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If you weren't constrained by the narrative, what would you be running around with atm?
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Dec 10, 2016 02:52
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General Antares posted:If you weren't constrained by the narrative, what would you be running around with atm? we'd dehumanize ourselves and face to the people's democratic federation of vlish-cryoa until further developments in our understanding of shaper technology grants us spoilers TooMuchAbstraction posted:...not that you're bitter or anything. 
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Dec 10, 2016 03:00
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:You usually also won't be running around with starter tier creations either, which makes pylon-bashing marginally less irritating... Hey now, my artila did yeoman work clearing out this passage on my venture through this area. Admittedly, the pylons were a rude surprise; especially because I actually came here via the other entrance, but when I left to unload some loot and then came back, thanks to the vagaries of the map system (and possibly because I unlocked the other entrance but didn't use it?) I walked into Pylon Central.
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Dec 10, 2016 04:24
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How outclassed are you here? You seem to be running razor's edge against the pylons, but battle alphas seem like they've turned into target practice (until they aren't at target range anymore  ). Is this a matter of picking an approach that fits your build or are you hiding some of your suffering?
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Dec 10, 2016 04:56
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I've actually been surprised at how well the old team is doing. I struggled a lot more with the team I was aggressively replacing. Of course, I was forgetting the lessons from my years of Spiderweb Software experience and not using any support spells… But yeah, every encounter now I expect Idhrendur to eat it and he just keeps pulling through.
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Dec 10, 2016 05:26
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ManxomeBromide posted:How outclassed are you here? You seem to be running razor's edge against the pylons, but battle alphas seem like they've turned into target practice (until they aren't at target range anymore Most of the following is really aimed at folks who haven't played this part of the game. Pylons are way more threatening than battle alphas - they have powerful multi target magic attacks and we don't have access to much that would defray that direct damage beyond positioning our creations more wisely. Something a bit less obvious is also at play and makes a big difference between fighting rogues like the alphas versus the damnable pylons... The pylons are fixed in place. They will never waste AP on suboptimal movement by the AI. Unless a pylon is stun locked, it's going to attack us with all its AP every time we come into range. The battle alphas waste AP on changing targets and poor pathfinding rather than consistently pressing the advantage. This plus the multitarget searing orbs thing creates a huge gap in per round damage to our party. But the mitigating factor with pylons is predictability. My team can just barely survive eating one round of a pylon's attacks and then finish the pylon off, retreat for healing, and then approach the next hostile pylon. The alphas are much less predictable, so there's a larger chance of unforeseen disaster. Factors affecting our side are declining relative accuracy but a sudden boost in the expected value of our offense thanks to the haste spell. Haste is an aoe like war blessing and it affects all friendly units in range. For the most part we get a double chance to hit. And we can stack war blessing for an improved hit rate as well as improved damage. I'm irrationally stingy about blessing magic because it costs essence, which I spend a great deal of on healing our team after most encounters. Essence pods are a speck compared to even half our essence pool capacity, so refilling costs me precious time. Offscreen I tend to retreat to the nearest friendly settlement to offload vendor trash and heal up, which would kinda ruin the pacing of the narrative if I noted each time. You can often see when I've done so just by tracking what solution's essence looks like in the screenshots. We're not in terrible shape by any means. Offscreen deaths are occasional and basically always me underestimating how far solution should stand from mines  It's all about risk management and I'm so not cut out to be a landmine sweeperbut one day I will turn pylons into pielons
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Dec 10, 2016 05:57
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On the plus side, pylons are usually filled with gemeralds. I have no idea why. Maybe the shapers thought they looked pretty? Now I'm imagining pylons as evil lava lamps or something.
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Dec 10, 2016 06:42
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Well, presumably they don't attack their creators. So they're extremely aggressive bouncers who are also bitchin' lava lamps.
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Dec 10, 2016 06:54
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vdate posted:On the plus side, pylons are usually filled with gemeralds.
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Dec 10, 2016 14:44
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They're probably just like the crystal spirals we've seen before -- crystal exterior, squishy biological interior. This explains why we get gems for shattering them and why they release a toxic mist when breached. 
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Dec 10, 2016 16:18
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Finally caught back up with the thread. I have an Artilla that hasn't been killed yet? Thanks PiC! Glad to see play all sides won, it would have been my vote.
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Dec 10, 2016 19:03
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There Is No Substitute for Competence In this update, we take the best route through the docks.   A field of ruins spreads before you. After spending so much time in the canyons, this wide open space feels oppressive, as though the vast sky is a massive heel descending to crush you. The Takers haven't bothered with this place because your people's statues still stand. These ruins are pretty in a desolate way; from here, you can just barely hear the crashing surf and the cries of sea birds. But you don't have time to adjust to the change in scenery. You must be alert for more rogues. If there are more battle alphas out here and they're acting with some kind of coordination, you're in serious danger. Thinking back on the battle alphas, you're struck by something. They, the thahds, and the serviles are all humanoid creations. What if Clois is right about serviles? Might the thahds and alphas be based on once-human stock? Human experimentation repulses you, but the Shapers must have been open to it at one time... After all, they created the canisters. Then there's the matter of the Geneforge. It must also be capable of changing humans and Shapers. Why else would Trajkov be so interested in it? You examine the nearby obelisk. It notes that the docks are southeast, Kazg is north, and so is Holding Two. While you check for other information, Like Clockwork snarls.  A bluish roamer approaches from the south. Placid saviour strikes first, startling the rogue, which swiftly turns to flee. Remembering Narsu's warning, you direct your other creations to finish it off before it can summon help.  But the guardian roamer manages to hold itself together just long enough to run headlong towards the south. Your creations follow, dragging your battle formation out into an irregular string. Another rogue appears, and idhrendur promptly fires on it. You direct your artilas and Like Clockwork to attack the newcomer to ensure it's covered in corrosive slime. Both roamers try to retreat, but drop dead after a mere few steps, the acid having taken its toll.  West of the old boulevard is a cluster of ruins partly screened by trees. This was no doubt an important administrative center at one point -- perhaps the offices here were responsible for running the docks and other related matters.  More patrolling roamers blunder into your team. Each time, the roamers flee rather than standing to fight. Your creations' powerful ranged attacks are a great advantage in silencing the rogues before they can regroup with reinforcements.  In fact, the effort of exterminating the rogues soon becomes more tiresome than challenging. The change in pace compared to your struggles against the pylons can't be starker.  Your creations put down another handful of the guardian roamers before things quiet down and allow you the luxury of examining your surroundings further. The earth around here is much softer than the hard barrens of Kazg. Some spots are even almost marshy, not unlike the salt marshes back east where you initially encountered roamers. This is good territory for their kind. Roamers are well-adapted to flat grasslands and marshes, and the tall grasses and brush provide cover while permitting chases. You even locate a few stands of thorn bushes, which you use to replenish ammunition for your venom baton.   You find a small record storehouse, but too much of the structure has collapsed over the years. The records are all ruined from exposure to tell you anything else about this place.  As you skirt your way around a larger building to the west, another rogue runs up. It's much more startled to see you than you are to see it. The roamer pivots swiftly and flees east, leading you and your forces on a merry chase away from the building and into unknown territory.  Once off the brick path, you're forced to pick your footing carefully -- the soft ground here threatens to swallow the feet of the unwary and twist ankles.  But the rogue roamer isn't fast enough to evade you even though it knows its territory well; Like Clockwork finishes it off with expert aim, earning a grateful pat from you.  You return to the larger facility and, after putting down another rogue, step inside. The automatic door is long dead and nearly everything of value has already been looted from this room. The far door is too well locked for you to break in without wasting a significant number of living tools. Frustrated, you kick at some potsherds. The sudden movement drives your fyoras wild -- they give chase and then yawp excitedly as they return to you with their "kills" for your inspection. Maybe there's no need for you to be upset. This ruin is large enough that there's probably another way in, or failing that, a wall might have collapsed. The records storehouse is in bad enough shape that it's likely this building has suffered structural failures too.  You toss the fyoras' potsherds ahead as you walk and they fetch the clays back. Like Clockwork gets in on it, too, wrestling GreatEvilKing and idhrendur out of the way so that it can also hog some glory.  As you hoped, there's another way in. You suspect that this must have been a barracks before. You find another locked doorway here that you can't justify opening, probably into the same small room... If this place is what remains of the settlement's main barracks, then the locked room is probably an armory.  North of the ruin, you find what's left of a minor Shaping hall. The platform here is long dead, and all that's left of interest is another strongly locked door and a used-up canister.  South of the barracks is what looks like the remains of a dining hall and, oddly enough, a pair of shattered crystal spirals. No clues remain about what they might have powered. This ruin is slowly being overtaken by grass and brush. Give or take another few years and this place will vanish entirely beneath loam and vines.   You find a few more thorn bushes here. You've gathered such a wealth of baton ammunition that you consider selling it. Giving ammunition to the Takers is right out -- they aren't in need of it, firstly, but you also don't feel that the balance of power should swing any further in their favor. The same for the Obeyers. The Awakened are likely to give you a better price for thorns, and better armaments for them will help push back against the influences of the Obeyers and the Takers. Chaos among the serviles means that they'll spend less attention to what you're doing and more on each other. You suspect they're all as keenly interested in the Geneforge as you are, and you also suspect any of the sects gaining control of it will lead to disaster.  This small guardhouse is intact but quite austere. There's not even any rubble here, just watermarks. You pull the lever in the corner, but the door doesn't open. Shrugging, you head back out.    You must have killed almost two dozen of these stupid rogues on the west side of the ruins, but there are still more patrolling! The fyoras account for themselves very well, though, and soon things are quiet once again -- at least for a little while. The obelisk nearby informs you that the docks are still further east, so east you go.  Imposing alloy-reinforced gates block your path. They don't slide down when you approach. You wonder if the lever you pulled in the guardhouse is part of the locking mechanism for these. Perhaps the lever failed. There should be another room opposite the first one, though; gatehouses are almost always symmetrical like that.  You are, of course, correct. There's another lever here labeled "WEST GATE." You yank it and hear the muffled grind and thunk of a hidden mechanism in the direction of the huge gates.  But before you can investigate, a roamer passes the door, sees you, and runs away. After a heavy sigh, you order your creations after the rogue. It manages to elude you for a time, but its panic permits your creations to corner it between a mud pit and a ruin. It doesn't last much longer. Since you're already here, you decide to investigate the small ruin the roamer has led you to.  