Arcanum New to CRPGs, starting Arcanum

[Paper]

Hey, I've been lurking here for a long time now. I decided years ago to give "real" CRPGs a try but somehow I only ended up reading a lot about them. My only experience with PC RPGs is playing Diablo in the late 90s and from what I understand that's not really similar to what I can expect from the games being discussed here.

While I like the concept of some older games like Darklands and The Magic Candle, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle them just yet. Thinking about what games I would be a bit easier to get into that would still feel rewarding, I narrowed the list down to three games; Morrowind, Torment and Arcanum. I figured I'd start off with Arcanum. If I like it I will consider playing Fallout, too.

So anyway, I'd be happy if I could get some starting advice for playing the game, for example if certain character builds aren't really viable or what stats I will need in order to get the most out of the story. If it's viable I'd like to play a character which can find non-combat solutions to a lot of conflicts.

I got the game and the manual at gog and I figured I'd install Drog's patches, too.

Thanks in advance and feel free to make fun of me.

 

[FeelTheRads]

'sup Drog.

 

[Athelas]

Uhm, you might wanna start your foray into cRPG's with something...less shit lighter. Like Fallout or Baldur's Gate.

 

[Western]

I think Arcanum might need a couple of playthroughs, there's a lot of complexity in character/build creation with all the options. I'd probably start off with a straight forward melee build and either take skills in magic or technology from there depending on your preference. Once you've got your head around the systems, you might want to start a new game with a more complex build (for example on my last playthrough, I had a build that was a charismatic thief, technologist who used a lot of throwing weapons and grenades).

 

[Xeon]

For easy time, just go magic and pick Harm to obliterate everything. Also set combat to turn base, real time turns to a cluster fuck, really unplayable.

Pretty great game, combat tho isn't much fun.

 

[Caleb462]

I think I would have been turned of of CRPGs had I started with Arcanum, because the combat sucks so badly for one thing. Fallout combat 'sucks' too in an objective sense... but it's nonetheless FUN, which is not really the case with Arcanum.. but points into Harm will get you through it and you can let the companions handle the melee stuff for the most part.

 

[Shadenuat]

If it's viable I'd like to play a character which can find non-combat solutions to a lot of conflicts.

Then you should check on
- Charlatan's Protege backstory & Persuasion skill.
- That and dialogue has some Intelligence checks so get that to about 15.
- To avoid combat look at Prowling skill or magic. With magic you want 1st pick from Nature, and you might want to max Conveyance and maybe Phantasm. Conveyance will also allow you to open doors and containers. You can also use Fire & Temporal to get absurd amount of action points and just run through any dungeon in a few turns.
- Before you max Conveyance there are scrolls in game that allow to instantly teleport at the beginning of any location, check on those in magical shops. It's like town portal from Diablo.
You will be left with a lot of points to spare since it's a no-kill build basically independent of kill XP, so feel free to add Fire, Force, Necromancy Black to it, but for maximum lulz I would recommend something like Mental or Summoning.

That's for magic hybrid anyway and it will allow you to skip all combat in the game except 1 encounter.
You can also try thief/tech hybrid since you need high Int for dialogue anyway and you might even get a lot more points to spare by pumping Dexterity with items like rings from Electricity 2.
Thief-like opens a bunch of quests and new challenges but it works best without companions and requires some meta-knowledge though.
Or you can combine everything together. A few points in Melee & Expert Backstab and Prowling with Agility of Fire from Fire school and a Temporal school will allow you to waltz through any combat one-shotting anything (can even throw a bunch of stun grenades on the way), and mechanical lockpick with 3+ points in Lockpicking will make you more rich than Gilbert Bates. Or you could just run effortlessly through any dungeon in turn-based mode while being hidden with all your action points.

For the easiest build just max Persuasion & Charisma and get Int to ~15 and pick 5 companions you like and a dog. Then maybe max either Gamble or Haggle, depending if you have high Int or high Willpower. Use that to dress everyone up in best equipment you can find and heal/support them in combat with items or magic. You can't lose that way, although companions do get in your way when you want to be sneaky.
You can order them to break doors and chests for you however with a button.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

Hey, I've been lurking here for a long time now. I decided years ago to give "real" CRPGs a try but somehow I only ended up reading a lot about them. My only experience with PC RPGs is playing Diablo in the late 90s and from what I understand that's not really similar to what I can expect from the games being discussed here.

While I like the concept of some older games like Darklands and The Magic Candle, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle them just yet. Thinking about what games I would be a bit easier to get into that would still feel rewarding, I narrowed the list down to three games; Morrowind, Torment and Arcanum. I figured I'd start off with Arcanum. If I like it I will consider playing Fallout, too.

So anyway, I'd be happy if I could get some starting advice for playing the game, for example if certain character builds aren't really viable or what stats I will need in order to get the most out of the story. If it's viable I'd like to play a character which can find non-combat solutions to a lot of conflicts.

I got the game and the manual at gog and I figured I'd install Drog's patches, too.

Thanks in advance and feel free to make fun of me.

If you're looking for some solid beginner tips, I'd suggest this let's play from a veteran:

 

[veevoir]

If you're looking for some solid beginner tips on how to be turned into a dog chow, I'd suggest this let's play from a veteran:

This video proves though that Real Time in Arcanum is a clusterfuck.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

I was going to post with "You're starting your cRPG ride with Arcanum??????????" But it appears that point has already been realised quite a few times. But I lack the brofist function, so please count this as a multi-brofist to the first 5 or 10 responses.

 

[octavius]

'sup Drog.

So predictable...

 

[Shadenuat]

If you're looking for some solid beginner tips, I'd suggest this let's play from a veteran:

I am very proud Arcanum passed what I started to call after "Avellone RPG Test"

Meaning it's a game that probably can be finished even with the most retarded build you can think of

 

[Trip81]

Uhm, you might wanna start your foray into cRPG's with something...less shit lighter. Like Fallout or Baldur's Gate.

Pretty much this. I know this game is one of the favorites in this forum but maybe you should start with something "lighter"

 

[Cadmus]

funny, I was about to make the same thread.
I got the GOG version of Arcanum. Do I need anything else? Patches, fixes, mods? I'm about to give it a real try for like the 3rd time where the starting area bored me to death.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Hey, I've been lurking here for a long time now. I decided years ago to give "real" CRPGs a try but somehow I only ended up reading a lot about them. My only experience with PC RPGs is playing Diablo in the late 90s and from what I understand that's not really similar to what I can expect from the games being discussed here.

While I like the concept of some older games like Darklands and The Magic Candle, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle them just yet. Thinking about what games I would be a bit easier to get into that would still feel rewarding, I narrowed the list down to three games; Morrowind, Torment and Arcanum. I figured I'd start off with Arcanum. If I like it I will consider playing Fallout, too.

So anyway, I'd be happy if I could get some starting advice for playing the game, for example if certain character builds aren't really viable or what stats I will need in order to get the most out of the story. If it's viable I'd like to play a character which can find non-combat solutions to a lot of conflicts.

I got the game and the manual at gog and I figured I'd install Drog's patches, too.

Thanks in advance and feel free to make fun of me.

Don't do it, you will only end up being mad by how monumentally the fucked up the second half of the game in terms of content and how utterly broken the combat is.

 

[Xeon]

funny, I was about to make the same thread.
I got the GOG version of Arcanum. Do I need anything else? Patches, fixes, mods? I'm about to give it a real try for like the 3rd time where the starting area bored me to death.

Arcanum Essential Mods/Patches

 

[Cadmus]

oh and after reading Pope Amole's F2 LP I'm just itching to try an ironman how far can I get if I've never played the game, lol
or never done an ironman for that matter
does it even make any sense?

edit: thanks, Xeon

 

[tuluse]

Arcanum is not a good starting point for getting into cRPGs. Fallout would be much better.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Have fun in the Black Mountain Clan Mines of Excessive and Continual Ass Raepage. But all in all, an excellent game. One of the best stories of any RPG, and the best setting apart from Fallout. Steampunk vs high fantasy, which is better and why? Now you don't have to worry, have them both.

Also some of the best character variation in any game and good options for almost every skill and spell, unlike some other games *cough* Wasteland 2 *cough*

Combat isn't great, but it isn't so terrible as people make it out to be.

Fallout would be a good starting point for getting into RPGs, but then also it wouldn't, because after it you will never find anything that lives up to your expectations.

