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Spiderweb Geneforge 2 - Infestation remake from Spiderweb Software

Jack Slash

Literate
Joined
Mar 21, 2024
Messages
27
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also hate themselves and each other, and so they go on the path of continuous reshaping of themselves, discarding the outdated bodies and inefficient concepts without a moment's thought or gratitude for previous accomplishments that allowed them to get this far.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

Learned
Joined
Jun 30, 2021
Messages
935
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

Arcane
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
4,489
Location
Shaper Crypt
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

Learned
Joined
Jun 30, 2021
Messages
935
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
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 :P
 

fantadomat

Arcane
Edgy Vatnik Wumao
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
Messages
37,181
Location
Bulgaria
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. :smug:
 

Saduj

Arcane
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Messages
2,552
Does anyone know what benefit Tuldaric's alteration is supposed to give the player? I stepped onto the platform, read the text that came up onscreen, healed up and greedily opened the character screen only to see that nothing had changed. Is this a joke hammering home the point that the Awakened are delusional with little to offer or am I missing something?
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
717
Wasteland 2
In the original after alteration you gain access to learning highest level spells earlier than with other factions, it's also possible there are some exclusive spells in the remake. I didn't even remember, just spent a minute in google you lazy fuck.
 

Saduj

Arcane
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Messages
2,552
In the original after alteration you gain access to learning highest level spells earlier than with other factions, it's also possible there are some exclusive spells in the remake. I didn't even remember, just spent a minute in google you lazy fuck.
I did Google it. Nothing helpful came up. Just searched through a walkthrough and apparently it just opens up more powerful spells available in training. So more or less what you said.
 

Tao

Savant
Joined
Sep 13, 2015
Messages
348
Anyone know where is dayna's book in the magus complex? I can't find it anywhere and i can't find nothing googling it either.
 

Mauman

Learned
Joined
Jun 30, 2021
Messages
935
Anyone know where is dayna's book in the magus complex? I can't find it anywhere and i can't find nothing googling it either.
I'm doing this from memory, so forgive me if I'm off a bit.

It's slightly south and west of the big room with the microscopes (the ones that let you see "genes") in a locked room. The same room that will be unlocked if you do a favor for the schizo agent (the one who sees ghosts).

Again, doing this from memory, so if I'm off I apologize.
 

Nim

Augur
Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
454
Anyone know where is dayna's book in the magus complex? I can't find it anywhere and i can't find nothing googling it either.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/community/MattP/contributions/faqs
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/918441-geneforge-2/faqs/26410
Dayna is a servile who was once an obeyer. She is ill, but asks you to find her the book "Paths of Fire.
Swofford is a librarian who will speak with you about some books she's looking for, and you'll also find the book "Paths of Fire" to the NW.
Shouldn't be any different in the remake.
 

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