Arcanum - worth a punt?

[bloodlover]

Spoiler

How the hell do you get the funeral stone from the elven tomb? My mage has 1str and can't lift that thing. Oh and I think I should have made a gnome to max willpower ASAP. I did not really know how magic aptitude works and I doubt making an elf for the extra MA is worth it since you get MA every time you learn a new spell anyway... Could have had 18 Wil from the first few levels... Fuck my life

edit: I figured it out by mistake. Drinking booze increases your STR for some time and it stacks. So two bottles of wine were enough for me to drink and then give that thing to Sogg. Low STR sux hard when it comes to carrying shit.

 

[deuxhero]

Get a companion?

 

[Kaivokz]

So I booted up Arcanum to give it another go. I made a half-ogre who had almost died as a child but instead broke the bank for his parents, so +int and charisma, took harm, intended to talk my way out of most problems to start with. I sold my suit and bought a robe at the beginning, but didn't realize it was too small. So all my conversations have begun with my character defending himself: "Sir, it is unreasonable for you to be offended by my state of dress, so stop ogling my dick and lets conduct our business like proper people." -- "Well, I guess I am being unreasonable..."

It is pretty amusing... I'm tempted to bump my charisma up and play the whole game as a nude half-ogre who convinces everyone that it's perfectly reasonable for him to be nude.

Spoiler

"Oh please, sir!" my ass, he fuckin' loves it. I'm going to wreck everyone in this town.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

I feel you, I feel you. Oh and holy shit, is that a non-Brown bit of something in that screenshot?!

 

[bloodlover]

A couple of questions for you ladies and gents:

1. Is there a certain recommended level I should be when I leave Tarant?

2. The main quest takes me to the famous mines next. I am lvl 12 and I probably should not be there but I am killing things p fast as a mage

3. Is there a point in leveling WIS above 18 since I only need that for spells? I know there is a soft cap at 20.

Having a blast with the game, getting past the mediocre/bad combat.

 

[Tigranes]

Depends on how well you understand the game by this stage. Level 12 mage can definitely handle the mines if you know what you're doing, and certainly harder to screw up than a gunslinger.

Just... you know, go and see how it goes? Use an escape scroll and come back later if you're getting hammered?

 

[Ninjerk]

 

[Tigranes]

Next time try to turn on the quest compass, it will help you find the exit from Patrick Stewart's cell.

 

[Baron Dupek]

I was wondering about going as a thief, but can't remember (besides shops) things worth stealing or sneaking into.
I vaguely remember something in industrial zone of Tarant, some painting, and that's all I know.

 

[Tigranes]

There's tons of things to steal, including thieves' guild hits in Tarant and Caladon.

 

[Old One]

I was wondering about going as a thief, but can't remember (besides shops) things worth stealing or sneaking into.
I vaguely remember something in industrial zone of Tarant, some painting, and that's all I know.

As Tigranes suggested, you're definitely going to want to join the Thieves' Guild. There are several ways to do that (keep your eyes open, and talk to anyone who might be a criminal), and once you're accepted they'll have lots of jobs for you.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Right, I forgot about them. Only touched maybe one hint from them in my previous playthroughs.
Brb reinstalling Arcanum...

 

[bloodlover]

Had a little time to play today. Getting a little info on the game is really worth imo. I manually went and got my doggy and then I returned to the mines. Currently at level 15, running around with low geared Sogg and Virgil, using only two spells and kiting if needed. What's up with the level difference between mobs in the mine? Level 1-5-20++++? O.O I think I am sitting on 8 or 9 unspent points because I have no idea what to get next. I mean atm, even if it gets a bit hard sometimes, I don't really need more fatigue or any other spells.

edit: I find a lot of precious jewels and rings in the mine. I assume their only purpose is to be sold and are not useful for anything else.

 

[MilesBeyond]

Do you mean the bald Ochre in the bar?

