Unofficial Arcanum Patch (Original Thread)

[Tommy]

Just another lurker creating an account to say thanks to Drog. This is one of my favorite games ever, and it was a delightfull suprise to find that not only was there an active community, but a hard working member like Drog. Thanks to all you people repoting bugs too, i doubt id have the patience to trawl every inch of this massive game just looking for problems to be fixed.

Thats my useless input. Keep up the good work guys.

 

[Shota Shernokavich]

Hey Drog. Found a bug. If your invisible, at the crash, site, and you encounter taht asasin guy he still detekts you.

Pic:

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Hey Drog. Found a bug. If your invisible, at the crash, site, and you encounter taht asasin guy he still detekts you.

There's no way you can get the invisibility spell at the beginning of the game.

 

[Black]

Unless he cheats of course. Ban him plox.
Anyway... Drog, would you remove the level cap? 50 is not enough to develop a nice character and you can reach 50 very early.

 

[The Vanished One]

Unless he cheats of course. Ban him plox.
Anyway... Drog, would you remove the level cap? 50 is not enough to develop a nice character and you can reach 50 very early.

I second this. It might be powergaming, but everyone says that Arcanum is imbalanced anyway.
At least allow people to have it as a separate download. If it's not too much work.

 

[Quilty]

I agree, I'd like to see the level cap removed in the controversial patch.

 

[Shota Shernokavich]

um there's a download on T-A that increases the level cap to 127. i don't know why you would want to do that, it ruins the game having an "uber character".

And please don't discuss the controversial patch in this thread. There was another thread specifically made for that topic.

 

[Black]

I know there is a cap remover but 1. I don't know how it'll work with DBT's patch and 2. Why not have it all in 1 file?

 

[The Vanished One]

dont see this in the changelog, put does this patch include the level cap remover?

It doesn't and never will.

Thanks for the info, but would there be any problems with using the level cap remover and this patch?

Yes, new race icons won't work.

 

[Shota Shernokavich]

The basis on which Drogs patch is built is that it should be fixed to make it Troikas vision of what the game was supposed to be. This means no changing things game-play wise. Can't you just use a hex editor or something?

Anyways, Drog should be concentrating on finishing the patch so that the modders (me) can begin.

 

[Axel Blaze]

Level-cap remover

I strongly recommend that the level cap is removed. And here's my reasoning why:

1. Yes, it changes game balance. I know this patch was never intended to do so. But if you make it a separate file (as with the decoys), there is no harm done, as people may actually choose whether to remove it or not.

2. There are many extremely interesting, but nearly useless skills. Let's face it: it's easy to create an overtly powerful fighter in 20 levels, regardless of your race: powergamers don't really need more levels to make a super badass, but people who grow fond of their characters and want to keep on traveling and slowly gaining experience.

3. I don't like the thought of a level cap. It makes me think of things that I shouldn't be thinking about when I choose new skills after gaining a level - should I choose this skill, or will it be useless, since I won't get that point back and there's a limited number of levels available . I know it's pretty damn possible to complete nearly every quest in the game regardless of what you specialize in, but the thought itself of a level cap is discomforting and takes attention away from where it should be directed at: actually roleplaying in the world.

4. Like many have told you Drog, people are afraid to use any other level cap removers than yours, fearing such fixes would conflict with your patch. I don't know how hard it is to remove the level cap, but from what you've been able to achieve I gather that it's nothing difficult for you at all. That being said, nobody can force you to take that cap off but many people would be pleased even more with your efforts if there'd be a level cap remover downloadable as well :wink:

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

The level cap will never be removed in the Unofficial Arcanum Patch as long as I'm alive and the head of my own project. Moreover, if you resolve to hacking the game, then do it elsewhere.

Arcanum is all about diversity of characters. Different characters give you different experience. Playing as a jack of all trades ruins the game. Want powergaming - play Morrowind or any other mainstream game. If you plan on doing all quests in one playthrough - you may want another game.

This patch fixes bugs, and bugs only. No suggestions, no "I want Arcanum to do this, I wish that was possible". No. The goal of the project is stated clearly in the first post, learn to read before asking the same things again and again.

