Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

[Dhavaer]

Anyone else playing this? I'd thought I'd lost the install disc and was mourning, but it turned up and I'm currently running an elf mage, accompanied by Virgil, Sogg Mead Mug and Dog.

Can anyone remind me how to break conversations? I remember being able to stop the Evil Apparition that the Big Bad sends to talk to you from continuing the conversation, allow me to kill it and gain a heap of XP. I thought it involved trying to use something from the quick bar, but potions, spells, bandages and explosives haven't worked. Can anyone help me out with this?

[Emperor Tippy]

Not sure how you do that, but yes I still play it on occasion. And it is one of the best games ever.

Someone should buy up the rights to it and repackage it for newer systems. Take the story and just update the graphics and AI engine.

Hmm, that should be done for a lot of older games.

[AmberVael]

It has been a while since I played, but I've been thinking about pulling it out again recently...

All my games seem to devolve into me taking over entire towns though. :smalltongue:

[Fleeing Coward]

Yea, I still play it.
Currently going solo on an evil elf gun/explosive technologist with the WiP mod.

[Kalbron]

I always liked to play as the half-ogre technomancer who beat things with his fists and had to rely on technology because nobody could be bothered making anything ogre sized!

Never finished it though, but by the time you're level 20 or so with a character like that you're basically immune to magic, knock out living things in three punches, and everything else dies rapidly.

[Gralamin]

Love the game. I also remember using the trick, but not how it works Dhavaer. I do know that Disintegrating him is good for my XP though :smallcool:

[Folytopo]

The game is okay, the first time I played it, bugs ruined it for me. I also wish that it was much easier to acquire basic technical components. I mean sure, that amazing atlantian(vendogroth or something in game) power source won't be that common, but I at least want to be able to consistently buy a capacitor/ wire/basic herb/iron ore/ oak handle. Tech is inherently inferior to magic because your companions can't use found schematics. Overall good concept, needs a slightly improved implementation.

[JeminiZero]

I remember this. When it first came out, any character I tried to make kept dying at the bridge vs Lukan the witless (back then I didn't know you could hire sogg for a drink, and was too stingy to buy said drink). In the end, I made an Elf Mage who went harm nova, collapsed from exhaustion, but took out Lukan and gang. Said Elf Mage went on to complete the game.

When I tried to replay it a few months back, I realized how wonky the levelling system was.
1) Your party only levels up when you do.
2) You gain XP not from kills but from damage you personally deal to foes.
3) You can grind out higher XP simply by going solo into an area and fighting enemies so you get all the XP. When you are about to level, rejoin your party, and fight again. You will level and drag the rest of the party along with you. Especially useful in areas with infinite enemies, like the zombie cursed graveyard outside the Church where you find Geoffrey.

Anyway, on that play through, I was using a warrior. I took Force Shield and Molotov Cocktails, netting me net zero tech shift. Combining the Escaped Lunatic, Force Shield and some decent armor netted me 99% damage resistance before level 20, letting me tank reasonably well. With Molotov Cocktail nova should the need arise. However sooo many enemies had the ability to damage armor with their attacks and to damage my weapons with their armor, it felt very annoying to play a fighter.

[Celesyne]

I've had this game for ages, and have never gotten much farther than the opening. My problem has the fact that I want to play a tech character, whether guns or melee, and the distinct inability to get the parts or armor i needed to survive. I've been meaning to dig it off my shelf again and give it another round... but I just cant seem to bring myself to try again.

[Jibar]

Eugh.
I love Arcanum to bits as it's such an interesting setting and it's so different to everything else out there but as game it's just terrible for so many reasons.
And yet still I'll reinstall it every couple of months and play again.

[13_CBS]

Addressing the original question: IIRC, simply using something from the quickbar ought to work. :smallconfused: It always did for me, at least. Are you using some kind of mod or unofficial patch?

[Dhavaer]

No, completely unpatched and unmodded. The only thing I can think of is that now I'm using Vista instead of XP. Doesn't seem like the sort of thing that would affect anything, but hey. I don't think spells ever worked for me, though, it had to be an item or something.

[13_CBS]

Hmm...try patching it, then, with the latest official patch. The "skip out of dialogue, kick Arronax's ass" trick always works on mine, and I always patch my game.

