Arcanum Arcanum Multiverse Edition

[Macbeth]

1. How hard would it be to double the racism of all the races? The little chart Drog posted some pages back, how hard or easy would it be to simply double all those values?

What about doubling the racism scale? I'm sure the Codex would love that. And it would make Beauty much less of a dump stat.

What exactly do you mean?

 

[Master]

And one more thing.

Arcanum actually has a racism mechanic hidden under the hood.

Basically, NPCs will have different reaction modifiers depending on what race is the PC and what race is the NPC themselves.

I've made a handy table for this:

So for example, a PC Gnome will get -10 reaction from an NPC Half Orc.

Now you might ask, what about PC Dark Elves, Ogres and Orcs? Well, since they weren't supposed to be playable originally, there's no NPC race based reaction modifiers for them. At first I just redirected their reaction modifiers to Elves, Half Ogres and Half Orcs, but that was boring. So I made the effort to expand this curious function in the code and here's their current modifiers, all my work:

Dark Elves: 5, -10, -10, 0, 0, 20, -15, -15, 20, -20, -40
Ogres: -10, -25, -15, -10, 5, -10, -5, -5, -40, 0, 0
Orcs: -10, -15, -15, -10, -10, -10, 15, 0, -40, 10, 20

Basically I took inspiration from their brethren races reaction modifiers and also from lore (like Dwarves having immense hate for Ogres, since both live in the mountains and tend to have turf wars). Orcs and (Dark) Elves are also known to hate each other.

This. Can the negative numbers be simply doubled, so that for example a Gnome gets -20 reaction from a Half Orc instead of -10, a Dwarf gets -40 instead of -20 from an Elf etc. This would basically "fix" Beauty and people could stop bitching about it being a dump stat. Plus it would emphasize Arcanums conflicting world more.

 

[Macbeth]

Curious. We'll think about that.

 

[Master]

Ok.

 

[agris]

That actually sounds really interesting - giving mechanistic importance to one of the core pieces of lore about the world. Good suggestion Master

 

[Master]

We must all contribute so the Great Work can be compleated...

:chanting:

 

[deama]

Try not to balance it too strictly, don't wanna make another pillars...
Though I do agree with the reaction idea. I would still like to see more features for Beauty though, e.g. if beauty is at 20 or above, then it would add in a 10% flat discount for anyone with 100+ reaction? How hard would this be to implement even?

 

[Goral]

When I got the alert and saw your (thumbnail) avatar I thought you were Drog...

I wish he would finish his UAP 2.0.

 

[Endarire]

Does the Multiverse Edition have any items that allow tech-based teleportation or/and invisibility?

 

[Master]

Yeah, they added an item called train. You can craft it with 1000 railroad spikes and a steam engine. But it cant teleport everywhere, because of balance.

Spoiler

Sorry. No theres no tech teleport, afaik

 

[Macbeth]

Does the Multiverse Edition have any items that allow tech-based teleportation or/and invisibility?

No, right now no. Maybe we'll think about invisibility cloak or something like this, but it will cost a lot for the player (price of ownership)...
For example, incredible consuming of batteries, diarrhea and problems with potency for the character. Will you use such stuff?

 

[Elex]

Yeah, they added an item called train. You can craft it with 1000 railroad spikes and a steam engine. But it cant teleport everywhere, because of balance.

Spoiler

Sorry. No theres no tech teleport, afaik

what about a zeppelin?

 

[deama]

Yeah, they added an item called train. You can craft it with 1000 railroad spikes and a steam engine. But it cant teleport everywhere, because of balance.

Spoiler

Sorry. No theres no tech teleport, afaik

what about a zeppelin?

Oh man yeah, definitely a zeppelin, that would be great!

 

[agris]

Does the Multiverse Edition have any items that allow tech-based teleportation or/and invisibility?

No, right now no. Maybe we'll think about invisibility cloak or something like this, but it will cost a lot for the player (price of ownership)...
For example, incredible consuming of batteries, diarrhea and problems with potency for the character. Will you use such stuff?

Macbeth, don't go down that route. That's the route of the

modder. Tech users should be different than magic users, not have parallel access to the same abilities. No teleport and no invisibility, please.

 

[deama]

Does the Multiverse Edition have any items that allow tech-based teleportation or/and invisibility?

No, right now no. Maybe we'll think about invisibility cloak or something like this, but it will cost a lot for the player (price of ownership)...
For example, incredible consuming of batteries, diarrhea and problems with potency for the character. Will you use such stuff?

Macbeth, don't go down that route. That's the route of the

modder. Tech users should be different than magic users, not have parallel access to the same abilities. No teleport and no invisibility, please.

But what could be the alternative then? Or do you think Techies should not be able to have a "fast travel" option?
I'm not really concerned about balance here, it's just kinda kinda annoying to travel around the map late game? At least have an option to get some boots of super speed or that don't make you as tired so you can at least increase the movement speed on the map by about 25%-40%.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Trains and ships. Those are your fast travel options.

