Storyline and Endings
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Apprentice
Member # 5672
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written Sunday, November 26 2006 00:30
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I have just finished the game as a loyal shaper who did not use any of the canisters, and I am a bit disappointed with the ending. It implies that no matter how much you aid the shapers, you are still an outcast (well, this was somehow obvious from the beginning, but still...). For some reason I absolutely dislike the "being a lab mouse" bit and the implication that helping the shapers was only a way to gain some wealth and power. Maybe I do not truly understand the motivations of the actual character for which I am playing... -- but I would prefer something different for myself. What, in your opinion, is the most spiritually rewarding ending? Another thing, and this is what I really LOVED in the game, is the chance to relive all the previous storyline events (from G1-G3) through talking to different characters (and to see what has happened to our favourite characters from G1-G3). Not surprisingly, there is an astonishing amount of connections with G3, for example remeeting Litalia (however this seems perplexing if, playing G3, you've actually killed her). But most intriguingly, from scraps and pieces you get to surmise what has actually happened to the main character from G3 -- well,if I understood correcly, he has actually died in G3 (and hence did not finish the game regardless of what I might have thought). Any thoughts on that? Posts: 48 | Registered: Tuesday, April 5 2005 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Sunday, November 26 2006 03:11
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From what I have seen in talking to Alwan and Greta plus Alwan's journal, this game is based upon the GF3 character joining the Rebels. This gave them the victory that resulted in Lord Rahul's death. Alwan is in some trouble because he accompanied that Shaper student who turned on the Shapers. Greta claims that the actions gave them victory but he died. Whatever else happened is not mentioned. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 7711
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written Monday, November 27 2006 15:43
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I just finished the shaper ending, and admitedly used every canister I could get my hands on. I think you end up being a lab rat in the shaper ending no matter what, though in the case of using lots of canisters, you end up getting exiled to the Forgotten Lands. -------------------- "Forget not, Roman, that it is your special genius to rule the people; to impose the ways of peace, to spare the defeated, and to crush those proud men who will not submit." -Virgil, Aenid Posts: 6 | Registered: Monday, November 27 2006 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Monday, November 27 2006 17:37
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There are two main texts depending upon whether you are Rebel or Shaper side in the last battle. Then there are splits into whether you pick Rebel, Shaper, or Trakovite for the control panel. There is a different paragraph for canister usage and there are some variations depending upon who survives the last few battles. Either way your life pretty much sucks except for a very few cases. It's even worse for the rest of the people who aren't leaders. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Monday, November 27 2006 20:40
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Like most science-fiction, the anachro-fantastic futuristic world of the Geneforge looks pretty bleak no matter what the hell anyone does. -S- -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 5672
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written Monday, November 27 2006 23:48
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A somewhat funny ending is, upon winning the last battle for shapers, to activate the unbounds rather than to destroy it. Posts: 48 | Registered: Tuesday, April 5 2005 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 6559
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written Tuesday, November 28 2006 19:13
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To answer the first post- quote:warning- the following contains no actual plot spoiler, but is kind of spoiler-y nonetheless. Most personally rewarding ending: being faithful to the rebels from start to finish, having both major rebel characters survive the last battle, and using no or very few canisters. The moral aspect of this one is debatable, though. Most moral ending (arguably): there are two Trakovite endings. Both are equally moral, but as far as you're personally concerned, it goes from terrible to not good. To get the better one, I think you need a high reputation with the rebels. How to screw up both aspects: helping the shapers. Sorry. I think the shapers don't look so wrong throughout this game, but you have to admit that the ending is coherent. The shapers' rules are very harsh. Depending on your beliefs, though, I guess you might consider this ending to be morally sound. Wackiest (and worst) endings: Being faithful to one cause right until the end, and then betraying it, thus ensuring the other side's victory. Silly you. Conclusion: 1) All this is very coherent. 2) The only ending ever to be both morally and personally rewarding was the Trakovite ending of GF1. Posts: 27 | Registered: Thursday, December 15 2005 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Tuesday, November 28 2006 19:26
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I'm not quite sure how to put my finger on it, but the endings are the one part of the game that isn't satisfying to me. No matter what you do or how consistent or moral or clever or anything else you try to be, I wasn't left feeling very good or very appreciated for all my hard work and the world doesn't really become a better place in any notable way. The Trakovites have been around since GF1? -S- [ Tuesday, November 28, 2006 19:26: Message edited by: Servile Synergy ] -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Tuesday, November 28 2006 19:33