Maybe you could also try putting skills into the quickbar? Like Pickpocket? Even if you're not a thief, just having pickpocket on the quickbar may work.

[Dhavaer]

Right-o. I've found patch 1.0.7.4. Downloading now.

Edit: Hurrah! It worked.

[MickJay]

Techies do have a harder time when starting out (and later on as well, to tell the truth), but there's something in all the tinkering that makes up for it. :smalltongue: Remember, guns work best in real-time, backstabbing in turn-based, and the first level element spells (boost dex, str, con, beauty) stack and work even when you're high-tech. :smallbiggrin:

[Inhuman Bot]

I got a copy of this recently, but I got it 2nd hand and don't have a manuel, which makes things difficult sometimes.

Otherwise, it's a great game, and I'm working on beating it as a Dwarf Techie.

[Morty]

I last played Arcanum one an a half year ago. I went as far as Tarant with a half-orc gunslinger and gunsmith, before having to format my hard drive and switching to laptop. It was fun, though everyone had a horrible starting attitude towards my character, and the only way to change it was to do some bootlicking at the start of the conversation. :smallyuk:

[deuxhero]

I got a copy of this recently, but I got it 2nd hand and don't have a manuel, which makes things difficult sometimes.

Otherwise, it's a great game, and I'm working on beating it as a Dwarf Techie.

First hand copies don't come with a manual, the manual in a PDF in the install directory (true for most modern PC games)


Yes I have made a few runs, got stuck at that annoying Tullia puzzle every time I played.

Anyone running the unoffical patch?

[JellyPooga]

Love this game! I always prefer playing Tech characters but usually end up playing mages...not entirely sure how that works!

One big advantage to playing a gun-tech is being able to spam creating gunpowder for cash...once you've got the expertise to make a horn of gunpowder, just hanging around between the Gunshop, Bins and the Bitz shops for a couple of weeks nets you enough cash to buy pretty much anything you might need in the immediate future!

[GolemsVoice]

Me! I played it once without the unofficial patch, and am currently playing it as a dwarfen technician and the latest unofficial patch. Clad in mechanical armor, and wielding a selfmade electrical axe, protected by my electrical shield, and stil top in style with my top hat that deflects bullets, I'm a modern gentleman unlike any the world has ever seen. Bring on the adventures!
And I can only say: get this patch! The devotion these people still show to the game alon warrants supporting them, and the patch also adds many things, like new schematics, new weapons, restores sprites and dialogue options, removes bugs, etc... It's a whole new world!

Anyways, I love this game like few else. Such a wonderful world, so fantastically thought out, and with such a fascinating basic conflict between technology and magic. Also, it was from the time when games still had a handbook that was worth being called a book, mine has about 150 pages, if I remember correctly, and starts with the description of a few experiments exploring the effects of magic on physics (like an electric circuit malfunctioning when a magic amulet is brought near, or a pendulum beginning to swing irregularly), and continues with an evolutionary debate of the races... priceless.
I also happen to have a thing for victorian times, and steampunk in general, so this game fullfill many of my needs. It has a horrible ruleset behind it, that's true, but I was more than willing to suffer this for the game. This should be made into an Pen&Paper RPG, oh yes.

[Ozymandias]

I disagree 100% with people saying that tech characters are difficult early game. Tech/Cha fighter is the easiest path throughout the entire game, in my opinion.

The balanced sword is a fantastic, incredible weapon (probably the second best tech weapon, honestly) that can be built pre-bridge, and it's even better if you spend the cha point and get an extra 1-2 for Sogg and maybe Virgil. Put a point in diplomacy and you can talk the thieves out of stopping you for the fate point, and then kill them for another one - cutting up wolves with the fine steel knife gets you plenty of exp early game, so you can afford to get up persuasion and cha, which is useful because paying for the expert training (or apprentice? I don't quite remember) gets you an extra character slot, although you don't really need it.