You're not exactly shocked by what you find. There is a dusty servant mind here. It's not dead, it's not asleep, and it's not deranged. It does, however, look pretty stupid. One look at its dull eyes makes you suspect that it wasn't too alert when it was first created. "Shaper, I am Tro. Welcome to this area. It has been time since I received instructions." It doesn't seem to even have noticed its centuries of isolation. Even though the Takers haven't apparently come through here yet, centuries of neglect should have taken the same toll on this creature as they have the others. You wonder if someone has maintained Tro. "What is your purpose, Tro?" "I am looking after the docks area. I admini... admini... look after this area." Maybe its simple-mindedness has permitted it to use its nutrients more efficiently. Tro's verbal fumbling doesn't fill you with confidence about this servant mind's helpfulness. "What is around here?" you ask. Even so, a servant mind should be able to provide you with some basic information. "The docks are..." It thinks. "East. This area has inns, barracks, and a shaping post, for your use and enjoyment. Holding One is east, and Holding Two is north," Tro replies. Tro is no more useful than the signage on the obelisk. You do your best not to show your disappointment. The servant minds are sensitive creatures, and you don't want to upset it with your disapproval. "All right. How can I reach the docks?" "The gateway is to the southwest. Just ask the guards there. They will be glad to let a Shaper through." Tro wiggles in pleasure that it's able to give you all these answers. Alas, if only these answers were in fact helpful. "Can you unlock any of the doors outside?" Surely Tro can be of some use. "No, but I have a key thing!" it says brightly. "I can give it to my supervisor." "I command you to give me the key." You're tired, and if Tro weren't obviously so stupid, you'd be angry at it for toying with you. As it is, you're already straining the limits of your patience. You're much too tired for this and you've already had to endure a truly terrible day even by the standards of your time on this forsaken island. Tro droops. "I can't, Shaper. I can only give it to a supervisor." You pinch the bridge of your nose. "Oh. Well, I've just been made your supervisor." "You have? I am glad! I haven't had a supervisor for a long time." Credulous Tro. It's amazing that the Shapers didn't bother embedding some sort of verification protocol. Maybe Tro forgot it over the long years. You hear a clicking noise from one of the cabinets. "So how long have you been waiting for instructions, Tro?" You check the cabinet as you ask. Inside, you find two empty ceramic jars, some crumbled documents, and a large iron key. Someone has fed Tro, but you can't imagine why. The Takers certainly wouldn't, not even to keep the rebels away from the docks. Maybe Trajkov had it done. Tro only represents the most minor roadblock through the gates, anyway, since he doesn't seem to have any control over the mechanisms or the local creations. Tro blinks a few times. "I... I forget. I think it has been awhile. I don't know." "Do you know why the island was abandoned?" "It was? Oh no! I'm all alone? Now I'm scared!" Tro flails, but its tiny limbs can't dislodge its porcine body from the pedestal. You're forced to spend the next half hour comforting Tro, lest its squeals summon curious rogues or worse. Your creations mostly fall asleep, immune to the servant mind's annoying voice. When Tro is sufficiently reassured, you ask, "Do you know anything about the Geneforge?" "Should I?" it replies innocently. Why did the Shapers make this servant mind so abysmally dull? Control Four and the rest are much more in line with your expectations. What purpose does neutering this mind's shaped-in intelligence serve? "Can you do anything about the rogues outside?" "There are rogues outside? I was wondering why it was so noisy..." Tro blinks at you slowly, even duller than an ornk. At least they have self-preservation instincts. "So what exactly do you do, Tro?" "I admini... admini... I do things. People say, 'We need essence.‘ And I say. 'Oh.' And someone says, 'Do you need anything? ‘And I say, 'Essence'. And they say, 'Oh.' Nobody has told me I have done anything wrong for two hundred years, so I am doing good." "Well, keep up the good work, Tro. If I need you to change how you're administering things, I'll come see you, okay? Just keep doing what you're doing for now." Tro seems happy with this. You leave the simple creature before the rest of your patience evaporates.  The key Tro has given you allows you into the locked armory. A pleasant surprise awaits you: an intact canister! When you use it, you find your ability to neutralize toxins improves, which will no doubt serve you well if you encounter any more of those awful pylons.  You also let yourself into the chamber just beyond the Shaping platform. Inside you find some basic supplies, but then you make another exciting discovery. Shaped steel gauntlets! Such protective equipment is expensive even now. You slip them on instead of the conventionally forged gauntlets you've been wearing. The Shaped gauntlets feel almost like gloves. Magnificent.  While you're there, you spend some time absorbing power from the essence pools within.  With all the rogues cleared out and everything of worth stripped from the area, you head through the western gates. It's time to see what awaits you at the docks. But before you can pass through the last set of gates, Like Clockwork bristles and emits an alarming growl. Just on the other side of the gates is a massive battle alpha, a larger specimen than you've ever seen. Worse than its supreme size is the fact that it's armored with chitin armor and a superbly made shield that it seems to know how to use.  As soon as it sees you, it whoops and rushes your team. Like Clockwork, RickVoid, and placid saviour form a front line. It's far from ideal -- you know intimately how vulnerable they are. The deaths of Big McLargeHug, PurpleXVI, and ManxomeBromide are still too fresh to ignore. Your artilas immediately soften the alpha up with acid, and then your fyoras get to work. Their attacks are fierce, leaving the battle alpha stunned and uncertain. It didn't expect such strong resistance from ordinary creations. RickVoid finishes the alpha off before it can retaliate.  Somehow you made it through that ambush without any of your creations coming to harm. You release a long-held breath and praise your creations like you would pets.  Next time: An Alliance with the Follies of Others Nobody died this update! Yay!
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Dec 10, 2016 21:00
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I wonder if Tro is defective and rather than simply absorb and start over the shaper(s) in charge of him put him on some useless posting.
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Dec 10, 2016 21:39
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Galaga Galaxian posted:I wonder if Tro is defective and rather than simply absorb and start over the shaper(s) in charge of him put him on some useless posting. Or maybe the Sholai came through here and lobotomized him or something similar, to prevent him being of any use to others.
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Dec 10, 2016 22:47
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I doubt the Sholai altered him. I mean, why bother? Even if you could do a lobotomy through shaping or surgery, why not just kill the thing if you don't want it helping anyone? It's simpler and easier, certainly. Plus assuming you could use shaping to lobotomize someone, then presumably you could possibly use shaping to undo it, as well. Why take that risk? I got the impression Tro was just sort of the bare minimum. Probably the only reason his job wasn't being done by a servile was because of plot necessity of having Tro to interact with, since servant minds live so much longer.
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Dec 11, 2016 12:39
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quote:"I admini... admini... I do things. People say, 'We need essence.‘ And I say. 'Oh.' And someone says, 'Do you need anything? ‘And I say, 'Essence'. And they say, 'Oh.' Nobody has told me I have done anything wrong for two hundred years, so I am doing good." It took a little bit to parse this, but it is a loving zen koan. quote:I administrate. It's beautiful.
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Dec 11, 2016 23:49
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 What a thing of beauty.
