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[The Technomancer]

Currently availible on:
Steam $20 $15.99
Spiderweb Software $20 each

What is the Geneforge Saga
A series of five games created by indie developer veteran Jeff Vogel, featuring primitive graphics, old school design philosopy, excellent writing, and a large degree of player freedom. Spiderweb Software has been making Jeff a living off of shareware indie games for over fifteen years.

I sure wish there was a way to try these games, see if I like them
You're in luck! Spiderweb Software is known for its massive demos, that can often give players the first fifth or so of the game to play around in. Demos for every game can be found on that game's product page

Some things you might care about:

Your core ability to make and absorb mutant "creations" means that your party is 100% under your control​

Three major classes:​

Shaper: master of the arts of creation, and also gifted with the powers of magic. Frail in direct combat.​

Agent: The eyes, ears, and hands of the Shaper empire. Skilled in magic and good at combat, but with relatively weak shaping abilities.​

Guardian: The defenders of the realm, Guardians are unmatched in combat and have decent shaping abilities as well, making creatures to aid them in their conflicts. But they are weak at casting spells, and usually rely on potions and spores to heal and bless themselves and their allies​

Many situations have multiple ways to be resolved besides combat​

If you put points into your leadership skill you'll be able to open up new conversation paths and even "defeat" or ally with some bosses​

Train yourself in mechanics to unlock doors. You'll be able to take alternate routes to avoid hazards altogether, steal from people, and find hidden areas​

Every NPC can be killed in theory (although some of them are pretty strong)​

Sprawling areas to clear out and explore. Its possible to "beat" the first game while only seeing around half of the actual "game" area, and the rest is filled with everything from powerful artifacts to interesting lore.​

Giant non-linear worlds (although not fully open world)​

30-50 hours of gameplay per game​

Morally ambiguous factions who will try to sway you to their side. The first game features three sects of Serviles, while the later games focus on the conflict between the rebels and the Shaper order.​

Multiple endings based on who you side with (if anyone) and who you kill​

Atmosphere through text. Much like the speech of a GM in tabletop games, the Geneforge saga makes up for its primitive graphics by providing well-written descriptions of everything from the character of NPCs to the nature of each new area you enter to the action of events that occur​

Lore
The Shapers are powerful, and their word is law. Weilders of the powerful magical science of creation, they can mold flesh like clay and have done their best to remake the world in their image. Their mutant creations serve and defend them, their artificial "servent minds" form biological computers, everything from their doors to their weapons is composed of stone, metal, and flesh.
The labor of their empire is largely placed on the backs of the Serviles, sentient yet dim humanoids who the Shapers create and keep in eternal slavery. But everything is not perfect. Rebels exist, driven by every motivation from righteous desire for freedom to lust for power.

Every game starts with a new character, focusing on a different point in the timeline of the history of the rebellion.
Geneforge 1 finds you as a lowly apprentice washed up on the shore of a mysterious island after a vicious attack on your vessel. Your map has the island marked as uninhabited and barred from travel, but as you explore the ruins of what your people left behind it becomes apparent that someone else is seeking their secrets as well...

Geneforge 2 takes place in the colony of Drypeak, a grand terraforming project with decidedly lackluster results. The Shaper council have sent you and your mentor Shanti to investigate why the colony is failing so badly, but as you investigate it becomes clear that there is more then negligence at work. Rogue monsters abound, the people live in fear, and one of the two Shapers assigned to oversee things has mysteroiusly "died"

Geneforge 3 opens with an attack on your school, what you soon learn is part of a larger movement of rebellion that is starting to ignite. Your journey will take you among the Ashen Isles as you work to either exterminate the rebels or spread chaos and "freedom"

Geneforge 4 starts you as a young member of the rebellion, on his way to the front to help secure Ilya Province. The Shapers are finally reacting to the rebellion and sending their formidable forces to deal with the issue, but it appears that both sides may have a common foe who needs to be defeated...and his defeat could swing the balance of power in either direction.

Geneforge 5 features the world torn by war, as the Rebels and Shapers alike have begun to split among their ideologies. Some want to destory the power of Shaping forever, some want to wipe out all life except for a chosen few, to remake the world anew, some want to wipe out the rebellion and restore the status quo, and some just want peace. And one just wants kill everyone else. Who you chose to help and fight will determine the fate of the world.

Screenshots
Some galleries:
http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge/shots.html
http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge2/shots.html
http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge3/shots.html
http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge4/shots.html
http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge5/shots.html

Five massive RPGs for $20 $15.99. What are you waiting for?

 

[xelios]

Thanks for the OP. Awesome games if you like old school RPGs and cheap vs. what they are on Spiderweb's site. Can only hope the Avernum series comes someday as well.