Unrelated, but is your sig a copypasta? If so, where's it from? It's hilarious

 

[a Goat]

He's back already.

 

[supervoid]

I find a lot of precious jewels and rings in the mine. I assume their only purpose is to be sold and are not useful for anything else.

Some of them can be used in the optional quest/to get blessings but they are common. Also you might need kathorn crystal later.

 

[Neanderthal]

Lets see, as I remember you'll need a few Mnura Coins, Lava Rock, Quartz, Some Rings (but they're common enough that you can pick em up anywhere,) Black Diamonds, Rubies and I forget what else. The books that you get on the Gods at Tarant University should tell you what you need.

 

[remioromen]

Things to try if you haven't:
2) Play a tech character and take only Firearms NPCs. Give them all tranquilizer guns.

I played a gun swingin' rogueish character who took nobody's shit

But if you like RPGs in general, Arcanum is really a gem. It tries to do something different than the standard fantasy present in so many other games by incorporating an industrial-revolution type setting combined with all the magic type stuff everyone is used to. Even though I have never really been a fan of "steampunk", I really adored Arcanum for its unique world and atmosphere. The freedom to play how you want is really cool too and there are many paths to follow, and "moral choices" that are really fun to make. Although, from what I remember the choices are rather binary and are usually "- be a pretty cool guy," or "-be a dick" which, by this point in my life, I find rather boring, desiring something more complicated

I played it for the first time when I was in my mid-teens if I recall correctly. However, I played it a year or two ago again to see if I'd enjoy it as much and while it was still rather enchanting, for some reason I found it a lot harder than I remember it. Perhaps because I lack the patience and time I had when I was young that allowed me to be so immersed in video juegos

 

[tred]

I've just uploaded a zip with 11 custom portraits for Arcanum.
As I am playing a human, they're only male humans (but if you want to use them with other races is just a matter of renaming the files).


Here is the link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwT5yYDZEByyWmdRT2NPSTZmUVE/view?usp=sharing

If you want to see them before downloading:

 

[Murk]

So, for whatever reason I recall there being two schematics for bullets. One that uses saltpeter+charcoal, and another that uses black powder (the one in the horn.)

I cannot for the life of me find any info about the black powder schematic online. Am I just remembering incorrectly, or was this added in with some mod I used a while back and forgot about?

 

[Old One]

Am I just remembering incorrectly, or was this added in with some mod I used a while back and forgot about?

It must have been a mod thing. There's only one bullets schematic in standard Arcanum. The powder horn is used in a grenade-making schematic, as I recall.

There are two schematics for electrical charges however: the regular one and one that uses lemons.

 

[Obama Phone 3]

Keep seeing Arcanum mentioned around here, I think I played demo back when it came out but I never played full thing, is it worth doing so? I know it's got pedigree, with Cain, Anderson and lads from Fallout but is it a must play as your top 50 seems to say? If so is there any good or needed mods, or should I go bareback first time? Gotta admit I watched Avellone playing and it seemed a bit so so, though fucking hilarious.

Cheers,

Neanderthal.

From somebody that just played and beat FO2 + RP a year ago, Arcanum is a complete POS that is inferior in every way.

 

[Murk]

It must have been a mod thing. There's only one bullets schematic in standard Arcanum. The powder horn is used in a grenade-making schematic, as I recall.

There are two schematics for electrical charges however: the regular one and one that uses lemons.

Yeah, I have both for charges -- tho I have no clue where the hell one would get lemons and potatoes (not that it matters, I only use charges for trap seeking anyway.)

I guess I was using some restored/added content mod then. Maybe it was drog's extra patch.

 

[Old One]

I have no clue where the hell one would get lemons and potatoes...

They're actually quite common, but you have no reason to look for and thus find them until you have the schematic.

Try the fields in Shrouded Hills for starters. Keep an eye out for lemon trees.

 

[Metro]

A punt? Is it fourth down?