[font size=1" color="#FF0000]LAST EDITED ON Aug-12-02 AT 09:07PM (GMT)[p]Anyone else really liking this game?
The style is a mix of the SSI tactical styles that were great in Exile and the gameplay in Fallout. There's sides to join, and a bit more. Can play an evil SOB, a nice guy, a thief, etc. There's skills for speech and traps, and the summoning aspect is quite good.
One thing I like about Indie developers is that many don't fall into the idiocy that most commercial devs run into. Which is, copycatting the same idiotic designs. One of the best traits of Geneforge is the LACK of pixel-hunting, in picking up items. With a single button-press, you can search an area of the room for loose items.
Another good thing is the ability for pathfinding. Yes, the pathfinding is leagues better than the idiotic Inbred Engine's. Instead of walking into a wall and stopping in trying to go direct-route, the actors in Geneforge will be able to find their way without hand-holding from one side of the map to the other. The AI is fairly good, too. It almost seems that the more INT you pump into the summoned critter, the better it "thinks", but that might just be the way I have the INT distributed into a couple of particular critters. The world map is fairly good, too. You need to find a certain path on a map to "open" that branch, and you can select where you enter onto that map if you are able to. The area maps are well-plotted, too.
You start off in the typical stranded scheme of things, but the investigation is quite fun. This is a superb step-up for Jeff and the rest, in a way towards Fallout/Arcanum's complexity. While I did like the nostalgia from Ultima 4/5 and Gold Box/Silver Box/etc. with the combat in Exile and the other games, this one has that familiarity and time units that should make a Fallout vet feel a bit at home, but being encumbered will take away from your time units.
Definitely worth a look, and a great game for the $25.
http://www.spidweb.com/geneforge/index.html
I'm also going to be looking through Avernum when I have the chance, but Geneforge is definitely a good game. The graphics are a bit on the bland side, but that can easily be forgiven, as they are more than functional enough to make the game fun.
The style is a mix of the SSI tactical styles that were great in Exile and the gameplay in Fallout. There's sides to join, and a bit more. Can play an evil SOB, a nice guy, a thief, etc. There's skills for speech and traps, and the summoning aspect is quite good.
One thing I like about Indie developers is that many don't fall into the idiocy that most commercial devs run into. Which is, copycatting the same idiotic designs. One of the best traits of Geneforge is the LACK of pixel-hunting, in picking up items. With a single button-press, you can search an area of the room for loose items.
Another good thing is the ability for pathfinding. Yes, the pathfinding is leagues better than the idiotic Inbred Engine's. Instead of walking into a wall and stopping in trying to go direct-route, the actors in Geneforge will be able to find their way without hand-holding from one side of the map to the other. The AI is fairly good, too. It almost seems that the more INT you pump into the summoned critter, the better it "thinks", but that might just be the way I have the INT distributed into a couple of particular critters. The world map is fairly good, too. You need to find a certain path on a map to "open" that branch, and you can select where you enter onto that map if you are able to. The area maps are well-plotted, too.
You start off in the typical stranded scheme of things, but the investigation is quite fun. This is a superb step-up for Jeff and the rest, in a way towards Fallout/Arcanum's complexity. While I did like the nostalgia from Ultima 4/5 and Gold Box/Silver Box/etc. with the combat in Exile and the other games, this one has that familiarity and time units that should make a Fallout vet feel a bit at home, but being encumbered will take away from your time units.
Definitely worth a look, and a great game for the $25.
http://www.spidweb.com/geneforge/index.html
I'm also going to be looking through Avernum when I have the chance, but Geneforge is definitely a good game. The graphics are a bit on the bland side, but that can easily be forgiven, as they are more than functional enough to make the game fun.