 

[Orayn]

Oh man, I remember playing the demo for the first or second Geneforge game when I was a kid. A little rough around the edges maybe, but I loved the creativity of the setting, and the overall design was unadulterated isometric WRPG lovin'. A random stranger for whom I bought TF2 a few years ago has offered to repay me, and getting this would be a great way to call in that favor.

Here's hoping the rest of Spiderweb's catalogue makes it to new devices and services!

Also, awesome OT title.

 

[Fewr]

I'm currently playing Avadon

Spoiler

just finished the first(?) dragon's quest, and he's happy now

, but as soon as I finish that, I'm definitely getting these.

 

[wsippel]

I might have been interested in this, but sadly, the graphics aren't so much primitive as they're just plain ugly. And not in a cool, retro way.

 

[Orayn]

I might have been interested in this, but sadly, the graphics aren't so much primitive as they're just plain ugly. And not in a cool, retro way.

What's so bad about them? They don't look as finely tuned as Diablo or Baldur's Gate, but I don't really see anything that's not in line with standard isometric pre-rendered stuff. (Tile-based, in this case.)

 

[The Technomancer]

I might have been interested in this, but sadly, the graphics aren't so much primitive as they're just plain ugly. And not in a cool, retro way.

Geneforge 5 might still whet your appetite: http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/images/geneforge5/GF5Rawal.jpg

 

[Tesseract]

 

[The Technomancer]

Thanks for the OP. Awesome games if you like old school RPGs and cheap vs. what they are on Spiderweb's site. Can only hope the Avernum series comes someday as well.

I don't think the old Avernum titles will be, because of archaic comparability issues, but the re-release of Avernum 1 on the new engine next year definitely will be a Steam release.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

I've sworn myself to play these after the fall rush. I have Spiderweb's website in favorites.

 

[The Technomancer]

For anyone who's interested in the perspective of one of the truly small developers out there, Jeff Vogel wrote two excellent columns detailing the sales figures of Geneforge 4 and discussing how he feels about game pricing:
http://jeff-vogel.blogspot.com/2009/03/so-heres-how-many-games-i-sell.html
http://jeff-vogel.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-many-games-i-sell-part-two.html

 

[Joe Molotov]

Okay. Geneforge 1, kachou on!

Edit: Decided to play a Shaper, since the game's lore and gameplay mechanics all seem to be designed around them. I played through the tutorial section, it seems pretty cool so far.

 

[The Technomancer]

Okay. Geneforge 1, kachou on!

Edit: Decided to play a Shaper, since the game's lore and gameplay mechanics all seem to be designed around them. I played through the tutorial section, it seems pretty cool so far.

Definitely share your impressions, I get so enamored with the first game sometimes that I wonder if its actually as good as I think it is.

 

[Sportbilly]

Definitely will buy- I've been waiting for these for a while, $20/ £15 each was just a bit too pricey when I have so much else to play, but the lot for the price of one is perfect.

Good to see them nearly in the top ten on Steam as well.

 

[HK-47]

Tell me more, OP

Tell me everything.

 

[The Technomancer]

Tell me more, OP

Tell me everything.

The first game is one of my top RPGs for a variety of reasons. Because it takes place on an abandoned island and because of the non-linear nature of your progress it really feels like you're exploring further into a mysterious environment. The overall lore weaved around the world is something I find fascinating. Plus the "anyone can die" nature of the game allows for some really fun interactions, like taking a quest from one faction to assassinate the leader of another, doing it, returning, reaping the rewards, and then killing the guy who hired you. It has this slightly "unscripted" feel to the whole game, but its still more guiding then something as open as a Bethesda game.

 

[Carm]

Can they all be played in a window or fullscreen only?

 

[Joe Molotov]

Got my dude up to Lv 4 and cleared out the Ruined School. I'm liking it.

I haven't found any way to run it windowed mode.

 

[fredrancour]

i want to try these so bad. I'll get them if I need another rpg fix after i get done with all the stuff I've already bought off gog.

 

[Blast Processing]

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, too many RPGs. I want to play these, though.

 

[Carm]

Got my dude up to Lv 4 and cleared out the Ruined School. I'm liking it.

I haven't found any way to run it windowed mode.

That's unfortunate, thanks for the info.

 

[gybe]

For playing Geneforge in a window. I found this on rpgcodex. http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=53463

Here is a direct link if you want if don't want look at the site. http://keeper.lubie.org/tools/sfb7s_dxwnd_v1_21a_en_win32.zip
I tried it and does it work for Geneforge 1 just point the program to the .exe. I have version off Spiderweb so I don't know about Steam version.

