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Arcanum Chris Avellone Arcanum LP

Roguey

Codex Staff
Staff Member
Sawyerite
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May 29, 2010
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35,656
o_O you guys do realize that there's a point for the "I'll think about it" option in RPGs, right?
The problem with this is that it creates more busywork (having to go back to him if you decide you do want to take the quest after all), yet another thing to remember in a game that involves remembering a lot of things, and is an unnatural way of playing (unless a quest is something you're absolutely sure your character doesn't want to do, you're going to be accepting every quest when you get it).
 
In My Safe Space
Joined
Dec 11, 2009
Messages
21,899
Codex 2012
I'm not saying that he should totally disengage from said quest, just to take his time and explore thoroughly before making a decision, which in his case, may or may not be rash.
Yeah, usually I agree that when you go blind into a new RPG you should play it straight and safe. That means taking a combat-proficient character, killing lots of critters and maybe even accepting the first quests you go into. But if you're going to roll a squishy character, at least act like one. Lie, run, hide, explore options, play things in a safely manner. Not only because you can side with someone else in this case, but you need to better assess the situation, buy some better equipment, hire some muscle, do some easier quests so you can be better leveled up against certain challenges and so on.
So, in other words, he absolutely sucks at role-playing. But hey that's the guy who wanted to add more combat to the first areas of PST.
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
@Roguey, forgot that that happened. Crappy design on that, you're right. I'm all for exclusive paths, so long as they make sense. It makes no sense in this case. If we had established that Lukan was keeping a close watch on the town or that there might be a spy in the town who has been informing Lukan of things before offering the player the chance to accept the quest, it would have been acceptable, otherwise it just seems cheap.

Apart from that, my point still stands that anything short of lying or helping them is going fail persuasion-wise - especially at this stage of the game. Since helping is out of the question (albeit for a crappy reason), the only option left is lying or "persuading" your companions to fight for you via charisma score.
 

suejak

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Village Idiot
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Aug 16, 2012
Messages
1,394
ROFL, Arcanum blows and nobody pretends otherwise.

It's just one of the few of a rare breed.
 

Helton

Arcane
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
6,789
Location
Starbase Delta
Clearly the constable is in cahoots with Lukan and gave him the heads up. They're vetting you to see if you're the right person to destroy the new bridge material. When you accept the mission to take care of Lukan, they know you're too goody goody to be trusted and so attempt to off you. But they didn't anticipate Sogg joining you or the damn grenades. You just had to fuck up a good thing.

Didn't any of you watch the ending slides?
 

Shadenuat

Arcane
Joined
Dec 9, 2011
Messages
11,955
Location
Russia
First time I played the game I thought it was gnome from molochian hand who passed the news, actually. He seen your talk with constable which he admits, and then he ambushes you after the bandits, meaning he passed the gate and bridge.
 

suejak

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First time I played the game I thought it was gnome from molochian hand who passed the news, actually. He seen your talk with constable which he admits, and then he ambushes you after the bandits, meaning he passed the gate and bridge.
You sound like a glorious LARPer.
 
Joined
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Glass Fields, Ruins of Old Iran
Yeah, "LARPer" already lost much of the original "eat useless food items twice a day to simulate meals" meaning, let's try to keep it from also being used to describe people who assume that not only what's explicitly stated in game is true. It makes sense that the gnome would tell them, even if he doesn't say MWAHAHAHA, IT WAS ME ALL ALONG.

I still think it's just a coincidence thing, though. If you agreed to help the constable, the thugs were watching you talking to him. If you didn't agree, they weren't looking. Doesn't make much "sense", but I don't think it's supposed to be very complex.
 

Shadenuat

Arcane
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Russia
Not everything should be explained in cinematic cutscene, sometimes you should be free to assume. Look how retarded Horrigan cutscene was in Fallout 2, at that one time, one moment, in the middle of the desert, you meet final boss who MWAHAHAHA's at you. Then the same with holographic projectors in both vaults. Wouldn't it be better you just find the bodies and a few descriptions of big armored man from locals?
So yeah, I assumed, not like it's the most undeveloped part in game. What really doesn't make sense is that you can't hire Doc Robert's help to get rid of bandits.
 

MicoSelva

backlog digger
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Codex 2012 Codex 2013 Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is. Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Divinity: Original Sin 2 Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I helped put crap in Monomyth
So yeah, I assumed, not like it's the most undeveloped part in game. What really doesn't make sense is that you can't hire Doc Robert's help to get rid of bandits.
This is very true and far from the only instance of a rough edge. Arcanum would obviously benefit from one another iteration. Still a great good* game, though.

*would be great if not for the BMC mines
 

ColCol

Arcane
Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
1,731
So, how is it going so far, I'm afraid to watch/read. Is it time to take out old MCA behind the barn and put him out of our misery?
 
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a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
So yeah, I assumed, not like it's the most undeveloped part in game. What really doesn't make sense is that you can't hire Doc Robert's help to get rid of bandits.
I always assumed he was a selfish old codger who wouldn't lift a finger unless his money was threatened. The only time he does anything is if someone is trying to rob the town bank (or has robbed it, should the player do it).
 
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^^Man, Tropa de Elite had such an anticlimatic ending. Baiano is holed up with a rifle in his little fortress, surrounded by angry BOPE soldiers, and instead of making a glorious last stand showering the entire area with bullets, he gets out of cover to yell at the sky and is one-shotted.
 

Shadenuat

Arcane
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Russia
So yeah, I assumed, not like it's the most undeveloped part in game. What really doesn't make sense is that you can't hire Doc Robert's help to get rid of bandits.
I always assumed he was a selfish old codger who wouldn't lift a finger unless his money was threatened. The only time he does anything is if someone is trying to rob the town bank (or has robbed it, should the player do it).
You can tell him about bodies in the inn and that wizard wants to destroy steam engine, and he says he s going like go and kick ass
 

RK47

collides like two planets pulled by gravity
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Not Here
Dead State Divinity: Original Sin
So yeah, I assumed, not like it's the most undeveloped part in game. What really doesn't make sense is that you can't hire Doc Robert's help to get rid of bandits.
I always assumed he was a selfish old codger who wouldn't lift a finger unless his money was threatened. The only time he does anything is if someone is trying to rob the town bank (or has robbed it, should the player do it).

You mean a full town access and exit blockade doesn't affect his livelihood at all?
Damn Jews.
 

HanoverF

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MCA Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Codex USB, 2014 Divinity: Original Sin 2
This expression made me think of this LP
DN4G0tu.png
 

nocharacter

Literate
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
5
I've been watching his LP and that dude really sucks at that game. The episodes where he was fighting those wolves after the crash site and he kept dying, restarting and would not just use the map to travel was torture. He should have taken 5 minutes to to go online and look at hints, frustration avoiding tips, or even glanced through the manual. I can't imagine him actually finishing the game based on his progress so far so I had to just let it go and now I am enjoying watching him struggle and it's about 100x more enjoyable that way.

I'm curious to see him play another game to find out if he is just a lousy player period or if Arcanum is an isolated incident.(doubtful) Having said all that I enjoy his work on the games he's worked on that I've played.
 

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