I have already expressed my opinion of either approach.
What's with the fatigue system??
Quest for Glory 1-5 had it, Daggerfall had it, Arcanum had it, Morrowind had it... It's more realistic than being able to swing the sword for an hour. Do you know how heavy a greatsword is? Imagine if you have to swing something which weight 4 kilogramms and swing fast and strong to inflict damage.
The way "fatique" works in Morrowind (I haven't played Daggerfall, nor Quest for Glory; Arcanum we are presently discussing) is hardly the same as the way it works in Arcanum. Combat in Morrowind, though it can grow boring quickly if you limit yourself to melee, is far smoother than Arcanum's. If nothing else, my character doesn't drop unconscious between every two swings or so. Thanks to the pathetic NPC AI and inability to directly control your "followers", strategies are not possible.
Oh, and if you are talking about realism? Please. My character in Arcanum was initially wearing a bloody dress, and it didn't hinder her movement one bit. Shouldn't there be some sort of dexterity penalty? While at that, shouldn't my character need food and water? How can she walk miles and miles across the map without getting footsore? Damn, this game sucks! It isn't realistic! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />
You see, often I do not try to be a nice fellow and if I don't care about some people, I don't give a dead cow about what they think of me. You might think of me whatever you wish, I won't die.
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Ah, well, guess you aren't the Death of Discworld. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />