Profile for Vespucci

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G4 makes icons disappear in Tech Support
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #0
Windows XP

Playing Geneforge 4 makes all the icons in my desktop, start menus, and Windows Explorer disappear--no placeholder icon, just nothing. Restarting the computer makes some return, but not all (those that remain missing are at least replaced with a placeholder icon).

Ideally, it would be nice if they didn't disappear, but I would settle for being able to get them all back when I want them.
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
A3 Colchis anvil in The Avernum Trilogy
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #2
Yep, to move the anvil your party must have a combined STR of twenty or more. Thank you!
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
A3 Colchis anvil in The Avernum Trilogy
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #0
What does it take to move the Colchis anvil in Avernum 3? I know the hidden item isn't important, but not being able to get at it is really annoying. I've saved up skill points for two levels now and I still don't have enough STR.

Does it require one PC have some amount of STR? The whole party have a total of some amount? Each member of the party have at least some minimum value? Or is my copy of the game buggy?

[ Monday, June 04, 2007 23:22: Message edited by: Vespucci ]
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
what did you name your characters, and why? in The Exile Trilogy
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #39
I can never remember which characters are the specialists and in what, so I give them mnemonic names:

Brisance, Nosy, Tunnel Rat--trap disarmer and thief
Chef--alchemist
Night Owl, Bookworm--Highly Alert trait
Stonewall--high defense
Shepherd, Missal--priest
...

I've got a million of 'em.

I name the other team members something thematic or just comment on their appearances.

[ Friday, December 29, 2006 16:15: Message edited by: Vespucci ]
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
Magic in Geneforge Series
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Member # 5916
Profile #0
In Geneforge 2, is there any point in having more than one level of the blessing spells? The manual and the walkthrough don't imply any greater benefit to having higher spell strength in them.

Are the other games the same?
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
G2: training in Geneforge Series
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Member # 5916
Profile #0
In Geneforge 2, can you buy training in a skill four times if two trainers sell the same skill? e.g. Cure Effects is taught in Drypeak Warrens and Medab
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
G2: Why does Tyallea have money? in Geneforge Series
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Member # 5916
Profile #0
Why does Tyallea in Drypeak Warrens have money if he doesn't seem to buy anything?
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
A Few Advance Notes On Geneforge 4 in Geneforge Series
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #78
quote:
This reminds that I would really like to see Jeff clarify the relationship between creations that are born like serviles and some Drayks, creations that are grown in vats, creations that are made out of personal essence on the spot like the PC's, temporary creations like those that feature once or twice in G2 and G3, and shades.[/QB]
When I started out in G1, I wondered if I would eventually gain the ability to do something like absorption to rogues. Not for any personal essence benefit, but as a way to avoid combat. Slurp! Problem solved!

Now, I *like* combat, so I wouldn't be particularly thrilled by such a feature. But the question is an interesting one, as if one living shaper can undo another living shaper's work, things like practical jokes, rivalries, sabotage, and war could result in an interesting arms race of measures and counter-measures. It would be kind of nice to have an answer, even if it's just an offhand remark like you can't un-create a creation you didn't make yourself. Maybe they're imprinted with your essence, so only you can unlock it?
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
A Few Advance Notes On Geneforge 4 in Geneforge Series
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #77
quote:
Originally written by Nick Ringer:

Day and night would be a really good addition. Also, to affect gameplay, I think the PC should have to sleep and eat. (etc. snip)
I think this would work best if the player could choose whether to heed it. Say, for example, if sleeping and eating improve efficiency for a time, e.g. noticing the approach of foes at a greater distance, acting a little sooner in combat, a temporary extra few points in luck... That way there's no constraint, but an added dimension if a player wants it. Players who don't want to bother with it can ignore it without frustration.

Spiderweb's past games have played to realism in much this style. If anyone can do a game with night and day, sleep, hunger, etc without ruining the fun, I think Spiderweb can.
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
GF1 infinite Chesh bug in Geneforge Series
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #3
I have no idea if any of this affected it, but

I entered Thorny Woods from the north, and that's where I exited.

Every time I encountered the warped fyora, I had come around to its nest area clockwise. (The nest area is at the center of a circle of paths.)

I was not a member of any sect.

I did the rebel base in the southwest last.

[ Wednesday, February 15, 2006 18:18: Message edited by: Vespucci ]
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
GF1 infinite Chesh bug in Geneforge Series
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #1
There's a weird one in Thorny Woods too. I left the zone a couple of times before I finished it (always leaving through the exit I came in) and killed the Warped Fyora three times. I got the fyoraskin cloak twice!