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Dec 12, 2016 03:26
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When I read a previous Geneforge LP, I was intrigued by the game's premise. But when I tried playing it, the mid-'90s style was a big turn-off. I'd love to give the remake a look when it comes out, but it looks like Jeff Vogel has one or two games planned before he gets around to that: http://geneforge.wikia.com/wiki/Geneforge_Remakes
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Dec 12, 2016 03:38
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Yup, the optimistic take from the AMA was like 2018, but Vogel is working on Avernum 3's remake and a new property and also is hunting for a new engine. So it'll probably be a bit longer. But as long as no new health crises pop up, he'll likely get there. Next update will probably be a bit long just so that the one after can have the faction content you all voted for! Also I might be able to provide a better gif of the title screen and perhaps some attack animations. Depends on if I can get the game cursor to work better while Geneforge is in windowed mode. No promises 
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Dec 12, 2016 04:00
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KirbyKhan posted:It's beautiful. It's also worth noting that two hundred years is apparently about how long the island has been barred. So basically our brain bro here is saying "nobody has come to criticize me (because no shaper has come at all) and therefore I am doing it right".
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Dec 12, 2016 04:29
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The docks... kinda seem like endgame material? Given they were guarded by probably the toughest thing you've got so far. But the island isn't even half explored yet.
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Dec 12, 2016 05:52
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Glazius posted:The docks... kinda seem like endgame material? Given they were guarded by probably the toughest thing you've got so far. But the island isn't even half explored yet. Oh by no MEANS is it end-game material. You'll recognize end-game enemies when you see them, and while battle alphas are definitely up there, there's some REALLY nasty poo poo later on. Heck, some of the nastiest is not too far off the beaten path, but this is the way the story wants you to go. You should easily be able to handle this sort of stuff (especially if you've been replacing your creations, which you SHOULD)
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Dec 12, 2016 07:16
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quote:Frustrated, you kick at some potsherds. The sudden movement drives your fyoras wild -- they give chase and then yawp excitedly as they return to you with their "kills" for your inspection. Well, fyoras confirmed for puppies at this point.
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Dec 12, 2016 17:00
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Glazius posted:The docks... kinda seem like endgame material? Given they were guarded by probably the toughest thing you've got so far. But the island isn't even half explored yet. Fantasy Game Geography 101 tells us that the endgame is in the northeast area.
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Dec 12, 2016 17:46
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Glazius posted:The docks... kinda seem like endgame material? Given they were guarded by probably the toughest thing you've got so far. But the island isn't even half explored yet. Yeah, they seem more like the halfway point, where the game goes 'OK now playtime's over.' After all, 'the toughest thing we've seen thus far' does not automatically equal 'the toughest thing there is' by a long shot.
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Dec 12, 2016 18:17
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The area after Kazg is an appreciable step up in challenge, but we haven't yet reached the end of the curve. There's always more and it's always worse! The latest servant mind really was unnecessary to the narrative. I think he was included because Vogel felt that a servant mind would of course have been placed here. I don't remember the creature coming up after this. We hit a difficulty plateau for a good while during the Pentil region, and part of that is thanks to the several extra points we got at the Tombs. The two bridges are basically a warning to step up your game by the time you reach the third faction. Reaching Kazg could have been harder, but I chose the path of least resistance.
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Dec 12, 2016 18:40
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One thing I appreciate about Geneforge 1 is how much of the gameworld is optional, either for the purpose of MORE POWER, MORE GEAR or just MORE FLUFF. I think that a good fourth of the game's areas you can completely ignore, if you want.
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Dec 12, 2016 18:51
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PurpleXVI posted:One thing I appreciate about Geneforge 1 is how much of the gameworld is optional, either for the purpose of MORE POWER, MORE GEAR or just MORE FLUFF. I think that a good fourth of the game's areas you can completely ignore, if you want. One thing that Jeff Vogel's games are very good at is being sprawling, nonlinear affairs. It really helps sell the whole "you're plopped down in the environment and can do basically whatever" experience without leaving you with the vast tracts of emptiness that tend to show up in your average open-world RPG.
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Dec 12, 2016 22:08
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An Alliance with the Follies of Others No more battle alphas await you on the other side. You check the nearby obelisk, which reads "Officials and Lodging - West. Holding One - Northeast." The sounds and smells of the sea are much stronger here. As you cock an ear to the incoming tide, you also detect a certain familiar scuttling... Clawbugs.  When the Sholai or whoever else dislodged the clawbugs from the seaside caves, they didn't get rid of the ones all the way out here. Of course, these aren't ordinary clawbugs, but a tougher variety with sturdier shells. Your artilas are able to wound these plated bugs, but neither GreatEvilKing nor idhrendur are able to burn through the improved chitin. You keep Like Clockwork close by just in case; an ambush from the northeast could be disastrous if all of your creations are too far away to protect you.  You catch a glimpse of something moving beyond a natural stone pillar. It hasn't come closer yet, so you don't know if the rogue hasn't noticed the fight or if it's up to something else. As it scuttles east on the ruined street, you realize it's another glaahk. Hopefully it keeps going and doesn't turn back.  Finishing off a single plated bug takes your creations an inordinate amount of effort. You cast a war blessing over them as the second bug falls, leaving only a badly burned third bug that crept up from the south.  With the aid of the blessing, idhrendur scores the final hit on the plated bug, freeing you to turn your attentions eastward. If glaahk are patrolling the docks, you must try to take them on one by one, lest they overwhelm you and your creations.   The patrolling glaahk eats several full-force shots before it even turns to face you, but by then, it's too late. The glaahk's legs crumple beneath it and it falls.  But the patrol isn't limited to just one glaahk. Another scuttles down from the pillar's blind spot. You keep your creations on this side of the pillar, using it as cover to limit the number of rogues which can see your team at any one time.  This tactic seems successful enough. Your creations keep the glaahk staggered and disoriented, denying it the ability to close the ground between you. You can hardly lose such a favorable fight.   If only all fights could be so lopsided. The third patrolling glaahk manages to close with placid saviour before Like Clockwork finishes it off. How many more of these things guard the docks?   You walk the circuit around another massive rock formation, then head south. Someone fenced in a patch of grass and trees here a long, long time ago. Perhaps it used to be a garden. There's nothing left now but the slowly crumbling fence.  Not far from there are several nests and piles of bones in a nook of stone not deep enough to be called a sea cave but not shallow enough to be a mere divot. Maybe the clawbugs were just starting to expand new warrens. You've put a stop to that for now.  Before you head toward the docks, you check the chambers to the north. They must have been storage rooms or holding cells for goods coming and going. The first room is heaped with supplies. Game Text posted:You start to search through the bags of rotting wheat. You don't get very far. Some of the spores in the sacks make you extremer ill. You back away, retching. You get a couple stacks of poison for searching any of the piles in the first chamber with the exception of the one in the northeast corner, which has a nice collection of gems as a "sorry about being a jerk" reward. One of the rooms has cabinets containing antique bronze swords still in excellent condition.  But another has something far better -- an intact canister. When you use it, it grants you the ability to create your own battle alphas.  The last door opens to release a stale breeze. You catch a glimpse of a familiar glow and you draw back. It's another hated pylon. Your creations swiftly mangle it -- by replacing Zeniel with Like Clockwork, your team now has the firepower to bring the pylon even closer to destruction before it manages to shoot them with searing orbs. You're not quite there yet. If you had hastened the team, or used a war blessing...  Your reward is a pair of even more finely wrought gloves than the shaped steel gauntlets you wear. After examining the enchantment, you determine that the effects are somewhat similar to war blessing. If you ever need to make a last-ditch defense, these gloves could save your life.   Game Text posted:The obelisk says: There might have been a gate here an age ago, but it's long gone now. You approach the shore. There are no ships at the docks. No ships, no boats, no drayk-craft, not even a crude raft to bear you away.   A burned up corpse lies in the grass. The birds and bugs are having their way with the remains, but most of the body's armor is still intact. You don't find any keys, though.  You struggle to shake off your disappointment and keep moving. You're not the only Shaper on Sucia Island. If you can find this other Shaper, perhaps together you can escape. The chances of the Sholai actually being able to help you with that seem minute at best, about as minute as the code of life being stored on tiny scrolls inside you. The sea is too choppy for you to just swim to freedom and the currents here are fast and frigid. Still, you can't help but fantasize about making a dramatic escape...  In the end, you turn your back on the horizon and return to shore. Just behind the rock formation here is another body, badly burned but not as charred as the first corpse. Game Text posted:You find the body of an outsider wizard. She looks like she was struck down from a distance by a large, fiery missile. She didn't have a chance of surviving the massive trauma. You're not sure how her previous looters missed the key by her head, but you don't question your good fortune any further.  A plated bug scuttles out of the offices to the west as you examine Anfisa's body. It snags one of Like Clockwork's hind legs in its claws and starts grinding and mangling the limb. Your creation cries out in anguish and battle is joined.  The noise of the fight attracts more attention just as the plated bug falls.  You have Like Clockwork fall back until you can heal it. Fortunately, the plated bug wasn't venomous, so despite its injuries, your roamer is able to endure. Without any other reinforcements to aid it, the rogue plated bug falls to powerful acid and blistering flames.   Of course there must be one more pylon! You back away, but not in time for your whole team to avoid injury. The magical attack leaves your creations disoriented, but you are able to rally them enough for the counterattack to swiftly breach the pylon's core and force it to harmlessly explode.  The customs office is in surprisingly good shape, but there's little in here of use. You collect some larger shards from the destroyed pylon in case the serviles are interested, and then you retrieve some of the records which are still in decent shape for transport.  Game Text posted:The obelisk says:  This must be the other end of the trapped path Narsu described. Having a second route to the docks might be worthwhile later -- it'll be harder for any opposition to guard two paths.  Breaking through requires you to destroy a few more pylons, but eventually you make it back to the Shaping hall.  With the hall cleared of foes, you decide to tinker with the control panel. Game Text posted:There is a control panel here. Several wood controls spiral up from the stone sheath that forms the base.  You twist the defenses knob, but it breaks off in your hand. Cell 3 proves empty, but Cell 2 contains another working canister. It grants you the power to dominate the minds of your foes and use them to defend you as they would a dear friend -- a valuable skill if you ever find yourself outmatched again.  Cell 1 proves to be full of plated bugs, though you're not sure how or why. Who filled the cell up with bugs? They certainly didn't survive in there for two centuries. Regardless of how long they've been in there, the plated bugs are hungry and angry, and you can't seize control of them. You instruct your creations to attack.  The resilient bugs somehow manage to avoid the spray of your swarm crystal, which is so baffling that you draw back and prepare for a much tougher fight than you'd initially expected.  The first plated bug out of the cell darts at your wounded roamer for some revenge. Like Clockwork yelps at the jab of a hand-length stinger. Two more bugs scrabble free of the dim cell, but you fire a crystal again, and this time, one bug dies and another is gravely injured. Idhrendur blasts the plated bug harrying Like Clockwork. The rogue collapses against the rotten shelves and lies still.  The last bug charges and stabs you twice, brutalizing your neck and shoulder. Your creations surround the rogue and pull it down until GreatEvilKing pulls its tail off, ending the bug's life. It's a cruel way to go, but you can't summon much sympathy as you stem the flow of arterial blood from your wounds. You manage to heal the trauma, but the effort leaves you shaky and drained.  Of course the bug cell is empty. There's also a conspicuous lack of any way for the bugs to have gotten in. There are no burrow holes in the walls, ceiling, or floor, and no sign of egg shells or box mines. It's very curious.  