KickStarter Geneforge 1 - Mutagen - remake from Spiderweb Software

[Bad Sector]

So, apparently Jeff had an AMA on Reddit and Guillaume Boucher-Vidal, the founder of Nine Dots who made Outward, offered to provide the funds and collaborate with him for a new game. Jeff didn't answer on the post (though the offer mentioned talking through DMs), but it'll be interesting to see what will happen if this follows through.

 

[ghostdog]

So, apparently Jeff had an AMA on Reddit and Guillaume Boucher-Vidal, the founder of Nine Dots who made Outward, offered to provide the funds and collaborate with him for a new game. Jeff didn't answer on the post (though the offer mentioned talking through DMs), but it'll be interesting to see what will happen if this follows through.

Exile, blast out of the pit, the FPS remake.

 

[Alienman]

A third/first person massive dungeon crawl I would have nothing against.

 

[Dayyālu]

what will happen if this follows through.

Impossible.

As much as I'm liking this remake (kamitahds are awesome) the entire Vogel philosophy makes such a thing outright impossible:

- He'll have to deal with another dev with real experience (real as "not the extremely peculiar Vogel cycle of development" that works but it's frankly puzzling)

- Faaaaar outside of his comfort zone, that's essentially hardcore remakes-new low stakes-remakes-new low stakes-retirement.

If it goes through I'll eat one of my hats tho.

 

[Drazhya]

LoL also the dumb bastard made so enemy could just respawn on the map while you are exploring other rooms,i am not talking about spammer monster sending new enemy.

I've walked through the abandoned shaper school many times testing this out and I haven't seen any respawns. They might spawn while you're exploring, but if they do, there must be a limit for the area.

It's been really noticeable for me in the Dry Wastes, 'cause the original Clawbugs were level 9, but the new ones that spawned in were level 14, with more initiative and ~50% more HP. Seemed to stop spawning at about the time the zone was officially cleared and I could fast-travel through it.

 

[Rafidur]

So, apparently Jeff had an AMA on Reddit

"Next 4 games are Queen's Wish"

 

[V_K]

So, apparently Jeff had an AMA on Reddit

"Next 4 games are Queen's Wish"

Lying by omission much? He said "Next 4 games are Queen's Wish and Geneforge, I hope". So he's going to alternate remakes with new games, like he did with Avadon. None of which is news.

More relevant bit:

I want each new Geneforge game to have a bunch of new material. Geneforge 1 - Mutagen contains a all-new big side story in the Geneforge world. I want to keep doing that. Not a whole new game though.

 

[Rafidur]

When you're in 2030 and Queen's Wish: Botox comes out directly after Queen's Wish 5, don't say I didn't warn you.

 

[urmom]

2040 or 2050 more like. Vogel will still be remastering his games while living in retirement community.

 

[BING XI LAO]

I blame brainlet paypigs
his fans, such as they are, ought to be demand a new series with an original world concept

 

[fantadomat]

Queen's Wish

Is mobile trash,nobody will care if it gets remade lol.

 

[Fowyr]

Here even you can't open the first door without using a canister.

It was not like that in the original. You could stay free from canisters.

Soo is the game still free of consequences from taking canisters?

Speaking of original, there are several checks for using Geneforge.
z13pentildlg.txt
z26kazgdlg.txt
z32refugeedlg.txt
z35woodvaldlg.txt

It makes three of the four zones hostile.

But you are completely right about canisters, what the hell! I'm confused a first game, finished 17 years ago, and the later games.

There are only two instances of using canister counter. One in the Pentil and second:

begintalknode 4;
state = -1;
personality = 0;
nextstate = -1;
condition = get_sdf(100,0) > 5 && get_flag(20,5) == 0;
text1 = "As you walk through the marsh, you suddenly feel very woozy. You stumble and fall to your knees, retching. The sickness is overwhelming, but, fortunately, it doesn't last long.";
text2 = "As you rest there, on your hands and knees, you notice something. It's hard to tell in the sunlight, so you look closer. Yes, you're sure of it. Your skin is glowing slightly.";
text3 = "You inspect yourself more carefully. Your muscles are moving under your skin, very slightly, of their own accord, as if they are carefully rearranging themselves. Your skin is different. It's smoother and stronger. And it's warmer to the touch.";
text4 = "And your thoughts are different too. They're stronger, more confident. And, when you look at the crude creations around you, you are quicker to see how small and flawed and disgusting they are.";
text5 = "It is strange and subtle, but unmistakable. You are being changed, improved, rewritten. And, you strongly suspect, the augmentation canisters you discovered on this island may have something to do with it.";
action = SET_SDF 20 5 1;

Ahhh no,you can't get spells

Technically, you could get a Firebolt in the Ruined School.

 

[Rafidur]

Doesn't seem like that's the case anymore:

text4 = "Soon, the burning stops. You feel improved. Povralus says, _I will now forget how to do that, since those are my orders. I am glad. It is my last knowledge._ (Your Spellcraft has increased by 1.)";

You'll drink the monster energy and you'll like it.

 

[fantadomat]

Here even you can't open the first door without using a canister.

It was not like that in the original. You could stay free from canisters.

Soo is the game still free of consequences from taking canisters?

Speaking of original, there are several checks for using Geneforge.
z13pentildlg.txt
z26kazgdlg.txt
z32refugeedlg.txt
z35woodvaldlg.txt

It makes three of the four zones hostile.

But you are completely right about canisters, what the hell! I'm confused a first game, finished 17 years ago, and the later games.

