Unofficial Arcanum Patch (Original Thread)

[garren]

I think there's something very wrong in Jayna Stiles' auto-leveling scheme. I'm carrying her around so she can make me healing salves etc. from herbology, but she's level 36 now and hasn't put a point in either herbology or therapeutics in like 10-15 levels. Instead, she has put a few points into beauty (11 now) and perception (17 now), both totally useless stats for her, I mean she doesn't have any skill in bow or firearms, and beauty? Bah.

EDIT: Apparently she never goes beyond 4 levels in each schematic, but still points in beauty and perception are such a waste imo.

 

[Donovan]

You must win all his money. He has 5,000 originally but when you lose the sum adds up.

I don't think that's possible. When you lose the money goes from your hands into his inventory, but when you win the money is generated from nowhere. His inventory money never decreases that I can see (confirmed by using pick pocket to see how much he has). This is consistent with other posts I've seen talking about funny math allowing you to kill him later and get insanely rich.

Some posts suggested that it is random, others that it is a fixed number of wins regardless of money (which is at least finishable, since the odds are decidely against you unless you want to load/save over and over).

At best this is an exercise in frustrating load/saves (something to consider for the balance patch), but I wonder if it's even working.

 

[Faceless]

In my experience you must lose all your coin to him and then accept his loan. He even says something about this being the moment.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

You must win all his money. He has 5,000 originally but when you lose the sum adds up.

I don't think that's possible. When you lose the money goes from your hands into his inventory, but when you win the money is generated from nowhere. His inventory money never decreases that I can see (confirmed by using pick pocket to see how much he has). This is consistent with other posts I've seen talking about funny math allowing you to kill him later and get insanely rich.

Some posts suggested that it is random, others that it is a fixed number of wins regardless of money (which is at least finishable, since the odds are decidely against you unless you want to load/save over and over).

I see. According to the dialogue file, the line "WHO IS THE MASTER NOW?!" requires for you to be in debt to him. For that, lose all your money to him.

 

[Donovan]

Small issue with the Master of Force in Tulla (though I suspect with all the masters). When I return after completing the mastery test, there are a LOT of dialog options:

8 I have a question
9 Master Rys'ard? May I ask you a question?
10 Can I have a moment of your time, Rys'ard?
20 I am interested in becoming a master of force.
22 I have completed the test and become master of force!

Lines 8, 9, and 10 all lead to line 39 which asks the same as line 20 (originally they also had a question about how he feels about technology). These options are all there when you first meet any of the mages, giving a lot of different ways to ask the same thing which should probably be cleaned up.

Presumably it might be desirable to have a way to get the quest again in case you lost the necklace or something, but not like this and not after the quest is completed. I actually missed seeing line 22 the first time and thought the quest glitched on me.


Another glitch is with Albert (the apprentice who went all tech and is waiting outside to get in). If you persuade him to give you the gem (dialog ending in line 72 followed by 81), you get the gem and then find yourself in repair item mode in your inventory (mighty nice of him to offer I suppose, though the dialog made no mention of it). Talking to him again starts you back on line 2 where the quest originally began. You can repeat the process but he doesn't actually give you the gem again (he says he does, but it doesn't appear in inventory even if you dropped the first one).

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Moved here.

 

[garren]

When you speak to Randver Thunder Stone in Wheel Clan about the stone and shape and convince him to reveal to secret passage to his father, when the discussion ends and you immediately begin a new one, there's two exact same lines, the other one is right but the other goes back to a discussion already had.

EDIT: when you speak to him again, click line 48, then lines 67 and 68 are the same, but lead to different dialogues. 67 you've already had.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Small issue with the Master of Force in Tulla (though I suspect with all the masters). When I return after completing the mastery test, there are a LOT of dialog options:

8 I have a question
9 Master Rys'ard? May I ask you a question?
10 Can I have a moment of your time, Rys'ard?
20 I am interested in becoming a master of force.
22 I have completed the test and become master of force!

Lines 8, 9, and 10 all lead to line 39 which asks the same as line 20 (originally they also had a question about how he feels about technology). These options are all there when you first meet any of the mages, giving a lot of different ways to ask the same thing which should probably be cleaned up.

Presumably it might be desirable to have a way to get the quest again in case you lost the necklace or something, but not like this and not after the quest is completed. I actually missed seeing line 22 the first time and thought the quest glitched on me.

I'll make the line 20 not appear when the quest is completed, I guess.

Another glitch is with Albert (the apprentice who went all tech and is waiting outside to get in). If you persuade him to give you the gem (dialog ending in line 72 followed by 81), you get the gem and then find yourself in repair item mode in your inventory (mighty nice of him to offer I suppose, though the dialog made no mention of it).

