Larian Studios Forums General Chat RPG Chat ARCANUM

Ah yes, I noticed the spoiler tag but didn't have an opportunity to test it.
Let's see...

<span class='standouttext'>Spoiler : </span><span class='spoiler'>Don't run on ice.</span>

EDIT: Nice tag. Thank you, Alrik.

From here on, you may continue reading miscellaneous nonsence posted by yours trully even of you haven't been to the big mansion in the center of the industrial City of Arcanum.

@ Spicky
Well yes I got the Arcanum and I am playing two days now. As I said above my feet are killing me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> Cause till I discover that you can move by clicking on the map, I made all the way on foot <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/stupid.gif" alt="" /> And thats because I have not read the manual <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/stupid.gif" alt="" /> Yes I know I am stupid but honestly I don't like manuals on pdf. I prefer printed manuals that I can read on bed time when everything is quiet. Yeap I know I can print it but Gods it is 90 pages! DATD was right though. The manual is a jewel.

Now the game is really interesting. I am fascinated by the plot. The mixture of mideval elements with victorian and industrial age is very fascinating. The only problem I have noticed up till now is the combat system but if you use turnbased system it is quite ok. You have better control in the battle. I like the graphics very much and you all know that I have no problem with 2D graphics. In fact I like them better. Since I am blind (the old age you see...) 3D graphics can be a pain in the no no word sometimes for me. Up till now I really do not know what I am doing in the game as far as my skills and char are concerned. I am not familiar with the skills system yet. It is not an easy game. But I find it very interesting (even if there is not one single redhead female elf for me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />). At a point I messed up things so I had to start all over. Could someone explain training for us? Aprentice etc? Do we have to do it? And if yes when? And what about if we already have one skill. Should we train to be aprentices or not? thnx in advance.

@ Al and DATD
thnx for caring. I have note read your previous posts but when I go a bit further I will. I am sure that I will find them interesting. For now I wouldn't want to spoil the fun.

Manual? Who needs a manual with having the ability to ask us? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Apprentice and so on: I advise you to train the important skills. If you have an fighter char, it's better, he is more trained than the opponents.
The skills even get more effective if you trained them. You don't have to train all skills, only this ones, you use often or want to use often.

You can train each skill three times: apprentice, master, expert. The teacher for the expert-mode aren't to find easily and often have a quest, that is quite hard. But don't mind, getting an expert need some work <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

What I really like: from the first quest on, you can decide, whether you walk the good or the evil way. It's on of the rare RPGs that offer this way really, with impacts on the game and all NPCs! That's fascinating.

Hey Lucretia!
Glad you like the game.

According to the manual, red and black hair are rare in the elven community so the elves are attracted to human with that colour <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />.
A piece of advice: chose either magic or technology.

Spoiler on travelling :

<span class='standouttext'>Spoiler : </span><span class='spoiler'>If you travel along your planned route, you can happen to incidentally discover "spots" (locations) you didn't know before ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> </span>

The official website - hope it still exists - also has an interesting story about the world of Arcanum ...

Checked it : It still exists ... : http://arcanum.sierra.com

Yeah really who needs a manual if has frineds like you? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yeap it is extremelly fascinating how your actions reflect on NPCs. Even the smallest detail effect quests and interaction with NPCs. I always play as a mage and I usually (when this choce is available) I am an Elf (the size of the ears is more close to my real ears than the other races <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />). In this case I am a dark haired elf which is totally oposite with my real hair colour (I am a redhead) but that is ok. I am training in some skills but I am pretty unlucky with persuation. I could not free Ogre in the Tarant Museum so I lost that fait point. But I find so interesting the game´s story. It is the first time I use pickpocketing skill ever. I don´t like to be a thief but it seems that I don´t have any other choice sometimes.
Like the quest with Artcibald in the Docs and the ring. I had to pick pocket it because he did not want to give it to me ever. Even when I told him that the old lady was attracted to him.

I thank you all for advising. It is a great game and I am glad I bought it. Travelling with the map marks is really nice (now that I found out.) Imagine how much walking I did before <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/stupid.gif" alt="" />

Oh yeah! If you ever get scarred in battle, you lose one point of beauty. If such is the situation, you'd have to either ask Virgil for Full Healing (if he can) or seek a non-magical healer. The best is, of course, Doc Roberts in Shrouded Hills: to cure a scar, you need to get a critical in Healing. Roberts is a master so he has always criticals.


Yes, but if you had persuasion, you could've settled it without pick pockets and gotten more experience. Also you could've even made Archibald give you some money!


Don't forget that you can stop at ANY point of the map by clicking on the "GO" button or that small round window at the top left.

Ah, if you ever get bored, restart the game with a half-ogre male character with "Ran away with the circus" background. I promise, you'll laught to tears as Virgil will TRY to talk to you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />.

I've found a so-called "Fast Track Guide", an excerpt from the strategy guide at Prima's Homepage :

http://www.primagames.com/strategy/guide/1507

This one is about Arcanum. If you activate the link "next" there, you'll read more. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

There is for example more about the char's backgrounds and bonuses got by this ...

But when you chose the background, you can see the bonuses you get anyway. What's the point?

I couldn't see them, maybe I didn't notice.

There is more there than that ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Bandit:
"You are a gun-toting bandit. Your lifestyle has earned you a bonus to your Firearms skill as well as a penalty to Charisma (-1). You ran afoul of the law and reached the IFS Zephyr just one step before the authorities. You have your gun and some ammo, but you don't have any money."
Doesn't looke like someone need a special description in addition to that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />.

Check www.gamebanshee.com for arcanum tips.

This game is huge. So many choices! I like that thing with background very much. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Not really a spoiler more a warning. theres a certain charecter in the first town you get to that if you kill them you will hit a certain point in the game, and will not beable to progress any further and you will have to start your game all over it happened to me.So be careful of who you kill in the first town.

They might have fixed that with any new patches but i havent played it for a while.I enjoyed the game but was kinda dissapointed in the graphics.I thought overall the graphics were better then Fallout 2 ,however the charecter animations were nothing to write home about, and the battle system is very ugly but other then that its a great game.

I have a feeling it was a modified Fallout engine. The graphics were only better because of the new particle effects (which dramatically drop the performance). The character animations is almost abscent but really, who plays for graphics <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />?
I see nothing bad with the combat system, though.

Ya i dont play much for graphics myself, but i kinda wish they were somewhat better but thats just nitpicking.I didnt mean i hated the actual combat as far as controlling combat. i just didnt like the animations i guess.I do have arcanum loaded up on my hd. im on an rpg kick as of late just finished up Torment and i have to say without a doubt, its my favorite rpg ive ever played.Working on Baldersgate 2 now then when i beat that going back to Arcanum:)

I am pretty far in the game so I am already thinking to restart the game when I finish. I made a background for my new character. Here it is. Please tell me if you think it's unbalanced:



Note that +4 is what you get when you spend one point in the skill (it's the Apprentice Level).

Sounds very plausable old bean,Pip pip.
I'm gonna be starting Arcanum some time this week, all sounds a wee bit complicated to me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />,I might just start another game of Wizardry 8 with all new characters though, really enjoying it now, i am at Ascension Peak at the mo'. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

@ Spickey it may seem a bit complicated but once you are in the game everything is clear enough. Trust me. Even I could manage to get into it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

@ DATD
Sounds good to me.

@lucretia, i hear ya , and you've convinced me, i'll start as soon as and if i beat Wizardry 8. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

@ Spickey good luck with W8 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Have fun. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />