Arcanum 2 System Extensions

[@GypsumGeneration]

Arcanum talks let's gooooo

[@Stratocaster42]

I had no idea you were the lead on Arcanum! I absolutely loved that game and especially the string quartet music which I still listen to for enjoyment more than 20 years later :) I love your channel (and you are very handsome which makes me enjoy it more 😊😊)

[@polyhedralgames]

I loved hearing this! Arcanum was a formative game for me. It so inspired me as a young teenager that on a family cabin trip I wrote a ~100 page handwritten pen and paper rpg based on it. I still have the folder somewhere. When I got back to school and tried to play it with my friends was when I first learned that designing a game purely in your head without playtesting or input is a bad idea. The evocative character creation and leveling system you made in the early games of you I played were influential in creating in me a love for systems design. Now more than 20 years later (and after completing a postdoc in neuroscience, which sadly did not grant me any unique schematics) I'm transitioning into making independent video games full time. Thanks a lot for being an inspiration and for creating this channel, which has showed up at the perfect time for me.

[@qZorGp]

Уже 20 лет жду Арканум 2.... Спасибо за первый, Тим!

[@blakej6416]

Just restarted another game of Arcanum after having gotten excited watching you talk about your Troika days. Thanks, Tim!

[@TripleFudgePacker]

I love the idea of the three separate backgrounds, I think it makes for a great roleplay opportunity with unique dialogs. And the idea of obtaining level 5 spells is so cool. I wish we could've seen an Arcanum 2 (assuming we would've still gotten ToEE and Vampire Bloodlines). I hope you can show off more of these kinds of things! It really helps anyone who makes an Arcanum-inspired game or spiritual sequel. Game is just astounding, the only downsides were the buggy online and no party member control. Those are small things considering it's incredible setting, music, magic, and technology. It's incredibly immersive, and no other game has the Arcanum experience. I still and play it yearly!

[@misterj8815]

That's so cool to hear about the magic extensions, I always thought it was cool and mysterious how the original game implied that there were lost spells and possibly even colleges of magic. I sincerely hope this happens one day

[@reallybigdoggy]

Your videos are helping me through a very stressful time in my life, every time I get the notification for a new video of yours, I instantly get so happy! I just wanted you to know that you are very appreciated. A rare gem of a human being. Thank you!

[@brianjohnson4730]

Wow I just woke up and here's Tim Cain talking about Arcanum 2 for free on my phone. Awesome content as always! The thought of Blizzard putting the resources into an Arcanum 2 makes me so excited as a fan but then I think about raising the dead to interrogate a guy and know deep down they would probably never be able to get their heads around why people loved this game so much. Thanks to you and Troika for such good times!

[@Karina-winsmore]

The thought of Blizzard putting the resources into an Arcanum 2 makes me shudder with horror.

[@andrewhanna6613]

I loved the inclusion of bonuses for having 20+ in an attribute. My last playthrough was a half-orc with 20 Str and 20 Dex. He was unstoppable!

[@xGhost176]

this is probably the only place where this bit of information is worth a damn, but as far back as I can remember whenever I reinstalled Arcanum, I've always renamed the desktop icon to TimCainum, it's a shame Arcanum 2 never got developed and realised, though I'm glad you started doing these colourful videos on your time in the industry, so thank you

[@Banefane]

I like the idea of ​​having a genetic background, childhood background and adulthood background. This can lead to an interesting creative combination of the character portfolio.

[@axeldrane]

Just reinstalled Arcanum last week after 5 years and still enjoying the hell out of it. You guys really made a classic with this one...really truly hope to see a sequel one day. More so than for any other game I ever played. Grandmaster firearms with dual wielding Droch's Warbringer and the Handcannon...gosh. Who are you even fighting with that kind of firepower??? :-D

[@TheBrevosidy]

Just wanted to say your stories are inspirational to someone making an Indie Rpg. My upcoming game Within Cold Stars wouldn't be possible without your inspiration

[@Anubis1101]

man this brings back memories. i used to toy around with making my own spells and schematics back in the day. gave up on spells due to the lack of UI support for additional ones, but i did some neat stuff attached to weapons. schematics though i went crazy. armor, weapons, special scripted items... even got a whole jewelry crafting system going, though i never quite finished that. hearing about your notes for the sequel makes me want to boot the game back up and get back into it, even if it meant relearning all that stuff. not sure how much of it i still have saved. apart from custom backgrounds, i havent really touched it in over a decade.