After you get out of the first town, you can grab Nya, then Magnus, maybe drop Virgil if you haven't got enough cha/the diplomacy bonus, clear out the zombies, then, and this is the big thing, craft four to six charged rings and the absolutely stupid pyrotechnic axe. The pyrotechnic axe does monstrous damage (30-50, IIRC) and does not take damage, even when bashing or fighting golems. You can also make eyegear and sell it for like a 600 gold profit margin (Magnus gets it at level 15 or so, you can buy it yourself if you are willing to invest in mechanics and want the armor), more with barter although that is based on PE for some reason so isn't really useful. After this point you are basically unstoppable, and Magnus/Charname/Sogg can basically solo the rest of the game (and Dog, but he could anyway). You can also afford to max DX and ST and even probably get enough for blueprints for the Powered Armor (Don't remember what it's called) although it really isn't necessary.

The best part about this is that you don't even need high int if you abuse potions and manuals, but that sort of feels like cheating. The worst part is that you get all your best and most important equipment while still in Tarant, which means loot doesn't feel that interesting. The Chapeau is so cool that it makes up for it, though.

[Dhavaer]

I last played Arcanum one an a half year ago. I went as far as Tarant with a half-orc gunslinger and gunsmith, before having to format my hard drive and switching to laptop. It was fun, though everyone had a horrible starting attitude towards my character, and the only way to change it was to do some bootlicking at the start of the conversation. :smallyuk:

Had you done Arbalah's quest? It starts in a cave at the crash site and if you finish it through the good path you get a blessing that gives you +20 to your reaction modifier.

For my opinion as to the best build: magic/melee. Max Dex, Melee, Dodge, Strength and get enough Willpower for Hasten. Combine that with potions of speed and you're nearly invincible.

[JellyPooga]

For my opinion as to the best build: magic/melee. Max Dex, Melee, Dodge, Strength and get enough Willpower for Hasten. Combine that with potions of speed and you're nearly invincible.

Nah...best build is to spam Harm, strictly speaking. If you activate the non-turn based mode and can click fast enough (and have enough Fatigue or Fatigue Reducer potions), then pretty much every foe is your bitch. Harm is, simply put, too good. For it's fatigue cost, it does far too much damage once your magical aptitude is up high enough.

[Kalbron]

Nah...best build is to spam Harm, strictly speaking. If you activate the non-turn based mode and can click fast enough (and have enough Fatigue or Fatigue Reducer potions), then pretty much every foe is your bitch. Harm is, simply put, too good. For it's fatigue cost, it does far too much damage once your magical aptitude is up high enough.

This.

When I first got the game my computer wasn't very powerful, so it would lag due to the magical special effects.

Cue everything dying to my mage from Harm so long as I had mana before they got anywhere near me.

[JeminiZero]

Anyone seen this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KunxL9m2Cmg)?


Eugh.
I love Arcanum to bits as it's such an interesting setting and it's so different to everything else out there but as game it's just terrible for so many reasons.
And yet still I'll reinstall it every couple of months and play again.


This is true. On my above mentioned Warrior second play through, I gave up as I could not cope with the terrible user controls.

-The grid inventory system is terrible. many a times, I cannot pick something up because there is no appropriately shaped space in my inven. And I don't like the autosort function, as it messes up where I put my stuff for easier retrieval.

-You cannot control directly what party members equip. They select what they want to use from their inventory. The problem is that some items are cursed. And the other is that when you fight monsters with armor damaging attacks / weapon damaging armor, you have to jump through a lot of hoops to get your companions to swap to disposable weapons/armor. You have to take ALL their other more useful crap and carry them yourself. And if recent unsold loot includes stuff better than rusted daggers, you have to take that as well. And if your strength isn't spectacular, that can really weigh you down. I'm half considering trying out a character with repair so that he can forget about swapping junk around during such fights and just repair the damage afterwards.

-On critical failures, you and your companions might drop stuff, usually your weapon. And if you're not paying attention, you could easily walk off and carry on on exploring until at some point you suddenly realize that Sogg isn't using the filament sword you gave him.

-Enemies are clustered too closely together, and your companion's search radius is far larger than your enemies. What happens then is that the moment you drop one enemy, your companions quickly search for the next bunch of foes, who usually have not even realized you are there yet. They don't wait in between fights to get healed up, no sir. They charge in with a sliver of health and promptly get slaughtered. Its like an entire team of Leroy Jenkins. It would be nice if you had some "wait here while I go kite" command, but you don't. Combine this with the above mentioned inventory problems, and your companions really require a large amount of baby sitting.


