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Geneforge - All News

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Tuesday - February 02, 2021
Monday - December 21, 2020
Monday - October 05, 2020
Tuesday - May 19, 2020
Saturday - April 25, 2020
Sunday - February 23, 2020
Wednesday - February 12, 2020
Sunday - January 19, 2020
Monday - August 17, 2015
Thursday - October 11, 2012
Tuesday - July 24, 2012
Thursday - June 28, 2012
Thursday - November 03, 2011
Wednesday - April 08, 2009
Friday - March 20, 2009
Box Art

Tuesday - February 02, 2021

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen - Livestream and Q&A on February 7

by Hiddenx, 19:04

On Sunday, February 7, there will be a developer livestream and Q&A session for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen:

Developer Livestream #2

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is a unique, truly open-ended fantasy role-playing adventure in a strange, new world. Use battle or cunning to change the world, served by your own army of custom-made mutant monsters. Over 80 zones to explore and 50+ hours of gameplay. Multitudes of skills, abilities, factions, treasures, and servants to create.

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is coming for Windows and Macintosh at the end of February, 2021. Progress you make in the demo will carry over to the full game, so you won't need to start over!

This livestream is done by the developer, a grumpy indie developer veteran who has been making his odd, low-budget, fun adventures for 26 years. Enjoy learning about Geneforge and the indie games business from a fun old crank.

Monday - December 21, 2020

Geneforge - Closed Beta Early January

by Silver, 20:26

An update for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen announces a closed beta for early January and a probable February release.

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen December Update!

Spiderweb SoftwareCreator

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is done!

We have completed the game, for both Macintosh and Windows. We are giving both versions preliminary beta-testing to make sure they are basically stable. The closed beta for Kickstarter backers will then begin in early January. A late February release is looking very likely. Preparing a game for release on Steam and other platforms is a long and complicated process, but we have left ourselves plenty of time. (The iPad port will happen after the Windows and Mac release.)

The challenge right now is the final balance testing. Geneforge 1 - Mutagen gives a ton of customization options, and we try to make sure none of them are useless or overpowered. For example, you can make 20 different creations to fight for you. Each creation can be trained with two bonus attacks and two bonus passive abilities. This makes for an enormous combination of options.

We don’t mind if you find a build that is wildly powerful (go for it!), but we do want to understand what is possible, and we need to make sure it works as intended. You will be able to come up with all sorts of armies of monsters, and they’ll be able to do some pretty crazy stuff.

Notes For Backers

If you are entitled to join the closed beta, watch for a message from us, addressed to your backer email in early January. We’re looking forward to hearing your opinions!

Getting close to release is stressful and exciting. We hope people like the game (and buy it so we can stay in business), and we’re looking forward to it being done. Happy holidays, and you’ll hear from us next month!

 

- Jeff Vogel

Monday - October 05, 2020

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen - Trailer

by Hiddenx, 20:25

Here's the trailer for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen - the game will be released in Q1/2021:

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen Trailer

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Thanks Couchpotato!

Tuesday - May 19, 2020

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen - May Update

by Silver, 20:36
The May update for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen talks about the new creation and shares current progress.

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen May Update!

Spiderweb SoftwareCreator
May 19, 2020

It’s time for the Geneforge 1 - Mutagen progress report for May! Happily, we’ve gotten a lot done in the last month. Being under quarantine has made it difficult to concentrate, but we’ve managed. We know we absolutely owe you a game, and that helps us not be too distracted.

Here is what we’ve done, and we have more ways you can help to shape the game!

Progress Report

We have now finished a tenth of the game world, or 8 out of 80 sections. Now we are playing through the early sections as all three character classes. It’s a new game system, and we need to make sure the balance is fair, the game plays properly, and things are fun. We are getting lots of great art from our freelancers and programming in big chunks of the game engine. Having the game be playable by humans is a big step forward, and it’s really exciting.

We have spent a lot of time improving the original game text and then adding to it. We’re adding lore, quests, and bits of conversation that round out the story. People who already played Geneforge will find a lot to surprise them.