Fixed...

Talking to him again starts you back on line 2 where the quest originally began. You can repeat the process but he doesn't actually give you the gem again (he says he does, but it doesn't appear in inventory even if you dropped the first one).

...and fixed. Both bugs were just typos in the files.

Thanks for reporting these!

When you speak to Randver Thunder Stone in Wheel Clan about the stone and shape and convince him to reveal to secret passage to his father, when the discussion ends and you immediately begin a new one, there's two exact same lines, the other one is right but the other goes back to a discussion already had.

Could you please give me the line numbers?

EDIT:

EDIT: when you speak to him again, click line 48, then lines 67 and 68 are the same, but lead to different dialogues. 67 you've already had.

Thanks. The line 67 didn't have a check for a specific local flag.

EDIT2:
Reuploaded the Extra Pack, there was a small mistake. Download it again if you got it before this edit.

 

[puppyonastik]

Thanks a lot for the extras pack, drog! Fantastic work! I lurv you <3

What are you considering on restoring in the second release?

 

[wrhunter]

Hello, Drog. I found that Sogg can't be persuaded to join, even use magic to raise beauty. I hadn't saw the dialogue about "Buy you a drink" for a long term.

My race is human, so there shouldn't have race problem. And my BE is 8, background is Master.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Hello, Drog. I found that Sogg can't be persuaded to join, even use magic to raise beauty. I hadn't saw the dialogue about "Buy you a drink" for a long term.

My race is human, so there shouldn't have race problem. And my BE is 8, background is Master.

You need CH9.

 

[wrhunter]

I'm really sorry.

By the way, Madam Lil' s reaction is no longer up and down now, great!

After stop the bank robbery, the magic sword get from Doc
have four empty magic spells, is this correct?

Would you tell me the chance of the event for Donn Throgg quest? It seems totally random, someone believe it's up to the newspaper, but I do meet it without news.

 

[Marco]

-Schreck's Multi Barreled Pistol. There's a schematic in the game, there's also art for schematic, a description, and the pistol itself with all graphics. The schematic was made unusable, so the weapon was disabled for whatever reason.

IIRC that schematic was disabled because of one of the Thieves Underground quests, whichs requires you to bring the schematic to Mr Black. If you use it, you can't finish this quest anymore. Is there a way to finish the quest, while still be able to make the weapon, without having to steal the schematic back from Mr Black?

As for the Clockwork thingies, I remember getting the explosive one in one of my playthroughs, and it worked just fine. I never got why everybody told that this one was bugged.

Anyway, great work you've done here to restore these lost items, even if I don't like the colours used for the Clockwork Decoys. I think painted metal doesn't fit the setting of Arcanum at all, they're better with the default colour. Are you planning to restore the Bellringer (I always wanted that one, seemed like fun) and the Gunner Automaton?

 

[Woreczko]

Re: new items

Hi Drog!
I praise you for your outstanding work on fixing Arcanum .

However I would like to point out, that your new Charged Axe Schematics and Schreck`s Pistol are rather badly balanced. Charged Axe can be made very early in the game with only 40 expertise in electric and 20 in smithy required. And it`s a very powerful weapon in the hands of a quick PC, especially vs ore golems and seething masses in the BMC mines. Remember, that "normally" you can get it only after meeting Sebastian.

As for Schreck`s pistol - it eats way too much bullets. I realize, that you wanted to simulate, that it shoots from 6 barrels simultaneusly but in the same time you give him lowly damage, as if it is shooting from only 1 barrel and then grant him decent speed to compensate. The result is fast weapon with low damage, that eats 6 bullets for every flimsy shot it makes.

IMHO it should be either low speed, great damage (6xnormal pistol) and with 6 bullets per shoot - simulating a full discharge of the 6 barrels. Or low damage, great speed and only 1 bullet per shot - simulating continous fire from said 6 barrels.

Well, that is my opinion - do what you will with it. And keep up the good work <thumbs>

 

[carlstar]

isnt the damage for the gun per bullet. so you are firing 6 at once

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

IIRC that schematic was disabled because of one of the Thieves Underground quests, whichs requires you to bring the schematic to Mr Black. If you use it, you can't finish this quest anymore. Is there a way to finish the quest, while still be able to make the weapon, without having to steal the schematic back from Mr Black?

If you can steal if from the factory, it should be piss easy for you to steal it back from the fence.

As for the Clockwork thingies, I remember getting the explosive one in one of my playthroughs, and it worked just fine. I never got why everybody told that this one was bugged.

