Avellone's Arcanum playthrough?

[PIP-Clownboy]

Heh, first time I played Arcanum when it was new, I got overwhelmed when I got to Tarant and quit soon after. Combat and interface had a lot to do with it. Can't blame Chris Avellone if same thing happened to him. I only finished the game this year.

 

I also don't think he should keep making the videos if he's not enjoying it. Those videos probably wouldn't be very fun to watch.

 

Having to finish one of the best cRPGs of all time is such a burden!

 

I'd be happy with a written lets play as I did feel sort of uncomfortable watching the video.

[Death Machine Miyagi]

Having to finish one of the best cRPGs of all time is such a burden!

 

 

 

I'd be happy with a written lets play as I did feel sort of uncomfortable watching the video.

 

 

I don't mind a video format if the LPer knows how to edit out the parts which are utterly boring, such as...I dunno. Spending the entire video trying to fight your way through a pack of wolves because you haven't bothered to read the manual and figure out the importance of quick travel? Stuff like that. 

 

Avellone's first few videos are borderline unwatchable if you aren't a masochist. You just want to reach through the screen, slap the hell out of him and yell 'USE THE QUICK TRAVEL!!!'

Edited January 16, 2014 by Death Machine Miyagi

[AwesomeOcelot]

The first videos were funny before they became painful. There was a time when reading the manuals for games was a requirement. Arcanum is a flawed gem, it's not all down to not reading the manual, there's a lot of fustration to be had regardless. If you haven't completed the game you're missing out, there's excellent stuff in it as well.

[Sir Chaox]

Avellone didn't cut anything out because he understands the art of comedy.

 

Pain is joy (for everyone else).

[Jobby]

Shocked at all the Arcanum bashing going one here, sure it was:

 

unbalanced

buggy

un-intuitive

the list goes on..

 

But at the same time it had:

 

A huge world map

Highly detailed towns and cities

Interesting quests and main plot

Interesting npcs (Virgil primarily)

Great humour

The best stealing mechanic I've seen in an isometric cRPG to date

The best crafting mechanic I've seen in any rpg to date (at least on a par with Star Ocean 2) - Edit Scratch that way better than SO2

And a fantastic world concept (tech meets magic)

 

I could go on but after completing the Black Isle games i thought it was all over, only to discover this forgotten gem, I would honestly recommend those of you have gave up to try again with a walk-through if needed to get you through the beginning (and go tech, magic is too easy).

Edited January 17, 2014 by Jobby

[milczyciel]

Blasphemers, so many blasphemers - my already withered hearth cries with anger and confusion.

Ok, ok I'm kidding. Not being a zealot I can't blame anyone for not enjoying this very demanding gem today, when it have so visibly and ungraciously aged.

In fact, I've used some mods and -cries of outrage- save editors last time I beat it (2013), which makes me even less inclined to judge those for whom it became unplayable.

 

In spite of that I still have that special, locked hard and reinforced place in my mind (hearth already withered remember?) where the slightest of hopes lives... And it will do so, as long as The Man himself won't say otherwise.

In the end, it probably depends on how one perceives the stretch goals. I treat them as a promise - no more, BUT also no less.

Edited January 17, 2014 by milczyciel

[Darkeus]

 

I gave up on Arcanum about a dozen hours into it because of the combat system (and a non-optimized for combat character).  I don't blame him.

It's one of those things that was amazing in its time and would impress so much that it became so unforgettable if you played it in its day.....nostalgia makes it amazing. But playing it now after so many years and with the industry having come so far....well....it's just not that good and its flaws are all the more glaring.

 

I agree 100%.  I own the game.  Actually on disk and a GoG copy.  Great game back in the day, really showed what could be done with cRPG games back at that time.  But it is notoriously buggy.  The unofficial patch fixes a lot of things but the combat is quite dated (Not a big deal to me but I can see the issues).

 

But it shows it age, no doubts about it.  But I love the old girl personally.  At the same time, I do find it hard to play it over again.  As much as it's desktop icon calls to me....    

 

Edited January 17, 2014 by Darkeus

[Jarmo]

Tried to play Arcanum (for the first time) sometime last year.

 

Saw how horrible the graphics are, gave up in agony.

Steeled myself a few weeks later. Got to the first village, gave up.

Let it stew for awhile, tried again, gave up on the crash site after 20 minutes of playing.

 

Watched an Avellone Arcanum video, decided to try yet again.

 

Finished the game, loved it, finished it again with another character (full mage).

Made a tech character and played halfway through with that, but then didn't.

 

It's completely playable and awesome, but the initial awfulness barrier is a cold dark wall of ice.

 

Couple of notable things.

 

- The opening areas look just bad, the big city and a lot of other areas are much prettier.

- Trying to play on realtime setting makes your brain bleed. Turn based combat is ok.

- Don't go tech, go magic.

[ZversusA]

Hey guys, I just finished a full Let's Play of Arcanum as a half-ogre melee fighter. Check it out if you're interested!

 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOEH08ftZKMprrIgL6zNp5cLFuobhbGgC

[GrayAngel]

Chris as always do thing half way nothing to the end.

[Bryy]

Shocked at all the Arcanum bashing going one here, sure it was:

 

unbalanced

buggy

un-intuitive

the list goes on..

lol