On the downside, the mines get reset too, and the Warrior Servile in the SE. (Which is *why* I had to keep leaving to recuperate.)
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
A Few Advance Notes On Geneforge 4 in Geneforge Series
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #17
quote:
Originally written by *i:

It might be nice if weather did impact combat somewhat. For instance, wind would make batons and javelins less accurate and rain would weaken the firebolt spell.
Don't forget visibility. Or suffering minor damage over time due to exposure. Or being startled by a sudden bolt of lightning and having a spell fail...

I find myself obscurely pleased about the weather announcement. Games never seem to have occasional inconveniences like nighttime, gloaming, temperature, wind... I liked the old "Omega" roguelike's sudden storms that pushed you randomly off course and could keep going for several turns. "Due to inclement weather you have become lost." "Ah, now you know where you are." Minor inconveniences, but enough to keep things interesting.

You don't want inconveniences to be *too* inconvenient, but a little reality can be a good thing. Especially if it sometimes interferes with foes too. And it's *really* great if once in a blue moon it's a stroke of good luck for you.

Even if the weather just turns out to be for atmosphere, I think I'll like it. As I've slowly made my way through GF1 I've really enjoyed the atmosphere the text gives. It's also nice that it runs the gamut from unsubtle to quite subtle, since players have different sensitivities. I've noticed Geneforge is actually teaching me a bit about interacting with people. When someone "looks cagey" it originally sailed right past me. Now I notice more often and try to figure out what these things indicate or if it's just atmosphere.

[ Friday, February 10, 2006 06:21: Message edited by: Vespucci ]
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
Journal is useless! in Geneforge Series
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #13
quote:
Originally written by Dikiyoba:

Originally by Micawber:

quote:
There's one game, can't remember if it's Geneforge or not, where even after you delete notes you have to scroll through all the empty slots in order to get to the ones with info saved in them. That's rather annoying.
It's Geneforge. And Geneforge 2. Seeing the labels without having to scroll through them all is nice, but the deleted slots that don't go away is a terrible feature.

[Empty]
[Empty]
Dikiyoba.

The empty slots do go away, but I'm not sure what makes it happen. I think it's shutting down and reopening the game. (Don't forget to save!)

I use the journal *a lot*, because I only have time to play a couple of zones per week and I need to be able to refresh my memory. I like the journal size, much better than the Exile games.

The journal has two minor quirks I occasionally find annoying:

1) If there are empty slots, those are filled first (may be in sequence you deleted them), which can make entries hard to find.

2) If what an NPC tells you changes, you cannot record the new version unless you first delete the old version. For example, Clakkit in G1 tells you different things about what the serviles think of you, Pinner tells you different things about your appearance... This feature is a consequence of the game's method of ensuring you don't record duplicates of entries. It probably shouldn't be messed with, as the alternatives are likely to be more annoying.

[ Monday, February 06, 2006 05:05: Message edited by: Vespucci ]
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
GF1 Thorny Woods in Geneforge Series
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #4
Dikiyoba found the solution. I had entered and left Thorny Woods through the same exit, so the zone didn't clear. Interesting feature...

No, I'm not Italian.
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
GF1 Thorny Woods in Geneforge Series
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #0
How do you clear Thorny Woods? I've killed Ezog, explored everything, opened everything except the trapped box, informed Demel, and reported back to Mickall in Pentil. But I never got the "zone cleared" message and the big map still shows Thorny Woods in red.
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
Geneforge and flatscreen problem in Tech Support
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #6
Yep, you had it pegged. The flatscreen warning was completely covering the other dialog window, so the settings would revert before I could do anything and I didn't know the other window existed.

It's fixed now.
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
Geneforge and flatscreen problem in Tech Support
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #2
If I do it manually (go into the Control Panel > Appearance and Themes > Change the Screen Resolution), I get:

"Flat Panel Warning
You have selected a non-optimal Screen Area setting for your LCD panel. Unlike external computer monitors, LDC panels have one particular Screen Area setting that looks best. It is recommended you set your Screen Area to 1280x800."

Then after about ten seconds it switches it back to 1280x800 and shuts down the screen resolution window.
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00
Geneforge and flatscreen problem in Tech Support
Apprentice
Member # 5916
Profile #0
Is there any way to get Geneforge to work on a Dell Inspiron? It's one of those laptops with the wide screen. The machine absolutely refuses a resolution change, whether from Direct X or manually changing it, and unlike Nethergate or Avernum the Geneforge games won't play without a resolution change.

If you try to play Geneforge or Geneforge 2, you get a message saying the flatscreen display works best at 1280x800, and the game gets minimized. Then when you try to shut down the game the screen goes black and you have to reset the computer to get out of it.

I'm quite surprised I haven't read about anyone else having this problem, as this monitor type is becoming quite common.
Posts: 18 | Registered: Tuesday, June 7 2005 07:00