Arcanum First time Arcanum player, need some general guidance

[Bester]

And? I bet you're not even an apprentice in lockpicking.

I raised Pick Lock TWICE and got an apprentice rank

The question is, are you apprentice at reading or not? Need a trainer?

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

And? I bet you're not even an apprentice in lockpicking.

I raised Pick Lock TWICE and got an apprentice rank

Well, my bad. But shocking suggestion: maybe the barrel has a higher level requirement.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

The question is, are you apprentice at reading or not? Need a trainer?

Forgive me for not committing your newb tears post to memory after reading it and answering your questions.

You hadn't figured out the magic power thing despite reading the manual, so I assumed it was you that had the low reading level, boyo, and probably wouldn't get even apprentice level.

Do you really need to be able to pick every lock in a given area?

Level scaling really has spoiled you.

 

[Bester]

Forgive me for not committing your newb tears

boyo

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Is that supposed to mean something?

Guy comes in here asking for advice, gets it and starts lashing out at the guy who gave it.

Kids these days, I tell ye.

btw:

I went to elven ruins. There are 6th level zombies and a locked chest. Sure as fuck I can't pick it either after save scamming for 10 minutes straight.

look, you need to level up more and increase your skills.

but since you're resorting to save scumming and flipping out over barrels, just play a magic dweeb the first time and enjoy the game on easy mode.

the unlock cantrip unlocks everything in the game, harm kills almost everything in the game and teleport makes up for the fact that you can't use the train.

Or just ragequit like a faggot. Up to you.

 

[Bester]

Is that supposed to mean something?

Guy comes in here asking for advice, gets it and starts lashing out at the guy who gave it.

Kids these days, I tell ye.

More like, I asked for advice, you started lashing out at me for discussing what you said. Did you take offense at the post about reading? For real?

but since you're resorting to save scumming and flipping out over barrels, just play a magic dweeb the first time and enjoy the game on easy mode.

I'm doing it the right way this time. First playthrough was with magic 15 years ago in real time. Now it's TB time with guns. Am getting my ass kicked, so I asked for advice. How newb of me, lol. How about you ragequit the forums instead.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

More like, I asked for advice, you started lashing out at me for discussing what you said. Did you take offense at the post about reading? For real?

nope. calling you boyo etc, it should be obvious that I'm not exactly writing this in a serious way.

but then it's 4:45 am in russia, so maybe my inner asshole is seeping through more than I mean it to.

I'm doing it the right way this time. First playthrough was with magic 15 years ago in real time. Now it's TB time with guns. Am getting my ass kicked, so I asked for advice. How newb of me, lol. How about you ragequit the forums instead.

yeah, 15 years of coming here and this convo is what will do it for me, lol

This is because I called you a Belgian waffle in the other thread, isn't it?

 

[Egosphere]

So, a few questions...


3. Iron Ore golem in Black Rock Mountain is unbeatable. Had to retreat. Any tips?

Get un-breakable weapons for your followers, like the Pyrotechnic Axe ( can be crafted from the dwarven axe and fuel, if I remember right ), or the various gauntlets. You can cheese the golems in real time combat by running away from them/ running around them in circles so that they follow you whilst your companions get free hits in. Get the dog in Ashbury as your companion if you're still finding it tough. Once you get down to the level with the traps, there's an easy way to get past them if you activate the trap related scroll and then switch on turn based combat. You'll lose the your energy with each turn, but the scroll will last a lot longer than what it would in real time, so you'd need only 1 or 2 to get to the very end.

 

[Shadenuat]

Jayna levels up a lot of stuff, including actual Healing skill, so if you put bandages in her inventory she'll heal you automatically with them. She will burn through them quickly though.

Don't bother with Lockpicking without Expert + Skeleton key.

Golem you can just run past through. Arcanum doesn't have "you must gather your party to venture forth", you can blitz through all levels&enemies in TB mode even without stealth by drinking haste potion if you want.

 

[Citizen]

just play a MOLOTOV-TOSSING ARACHNID-CONTROLLING DEATHMACHINE the first time and enjoy the game on easy mode.

Fixed.

