Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

[Naked_Lunch]

Well, you're supposed to, shag. You are, aferall, a proud member of the Shit Games Liberation Front.

 

[Shagnak]

Yep

But, honestly, so many games are (apparently) below the acceptable level of perceived shittiness that if I were to keep to some theoretical elite games list, well, I wouldn't do much gaming.

 

[caveyboy]

aferall

i lost my arcanum c-d...it's a fun game though...
first you were a cow now you are a caveman?!

 

[Roqua]

My top ten favorite rpgs are:

1) Zelda
2) Paraper the Rapper
3) Archon
4) Mario Brothers
5) Splinter Cell
6) Metal gear 1 (thats 1, hear me!)
7) Contra
8) Metroids
9) Duck Hunt
10) Predator (for the commodor)

I love rpgs, they are awseome. Oblivion and Hellgate will be awesome, bitches. Halo 3 will be the best rpg ever. I want to dip my balls in it. Who could we get for this role, blueberry the clown? Toothbrush!!!!

 

[caveyboy]

yep metal gear is cool

 

[Naked_Lunch]

aferall

i lost my arcanum c-d...it's a fun game though...
first you were a cow now you are a caveman?!

Caveman? What? It's the Time Lord from Ultima VII (And technically III).

Roqua, you never fail to amuse.

 

[Atrokkus]

Arcanum is a great game, very fresh concept and rich story-roleplaying.
The only thing that vexes me is the goddamn combat system. The AI is weird, and this hybridization... beh, why not just make a pure turn-based... or pure RT...

 

[theverybigslayer]

My TOP10 CRPGs:

1. Wizardry 8,6,7
2. Might&Magic 6,7,8
3. Fallout 1,2
4. Betrayal at Krondor, Antara
5. Planescape Torment
6. Might&Magic 9
7. Might&Magic 3,4,5
8. Gothic 1,2
9. Baldur's Gate 1,2
10. Icewind Dale 1

 

[theverybigslayer]

My TOP10 CRPGs:

1. Wizardry 8,6,7
2. Might&Magic 6,7,8
3. Fallout 1,2
4. Betrayal at Krondor, Antara
5. Planescape Torment
6. Might&Magic 9
7. Might&Magic 3,4,5
8. Gothic 1,2
9. Baldur's Gate 1,2
10. Icewind Dale 1

Oooops, I have made a mistake!

Here is the REAL TOP10:

1. Dungeon Lords

2. Dungeon Lords

3. Dungeon Lords

4. Dungeon Lords

5. Dungeon Lords

6. Dungeon Lords

7. Dungeon Lords

8. Dungeon Lords

9. Dungeon Lords

10. Dungeon Lords

Sorry, I beg your pardon.

 

[dipdipdip]

Yeah, Dungeons Lords was super. Here's what folks across the internet are saying about Dungeon Lords:

1. "I love this game. Its awsome. I played my first RPG (at least Video games) with FF 1. And this is a Good Blend of Old School and New School RPGs IMO."

2. "It's not a rpg that's heavy on story.
It's more of a first person shooter (I think it uses the Unreal engine).
In the story, there's a funny part when you rescue the princess (you arrive too late).
The ending is really lame though.

It's a real-time gameplay rpg rather than a story rpg.
If that's the type of rpg you like, then you'll like this game.
The gameplay isn't bad."

3. "i like it for the multiplayer. is gothic2 multiplayer?>"

 

[Major_Blackhart]

You know, we'll probably never get a game like Arcanum again.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Might and Magic 9? Are you fucking high?

Blackhart - Do you mean in quality, or just the setting and such? I would kill for another steampunk game.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I think in both, though we are getting a steampunk game in terms of a RTS in a year or two from another game (cant remember name) but in terms of an RPG, this is prolly the last time we'll see steampunk, or a game this deep for a LONG time.

