Profile for Student of Trinity
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Student of Trinity |
| Member number | 3431 |
| Title | Electric Sheep One |
| Postcount | 3335 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
Recent posts
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| Author | Recent posts |
|---|---|
| Shaping a Servile in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Sunday, November 26 2006 11:16
Profile
Yeah, I (and perhaps others) have speculated before about the range of durabilities of creations. From the Thahd Shades in G1 to the unstable Vlish and Mystithus in G4, there have been pretty tenuous creatures that happen to be in the same shape as other things. And in several games there have been temporary forms that have only lasted a short while. And on the other extreme are creations like Ghaldring, who grew for months at least in a sealed vault, rather than being created in a flash. It seems clear that the 15+ basic shapes of creation are forms that can be filled with varying kinds of substance. The PC, and numerous NPCs in G4, have the ability to make fairly durable creations extemporaneously. NPCs also have the ability to use slower processes, which evidently need vats, to make creations which can operate independently and indefinitely. A shaper can apparently make many more than seven such creations, and experiment with giving them special abilities as well. It is not clear whether PCs lack the training to use vats, or only lack the time. Anyway, yeah, I figure the creations that are made with a 'poof!' are really somewhere between animals and shades, and lack the independent volition of vat-grown (let alone born) creations. They can go rogue, but I see this as more like a software glitch than mutiny. The fact that the 'crackle-poof!' creations happen to have the same forms as the vat-grown array evidently implies something about the nature of shaping as a magical art / technology. But the games aren't explicit enough to say just what this point is, and I guess that's just as well. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Slartanalysis: Creations I in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Saturday, November 25 2006 11:52
Profile
I guess the truth behind my perception that few things resist physical damage is that most things resist it a bit, but few things resist it enormously. But it's those things that drastically resist magic damage that make it hard to get along with only Kyshakks and Wingbolts. Rotghroths with heavy buffing are really tough, and I found them quite acceptable on Normal. I don't know how they fare on Torment. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Tricks in the game in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Saturday, November 25 2006 11:36
Profile
I haven't had time to play since the game came out, but Matala with a servile was the last thing I did, on Torment. I went through first by the back way, killing off the pylons and turning off the crystal. But thereafter no clever tricks seemed to work; I just toughed it out. Especially the Rotghroths were very bad. I hoped charming them would be the key, but my chances of success were low, and Matala would nuke them before they did it much damage. In the end what worked was to mostly ignore them while healing and whacking Matala, until it ran away and stopped making them. Then it took me forever to cure away the accumulated acid. The big drakon thing was bad, and I know of no way to avoid having Matala use it on you. It couldn't be charmed. I was able to lure it away from Matala and kill it alone. So at that point Matala was at bay, with no more machines or summoning platforms, and about half its health left. But I was flat out of pods and essence, and could not be bothered to go all the way back to recharge, facing the possibility (unverified) that Matala might also recover fully while I was gone. So I'm afraid at this point I just dropped the difficulty to Easy and finished the golem off. It didn't do much damage or even hit very often on Easy, but I wasn't doing much damage either, so it took a long time, and I didn't succeed by much of a margin. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Slartanalysis: Creations I in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Wednesday, November 22 2006 11:21
Profile
My experience with my own creations is limited to Artilas, Vlish, Wingbolts, Rotghroths and Kyshakks, all of normal varieties. All were good. The Kyshakk was marginally worse than the other two tier fours, but it seemed to be pulling its weight by the end of the game. The Rotghroth really did seem useful, to the point that my fourth creation was a second Rotghroth instead of another Wingbolt. They did nowhere near the heavy damage of the Wingbolt, but a lot of things resist Magic damage very well, while few resist physical and fewer resist Acid. Plus the Rotghroths were very tough, and good at locking down enemies, and never ran out of energy. About other creations I only know from fighting them. Glaahks can be bad, with their stunning. I fear them more than Drayks. Battle Alphas and Betas are harmless, and since they don't resist magic at all, Wingbolts just blow them away. Late in the game enemy Battle Betas actually help you sometimes, by blocking spaces from which Rotghroths could attack you. There aren't many Gazers or Eyebeasts in the game, and they are okay, but not terrifying by the time you get to them. Drakons are generally pretty fearsome, though most of the drakons I fought were special ones. War Tralls are never scarey the way Wingbolts and Rotghroths and Kyshakks are. I feared Rotdhizons far more than War Tralls. So I'd agree War Tralls suck; they'd be better as a fourth tier than fifth. Their missile attack is just lame: they throw rocks. I think they should swing massive axes for mondo melee damage. Crank that up to impressive levels, and they could be back in. I never tried making creations much with my other PCs, though the Infiltrator killed Salassar in one of his tough phases by creating seven Fyoras and using Spine Shield. They didn't do the whole job, but they helped a lot, just by getting eaten. [ Wednesday, November 22, 2006 11:24: Message edited by: Student of Trinity ] -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Genforge 1 Factions in Geneforge Series | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Wednesday, November 22 2006 06:42
Profile