We are getting closer to the full-on world-building grind, where the engine is done and we are focused purely on making the game world, a section a day.

The New Creation!

We got many cool suggestions for the new creation. The second most popular suggestion was sort of virus, which, well, we decided not to do that. The most popular suggestion was some sort of bird, and that is indeed something missing.

The new creation is going to be a cockatrice. It is a large bird,with brightly-colored rainbow plumage. It is a powerful, volatile creation. It has both magical attacks and attacks that daze or stun foes, but its abilities might have a chance of rebounding on nearby allies.

That is where we currently are. We would love suggestions for the sort of actual abilities the cockatrice would have. If you’d like a chance for your suggestion to get into the game, send it to geneforgegame@gmail.com before June 16.

Backers Who Contribute To the Game

A little over a month ago, we sent our information packs to backers who get to contribute names, items, characters, etc. to the game. We’ve gotten a ton of great responses and ideas. Thank you for that! A lot of really exciting stuff!

If you haven’t made contact with us yet, it is a great idea to consider doing that. We haven’t heard anything from most of the backers who are contributing names or quests. If you never received the info packet we sent out, send us a Kickstarter message and we’ll resend it.

And now it is back to game balancing! Below is more of the great character art we’ve been getting. Hope you like it, and you’ll hear from us soon!

- Jeff Vogel

The thahd is the basic battle creation. Dumb and sturdy, it is cheap cannon fodder. Let it run up and punch your enemies.
The thahd is the basic battle creation. Dumb and sturdy, it is cheap cannon fodder. Let it run up and punch your enemies.
The clawbug is a more advanced battle creation. It comes with nasty venom and quality natural armor.
The clawbug is a more advanced battle creation. It comes with nasty venom and quality natural armor.

Saturday - April 25, 2020

Geneforge - Retrospective Review @ RPG Crawler

by Hiddenx, 05:39

The RPG Crawler looks back at Spiderweb's Geneforge:

Indie Game Friday - Geneforge

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Sunday - February 23, 2020

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen - Funded

by Silver, 20:12

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen has been funded on Kickstarter and achieved its first stretch goal.

Geneforge is Funded! First Stretch Goal Met!

Spiderweb SoftwareCreator
February 18, 2020

The first five days of the Geneforge 1 - Mutagen Kickstarter have been very eventful! We funded in less than 24 hours. Even better, we have already made the first stretch goal! We will be adding a new creation to Geneforge, and we will be letting all backers help to design it.

We have added two more stretch goals: Professional sound design and an Android tablet port. We didn't get there for the Queen's Wish: The Conqueror Kickstarter, and we wanted to try again.

Thank you all so much for your support. We already have a good start on this game, and we're going to spend the next year making a really interesting remaster worthy of the series.

- Jeff Vogel, Spiderweb Software

Thanks Farflame!

Wednesday - February 12, 2020

Geneforge - Live on Kickstarter

by Hiddenx, 19:10

The Kickstarter campaign for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen has been started:

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen

The groundbreaking indie cult classic returns remastered at last! Totally open role-playing fun with your own army of mutant monsters.

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The Geneforge Saga is a true cult classic of indie games, a groundbreaking role-playing series with ideas that are still fresh and bizarre today. We started it wayyyy back in the year 1999, with the goal of breaking every design rule we could think of.

Want to use trickery and diplomacy to win the game without ever even attacking a foe? Sure. Want to blast through the game barbarically killing every single person you meet? Seems reasonable. Want a ton of different factions to pick from to help, some of which are actually insane? Why not?

Want to meet the final evil boss of the game, find out he's actually reasonable, switch sides and join him, and still get a good ending to the game? You can do that!

And, of course, whatever you do, you can create your own army of custom-made mutant monsters. 

[...]

Sunday - January 19, 2020

Geneforge - Kickstarter Campaign in February

by Hiddenx, 08:04

Kordanor spotted that Spiderweb is planning a Kickstarter campaign for Geneforge in February:

Spiderweb Software

We are scrambling to get everything together for our new Kickstarter. Coding furiously to get enough game together for a video. Writing. Screenshots. Lots of worrying.

