Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura - Megathread - Games

Thread music : [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftvpi-6Z6qw[/media] I know what you're thinking. Where I can get a game that is immersive and has an epic storyline as Fallout 1/2, a strategic turn-based (or realtime, too!) combat system, Diablo 2-like graphics, [b]magic[/b], [b]steampunk[/b] elements, [b]guns[/b], [b]melee weapons[/b] and an awesome soundtrack? The reply is... get Arcanum! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTra78mP1I8[/media] [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/57/Arcanum_cover_copy.jpg[/img] What is special about Arcanum? *Very long storyline *Lots of quests *Awesome artwork, very immersive *Awesome soundtrack, very immersive *Awesome voiceacting, very immersive *Interesting dialogues with NPCs *Interesting combat system *Very interesting player-creation system *Party-based gameplay with amusing followers' dialogues *Steampunk elements! *Magic elements! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy7H-AcpXJM[/media] ...and much more. I have to say that I find this game better than Fallout 1/2. It's very immersive. If you don't trust me, trust wikipedia. [quote]Arcanum is an example of a non-linear role-playing game. At various points throughout the game, players may take the story in different directions, sometimes permanently removing different paths of action. The game's central quest ultimately develops according to how players navigate its dichotomies, the most apparent being that of magic and technology.[/quote] Magic... and steampunk technology... in the same game! [quote]An important in-game dynamic maintains that while Technology utilizes physical law to produce a desired result, Magick manipulates physical law to do so. Thus, the two are incompatible to the point that they overwhelm each other – technological devices will become inefficient or even permanently inoperative in the presence of powerful magicks and vice versa. Much of the population (aside from most Elves) has chosen to embrace technology for its efficiency, accessibility and permanent results. To further impress upon the player the opposition of these forces, a player-character with high scientific skills will have little to no success using spells and enchanted items and will be less or even completely unaffected by them; one with similarly high magical skills will have similar problems with technological devices. This is an important factor in combat – Opponents of opposing inclinations will actually have greater difficulty inflicting damage upon each other (though this effect is less noticeable when using the most potent resources).[/quote] Yes, that's right. You can choose to be an evil Dwarf using grenades and shotguns, or a beautiful Elf healing his companions and throwing magic bolts at enemies. You can be an human which uses both magic and technology to win fights, or a stupid Ogre which likes to punch everything. Did I mention that if your character has low intelligence you get funny retarded dialogues (a-la Fallout1/2)? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvlMud4ZXQo[/media] Character creation is very important. When you create a new character you can choose the Race(Human, Dwarf, Elf, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Half-Ogre, Halfling) and a background history(for example, if you choose "Raised by Barbarians" you will have more strength but less intelligence). After that, you get to customize your character with 5 skill points. Every level you get a new skill point. [img]http://discordfactory.info/images/arcanum_characterscreen.jpg[/img] Fatigue (the blue bar) is used for everything: attacking with melee weapons, walking in combat, using spells. [b]As you can see, there are 8 basic stats you can modify:[/b] Strength : Increases HP and melee damage. Constitution : Increases Fatigue. Dexterity : Increases Speed(how fast you do stuff). Beauty : Increases people's first Reaction(how much they like you). Intelligence : Affects dialogues, magic and some other things. Willpower : Increases Fatigue regeneration and something else I don't remember. Perception : Increases your chance to hit with ranged weapons and increases your chance to detect unusual stuff. Charisma : Affects dialogues and other people's Reaction. You can also learn spells, how to create items or increase your proficiences with skill points. The bar on the far right shows how much your character is bound to technology or magic. In the screen I posted the character is 100% magical. This doesn't mean anything, you can use any object, but you will be worse at technological objects than enchanted objects. Hmm... What else to say? Ah yes! Arcanum has an incredibly big world map with loads of locations to visit and discover! [img]http://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/PC/Arcanum-OfSteamworks&MagickObscura-WorldOfArcanum.png[/img] Well, I know what do you really want. You want in-game screenshots and videos. The graphics are very good in my opinion, but the game is 2D. Remember: gameplay over graphics. [img]http://discordfactory.info/images/arcanum_lightning.jpg[/img] [img]http://isyscompany.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/arcanum_5.jpg[/img] [img]http://discordfactory.info/images/arcanum_flamer.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.gamershell.com/static/screenshots/2449/38498_full.jpg[/img] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf5--kZ8TAU[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtV_gg3kkRE[/media] Check the "Let's play Arcanum" playlist, too! [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzeW7nazfds&feature=PlayList&p=4F1A92899E63DF0F[/url] You can download a demo here: [url]http://www.fileplanet.com/59649/50000/fileinfo/Arcanum:-Of-Steamworks-&-Magick-Obscura-Demo[/url] You can buy this game online here: [url]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004TTHT/gamebanshee-20[/url] ...or on any other ebay-like site. You can learn more about Arcanum here: [url]http://www.terra-arcanum.com/[/url] [b]Have fun playing Arcanum![/b]

This looks interesting.