 

[Daemongar]

funny, I was about to make the same thread.
I got the GOG version of Arcanum. Do I need anything else? Patches, fixes, mods? I'm about to give it a real try for like the 3rd time where the starting area bored me to death.

Go to the mod page to get some tweaks on the game. Don't read anything, just create a character with the sex, back-story, and skills you think would be best. Make sure to put some points in a combat ability right off the bat, though. Save often, this game is unforgiving in areas (like bar conversations that lead to fights.) You'll also miss a lot until your combat skills get better - if this bothers you, improve your combat skills.

Can you create an OP build or a crummy build? Yep. My first play-through I couldn't defeat a certain mine area and had a hell of a time because I didn't even bother reading the manual (I still don't read them.) Now, normal folks would curse, cry, delete the game, and complain forever on a forum, but I foolishly went around and leveled up a bit, then came back and beat the area. I'm still suffering from PTSD from that mine, so please don't trigger me by mentioning its name.

All the problems with 'Real Time Combat' can be fixed. Sounds easy, but believe me, finding that switch has been the bane of gamers for 13 years now. I won't tell you how find it but I will give you this clue: the OPTION to turn off real time combat isn't in any town... it's everywhere! If you still can't find it, come back here and I'll put it in a spoiler. Wouldn't want people thinking your are a moron or something.

 

[Rostere]

Hey, I've been lurking here for a long time now. I decided years ago to give "real" CRPGs a try but somehow I only ended up reading a lot about them. My only experience with PC RPGs is playing Diablo in the late 90s and from what I understand that's not really similar to what I can expect from the games being discussed here.

While I like the concept of some older games like Darklands and The Magic Candle, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle them just yet. Thinking about what games I would be a bit easier to get into that would still feel rewarding, I narrowed the list down to three games; Morrowind, Torment and Arcanum. I figured I'd start off with Arcanum. If I like it I will consider playing Fallout, too.

So anyway, I'd be happy if I could get some starting advice for playing the game, for example if certain character builds aren't really viable or what stats I will need in order to get the most out of the story. If it's viable I'd like to play a character which can find non-combat solutions to a lot of conflicts.

I got the game and the manual at gog and I figured I'd install Drog's patches, too.

Thanks in advance and feel free to make fun of me.

Arcanum is a great game, however (without mods) sadly completely imbalanced with regards to combat usability of character progression.

I would advise you to play the game as a magick user and drop some points into Harm early on. Then later you can replay as other builds.

Oh, and skip Morrowind. Maybe you should play BG2 if you want to start with something "lightweight".

 

[Fray]

oh and after reading Pope Amole's F2 LP I'm just itching to try an ironman how far can I get if I've never played the game, lol
or never done an ironman for that matter
does it even make any sense?

edit: thanks, Xeon

You could try, it's not that hard if you know what you're doing. For your first time though you'll probably just die to a random encounter or a bar fight fairly early.

 

[Cadmus]

You could try, it's not that hard if you know what you're doing. For your first time though you'll probably just die to a random encounter or a bar fight fairly early.

haha ok it's over, I got killed during the bank robbery cuz I wanted to talk with the teller during combat and didn't realize I'd attack her, lol. Doc just blasted me to shit for hitting the bitch.

I got the patches but how do I change the resolution, am I blind or it's not there?

 

[Black]

Uhm, you might wanna start your foray into cRPG's with something...less shit lighter. Like Baldur's Gate.

Fuck off, retard.

 

[a Goat]

Arcanum isn't the best place to start. It has its issues.
From the games you've mentioned - I'd bet on Morrowind as it's the easiest to get into. Just remember that you're rolling each time you try to hit an enemy or cast a spell and early game you want to maximise those rolls(use the weapon/spell you have the most proficiency with, fight with full stamina etc.).

But seriously speaking - I don't think there is something like "bad starts" in this genre(as in things you won't appreciate, because there are many "bad starts" as in "bad games"). The game that made me want to play RPG's as a whole was Fallout 2(which I've played for the first time as 10 years old in 2004 - back then it was all for gore - yet it was glorious gore - then I've realised that it wasn't the only thing I liked here). I know people who started at Gothic(giving how hard this game is - I'm impressed), Icewind Dale or Wizardry 6 as well.
You can't go wrong, just remember, the older the game is, the more crude interface etc. gets, while many mechanical aspects of RPG's declined over years, interface was the one that clearly improved a lot.