[@AlexGorskov]

Hi Tim! You are a great storyteller with a very enjoyable energy! I love your content. Thank you!

[@psychoxmaniakx]

I just wanted to say that i stumbled across your channel last week and instantly became one of my favourite channels. Your storytelling is amazing!

[@TrueNeutralEvGenius]

3 different backgrounds is an excellent touch.

[@ClunytheScourge1]

Tim Cain has an enjoyable way of pronouncing the word "skills", as though it had a letter-W in it, "skeewuz" - I've found myself saying it that way aloud to myself sometimes to relish the flavour.

[@Kurvits]

Oh man, this is gonna rock... Sometomes you know a youtube video is just going to be pure *interestium*.

[@donovangallagher962]

You have become my favorite channel to listen to while I’ll game now really loving the content

[@bradr637]

Arcanum 2 is a big item on my bucket list. We have to make this happen.

[@GhostGaming-mu9vz]

I want to say “Thanks, Tim” Fallout 1 is the great RPG of the old school, and the beginning of the good video game series, VTMB is Masterpiece, and other his games is good, hello from Russia

[@graymantube]

Hey Tim! Thanks for this content (I mean the whole channel). Finally, one of the great masters of CRPG has shared his experience! It's like a real workshop for free. I really think it will help us to get more good game and video game designers. Speaking of Arcanum 2... I know you are still working with Obsidian under the NDA and can't share any details with us. But hypothetically =) Microsoft plans to acquire Activision/Blizzard, which have received Sierra's IP, and hence Arcanum. This means that Microsoft could eventually get the rights to Arcanum. Since Obsidian is part of the Xbox family, I will ask in this way: would you be interested in working on Arcanum again?)

[@Mirokuofnite]

Probably from a consulting standpoint.

[@OfficialSituation]

Because of your channel I started up my first Arcanum playthrough a few days ago. LOVING IT. Love u Tim, your insight is always great

[@NostalgicNate]

that's really cool, I wish this came out. Arcanum 2 maybe one day hopefully!

[@solidlou_2]

With the Microsoft acquisition, maybe uhm, Microvision will have the budget to make Arcanum again

[@ceruleanserpent387]

These videos are awesooooome

[@LordRefa]

Good morning, uncle Tim. 🎉 Always look forward to these

[@LordRefa]

Also, Arcanum is together with Fallout and Planescape Torment some of my favourite classic RPG's❤

[@LordRefa]

Its all about the story

[@evgenyivanov6311]

@@LordRefa Same. But while I think Planescape Torment was a one-off, Arcanum had the potential to become a multi-billion franchise like Fallout. Let's hope it finally happens when (if) Microsoft closes the deal with Activision.

[@LordRefa]

I would be ok with a million dollar franchise. Hehe.

[@evgenyivanov6311]

@@LordRefa Sadly, in today's market million dollar franchise means no franshise.

[@liviuperianu5499]

Great stuff! Can't wait for Arcanum 2.

[@MrLoneWoof]

It's never gonna happen. Maybe if some other company had the rights, but no way is Activision doing anything with them.

[@liviuperianu5499]

@@MrLoneWoof Fallout had a similar problem.

[@MrLoneWoof]

@@liviuperianu5499 Fallout rights belonged to a failing, almost bankrupt company, and were bought by one which was known for making RPG's. Arcanum rights belong to Activision. I don't think even the Microsoft merger will revive this IP.

[@packrunnernes]

​@@MrLoneWoofwait I just realised that with the Microsoft Activision deal thingy, obsidian could theoretically work on an arcanum 2 right?

[@TheBeowulf]

That is one of the greatest shirts I've ever seen, and as a bear I appreciate your bear themed shirt choices lol

[@GypsumGeneration]

The best of these is the reverse engineer imo. It really delivers on the fantasy of being an expert tinkerer and was an aspect that was missing in the first game.

[@hardlogic3046]

Yeah, arcanum without tech crafting being 90% about dumpster diving and doing gacha rolls to get a recipe to finally show up would definitely be an improvement.

[@thinkmore8024]

And I thought Arcanum was crazy already! You guys went wild with the design back on the good days! 😄 Too bad we will never to see anything like that now...

[@AlexGorskov]

never say never, it's gonna be groovy

[@Mirokuofnite]

Was there any talk of what would come after Journey to the Center of Arcanum? Like from Arcanum to the Moon? Taking cues from the Jules Verne book and the First Men in the Moon both film and book?

[@evgenyivanov6311]

I really really hope that the DEAL happens and you guys finally get to make the sequel. The best video game setting ever. After Fallout, of course.

[@OfficialSituation]

I've only just discovered Arcanum and I can only imagine what a modern iteration would look like. So cool

[@o4zloiroman]

@@OfficialSituation I found Pillars to be the next closest game to Arcanum in spirit.

[@OfficialSituation]

@@o4zloiroman I'll have to check that out, I've only ever played Fallout 1 and 2, and balders gate 1, and now arcanum. I need more old school RPGS in my life

[@SCARaw]

for me Arcanum set is better than fallout's but it might be bcs bethesda ride it to the ground and 6ft under

[@jonathonpolk3592]

Yay Arcanum! Please talk about the Half Ogre Conspiracy. I want more details on that mystery, if there are any.

[@FluffySylveonBoi]

I think the person who implemented stealing worn armor and held weapons in Skyrim might be inspired by this. It is also likely they came up with it on their own, but the possibility is still here. The concept is so silly and great, especially taking someone's chain or plate mail without them knowing :)

[@qew_Nemo]

These are great ideas!

[@BuzzKirill3D]

Pretty exciting abilities Tim, reminds me of HLAs (high level abilities) in DnD

[@Deadforge]

Fascinating

[@MrJballn]

Dang, way to throw my position on the MS Monocle into jeopardy in the first minute!

[@wimbusbert1249]

Nothing like waking up at 9AM and sipping coffee while I learn about game development very first thing 💯#blessed

[@benbecs8655]

Hey Tim, I just picked up Tyranny on sale yesterday and saw that it came out in 2016, just a year after Pillars (a game I think you worked on quite a bit.) I was wondering how long the development was and what maybe made it able to be released so soon after Pillars! Thanks for the informative videos as always!

[@coffeebreakhero3743]

I too am hoping for some vids on tyranny. One of my favorite RPGs. such a great magic system and writing and player agency

[@Vincent_Van_Vega]

Tyranny is one of my all time favorite games. I always pick the scarlet chorus!

[@TheGreatCigma]

I always enjoy hearing about Arcanum. Modding that game felt a little bit like archeology. I think a lot of the character creation aspect of that game goes unappreciated, particularly in reviews that bemoan its complexity. You can beat the game with a spellcaster, with melee, with a pure charisma build, so many possibilities.

[@emtione]

Although I am a big fan of Fallout (especially the first one), I never played Arcanum. I bought the game on steam few days ago and will correct my debt.

[@VoidSmoker97]

Make sure to get the unofficial patch before playing

[@hardlogic3046]

As with all troika games, the balancing is very bad but It's a fun experience and very replayable, well worth your time.

[@icedogg111]

I love Tim's daily videos

[@Dr_Slash]

That was a very interesting dive, thanks for sharing, Tim! I always wondered what those lost spells from the Age of Legends might be like. Now I wonder how high the level cap would be in Arcanum 2 considering that the player's stats were supposed to carry over from the original game (which I believe had a level cap of 50?). I always enjoyed how incremental character progression felt in both Arcanum and VtMB (and to a lesser degree in Fallout) when compared to most contemporary CRPGs (i.e. a level 8 party in Baldur's Gate is practically twice as strong as a level 7 one).

[@SigurdGR]

Damn it I want Tim's Arcanum 2! And Fallout 3 remade by Tim would be great too!

[@ErmineViolinist]

Until this moment I’ve been entirely indifferent to the ABK acquisition. Hearing they have the rights, 69 billion for me to get an Arcanum 2 is worth it. Obsidian-inExile collab once the ink is dry.

[@countessboochieflagrante]

that multi background system sounds amazing, im like jealous of not being able to play a game that doesnt exist

[@fredrik3880]

Haha fun to hear this. Arcanum is such a great game and setting!!

[@Furrnox]

I wonder if Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard might give you a shot at making Arcanum 2 if you ask Obsidian. A remaster would be sick aswell cause Arcanum is pretty clunky both to run but also some of it's systems haven't aged great, but the world, lore and story is awesome. This is probably mostly just wishful thinking.

[@Grrymjo]

My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately, Microsoft's arm's length management might not be helpful even if the acquisition goes through.

[@DIOBrando-ij2bp]

Microsoft does license stuff out. Microsoft still own MechWarrior and Shadowrun, but they’re not the ones developing or publishing any of the games using those series from the last thirteen years.

[@apolloforabetterfuture4814]

We may not get an arcanum 2 but we're going to get clockwork revolution. I'm very excited for a new steampunk esq rpg

[@TheGreystroke]

Raven needed arrow recovery so hard

[@andrewxyz24]

RIP Arcanum. Knowing Blizzard/Activision that IP will never see the light of day this century or the next.

[@HellPedre]

sooo many cool ideas!!! jessussss can someone please do Arcanum 2 with all theseeee pleaseeeee

[@jonbigcawk]

any chance we'll be seeing a design doc for arcanum 2?

[@Ciretako]

Thank you Timothy Cain ♥

[@Lyesmyth777]

Thanks for sharing >)

[@EB-cz4te]

The facade idea would of been useful in the secret maze where that arcane sword that you couldn't get without glitching the game to get.

[@Alamar1]

Hey Tim. So....now that Microsoft has acquired Activision/Blizzard, what are our chances that we'll see the Arcanum IP revived? It would be amazing to see something again from that world! One of my all-time favorite games. Thanks so much for your work on all these wonderful projects over the years.

[@munkaccino]

what the FUCK?? blizzard owns arcanum?!?!? ACTIVISION blizzard?????? I have never experienced such unadulterated dread in my entire life

[@StavrosNikolaou]

Thank you for this sneak peek of what it could have been! Feel free to share more mechanics and titbits from Arcanum 2 (or 1 if cool things were cut) anytime... One can never have enough of Arcanum 😊

[@oliorogue]

Tim story hour! ❤

[@legoyodascream]

I was just playing Arcanum earlier this morning. I wish you had access to the IP...

[@YuiYuria]

Did you make anything on Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines?

[@pepegon7997]

What if you could make hybrid tech/magic technologies, like some sort of mechanically tinkered fairy dust zombie virus that reanimates dead with ability for them to speak(to then spread it to organic creatures with unpredictable effects(cause some infected to shrink,die or gain abilities with realistic outbreaks and npc reactions like setting up patrols etc with which player can meddle to help cure it or help it spread to further cities) or some sort of gunslinger flint/ore golem and the fun part about it is it can cause multiple other random events just by casting/releasing/using it, like golem can just go rogue and attack you, the usage of virus can instead open portal to some sidequest/monster swarm randomly in the process of it inhibiting dead body.

[@davidmuldowney]

This is so interesting and depressing at the same time! The fun we could have had with these mechanics! and lol at games which allow pick pocketing a persons armor right off them 😂

[@Jacob47]

Very interesting video, but wouldn't the shift to a first person perspective for Arcanum 2 have required the systems to be totally redone?

[@PostapocMedia]

I wonder how some of those specializations for master skills would play out if you would actually made the game. Some of them sound interesting on paper but I wonder how exactly they could be implemented in 3D first perspective game (like "human fly")

[@Jkend199]

Absolutely love Arcanum, still a favorite even now in 2024 (soon to be 2024 anyway) I always wondered if the creators still had any investment in the setting. Not that it matters anymore, I mean Activision will never do it, but if they did show some interest in the IP, would you ever consider another project in that setting. I guess what I'm asking is, do you still have any investment in the Arcanum, any interest after all these years.

[@MoonyB]

Video on arcanums combat?

[@nikitachaykin6774]

Man, I really want to play Arcanum 2, now!

[@Dante.Alighieri.]

Hey Tim, i've already asked this question in previous videos, but i really hope to hear your answer on this one, soooooo... Do you guys tried to ask Jason Anderson back to work with you again?

