Profile for Trina
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Trina |
| Member number | 6092 |
| Title | Apprentice |
| Postcount | 4 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Saturday, July 9 2005 07:00 |
Recent posts
| Author | Recent posts |
|---|---|
| Inner Keep problems in Geneforge Series | |
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Apprentice
Member # 6092
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written Thursday, July 28 2005 10:23
Profile
I've enjoyed this discussion about proper etiquette in the forum. On several occasions I've seen criticisms of poor grammar, excessive typos, and double postings, and I've winced to think how the original poster must feel about the response. On the other hand, folks have a legitimate concern about clear, efficient communication. And how can new people become full members of the community without occasional guidance from those who are more experienced? Enforcing rules of communication isn't just about effectiveness, though; it's also about power and social class. For example, if I say "I ain't got no shoes," almost everyone will understand exactly what I mean, despite the bad grammar. So if clarity isn't the issue, why does that sentence bother some people? I'd say it's because we have a natural tendency to divide ourselves into groups for the purpose of considering ourselves superior to others. Have you ever wondered where the notion of correct grammar comes from? Generally, "correct" grammar is however rich people speak and write, regardless of the specific language or culture. And they control access to the upper class by insisting that outsiders adopt the same way of speaking and writing (among other things). On the Internet, no one can see how you're dressed, where you shop, or who you have lunch with--so language becomes even more prominent in deciding who's in and who's out. I'd be willing to bet that Marlenny intended no insult by the use of the term "sweety" when addressing Holly--on the contrary, it was probably an attempt to be friendly and soften the impact of the request to avoid double postings. But my eyebrows certainly shot up when I saw the word, and I wasn’t a bit surprised when Holly fired off the reply that she's "not sweetie or honey or baby or anything like that." Consciously or not, Marlenny was asserting a position of superiority: if you're going to play with us, you're going to play by our rules. Relative newcomers (including me) got the message loud and clear. So remember: language is power; use it wisely. (Hey, I've got an idea for G4: a new Language spell that enables you to talk your opponents to death. I think I'd be good at that....) Posts: 4 | Registered: Saturday, July 9 2005 07:00 |
| Skill Point Abstinence in Geneforge Series | |
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Apprentice
Member # 6092
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written Monday, July 11 2005 05:22
Profile
quote:I didn't use any creations because I had so little essence. As you suggest, though, creating a fyora early in the game probably would help later on. And I ended up with plenty of essence pods, so I could have used more of them if most of my essence had been invested in a creation. I like your suggestions for other challenges, especially number 1 (play as a shaper with no creations) and number 9 (don't kill any enemies unless necessary). More than once I've tried to limit the mayhem by focusing on leadership and stealth, though never with the single-minded devotion I applied to playing without skill points. Posts: 4 | Registered: Saturday, July 9 2005 07:00 |
| Skill Point Abstinence in Geneforge Series | |
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Apprentice
Member # 6092
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written Sunday, July 10 2005 11:43
Profile
quote:Thanks. I recall Norrell (I think) mentioning that someone with a key went on an ill-fated expedition to the west. But even though this was a fun experiment, I'm not sure I'd start over and repeat it with the full game just to save the living tools--this approach isn't exactly the fast track to Shaper fame and fortune. [ Sunday, July 10, 2005 11:46: Message edited by: Trina ] Posts: 4 | Registered: Saturday, July 9 2005 07:00 |
| Skill Point Abstinence in Geneforge Series | |
|
Apprentice
Member # 6092
|
written Saturday, July 9 2005 17:23
Profile
For people who like a challenge: Try playing the game on Torment as a guardian, and don't use any of your skill points. Ever. Not the first 15, not the others as you level up. To my surprise, I was able to make it all the way through the demo without using any skill points. My guardian was level 13 at the end, with 75 unused skill points. I cleared all of the areas and accomplished almost all of the quests along the way. The biggest difficulty is the lack of Mechanics (level 3 by default for a guardian). You can't disarm mines, and you have to use lots of living tools to open doors, cabinets, etc. Working your way through an area like the Minefield Woods becomes downright silly--getting close enough to set off a mine, running around a corner to escape the blast, and healing yourself when you're not fast enough. No experience points for this thick-headed approach, but eventually you'll be able to walk through the area. There aren't enough living tools to let you into every room and cabinet; you've got to choose which ones are most worthwhile. It took me 26 tools to get into the basement under San Ru, and another 2 to open the door into the shaping chamber. I did manage to eliminate the baddies in the shaping chamber (using the Wand of the Inferno) as well as the rogue thahd, but I had no living tools left to open the doors for the various goodies. (I couldn't open the doors to disarm the mines, either, but I just waded through them with the benefit of Armor Potion and repeated healings.) Since a guardian has no magic skills at the beginning (except healing), it does no good to buy spells until you find the Carnelian Gloves (Eastern Road) or the Artila Skin Tunic (Kentia South Gate). In fact, the only spells I ever used were Minor Heal and Daze. Daze was pitifully weak with only level 1 Mental Magic (from the Carnelian Gloves), but it was better than nothing when I was outnumbered. I accepted any help that was offered along the way--most notably from Alwan and Greta. Those characters have sometimes been maligned on this forum, but like the Daze spell, they're certainly better than nothing when you're playing under these constraints. I doubt you could finish the demo without them (though, as I said, I was surprised to make it through at all--so who knows?). And for the record, I did apply their skill points as they earned them; Alwan ended up at level 11, and Greta at level 10. I played the entire demo with my Luck at level 0. (I forgot to clear out the Sea Caves until near the end, and even then I somehow overlooked the lucky charm in the artila's nest.) Still, I felt pretty lucky on a few occasions. Most notably, some creature dropped a Girdle of Might (I think it was a Vlish in the Roamer Marsh, though I'm not sure). It's the most valuable item I've seen in the demo, and this was the only time I've seen it. I also picked up a Vlish Tentacle (which I hadn't seen before) and a Roamer Fang (which I had seen only once or twice). It would be interesting to see how far you could go without using skill points in the full game. I haven't bought Geneforge 3 yet because I'm having way too much fun with the demo; I need to put it away and get some work done. But I bought and enjoyed Geneforge 2, and I'm sure I'll get this version soon. Posts: 4 | Registered: Saturday, July 9 2005 07:00 |