Arcanum - High Resolution Patch

Dhruin

Dhruin

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I've been looking forward to this...Drog Black Tooth (of Unofficial Patch fame) has completed a high resolution mod for Arcanum that allows for any resolution. Here's the feature list:
Features:
  • Full support for any resolution.
  • All elements of the interface perfectly centered.
  • All elements of the interface remain their original size with no custom graphics in any resolution.
  • Full compatibility with any mods that are based off the 1.0.7.4 version.
  • Full compatibility with older save games.
  • Improved Compact UI. Can now be accessed anytime by pressing F10.
  • Optional larger dialog and logbook fonts.
Thanks Licaon_Kter, who originally spotted at RPG Codex.
More information.
 
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Not to detract from all the great work on the patch(es) --it's great to see fans fix the classics-- but it's too bad the combat is unfixable. Arcanum with real TB combat (and all the other fixes) would be truly sublime.
 
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It doesnt always have to be TB, you know... Although admittedly one of my main problems with the game was that the magic system, while sounding great in theory, didn't work for me in practice. I don't remember the combat in either negative or positive terms otherwise. Still, it remains a lower tier favourite :)
 
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GhanBuriGhan said:
It doesnt always have to be TB, you know...
Click to expand...
Thanks for the pro-tip! I'll keep it under advisement. But in the case of Arcanum, if you don't have a (negative) opinion of the combat, you're the first person I've heard comment on the who hasn't.
 
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Combat wasn't THAT bad. Magic either, you just had to pick the right spells. I had charismatic Temporal Mage running around. Two Half-Ogres + That group haste spell = everything duying left and right within seconds in real time mode. And I had Virgil along to heal the ogres.
 
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like Sergius said the combat wasn't THAT bad. Hell I even got some of my family to play Arcanum and that is saying something. My brother is a twitch fiend and my mom is normally a Pogo player. So if they could tolerate it, then it couldn't be half-bad.

I heard a lot of complaints about firearms. Firearms sucked with TB but in RT I had no problem with them at all. Try out his patches maybe you'll have a change of heart or probably not.

Anyways here is one person without a (negative) opinion on the combat ;)
 
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screeg said:
Thanks for the pro-tip! I'll keep it under advisement. But in the case of Arcanum, if you don't have a (negative) opinion of the combat, you're the first person I've heard comment on the who hasn't.
Click to expand...

Just sayin... TB is kind of a mantra for some folks, and you are one of the banner bearers.
As I said I don't remember much of the combat, maybe that's a bad sign, maybe not. In general I must admit I am probably not a very discerning customer when it comes to RPG combat, it's not a main attraction of these games for me - despite it being the main filler activity. For good turnbased fun or good action combat I look elsewhere in both cases. So forgive my utter failiure in condemning the oh so condemnable ;)

Edit: mixed up two games here...
 
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Yes, screeg is a standard-bearer for TB but, yes, Arcanum's combat was that bad. Often because of balance.

@Sergius64 - but that's the core problem with magic in Arcanum - it's ridiculously easy. All you need is that one spell (Harm?) and you can waltz through the game. I'm not one of those "challenge" players - I'm there to experience the content rather than push myself on difficulty - and even I found it easy.
 
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It was a rare game that allowed both TB and RT play. The RT was insane so I stuck to TB. The actual combat play wasn't bad; it was the balance that was the problem.

I played a gunner and it was extremely weak so I advised my buddy to play with a sword. He maxed out his levels before halfway through the game so he quit. The level cap remover was borked when we did it so he gave up.

Another problem was that they didn't fully test it for DirectX8 and they shipped it with it included, likely due to pressure or $$$ from MS. The audio cache severely lagged it until Troika could patch it. All fixed now.

I'd love to play it again with these patches, but until they are compatible with or he makes his own balance mod I just can't play Arcanum.
 
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Does arcanum have other major fan patches? Wondering if I should replay this. I have som fond memories years back playing it.

I played the game through on TB I think but I dont really remember much else from it.
 
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Roi Danton said:
A screen resolution mod where the interface stays the same size? Please tell me this is a joke.
Click to expand...
Certainly no.
The patch have a big font mod,which is useful enough.
Also there is a lot of screen resolution mod where the interface stays the same size,like BG,IWD,PST.
In nwn you can play in 1680*1050 but the interface just stays the same size as in 1024.
 
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IMO, TB play aside, the combat was empirically terrible and it was grossly imbalanced.

IIRC~
Magic: spells appear in your head, no components, no weight, no ammunition
Tech: build items from schematics, heavy components, ammo often required

The game had great design, great concepts and good gameplay, but for me personally combat is also important.
 
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I count Arcanum as one of my favorites, but I have to say for a really interesting and original skill system, it did lack balance. I also don't remember feeling either frustrated or bored by the combat, but I remember feeling extremely ticked several times trying to build my character, and by the fact that you're forced to choose between tech and magic with very little blending allowed. I loved the world, the story and the atmosphere of the game enough to finish it, though, which back then I hardly ever had the time to do.
 
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The mage with harm and teleport was 1000% more effective than the tech user. Open Lock was pretty slick too. Which is kind of funny considering the story and setting being about more effective technology replacing melee combat and magic.

If bullets were weightless and you could produce a whole lot more of them maybe. It wouldn't have hurt if guns hit a little harder either. Even the tech manuals you had to lug around to boost your tech skills past your natural limit, which was required to make any of the good items, weighed a ton.

Oh and let's not forget breaking piles of weapons to carve your way through the rock golems if you were a melee character.

Despite the major balance issues it was a fantastic game and with this patch I just might give a tech character one more try .
 
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