Arcanum What is the status of the writer for Arcanum?

[v1c70r14]

The archaic language was my idea, and it wasn't accepted at first, but I insisted and eventually everyone liked it (after they toned me down a little).

That's a pretty big part of what gave Arcanum its tone, that and the string quartet. Since you've stopped by I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for making one of the defining games of the genre. Even now, some 23 years after its release, it remains unique and unrivaled in what it set out to do and the writing contributed much to that. It's one of those games you almost regret playing, because everything you play after it pales in comparison.

If you don't mind me asking a question I'd like to know if Troika had a style guide, or an Arcanum bible that was shared internally. I've read much about game development and it seems that one of the challenges on any team is to communicate the vision of a game to all team members. How were you kept on the same page as everyone else with the extra challenge of working remotely? And how much creative freedom did you have within the areas of the game you worked on?

 

[Ed Mortimer]

Thank you, I am honored to have been a part of Arcanum. Within the dialogue I had complete freedom -- under Tim Cain's direction. Meaning that I'd go ahead in whatever creative direction I thought best, and then Tim, or whoever's questline I was writing for, would let me know if I went too far or was somehow not conveying what was needed. We had a basic structure to follow but creatively Tim encouraged me to do whatever I thought best. However, I was never comfortable feeling that I was up to speed on the project. I desperately waited for production update CDs of the game in the mail so I could immerse myself a little in the atmosphere, such as it was at the various stages. Through it all Tim kept me on an even keel. I know he wanted me to do more quests than I did, and was probably disapointed but never showed it. Being on my own without the ability to ask questions in real time severely limited my creative output in that direction. A big part of any success I had with the game is because Tim always had faith in me -- and in everyone else, as far as I know. He knew we could do it, and so we knew it also -- despite the obstacles. I hope that answers your question.

 

[Abu Antar]

Ed Mortimer No matter how much you did on Arcanum, I still

in your general direction.

No game before or after can compare to it, at least for me.

 

[Lyre Mors]

Thank you Ed Mortimer, for being a big part of one of my favorite games of all time. The style and tone you injected into Arcanum was a huge part of why it's the gem it became. If only we had more game writers in the world like you. And thanks for stopping by the codex! Amazing to read the thoughts of someone like you.

 

[NecroLord]

Ed Mortimer Shame that we never got Arcanum 2...
It would've been interesting to see how the world of Arcanum would evolve and further develop (not just technologically, but also socially and even magickally).

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Thank you, I am honored to have been a part of Arcanum. Within the dialogue I had complete freedom -- under Tim Cain's direction. Meaning that I'd go ahead in whatever creative direction I thought best, and then Tim, or whoever's questline I was writing for, would let me know if I went too far or was somehow not conveying what was needed. We had a basic structure to follow but creatively Tim encouraged me to do whatever I thought best. However, I was never comfortable feeling that I was up to speed on the project. I desperately waited for production update CDs of the game in the mail so I could immerse myself a little in the atmosphere, such as it was at the various stages. Through it all Tim kept me on an even keel. I know he wanted me to do more quests than I did, and was probably disapointed but never showed it. Being on my own without the ability to ask questions in real time severely limited my creative output in that direction. A big part of any success I had with the game is because Tim always had faith in me -- and in everyone else, as far as I know. He knew we could do it, and so we knew it also -- despite the obstacles. I hope that answers your question.

Do you still have those CDs? A lot of people enjoy looking how their favorite games were made.

 

[King Crispy]

All hail to the great Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, one of RPG Codex' sacred Holy Trinity.​

And thanks again to Ed for his invaluable insights into the making of the game.

 

[Ed Mortimer]

Thank you, I am honored to have been a part of Arcanum. Within the dialogue I had complete freedom -- under Tim Cain's direction. Meaning that I'd go ahead in whatever creative direction I thought best, and then Tim, or whoever's questline I was writing for, would let me know if I went too far or was somehow not conveying what was needed. We had a basic structure to follow but creatively Tim encouraged me to do whatever I thought best. However, I was never comfortable feeling that I was up to speed on the project. I desperately waited for production update CDs of the game in the mail so I could immerse myself a little in the atmosphere, such as it was at the various stages. Through it all Tim kept me on an even keel. I know he wanted me to do more quests than I did, and was probably disapointed but never showed it. Being on my own without the ability to ask questions in real time severely limited my creative output in that direction. A big part of any success I had with the game is because Tim always had faith in me -- and in everyone else, as far as I know. He knew we could do it, and so we knew it also -- despite the obstacles. I hope that answers your question.

