If you don't have the game, GoGamer just got some more copies in. They're going for 20 bucks---well worth it, if you ask me. It's party-based, isometric view, turn-based combat---a real good game, IMO. I'll be playing with the strategy guide, and there's a character editor for it, if you start finding the fights too tough, like I did. An interesting mix of magic and early technology, good music, good travel system across the world map, good recruitable characters . . . lotta good stuff in this one.

Tried this game and really did not understand it very well. Stopped playing it. Maybe I'll give it another try when I finish Space Hack.

Hi mary-jo,

How are you enjoying space hack?? What little I played I actually found addicting..I wanted to keep hearing those nice squishy sounds..

Ingie

Hi Popcorneater, Really enjoying Space Hack. :]]]I've made it to the 6th sphere and in some of those spheres are some explosive surprices! Oh the larva change into gross wiggeling maggots. But I shoot them anyway for the goodies. Then I walk over thier dead bodies so I can hear those squishy sounds and get the goodies!!! Having alot of fun playing this game. Mary Jo

good I am too..sorry Sig..didn't mean to hijack..don't remember playing Arcanum..have to dig in the vault and see if I can find it..hmm..does sound vaguly familar..but so does everything in my mind..I'll check out gogamer's and see what it looks like..have fun y'all

Ingie

I have it and haven't played yet. Maybe if I breeze through Return of the King and you're still playing I'll join in.

Jean

Hope you do give it another try, Maryjo. The game as a whole is really quite good. Not the best graphics out there, of course, or the hippest music, but, having played the whole thing before, it almost seems unfair to it to point that out. It's a true and different CRPG with a lot of good elements in it. Here's another one . . . this is the game that has, as one of its recruitable characters, a dog, whose name is just Dog, who you save from a beating by its master, and who is actually good in a fight. This relationship is so meaningful that, later in the game, after the need arose to cut him out of the party, I missed him and, whenever we were back in the town where he was, I'd have to go see him and feed him a loaf of bread. But it's not a game world you wanna stumble blindly through. The published strategy guide (which is a good one) has gotten hard to find---I found one, reasonably priced, but it's not here yet---but I could give you some guidance, or, if you want, you can download Prima's eGuide of it for 10 bucks. And the character editor that's freely downloadable for it, if you ever need it, assures that there won't be any combat you can't get past.

Jean, I just started it yesterday and it'll probably take me a couple months to play through it all again, so I could still be at it when you finish Return of the King. Oh, just thought of another good element in the game that I'm looking forward to . . . when you get to, and start doing deeds in, the biggest town in the game, they start writing articles about you in the newspaper, and you can buy these from a hawker and read them. See what I mean? This stuff is just cool.

Ingie, no prob. As hijackings go, that one wasn't bad at all.

Sig, hi,

Why bother with published strategy guides, when some of us have invested 3 or 4 months worth of evenings to write our own free guides that are just as detailed? Have a look at mine, for instance:

Steve\'s Guide to Arcanum

I've also got some of the most popular guides on the web for:

Planescape: Torment
Divine Divinity
Fallout
Fallout 2
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

They're all there in the Quandary Walkthroughs section

Cheers,
metzomagic

Well metz, thank you for the suggestion and link, had no idea...I'll look them over if in need, and I certainly go in and bookmark-got it!!!!

Sig...

Ingie

Steve, a thousand pardons, but you'll be happy when you read this. It just occurred to me that I forgot to mention what you did, so I left the game to come here and post that option, but you beat me to it. On top of that, your guide for this game is excellent---I've used it myself. In fact, I JUST used it to find out how to trigger the bank robbery attempt in Shrouded Hills, so I could help save the day. Thanks again. You walkthrough writers are great---I love you people. But my main point was just that it's a game one ought to have some guidance in. For example, if you don't pick up Dog your first time in that town where he is, you don't get a second chance, and I'd hate to see that happen to someone. Can you forgive me?

Thanks, Looking forward to giving it another try/
Mary Jo

Sig, hi again,

No need for apologies, and thanks

Surprisingly, the walkthroughs on Quandary get far more page views on average than any other article. That Arcanum guide is still pulling in 1300 page views per month. Not bad for a 4-year old game!

It's nice to know all the hard work is appreciated

Cheers,
metzomagic

Funny you should post this Sig because I was just thinking of taking Arcanum back out since I can't play the M&M series on my XP.
I played it with you the first time you went though. It was great fun! I'll see about starting again this weekend.

Hey, Steve, I think I average once a week on the Divine Divinity guide just now! Have to check that I haven't missed any major events.

Glad there's no hard feelings, Steve. That "page view" stat of yours is impressive, but the actual number is even higher because the Quandary page isn't the only place on the web that this guide of yours can be viewed, though it may be the nicest-looking. The one that I've been referring to is just the "plain text" version, linked to from Gamespot. Also, if memory serves, it's not as important to have paper maps to refer to while playing this game as it is for a lot of other games in this genre, so one could get by with just a good walkthrough.

Hi, Debra. Oh, did I play it along with you my first time through? I'd forgotten that. Yeah, come on in, the water's fine, as they say. I'm really likin' it the second time around, and it plays just fine on my new Win XP system. And I haven't even got to Tarant yet (the game's biggest town), so you can catch up to me---I take my time. I'll probably leave it installed whenever I finish it this time---this game's just too good.

Sig, hi,

Yeah, I know. I'm also published on www.gamefaqs.com (which is probably where you found that text version), www.neoseeker.com, and on www.the-spoiler.com (Veikko Danilas, from Estonia by the way, is a web buddy of mine from way back, and you should check his site out because they have the greatest collection of adventure game walkthroughs on, like, the planet :-)

But Quandary is my spiritual home lately. I also do the *cough* site programming there.

Having said all that... there is no more single prolific walkthough writer than GameBoomers own MaG

Cheers,
metzomagic

PIB, Sig, hi,

Well... you've almost convinced me to undertake my 5th (I think) journey through the fabulous world of Arcanum. There are only 2 problems with this:

1. I've got the feeling that I've seen just about all there is to see.
2. I'm going away next Friday for 3 weeks.

Hmm,
metzomagic

Oh, MaG is a big-time walkthrough writer? To borrow from Johnny Carson, I did not know that. Another feather in her cap. Gotta love her. Which reminds me . . . how is Zanthia doing? Does anyone know?

Yeah, Steve, I know that feeling . . . when you've played the heck out of a game. For me, that would be Lands of Lore 3---7 playthroughs---thorough ones. But the computer games I've played that I actually want to replay---only a half-dozen or so---are something special. Some elements they share are apparent, while others are hard to put your finger on and put into words. It's probably best to speak in generalities, like . . . yeah, you know all about it, but not only does that not spoil the fun, it makes it more fun. It's like re-watching a movie you like, but even better, and a lot longer. And I'll still be playing it a few weeks from now, and way beyond that. And you haven't done The Pits of Dernholm, have you?

Debra,

Have you tried posting here about your Might and Magic/Windows XP problem? Some of these people seem to know just about everything when it comes to getting Might and Magic to cooperate. It would certainly be worth a try.

http://telp.org/mm8/tavern/mm8tavern.html

That patch I told you about has worked for just about everyone, but since you can't even get the game to install, I would definitely ask about it here.

They have separate forums for all the Might and Magic games, by the way.

And sorry, Sig, I didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Marian, I don't think I've ever seen that BBS, thank you so much for linking it, I have bookmarked it.


I am also guilty of hijacking the thread, sorry

Marian, thanks. I'll ask these folks. I've got it running on my old laptop with ME and no problems, but my husband uses that one so it's catch as catch can to play it.
Sig, I'm in Tarant and I have a catalog of quests already! I forgot that you had to get the wise women to identify your stuff or buy a very expensive spell so I'm making treks to the rural areas.
I've picked a half-elf character with "Debutante" scheme. I must admit I am always tempted to pick "Beat with an Ugly Stick"

Sig, hi,

Yup. She must have almost 100 games to her credit by now. She goes by the moniker of MaGtRo.

You almost have me persuaded to play again

Been there, done that. Play all the way through as an evil character, and you can hardly miss the Pits.

Cheers,
metzomagic

Debra, hi,

No prob. The beauty of it is, once you get one game up and running in DOSBox, you know how to do them all

metzomagic

Oh, I've seen some of her WTs, but I didn't know MaG was MaGtRo, probably cuz of how I pronounce them to myself---MaG as "maw gee" and MaGtRo as "mah GIT roh."

Debra, glad to have someone else along for this adventure. You're doin' good---you're where I'm at and I started days ahead of you. Yeah, I guess that's the only 2 ways to get items identified---well, you can also learn and cast the same spell that's on that super-expensive scroll (Divine Magick, I think it's called), but I think it's the highest level spell in that school, so your casting attempts will fizzle until you're good enough. But paying a wise woman 100 coins for this isn't too bad. You know there's one on the eastern outskirt of Tarant, right?

I'm doing good---enjoying it. I made a character, but just to get the portrait I wanted, I think. The same character I used the first time---a human male with the name I use here, who's mainly a technologist. I usually don't try different kinds of characters and paths when I replay games---it's ironic, I know, but the fact that you can do this means very little to me as far as replayability. Does your character lean more toward magic or technology? Did you do that side deal involving the spirit in that cave at the crash site? Cuz the blessing you get from the wizard he sends you to kill enhances NPCs' reactions towards you. Let's keep each other posted on our progress---it'll be fun.

Sounds like a good time..glad y'all are having fun

Debra,
The site Marian is referring to, works great.
Playing M&M VI on it now and not a problem.
Nickie also has it loaded on her new putie..and able to play very well...give that site a chance

Ingie

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.

Debra, you need one of those amulets to access the Dark Elves place? The strategy book reminds us that there was one at the Crash Site and another in Elder Joachim's room at the Shrouded Hills inn. Apart from making overland treks, hoping to get waylaid by some more guys who wear these, it says it's possible to talk your way in without one, and also suggests sneaking in after making yourself invisible. Hope that helps. I'm on my way to Caladon, but will probably be doing some backtracking for side quests before long.

I detest games that allow you to sell quest items

Hope you fine another Debra..

I have made it to Ashbury and have done most of the quests there. I am now in the haunted castle attempting to slay the dark lord. I succeeded once, but then Magnus wouldn't follow me (I had my party hold while I lured the slaves out to slaughter). No matter how many times I told him to stop waiting, he just stood there. I would leave the stubborn man if I didn't want the stuff he was carrying.

I'm replaying with two (dog and Mug) waiting outside the door and trying to lure with Magnus flying into harm's way! We have slain several slaves. Now I am tired of saving and reloading constantly so I am off to bed.

Hi, Peggy. Glad to hear you've picked up Dog. He's good---I wanna keep him till the end of the game this time. Haven't done the Ashbury Haunted House yet, so I can't remember anything that might help you, but, with Magnus, the guide book says giving him some Dwarven Snuff (available in shops) can improve his disposition towards you. Also, picking up Torian Kel (an ancient warrior you meet in the Temple of the Derian-Ka) makes Magnus very unhappy.

This seems to be a bug with Magnus. I had it happen when I accepted the pig slaying quest. After I ask the group to wait only Magnus would not "quit waiting" when I told him to. I do have some dwarven snuff but can't figure out how to get him to recognize that I have given it to him. Once before, when my beauty was down to 4, he quit following me and did mention the snuff. I replayed that part to keep him and shortly thereafter my beauty jumped up to 9. Don't know what I did to make it go down, or how it went back up. Had to be something I was wearing, don't you think?

Anyway, I am going back to try to keep him alive long enough to lure all the slaves out to Dog and
Mug. Then we can all rush the dark lord and Mug usually kills before any of our party is badly hurt. Will report success or failure later!

I don't like Magus. He's a whiner and a so-so fighter. He sticks to me like Velcro and he can't even carry much. I hope you pick up some good party members. Sig's right Dog is great. He loves you no matter what you do.
I tried talking my way into the dark elves area and I tried invisibility, but neither worked for me. I found a Half-orc man in the Ashbury bar that had a Malochian Hand Amulet on and I pickpocketed it.
I tried to get the Dark Elf female mage to join but she said I was too "morally straight". Hey, I'm just 98% morally straight. Talk about being rigid. What's wrong with her??

Peggy, what pig-slaying quest are you talking about? I don't think you mean the one for that farmer in Ashbury, cuz you wouldn't have had party members wait behind for you on that one. How are you trying to give Magnus that dwarven snuff? The way I would do it is . . . open your inventory, drag the snuff over to the "Use box" on the right (that oval with the hand on it), then, when it switches back to the regular game view, click the pointer either on Magnus or his portrait. I don't care for him---he wouldn't even talk to us much when we met him. Let me know if you need some help finding other recruitable characters you might be interested in. And, about your Beauty fluctuations, check the Kills & Injuries tab (I think it's called) in your log book. The "Injuries" refers to you. Since you've been having a tough time of it, you might be all scarred up. What does it say there? Something like "Treated injuries are struck out." About Dog, I also like how he's low-maintenance.

Don't know if you were kidding, Debra, but 98% morally straight means that you're 48% more good than neutral, and even neutral is more good than Dark Elves are, so Z'an Al'urin was seeing quite a disparity between you and her. But I like her more than Raven and picked her up in my first playthrough, though I may not in this one. I just got the location of her village marked on my world map, but I want to do some side quests before going there. In the next session, I think I'll go pick up Jormund (who's a dwarf that I actually like), then fight through part of the Wheel Clan area, so I can get the Mithril ore for the Bronwyck's Gun I wanna make. My party's shaping up nicely. Looking forward to getting rid of the gangs in The Boil when we get around to the re-attempt on that. (Hmm. We need a "Cheers" gremlin who's hoisting a frothy mug of ale. Anyway . . . Cheers!)

Couldn't get the game to give me the necessary dialogue choices to solve the murder that Jormund's accused of in Qintarra, so I couldn't pick him up, but I've picked up the lizard guy, Waromon, who I like also, and will be heading back to the Wheel Clan shortly for that mithril I need.

I messed up the dialog for Jormund, too. Rats!
That was great advice about checking for injuries that weren't treated. I'd forgotten about that.
I want to play this game as an evil person just once. Maybe if I have a good character and an evil character game going at the same time, I can do it.
Have either of you ever played any game as a bad guy/gal?
P.S. Sig, I'm always either 100% good or as near to it as I can be in this game. I thrive on Kudos and being the Savior of Shrouded Hills.

It seemed like you have to do the Jormund deal your first time in Qintarra, though the strategy guide makes no mention of this. I'm pretty sure I picked him up in my first playthrough, but, this time, I didn't try to clear him of his mentor's death till my 2nd time there, and, no matter what I tried, I couldn't get the necessary dialogue choices to pursue the matter from either the guy guarding him or that gal near the vase that's supposed to have the vial of poison in it. Hated to leave Jormund under house arrest, but there was nothing I could do about it. I'll probably try to pick up Perriman Smythe a little later on, as I'd like to have a spellcaster in the group. Didn't pick him up the first time, but he's my 2nd choice, after Jormund.

No, I've never played any game as a bad character, and I guess I never will. Neutral is as low as I go, but in THIS game I'm as good as I can be. Right now, I'm in the middle of taking out both gangs in The Boil, after which I will loot the whole place. After that, I'll probably go do the rest of the side stuff in Ashbury. Enjoying the discourse in this thread as we all play it together. Syd should be starting any day now, don't you think?

