Butthurt Arcanum Vs Fallout.

[Diggfinger]

Difficult question. It's like asking which one of your nuts you prefer.

Fallout has a very coherent world, and a very well-done, stable combat system. Admitted, newer games have had more complexity, but I can still totally loose myself in completely in its world.

Arcanum on the other hand, is unfortunately very sluggish regarding combat. While I enjoy the real-time options for quick fights later in the game (half-orc, I'm looking at you!) the turn-based option was never that satisfying. Everything happens too fast and chaotically.
On the other hand, Arcanum IMO has the coolest setting in ANY RPG ever - period. The victorian style magic meets industrial age is just brilliant. Also, there is some SERIOUS role-playing to be done here. The world is huge, and tree are literally dozens of play styles possible. Two games will never look alike.

If I had to choose I would probably rate Fallout as #1 and Arcanum and #1,5….

 

[Darkzone]

Fallout vs Arcanum. Fallout is more complete game and therefore i would state Fallout is the better game. But Arcanum has a very interesting setting: Magic vs Sciences, Spells vs Tools.
(And what i cannot understand is why Obsidian is not making a sequel to Arcanum.)

Because someone has the rights - I think its Activision if I remember rght.

IIRC Sierra is owned by Activision, so yeah, if that's the case, the future of Arcanum is in the hands of Bobby Kotick.

They could make a "spiritual" successor or pull of a Fargo, like Fargo did with EA. Arcanum is currently a worthless IP and for a few bucks or a good arrangement they could get the IP. If there is a will, then there is always a way.

 

[Irenaeus II]

Arcanum is currently a worthless IP and for a few bucks or a good arrangement they could get the IP.

I'd bet that whatever are the lyzard people who control Activision, they would want less competition in vidya gaymes. The less people know there's an option to juvenile playthings by Activion, the better, in their opinion. Thus, they'll hold Arcanum IP like a precious ring.

 

[Menckenstein]

Nothing in Arcanum comes anywhere fucking close to the first time you enter and explore Vault 15.

 

[A user named cat]

Not going to attempt to argue which is the better game or why my opinion would mean jack shit but I enjoyed playing through Arcanum much more than FO 1. Of course Planescape is still leagues better than both and that is non-negotiable.

 

[hpstg]

I know that Arcanum has the more unique setting, but it never managed to draw me in like Fallout 1 did. I have finished both more than once, I see what they were trying to do, but... I would pay serious money for a game with Fallout 1's tone/vibe.

 

[MaskedMartyr]

If the dungeons in Arcanum weren't such a god damn drag I would rate it above fallout. They're both good RPGs storywise though. At times I would just run through the dungeons in Arcanum on real time mode. In fact I skipped every combat encounter I could at the end of Arcanum. I almost want to do it legit but then I realize I'd have to hold the same standard for the rest of the menial dungeons. Or not, thats a stupid idea.

the real question to put this thread to bed is what would todd howard do with arcanum

 

[MWaser]

the real question to put this thread to bed is what would todd howard do with arcanum

Oblivion with guns, even more literally.

 

[veevoir]

the real question to put this thread to bed is what would todd howard do with arcanum

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[an Administrator]

the real question to put this thread to bed is what would todd howard do with arcanum

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[veevoir]

the real question to put this thread to bed is what would todd howard do with arcanum

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Convince M$/Sony to add 5th button to the controller, we'll think about it. Or we can upgrade the dialog to:

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I think one thing Beth woulnd't touch in Arcanum is combat, except maybe disable turrn based. Real-time is up to Bethesda standards >.>

 

[MWaser]

I think one thing Beth woulnd't touch in Arcanum is combat, except maybe disable turrn based. Real-time is up to Bethesda standards >.>

Magical chronomancy equivalent of VATS for casting spells and steampunk VATS with clunky cogworks sound effects with guns.

 

[Sykar]

I enjoyed playing a mage. My first character was a half-elf with the Lady's Man trait, focused on charisma and magic skills. I could talk my way through almost anything, and when I that failed, I had a small army of schmucks willing to wade into combat for me while I kept my distance.

While there is nothing wrong with playing a mage, a Technologist gives you a lot more to do. The things that you pick up can all be used for different schematics and items, you create one item to use in the creation of another. It blends perfectly and everything you pick up can be used, you can also sell these things so just by scavenging trash cans in Tarant you can equip your party with awesome gear, or sell the gear to get a ton of money. You're able to pick up unique schematics outside in the world, some are really powerful and others are fun and entertaining. You need to put points into specific technology branches to get different things, no branch is useless, you also need to mix them to gain the most powerful items.

10 in explosives, 20 in smith -> Pyrotechnic axe. (which will be able to carry you through the entire game, you can get it 40 minutes into the game if you want to).

You can buy tomes from a trader in Tarant, to help increase some of these these technology branches (when you hold them in your inventory, you get a bonus equal to your intellect). So if you don't feel like getting 10 in explosives for the axe, you can buy a tome and if you have 10 intelligence, you're able to make it anyway.

The technology followers are also some of the best and most interesting, because you can have them craft items for you. So if you're after a certain thing, you might be able to have your followers craft parts of it, so you don't have to put points into that branch.

You're only touching 60% of the game when you play as a mage, they made crafting in Arcanum into something amazing.