I repeat, take your modding/hacking/etc elsewhere. All such requests will be ignored. The main policy is to not alter any of the game's original functions. It will work just like it was supposed to be in 2001, but with out bugs.

I understand that the forum is flooded with teenagers and the quality of posts is often similar to mainstream sites, but let us have a bit of respect for the art of classic CRPGs. Removing the level cap is like drawing a moustache on Mona Lisa.

Anyways, Drog should be concentrating on finishing the patch so that the modders (me) can begin.

The patch will never be finished. There's no such thing as perfection.

 

[Juzza]

Hey! something that has always bugged me, is that mechanized platemail and Basic mechanized platemail dosen't give a strength bonus! from it's description it seems like it should do something along those lines! or am I missing something cool it does do?

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Hey! something that has always bugged me, is that mechanized platemail and Basic mechanized platemail dosen't give a strength bonus! from it's description it seems like it should do something along those lines! or am I missing something cool it does do?

A basic one (the one in the scientist's basement in Ashbury) doesn't give the ST bonus.

 

[Juzza]

So the other one does? oh silly me! just found it in your list, silly me!! awesome! keep up the work!!

 

[Jasede]

I didn't even manage to read level 35 when I played through Arcanum. What are you guys doing? Mad grindz?

 

[Faceless]

If you don't have teleport and have dog in your party you're going to be spending a lot of time travelling by foot and thus random encounters will be frequent and you'll rack up a lot of experience very quickly.

 

[Shota Shernokavich]

The patch will never be finished. There's no such thing as perfection.

Yea, I know, I meant the next version cause by then most of the big ones will be fixed by then.

Since I sort of spammed the thread, here are some spelling/grammar mistakes I caught:

When asking someone in Blackroot about rumours, one of them says: "Have you seen Killian Drake down at the Sour Barnacle? I've never seen a more luckier dice player in all my life..."

"more" should be removed from the sentence.

also when booking a train ticket in Tarant she says:

"Are you carrying any magickal items. Have been approached and asked to carry any magickal items by people not travelling in your group."

first of all, there shouldn't be periods, but question marks. and also she says "have been" instead of "have you been"

Good Luck

 

[Jasede]

If you don't have teleport and have dog in your party you're going to be spending a lot of time travelling by foot and thus random encounters will be frequent and you'll rack up a lot of experience very quickly.

Oh, yeah. Teleport! I couldn't play the game without.

 

[Black]

The level cap will never be removed in the Unofficial Arcanum Patch as long as I'm alive

We shall see.

I didn't even manage to read level 35 when I played through Arcanum. What are you guys doing? Mad grindz?

Do Torian Kel quest, clear Hardin and Gorgoth's Pass and Lair of Beleoghrim (or whatever) and you should be lvl 30 in no time. Then there are places like the Dredge, BMC mines, sewers etc.
I think lvl 50 is easly obtainable just by doing all combat related things and even then there are quests to do.
Anyway, I just need to know if cap remover will work with Drog's patch or will it screw something up. It contains .exe file so I dunno.

 

[Kz3r0]

The level cap will never be removed in the Unofficial Arcanum Patch as long as I'm alive and the head of my own project. Moreover, if you resolve to hacking the game, then do it elsewhere.

Arcanum is all about diversity of characters. Different characters give you different experience. Playing as a jack of all trades ruins the game. Want powergaming - play Morrowind or any other mainstream game. If you plan on doing all quests in one playthrough - you may want another game.

I wholeheartly second this.
There is no point in a cap remover,it will ruin completely the game,one of the best things in Arcanum are backgrounds, they'll become useless in this way,so no more strategies, no more choices, no more character development.
By the way you can get the 90% of the quest in the first run,gamewise,if you want.

 

[Talio]

Hehe, I applied the unofficial patch, then as an experiment ran the level-cap remover. The level cap check said it was 127, but upon playing the game I stop leveling at 49.

No other issues besides the fact that the remover doesn't work were noticed, but I will be playing a fully clean playthrough next round, with the unofficial patch of course.

Once Drog has fixed all of the major bugs, another modder will create a patch to increase level cap anyway. I see the benefits of both sides concerning the issues with level caps, but at the end of the day the fact remains: it's a role-playing game. You play a role, that role has a maximum achievable level.

