I'm not sure you read correctly, I was saying that Awakened, Astoria, and Geneforge 4 Trakovites were the 'middle way' factions. I agree with you there, but I disagree with Astoria being a shaper faction.

You cannot join Astoria as someone with a pro-shaper alignment. Games-mechanics wise, she is a rebel faction. Shapers get Rawal, Alawan, and Taygen as factions, while rebels get access to the Trakovites, Astoria, and the Drakons. IMO Astoria should be a shaper faction, or at least neutral. Pro-shaper players in 5 don't really get anything in the way of a 'reasonable' faction, which was one of the things I didn't like about it. They get crazy Nazi Taygen (also the last faction you get access to) and Rawal, who doesn't even get a full storyline (in addition to the worst ending). Which left me with Alawan, oh well.

I guess the "reasonable" sides don't really work in the practicalities of the Geneforge world?
I joined the Awakened, and used the Geneforge like they said, which apparently made my character go bonkers in the ending.
I reloaded a save right before that, destroyed the Geneforge, and got a better ending with a result that kind of sucked for the Awakened. (doing this or joining Obeyers sounds like what you were saying would happen in 2)

I almost joined up with Trakjov or whatever in the first one since he actually made a lot of sense, but in the end had to kill him because he decided to keep all the power to himself.
I suppose I could have seen how that ending would have played out?

Do I go all the way back to before I joined either faction and try out the Obeyers/Taken?
Or just go ahead and start Geneforge 2 (in spare time)?