 

[Modron]

Does the Multiverse Edition have any items that allow tech-based teleportation or/and invisibility?

Well there is that staff in the base game that lets you teleport. If you want another mode of conveyance maybe you could try Chris Beddoes Carcanum http://www.terra-arcanum.com/downloads/arcanum/hacks/polished_CARCANUM.zip, it added limited teleportation by making the gods' shrines act as teleports IIRC. Although I am not sure his mod works with the unofficial patch or this version.

 

[Endarire]

A friend who got me back into Arcanum insisted I play a melee tech character. Melee has worked well so far (after many test characters to better understand the game's mechanics), but I've been disappointed overall at tech compared to magic. To me, magic had the convenience of simply learning spells by leveling and casting them. Knowing more spells made all my spells better. Tech characters are more like playing Minecraft: They're more item-based, and having a dedicated crafting companion or two means the main character need not invest any points in tech skills while the party can benefit from the crafters' items. (There are also the matters of dumpster diving for crafting materials and 'vendor rolling' for other tech items/materials.) I also have used the Follower Editor, meaning any companion who can craft anything normally (like Jayna) can be, with enough levels, customized to craft any craftable items.

I've played Arcanum with various characters in previous years, but never finished it and purposely avoided story spoiilers and started with a tech character (Dwarf gunner) who had trouble hitting stuff. He played probably halfway through the main story before I changed computers. About 4 years ago, I started a Halfling Thrower who likely made similar progress, but who focused on casting more.

These are some effects I'd like to have in easy-to-use tech-based versions:
-Item identification. Perhaps an Artificer's Monocle that requires an hour or so to identify things.

-Heat Ray/Freeze Ray: A 'Helios' Laser that deals fire damage seems interesting. A freeze gun that deals cold damage may also be worthwhile.

-Mind Control: It's a common thing to see the "Mad Doctor X" use some sort of mind control device (perhaps a helmet or powder or ray) to get minions, however short-term.

-Invisibility: Scientists are working in the real world to perfect invisibility items. Perhaps make the item drain the wearer's stamina due to heating or somesuch.

-More reason to invest points in tech skills to boost tech affinity. Since other characters can learn schematics and make tech items and since so many tech items can be bought, stolen, or found with 0 character point investmentment, I felt dissuaded from focusing on this on the main character. Perhaps add some self-only high-end schematics/items for techies.

 

[Modron]

-More reason to invest points in tech skills to boost tech affinity. Since other characters can learn schematics and make tech items and since so many tech items can be bought, stolen, or found with 0 character point investmentment, I felt dissuaded from focusing on this on the main character. Perhaps add some self-only high-end schematics/items for techies.

You don't get the full benefit of tech items from low affinity, stuff like the charged ring only gives +1 instead of +2 to its stat at lower to zero affinity, I am pretty sure most other tech items work like that as well (basically the same as magic items giving only a percentage of their bonuses to low magic characters). So even if you don't want to learn tech colleges on your main it is still worthwhile to invest in tech aligned skills like repair or whatever of those skills that raises affinity. Plus learning the tech crafting skills gives you access to found schematics companions can't learn.

Edit: Also at really high affinity, magic just ceases to work on you and harmful and positive spells alike just fizzle regularly.

 

[razvedchiki]

so i went in for another replay but i cant find the config exe only the game exe,should i reinstall?

 

[Macbeth]

Drog has given us a clue how to implement racism. But probably we'll change reaction a bit. Elves and dark elves hate each other. And humans don't know about existance of dark elves. Why should they hate them apriory?
Anyway, we're still deciding.

so i went in for another replay but i cant find the config exe only the game exe,should i reinstall?

Yes. It MUST be there.

 

[razvedchiki]

is it possible to change the explosives so that they do dmg to the player and his allies when thrown?currently you can throw them under your feet without any dmg.

 

[Master]

Drog has given us a clue how to implement racism. But probably we'll change reaction a bit. Elves and dark elves hate each other. And humans don't know about existance of dark elves. Why should they hate them apriory?
Anyway, we're still deciding.

Excellent news Macbeth! And what about the player having the first turn in combat, could this be done too? That change is key to make the game work as devs intended... Combined with these other changes implemented it would make Arcanum better than Fallout itself!

 

[Anomander Rake]

A friend who got me back into Arcanum insisted I play a melee tech character. Melee has worked well so far (after many test characters to better understand the game's mechanics), but I've been disappointed overall at tech compared to magic.

To me the real weakness is that you are basically weaker by going melee tech with most of the races, instead of going magic melee.
E.g: ogre; I can do a magic ogre with no issues, while I have to suffer an autistic background if I have to play a tech one.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

It depends. Tech Melee have several of the best weapons in the entire game though. Just have to find the schematics for them. Or find the weapon itself.
Examples: Balanced Sword, Featherweight Axe, Pyrotechnic Axe, Iron Clan Hammer.

One of my favorite neutral weapons: Barbarian heavy blade. Truly a badass weapon with great speed and fantastic damage.