Once again, thank you Drog for putting this patch together. And also, thank you for sticking to your word about maintaining the original balance of the game instead of tainting the patch with unbalancing mods.

By the way, level 49 in Vendigroth Ruins (did lots of quests, elven mage.)

 

[Enigmatic]

Major thanks and bug report

Hi Drog Black Tooth,

I woulld like to extend thanks for the massive effort you are putting into this project, and connot wait for more resolved issues with arguably the best rpg going around

My bug report has to do with 'Dumb' characters (4int or less). Is there is another way to find The Bedokaan Village, other than getting the quest from the elf in Qintarra (Winde i think that his name is)?
If there isn't, there is no way for dumb characters to finish the Ancient God's quest, as the shrine to Makaal is in that village.

I tried to search for the village (ran around the exact co-ordinates), but found nothing.

Keep up the good work

E.

 

[Kz3r0]

Re: Major thanks and bug report

Hi Drog Black Tooth,

I woulld like to extend thanks for the massive effort you are putting into this project, and connot wait for more resolved issues with arguably the best rpg going around

My bug report has to do with 'Dumb' characters (4int or less). Is there is another way to find The Bedokaan Village, other than getting the quest from the elf in Qintarra (Winde i think that his name is)?
If there isn't, there is no way for dumb characters to finish the Ancient God's quest, as the shrine to Makaal is in that village.

I tried to search for the village (ran around the exact co-ordinates), but found nothing.

Keep up the good work

E.

If I remember correctly you can't even complete the geshtianna' idol quest with a dumb carachter, probably the ancient gods quest wasn't intended for such character in the first place.

 

[Axel Blaze]

The level cap will never be removed in the Unofficial Arcanum Patch as long as I'm alive and the head of my own project.

I don't understand why you can't make a standalone level cap remover that DOESN'T come with patch. That way everybody will be happy, both Arcanum purists and pro-remover people. Try reading posts and not just glancing at them.... I never requested that the remover would be part of the actual patch.

Arcanum is all about diversity of characters. Different characters give you different experience. Playing as a jack of all trades ruins the game. Want powergaming - play Morrowind or any other mainstream game. If you plan on doing all quests in one playthrough - you may want another game.

Playing a character for a longer time and getting it to a higher level doesn't mean that you could get everything out of the game on a single playthrough... many quests can be solved in various ways, which makes a new playthrough fun even if you'd complete 100% of the quests. If some loser really wants to rank up to level 100 by exploiting the game's mechanics, let ´em. I personally just despise the whole idea of a level cap.

This patch fixes bugs, and bugs only. No suggestions, no "I want Arcanum to do this, I wish that was possible". No. The goal of the project is stated clearly in the first post, learn to read before asking the same things again and again.

I read all of the posts. I don't see a difference between modding the integration spell and removing the level cap.... both are imbalances that don't really make any sense. And, again, since you yourself clearly don't read very precisely these posts, I'll state that I'M ASKING YOU TO MAKE A SEPARATE LEVEL CAP REMOVER. NOT BIND TO THE PATCH.

I repeat, take your modding/hacking/etc elsewhere. All such requests will be ignored. The main policy is to not alter any of the game's original functions. It will work just like it was supposed to be in 2001, but with out bugs.

Yeah it works just like in 2001, like that Stiletto no longer has magic complexity -15. It makes sense but it was a balance issue, not a bug. I don't have a problem with that fix, but it makes you a hypocrite to say you will make no balance altering when you already have.

I understand that the forum is flooded with teenagers and the quality of posts is often similar to mainstream sites, but let us have a bit of respect for the art of classic CRPGs. Removing the level cap is like drawing a moustache on Mona Lisa.

A noted artist of the dada movement painted a moustache on a print copy of Mona Lisa. Both versions exist in the world today, both for different reasons, making both culturally significant. (HINT: the previous line contained an analogue!)
And what's this teenager BS? Is somebody automatically a teenager for disagreeing with you? And what the hell does a minor OPTIONAL alteration have to do with respect? Or are you just trying to insult people who politely ask you something? I mean, calling people teenagers is pretty lame, I've heard better intimidation in kindergarten.