 

[Anomander Rake]

I've got a question, knowing that I will be probably be criticized for it: why does everyone suggest playing in turn mode instead of real time?

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Actually Arcanum is supposed to be disbalanced but with tech stronger than magic so I wonder how Sawyer would be able to cope with this basic premise of the game.

Josh Sawyer hates interesting, fun, and flexible magic systems, so I imagine he might be able to make an exception.

Just this once.

Yes but there's no reason magic couldn't do those (massive armies, populations etc) too. Transportation for example, even more efficiently. I can't remember where it was but somewhere in the game it's suggested that the prevalence of either tech or magic, is periodic. Something about the world passing through some kind of "fields" or dimensions in periodic intervals. So the current state has less to do with Tarrant ingeniously applying tech but more just being technology's "due time". Bates's engine could be just a coincidence and at another time it might've simply not worked.

The dichotomy struck in Arcanum is that magic is extraordinary and fantastical, but fickle and inconsistent. Technology is consistent and reproducible, if more restrained. The game does state that they balance is cyclical.

Spoiler

Those desolate wastes (Vendigroth?) that you go towards the end of game was a technological marvel (flying cars), but was destroyed by a single wizard. If I remember correctly.

In the game, it's both "due time" in that the magical world has grown stagnant, and the emergence of the steam engine catalyses the new cycle.

 

[Average Manatee]

I've got a question, knowing that I will be probably be criticized for it: why does everyone suggest playing in turn mode instead of real time?

Lots of things are rather borked in real time. For example, the speed at which you are allowed to cast spells is as fast as you can click, so theoretically you could have an autoclicker that let you spam 60 harms a second (or whatever the rate Arcanum handles mouse clicks). The weapon speed isn't consistent with turn based either, though this is arguably better balanced (the "balanced" sword can attack around 30x faster than most enemies in turn based, in real time the gap is way lower).

That said I totally go real time for 80% of the game if playing with a big party that is going to just mop everything up anyway.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

For example, the speed at which you are allowed to cast spells is as fast as you can click, so theoretically you could have an autoclicker that let you spam 60 harms a second (or whatever the rate Arcanum handles mouse clicks).

lol, I didn't even know this.

 

[Nutria]

What happens if I dismiss a follower? Can I hire them again? Do they still gain levels when they're not in the party?

Poor Sogg Mead Mug. I gave him a magical greatsword and in our first encounter, he critically missed and managed to one-shot himself.

 

[Bester]

What happens if I dismiss a follower? Can I hire them again?

Yes.

Poor Sogg Mead Mug. I gave him a magical greatsword and in our first encounter, he critically missed and managed to one-shot himself.

This. I have no idea why they equip shit that they can't handle. I gave Virgin some two-handed sword, and he's got some points in melee, he's supposed to be able to handle it. But he cant', he critically misses all the time and I don't even know why. I suspect there's some strength prerequisite, but I can't find it. The game is very lacking in explanations.

 

[Average Manatee]

What happens if I dismiss a follower? Can I hire them again? Do they still gain levels when they're not in the party?.

Yes, but bear in mind that there are several times in which followers are added above the natural follower cap. If you dismiss someone you won't be able to pick them up again because they'll be checked against the follower cap during the normal re-join dialog.

Followers don't gain levels when outside the party.

This. I have no idea why they equip shit that they can't handle. I gave Virgin some two-handed sword, and he's got some points in melee, he's supposed to be able to handle it. But he cant', he critically misses all the time and I don't even know why. I suspect there's some strength prerequisite, but I can't find it. The game is very lacking in explanations.

You can always check their accuracy with whatever weapon they have in their inventory. If they've equipped something really dumb you'll see a sub-50% hit rate. Well, starting characters usually have roughly 50% hit rate when they are at melee skill 1, but if they are at melee 3 or 4 (which most get fairly quickly), they should be around 70-90% accuracy if holding an appropriate weapon.

Unfortunately you can only see the strength requirement of a weapon if you equip it yourself and don't have enough strength.

 

[Ninjerk]

What happens if I dismiss a follower? Can I hire them again?

Yes.

Poor Sogg Mead Mug. I gave him a magical greatsword and in our first encounter, he critically missed and managed to one-shot himself.

This. I have no idea why they equip shit that they can't handle. I gave Virgin some two-handed sword, and he's got some points in melee, he's supposed to be able to handle it. But he cant', he critically misses all the time and I don't even know why. I suspect there's some strength prerequisite, but I can't find it. The game is very lacking in explanations.

I think they're in the manual (although some of the critical failures are really... something, like being able to destroy all of your ammunition at once).

 

[Nutria]

I'm remembering now why I never finished this before. It sucks ass has some serious rough edges.

Like you guys say, it doesn't really matter how you build your character since you'll be way overpowered for most of the game no matter what. Except that's only true for 99% of the game. There's about 5 fights that actually are extremely challenging, and it's clearly because they're broken in way that makes them harder instead of broken in a way that makes them easier. Obviously there's the ore golems in the Black Mountain Mine. That's pretty infuriating. But then I get to the third Stringy Pete quest and I run into a situation where there's a powerful group of enemies who are good-aligned and aren't hostile until they see me. So if I throw a grenade at them, everyone in my party acts like I just blew up Mother Theresa. And if I throw a second grenade they get even more pissed. And then there's the broken fight where you're supposed to help Virgin get out of his basement, but maybe they were trying to make a political statement about NEETs there.

Most of the time I've spent playing the game has been repeatedly trying to get through those few fights or endlessly clicking to get my guys from one part of town to another. Oh yeah, and quitting the game to go look at the wiki because the thing/person I'm looking for doesn't stand out against the background so I can't find it. I love the setting and I like the story, so I want to finish it, but the actual experience of playing the game is like having a root canal up my urethra.

The magic vs. technology thing is brilliant as far as the story goes, but the way they implemented it in gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. I intended to play as a tech/guns/persuasion character, but I had to put points into melee in order to survive early on. Later on I find some schematics that presumably would give me extremely powerful items, but I need to have just the right combination of tech skills to use them. The problem is, I had no incentive to level up in tech until then. In fact, it's just the opposite. Using tech makes it harder for mages to heal you, and magical healers are vastly superior to tech. The only way tech might help you is if you cheat and look up what the powerful late-game schematics are, pick out one of them, and then spend level after level putting your points into achieving just the right combination of skills for it.

Oh yeah, and I know that level-scaling is dear to your hearts here, so I hope it won't break any when I tell you that there is level-scaling in this game. When you're past level 30, three pitiful orc bandits appear in random encounters instead of just two. So apparently the designers didn't have any philosophical objection to level-scaling, they just ran out of money and had to ship the game before they could implement it properly.

Anyway, I've almost completed the game, but I got triggered a little too much:

Spoiler

I got Arronax in my party! Fuck yeah! He's practically a god! He's... running up to the enemy and punching them and getting killed in one turn.

There's aspects of this game that have hardly even been matched before or since. But damn, it really would have benefited from a lot more time in QA.

 

[Tito Anic]

Just pick character and have fun, that is all you need to know.

 

[Tigranes]

Obviously there's the ore golems in the Black Mountain Mine. That's pretty infuriating.

People keep saying this, but no, that's not true. It's sort of like playing POE1 while completely and utterly ignoring all enemy resistances or the defence system or other main rules, and then complaining the ghosts beneath Gilded Vale are fucked up.

You see a big stone golem. You hit it, it does jack shit damage and your weapon keeps breaking. It's a big fucker made of fucking stone. It is a melee only enemy. You fucking figure out the rest, it's a game with molotov cocktails, guns, pyrotechnic axes and magic spells.

The only way tech might help you is if you cheat and look up what the powerful late-game schematics are

But (1) you get a fuckload of XP=levels=points, (2) companions can also help you craft stuff, (3) you don't have to be able to craft every late-game thing. Unless you spent everything up to like level 20 on non-tech and now you want to be good at tech? Anyway, early investment in tech can actually be really useful, like starting Shrouded Hills by crafting a dozen molotov cocktails, or going for a Healing Jacket or an Arachnid summon thing, or Balanced Fucking Swords. I mean, if you're going to invest in melee early on, you know you're going for tech later, the level up screen tells you how you can invest for balanced swords...

Oh yeah, and quitting the game to go look at the wiki because the thing/person I'm looking for doesn't stand out against the background so I can't find it.

Never had this problem. I would actually sympathise a little bit in FO1/2, where half the shit you're looking for is behind a roof.

Arcanum has a more rough edges than most games have features, but these are some weird things to pick on.

 

[Nutria]

It's sort of like playing POE1 while completely and utterly ignoring all enemy resistances or the defence system or other main rules

I've heard that there's a spell that reveals what resistances the enemies have, but since I went tech, I don't have that.

it's a game with molotov cocktails, guns, pyrotechnic axes and magic spells

Molotov cocktails work for one round before the rest of my party engages. In fact, that's a fundamental problem with the game. Every enemy I've ever encountered reaches melee range within one round, so there's little reason to use explosives and none to use ranged weapons. Pyrotechnic axes would be useful if I planned my whole character around building them from the start and looked up on the internet where to find oak axe handles. And I've got no spells since I was intending to play a tech character and my magician followers just want to get into the ring and demonstrate their boxing abilities.

(2) companions can also help you craft stuff

But since all the good schematics require you to know two schools of tech, you have to find just the right guy who's got those. I'd just like to have one of the late-game schematics be something that I or one of my followers can actually make.

Balanced Fucking Swords

These got me through 99% of the combat in the game. Just give one to Chukka and he'll cut through everything until he runs into something magical like an ore golem, a seething mass, or whatever the 3rd enemy in the game that's actually a challenge is.

Anyway, I've always liked this game, but the way that the Codex praises it sounds like Stockholm Syndrome to me. I come here because you guys will tell the honest, brutal truth that nobody else will, not to hear fanboys pretend that their favorite game is flawless.

 

[Shadenuat]

Arcanum is far from flawless but rock golems being tough to beat up with a dagger is the least of its problems. There are so many ways around any enemy (and really, anything in the world) in Arcanum that at that point BMC and golems are more like an idiot detector.

codexer goes into game and it's like

hurr game is easy
what a retarded gaem
oh wow BMC mines
I die to golems dudes,
this game is so shit and unbalanced I guess, Harm spamming is the only way in this dumb game

run, shitty players
run

 

[Tigranes]

Look, people have greatly enjoyed long-range shooting shit, casting spells on things, or, if you're me, getting by early levels almost exclusively by molotoving everybody, for decades. If you think explosives/ranged are useless, you really need to step back and wonder what you're missing. (Some of it does have to do with the realtime/turnbased fuckery; you quickly find which mode makes most sense for your character in terms of combat advantages but also for reducing frustration.)

You keep making it sound like crafting shit is really really obscure, but it's not. You find oak handles in stores a fair amount of the time. The first time I played Arcanum, once I realised how crafting works, I'd check shops and containers and always hoard things I thought might be useful later. (The one thing I would really want is an easy stash mod.) And all this fake news about 'building my whole character' around - seriously, feather-weight axes can also be found in the world, and you can even get Magnus to craft one for you. He can even craft balanced swords! There's many ways to get to where you want to be, and given you can easily get to level 50 in this game, ~5 skill point investment is not a lot, either.

I come here because you guys will tell the honest, brutal truth that nobody else will, not to hear fanboys pretend that their favorite game is flawless.

There are about 8 million posts in the Codex about Arcanum's flaws. Nobody will tell you that Arcanum is a very polished game. For god's sake, its entire combat system stands on a broken RT/TB switch system. But, here's the honest, brutal truth, and I say it with zero malice - your criticisms are just way off the mark, and you just need to explore the game more.

 

[Modron]

I am amazed at the number of Arcanum players who only stick to melee, firearms, or magic. Hell one little throwing weapon is usually enough to take care of BMC golems with any decent speed as they don't get damaged. I mean shit both archery and throwing can be every bit as OP as melee but no one ever seems to discuss them. All these tech aligned people complaining about damage to gear when fighting the golems seem to avoid the repair skill or making arachnids or automatons.

Maybe I am completely just remembering shit incorrectly but I could have sworn at high magic aptitude arcane weapons didn't even get damaged when attacking golems (it's been too long since my last Arcanum play through waiting for that UAP 2.0 patch).