Arcanum

Remove all ads!

I just got this game for £1 from Poundland so I'm guessing it bombed

Anyone played it, and if so, any tips?

 

Arcanum is a great game
be sure to visit the brothel and shag the sheep

 

Arcanum is a great game but I didn't like it...

 

I dunno why some people are so harsh as to evaluating Arcanum, in my opinion it was a pretty brilliant game, and I can forgive the dated graphics. That's just me, though...

 

Yeah it was really good !

 

It is a good game ok but it isn't my style.

 

So, any tips?

 

Arcanum seriously rocks. It is hardcore role playing.

Magic and melee will be much more powerful than firearms; unless you install some of the mods. The game was just made that way, although you will still want to make a few nifty items from the tech trees.

Bombs work serious wonders. Put at least one point into explosives, and make as many moltov cocktails as you can. Throwing things (when you can get a hit) uses almost no action points, and does serious damage.

Also, keep notes. Categorize them by town, and draw at least crude maps so you can find things when you need to without having to do some massive search. You will bounce from town to town so many times, it's not funny.

There is a high level spell, under the conveyance magic, that is "teleport". It is most useful. Seriously consider putting points toward getting it. A couple of scrolls of "dungeon exit" will come in handy a couple of times, just so you don't have to make your way back through twisting tunnels filled with traps.

There is a force spell called "distintegrate". It severely rocks, in a way that unbalances the game. But, you utterly destroy the enemy, including loot. If you have to use it, it will be obvious to you on the third or fourth reload.

It's a good idea to pick either magic or technology, and go for one or the other, the first time you play through. But, don't be afraid to put a couple of points into a opposing skill; magic and moltov cocktails are probably the easiest way through the game, if not the fastest.

 

What's the difference between putting your skill points into the desired skill from being an apprentice or trained by an NPC?

 

Arcanum is probably the most fun computer game I have ever played except for Baldur's gate! It is a really cool exciting fun interactive rpg with a good story line and plenty of character customization. It is my third favorite game.

 

I really liked the game, but found some of the dungeon sections dull. But other than that a good game.

 

I got Arcanum yesterday. My character is female half-elf (I want a good mage). Then some Arcanum newbie questions... What skills/spells should I take? Or should I raise abilities? Do I get only one character point, when levelling up?

 

For a good starting mage character, put at least one point into necromantic (black). Harm, the first black spell, is extremely powerful, especially at low levels, especially for it's cost. That said, it is extremely important to plan ahead as far as spell selection goes. Decide what college(s) you'll want to max, what colleges you'll just want to develop partially, and what to ignore. Always make sure that you have the willpower for the spells you want, as well as the fatigue. This is just me, but whenever I have some extra skill points, I like to put them into melee and dodge. They're both very useful for nearly any character, and, as a bonus, they have very interesting master quests. I've never played a ranged oriented character, so I can't really comment on it. By the way, ejsmith was right, if you're willing to max out Conveyance, Teleport is unbelievably useful, although you'll not find any of the secrets that way. I hope that helps some. Enjoy.

 

Tips and Hints: One thing to make certain, you need to choose whether you want your main character to be a 'technical' person or a 'magic' person. Put all points only to whichever field you chose. For example, if you chose magic, then do not put any points into technical skills. I would choose magic at first becase you do not need supplies and equipment to make things. Another piece of advice: just wander around to different areas for a while that are accessible on your map at the beginning of the game. Kill all the monsters in these areas and take all the treasure. Keep doing this untill you reach about 15th level. Then go and start doing all the available quests. The game should prove to be alot more fun this way.

 

The actual points, themselves, are the ability. For what I was referring to; the tech called "Explosives". It's complex.

It's the "apprentice", "expert", "master" that have meaning to the skills. But, you have to have the points to be able to move to the next level. What I would say for skills is "Put one point into Trap Disarming AND get trained by someone to apprentice." The training is implied with skills.

As for the actual difference, yes; there is. I forget the exact specifics, but for like "Trap Disarming", an Expert gets more than one chance to attempt a disarm before the thing blows up. The bomb will go off the first time an apprentice fails; a master gets unlimited trys.

Dodges, the apprentice gets one, the master gets something like 5 tries to "dodge" each hit. And it changes the roll you have to make.

But DON'T FORGET!!!!

Those character points count for everything. Spells, skills, techs, and stats. And you have to have the stats to be able to learn (put points into) the techs and magics and skills.

It is horrificly complex. Do not try to be a "jack of all trades", as you're going to have serious frustration. Tourett's Syndrome will kick in, automatically, if you do not already have it. That's the syndrome where you're just sitting there, on a bus or train or alone in your home, and you just start yelling and cussing; and don't realize afterwards that you were doing it.

You do not want Tourett's.

Pick magic or tech. Melee or ranged (arrows and bullets). Smart or deadly.

Then run with it. But run with a moltov cocktail in one of your hands, ready to throw, is all I'm saying here. Plastique and Mechanized Plate and Blade Launchers are nice and all, but it's those bombs that are going to help you out so many times and it's so easy to get them, you will regret not having 5 or 6 all the time.

There is one other thing that I especially like, and that's the Miner's Helmet. It's a lightbulb combined with a helmet of vision (which is a helmet and a leather strap). It frees up one hand, which lets you can carry a two handed firearm or a shield. It's kind of medium on the tech tree, and you have to learn the schematic, so you might just use the illuminate magic spell instead.

Light (going from lantern to lightbulb to miner's hat to spell, in intensity) lets you find traps on which you would have otherwise stepped. One trap isn't going to kill you, but there are a bunch of plot-critical dungeons that are frickin' filled with them. And they all just sap away at everyone's health. You can rest to recover stamina, and use stamina to cast healing spells, but your armour is damaged and sometimes you get poisoned or slowed or cursed. Traps, in this game, are hairy. Untamed bush.

Other than that, all I really have to say is be ready for a really long game. Even longer if you try to do 50% of the side-quests.

Have fun!!

[ April 25, 2003, 02:57: Message edited by: ejsmith ]

 

I played the demon and didn't like it, don't know why really, I just didn't

 

The game is boooooooooooooooring. It was the first game I have ever fell asleep to at the CPU ever. Hate it. No tech in RPG's!

 

It's great, it certainly didn't bomb. It got RPG Game of the Year.

 

I loved it. I played tech. No guns, at least to start. It is hard to get amunition. Definitely do a lot of exploring first. Save a lot.

 

Great game.

I am currently playing a tech dwarf who is a gun smithy/electric wayman, you won't believe the guns I can make. I can already make the most powerfull gun in the game: the elephant gun.

And then there are the schemes which you can buy. Oh making bullets is one of them so it's very easy to get ammo, even at the beginning. Throught my electric/gunsmithy expertise I made a gun which needs batteries and does 10-80 normal damage and some electrical damage, that one rocks.

Who needs graphics when they got a great story, and a superb universe.