Before I Play

Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura: Difference between revisions

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== Character Creation ==
* When creating your character, avoid the backgrounds that depend on your location for magic. Miracle Operation is almost overpowered.
* When creating your character, avoid the backgrounds that depend on your location for magic. Miracle Operation is almost overpowered.
* Also avoid any background that gives you a weapon, or increased starting gold. These become useless so quickly that you'll regret taking them by level 2.


* When selecting your items from the shop before you start, get the lockpicks, as they have a 10% boost, and the dress (if female), since you won't find either again any time soon. Then get some potions and a cheap dagger. You'll find better stuff shortly.  
* When selecting your items from the shop before you start, get the lockpicks, as they have a 10% boost, and the dress (if female), since you won't find either again any time soon. Then get some potions and a cheap dagger. You'll find better stuff shortly.  
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* Magic is incredibly useful. Teleport will eliminate annoying travel, catrip will unlock most doors, harm will kill almost everything, and charm will let you talk to almost anyone in a positive matter. Don't spam it at the beginning of the game though, you'll run out of fatigue, and fall over.
* Magic is incredibly useful. Teleport will eliminate annoying travel, catrip will unlock most doors, harm will kill almost everything, and charm will let you talk to almost anyone in a positive matter. Don't spam it at the beginning of the game though, you'll run out of fatigue, and fall over.


* Even if you're going tech, get teleport. It is so damned useful.
* Dexterity is probably the most important attribute, since it governs most combat skills, as well as the thief abilities as well. If you want to succeed at melee, you need DX more than you need strength (although that helps, too).
 
* Regardless of character type, don't skimp out on intelligence. Your initial reaction modifier has some effect on quests but intelligence actually determines the better dialog options. For combat oriented characters, dexterity is infinitely better than than strength even if you plan on specializing in melee weapons. Finally, magic is extremely overpowered. If you want to breeze through the game then build a mage type character.
 
* Beauty is a little useless, since you can excel as an intelligent ugly person, but not as a beautiful idiot.
 
== Starting Out ==


* By this same logic, as a tech don't be afraid to use magic scrolls. Most useful are scrolls of Exiting and Divine Magic. Other scrolls to hang on to include Conjure Spirit, Shrink, Dominate Will and any summons you might find. Techs will still be able to cast them, for some reason.
* Make sure you grab the passport, the matchbook, the camera, the letter, and the Molochean Hand amulet from the crash site.


* The first town sucks, but has lots of good XP. Don't give the guy the camera though. Once you get out of the Shrouded hills, the game really starts to shine. You can skip it almost entirely if you want as well.
* The first town sucks, but has lots of good XP. Don't give the guy the camera though. Once you get out of the Shrouded hills, the game really starts to shine. You can skip it almost entirely if you want as well.


* Get Sogg Meadmug from the first town. He's one of the few characters that will stay at your side no matter what you do, and he's great for killing things early game.
* Get Sogg Meadmug from the first town. He's one of the few characters that will stay at your side no matter what you do, and he's great for killing things early game. You need at least a 9 Charisma to get Sogg to join.
 
* If you plan on thieving, don't kill Lucan at the Shrouded Hills bridge. Instead, persuade him (you only need one rank, and maybe Apprentice level) and he'll give you an in with the Thief Underground in Tarant and Caladon.
 
== General Gameplay ==
 
* Get Drog Blacktooths patch for the game which can be found [http://terra-arcanum.com/drog/uap.html here].
 
* Turn the battle system on turn based.


* You need at least a 9 Charisma to get Sogg to join.
* Even if you're going tech, get teleport. It is so damned useful.


* Make sure you have lots of ammo before going anywhere if you're using a gun. I mean lots, like multiple stacks, and stuff to make more if needed.
* By this same logic, as a tech don't be afraid to use magic scrolls. Most useful are scrolls of Exiting and Divine Magic. Other scrolls to hang on to include Conjure Spirit, Shrink, Dominate Will and any summons you might find. Techs will still be able to cast them, for some reason.


* If you find an empty building, with a box in it, feel free to put your stuff in it, it will never go away.
* If you find an empty building, with a box in it, feel free to put your stuff in it, it will never go away.