It was a big mistake that you could directly buy spells via skill points. Instead they should have just increased your proficiency level in each school and then give books or scrolls to learn spells from and for the higher level you had to do research yourself finding ingredients or somesuch. That would have been a lot better and satisfying.

 

[hpstg]

Convince M$/Sony to add 5th button to the controller

Imagine what they would have to do with a Mega Drive control pad.

Yes
Sarcastic Yes
No
Sarcastic No
Maybe (Yes)
Sarcastic Maybe (No)

Those two extra buttons would break the industry just with the VO costs.

 

[Irenaeus II]

Just repeat the Yes/No voiced answers accross the board and put an [ironic] tag in subtitles where convenient.

 

[Menckenstein]

"I'm looking for P. Schuyler, undead guy. Maybe you've seen him?"

 

[skyst]

Fallout is actually a complete game and the clear winner. Arcanum has flashes of brilliance but, as has been said much before, is dragged down by the dreadful dungeons and combat.

 

[Stormcrowfleet]

I voted Fallout because of the status of the game: it was able to achieved what it tried to do. And what it tried to do is a freakin' good cRPG. Even if I didn't do that much playthrough of FO compared to other games, it's still for me one of the best game ever.

But still, I really liked Arcanum and both the world building and the ideas behind the system were fantastic. I should try one day not doing an easy-mode playthrough (i.e. magic).

 

[Mangoose]

"Arcanum vs. Fallout which is better and why? Discuss!"

fixt

 

[JRIz]

Arcanum's main quest stands out much better than Fallout's.

Fallout has locations that have nothing to do with your search for the water chip or later the master. For example, it doesn't seem sensible to spend time helping Killian Darkwater despite already having asked him about the chip given the all the urgency of your quest. You might say it's better design to just give the player a general direction without explicitly naming the places he has to visit since it gives explorationfags the freedom they want. But this doesn't change the fact that the second part of Fallout's main quest is more or less tacked on. Without much of a transition, or explanation other than “the data you gathered show some anomalies”, you are sent on to another, unrelated quest.

Arcanum on the other hand manages to reveal its world step for step as you progress in its main quest while also keeping a sense of urgency, and while dropping enough side content along the way to not feel too railroaded. I mean, it has this big-ass Tarant, but you know you have to bore around in it to find the owner of the ring and Joachim so you can perhaps stop the Molochean Hand people from trying to kill you. Every side quest you do in Tarant feels naturally integrated, and not completely separate like some of Fallout's content. Of course, the brilliance of Tarant makes the contrast even greater when Arcanum drops the ball with its Stillwater Giant quest among others.

 

[bloodlover]

It was a big mistake that you could directly buy spells via skill points. Instead they should have just increased your proficiency level in each school and then give books or scrolls to learn spells from and for the higher level you had to do research yourself finding ingredients or somesuch. That would have been a lot better and satisfying.

I agree completely. I finished the game as a mage and facerolled the game from the start. The progression was never felt since I kept spamming the same spells over and over again and the fact that you can just learn them gives no enjoyment. There's no anticipation for armors, weapons, stats and items in general as a mage since it's a walk in the park even without them.

I assume magic was supposed to be different in the game but for some reason this is the final product.

 

[Snufkin]

If you guys want best experience when playing Arcanum, then Drog backstabber build ( few post above ) with plenty of exit scrolls and conveyance spell tree makes dungeons much less frustrating. In fact, when you reach 50 level you are not only combat god but can also have enough skills to do all thief guild quests and enough charisma and persuasion to talk final boss down.

 

[Average Manatee]

Hey Drog Black Tooth, was messing around with builds today planning for a Tech character. In your opinion is it intentional that buff spells seem to work 100% for tech characters? Does the engine not support buffs that weaken/strengthen based on the tech aptitude of a character or was it an oversight by Troika?

Seems incredibly overpowered and completely puts to rest the crap that tech (= high INT) builds are weak. 20 INT effectively gives you 20 extra points to distribute and reconfigure between all of your physical stats whenever you want, on top of already giving your party charged rings for +4 DEX each. Get a whole party of 20 DEX characters around Tarant, later when you need less buffs spells to hit 20 DEX for 25 speed you start hasting people to put them at 50 speed.

Also, anyone aware of other powerful spells that work fine with Tech characters?

 

[Beastro]

Arcanum's main quest stands out much better than Fallout's.

Fallout has locations that have nothing to do with your search for the water chip or later the master. For example, it doesn't seem sensible to spend time helping Killian Darkwater despite already having asked him about the chip given the all the urgency of your quest. You might say it's better design to just give the player a general direction without explicitly naming the places he has to visit since it gives explorationfags the freedom they want. But this doesn't change the fact that the second part of Fallout's main quest is more or less tacked on. Without much of a transition, or explanation other than “the data you gathered show some anomalies”, you are sent on to another, unrelated quest.

The main quest is merely a pretext to sent up you leaving the Vault to explore the strange, threatening, alien world beyond it and see what you run into as you wander about trying to accomplish your mission.

It's an odd comparison, but it's in the same mold as Finding Nemo where the plot goal is a long way away and the heart of the movie is who and what is encountered along the way to the end.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

the real question to put this thread to bed is what would todd howard do with arcanum

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[Intelligence] "Magic, uh? Sounds kind of useful."