Just so you know here is the VirusTotal report http://www.virustotal.com/file-scan...e2afa45f7977eb49c1dfa45fe417c02acc-1320513946

 

[Alexios]

No time to play them right now but, bought, to support him finally doing discounts...

 

[The Technomancer]

Which one is the best? I will never have time to play all of them, but I would really like to support Jeff and get the best experience I can from this series.

1 or 5. I would personally recommend 1 because I think the location of the original game is one of the best in gaming, and because although its totally possible to just jump into 5 you might feel a bit lost with all the history behind events.

 

[Keikaku]

Would anyone mind me doing a sort of "Let's Play" of Geneforge 1 in this thread?

I've never played the series but I've heard a lot of good things about it and I just bought the pack on Steam. Perhaps it could serve to get more people interested in the game, especially if it's written from a newbie's point of view?

 

[The Technomancer]

Would anyone mind me doing a sort of "Let's Play" of Geneforge 1 in this thread?

I've never played the series but I've heard a lot of good things about it and I just bought the pack on Steam. Perhaps it could serve to get more people interested in the game, especially if it's written from a newbie's point of view?

Go for it! I just hope I'm not the only one you've heard good stuff from, I'd hate to be the only person making you think they're good

 

[Keikaku]

Go for it! I just hope I'm not the only one you've heard good stuff from, I'd hate to be the only person making you think they're good

No, no. Your impressions have certainly helped but I've heard and read other opinions

 

[The Technomancer]

Cool blog post about Geneforge: http://jeff-vogel.blogspot.com/2011/11/geneforge-saga-now-available-on-steam.html
He explicitly mentions that the various ways to approach the game were inspired by Deus Ex

 

[Keikaku]

Just played a little bit of the game, got through the tutorial areas and I'm about to hit the first village. Here we go with the LP!

 

[The Technomancer]

Just played a little bit of the game, got through the tutorial areas and I'm about to hit the first village. Here we go with the LP!

I'm going to say feel free to double post with updates, and we'll see if we get more traffic in here

 

[Scythian]

Alright, I'll post my very early impressions here, because I think this thread isn't getting the response it deserves.
I've played over an hour of Geneforge 1, and I've gotta say, my love for this game is gradually increasing with each NPC I talk to; I'm feeling immersed in the setting, like I'm really the shaper that got stranded on an abandoned island.
Geneforge is very text-heavy, but I don't mind it at all, since I'm enthusiastic to know what happened and what's to come.
What gets me really excited is the fact that there are other 4 games in the series, but I don't want to get my hopes up for no reason.

How does the story from Geneforge 1 link to the other four games, if at all?

 

[Keikaku]

Let's Play Geneforge 1
Installment 1

These posts will contain spoilers, so if you want to play the game completely unsullied don't read these. I'll do my best to avoid major plot twists, but this is designed to show a newbie players first experience with the series.

All screenshots can be found in this Imgur album

Here we go! Obviously, I'll be starting a new game, but I just wanted to point out that the "Instructions" section is actually really useful and also available in-game and in the menus. It's a nice little touch.

I chose to be a Shaper for my starting character. You get 15 skill points to either distribute immediately or sit on and distribute later. I chose to up my Leadership skill to 5 (the description says it acts like charisma and allows you to get more conversation options), Mechanics to 4 (lockpicking and access to areas) and Luck to 1 (I don't like to tempt the Lady). I also got an extra point in my Healing Craft skill. Since my initial points were spent in non-combat areas, I will probably need to heal quite often and I want it to be effective.

This is an example of the artwork that you'll find throughout the game. It really reminds me of the Myth games or some of the Homeworld hand drawn story panels. It's really cool and the writing is well done. Dramatic without being over the top and it sets the scene really well.

This is right at the starting area. This game definitely isn't a looker, but everything is clearly laid out, for the most part, and it all works. There are some pretty basic sound effects too but you won't really care after a while. The whole intro area is a giant tutorial.

The first creature that you can Shape is the Fyora. If you give it 2 Intelligence, you can control it in combat which turns out to be a really good idea. I also made the mistake of getting in Dexterity which left me with not enough Essence to cast my healing spell.

Every creature you create costs Essence and giving them bonuses to their stats costs additional Essence. However, you also need Essence to cast spells, so you need to balance it carefully. This is all explained in the Tutorials/Manual.

Combat. It's turn based and uses action points, like Fallout 1/2. Basic and flexible.

The next installment will be more focused on the developing story. Stay tuned!

 

[The Technomancer]

How does the story from Geneforge 1 link to the other four games, if at all?

The other four games all take place on the "mainland" (to an extent), and revolve around some of the repercussions of the first game, but there are very few direct connections. The first game really does stand alone with its isolated environment, but the others are certainly good as well.

