Larian Studios Forums Divine Divinity (English) Suggestions Learn from Fallout :)

like Sykiron, i very much like dialogues to develop more than just an inevitable clicking process of solving quests. take lionheart demo for example, though it has crappy animation, i like the dialogues for it has different paths that lead to different reaction in NPCs: intimidate, anger, negotiate, sweet talk, etc... . now that's dialogue!

I couldn't bring myself to play Fallout 2 very far (never got ahold of Fallout 1, and am not going to). Turn-based combat kills all semblance of fun for me. For the love of all things good, do you really need to spend minutes for every bleeding minor encounter?

Arcanum was worse. Its combat was poor, its gameplay balance off, and... well, there are too many flaws in it to list. I gritted my teeth and played to the second town or so, at which point I decided that I would rather not punish myself.

NWN generated quite a number of Bioware-haters. Let's leave it at that.

I miss the good ol'Infinity Engine.

You should've hung yourself <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
One less Arcanum-hater... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

I second that!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

Seriously though, I'm wondering what the problem was? From what I can remember, combat in Arcanum was fairly similar to that of <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> , except you could switch between either turn-based or real-time - which wouldn't be a bad option for DD2 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> .

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

The silly "fatique" system.

The slow, slow turn-based that I cannot stand.

The bizarrely-paced combat when real-time is turned on.

The idiotic NPCs that join your party.

The lack of balance between magic/tech and magic/melee characters.

Yup, Arcanum ranks as one of the worst games I've ever played. Even Dungeon Siege is better, because it's at least playable and you can control every characters, so no need to suffer moronic AI.

to each his/her own, i guess. i'm one of those who can't stand turn-based. maybe my inability 2 play such 'hardcore' mode. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

The silly "fatique" system.

A system I wasn't overly fussed with myself (I do prefer separate 'stamina' & 'mana' system) but one easy to get used to - there are potions to restore it as well as weapons with fixed mana bonuses (which re-charge after use).

The slow, slow turn-based that I cannot stand.
The bizarrely-paced combat when real-time is turned on.

Against large groups turn-based was annoying, waiting for the creatures to finish moving, but you could easily toggle between t-b/real-time combat so I did not find this an issue. Not sure what you mean re the pacing of r-t combat - didn't strike me as any different from other RPG's there.

The idiotic NPCs that join your party.

Well, you don't have to take NPC's along (at least not permanently). Many of the 'voiced' NPC's added some interesting dialogue & quests (you probably wouldn't have met most of these).

The lack of balance between magic/tech and magic/melee characters.

Can't comment much here as I used almost exclusively magic characters, but if developed the right way any character would become pretty powerful...

I'm sorry Winterfox, but I just don't see that any of these points put Aranum in the 'worst class' category. Still, I don't suppose I would, as I thoroughly enjoyed the game <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />. Anyhow, this is the <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> forum so I won't keep on about it, just thought Arcanum deserved some defense <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> . (And of course, purely my opinion, no offense intended). As janggut said, 'to each their own' -I think we'll have to agree to disagree.

Cheers <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

Thank you for not jumping on me and yelling, "You don't know how to play the game! Haha, you simple-minded fool! I can play the game, and I have enough intellectual fortitude to realize the game's greatness!"

we, or more specifically i do appreciate your views on games especially ones that i've not played before/yet. so keep them coming!

u can diss any game, heck even DD if it suck so bad in your book, so long as u don't diss me. this goes 2 everybody.

peace. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

@Winterfox:
Your screen name is very intriguing; it made me consider seriously changing mine to SummerCow. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
I think your views are brave and correct because within the RPG category Divinity was the first game ever that I began to like even though it was full of hateful bugs before the patches and still have some after the patches.
Bugs aside, I think that Divinity is the first game to be so playable and enjoyable, and even though Lionheart has tiny characters at the threshold between ridiculous and acceptable, which is animated by an engine that prefers shortcuts rather than full curve flowing motion, it is still playable because they learned from Divinity.

Your views are welcome, and don’t pay attention to off-topic silly replies that beg for attention.

@janggut:
Hi brave man. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />
You are one in a kind that stands tall at the end of a very long scale between you and lemmings on the other end, with a rift in-between. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
I shall not post so often, so take it not as if I left the forum. I only decided to invest my time in a wiser way.
I will pop up when I feel I am needed technically though.

Kindest regards.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

awww... shucks.... praises make me blush <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />so keep 'em coming, i live on compliments! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

DAD said:



*bows* I'm honored. You're highly regarded around these forums, after all.

But please slap me. When I first read your post, for a single moment I thought it was DAT]D. (The initials, you see, even though, yes, I know DATD's username is not displayed abbreviated. My eyes are failing. I must be getting old.)