I did get the word that GoGamer has sent me a package - I was pretty excited except I think I hit the slow boat to china way of delivery by mistake so the game may be coming by carrier pigeon

There's only one sheep at Madam Lil's, but she's a real sweetheart.

It's an inside joke, no pun intended, Syd. When you get to Madam Lil's you can have a good laugh.

OK now for the serious stuff. I AM STUCK! I cannot get the password from Gunter for Mannox Cave. I have checked all the WT's and I should have it. Any help would be appreciated.
I can't get the glass key without getting that password. I have gone back to the sarcophagus in the Panarii Temple and relooked at everything 3 times. I correctly went through the dialog with Hadrian and Gunter, I have Durin's Truth (the book) I have gone to The Lost Voices what am I missing?

Debra, the strategy guide says that you get this password from Hadrian, at the temple in Caladon, when you tell him you're an archaeologist. He gives you the password so you can access an extra section of the catacombs beneath the temple, but it's also used to enter Mannox's cave for that Wheel Clan side quest. Alexander, an acolyte at the temple, directs you to Hadrian, an archaeologist in one of the offices just behind him, when you ask for more information about Nasrudin. Okay?

Been there done that. The password needed is truth and he gave me a word that starts with a "C" (Crimstone) which I did not need to get into the crypt and cannot use at Mannox cave.
I just can't figure it out. Is there any other place you can get a glass key?

I went back and re-played the Mannox Cave quest and this time it worked. I did the same things so maybe it was just a glich in the game. I have just photographed the elusive Lethe Wyvern and complete the Durin Stone. I'm doing the odd and sundry left over side quests before I go to the Venigroth Wastes. I think I'll do the altars too. Now that I have Conveyence it's not such a much.
Peggy and Sig where are you now? Have we been three ships passing in the night?

I have gone adventuring in the real world. Took a 3 day trip to New Orleans for the first weekend of Mardi Gras. My younger son was in a parade and we want to give all the help and support that we can. Those folks so need tourists back as the economy depends on tourism. But it is still not quite up to snuff as many restaurants are closed, many hotels are nearly full of displaced persons and clean-up crews. Employers are having a hard time finding staff and on and on. My heart just hurts for them. I bought a lovely fleur-de-lis as so many natives are doing as a symbol of hope.

Sig, I don't know where my brain was when I tried giving Magnus the snuff. I just put it in his inventory and thought, "Oh, well. He doesn't recognize that I gave it to him". So, I'll just take it back and "give" it the right way. I had thought of the scarring I must be suffering, but did not know how to check on it. By the time I finish this game I am sure to have figured it out!

I am always good as I just like being a hero/heroine. I thrive on all those accolades.

Glad you got unstuck there, Debra. I took a day off from the game yesterday, so I'm still at the last point I said I was, but I'm gonna go make some more headway after posting this.

Yeah, Peggy, give Magnus the snuff the way I said and it oughta perk him up.

Hmmm... I seem to have a problem. I just finished the altar at Vooriden and received the Halcyon blessing. Good. Except that I lost a point in strength and one in DX. Can't afford to lose either of those!!

I did let Magnus go as he was being a real snit. Complaining constantly and the snuff did not work. I took Jormund in Qintarra and then let him go for the big guy to carry the rock for the new altar. Now that I am back and have fixed the altar, Jormund is gone, too! I may just have to replay this part, long trip or not.

Hi, Peggy. About Jormund being gone when you got back, some---maybe most---of the recruitable characters will vanish if you have them wait too long. The other issue, about the various gods and their altars, is more complicated. It takes up 2-and-a-half pages in the strategy guide, and much of that is fine print. Here's part of it:

" . . . some gods will curse you for making offerings to other gods, unless you've first made an offering to an in-between god. Aldous Buxington at Tarant University can explain them to you, give you a book describing them in detail, and show you the diagram for Mazzerin's Mystery---the key to Velorien's Blessing of Ultimate Power."