Nah...best build is to spam Harm, strictly speaking. If you activate the non-turn based mode and can click fast enough (and have enough Fatigue or Fatigue Reducer potions), then pretty much every foe is your bitch. Harm is, simply put, too good. For it's fatigue cost, it does far too much damage once your magical aptitude is up high enough.

This is also true. On my first play through with above mentioned elven mage, I dropped everything before it could get close with Harm spam, mitigating most of the problems mentioned above (companions rarely get close to hit a foe, stopping the weapon damage armor and I could kite safely from a distance with the spell).

[Dhavaer]

I quite like not controlling my party directly, but I wish they were a bit smarter. They obsessively focus fire when there are more easily available targets, and I don't think I've seen Arronax cast a spell yet. Zan Alurin is pretty stingy with her magic, too.

[Morty]

Had you done Arbalah's quest? It starts in a cave at the crash site and if you finish it through the good path you get a blessing that gives you +20 to your reaction modifier.

Hm, I don't think I had. Then again, it was so long ago I don't really remember. But given that the reactions were quite low, I think I hadn't.

[Cespenar]

Seconding the speedy swordsman build. I've played one, and with the help of a certain sword, I could make some 20-odd (either 23 or 27) attacks in one round on the poor endgame boss. Seeing each hit nicked around %1 of his health, he went down in 4-5 rounds due to some unlucky misses, even without the help of my companions.

[Jimp]

I've tried playing it mupltiple times but I suck really hard at it for some reason. Furthest I got was one of the cities with a train after the starting area/town :smallredface:.

[Avilan the Grey]

I've tried playing it mupltiple times but I suck really hard at it for some reason. Furthest I got was one of the cities with a train after the starting area/town :smallredface:.

My biggest problem with it was (just like with the original Fallouts) the random encounters while travelling. I died a ton of times in the beginning of the game because of those.

[JeminiZero]

I've tried playing it mupltiple times but I suck really hard at it for some reason. Furthest I got was one of the cities with a train after the starting area/town :smallredface:.

I think you are referring to Tarant. Why what happened after that? If you could outfight Lukan the witless and gang, anything after that is *relatively* easy by comparison.


My biggest problem with it was (just like with the original Fallouts) the random encounters while travelling. I died a ton of times in the beginning of the game because of those.

Thats what companions are for, to stand in between you and sudden death. Well and to help you haul loot. Although they do require extensive baby sitting.

[GolemsVoice]

Nah, I've always watched out for my companions, and cared for them. I cared, they carried, as my character is a bit of a weakling, but what he hasn't got in brawns, he's got in brains. What I really like about this game is that, while some fighting abilities are required, the game really rewards you for being inteligent and charismatic, with many new dialogu options. Not many role-playing games manage that.

[Triaxx]

I never even got out of the starting town. I'd either die, or have the police come after me because I hit an innocent bystander by accident.

[GolemsVoice]

If you mean Shrouded Hills, there's hardly any innocent bystanders to hit, at least in the two fight that you can pick there, in the bank and at the bridge.

[Dark Faun]

I actually hit the guard in the bank (who had somehow survived his scripted death) with my gunslinger once.

With one rank in Persuasion, which might be the most important skill in the game, you can easily get past the witless gang. And nothing prevents you to come back ten levels later to kill them and earn a Fate point.

[Triaxx]

Yes, I've no idea how I managed to do it, but there it is. Three different characters, and all managed to hit someone in the bank. Of course it was back before the patches, but still.

[Sir Enigma]

How important is it, plotwise, to keep Virgil alive? I'm having another attempt at playing through (with a melee-magic hybrid) but he got killed in a random encounter.

For some reason, this game always seems like a lot of fun until I get out of the first town and then I lose interest...

[Gralamin]

How important is it, plotwise, to keep Virgil alive? I'm having another attempt at playing through (with a melee-magic hybrid) but he got killed in a random encounter.

For some reason, this game always seems like a lot of fun until I get out of the first town and then I lose interest...

:smalleek:
He's a pretty important and interesting Plot piece. Also, he's your primary healer for quite a long time.

[JeminiZero]

On the other hand, while interesting to the plot, Virgil isn't absolutely essential (although the healing and loot hauling he provides is really helpful, so much so that I would recommend a reload). You could finish the game without him.