Do you still have those CDs? A lot of people enjoy looking how their favorite games were made.

No. I kept them for a long time, but . . . life happened.

 

[Ed Mortimer]

Ed Mortimer Shame that we never got Arcanum 2...
It would've been interesting to see how the world of Arcanum would evolve and further develop (not just technologically, but also socially and even magickally).

It took 20 years for Jagged Alliance 3 . . . so, never say never.

 

[Riel]

Arcanum is the only game in which I've ever intentionally botched a quest and happily walked away without any reward. I was very invested in the story and playing an elf so I deliberately set Tarent vs Caladan in a war when sent as a diplomat to achieve the opposite. When playing I didn't think anything would come of it but imagine my delight when during end game slides the "sad" war was actually paid attention. Couldn't have been possible without the great writing. So thank you!

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

I don't suppose you can answer the mystery of why Chris Avellone had a street named after him in Arcanum:

Tarant's Rue de Avellone is a short street that leads nowhere, but it does happen to be the location of the game's only brothel.

 

[JarlFrank]

Arcanum is my favorite RPG of all time, thank you for being a part of it Ed Mortimer!

People always speculated about the mysterious Ed Mortimer because we never knew who wrote which parts of the game, so there was an assumption this mysterious man came up with some of its best parts.
To shed some light on it, which quests and bits of lore did you come up with? You mentioned mostly fleshing out dialogs, but also designing a few quests. Was the infamous Ren'ar siamese twins quest yours, the one with the gnomish conspiracy to breed half-ogres? What about the lore - did you come up with dwarven philosophy of shape and stone? I'm really interested in which parts of the game's quests and setting you developed.

I love the somewhat archaic writing style, it really fits the game and adds a ton of flavor. I'm glad you managed to convince the others to go for it. Sometimes you just have to be persistent

 

[Ed Mortimer]

I don't suppose you can answer the mystery of why Chris Avellone had a street named after him in Arcanum:

Tarant's Rue de Avellone is a short street that leads nowhere, but it does happen to be the location of the game's only brothel.

I do not remember, but the game becomes a part of you, and we all leave a little hint behind to let people know we were there.

 

[Ed Mortimer]

Arcanum is my favorite RPG of all time, thank you for being a part of it Ed Mortimer!

People always speculated about the mysterious Ed Mortimer because we never knew who wrote which parts of the game, so there was an assumption this mysterious man came up with some of its best parts.
To shed some light on it, which quests and bits of lore did you come up with? You mentioned mostly fleshing out dialogs, but also designing a few quests. Was the infamous Ren'ar siamese twins quest yours, the one with the gnomish conspiracy to breed half-ogres? What about the lore - did you come up with dwarven philosophy of shape and stone? I'm really interested in which parts of the game's quests and setting you developed.

I love the somewhat archaic writing style, it really fits the game and adds a ton of flavor. I'm glad you managed to convince the others to go for it. Sometimes you just have to be persistent

My memory really does fail me now. Y'know, I couldn't play the game very long after it was finished because I knew everything. Now, however, it may be time for me to dive back in and have some fun. The best parts are probably Tim's! -- I'm not sure, but all three you mention sound like Tim to me. I did the Orcs in the match factory, and for the life of me can't recall what else except they were basic FedEx quests. I never really got into the groove quest-wise because of the problems I had working remotely, so dialogue is what I did.

 

[NecroLord]

Arcanum is my favorite RPG of all time, thank you for being a part of it Ed Mortimer!

People always speculated about the mysterious Ed Mortimer because we never knew who wrote which parts of the game, so there was an assumption this mysterious man came up with some of its best parts.
To shed some light on it, which quests and bits of lore did you come up with? You mentioned mostly fleshing out dialogs, but also designing a few quests. Was the infamous Ren'ar siamese twins quest yours, the one with the gnomish conspiracy to breed half-ogres? What about the lore - did you come up with dwarven philosophy of shape and stone? I'm really interested in which parts of the game's quests and setting you developed.