 

[The Technomancer]

Just a reminder, today is the last day to grab all five games for $15.99 on Steam. After this the package goes up to 20

 

[Toma]

On Steam sale for 10$.

GET IT PEOPLE.

 

[The Technomancer]

On Steam sale for 10$.

GET IT PEOPLE.

Wow, they're really discounting this one left and right.

 

[Toma]

Wow, they're really discounting this one left and right.

Was surprised as well. Especially considering the price it had before Steam.

 

[Toma]

Btw, only played part 5 before. Just made it to the end of the tutorial of Part 1... and I completely forgot the awesome summoning system. So good.

 

[Tenck]

Just bought the Steam sale pack. Game sounds amazing and can't wait to play the first one as soon as I find time for it.

I made sure I get around to it too. Made some notes on my phone and on my laptop, and I even installed it (I install games I need to play soon).

 

[Toma]

Just bought the Steam sale pack. Game sounds amazing and can't wait to play the first one as soon as I find time for it.

I made sure I get around to it too. Made some notes on my phone and on my laptop, and I even installed it (I install games I need to play soon).

Have fun! The game world is really rather unique.

Btw for those that played all games: Which one was your favorite?
Oh and

Spoiler

Is any of the factions in game 1 more worthwhile than the others? Having an evil power from one faction sounds too good to be true.

 

[The Technomancer]

Have fun! The game world is really rather unique.

Btw for those that played all games: Which one was your favorite?
Oh and

Spoiler

Is any of the factions in game 1 more worthwhile than the others? Having an evil power from one faction sounds too good to be true.

1 is definitely my favorite, with 5 coming in second. 1 has an atmosphere to it that the others don't really capture the same way.
As for

Spoiler

the factions, I can't remember the exact rewards. I want to say the Takers have slightly more goodies, but nothing game-changing, just a few canisters

How far are you in the game so far?

 

[confused]

What type of RPG is this ?

 

[The Technomancer]

What specifically do you mean? In general terms they're turn-based WRPGs with a focus on party control and some inspiration from Deus Ex (ability to talk or lockpick your way through situations as well as fighting)

 

[RPG_Fanatic]

On Steam sale for 10$.

GET IT PEOPLE.

Sounds good. I don't have time to play the games at right away though, playing skyward sword on wii.

Edit: So apparently Norton blocked a trojan virus from Geneforge 5 when I started downloading. Anyone else encounter this?

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Ok, I get it's a kind of indie team making old scool RPG, but I don't think they deserve becaus eof the nostalgia factor a free pass for the horrendous design of the game.

Years away from a Icewind Dale, Arcanum, BG, divine divinity, Fallout 1 or 2...

EDIT :

I mean :

 

[Toma]

Ok, I get it's a kind of indie team making old scool RPG, but I don't think they deserve becaus eof the nostalgia factor a free pass for the horrendous design of the game.

Years away from a Icewind Dale, Arcanum, BG, divine divinity, Fallout 1 or 2...

I dont see your point.

From a design point of view I'd put the geneforge series right in between those games you listed. Have you even played them?
They are designed with multiple endings and unique ways to play through them. It doesnt get much more intricate from a design standpoint.

If you were talking about GRAPHICS, well no one said that these games are beautiful. But they are damn good.

 

[Toma]

Sounds good. I don't have time to play the games at right away though, playing skyward sword on wii.

Edit: So apparently Norton blocked a trojan virus from Geneforge 5 when I started downloading. Anyone else encounter this?

Its fine for me. Might be a misdetection from Norton.

1 is definitely my favorite, with 5 coming in second. 1 has an atmosphere to it that the others don't really capture the same way.
As for

Spoiler

the factions, I can't remember the exact rewards. I want to say the Takers have slightly more goodies, but nothing game-changing, just a few canisters

How far are you in the game so far?

Just bought the 5 pack yesterday and since I cant window it.. I am playing slower than I'd like. Just

Spoiler

finished getting all the quests in the first city with the awakened. and was thinking which faction to follow.

 

[almostheathen]

Been playing this series on and off since I bought it during the Steam Winter sale. It's well worth the price for the amount of gaming you get.

The first game is a bit rough, visually and gameplay-wise (I played a mostly pure melee guardian with which I completed the game and also messed around with an agent).

The 2nd game is more refined and seemed to flow better for me although I think the parry skill did all the work ;D.

I'm currently playing through the 3rd game as an agent. I'm about half way through the 2nd island. The party members this time around are great as now I have free decoys .

 

[Toma]

This thread being so short is rather... disheartening.

 

[Toma]

Hey Techno, in case you miss the thread because it doesnt even get the same amount of responses the OT gets:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=494755

Paywhatyouwant deal, starting $0,25 for all 5 games. Completely and utterly insane. Help me bump it a bit