[Corlindale]

It's also great fun to turn Virgil evil :smallamused:

One thing I really like about Arcanum is how satisfying it is to play a downright evil character. In most CRPGs I've played, being evil is often either impossible or just much less rewarding than being good, but in Arcanum it can often be an advantage. Especially so if you're an evil necromancer, since you can use the fantastic Speak with Dead spell (Necromancy II) to great effect - the dead will rarely deny you information...
There were also quite a few quests with evil solutions, and even some during the main quest wherein the evil solution was the most obvious one.

[Dhavaer]

I always keep Virgil around until he dies. Often this is ten seconds into the game, due to me killing him. What did he expect from a woman named 'Arioch'?

[Celesyne]

Ok, I am thoroughly going to regret this, but I am giving this game YET another round of play attempts. This time, character 1 will be another attempt at a techy: advice on race/builds greatly appreciated. And a 2nd character as a magey, again race/builds appreciated. Help me enjoy this game so I don't once again rage-quit and uninstall the game, yet again.

[PinkysBrain]

Using tech is really swimming upstream.

Mages have it easy ... locked doors stop being an issue for instance (you can just have your summons bash it open). Also Fire Flash was OP in the original game, although the patches might have changed that. Healing is also much more convenient with magic too.

Don't try to mix&match techies and mages in one party either.

[JeminiZero]

I always keep Virgil around until he dies. Often this is ten seconds into the game, due to me killing him. What did he expect from a woman named 'Arioch'?


Thats not "keeping him around". Thats "bumping him off at the first possible opportunity". :smalltongue:



Ok, I am thoroughly going to regret this, but I am giving this game YET another round of play attempts. This time, character 1 will be another attempt at a techy: advice on race/builds greatly appreciated. And a 2nd character as a magey, again race/builds appreciated. Help me enjoy this game so I don't once again rage-quit and uninstall the game, yet again.


Exactly what sort of specialization are you hoping for either? Techies can focus on Firearms with stuff like the Tesla Guns or Melee with Machined Platemail/Pyro-Axe.

Full mages tend to focus on nuking with Harm/Fire Flash/Lightning Bolt/Disintegrate, while hiding behind their awesome Force Shield. Of course, you don't have to go with full mage: Melee Fighter with a few extra spells works well enough. I'm presently trying a run through the WIP mod with something like that.

Some general advice regardless of what build you use:
-Aim for 99% Damage Resistance: Most enemies deal physical damage, and with 99% DR you can shrug a lot of it off. No matter what route you take, you will want to be really tough, since unlike other party RPGs where you can switch control of characters, you must always lead the party in Arcanum. Hence, you draw enemy fire and trigger traps in the process. Towards this end, Human with Escaped Lunatic background is one of the more powerful options for its fantastic DR, at least for techies and semi-neutral melee, but be prepared to grovel a lot to get people to talk to you. (Full mages can use magic rings, armor, and Force Shield to achieve 99% DR easily enough)

-Save regularly, save often, use different slots: Standard advice really, but especially so in Arcanum where companion death is really painful early on. (Later on, when you are stinking rich, expensive scrolls of resurrect can help make up for moments when you do get careless).

-Learn to kite! Otherwise your aggressive companions will bite off more than you can chew regularly. Attract one enemy, retreat back while ordering your party to back-off. When you are a safe distance away from other enemies, then attack.

-Solo weaker enemies: Arcanum has a wonky levelling system where you get XP for damage dealt. Your companions however, automatically level up only when you level up. That means if you kite an enemy, and solo it while ordering your companions to back off, you get more XP and level faster. Meanwhile, your friends stand around and do nothing and they ALSO level faster. Like I said, its a wonky system.

-Get companions early: As a side effect of this unusual levelling system, your companions work best if you get them early, preferably when they are the same level as you, or higher. Otherwise they can never reach max level. Lets say you are level 10, and you get a level 8 companion. Assuming you stick with him for the rest of the game, when you are level 50, he will be level 48. But after that, since you cannot level anymore, neither can he, so you are stuck with a slightly weaker companion, than if you got the same level 8 companion when you were also level 8 (or lower).

[Celesyne]

Important fact: 1st character as a female half-orc Idiot Savant is a bad idea... This Public Service Announcement has been brought to you by the Jabbering Fools Foundation for the Speech-Impared Idiots.