Ok, looks like an apology is in order. (I know this is off topic - please bear with me).
Obviously with the way I worded my reply it didn't come out as intended - it was definitely not meant the way it was taken!
I realize each person will like/dislike a game for different reasons, it's simply a matter of personal preference & playing style.
All I was trying to do (& apparently failed miserably), as someone who did enjoy Arcanum, was to show why I disagreed with those particular points for the game to be classified as 'one of the worst'.
It was absolutely not meant as a reflection on playing ability - anything along those lines didn't even occur to me. (I'm the first to admit I'm a relatively poor gamer - but I have alot of fun trying!)

Please forgive my lack of writing/communication ability - it was not my intention to offend.

Sincere apologies.

Oh...

Actually, I wasn't referring to you when I made that comment. Rather, in another thread, another person called me a: "Ms/Mrs. I-don't-know-how-to-play-Arcanum-so-I-think-it-sucks." Sorry, Frogking, if you thought I was firing at you. Your response was, if anything, fairly civil and reasonable.

In other words, she was thanking you for NOT behaving like someone else did.
In fact she was thanking you because you were behaving. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Glad to have that cleared up <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> .
Was worried for a while there!

Cheers. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Frogking, I didn't like Arcanum either, because of this mixture of tech/magic and the Victorian atmosphere - but I had a regular visitor coming to me just to play this game - he really loved it.

So, I'd just call it a matter of different taste, not the worst/best game (judgemental) - but simply: like/dislike (subjective taste), hm? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> - so I agree with you in this case <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

BTW, it was the same case in Fallout 1/2 with this gamer and me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
And not because of turnbased, I prefer this kind of combat <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> - again, just a matter of taste/preferences.
Kiya

Oh! i have just "acquired" this game, still i'll give it a good go, from what i've seen of it it looks OK <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

"- Personal Traits/Perks
Choose your char to be for ex. alchoolic(More Str and Con but needs to drink booze all the time, etc"

HELL YES!!! the traits/perks are part of what really made fallout/2 special

"- Detailed reputation system
If you dig a grave youll get Gravedigger on your Rep, Kill a child get Childmolester, etc"

this probably could be done

"- Much more easter eggs
fallout had a huge amount of easter eggs, monty python, mastigator, etc"

without a doubt, easter eggs rock... especially when there's an easily accessable, availible, active community like divdiv has

"- Areas with Random/respawing creeps
this game realy needs a place with respawned creeps..."

how bout basically throwing in the fallout 2/icewind dale travelling interface for travelling across greater distances? i like the idea of having random encounters in the wild better than respawning creeps (wrote something akin to such an idea in the riftrunner suggestions forum)

"- Speech finesse based on Inteligence
If you have 1 INT you char would speak like: You give money, yes? I are Tom! and people would just ignore you, or say you are to dum to speak with"

intresting idea! incorporating this idea would definitely extend the game's longevity by making the same encounters seem very different based alone on what's being done/said...

"- Possibility to solve most quests with High Int+Speech
A high Int char would be able to solve most quests with a nice charmed speech"

??? i think the ease with which one solves a quest has to do with the player's concentration and intelligence :P of course if you mean that the entire game could be finished (as in COMPLETED) without landing a single kill simply by speaking well and following the speech... that would indeed be interesting...

"- Aimed Shot Skills
Possibility to aime your arrows/punches/slashing to a certain part of the body, eyes=offence loss legs=movement loss, etc"

this would be quite difficult to incorporate in a non-turn-based game unless you mean...

"- Critical Strikes"

critical strikes are critical! an assassin type character (or simply an elite fighter) would be much more feasable with the inclusion of specialized critical strikes type skills (i GUESS the elemental weapons skills (lightning, spiritual) are like this but it just doesn't make sense that someone would be able to set his opponent on fire simply by luck :| ) and a luck factor... "aimed shots" could be simply part of the whole "luck + critical strikes" thing...


"Look the FAQ for Riftrunner about Battlegrounds: it's an area with randomly generated quests/maps and it looks that there are respawnable monsters"

now this sounds badass... the inclusion of such a feature will make the game world seem that much more alive...

"man, now I need to get the demo for Fallout 2 and Acranum."

just buy them... i think i've seen a fallout package that included fallout 2 and fallout tactics (or was it fallout 2 and fallout 1) for $15 US... arcanum has been out for a while now and if you're lucky enough to find it in a bargain bin i suggest you buy it... it's an intresting game...


"Most oppinions I've heard agree that F2 overdid the eastereggs."

HAYYYYELL NO! the eastereggs in fallout 2 really made the game just that much more badass, cool and fun... they don't take away from the realism much either cuz in no way while playing does anyone forget entirely that they are playing a game...

"Turn-based combat kills all semblance of fun for me."

turn based systems allow for much more depth and strategy (but require some imagination sometimes - think fallout 2)... but i guess it depends on personal choice :P