Back outside of the containment and Shaping zone is a small room with a pair of crystal spirals and a damaged stand. Game Text posted:You find some sort of control panel. It is taking the energy from the power spirals and feeding them into a conduit in the walls. They must be powering something interesting or dangerous. You try tinkering with the spirals, but you realize almost a moment too late that you've only succeeded in overloading them. Only flight saves you from a fate worse than a few shrapnel wounds.  You head back around the corridor and discover that the remaining pylons have deactivated. If only you'd located the power spirals first! You could have saved Zeniel and prevented a great deal of suffering. At least you were able to shut some pylons down... Approaching this one from a blind corner was a nasty surprise. The pylons aren't the only system tied to the control panel. The automatic doors open for you now. You find a few storage rooms and even a hardening off chamber for saplings. The plants have been dead for a long, long time, and crumble to nothingness at your touch.  The chair and its restraints remain intact, nearly spotless but for lingering stains. The leather belts have cracked a bit from age and dry air, but you think it would still do to restrain anything short of a battle alpha. There's even a dagger and a bowl to catch the blood in the back. This was why there were whips and cuffs in the cell room... You drag yourself away from the termination chamber, sickened. You've killed your share of troublesome rogues now and even considered executing the outsiders for daring to land on Sucia Island and meddle in Shaper affairs. Still, finding a termination room with such primitive measures disturbs you. Perhaps it's all the losses you've taken and the disappointment of there being no escape awaiting you at the docks. You can't make yourself face the rebel Sholai right now. You aren't sure what you'll do if they aggravate you, and you would rather maintain some semblance of control.  In the end, a bit of unfinished business with the Obeyers decides matters for you. You'd told Mickall Blade that you'd look into the Kazg forces in the woods south of Pentil, and you did so. That was days ago, now... When he sees you, Mickall asks, "What else do you wish, Shaper?" "I've done as you asked. The rebels are destroyed," you say. Mickall falls to his knees and presses his head against the floor in front of you. It is a very archaic sign of respect and obedience, one out of practice for many, many years. "Thank you, Shaper," Mickall says, his voice muffled by the floor. "You have done much for us. We are unworthy of your kind, of our mighty and wise creators." He stands. "I will spread the word of your deed, so all can learn of your kindness." "Is there anything else troubling you, loyal servile?" you ask. Of course, killing those Takers makes you a hypocrite. You didn't end their suffering painlessly -- you killed them in combat, full of anger and fear and pain. How can you flinch at the termination room like a child? You've tasted necessity. Yet that bare chamber seems everything but necessary. A short dagger, a seat facing a wall... "I almost dare not to ask, after you have been so kind to us. However, there is another fear we have. To the east is a river, and the river is spanned by two bridges. Because of trouble crossing those bridges of late, we have been unable to contact one of our outposts. It is along the south coast of the island, well concealed, west of some jagged peaks. The leader there is named Doge. Meet with him and make sure that things are all right." "I've cleared both bridges, but if I find the place you describe, I'll look for Doge. Take care."  Our healing craft still needs a bit of work. More importantly, we're smarter now!  You head to the northern wastes, determined to explore the Junkyard before turning back east. This barren zone embodies your expectations for a wasteland. Heaps of bones, trash, and rocky clay stretch from where you stand all the way into the dark and ominous foothills. The heavy, dusty haze obscures whether the foothills are green or not, but given the lack of water or scrub here, you suspect not. The first sign of life out here is a vlish. Unlike the reddish varieties you've fought in the past, this one is a deep ultramarine, not too unlike the guardian roamers. It's not a color that frequently appears in nature.  Lucky for you, the vlish proves fragile enough. As acid reaps its due, another vlish appears from the south. You decide not to take any chances; a war blessing improves your team's ability to take the vlish out from range before they can summon aid.  RickVoid bursts the vlish's air bladder. Still another appears from the north, not far from where you encountered the first.  You can't take it down before it strikes. Its power snares idhrendur, who wails and makes as if to flee, somehow even bucking your control. The vlish can't stand toe to toe -- or tentacle to segment -- with placid saviour, though, and dies. Idhrendur doesn't need too much encouragement to tamely rejoin you once the terror vlish is gone.  More vlish appear as you head north. They float and bob on the gentle air currents. At first, you don't think they've seen you, but then one screams -- an awful sound that puts your teeth on edge.  Your creations destroy the nearest vlish, but the other rogue jets away to the north, screeching the whole way. If you don't want the entire wasteland piling down on your head, you must destroy it.  It leads you to twisting passage in the cliff face. Its screams draw other vlish, blocking the way forward. But blue or red, vlish are still vlish -- and that means they're eminently vulnerable to your creation's attacks. Your team crushes them one after another until you reach the end of the passage.  The rogues have piled up quite the boneyard here over the years. You destroy their nests after checking for valuables. There's little of note, so you soon depart to check the other tunnel you spotted, the one with all the garbage mounded up outside.  Game Text posted:The serviles of Sucia Island have been very industriously scouring the Shaper ruins for any supplies of value. This building is a center for that sort of activity.  A servile walks up to greet you. She seems unaffected by the fact that you are a Shaper. She smiles up at you. "Greetings. Welcome to our humble trash pit. I am Proof. I am the trader here." Trash pit is a good description. Aside from a few decent goods laid out on rugs at your feet, most of the items on the shelves and everything outside are garbage -- too old or damaged to be of any use. "I would like to trade with you," you say. Perhaps Proof has some goods squirreled away that you'll find useful.  