Arcanum Want to play Arcanum, need some pointers

[solemgar]

I want to experience Arcanum and make a full playthrough. Last time I tried (many many moons back) I was unable to move past the initial hours due to the combat and I was finding the beginning of the game quite boring. I understand that the game gets better after the intro?

Any mods I should install for better combat experience (or others?)

Thank you fellow codexers

 

[Turisas]

Just spam Harm.

 

[Snufkin]

Sup Drog!

On more serious note you need UAP 2.0.2 .

 

[Fargus]

I was unable to move past the initial hours due to the combat and I was finding the beginning of the game quite boring.

Nice try, Avellone.

 

[jakkis]

You need to LARP more, game is made for LARPing.

Next tip, try to make it to Tarant, it's the best part of the game and one of the GOAT cities of rpgs.

Scratch that, actually the best part is char creation, just spend 30 hours coming up and creating different characters, then you can uninstall.

 

[SixDead]

I'm playing it for the first time right now, without wikis and guides, and it plays fine, though a bit hard sometimes, because my char is not combat-oriented. Atmosphere, world-building and writing are top-notch, and I'm having good time with it, feels like a losing your RPG-virginity.

 

[Spukrian]

I want to experience Arcanum and make a full playthrough. Last time I tried (many many moons back) I was unable to move past the initial hours due to the combat and I was finding the beginning of the game quite boring. I understand that the game gets better after the intro?

In the beginning it's best to specialize, be good at only one thing. For a noob, it's best to choose either melee combat or persuasion.

Any mods I should install for better combat experience (or others?)

There's an Unofficial Arcanum Patch that fixes a lot of bugs and a mod that enables higher resolutions.

Thank you fellow codexers

You're welcome!

 

[Suger]

The Unofficial Patch is a no-brainer, as for the combat what usually hurts early game is you play as a mage is your Fatigue, since it will go down quickly. Otherwise, it might be how you've built your character. Let Virgil handle the healing and some of the fighting, specialize on one thing on your end first.

There is also, in the character sheet, a button on the right side with templates you can use to automatically level up in a specific way, this can be helpful if you're not sure where/how to spread your points when you level up.

 

[jackofshadows]

Don't install uap, it changes way too much stuff. That said, with latest official patch there's a few unfortunate bugs indeed still but at least you can be sure it's stable and has no critical bugs in there.

Choose one simple archetype like melee guy, or full blown mage, or an assassin, or a firearms guy and go with it. Persuasion won't hurt any of them but not a necessary skill.

In other words, you need just one way to dispatch of enemies and become good at it - this is a proper RPG after all.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

I'm actually replaying this now after 15 years since last playing it. I did a gunslinger and getting my ass handed to me, just blowing through bullets as they miss a lot.

 

[Fargus]

I'm actually replaying this now after 15 years since last playing it. I did a gunslinger and getting my ass handed to me, just blowing through bullets as they miss a lot.

Dumpster dive and craft some, buy ammo every time you have the opportunity.

I prefer to play as tech gunslinger because magic is kinda boring to me, i can be a mage in any of the 9000 rpgs out there. But shooting a mage in the face with elephant gun or blasting orcs with levered lmg is priceless. And for melee i have dawg.

 

[Fargus]

Lots of Arcanum replayers lately. My hope in humanity is restored a bit.

 

[normie]

read the manual

 

[Snufkin]

I'm actually replaying this now after 15 years since last playing it. I did a gunslinger and getting my ass handed to me, just blowing through bullets as they miss a lot.

Get 5/5 in Firearms skill and 18 perception.

 

[jackofshadows]

Lots of Arcanum replayers lately. My hope in humanity is restored a bit.

Not only replayers but a bunch of guys popping their cherry. This is really nice to see indeed.

 

[Daemongar]

It is necessary at the beginning of the game to put one point in attack, one point in dodge, then create the character any way you want. But its a gigantic pain in the ass critting yourself for the 100th time when using a melee weapon to start things off.

 

[damager]

Mage is pretty cool in this game too

 

[SixDead]

Do save often and in different savefiles. Today I forgot about that, and softlocked myself in a hard battle with no way to run away, but maybe all is not hopeless, I will try use grenades.

 

[Fargus]

Do save often and in different savefiles.

That's a general rule for every more or less complex RPG to be honest

 

[SixDead]

Do save often and in different savefiles.

That's a general rule for every more or less complex RPG to be honest

But some people have INT 4 PER5, like me

 

[Fargus]

Do save often and in different savefiles.

That's a general rule for every more or less complex RPG to be honest

But some people have INT 4 PER5, like me

You can always invest some points in these stats

 

[Fedora Master]

Just spam Harm.

Harm is a meme but it does make the early game much more bearable.

 

[Zlaja]

I did a gunslinger and getting my ass handed to me

Don't worry about it. Playing a gunslinger is indeed the hardest way to approach the early game, but it's worth it because once you get further in and get some better guns it's highly amusing.

 

[Sukhāvatī]

I'm actually replaying this now after 15 years since last playing it. I did a gunslinger and getting my ass handed to me, just blowing through bullets as they miss a lot.

There is a way to get a very good gun early in the game if you're getting turned off by the awkwardness of gun combat.

 

[SixDead]

I don't understand why I have only 17% to hit on Ore Golem (12 PER, firearm Expert). Is he realy have so high Evasion or what?