Unofficial Arcanum Patch (Original Thread)

[moper]

There's an infinite money loop in the dialog with H.T. Parnell in Tarant when you sell him the real pelt of the Stillwater monster. Also, directly after this conversation (I think) the caged bunny (which you freed and killed) reappears in your inventory.

 

[made]

It's been a while since I last played Arcanum, but I only remember one annoying thing. Weapons kept randomly disappearing from the inventory. I've tried to track down the reason but wasn't able to figure anything out. Not sure if I could reproduce it either.

 

[Ander Vinz]

Could you please check Weldo Rubin (a halfling traveller, at the entrance to the Wastes). It seems there are some problems with his scripts (as I heard), check how he acts, especially does he wait and disband properly.

Done! You can command him to wait but you have only one dialoge option afterwards. It's "let's go" witch means you're taking him with you.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Could you please check Weldo Rubin (a halfling traveller, at the entrance to the Wastes). It seems there are some problems with his scripts (as I heard), check how he acts, especially does he wait and disband properly.

Done! You can command him to wait but you have only one dialoge option afterwards. It's "let's go" witch means you're taking him with you.

Oh my, he's completely broken! I fixed the "wait" command, but... He doesn't have a leveling scheme at all, so he can't level up. This way he's fairly useless. There's no scheme for him in the game, so I guess I'll have to choose one of the existing ones or write a new one. Any suggestions?

Also, if he disbands, there's no way to get him back, that's pretty stupid. I guess, I'll add a new line to his dialogue to get him back.

EDIT: Fixed the dialogue. Now he waits, disbands and rejoins properly. Time to change his stats.

 

[Monolith]

On my last playthrough I encountered a bug in Caladon. I wanted to solve the murder case, got the quest from the constable and was to investigate the murder scene. Unfortunately the guard at the door wouldn't let me in and I couldn't get in otherwise - or didn't spend enough time finding another way. It's been a while so it's possible I'm mixing up the details...

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

OK, I wrote a new auto-leveling scheme for Weldo Rubin (I based it on the original stats he had in the game, but with a bit more sense). I also leveled him to level 30 (instead of level 25 originally), since he's late in the game. Now, he's very useful and makes a good alternative to Tollo Underhill, an evil halfling (there are only two halfling followers in the game).

Well, I think I have enough significant changes for a new version. Here's what it will include:
-Fixed typo in Magnus' dialogue and added global flag which affects Thorvald's dialogue.
-Swyft now properly disbands in Tarant in all cases.
-Now you can properly accept Swyft's quest with high haggle skill.
-All methods to become a friend of Molochean Hand now work correctly.
-Creep Armour now gives a bonus to backstab, just as the description says.
-Fixed wrong haggle conditions and missing global flags in the dialogue for the Molochean Hand Agent at Shrouded Hills.
-Fixed the Master Mage of Water's dialogue for dummies, now the former student appears in front of the gates in this case as well.
-Fixed Weldo Rubin's dialogue, now he waits, disbands and rejoins properly.
-Fixed Weldo Rubin's stats, now he has an auto-leveling scheme, so he can level up properly.

As always, unpack the files in your arcanum folder and run CleanCache.bat. Get the link to new version in the first post. Enjoy!

P.S. And please, post some feedback! Just say thanks if you like what I'm doing.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Thanks. I'll install Arcanum, give your patch a go and report all the bugs I'll encounter once I'm done with replaying Pathologic.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Oh, Drog Black Tooth! We, the humble Codex thank you for your Great Deeds.
We are not worthy to be in your presence, nor to breath the air you are breathing.
You are the Mighty Programer and we shell bow before you.
Songs showing what you did will be still present after your "decease". Amen.

Your're the man.

 

[crakkie]

Thanks for what you are doing. Reinstalling Arcanum.

And thanks to Ander for testing like mad.

Still, it would be nice to have a sister project that worked on most of the balance issues in a not-too-controversial way.

 

[Monolith]

OK, I wrote a new auto-leveling scheme for Weldo Rubin (I based it on the original stats he had in the game, but with a bit more sense). I also leveled him to level 30 (instead of level 25 originally), since he's late in the game. Now, he's very useful and makes a good alternative to Tollo Underhill, an evil halfling (there are only two halfling followers in the game).

Well, I think I have enough significant changes for a new version. Here's what it will include:
-Fixed typo in Magnus' dialogue and added global flag which affects Thorvald's dialogue.
-Swyft now properly disbands in Tarant in all cases.
-Now you can properly accept Swyft's quest with high haggle skill.
-All methods to become a friend of Molochean Hand now work correctly.
-Creep Armour now gives a bonus to backstab, just as the description says.
-Fixed wrong haggle conditions and missing global flags in the dialogue for the Molochean Hand Agent at Shrouded Hills.
-Fixed the Master Mage of Water's dialogue for dummies, now the former student appears in front of the gates in this case as well.
-Fixed Weldo Rubin's dialogue, now he waits, disbands and rejoins properly.
-Fixed Weldo Rubin's stats, now he has an auto-leveling scheme, so he can level up properly.

As always, unpack the files in your arcanum folder and run CleanCache.bat. Get the link to new version in the first post. Enjoy!

P.S. And please, post some feedback! Just say thanks if you like what I'm doing.

If there's one game that's worth being fixed - even 7 years after the release - it's Arcanum. I've been waiting for somebody to make such a fixpack for quite a while now. That said, thanks a lot.

 

[Durwyn]

Thanks ! That sounds great what you're doing here, but as i see how many bugs are still being discovered, I'll wait with my next playthrough till' you go further with fixing. Anyways great work.

 

[Volrath]

This is pretty awesome, so awesome in fact that it has prompted me to reinstall it. I'll congratulate you on your efforts.

 

[Claw]

And yes, I'm not going to redo the balance.

Yes, I just checked, a critter with 20 of constitution was instantly killed, no difference. But what do you propose? It's actually strange, you see, a critter can save against Dominate Will for example, if it has high willpower (the spell won't work at all), but it doesn't save against Disintergrate with high constitution. The damage is just too high to save, I guess.

Maybe it'd be possible to find a damage value that certainly kills anything in the game, but is low enough that half the damage is actually survivable? I don't know, I don't even have the game yet.

So, yeah, the only thing I can do is to change the spell save to a will power based one. Should I?

I guess it's a "controversial" issue. Do you believe you could make a seperate fix that just changes this?

I can add a dialog to familiar, so it can wait outside, but again, does it make sense? I'm not sure, what other people think about this issue?

Well, duh. That strikes me as obvious. Just imagine the game world is reality. So, you are supposed to enter the pit alone. Does killing your familiar strike you as a reasonable way of dealing with that situation?

No, the familiar can't speak. So a dialog wouldn't really make sense, I think.

Dogs can't speak either. Need I say more?

I mean, shouldn't it be possible to create a "dialogue" that consist only of a command without a response?

 

[Ander Vinz]

I forgot to report Magnus' bug:
1. He didn't join me before Schuylers so I didn't kill them.
2. He agreed to follow after I met level requirement.
3. I disbanded Magnus.
4. He started "I don't want to join you 'cause you're talking with necromancers behind my back" but joined anyway since I passed some check [charisma?].
Obviously Magnus should have expressed his paranoia after 1.

PLEASE DON'T STOP THANKING DROG, BIT... FELLOW CODEXERS!
He sure loves praising

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Thanks everybody for the support, I'm gonna work harder on this project.

So, yeah, the only thing I can do is to change the spell save to a will power based one. Should I?

I guess it's a "controversial" issue. Do you believe you could make a seperate fix that just changes this?

Yes, I can do just that. The game manages data files via a series of archives, so I can make a separate archive with just the disintegrate spell fix. This way, people who don't want it will be able to get rid of it easily.

I can add a dialog to familiar, so it can wait outside, but again, does it make sense? I'm not sure, what other people think about this issue?

Well, duh. That strikes me as obvious. Just imagine the game world is reality. So, you are supposed to enter the pit alone. Does killing your familiar strike you as a reasonable way of dealing with that situation?

No, the familiar can't speak. So a dialog wouldn't really make sense, I think.

Dogs can't speak either. Need I say more?

I mean, shouldn't it be possible to create a "dialogue" that consist only of a command without a response?

I was thinking of a dialogue like this:

[The familiar floats in the air, patiently following your every move.]
Move away.
Stay closer.
Wait.
Go away.

 

[Durwyn]

Too bad you refuse to do some rebalancing and adding lost content. Arcanum badly needs it, and it sounds like you would be the man with skilz to do that.

 

[Ander Vinz]

It became *known* to me that there is special art for revolver parts, great helm, robe [or armor?] of poison resistance and various magic staffs. If it's true than this unused art begs for restoring.
And what about making hushed revolver as poverful as fine one which it's based on?

 

[Claw]

Thanks everybody for the support, I'm gonna work harder on this project.

etc.

Sounds great to me. It seems I waited just long enough to buy Arcanum.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

It became *known* to me that there is special art for revolver parts, great helm, robe [or armor?] of poison resistance and various magic staffs. If it's true than this unused art begs for restoring.

I always wondered why flintlock parts and revolver parts looked exactly the same. It always confused me. I'll restore this.

The mage's staff on the other hand looks somewhat funky.

The poison armour and different robes were never used. I guess it's just some of the various designs they tried. I'd like to stress that there's no need to put every left out thing back in the game. Most stuff was cut out just because it sucked.

And what about making hushed revolver as poverful as fine one which it's based on?

No.

 

[Ander Vinz]

The mage's staff on the other hand looks somewhat funky.

Many magical sticks use the same wooden icon, so I guess you can add some variety there.

I'd like to stress that there's no need to put every left out thing back in the game. Most stuff was cut out just because it sucked.

Just show it then.

And what about making hushed revolver as powerful as fine one which it's based on?

No.

Why?

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

And what about making hushed revolver as powerful as fine one which it's based on?

No.

Why?

And yes, I'm not going to redo the balance.

 

[Ander Vinz]

I always wanted to ask: is there a way to get rid of logos? I'm sick and tired to press esc every time I run a game.

edit: It seems Smoking Jacket's +20 to reaction modifier doesn't work. edit 5 - I was wrong. It works as supposed.
edit 2: Small robe of Chameleon has the icon of medium one.
edit 3: Red barbarian clothes has blue icon and vice versa.

 

[dragonfk]

Drog Black Tooth:

Thank you good sir for your effort.

 

[Dark Elf]

Drog Black Tooth, I love you.

Would it be OK with you if we hosted this at Terra-Arcanum?

 

[Black]

I'm not going to replay Arcanum anytime soon but you bet your ass I will with your patch.
Thanks DBT.