There are only two instances of using canister counter. One in the Pentil and second:

begintalknode 4;
state = -1;
personality = 0;
nextstate = -1;
condition = get_sdf(100,0) > 5 && get_flag(20,5) == 0;
text1 = "As you walk through the marsh, you suddenly feel very woozy. You stumble and fall to your knees, retching. The sickness is overwhelming, but, fortunately, it doesn't last long.";
text2 = "As you rest there, on your hands and knees, you notice something. It's hard to tell in the sunlight, so you look closer. Yes, you're sure of it. Your skin is glowing slightly.";
text3 = "You inspect yourself more carefully. Your muscles are moving under your skin, very slightly, of their own accord, as if they are carefully rearranging themselves. Your skin is different. It's smoother and stronger. And it's warmer to the touch.";
text4 = "And your thoughts are different too. They're stronger, more confident. And, when you look at the crude creations around you, you are quicker to see how small and flawed and disgusting they are.";
text5 = "It is strange and subtle, but unmistakable. You are being changed, improved, rewritten. And, you strongly suspect, the augmentation canisters you discovered on this island may have something to do with it.";
action = SET_SDF 20 5 1;

Ahhh no,you can't get spells

Technically, you could get a Firebolt in the Ruined School.

Well having consequences for using cannisters would be pretty stupid since it is your only way of progressing. If there was teachers or other way of getting skills i would have gone without them,but there isn't. Getting a spell or two from some spellbooks or what not doesn't really count. That is why geneforge 1 is the weakest of the series. It is more or less a generic slasher set in a great setting. The sequels did evolve a lot compared to it and it is more fun to replay them.

 

[Fowyr]

It is more or less a generic slasher set in a great setting.

Well, that's pretty retarded notion. There are a lot of C&C, not obvious solutions to the quests and whatnot in G1. Damn, you could even make a truce between Awakened village and bandits to the north.

The sequels did evolve a lot compared to it and it is more fun to replay them.

Geneforge 1 has a best and most atmospheric exploration in the series.

Doesn't seem like that's the case anymore:

Damn, Jeff, but why?

 

[fantadomat]

It is more or less a generic slasher set in a great setting.

Well, that's pretty retarded notion. There are a lot of C&C, not obvious solutions to the quests and whatnot in G1. Damn, you could even make a truce between Awakened village and bandits to the north.

The sequels did evolve a lot compared to it and it is more fun to replay them.

Geneforge 1 has a best and most atmospheric exploration in the series.

Doesn't seem like that's the case anymore:

Damn, Jeff, but why?

Muh,to each their own,i prefer the later games over this one. You do you.

 

[Luzur]

i kinda thought Queens wish would be new and refreshing with village building and stuff, but alas its just a more limited version of Avadon...

Also been playing Geneforge for two days now, keep remembering alot of stuff, but also i think Jeffy added in small changes here and there, dont remember some of the dialogue and other stuff.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Well having consequences for using cannisters would be pretty stupid since it is your only way of progressing.

lots of games have choices between power and humanity

 

[Rafidur]

All in all the game definitely met my low expectations. The gameplay didn't get amazing or anything, and the new abilities are a bit underwhelming, but they do shake things up a bit and the real improvements are enemies having them, better encounter/boss design, and the interface looking better than somebody vomiting their lunch of random buttons on a 800x600 area.

Creation variety is really low but guess it wouldn't make sense for Drakons etc to exist yet. Still feels weird to have a npc go apeshit at having the ability to create drayks, these forbidden powerful creatures, but that does fit the theme of desperate power escalation over the series...

Way better than Queen's Wish I Was Playing Avernum Instead or Avadon't.

 

[Hobo Elf]

From the reddit AMA that Jeff did yesterday:

1. Will you consider expanding more of the gameplay systems of subsequent Geneforge remasters? Such as adding more diverse spells and creation abilities, battle maneuvers for guardians, agent-only spells, ...?

Of course. We have four full games to add piles of new stuff. One of the flaws of the old Geneforge series was I didn't introduce enough new game play elements as the games progressed so they got stale.

I know it's premature as the first remake was just released and the other one won't be out until 2023, but it'll be interesting to see where he wants to take the series mechanically.

 

[Lyre Mors]

From the reddit AMA that Jeff did yesterday:

I know it's premature as the first remake was just released and the other one won't be out until 2023, but it'll be interesting to see where he wants to take the series mechanically.

This is an opportunity for Jeff to spend his years before retirement leaving behind the best version of his best series. Let's see if the old boy can do it. As much as he's declined in the past decade, I still hope the best for him.

Really enjoying the remake. It's been very good so far.

A note on the spawning enemies in zones you are newly exploring: I really don't mind it, and it's actually a decent way to discourage travel/rest spamming. As long as there is a point in a map where it stops, I'm ok with the approach.

 

[Kem0sabe]

The most important feature, carrying your save and choices from game to game, that he will never do because he's too lazy.

 

[Fowyr]

The most important feature, carrying your save and choices from game to game, that he will never do because he's too lazy.

Nah, it would never work with his story. Small moments here and there - sure, but that's all. For story of Geneforge to work, it needs to be fixed. For example, start of G2 with purge of Sucia island.

 

[Terra]

Not all of the endings for each game fit perfectly with what happens in the next game. It's one of the weakest aspects of continuity and Jeff didn't handle it particularly well in either Geneforge or Avadon. I think G4 largely fits with a G3 rebel aligned ending, but there are characters alive in G4 that shouldn't be if that were the case. Similarly, you have returning characters like Nathalie in Avadon 3, yet the fate of the Av1 protag (or any mention of them) is never mentioned.

Some people even proposed that a half-assed assumption that the prior game's protagonist died/failed along the way as a way to explain away some of rough edges to continuity between his games. It's not very well done in any of his games, imo, Jeff can't even settle upon and implement a canon series of events, carrying over saves just seems like inevitable disappointment.

 

[Rafidur]

Avernum had a bunch of vague "adventurers did it" as explanation for anything that ever happened in any previous game.