[GolemsVoice]

I find tech to be a lot harder at the beginning, but very rewarding once you are through the hard bits. Of course, there are schematics which are totally useless, and maybe entire branches, but the once that are fun can be abused to no end. I would recommend Smithy, at least to the balanced sword, Electronics all the way, and maybe Therapeutics and Herbalism. Especially Herbalism, at least the first two/three levels. Being able to make the very valuable healing and refreshment medicines from herbs you'll son drown in is a great boon to the technologically inclined person.

[Celesyne]

Round 2: Female Human Techy Escaped Lunatic, and doing ok, but I has a question. I made the balanced sword and a lantern thingy. When I equip them both, the sword turns red and has "MSR:8" on it, what meaneth this?

Also picked up a magic leather armor, and does magic equipment work worse on tech characters?

[MickJay]

Magic equipment has a value in brackets, if I remember correctly, the higher your magic aptitude, the more of that value will actually apply to the character. With balanced character, you gain 50% of that value, can someone confirm this?

If you're using something in the off hand, the strength requirement for using weapon in your main hand is increased. MSR is minimum strength required, if you have it lower, you'll get a penalty to using the weapon.

[GolemsVoice]

As far as I remember it, the value outside of the brackets means how much you could gain, while the value in brackets means what you actually gain. Or was it the other way round?

[MickJay]

You're probably right, it's been ages since I've played Arcanum. Anyway, it's easy to tell, if you've got low magic aptitude, the lower number is the actual bonus. :smallwink:

[JeminiZero]

Also picked up a magic leather armor, and does magic equipment work worse on tech characters?


Yes, tech characters gain less benefit from magic items. Still even without its magical bonus, it is still has the minimum base stats of its mundane counterpart. So even if you have 100% tech, and gain no magical bonus, it stil functions as normal leather armor.


As far as I remember it, the value outside of the brackets means how much you could gain, while the value in brackets means what you actually gain. Or was it the other way round?

Apparently, it depends on how complicated the magic is. Low complexity magic items can get full power without too much magical aptitude.


As far as I remember it, the value outside of the brackets means how much you could gain, while the value in brackets means what you actually gain. Or was it the other way round?

I believe the number outside the bracket is the base effect of the item. The number in the bracket is the additional magical bonus, which depends on aptitude.

[Artanis]

I loved Arcanum right up until the end, when it just kinda cut off. It was like the devs suddenly realized they were out of time and had to wrap up the plot ASAP :smallfrown:

[Gralamin]

I loved Arcanum right up until the end, when it just kinda cut off. It was like the devs suddenly realized they were out of time and had to wrap up the plot ASAP :smallfrown:

Well, it could of been worse. It could of been the ending to KOTOR2 :smallwink:

[Artanis]

I never got to play the KOTOR games :smallfrown:

[MickJay]

They're both really good (can't wait to try out the restoration mod for 2 that's just been finished), although the second game was rushed, and it's most visible in the last stages of the game (hopefully, it's been addressed somehow in that mod, we'll see).

[Artanis]

I know they're good, I just never got a chance to play them :smallwink:

[oyhr]

I remember this game constantly crashing in the Void, so I never finished it.

[GolemsVoice]

Even before applying the fan made patches, I rarely hgave seen it crashing, maybe you could give it another try, and install the latest fan patches.

[Dhavaer]

Just started anew with a human gunslinger. Currently using the fine revolver and wondering if it's worthwhile going for the tesla rod or looking-glass rifle before rushing to Vendigroth for Droch's Warbringer.

[JeminiZero]

I think at Quintarra, you can get an elephant gun from the dead loggers, but its been a long time, so don't blame me if I remember wrong :smallyuk:. Also, if you are using the WiP mod, the shops sell much better firearms and weapons without needing you to craft stuff.

Anyway, as long as you have Sogg and Magnus with balanced swords and the Doggy, you shouldn't need to do too much on your own. :smallbiggrin:

[GolemsVoice]

I've heard, but have no experience myself, that the looking-glass rifle is death in elongated form, especially when you are a very experienced shootist. The elephant gun is said to be bane to all creatures as well, but that's to be expected from what bascially amounts to a small, hand held cannon. Good shooting, old chap!