Hope that helps.

I redid the quest since I had Sogg Mead Mug and I am strong enough now so I carried the stone. All done and kept little quiet Jory.

Am now in pursuit of the book that Mist had about the location of the Dark Elves. And I am doing a few little side quests now and then. Turns out that I am a pretty good photographer of rare Wyverns!

Sounds like you're hitting your stride and doing better, Peggy. Been thinking . . . since you had that mishap with Virgil, if you want a replacement healer in your party, you might wanna talk to Jayna Stiles the next time you're in Dernholm (her house is just to your right from where you zone in). She wants to go to Tarant (for starters) cuz she's a scientific healer and technology is outlawed in that part of Arcanum. If you do pick her up and ever want to give her a treat, she likes sweet cakes.

Don't sell all your lava rocks Peggy if you're going to do the gods quest. It took me days and a little hacker program to get that boo-boo fixed.
Some gods have to be given 2 sacrifices of the same thing. Geodes, rings and lava rocks are things to keep in your inventory in duplicate.

This is really a fun game. I'm sure I am not playing the best ways, but I am moving right along and enjoying it greatly. I just finished off old Vincent in Caladon. That took a little effort! There is a lot of traveling but I level up pretty fast with all the encounters along the trails.

Thanks for the tips, Debra and Sig. I must check my inventory and the storeroom I keep in Shrouded Hills. Off to the half-orc isle tomorrow.

Vincent is a tough cookie! I'm glad you made it through that encounter. I haven't done the half-orc isle yet. I'm currently in the Vendigroth Ruins looking for the device.

Glad you're enjoying it, Peggy. I think it was you who said earlier that this game is intricate, and it is---maybe even too intricate sometimes---but there's still a lot to recommend it. Except for the setting and the early technology stuff, it reminds me of Baldur's Gate---not one for the casual gamer, but one you can dive into for a couple months or so.

I thought the tough part of the Vincent deal was getting to him, but that's par for the course in these games. I just did Half-Ogre Island. Was expecting a fight, but there wasn't any. Don't ask me why not. We just got to the Dark Elves village and should be knocking that out today. Happy adventuring!

I'm sort of bouncing all over the place right now. Don't seem to feel ready to tackle the Dark Elves yet. I'm cleaning up a few of the quests I had started and became distracted. That is one of the intricacies...you head in one direction only to find there are 3 or 4 ways to head from there. And Sig, I believe you are right. It does remind me of Baldur's Gate, one of my earliest RPGs. Maybe that is why I'm enjoying it so.

I also finished Half-orge Island. Was really geared up for a big battle but was done in minutes.

I finished the game yesterday and I'm restarting it with a different character. I'm a technologist elf this time. I wish they made dresses with great AC stats so I didn't have to turn into a guy in armor.

Congrats on finishing (again), Debra. You'll have fun with a technologist character. Yeah, why can't they have some good-AC, enchanted dress for the ladies? I did the whole Mannox cave-related deal in the last session. That's quite a wide-ranging, multi-faceted side quest. I think we're taking a ship to Thanatos in the next session.

Syd, did you opt instead for the Might & Magic partaay? That topic had a better header, right?

I've hacked the game to get everything this time.
I can try it all. That will be a first!
Are you doing all the side quests, Sig?

No, in this playthrough, I'm not trying to do every side quest, but am picking and choosing. Even without the evil ones and the Thieves Underground ones, which I never do, there's still a lot of 'em in this game, many of which are just covered by little "thumbnails" in the strategy guide, and many of which could be missed by players not using a decent walkthrough. The game won't even let me do 'em all---the Jormund deal, for example. And we're well past the point where Virgil's leaving the party should've been triggered, but he hasn't left yet, if ever. Go figure.