Look for it in February!

Monday - August 17, 2015

Geneforge - A Fluent Giveaway

by Anonymous, 14:36

Hey folks! Laughing

I am giving away a free copy of the Geneforge Saga on Steam. It's a Steam Gift, so feel free to use it yourself or pass it along to a friend! All you have to do to enter is post in the sign-up thread on my Steam Group. That's it! The contest will run for 7 days and a winner will be picked next Monday. 

Good luck to all who enter!

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To enter, just post in this thread - http://steamcommunity.com/groups/FluentsRPGWorld/discussions/0/530649887213451153/

Good luck!!

Thursday - October 11, 2012

Geneforge - Pay what you want for the Saga

by Dhruin, 13:01

IndieGameStand is offering the entire Geneforge Saga for whatever amount you want (suggested payment is $10 but is not mandatory). I've not used this site before but apparently you can redeem the codes on either GOG or Steam. 17 hours to go as I type.

Tuesday - July 24, 2012

Geneforge - Indie Royale Bundle

by Dhruin, 22:51

The latest Indie Royale bundle features all five of Spiderweb's Geneforge saga for RPG fans - plus Unepic, which is well worth a look on its own. The current minimum price as I type is $5.60, which is outstanding value even if you don't count the other games in the deal.

Thursday - June 28, 2012

Geneforge - Collection on GOG

by Aries100, 23:06

GOG has the Geneforge Collection (Geneforge 1-5) on sale for 9.99 $ for the next 7 days. After that, the price will be $14.99.

The quote:

The Geneforge Saga is an epic RPG that gives you tremendous freedom and non-linear gameplay as you determine the fate of a world. Take on the role of either a Shaper, who commands an army of powerful creations, or a Rebel fighting against everything the Shapers stand for. If you prefer to sling magic at your enemies, the Sorceress will be a perfect choice with her vast array of debilitating spells and hexes. Play a free-willed Servile, regain your freedom, and fight the Shapers’ hegemony with your own army. Engage in diplomacy as you work for various factions that rule the world of Geneforge or grind the factions under your heel and take power for yourself.

Source: GameBanshee

Thursday - November 03, 2011

Geneforge - Collection on Steam

by Dhruin, 09:00

The Geneforge Saga - all the games from 1 through 5 - are now available as a pack from Steam for the low price of $15.99 (which is 20% off the ongoing Steam list price). As an unabashed Spideweb fan, this is an excellent deal and Geneforge 1, 4 and 5 in particular are tremendous games.

Thanks, TheGameSquid!

Wednesday - April 08, 2009

Geneforge - Reflections @ Scorpia's Lair

by Dhruin, 00:41

With the Geneforge series now wrapped up, Scorpia reflects on Jeff's comments that Geneforge hasn't been as poular as his other games:

The basis of Geneforge is a hybrid of science and fantasy. The Shapers do with magic what we do with technology: manipulate genetic material.

This mix is nothing new. SF and fantasy have been combined before in the Might & Magic series from the beginning, and in the later Wizardry games, to give two examples. It didn’t really work too well in those, and it doesn’t work well here, either.

For all the talk about research, Shaper labs and equipment, experiment notes, machinery, and so on, what really happens? You just wave your hand, and poof! a creation appears.

The only difference between making a creation in Geneforge and summoning a creature in a typical RPG is that the creations hang around until dead or re-absorbed. It’s almost like having a band of familiars traveling with you.

Friday - March 20, 2009

Geneforge - Mac Update to v1.2

by Dhruin, 21:19

Spiderweb has updated the original Geneforge to run on newer Macs:

We have upgraded Geneforge for the Macintosh to v1.2. This version is now fully Universal and in 32 bit color, so it will run well on all of the newer Macs.

Information about

Geneforge

Developer: Spiderweb Software

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Combat: Turn-based
Play-time: Unknown
Voice-acting: None

Regions & platforms
Internet
· Homepage
· Platform: PC
· Released: 2002-01-01
· Publisher: Spiderweb Software