No. Although, the schematic can be bought from the Wheel Clan's inventor the first time you get there. The item you get when you combine components is useless, it has no scripts attached. Clockwork Decoys were never finished.

Anyway, great work you've done here to restore these lost items, even if I don't like the colours used for the Clockwork Decoys. I think painted metal doesn't fit the setting of Arcanum at all, they're better with the default colour.

Mechanical Arachnids are painted as well. Anyway, I just used the palettes for creatures that were in the game, and modified the items' art to reflect them. Moreover, they would be indistinguishable in the inventory if they're of the same color. And plain boring, perhaps.

Are you planning to restore the Bellringer (I always wanted that one, seemed like fun) and the Gunner Automaton?

The Bellringer - not sure, I've no idea how it was supposed be working, so it will be even more of custom content. The Automaton Gunner - no, there's no animations for it.

However I would like to point out, that your new Charged Axe Schematics and Schreck`s Pistol are rather badly balanced. Charged Axe can be made very early in the game with only 40 expertise in electric and 20 in smithy required. And it`s a very powerful weapon in the hands of a quick PC, especially vs ore golems and seething masses in the BMC mines. Remember, that "normally" you can get it only after meeting Sebastian.

Well, you can make a Pyro Axe early in the game as well. The Charged Sword requires a Large Capacitor, so I made a similar schematic.

As for Schreck`s pistol - it eats way too much bullets. I realize, that you wanted to simulate, that it shoots from 6 barrels simultaneusly but in the same time you give him lowly damage, as if it is shooting from only 1 barrel and then grant him decent speed to compensate. The result is fast weapon with low damage, that eats 6 bullets for every flimsy shot it makes.

I looked at stats of the Mechanized Gun and the Hand Cannon and made something in between. Moreover, the description specifically states that it fires six bullets at once. I even thought that this way the pistol is too powerful, since the Hand Cannon has similar damage, but slow speed. But the ammo usage works as a penalty (sort of like with the Tesla Gun).

Anyway, any suggestions are welcome.

 

[MaskedMan]

Some more minor errors, still playing as half-orc female:

- When talking to Loghaire in exile, in his answer to line 283 he mentions the Glimmering forests . I think this should be changed to Glimmering Forest; it seems to be the custom, it's what the VO says, and he refers to it as a singular forest later in the same dialogue bit.

- The half-ogre villager in "The Thirsty Soul" in Stillwater is a little inconsistent; He greats you with a "What you want?!", typical unintelligent dialogue, and then proceeds to either dismiss you, harass you, or turns out to be an agent of The Molochean Hand (BTW, he asks if you are "that fellow "who survived the blimp crash, should probably be lady or woman, it seems like every Molochean Bar-agent has this issue), all of these with normal int dialogue. You should have a look at his stats and decide whether he is intelligent or not.

- A lady in the same bar is referred to as "he" ("[He takes your 500 coins.]") after a game of wits. The question was "what are Dernholm and Tarant part off" or something similar, the right answer was "The Unified Kingdom"

- Richard Leeks, the blacksmith of Stillwater:
- Line 18 "Surely men of reason...",
- His response to line 80, "Are you questioning my skill son..."
- His response to line 81, "I do seem work around his place...",should be "some"

- In the rumor concerning him Drog Black Tooth is referred to as Drog Blacktooth, both in conversation and in the logbook, and his key is called "key do Drog Blacktooth's cage". Since the character is named Drog Black Tooth, and that is what he is called in conversations with Cyrus and Leeks, you might consider changing those.

- Gildor Nightwalk refers to Tannon Wroughtbringers journal as a "letter" in response to line 106 and 131.

- Brigitte, her response to line 261: "No one can be forced to do what is not in there heart", should be "their"

- Willoughsby, his response to line 112: you are not "the man we are looking for" - unless this quest is open to male characters only this should be corrected

- Heinrich Jenks:
- His response to line 65: "members in the unified kingdom", should be of ?
- His response to line 107: Two men, strangers really..."
- His response to line 47: "It's a wise manwho looks at what is before his eyes..." (could be more of a saying I suppose, you decide)
- His response to line 137: "need of men like you.."

- After visiting Quintarra and talking to the silver lady I try to report my progress to Bates. I can tell him that the Wheel Clan banished BMC by order of the elves, but when he asks "Well, what do the elves have to say about all of this?" my only option is to say farewell. Shouldn't I be able to tell him about the dark elves and the prophecy?

 

[garren]

There are several inconsistencies in Sebastian's dialogue in the Boil. I dont have a save right now and it's been a while since I played it but when you initially speak to him there's a conversation loop you can repeatedly use to increase his disposition towards you.

