The Vault Dweller
always looking for water.
Well I'm currently re-playing Arcanum after two years when I had bought and played it once. I admit I had mixed feelings, much more good than bad, when I first played it, but these recent play-throughs have made me really realise the quality in Arcanum. This is mainly due in part to the patch I installed (official) and also the fact that I didnt bumble about with my character accidentally doing evil quests as a good character and also spending character points on things I would later regret.
The first time I played through I had a severe problem with combat. I was playing turn-based as real-time was too fast to make the right decisions however I noticed the rules seemed to be set up impoperly. A character with all their points put to dexterity would get double the attacks of another character...so much in fact that they could easily kill another character in one turn even if that character had all their points in constitution for extra HP. It made it too easy if I went first and too hard if my opponent went first...I'm not sure if the patch changed anything, but it seemed fairer the last time around.
The first time I made a mistake of spending character points on raising my fatigue and health...a waste since you gain that with levels. I later learned at max level (which I reached 4/5's the way through) you couldnt learn anymore skills/abilities which made those spent character points a total waste. This time I learned more skills and abilites and it drastically made my character better.
My first character was a human male technologist/melee fighter. I had him learn melee, throwing, and dodge for skills and smithy, herbology, and explosives. I used explosives to make throwing weapons and smithy to make melee equipment...it worked kinda well though I later found I could easily find/buy slightly less quality equipment and not have bothered with technology abilites and the necessary high intelligence and have made a stronger character...
Which brings me to now. My first of my "real" characters (as I call them after I play through the first time) was an evil female Elf mage who also mastered Haggle and Persuasion. I learned all of Black Necromancy (fits evil roleplay), Water, Force, and Conveyance (for unlocking cantrip and teleport). It was during that time that I learned of the true differences in race in Arcanum...and became thoroughly impressed at its execution. Before when I played a human I noticed little, but this time was different. People who hated me (orcs and dwarves) referred to me as "sharp ear". I most notably remember a special statement that appeared in one conversation.
When you first arrive in Tarant there's a woman standing near the bridge who will ask if your an adventurer and say she has a request. When you meet her later at her house Mrs. Pettibone complains that another family has an authentic Elven funeral dagger and that she's jealous she has no such relics to show off at parties. She says she knows the location of an ancient Elven burial ground and that she just needs someone to go retrieve some artifact for her. My first character refused on the grounds that its desecrating graverobbing and being of high alignment he would think it wrong. I chose the dialogue choice "I refuse to partake in graverobbing." I figured my evil character wouldnt care BUT being an Elf she would be highly offended. I went to make the same dialogue choice my first character made when I noticed a completely different and new one. It said "I cant believe you would have me disgrace my heritage for some pathetic human party talk. Its an example on your whole race you'd think of a burial site as something to gain a showy trinket from.". I dont think those were the exact words, but you get the idea and I was super-impressed I found such an option to say. It made my character and the world seem so much more real.
I am now playing a Dwarf male technologist who will master Gunsmithy, Electricity, Firearms skill, and Lockpick skill. After that I really want to play an Orc character since it seems most characters hate them and almost none are sympathetic to their plight.
Also though I completely ignored it when I first played due to a dial-up connection I recently tried multiplayer. It did nothing. A search on the terra-Arcanum forums showed that the servers were cut-off by Sierra after a year since no one liked multiplayer Arcanum. Supposedly the leader of the terra-Arcanum website is trying to get a server going, but I dont know if he succeded.
http://www.terra-arcanum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=13402
Anyone else want to offer there thoughts?
Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
The first time I played through I had a severe problem with combat. I was playing turn-based as real-time was too fast to make the right decisions however I noticed the rules seemed to be set up impoperly. A character with all their points put to dexterity would get double the attacks of another character...so much in fact that they could easily kill another character in one turn even if that character had all their points in constitution for extra HP. It made it too easy if I went first and too hard if my opponent went first...I'm not sure if the patch changed anything, but it seemed fairer the last time around.
The first time I made a mistake of spending character points on raising my fatigue and health...a waste since you gain that with levels. I later learned at max level (which I reached 4/5's the way through) you couldnt learn anymore skills/abilities which made those spent character points a total waste. This time I learned more skills and abilites and it drastically made my character better.
My first character was a human male technologist/melee fighter. I had him learn melee, throwing, and dodge for skills and smithy, herbology, and explosives. I used explosives to make throwing weapons and smithy to make melee equipment...it worked kinda well though I later found I could easily find/buy slightly less quality equipment and not have bothered with technology abilites and the necessary high intelligence and have made a stronger character...
Which brings me to now. My first of my "real" characters (as I call them after I play through the first time) was an evil female Elf mage who also mastered Haggle and Persuasion. I learned all of Black Necromancy (fits evil roleplay), Water, Force, and Conveyance (for unlocking cantrip and teleport). It was during that time that I learned of the true differences in race in Arcanum...and became thoroughly impressed at its execution. Before when I played a human I noticed little, but this time was different. People who hated me (orcs and dwarves) referred to me as "sharp ear". I most notably remember a special statement that appeared in one conversation.
When you first arrive in Tarant there's a woman standing near the bridge who will ask if your an adventurer and say she has a request. When you meet her later at her house Mrs. Pettibone complains that another family has an authentic Elven funeral dagger and that she's jealous she has no such relics to show off at parties. She says she knows the location of an ancient Elven burial ground and that she just needs someone to go retrieve some artifact for her. My first character refused on the grounds that its desecrating graverobbing and being of high alignment he would think it wrong. I chose the dialogue choice "I refuse to partake in graverobbing." I figured my evil character wouldnt care BUT being an Elf she would be highly offended. I went to make the same dialogue choice my first character made when I noticed a completely different and new one. It said "I cant believe you would have me disgrace my heritage for some pathetic human party talk. Its an example on your whole race you'd think of a burial site as something to gain a showy trinket from.". I dont think those were the exact words, but you get the idea and I was super-impressed I found such an option to say. It made my character and the world seem so much more real.
I am now playing a Dwarf male technologist who will master Gunsmithy, Electricity, Firearms skill, and Lockpick skill. After that I really want to play an Orc character since it seems most characters hate them and almost none are sympathetic to their plight.
Also though I completely ignored it when I first played due to a dial-up connection I recently tried multiplayer. It did nothing. A search on the terra-Arcanum forums showed that the servers were cut-off by Sierra after a year since no one liked multiplayer Arcanum. Supposedly the leader of the terra-Arcanum website is trying to get a server going, but I dont know if he succeded.
http://www.terra-arcanum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=13402
Anyone else want to offer there thoughts?
Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
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