I love the somewhat archaic writing style, it really fits the game and adds a ton of flavor. I'm glad you managed to convince the others to go for it. Sometimes you just have to be persistent

My memory really does fail me now. Y'know, I couldn't play the game very long after it was finished because I knew everything. Now, however, it may be time for me to dive back in and have some fun. The best parts are probably Tim's! -- I'm not sure, but all three you mention sound like Tim to me. I did the Orcs in the match factory, and for the life of me can't recall what else except they were basic FedEx quests. I never really got into the groove quest-wise because of the problems I had working remotely, so dialogue is what I did.

Were you the one who did Lukan the Witless enforcing a toll on crossing the Shrouded Hills bridge?
Pretty hilarious dialogue.

 

[Ed Mortimer]

Arcanum is my favorite RPG of all time, thank you for being a part of it Ed Mortimer!

People always speculated about the mysterious Ed Mortimer because we never knew who wrote which parts of the game, so there was an assumption this mysterious man came up with some of its best parts.
To shed some light on it, which quests and bits of lore did you come up with? You mentioned mostly fleshing out dialogs, but also designing a few quests. Was the infamous Ren'ar siamese twins quest yours, the one with the gnomish conspiracy to breed half-ogres? What about the lore - did you come up with dwarven philosophy of shape and stone? I'm really interested in which parts of the game's quests and setting you developed.

I love the somewhat archaic writing style, it really fits the game and adds a ton of flavor. I'm glad you managed to convince the others to go for it. Sometimes you just have to be persistent

My memory really does fail me now. Y'know, I couldn't play the game very long after it was finished because I knew everything. Now, however, it may be time for me to dive back in and have some fun. The best parts are probably Tim's! -- I'm not sure, but all three you mention sound like Tim to me. I did the Orcs in the match factory, and for the life of me can't recall what else except they were basic FedEx quests. I never really got into the groove quest-wise because of the problems I had working remotely, so dialogue is what I did.

Were you the one who did Lukan the Witless enforcing a toll on crossing the Shrouded Hills bridge?
Pretty hilarious dialogue.

I'm sorry, I'd have to see it to remember, but I seem to half-remember working with Lukan was difficult so I'll say it was a team effort.

 

[NecroLord]

Arcanum is my favorite RPG of all time, thank you for being a part of it Ed Mortimer!

People always speculated about the mysterious Ed Mortimer because we never knew who wrote which parts of the game, so there was an assumption this mysterious man came up with some of its best parts.
To shed some light on it, which quests and bits of lore did you come up with? You mentioned mostly fleshing out dialogs, but also designing a few quests. Was the infamous Ren'ar siamese twins quest yours, the one with the gnomish conspiracy to breed half-ogres? What about the lore - did you come up with dwarven philosophy of shape and stone? I'm really interested in which parts of the game's quests and setting you developed.

I love the somewhat archaic writing style, it really fits the game and adds a ton of flavor. I'm glad you managed to convince the others to go for it. Sometimes you just have to be persistent

My memory really does fail me now. Y'know, I couldn't play the game very long after it was finished because I knew everything. Now, however, it may be time for me to dive back in and have some fun. The best parts are probably Tim's! -- I'm not sure, but all three you mention sound like Tim to me. I did the Orcs in the match factory, and for the life of me can't recall what else except they were basic FedEx quests. I never really got into the groove quest-wise because of the problems I had working remotely, so dialogue is what I did.

Were you the one who did Lukan the Witless enforcing a toll on crossing the Shrouded Hills bridge?
Pretty hilarious dialogue.

I'm sorry, I'd have to see it to remember, but I seem to half-remember working with Lukan was difficult so I'll say it was a team effort.

Lukan is a character in Shrouded Hills.
He and his two half-ogre associates are enforcing a toll on anyone who wants to cross the Shrouded Hills Bridge.
The Constable gives you a quest to find a way to get rid of them.

 

[Ed Mortimer]

Were you the one who did Lukan the Witless enforcing a toll on crossing the Shrouded Hills bridge?
Pretty hilarious dialogue.

I'm sorry, I'd have to see it to remember, but I seem to half-remember working with Lukan was difficult so I'll say it was a team effort.

Lukan is a character in Shrouded Hills.
He and his two half-ogre associates are enforcing a toll on anyone who wants to cross the Shrouded Hills Bridge.
The Constable gives you a quest to find a way to get rid of them.

Yes, I half-remember, I can even see Lukan in my memory, but being away from the game for so long I'll have to immerse myself in it and play it in order for the memories to come back. It's all hazy at the moment. In fact -- I'm installing right now.

!!!OMG!!! I forgot how funny it is!

 

[Yoomazir]

What are you up to these days?

