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Microsoft Windows |genre = Role-playing |modes = Single-player }} ''Geneforge'' is the first video game in the ''Geneforge'' series of role-playing video games created by Spiderweb Software. Players assume the role of an apprentice Shaper, a sect of mages who can create living creatures through force of will. The apprentice is cast away on Sucia, an island abandoned by the sect 200 years prior. The island contains groups of the Shapers' creations, who have formed their own ideologies regarding their creators in the intervening years. The primary motivation of the player is to escape the island and, in the process, deal with the forces working to steal the Shaper secrets abandoned on Sucia Isle. The game's setting stemmed from the idea of players being able to create and control a group of obedient creatures. The Shapers and the world of ''Geneforge'' were the result of Vogel imagining how would a being possess such power and how would they use it. The game's setting, a mixture of science fiction and fantasy, differs from the pure science fiction setting the game had been envisioned as. Vogel had difficulties balancing gameplay with the powerful directed-energy weapons players would expect to use in a science fiction game. Sales exceeded the developer's expectations, despite fears that the departure from Spiderweb's ''Avernum'' series would deter players. ''Geneforge'' received a positive reception from reviewers, despite the quality of the graphics being rated as poor and the game containing one piece of music, the title theme. The plot and setting were praised by reviewers for uniqueness and detail. ==Gameplay== Players create a character and travel around Sucia Island, a location Barred to the members of the player character's sect. Whilst searching for a way off the island, the game's ultimate goal,〔 players can form alliances with the island's inhabitants and complete quests through combat or other means. ''Geneforge'' is played in 45° axonometric perspective, movement through the game's environs is real-time but switches to turn-based combat in the game's playing field. The game world is divided up into 77 areas accessible through a world map. The first two areas serve as the game's tutorial; introducing players to navigation, controls and shaping creations.〔 Clearing areas by defeating guardians or successfully traversing the terrain allows players to bypass those areas via the world map, reducing travelling time. The game has an always-visible auto-map, which begins each area completely darkened, and is revealed as the player explores. As the player's party performs tasks or defeats enemies they receive experience, leading to increased levels and additional skill points. The player character's skill points can be used to increase their statistics or to improve their aptitude in one of the fifteen available skills. Canisters which increase skills or add new abilities are scattered throughout the game.〔In-game text:: The are your main way to gain new abilities while on the isle. (''Geneforge'') Spiderweb Software, 2002〕 Before starting the game, players choose from three basic character classes, each of which has a particular playing style. Guardians are fighters who excel in standard combat skills, especially hand-to-hand fighting. They are capable of shaping creations, but have little affinity for magic. Agents excel in spell casting and are capable of hand-to-hand combat, but have poor shaping skills. The Shaper is a summoner, capable of creating living creatures by using their own life essence. Shapers rely on their creations for protection.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Geneforge Characters )〕 Every character class is referred to as "Shaper" in-game. Most objectives in the game must be completed via combat or diplomacy, but players can also use subterfuge to pass obstacles. All three character classes can use different methods, depending on which skills they are adept in. Some areas are difficult to pass, and some tasks are difficult to complete, unless the player character is a certain class.〔 Each character class has a different combat style, the combat skills they are associated with cost fewer skill points to increase. Essence is used for both creating creatures and casting spells; the number, type and strength of creations is limited by the player's essence capacity. For instance, if a character with 70 maximum essence summons a creature which costs 20 essence, their maximum essence is reduced to 50 until the creation is destroyed, either through combat or being absorbed by the Shaper to regain essence.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Geneforge FAQ v1.0 )〕 A total of 18 different creations are featured in the game, with larger and more powerful creatures costing more essence to create. The types and strengths of creations can be altered depending on the player's combat style.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Geneforge Creatures )〕 Creations accompanying the player receive a percentage of the experience points received for completing quests or defeating foes, levelling up and receiving skill points in the same manner as the player character. These skill points can be spent to increase creations' statistics, but every statistic increase costs more essence and reduces the amount of essence available to summon other creations or cast spells. Essence and health are regained from Shaper-designed pools or by entering a friendly town.〔 Combat is turn-based, with each character in the player's party receiving action points at the beginning of the player's turn. The number received is dependent on the items the player character has equipped and the skills the character or creations possess. Each action uses a specific number of points, for example, moving one square takes a single point and attacks or spells take five. Attacking or spellcasting with fewer than ten action points immediately ends the character's turn, otherwise a character can continue to act until they run out of points. Most enemies will attack the player on sight, retreating in terror if they reach a certain threshold of damage without being killed. Other specialized behaviors are also present, including creatures which call for help, or creatures which act as sentries and retreat to an ambush location when threatened.〔 Creations made by the player character can also be controlled by a similar artificial intelligence,〔 or the player can invest more essence in the creation's intelligence and control them manually.〔 ''Geneforge'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Geneforge」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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