After you've killed Damian Maug and return to him he doesn't recognize you've completed the quest, but he tries to give it to you again, and then you can say you've killed him, so he gives you a quest to kill Pollock instead now. But after Pollock is dead too, and when you say it to Sebastian, he congratulates you (I think), but the quest in the quest log doesn't get wiped over, it just stays open.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Some more minor errors, still playing as half-orc female:

Thanks, turns out you're an excellent tester!

- When talking to Loghaire in exile, in his answer to line 283 he mentions the Glimmering forests . I think this should be changed to Glimmering Forest; it seems to be the custom, it's what the VO says, and he refers to it as a singular forest later in the same dialogue bit.

Fixed.

- The half-ogre villager in "The Thirsty Soul" in Stillwater is a little inconsistent; He greats you with a "What you want?!", typical unintelligent dialogue, and then proceeds to either dismiss you, harass you, or turns out to be an agent of The Molochean Hand (BTW, he asks if you are "that fellow "who survived the blimp crash, should probably be lady or woman, it seems like every Molochean Bar-agent has this issue), all of these with normal int dialogue. You should have a look at his stats and decide whether he is intelligent or not.

Well, it seems he's a retard. I can add a point or two in IN to him, but is it really needed? And about "fellow", could you suggest a female line? Here's the whole line "Hey! You're that fellow who survived the blimp crash! I read about you in the Tarantian!". BTW, the half ogre actually uses a generic dialogue for pub thugs, so take it in consideration as well.

- A lady in the same bar is referred to as "he" ("[He takes your 500 coins.]") after a game of wits. The question was "what are Dernholm and Tarant part off" or something similar, the right answer was "The Unified Kingdom"

The Game of Wits is another generic dialogue and it has no check for NPC's gender, so all lines in it are written for a male NPC. Heavy modification will be needed. Moreover, there's around 470 lines of the dialogue, containing around 60 instances of "he takes". Better leave it as it is.

- Richard Leeks, the blacksmith of Stillwater:
- Line 18 "Surely men of reason...",
- His response to line 80, "Are you questioning my skill son..."

Please suggest female lines.

- His response to line 81, "I do seem work around his place...",should be "some"

Fixed.

- In the rumor concerning him Drog Black Tooth is referred to as Drog Blacktooth, both in conversation and in the logbook, and his key is called "key do Drog Blacktooth's cage". Since the character is named Drog Black Tooth, and that is what he is called in conversations with Cyrus and Leeks, you might consider changing those.

Well, it's trivial, but I guess I'll change it.

- Gildor Nightwalk refers to Tannon Wroughtbringers journal as a "letter" in response to line 106 and 131.

Fixed. There were even two instances of "letter".

- Brigitte, her response to line 261: "No one can be forced to do what is not in there heart", should be "their"

Fixed.

- Willoughsby, his response to line 112: you are not "the man we are looking for" - unless this quest is open to male characters only this should be corrected

Please suggest a female line.

- Heinrich Jenks:
- His response to line 65: "members in the unified kingdom", should be of ?

Hmm.

- His response to line 107: Two men, strangers really..."

Please suggest a female line.

- His response to line 47: "It's a wise manwho looks at what is before his eyes..." (could be more of a saying I suppose, you decide)

I'd like to hear other opinions on this. The converstation goes like this:
NPCtoMalePC: You see...you walked into Willoughsby's office only a little while ago, and now you're privy to delicate, national information. Not that I don't appreciate your candor in the matter, my friend. But, don't you feel that it's just a little strange? NPCtoFemalePC: You see...you walked into Willoughsby's office only a little while ago, and now you're privy to delicate, national information. Not that I don't appreciate your candor in the matter, my friend. But, don't you feel that it's just a little strange?
PC:Yes...that does seem a little bit odd...
NPCtoMalePC: It's a wise man who looks at what is before his eyes. You and I might have more in common than you think, friend...NPCtoFemalePC: It's a wise man who looks at what is before his eyes. You and I might have more in common than you think, friend...

- His response to line 137: "need of men like you.."

Please suggest a female line.

- After visiting Quintarra and talking to the silver lady I try to report my progress to Bates. I can tell him that the Wheel Clan banished BMC by order of the elves, but when he asks "Well, what do the elves have to say about all of this?" my only option is to say farewell. Shouldn't I be able to tell him about the dark elves and the prophecy?

The line "They blame it all on the dark elves" appears only after you've found the village of the dark elves. Maybe it really should appear after you've accepted the quest of finding it though. Not sure about this one.

P.S. More shots of Clockwork Decoys:
In action (creatures, original palettes):

Turned off (items, my palettes):

I think the colors are pretty much spot on.