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Not really. Trajkov and the Sholai were in G1, but not G2 or G3. Trajkov was allied with the Takers and wanted to use the Geneforge so he could build his own empire off of the ruins of the Shaper's empire. As Dikiyoba hasn't played G4 yet, Dikiyoba can't really compare how the Trakovites compare to Trajkov's philosophy. Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Tuesday, November 28 2006 20:26
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GF3 mentions on Dhonal Island a Sholai looking for what happened to Trajkov and the Shapers insistance that they never heard of him. It is fun to see the slight differences in the ending depending upon who survives. Save just before using the control panel and you can see several variations. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Wednesday, November 29 2006 02:19
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I think it's a great touch how Trajkov's story has gotten garbled by repetition in Servile tales, so that he becomes 'Trakov' as the legendary founder of the Trakovites. This seems realistic somehow. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 6559
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written Wednesday, November 29 2006 03:13
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I meant GF1's Trajkov ending, not Trakovite ending. Thanks (again), Dikiyoba. quote:I know what you mean, but I think this has improved in GF4. The choice 'morals vs pesonal achievement' seems clearer. It's frustrating, but Geneforge wouldn't be so likable otherwise. I think. Just like the canister dilemma. I've checked the shaper ending in more detail, and it's not so bad. It just falls in-between the other two in both the moral and personal department. Although this, arguably, makes it especially unfulfilling. Like for all good endings, though, the key is to remain on the same side throughout. The game is not very forgiving in this respect. Eigenvalue, I suspect you changed sides at some point, didn't you? What can you say to your defense? quote:Yes! The allusions to previous Geneforges are handled beautifully in this one. Like that servile who hazily mistakes you for the main shaper character of a previous Geneforge? That was brilliant. [ Wednesday, November 29, 2006 03:28: Message edited by: Silb Aran ] Posts: 27 | Registered: Thursday, December 15 2005 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Wednesday, November 29 2006 05:20
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I think that last bit occured in G2 and G3 as well. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 247
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written Friday, December 1 2006 04:11
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Every Geneforge game I just end up dieing or something horrible. The first time I played mosly loyal to the Shapers with the hopes of creating a stalmate at the last control panel. But ahhh I gave up the Unbound's plans to Alwan. Apparently that was a huge problem.So the Drakons chop my head off. I really wanted to help the Trakovites but I didn't realise giving the plans way was so crucial. BTW: Is there any way I could read all of the various endings without playing through multiple times, which I don't have time for. Thanks. -------------------- The Knight Between Posts. Posts: 2395 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Friday, December 1 2006 04:30
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You need to do two major endings as either Shaper or Rebel in the last fight. You can wait until the "disturbance" in Northforge Warrens and save just before responding to it. Then fight through to the end for each side and save before using the control panel for each side. This will give you the most opportunities to see the endings (3 for each). There is nothing to be done about canister usage since it would be a waste to play low/no canisters and then race around using them to see only one or two paragraphs cbange. I think there is another ending for using a different vat power setting that I never tried. It also changes depending upon who survives the battle. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 247
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written Friday, December 1 2006 04:59
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NVM ResFool works fine. -------------------- The Knight Between Posts. Posts: 2395 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 7727
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written Saturday, December 2 2006 08:50
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quote:I know what you mean, though I can't quite put my finger on it, either. Maybe some aspect of this -- a sense of lacking fulfillment or something -- is an inherent part of being "trapped" as a character in somebody else's story-universe. I mean, ideally, you want to feel that you're a protagonist, not a mere bit player, and that you are somehow you've got free well, you're in control of your own destiny. But what meaning can "free will" possibly have when, in reality, "you" are just making a series of allowable choices, plotting a track through a finite field of game possibilities, each of which leads to a programmed outcome? The closest I've been to feeling satisfied, I think, was aligning with the Awakened in GF2, and winning the game with no canisters. There was a line toward the very end of the final "outcome" script to the effect of: Your life is hard, but you have the satisfaction of knowing that you did the right thing. (Or words to that effect.) When I read that I thought, Okay, I can live with that. Posts: 4 | Registered: Saturday, December 2 2006 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 5672
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written Sunday, December 3 2006 10:23
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> But what meaning can "free will" possibly have when, in reality, "you" are just making a series of allowable choices, plotting a track through a finite field of game possibilities, each of which leads to a programmed outcome? Exactly! And then in Geneforge 5, playing as an intelligent dryke (I personally prefer drykes over drakons), we will hear what has actually happened to the main hero in Geneforge 4, i.e. which one of the finite number of outcomes is actually correct one. P.S. I do like the loyal rebel ending much better. Posts: 48 | Registered: Tuesday, April 5 2005 07:00 |