As it turns out, she doesn't. Disappointed, you shake your head. "These items are not useful to me. Do you have any quality equipment?" She thinks. "Yes. Yes, we do. Hidden. Special things, which we are saving to sell for money for emergencies. But you are the Shaper. We might trade with you, if you help us." "Help you how?" you ask. You consider trying to intimidate her into showing you her stock anyway, but... going that far is unappealing. "To the west, through the wastes, you will find a large gate. Some miles to the west. There are large stone pillars around it, and many ghosts. None of us have been able to explore and scavenge beyond that gate because of the spirits. But you might be able to clear it, so we can go past there. If you clear that gateway, I will let you see our special stash," Proof says. "If I have cause to head that way, I'll look into it." You wonder if these ghosts are more of the spectral creations you found guarding the Tombs and at the High Defense Holding Cells. "But aren't you worried about the rogues outside?" "No. Those vlish, or their ancestors, have been living out there for many, many years. They are old rogues. We feed them. They leave us alone. The old rogues only rarely threaten serviles. Only when they are scared or hungry." You feel a little guilty for slaughtering the vlish when you hear that, but they were certainly afraid enough to attack you and try to summon more of their kind. "What about the rogues who do attack serviles?" "Those are the new rogues. They appeared only recently. Only after the outsiders came," Proof replies. She seems to not be picking and choosing what to tell you; it's strangely unnerving to speak with someone honest after all this time. "Have you seen the outsiders?" you ask. "Very little. They entered these mountains, and the vlish chased them out. We spend most of our time scavenging the wastes. The wastes are full of old rogues, and the outsiders stay away from there." You wonder if you've just robbed this pair of their only protection against the Sholai and the Takers. You hope not. "What sort of things are around here?" "To the west and north are the Dry Wastes. Many of the old spirits, many vicious rogues. Very few serviles are brave enough to go out there. To the south are settled lands, and Vakkiri and Pentil. Sane serviles. To the east is the river, and then the research halls. The old Shaper halls. There are many outsiders and rogues. Very, very dangerous." "Nothing's changed that way; it's still dangerous past Pentil. What sort of things are in the Dry Wastes?" "Ah, now there is a mystery. I don't know. The Shapers, when they were here, only rarely went out there. There are ruins, old ruins, of the people who live here long ago, before the Shapers came. At least, that is what the old Shaper records say. I found mentions that the Shapers built a tomb out there once. But that is all I found." Proof shrugs. She's pragmatic enough not to regret being unable to indulge her curiosity -- you've learned the hard way that nosing around these old sites is bad for one's health and a sure way not to reach old age. "What do you know about this tomb?" "Almost nothing. It would be a place of great honor for the greatest researchers of the Shapers on the island. I don't know where it was, or what would be put into it." "Have you seen anything else unusual?" The Tombs did seem rather small for an island in service as long as Sucia was. You wonder if this new burial site has anything to teach you -- and if the old Shapers put in any more horrors to guard it. You hope not. Perhaps over time whatever measures they used have failed. "Well, there are these woods due west of here. They're filled with clawbugs now. Very dangerous. Before the rogues appeared, though, I'd sometimes see a thahd wandering around out there. Didn't see it very often. It avoided me. One strange thing about it. It was always clutching this stone crescent to its chest." "That is strange. But thahds are odd creatures at the best of times. Thank you, Proof."  You help yourself to a tour of the building. Whatever it used to be, it's now a warehouse for all sorts of mostly useless junk. In one of the rooms, surrounded by chairs and spent canisters, you find a control panel. Game Text posted:This control panel was ripped, whole, out of some ruin somewhere. It isn't hooked up to anything, and the organic part of it is slowly dying. It's a shame. You quickly put the living part to sleep -- it shouldn't be complex enough to feel pain, but you're not certain of that. It shouldn't have to suffer when there's no chance of it ever being saved. At the opposite end of the building is a work room dominated by one long bench. You meet a jittery, old servile. He is hard at work trying to repair an old thorn baton. It is still alive, but its stone casing is cracked. The servile manipulates his tools with surprising skill. At first, it seems like he doesn't notice you. Then you realize that you are making him very nervous, and he is immersing himself in his work to remain calm. He says, "Welcoming to the Shaper. Welcome. I am Shock. I... Welcome to our tiny shop." "What are you working on?" You gesture to the baton. Maybe talking about his work will help Shock relax. "I... I... I fix things. We find many of your old things, and us tinkers, descendants of tinkers, we fix them and trade them so we can live. It is hard work, but our ancestors were trained well. Right now, I am trying to repair this baton. Its housing is cracked, and the pressure on the creature prevents it from spitting the thorn properly. I wish I could repair better, but I don't have enough Shaper equipment. It is rare." "Perhaps I can help?" You offer your hand. You were able to fix the spore baton not that long ago, though you suspect the problem here isn't quite so simple. "You may look. You know more than me." You inspect the baton. It is much more difficult to maintain the things than you thought. You poke at it with a tool. It squeaks and twitches. Eventually, you hand the baton back to Shock. He is tactfully quiet. "I can understand your not fixing it. Shaper. You must be tired." "You know, there's no need to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you," you say. "All serviles on this island fear you. I hear the gossip. I hear what they say. I hear them talk when they come to trade. We are all terrified of the return of the Shapers. Until your council says we can remain as we are, the terror will remain." That much is true -- Sucia Island's fate can't be decided without the Council. And no matter how low you truly are in the Shaper hierarchy, to these creations, you are a representation of the Council's power. You can't disavow it; to do so, to become truly alone on this island, would be close to suicide. But that's neither here nor there. "Servile, I need your assistance. I would like to trade with you." "Proof can trade with you. She is in the entry room. We will not help you more, without fair trades. We do not like being around other serviles. We have no strong feelings for the Awakened, or the Obeyers, or so on. But we are free creatures. We trade." "I respect your freedom. I only wish for help," you tell him. "We appreciate the respect. I am sure Proof will be happy to trade with you. Go out and speak with her. I am not the dealer. I work and repair and scavenge. I am not one for bartering," Shock says. At least he's getting a little more comfortable around you. He doesn't flinch whenever you move. "You do the scavenging?" you ask. "Isn't it dangerous?" "It is strange. Even the most mad rogues do not chase me, as long as I am careful and do not get too close. I think it is something basic in their minds, in the way you Shapers made them, which makes them nervous about attacking serviles." Shock lays the baton on his workbench and regards it thoughtfully. "Or at least that is the way it was. Lately, more and nastier rogues, rogues that happily attack us, have appeared." "What sort of things do you scavenge?" "Anything. Anything I can find. But mostly trash. I wish I could get to the old Shaper records which say where the best supplies were. But I cannot." Now that piques your interest. "Old Shaper records? Where might those be?" "Kazg. Kazg was once the largest city on this island. All the records of where the most valuable equipment was placed are there," Shock says. "But Kazg is held by the Takers. And the Takers will not share. If you wanted to know more about what you could find where, Kazg is the place to go. Toivo is their main record keeper." You've already read Toivo's personal notes and the bits of Shaper knowledge he's seen fit to preserve -- it makes a certain amount of sense... So you'll be visiting the holding cells and mines after all if you want to improve your own supply situation. That means destroying more pylons, probably. You hope the outsiders haven't already gotten to those ruins. "Is there anything I could get that might be useful to you?" you ask. "Shaper equipment. Machinery. Lab devices. If you find something like that, I would pay you. I can do that." "Where might I find good equipment?" "I cannot reach the research halls in the mountains at the northeast corner of the island. I suspect that is the most likely place," Shock replies. "I'll see you again if I find anything," you say. In fact, you think you already have some equipment he can use stashed away in Vakkiri. The old Shaper equipment you found during your early explorations is still in good shape, even if it's not useful to you. The glassware is particularly fine.     