 

[aboyd]

And about "fellow", could you suggest a female line? Here's the whole line "Hey! You're that fellow who survived the blimp crash! I read about you in the Tarantian!"

Lass? "Hey! You're that lass who survived the blimp crash!"

- Richard Leeks, the blacksmith of Stillwater:
- Line 18 "Surely men of reason...",
- His response to line 80, "Are you questioning my skill son..."

Please suggest female lines.

"Are you questioning my skill girl..."

I'd like to hear other opinions on this. The converstation goes like this:
NPCtoFemalePC: It's a wise man who looks at what is before his eyes. You and I might have more in common than you think, friend...

It could be something like a quoted saying, but it seems readable to change it to "woman," like this: "It's a wise woman who looks at what is before her eyes. You and I might have more in common than you think, friend..."

- His response to line 137: "need of men like you.."

Please suggest a female line.

need of people like you..

I think the colors are pretty much spot on.

Agreed.

 

[MaskedMan]

And about "fellow", could you suggest a female line?

I was going to say "lady", but aboyd's suggestion is spot on. It's what the pub thugs call you when they try to bully you.

- Richard Leeks, the blacksmith of Stillwater:
- Line 18 "Surely men of reason...",
- His response to line 80, "Are you questioning my skill son..."

Please suggest female lines.

"Surely people of reason..." It is a little awkward, but the lofty "beings"(what the elves use) would be even worse.
"Are you questioning my skill girl..." (thought about "miss" but the "son" is probably intended to demean the PC, "girl" works better that way)

- Willoughsby, his response to line 112: you are not "the man we are looking for" - unless this quest is open to male characters only this should be corrected

Please suggest a female line.

"the woman we are looking for"

- His response to line 107: Two men, strangers really..."

Please suggest a female line.

"Two individuals, strangers really"- he is trying to win you over by speaking flowery to you

His response to line 137: "need of men like you.."

Please suggest a female line.

"need of people like you..."

Concerning the Bates thing: Unless it reveals anything you shouldn't know about you should change it. It's a little jarring as it is, after all, you do know exactly what the elves have to say about it. But if it can cause any bugs you should just leave it as it is.

I have an actual bug for you now:

- The Whytechurch murders: At the point where you are to talk to a demonologist you are able to send a telegram to Prof Eakins of Tarant university. When I ask the telegram guy line 152 he says you got a reply, and that he sent a book for you. He doesn't give you anything though...

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

And about "fellow", could you suggest a female line? Here's the whole line "Hey! You're that fellow who survived the blimp crash! I read about you in the Tarantian!"

Lass? "Hey! You're that lass who survived the blimp crash!"

- Richard Leeks, the blacksmith of Stillwater:
- Line 18 "Surely men of reason...",
- His response to line 80, "Are you questioning my skill son..."

Please suggest female lines.

"Are you questioning my skill girl..."

Replaced both instances with "lass", since turns out it's actually used in both dialogues in other lines, so this was the original intent, I believe.

I have an actual bug for you now:

- The Whytechurch murders: At the point where you are to talk to a demonologist you are able to send a telegram to Prof Eakins of Tarant university. When I ask the telegram guy line 152 he says you got a reply, and that he sent a book for you. He doesn't give you anything though...

Could you please upload the save?

 

[OSK]

I'd like to hear other opinions on this. The converstation goes like this:
NPCtoFemalePC: It's a wise man who looks at what is before his eyes. You and I might have more in common than you think, friend...

It could be something like a quoted saying, but it seems readable to change it to "woman," like this: "It's a wise woman who looks at what is before her eyes. You and I might have more in common than you think, friend..."

Yeah, it sounds like he's quoting a proverb. I'd leave it the way it is.

And remember, before this recent "his or her", "chairperson", gender neutral political correctness BS, masculine pronouns and words were used to refer an individual of an unknown gender or a group of mixed gender.

 

[Donovan]

I think there is a subtle bug in Raven's dialog. Lines 1124 and 1125 (spoken by the PC) are triggered on being in area 20 (ia 20) and lead to the "What do you know about this place" response for Blackroot. I don't know where area 20 is, but it doesn't seem to be Blackroot. Virgil uses area 3 for his Blackroot dialog, and editing Raven's file to use ia 3 seems to fix it.

Interestingly enough, Blackroot and Tulla appear to be the only two places where you can advance the romance plot with Raven (lf26), so this bug significantly reduces the chances of completing the romance.

 

[MaskedMan]

Could you please upload the save?

Here it is.

I had a further look at it, and since nothing really happens when you're supposed to receive the telegram and the book, you are still able to travel to Tarant and talk to Eakins in person, so it doesn't really break the quest.