* Oh yeah. For the love of god, get Drog Blacktooths patch for the game which can be found [http://terra-arcanum.com/drog/uap.html here].
 
* Make sure you have lots of ammo before going anywhere if you're using a gun. I mean lots, like multiple stacks, and stuff to make more if needed.


* If you do decide to go the tech route, then for the love of god invest in grenades and throwing. You can easily fashion grenades out of things you find in trash cans throughout the entire game and they are devastating. However, be aware that your character will have some of severe palsy when throwing at first so quick save before you throw grenades at the beginning of the game because you will, without fail, end up throwing one backwards into a group of guards/children/teammates/etc.
* If you do decide to go the tech route, then for the love of god invest in grenades and throwing. You can easily fashion grenades out of things you find in trash cans throughout the entire game and they are devastating. However, be aware that your character will have some of severe palsy when throwing at first so quick save before you throw grenades at the beginning of the game because you will, without fail, end up throwing one backwards into a group of guards/children/teammates/etc.
* Turn the battle system on turn based.


* If you're a mage, get Harm.
* If you're a mage, get Harm.
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* You get more experience in combat if YOU'RE the one hitting the monsters, not your party members.
* You get more experience in combat if YOU'RE the one hitting the monsters, not your party members.


* Dexterity is probably the most important attribute, since it governs most combat skills, as well as the thief abilities as well. If you want to succeed at melee, you need DX more than you need strength (although that helps, too).
* Be sure to travel to Dernholm and Black Root before heading to Tarant.
 
* Beauty is a little useless, since you can excel as an intelligent ugly person, but not as a beautiful idiot.


* Worthless Mutt is the best fighter NPC in the game. If you want him in your party, remember two things: (1) Mutt is so good at fighting that for the first half of the game, having him in your party will make combat very boring (and less lucrative in terms of experience, since Mutt will tear through enemies before you can even reach them). (2) If you want him in your party, you'll have to hoof it to the inn the first time you arrive in Ashbury. If you don't get there in time, the gnome kicking Mutt will kill him.
* Worthless Mutt is the best fighter NPC in the game. If you want him in your party, remember two things: (1) Mutt is so good at fighting that for the first half of the game, having him in your party will make combat very boring (and less lucrative in terms of experience, since Mutt will tear through enemies before you can even reach them). (2) If you want him in your party, you'll have to hoof it to the inn the first time you arrive in Ashbury. If you don't get there in time, the gnome kicking Mutt will kill him.
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* If you're a tech that's high on the scale (75 or so) healing magic will almost always fail on you. BUT most of the party-joinable NPCs in the game don't fall far enough on the scale in either direction for this to be the case, so you might want to have a healer in your party to look after them, while you take care of your own healing.
* If you're a tech that's high on the scale (75 or so) healing magic will almost always fail on you. BUT most of the party-joinable NPCs in the game don't fall far enough on the scale in either direction for this to be the case, so you might want to have a healer in your party to look after them, while you take care of your own healing.


* Also avoid any background that gives you a weapon, or increased starting gold. These become useless so quickly that you'll regret taking them by level 2.
* Keep in mind that magically unlocking something will make a noise, and anyone nearby will hear it. This means if you're trying to rob someone or break into someplace, it will be VERY difficult to do without getting caught. Lockpicking, on the other hand, is almost entirely silent, and you can enter Prowl mode (even if you have no points in it) well enough to avoid being caught by sleeping people.
* Guns are awesome, but only the good ones you'll get later / have to know where to find. I usually don't even bother putting points into Firearms/Perception/Gun Smithy until at least level 25 or so. Before that, guns are just heavy and bullets are expensive and you can't shoot worth shit. Just suck it up and go melee for the first half of the game.


* There's a warehouse in Tarant (just E of the Docks subway station) with a halfling outside. Help him clear out the rats in the warehouse, and you can use any of the interior containers for storage. Handy because it's right next to a subway station and the docks (for when you get your own ship).
* There's a warehouse in Tarant (just E of the Docks subway station) with a halfling outside. Help him clear out the rats in the warehouse, and you can use any of the interior containers for storage. Handy because it's right next to a subway station and the docks (for when you get your own ship).
* Regardless of character type, don't skimp out on intelligence. Your initial reaction modifier has some effect on quests but intelligence actually determines the better dialog options. For combat oriented characters, dexterity is infinitely better than than strength even if you plan on specializing in melee weapons. Finally, magic is extremely overpowered. If you want to breeze through the game then build a mage type character.


* You cannot return to the Isle of Despair once you have left.  There is an  NPC there you need to talk to in order to get the best ending for Dernholm.  
* You cannot return to the Isle of Despair once you have left.  There is an  NPC there you need to talk to in order to get the best ending for Dernholm.  
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* It's rather easy to break arcanum with real time combat by making a super fast melee attacker and using support spells. some weapons like the steel dagger have a 2 frame attack animation so you just attack dozens of times per second, obliterating anything with a thousand cuts before they can even attack. And sometimes you can just enable turn based combat and attack like 20 times per turn or something crazy like that.
* It's rather easy to break arcanum with real time combat by making a super fast melee attacker and using support spells. some weapons like the steel dagger have a 2 frame attack animation so you just attack dozens of times per second, obliterating anything with a thousand cuts before they can even attack. And sometimes you can just enable turn based combat and attack like 20 times per turn or something crazy like that.


* In Roseborough, speak to everyone in the inn. One of them will help you find a bridge that's crucial to travel on that side of the continent.
* Make sure you have (and are possibly wearing) the Molochean Hand amulet before entering T'sen Ang


* Keep one of these items on you throughout the game: shovel, mithril, kathorn crystal, and heartstone


== If you're playing a gunfighter/thief: ==
== If you're playing a gunfighter/thief: ==


* Make sure you grab the passport, the matchbook, the camera, the letter, and the Molochean Hand amulet from the crash site.
* Keep in mind that magically unlocking something will make a noise, and anyone nearby will hear it. This means if you're trying to rob someone or break into someplace, it will be VERY difficult to do without getting caught. Lockpicking, on the other hand, is almost entirely silent, and you can enter Prowl mode (even if you have no points in it) well enough to avoid being caught by sleeping people.


* Be sure to travel to Dernholm and Black Root before heading to Tarant.
* Guns are awesome, but only the good ones you'll get later / have to know where to find. I usually don't even bother putting points into Firearms/Perception/Gun Smithy until at least level 25 or so. Before that, guns are just heavy and bullets are expensive and you can't shoot worth shit. Just suck it up and go melee for the first half of the game.


* If you plan on thieving, don't kill Lucan at the Shrouded Hills bridge. Instead, persuade him (you only need one rank, and maybe Apprentice level) and he'll give you an in with the Thief Underground in Tarant and Caladon.
* If you plan on thieving, don't kill Lucan at the Shrouded Hills bridge. Instead, persuade him (you only need one rank, and maybe Apprentice level) and he'll give you an in with the Thief Underground in Tarant and Caladon.
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* As a thief, don't waste too many points on pickpockets. It's ineffective for largescale theft because you can only pickpocket 100gp from someone at a time, and the level bonuses aren't all that great. I tend to save up my fate points for the like 4 times the game needs me to pick a pocket.
* As a thief, don't waste too many points on pickpockets. It's ineffective for largescale theft because you can only pickpocket 100gp from someone at a time, and the level bonuses aren't all that great. I tend to save up my fate points for the like 4 times the game needs me to pick a pocket.


* In Roseborough, speak to everyone in the inn. One of them will help you find a bridge that's crucial to travel on that side of the continent.
* Make sure you have (and are possibly wearing) the Molochean Hand amulet before entering T'sen Ang


* Keep one of these items on you throughout the game: shovel, mithril, kathorn crystal, and heartstone


* As a gunfighter/thief, pump your Dexterity to about 13 or 15 (enough to reach expert level in Pick Locks). Ignore melee, and possibly even dodge. Boost your perception up to a natural 17 so you can advance firearms quickly, as you'll suffer without a decent melee attack. DX is crucial, though, so that you can steal guns, bullets and armor.
* As a gunfighter/thief, pump your Dexterity to about 13 or 15 (enough to reach expert level in Pick Locks). Ignore melee, and possibly even dodge. Boost your perception up to a natural 17 so you can advance firearms quickly, as you'll suffer without a decent melee attack. DX is crucial, though, so that you can steal guns, bullets and armor.
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