You don't have to worry much if you don't want to. Faction choice mainly just affects what happens to the different factions after the game ends. What happens to you personally depends more on choices you make quite late in the game. If you care about the factions and their stories, and want good or bad things to happen to various ones in the end, then choose and fight accordingly. If you don't, you can disregard them, or ruthlessly exploit them, and that in itself won't necessarily lose you anything you care about. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| G4 Beta testing stories (SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Wednesday, November 22 2006 05:19
Profile
I tried Windswept Farms the easy way, squishing the frozen creations first. Last I checked, this was still possible if you slowed them, since then you could kill them before they had time to regenerate. But then with my Infiltrator I decided to fight fair, and I challenged Thora Eye in her (?) lair. This led to multiple waves of attacks by bad creations, which I survived by counter-attacking. That is, I used the long counter along the east wall of Thora's hut as a wall, which allowed only one enemy at a time to reach me. If it was a Battle Beta, it was harmless, and I could just shoot the other things and let it flail away. If a Rotghroth got in there, that was a bit more trouble. But in any case this kept subsequent waves from entering the building until there was a clear route to me, so I could keep a Battle Beta alive there, attacking me futilely, while I rested between waves. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Radiance in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Wednesday, November 22 2006 01:21
Profile
What the heck is Radiance (Undead-Bane)? Several items have it, but I was never able to see any effect from it, and Jeff didn't answer my question about it. There aren't all that many undead monsters in the game, actually. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Haakaa p??lle! in General | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, November 21 2006 10:31
Profile
Alec's thread becomes that which it beheld. Haakunaa matatää. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| G4 Beta testing stories (SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, November 21 2006 10:27
Profile
There aren't a lot of boxes or corpses stashed conveniently around corners. And even then, enemies can chase you around the corner and still get you. So apart from teasing things out by lobbing icy crystals, you do pretty much have to stand and fight, at least for a round. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Episode 3: A New Game in General | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, November 21 2006 09:07
Profile
Evidently scouting the rat's lair was such a critical task that Dikiyoba needed to use a character she could really trust. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Favorites that didn't survive beta testing (some SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, November 21 2006 08:52
Profile
I don't know if this has been fixed: charging straight south as a loyalist in the Inner Shaping Hall, surviving the pylon field, then pummeling everybody in the control room because they can't hit for toffee. It almost felt as though I won by brilliant strategy. I also don't know if this has been fixed: there's that one infiltrator in Burwood who just wants to talk when you first meet him, and won't fight until the next zone. There's also a room with a door in this zone, and if you play your cards right he'll find you there, and still be friendly. So you can close the door to stop him running away, and kill him there. [ Tuesday, November 21, 2006 08:56: Message edited by: Student of Trinity ] -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| G4 Beta testing stories (SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, November 21 2006 08:46
Profile
Plus, critically, the rule that you can't move after casting a spell or attacking, even if you are hasted enough to have lots more AP still left. This means hit-and-run tactics, the staple of the old Agent, are history. You pretty much have to stand and fight. (Actually, it's not quite that way. You can move after an attack if you have 5 or more AP left AND are moving in order to click on something. So hasted melee creations can hit non-adjacent targets in the same round.) On the plus side, you can do an awful lot in your round, especially if you have a lot of AP, once you figure out how to get most bang for your AP buck. And melee is a much better option when you don't lose your attack while travelling, though of course this cuts both ways. Shortly before all that, Jeff also prevented you from closing doors in the presence of enemies, so you can't exploit their inability to open them to kill them with impunity. All together, the great change was pretty great. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| SS Forums ratios in General | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, November 21 2006 06:10
Profile
That'th the truth. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Items to Keep in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, November 21 2006 06:07
Profile
Recipes are spread throughout the game, and some of them are well-guarded. If you keep all the likely-looking items, you should be okay. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| G4 Beta testing stories (SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, November 21 2006 06:02
Profile
Spine Shield is really great. Wrack is a fantastic spell; a few of these really cut tough opponents down to size. I don't have a good feeling for when Dominate fades and Charm cuts in, but both Charm and Mass Madness can be great. So far I haven't found either to be a gamebreaker, though, because I maybe get one or two enemies; they just take the heat off. But since these are all-or-nothing attacks, mileage may vary widely. Essence Shackles is often valuable, but there are limits, because a lot of the tougher enemies re-haste themselves regularly. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Things you would like to see in Geneforge 5 in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 20 2006 23:22
Profile
You should keep every baton you find, and carry them in your backpack to keep them safe. Actually, for safety you should keep each baton in your quickslot until it is unloaded, then store it in your backpack, far from its ammunition. You should keep all batons of the same kind in adjacent slots, so you don't risk splitting up a family. Do not put the Submission batons next to lesser types, because they can be domineering. And all the other batons are afraid of the Reapers. They are scarey sons-of-bushes. Note that thorn batons are apt to patronize living tools and spore batons. You should train yours out of this antisocial behavior, by putting the offenders in the lower left corner until they apologize. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Favorites (SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 20 2006 23:02