My friend just dumped his yearly pile of old games on my doorstep, this was one of them, hope it's Vista compatible.

I loved this game back in the day. I really liked the dialogue options for stupid characters.

I still have the manual for this. It's about an inch thick and takes up most of the extrodinarily large box. Good times...

I remember some hilarious exploiting through the game. The level 1 drain life spell took most people through the whole game it was so overpowered. I personally enjoyed how my throwing engineer gnome could throw an infinite number of molotov's a turn.

Sheepsex, woo!

[QUOTE=Badunkadunk;13823270]My friend just dumped his yearly pile of old games on my doorstep, this was one of them, hope it's Vista compatible.[/QUOTE] Yep, it works just fine on Vista. Just add the "-doublebuffer" command to the command line.

Oh. This is such an awesome game. I need to get it off my friend. I borrowed it from him once, and had so much fun just exploring the world I only got to two cities. I liked the system where you get fate points to get a guaranteed pickpocket or lockpick. I'd pickpocket the gun shop owner in Tarant, I think, and get a revolving pistol of sniping, or something to that effect. I'll probably buy this again within a few days.

this game is cool indeed i played as a human technician. Gauss gun ownz

Multiplayer?

I have this game in my old CD case. I never really thought of playing it until now...It's awesome.

[QUOTE=Xane;13825275]Multiplayer?[/QUOTE] Yes! :D

I saw the title and thought "oh good, another game that uses Steam achievements!"

[QUOTE=SupahV;13825942]Yes! :D[/QUOTE] Sold! :D

God I forgot I had this game, it's so much fun. I should start playing again, I never took the time to finish. BTW the main theme is fucking awesome.

One of my favourite RPGs. A shame that Troika died. [img]http://planetsmilies.net/sad-smiley-335.gif[/img]

The graphics look like a Fallout mod (or Fallout looks like a mod of this, dunno which came first). Not that it's bad, I might look into it. I love steampunk.

[QUOTE=TheCombine;13826868]The graphics look like a Fallout mod (or Fallout looks like a mod of this, dunno which came first). Not that it's bad, I might look into it. I love steampunk.[/QUOTE] Arcanum came after Fallout.

[QUOTE=Geneva;13826916]Arcanum came after Fallout.[/QUOTE] Thanks. The whole Steamworks and Magic stuff reminds me of Rise of Legends, love that game.

It's a bloody great game! I'm more into Fallout though since I don't fancy fantasy that much, but this game is so awesome.

[QUOTE=TheCombine;13826868]The graphics look like a Fallout mod (or Fallout looks like a mod of this, dunno which came first). Not that it's bad, I might look into it. I love steampunk.[/QUOTE] The game was created by Troika Games, which was a development studio consisting mostly of the same people who developed Fallout 1 & 2.

[QUOTE=Gurant;13828253]since I don't fancy fantasy that much, but this game is so awesome.[/QUOTE] Same, I'm not too fond of fantasy, but the steamworks portion of this game gained my interest.

Shit it was hard dealing with those bandits blocking the bridge to Tarant. I had to use all of my grenades and was near-death/

[QUOTE=Tac Error;13836258]Shit it was hard dealing with those bandits blocking the bridge to Tarant. I had to use all of my grenades and was near-death/[/QUOTE] I just talked my way out of it. [img]http://planetsmilies.net/grinning-smiley-17116.gif[/img]

Haven't played this game in ages. That fucker tried to steal mah ring >:(

God, best game ever, even if it's slow as molasses and I can't beat those GOD DAMN bandits.

[QUOTE=peatear;13836949]I just talked my way out of it. [img]http://planetsmilies.net/grinning-smiley-17116.gif[/img][/QUOTE] Bah, persuasion only works if you are talking to them for the 1st time.

Wow, thanks for reminding me of this game! I gave it to my father as a birthday present when it came out. I hope he still has it somewhere.

Oooh...I might just have to take a break from my Build Engine games, and replay this one.