better and cleaner...

 

[Ander Vinz]

Anybody here actually played Geneforge?

 

[Jasede]

A lot of guys here did. Real good RPGs; shame that they're so ugly they make me want to stick rusty forks in my eyes, the writing is average, and while there's many ways to do stuff and many factions that doesn't cover up the combat-fest - said combat not being very enjoyable to me. Most here like them a lot more than I do, though.

 

[Depressinator]

You thought the writing was average? I thought it was very good. The plot for I and II seemed to be very straightforward and nothing exciting but the writing itself was good.

My big problem with it was the game system, and the tyrrany of choices. Shall I pick the diplomacy, combat or stealth level to advance to the next map area? I am mad with the possibilities!

 

[Jasede]

Eh, I don't know. If you're like me you end up fighting everything for max XP anyway.

 

[Niektory]

 

[MetalCraze]

damn it hurts my eyes

 

[JarlFrank]

Heck, and they even fit into that screenshot

 

[Volourn]

Jarl > Geneforeg which is overrated piece of boring crap

 

[Elwro]

5 Joinable factions (up from 2 in G3 and 3 in G4; back to the G1 and G2 standard)

Weren't there just 3 factions in G1? The Takers, The Obeyers and The Awakened?