 

[Mantiis]

I like harry potter and final fantasy

 

[Naked_Lunch]

wow me too

 

[Bidjou]

The only thing that vexes me is the goddamn combat system. The AI is weird, and this hybridization... beh, why not just make a pure turn-based... or pure RT...

i'll second that.
I really liked the atmosphere ,all the nifty roleplaying opportunities ,but the combat was the thing that ruined all and prevented me from finishing the game,it was when I arrived in that excavation site with all the undead ,all was so messy with all my parties members running around and getting killed the dumbiest way possible.Perhaps I was wrong but I had the feeling that the game would be more like a hack and slash from that point
Exactly what prevented me from finishing Bloodlines ,but while I got confirmation for Bloodlines,I still don't know if that dungeon was an exception for Arcanum.

 

[corvax]

Messy? The turn based system although rough around the edges works just fine, it's the ONLY way to go in larger fights. Moreover comparing to other games Arcanum isn't that combat oriented and since you're character gets rather powerful combat becmes a straightforward affair. Consequently I don't see what the problem is...if you're getting killed in Arcanum, you are the problem.

Bloodlines? Yes. The ending is the most ridiculous Serious Sam dose of combat I've seen in an RPG...well it really becomes a FPS by then.

 

[Bidjou]

Messy? The turn based system although rough around the edges works just fine, it's the ONLY way to go in larger fights. Moreover comparing to other games Arcanum isn't that combat oriented and since you're character gets rather powerful combat becmes a straightforward affair. Consequently I don't see what the problem is...if you're getting killed in Arcanum, you are the problem.

thanks for clarifying, so the game stays non combat oriented till the end??
The turn based system?? :shock: That's someting that was erased from my memory, that's because I had to leave the game for two years on the shelf,so wen I returned to it I just took my latest savegame in that dungeon and quickly dissmissed it,in fact I had played bloodlines just before that,so my bad I clearly have no excuses, your response was rough but informative, so thank you, as soon as i've played darklands some more,i'll start a new game from scratch and play it more than five minutes. :D

 

[corvax]

Clarification: Arcanum compared to RPGs of its era (circa 1997-2005) is not combat oriented. There's combat but for the most part it's easy and pretty much most, if not all, of the major quests have a non-violent solution.

Turn based system? Yes, under options Arcanum is well worth another try.

 

[Volourn]

"Moreover comparing to other games Arcanum isn't that combat oriented"

False. False. False.

 

[corvax]

Name non-indie "less combat oriented" RPGs (1997-2005):
Fallout
Fallout 2
Torment

That's all I can think of. Here's some of the other RPGs released around that time that are definitely more combat oriented: Baldur's Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale 1&2, Diablo 1&2, Nox, Wizards and Warriors, Wizardry 8, NWN, Freedom Force, Divine Divinity, Dungeon Siege 1&2, Bloodlines (just for the ending it deserves to be on this list), Sacred, Beyond Divinity, Fate, ToEE, Lionheart, Dungeon Lords

Up in the air: Gothic, Star Wars, Morrowind

Considering that I think it's fair to say that Arcanum in comparison is not too heavy on combat...although there's still plenty of it. Feel free to prove me otherwise...without yapping out few random words.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Morrowind is probably on the most combat-oriented games out there. Besides combat, what else is there to do?

 

[corvax]

True and I should have probably placed it in the combat oriented category. However I did consider that if one tries hard enough it is possible to go through most of the game (even the ending is relatively low on combat) in a non-violent manner i.e. using illusion, alteration, conjuration, hand to hand, healing, mysticism, mercentile, speechcraft. As far as factions go one could join the Imperial Cult, Temple as they are relatively non violent in terms of quests. In that way your character will level up and progress through game just like any other. IMO that is indeed a valid path to take, although the game isn't directed towards such.

 

[Volourn]

You already provided a nice list of games that are about where Arcanum is combat intense wise.

Thanks a bunch!

P.S. If some moroon says I'm being bias, I am bias... towards Arcanum.. after I like the game very much.

Just the truth must be told without the Troikian fanboys wearing blinders as per usual.

 

[Greatatlantic]

The upcoming Steampunk RTS is Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. It should come as no surprise that its by the same people who made Rise of nations, I think the company is called Big Huge Games. It has three playable races, 1 relient on technology, 1 relient on magic, and a third that hasn't been announced yet.

That being said, Arcanum rocked for the sheer number of options it made available for the player. The steam punk setting wasn't as developed as it could have been, but was nice none the less.