 

[Ed Mortimer]

I mod for my own enjoyment -- finishing up one project I was playing and beginning to mod Jagged Alliance 3. i've always been a huge fan of JA2, and I have to 'correct' what they got 'wrong' in JA3

In between I check out older games I missed. I'm retired so I putter about randomly nowadays

 

[sosmoflux]

Sounds absolutely based

 

[Konjad]

Arcanum is my favorite RPG of all time, thank you for being a part of it Ed Mortimer!

Same here

Since I have the chance I'd like to ask you a couple of questions, Ed Mortimer if you don't mind. Forgive me if some of these are obvious, but I haven't worked on making games.

- When the game was being made did you have access to alpha versions or as a writer you rather just had your input and mostly awaited final version?
- Do you have anything related to Arcanum that is not widely available on the Internet? Alpha versions, sketches, perhaps ideas of quests that never went into the game?
- Have you ever had access to the source code?
- Was there a lot of re-making quests and dialogs in Arcanum? I.e. did you go back to a written and implemented quests and decided to rewrite it for any reason?
- Was there a lot of cut content in the final version? What do you remember that was cut?
- Do you remember how much the game changed since the idea was conceived until it was released? Could you share such examples?
- Who came up with the idea of putting smurfs and blind master easter eggs in the game? Was it you?
- Were there any thoughts of a sequel? Did you ever think what could be in it?
- Is there anything related to Arcanum that you think we might find interesting and don't know, be it about the game itself, or about its development?
- What do you think is your greatest achievement and disappointment when it comes to Arcanum?
- What are your favorite RPGs?

No need to answer all the questions (or any) if you don't want to, but I'm curious.

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

Wow I can't believe the Codex somehow got one of the Arcanum writers posting here since years ago, and he's modding too!
This is a historical moment of the Codex.

 

[Cogemesiter]

What a cool thread.

 

[Ed Mortimer]

Arcanum is my favorite RPG of all time, thank you for being a part of it Ed Mortimer!

Same here

Since I have the chance I'd like to ask you a couple of questions, Ed Mortimer if you don't mind. Forgive me if some of these are obvious, but I haven't worked on making games.

- When the game was being made did you have access to alpha versions or as a writer you rather just had your input and mostly awaited final version?
- Do you have anything related to Arcanum that is not widely available on the Internet? Alpha versions, sketches, perhaps ideas of quests that never went into the game?
- Have you ever had access to the source code?
- Was there a lot of re-making quests and dialogs in Arcanum? I.e. did you go back to a written and implemented quests and decided to rewrite it for any reason?
- Was there a lot of cut content in the final version? What do you remember that was cut?
- Do you remember how much the game changed since the idea was conceived until it was released? Could you share such examples?
- Who came up with the idea of putting smurfs and blind master easter eggs in the game? Was it you?
- Were there any thoughts of a sequel? Did you ever think what could be in it?
- Is there anything related to Arcanum that you think we might find interesting and don't know, be it about the game itself, or about its development?
- What do you think is your greatest achievement and disappointment when it comes to Arcanum?
- What are your favorite RPGs?

No need to answer all the questions (or any) if you don't want to, but I'm curious.

Well, if I still have the CDs somewhere (it's a possibility), then I have all the in-house tools I needed to do my job, and probably other stuff as well, like graphics and audio. I also had every important alpha/beta version. However, I would not release anything unless they were in the public domain, or I had permission (which, from back then, I don't). I had as much access to code and tools as I needed, but I was not a programmer. I've always fiddled with and tweaked code since i was 16 yr old, but not since BASIC became obsolete have I been a programmer! LOL.

Easter Eggs are a tradition, and Tim encouraged us to put ourselves into the game -- and some of that ended up as Easter Eggs & Such. I don't remember, atm, who did what in that regard.

Tim wanted Arcanum to be a truly open world where you could adventure for a very long time. Time and money constraints from the producers made it impossible to do everything Tim wanted, so, yes, there was content that never made it into production. I can't speak to what exactly, not being there on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. I just know some general stuff from conversations I had back then with Tim.

My greatest disappointment is not doing more. A sequel? More adventures/quests/stories, surely, what we would call DLCs nowadays, but I don't know otherwise.

As far as re-writing -- yeah, I rewrite my stuff all the time. The more I think about something, the more I tweak it. That's why I like modding.

ToEE and JA2 are my all time favorites.