Your team burns a path across the waste, clearing out all the rogues who get in your way. They don't seem that shy -- whatever built in aversion they have for serviles mysteriously doesn't seem to apply to Shapers, which makes very little sense. When you discover their nests, you also find a dead servile and a cast away whip among the remains of other meals. It's hard to determine how long ago the servile died or what even killed them.   All you can be certain of is that these vlish and their ancestors have occupied this slice of Sucia Island for a very long time. They're well established enough to have actual strata of bones and past prey leading to their nests.  Game Text posted:This is an ancient stone pillar. It has been sitting in this cave for many centuries. The constant drip of water from the ceiling has coated it with thick mineral deposits, concealing whatever purpose it once had. Try as you might, you can't uncover anything of interest about the pillar. It's not something a Shaper would make, you don't think. Your people deal more in crystal and wood, and if you were to build a stone pillar, it would support a room, not be tucked in a hidden cave. But it’s time to move on. Maybe you’ll investigate the western wastes before turning back…  Next time: Our Share of Miseries
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Dec 13, 2016 02:24
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What's the little island of red in the middle of your cleared zones (next to the southern bridge)?
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Dec 13, 2016 02:50
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MagusofStars posted:What's the little island of red in the middle of your cleared zones (next to the southern bridge)? That is Stone Circle, if you mean the one directly east of Southbridge. We'll hit it up soon-ish, along with the rest of the southeastern portion of the island.
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Dec 13, 2016 03:05
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Oh god, the CRESCENTS and the PILLARS. That "puzzle" is a real pain in the rear end. I don't think I ever properly solved the whole thing, so here's hoping I get to at least see it all done.
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Dec 13, 2016 07:59
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Chronische posted:Oh god, the CRESCENTS and the PILLARS. That "puzzle" is a real pain in the rear end. THAT one I needed a FAQ for, personally. But I also remember some stuff in the upper northwest that I never quite figured out, possibly because I approached it from the wrong angle or broke it by destroying something in the wrong order. So I'm looking forward to Solution being less of a dumbass than I was.
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Dec 13, 2016 12:18
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Aah, Northwestern Sucia Island... That's the place I blew the majority of my Discipline Wands just trying to survive the initial rush. I'm glad there's enough of them in the game that I can't succumb to 'too valuable to be used' syndrome.
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Dec 14, 2016 20:15
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Just caught up on the thread, and wow - I'm enjoying the writing and additions to the story. Assuming the interaction is otherwise similar to how Exile/Avernum were, it looks like you're sinking plenty of good work into it. I also happen to have this game because I got the Spiderweb megapack a year or so ago. I think I'm going to have to fire up an XP VM and play along - I've dismissed some of the older games (lack of a proper windowed mode drives me up the wall,) but it wouldn't be the first oldschool game I've played. I look forward to seeing where things go from here - I'll definitely be following this one. Oh. Also, add "Epsilon" to the name list for an Alpha if you get to create one. It seems properly silly. 
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Dec 14, 2016 22:02
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We should be able to solve all the mysteries -- in fact, I've got one coming up in this update or the next (depending on how long it ends up once written). On that note, this page is already taking way too long to load on my quality  high-speed internet connection, so feel free to shitpost or effortpost in an effort to get us to the next page before I wind up with 4 or 5 updates and >100 screenshots. You'll be doing my page load time a favor!New page or no, I intend to have the next update posted tonight. vdate posted:Aah, Northwestern Sucia Island... Whatup fellow inventory hoarder?  I started this game by hoarding all the "tools" items because I thought I needed them for a turn-in quest. NO. Now there are piles of them around one of the Pentil gatehouses.Epsilon Moonshade posted:Just caught up on the thread, and wow - I'm enjoying the writing and additions to the story. Assuming the interaction is otherwise similar to how Exile/Avernum were, it looks like you're sinking plenty of good work into it. Thank you! It's been fun so far. Also, the dialogue is mostly from the game! I don't want to overstate my contributions. I've added some original dialogue and framing to make those sections flow. (  I am writing fanfic interspersed with screenshots.)I added some instructions to the second post on how to run this game in 32-bit compatibility mode; if you're on Windows, this is a significantly easier method than using a virtual machine or emulator. Thanks to the tech megathread, I'm working out how to make windowed mode in dxwnd livable -- if I manage that, I'll include the configuration information too.
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Dec 14, 2016 23:55
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Posting for new page (as per OP request)
CrazySalamander fucked around with this message at 00:07 on Dec 15, 2016 |
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Dec 15, 2016 00:04
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:
Quoting for a new page
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Dec 15, 2016 00:06
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I'm looking forward to the next update.
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Dec 15, 2016 00:17
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Jesus christ dude you don't need to do that. Anyway OP, your fanfic at least is perfectly in style with the LP and is way less tiresome than a lot of the others. I'd deffo put it in the high quality basket as it doesn't turn the game and make it all about you, but adds to the game itself, as a good LP should do.
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Dec 15, 2016 00:18
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