Arcanum

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Apr 05, 2001 1:37 pm

Wheee, new beta of Arcanum. This one's in a lot more finished state than the one I used more than 6 months ago for a Daily Radar preview. Aside from the main screen graphics (which I never liked in Fallout and which impress me less as time goes by), I'm really, truly excited about the game. There are so many configurable elements, here, that let you customize your main character in all sorts of distinctive ways. You could be an evil weapons-using confidence trickster and thief, or a good magicuser who specializes in elemental spells.

Game balance is what's taking all the time, now, and I'm glad, frankly, they're doing so. The more options you've got for character creation, after all, the more chances there are to discover both deadends and powerplay types who zip through the game. Troika, though, has a good record, and I think they'll weed out the problems.

Flagg · Post by **Flagg** » Fri Apr 06, 2001 3:24 am

@Fable, what do you do? Seeing that you have a beta version of Arcanum?

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Apr 06, 2001 10:38 am

I write a great deal--some of it, as a game reviewer for a few magazines. I've followed Arcanum with the Troika folks for quite a while, and did a preview on a very early build.

Contrary to popular rumor, reviewers don't get a ton of betas to play (nor do we have tons of time to play 'em). The magazines usually end up with the alphas, betas, etc. But when a reviewer is contracted to do the preview, they get the full cooperation of the developers and producers. That's how Arcanum showed up at my doorstep. That, plus the fact that I've known one of these guys these I reviewed Wasteland, way back when.

Every company, too, is different. Smaller ones tend to be very cooperative, particularly if you've established a one-on-one relationship with some of their execs/producers (and I like building personal relationships). Others, usually the bigger companies, may or may not deal with you, depending upon who's setting policy, and who's following it out.

[This message has been edited by fable (edited 04-06-2001).]

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Apr 06, 2001 5:23 pm

One neat touch:

You can choose a preconfigured character when you start, or create your own. In either case, you begin as the sole survivor of a deliberately destroyed zeppelin that has been downed near a town. You can check the bodies of all the other passengers for a few supplies--and guess what? They're all the other preconfigured characters whose personae you could have assumed.

A minor touch, but a cute one, nonetheless.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Apr 09, 2001 6:44 pm

There appears to be excellent balance between the technological "colleges" and their "schematics" (which teach you how to make everything from intelligence boosters to healing potions) and the magical schools and their spells. You learn a spell or receive a schematic when you spend advancement points, but there are plenty of opportunities to gain levels--up to 50 levels in all. There are also hidden schematics and spells not available through normal progression, but only as rewards for various quests.

Race has its role to play. Dwarves receive a bonus to technological savvy, which makes learning and using tech gear easier. Half-ogres are strong, but suffer penalties to beauty and charisma. (What is it with charisma and beauty in games, anyway? Who determines what are "beautiful people"? Surely a race wouldn't continue if the males and females couldn't stand the sight of one another.)

I find the interface a bit annoying. I'm used to just clicking on a portrait then hitting I or R to see a character; in Arcanum, you have to talk to a follower, then choose the appropriate response to see their inventory.

[ 04-09-2001: Message edited by: fable ]

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 6:01 pm

Word's out: the game is ready, but the publishers aren't! They're holding back Arcanum until September, to secure a worldwide release at the same time instead of issuing the US version, first. Too bad. I can understand their POV, but it would be a great time to hit, here. Everybody's commenting that the game's are just dribbling out. The greatest excitement in the last 3 weeks has been the minor stir created by Evil Islands and (now) Tropico.

Drakron Du´Dark · Post by **Drakron Du´Dark** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 6:21 pm

Fable, I have read a tread about it in BIS/BioWare forum, my guess is, that since there will be local versions, the people that get the US version that would come up 4 moths before the rest of the world, would not get easy tecnical suport but my main belive is that Sierra is just worried that the 4 moths delay would incourage the sell of pirate US versions, since there would be a great delay for other versions that the US.
I am expecting this game since I read a article about it, I am VERY interesed about it, but since I live in europe that delay does not nean much for me (except 2 weeks that I STILL have to wait for the game in here *sigh*).

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 7:33 pm

@Drak, I think you're absolutely spot on in diagnosing a concern about pirating over Arcanum. And with a four month window to pirate, that's giving a lot of people a lot of time to make illegal money off a game folks have been waiting on.

I'm probably going to be doing up another preview (this time, from the playable beta) for Daily Radar--with any luck. I'll keep folks informed.

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue May 01, 2001 7:55 pm

Well, the preview's off for Daily Radar, because Daily Radar's off! The company closed 'em down yesterday, without any prior notice. Sad.