Profile
My guys were all too ideological for something like double-crossing Moseh, but it's a nice idea. I thought most of the battles in G4 were very good. The list of memorable ones is long. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| G4 Beta testing stories (SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 20 2006 22:30
Profile
That southern sentinel, and numerous other bad monsters including the Titan, are a lot easier with judicious use of mental magic. Even one charm tends to put damage on the main boss, and draw multiple attacks away from you. I was able to 'kill' but not kill Miranda in Poryphra Ruins in the Rotdhizon epoch. Actually, like Alwan she just ran away. I think it was on Torment, but maybe only Normal. It's hard to compare such exploits in beta, of course, because different characters rode the waves of beta changes differently. When my earlier characters fought Monarch, he was pretty darn deadly. He used a Reaper baton in melee, for instance. He seems to have been nerfed now. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Favorites (SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 20 2006 13:52
Profile
The questions include spoilers to some degree. Replies in this thread may contain more. I find that this poll kind of sucks. I have a very hard time choosing my favorite chapter, and I should really have listed about twice as many choices for favorite battle. So somebody else can make a better one after we get some responses to this one. [ Monday, November 20, 2006 13:56: Message edited by: Student of Trinity ] Poll Information This poll contains 4 question(s). 9 user(s) have voted. You may not view the results of this poll without voting. function launch_voter () { launch_window("http://www.ironycentral.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=poll;d=vote;pollid=YDgdLMpSzdND"); return true; } // end launch_voter function launch_viewer () { launch_window("http://www.ironycentral.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=poll;d=view;pollid=YDgdLMpSzdND"); return true; } // end launch_viewer function launch_window (url) { preview = window.open( url, "preview", "width=550,height=300,toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status,menubar=no,scrollbars,resizable,copyhistory=no" ); window.preview.focus(); return preview; } // end launch_window   -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| G4 Beta testing stories (SPOILERS) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 20 2006 13:40
Profile
So the game is out there, and I guess we can talk about it. I have tried a rebel Infiltrator who was built as a traditional glass cannon Agent until Chapter 5, but was still able to finish the game on Normal. Nothing very novel to report there: she snuck up on everything, and played all the tricks that used to work. I think her exploits played some role in motivating the Great Change. Jeff seemed perturbed to learn that she was able to slaughter Poryphra Ruins by exploiting walls and range. Also a Loyalist Lifecrafter, who was nothing remarkable until he hit Camp Gamma and cashed in all his veteran Vlish for a single Wingbolt. That thing rocked; it took down practically anything with one shot, though I had to watch the ammo supply. Killing Monarch was an epic battle, and only barely successful. I think at this stage he was still on Torment. Later he dropped to Normal on instruction, and picked up a Kyshakk to start Chapter 4. He finished Chapter 4 with no trouble at all, picking up a Rotghroth along the way. He pumped Intelligence diligently, and before long had enough essence to put major buffs on his guys. This led to some silliness in the end game. His Rotghroths charged straight through the energy barriers and took out Akhari Blaze and Greta easily, without any help from the Shapers. Finally a rebel Servile, who was mostly about Melee and Blessing but has picked up serious Mental Magic near the end of the game. He has just reached Quessa Uss, mostly without much trouble, but on Torment. There were many good battles, but the most recent one that stands out for me was the Servile's campaign against Monarch. When he finally got to grips with Monarch, it was easy; but getting there was tough, because he had no essence pods. So he needed to reach Grosch Pits without using his buffs, to slay the Warped Creator. That took a lot of scouting and planning and nerve, crossing two tough zones to reach a third one. The Servile was also able to kill all three Barrier Zone shapers, and the Forgotten One. But he could not cope at all well, on Torment, with the above-ground Barrier Zones. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Very quick Geneforge 4: Rebellion Update. in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 20 2006 13:24
Profile
Yep, it's all there. Enjoy. G3 was also available on the FTP site before being advertised on the webpages. Maybe it's Jeff's way to reward the extreme keeners. Or maybe he downs a few beers to celebrate posting the thing to FTP, and doesn't get around to the rest for a while. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Episode 3: A New Game in General | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Saturday, November 18 2006 11:07
Profile
That was in the 1950s, when men were men and women were included yeah right. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Stats inside (with History special!) in General | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Saturday, November 18 2006 09:49
Profile
Alorael is Public Ally #1. [ Saturday, November 18, 2006 09:50: Message edited by: Student of Trinity ] -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| We've lost our Sarchasm... in General | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Saturday, November 18 2006 09:45
Profile
quote:I eschew low remarks about furries. A mole is not a unit, but merely a number. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
| Forum Archetypes. in General | |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Thursday, November 16 2006 00:20
Profile
If things couldn't possess, we wouldn't have so much trouble with 'it's' and 'its'. And Dikiyoba would still be writing limericks. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |