Sig, I'm roaming the countryside, but I'm supposed to be getting rid of the bad guys at Gilbert Bate's warehouse.
This game makes me have ADD. I go to one quest and get another and want to do it and so on and so on.
My character is just a hair toward technology, but I love magic so I'm sure I'll edge back the other way sooner or later.
I nearly got killed twice at Kree so I just used prowling, got the goods and got out. Anyway, how many $400 suits of Barbarian armor can one chick use?
I went to Ashbury just to get Dog. I love dogs and I couldn't leave him there to be abused.
Ingie, I will go over to the site and look again, but right now I'm remembering why I loved Arcanum.

Hi, Debra. You're a little ahead of me, but I wanted to do all the Tarant side quests I could before getting into the jeweler and Bates stuff. Yeah, the world map travel is good in this game, isn't it? Was that Baldur's Gate that had a similar system? Think so, but it was more worrisome as far as what you might get waylaid by. I know what you mean about the Attention Deficit Disorder. New quests are always popping up, but I like how the game doesn't really rush you along at all. Even the old-timey strings music and the way a lot of the NPCs just stand motionless is conducive to taking your time. As we both know, it's a big game, so it's good to just settle into it for as long as it takes, and just follow your druthers, but try to be prepared for the more challenging deals by the time you take them on.

It's interesting that your character is more magic-inclined than mine. Haven't been to Kree yet. Just have Virgil and Sogg right now, but I'm gonna go get Dog as soon as I get another chance to pick up that edition of the newspaper that I think puts Ashbury on your map. I've briefly been to Dernholm and Black Root for Tarant-related reasons, and have done other places like the Wolf Cave and that ancient Elven burial site. I think we'll be doing the P. S????? & Sons deal in the next session. It's nice comparing notes with you.

I'm looking for the Medallion of Beauty for Madam Lil, but I forget where to find it.
Also, how do you quick save the game? I have misplaced my little booklet.
I have Magus Shalefist, Dog, Virgil, and Sogg in my group so far. I know some didn't like Virgil, but I do. I'd rather have personality than power in my groups. Causes me to die a lot sometimes, but I usually manage to muddle through.
I'm so glad you brought the game up again. It's just a neat experience

That Medallion of Beauty is supposed to be on the only woman in the King's Inn & Pub in Dernholm, but, in my case, it wasn't---maybe later in the game. It's also supposed to be tricky swiping it off her, so do a save first.

There's no Quick Save in this game---I just checked the manual for myself on that. Bit of a bummer. Wonder why they didn't put that feature in? Besides hard saves, there's only Auto Save and Auto Load in the manual's hotkey list. These are F7 and F8, respectively.

My new copy of the game from GoGamer in a DVD hard case (it's the full English import version) didn't even have the manual on the CDs, but I found it available on-line. Here's a link to the web page I got it from:

Arcanum Manual

Yeah, I like Virgil, Sogg, and Dog. Can't remember who else I picked up in the first playthrough, but I don't care for Magnus---he just seems like another dwarf with an attitude to me. We just did the P. (whatever) & Sons deal. It was no problem, but trying to clear out The Boil just before that was. I'll have to come back to that later. The character editor I need to use only lets you edit skills, spells, and schematics, so my main character can still pass out or get killed if I'm not careful.

Hi, Deb & Sig. I have been playing a few days now and am just beginning to understand how to do things. This is my first try at this game though I've had it on the shelf for a while. Printed my manual off the CD and it is 190 pages of "Arcanum Speak". Something else to dig though for help! Thank goodness for Steve's walkthrough!

So far I am really enjoying the game and am quickly becoming addicted. I have made it to Tarant, but am just wandering around finding my way and adding quests as I explore. I like the log book, both quest listings and rumors. Quite helpful.

Now to

Peggy

Welcome aboard, Peggy. I like this game's interface, but it does take a while to get familiar with its fine points. Referring to the manual is helpful. Glad you're liking the game.

Debra, I tried that F7 key and it acts just like a Quick Save key. Goodie. Don't know why the manual calls it an Auto Save, which is technically different. I took the train to Ashbury to pick up Dog (great to be with him again), and am now in the middle of exploring the Black Mountain Clan mines for Bates.

(syd slips her invisibility cloak on, creeps into the thread - takes notes on game and slips out quietly to locate a copy while not alerting the original posters to the fact their thread has been spied upon)

Thanks, Sig for the link to the manual. Peggy glad you're here, too.
If you have any questions just whistle.
What kind of character are you playing?
Syd, I see though invisibility cloaks. Come on in and join us!
I'm in Stillwater now and have captured the Stillwater Giant

(The ever-vigilant Sig puts on his Spectacles of All Seeing and discerns Syd sneaking into and out of his topic, wearing a very handsome cloak, indeed.)

Yeah, come on, Syd. We have to make up for all those people who never gave this game enough of a chance. I bet GoGamer has a copy with your name on it.

You're in Stillwater already, Debra? Uh . . . I'm glad this isn't a foot race.

I have trudged around S Hills, Tarant and Dernholm and am making progress with quests but I am not figuring out how to increase my skills! I find all those folks who can make me an apprentice, but they all tell me my skills are too low. How do I increase them?

CYE, Peggy. I sent you a copy of the game's manual, which has all that skills stuff in it. The file opens with Adobe Reader. If you don't already have that program, it's freely downloadable on the web.

Thanks, Sig. The manual has not yet arrived, but I will be on the lookout for it.

I made pretty good progress last night and did get increase one of my skills somewhat, though I am not sure how! I had that auto schemes on. Probably did that when I was first looking over the screens. I turned it to "No scheme" so that I can tell when I increase something. Then maybe I will know how I did it.

I killed Virgil!! Should I replay or just go on with his replacement? I rather liked him and don't know why he suddenly turned on me. I was only trying to crack open a barrel at Schuyler's...

This is a very intricate game and I am loving it. Probably will last me several months.

Thanks again.

Too bad about Virgil, Peggy. He's not crucial to have with you, so you can just continue on. You probably didn't wanna resurrect him cuz he turned on you, huh? I don't know why he did that, for just trying to bust a barrel. Is it possible you might've accidentally done the "force attack" on him instead of the barrel? That could've turned him hostile.

Yeah, I don't use any of those Auto Level-up Schemes---I like to spend those precious level-up points myself. I'm not sure how the whole skill increase thing works, cuz I beef up my character's skills with the hack editor, but it might be based on how much you use this or that skill. Anyway, they cover this thoroughly in the manual. Glad you're liking it. Keep us posted.

I hacked this round too! Lots of fun doing things I never got to do before.
I'm turning techie, too. I've made Featherweight Armor, Eye Goggles, a Shocking Staff, Regenerating Jackets,lots of potients and Balanced Swords. Good money from junk.
Peggy there will be others who can join your quest as you move along. I'd love to get rid of Magus Shalefist, but he figures into another quest that I didn't complete on one of my other plays of the game so, I've got to see how that works out.

Yeah, Debra, it's fun making things with those "schematics," isn't it? My fave is all the different funky firearms, but I make a lot of Healing Salves and Fatigue Restorers and other stuff. And aren't the pencil drawings on the schematics good? I love those.

I should be reporting back to Bates in the next session about what I found out in the Black Mountain mines, after having done some extra exploration there, and also in the Tarant sewers.

Speaking of neat things in this game, don't you like those little, purple, floating "Love Lights" in Ashbury? I wish those phenomena really existed, but I guess we'll have to settle for fireflies.

Yeah, the drawings are neat. The game has a lot of polish, I think. I love the loading screens with the train and the skeletons, too.
I'm in Quintarra now. I've done the Bedokan Village and messed that up so I didn't get the lizard warrior this time. I'm about to meet the Silver Queen.
I killed one of those love lights once by accident. That is not a good thing to do. They become hate lights at that point and everyone dislikes you in Ashbury.
Is your character good, neutral or evil Sig and Peggy?
Where are you now Peggy? Are you still enjoying the game?

Yeah, I always appreciate eye-pleasing load screens. The train one is my favorite.

Too bad about not being able to pick up Waromon (that lizard humanoid). I had him the first time and want to get him again. True to RPG-ness, though, it's easy to mess up in this game. All it takes is clicking on the wrong reply choice or trying to pick the lock on a barrel within eyeshot of someone. Put it this way . . . I'm hitting F7 a lot.

You killed a Love Light? Yeah, that had to be an accident. Rather serious consequences for that, but it just bears up what I was just saying. Funny how NPCs always assume you do everything on purpose.

My character's a good guy. Yours, too?

I'm back from the Isle of Despair, but the dwarf there wouldn't give me his Wheel Clan spectacles, and the game wouldn't let me have that shopkeeper in Ashbury make me a pair, so I made a schematic for them with the editor, but now I'm going all over looking for a lousy Kathorn crystal I need to make them (we sold all the ones we've collected so far). At least the strategy guide I ordered got here (from Canada), so "dungeon crawling" is a little better with the maps in it. Onward and downward . . .

I've done most of the Tarant quests that can be finished there. Tried the Black Clan mines and ran into a golem who made mincemeat of my party!

Right now I am trying to decide how best to muscle up and to get some cash. Seems no one wants to buy many of the awesome things I have managed to collect. Oh, how I would love to find one great general store that buys and sells it all!

I've crashed a couple of times. I am able to play right through when I start back up so I must be overloading something.

Yes. I am still really enjoying. There is quite a long learning curve for me. I am Level 13 and have not learned much! These guys are very stingy with those points.

Sig, I've got lots of Kathorn (sp?) crystals. You should have asked me. I would have met you at Schuyler and Sons and passed 'em over.
Peggy, I think as you upgrade your beauty or charisma you can buy/sell more at any store. Which character are you? Are you a goody-goody like Sig and I? What's your character's name?
I am Eleanor, half-elven and drop dead gorgeous.
You may touch me now
Whatever happened to stealthy Syd?

"Whatever happened to stealthy Syd?"
************************************************
She is out buying a cloaking device for her invisibility cloak while waiting for her game to arrive

Peggy, sorry to hear the game has crashed on you. It has never done that to me, so I don't know what to tell you. If you're not doing this already, you may want to turn off any programs running in the background before starting a game session (those with icons down by the clock at the bottom of your desktop). And check the game's options for some feature you may be able to tone down. I never had a problem with merchants not wanting to buy decent loot, no doubt because I play with my character edited up to better than he would normally be. I try not to talk too much about the "Even Darker Side" (playing RPGs with cheats), but just be aware that this character editor is available if you want it at some point. You can't edit all their stats, but it sure helps with survivability and building up your money. Also, you can't give them items, but you can change any Found Schematic into any other one that you'd rather have.

Debra, we'll have to go multiplayer so you can give me one of those crystals. Yeah, those half-elf chicks are always good lookers, aren't they? Must be something in that pure elven spring water. I'm hoping Syd is in the process of procuring a copy of this game so she can join us. Does she like to play as a stealthy character?

She is in the process of procuring the game but you guys will probably be finished before I arrive to play And nope, she likes to wade in with both feet - sword and spells blazing (could be why my cloak didn't "cloak" - not enough stealthy practice)

Perish the thought. It's really a big game, especially if you're doing a lot of the side quests. I could be at it for another couple months. Yeah, I'm not much on sneakin' around, either, and even less on things like backstabbing and pickpocketing---only do these when I have to. I like to proceed methodically and cautiously, but to be able to mount a vigorous defense when attacked.

Debra, found a Kathorn crystal, made a pair of Wheel Clan spectacles to access this area, did it, and am now in Stillwater. So I'm not too far behind you, I guess. Tally ho!

I am still hanging around the Black Root, Dernholm, Tarant and Shadow Hills area trying to build up enough to conquer those baddies in the Black Mountain Mines. Boy what a place!

Slowly, but surely I am figuring out the system for adding points. And I now understand why all the trainers brushed me off. I am an expert in Melee, but am leveling so slowly and with stingy points, I will be forever running around the "outback" fighting for experience.

Yes, Debra, I am enjoying still. I am a goody two-shoes with a game-generated character, Ker'ee Melange, half-elf. She was a cutie til I started adding armor. Her beauty is dropping rapidly. Guess I'll have to pay the high prices or pump points into haggle. Have found that Rizelle in Shadow Hills buys almost all my stuff, so I run back there frequently.

Syd, as you can see, I will probably still be in the area when you crash into the game! I am sure you will arrive in "a blaze of glory"!

Anyone have an extra Malochian amulet? I sold all mine and now I need one and can't find a bad guy anywhere. Any pointers?
Syd, this game is huge. We'll meet you at Madame Lil's in Tarant. I'll be the one shearing the sheep.