[@karanvirchattha8929]

If the Microsoft-Actiblizz deal goes through, I assume there'd be no barriers for Obsidian working on Actiblizz IP like Arcanum? (Or imagine an Avowed-style Diablo). Anyways Tim your content is great, very insightful stuff!

[@NeUrOmAnCeRAI]

When is this game coming out?

[@Link-ik4ww]

Hey Tim, was always curious as to what you thought about all the stuff you guys had planned for fallout you never got to implement yourselves but that ended up manifesting in the form of new Vegas like the Vipers for example. Thanks so much for the videos, hope you have a great day !

[@Kaiserhawk]

I'm really interested with the idea of importing an existing character into a new RPG adventure. How would you go about balancing the encounters for a high level character vs a newbie lvl 1 character? Or would you?

[@Walley-ie8id]

I want to say (haven't finished the video yet but it popped into my mind) how closely a lot of your design seems to be influenced from GURPS (which I just finished reading through the 4e basic set lol). AND that makes sense since my interest in GURPS started with learning about the history of Fallout 1. Either way!!! I think it's interesting that studying tabletop/board games is a great way for not only studying but prototyping games... I'm ranting, sorry!

[@janvermeulen1557]

So if acivision Blizzard own the rights to Arcanum and Microsoft is buying Activison Blizzard. Could there be a chance that Obsidian Entertainment could make Arcanum 2. That would be awesome :)

[@joshthenesnerd]

if arcanum 2 had been developed and released, some of these probably would have changed along the way. in the games you made, was there any part of a game (location, character, ability etc.), which had a different name at some point during development that you still kept using for a long time after the change or even after launch? intentionally or not.

[@MrLoneWoof]

Chances for a sequel: Activision: This is not CoD Blizzard: This is not GaaS Both: Nope.

[@gamma8gear]

Can we get a new Arcanum, Blizzard!

[@kelvinbrown8136]

If you have any cool stories about the music of arcanum, it was so perfect and tasteful, i would love to know more about it.

[@GL1zdA]

Specializations sound cool, but how do you balance them against metagaming? I often played games, were many of the skills were just not powerful enough, especially near the endgame, and it was miserable, if there was no way to easily change them.

[@coffeebreakhero3743]

the ding is back. all is in order

[@souluss]

Will Clockwork Revolution be the closest we will get to Arcanum 2?

[@cmdr.jabozerstorer3968]

Well Jason Anderson is at InXile, so possibly.

[@michaelblosenhauer9887]

If you can't create Arcanum 2 without actiblizz getting involved, which I think we all agree wouldn't be ideal, how about using Arcanum's creation toolset to create a module for these ideas?

[@rabbitcreative]

> Activision/Blizzard Boo!

[@beautifulbearinatutu4455]

Hearing all of this makes me think that if these plans had reached fruition the game would have been HORRIFICALLY broken but also it would have garnered a tight-knit community patching it up to this day.

[@OlStinky1]

Any thoughts on Arcanum 2 in regards to Turn Based vs Real time? Committing to one, keeping both? I've heard rumors about different ideas for the combat during Arcanum's development. Also the three stacked backgrounds sounds very cool, reminds me of what Bioware would eventually do with Mass Effect.

[@jayjasespud]

Was the level cap also increased along with these additions?

[@thinkmore8024]

I always suspected that, although to cap at 50 was pretty crazy, like BG one capt the fighter at 7 and BG2 without exp. at 19. 50 is wild.

[@TomaZxxZas]

Now I'm even more sad that Arcanum 2 wasn't made ☹ Arcanum 1 already had an amazing character building system, so with all these additions, 2 would have been the king of CRPG's I bet. If Activision was to somehow revive the franchise, would you be interested in working with them if they offered?

[@evangallagher7978]

I hope the plan was to bring back the same sound and score composer... and virgil of course

[@Tychoxi]

☺☺

[@zerpblerd5966]

have you played UnderRail?

[@element1111]

Double damage arrow sounds pretty op

[@jubbalubby]

This is probably a pipe dream but imagine if the Xbox deal with ActiBliz goes through, Arcanum becomes an Xbox IP and you and Obsidian can work on another Arcanum game.

[@LandBark]

Journey to the centre of Arcanum sounds like the expansion/epic quest (like Throne of Bhaal from BG2, NWN2 Mask of Betrayer or NWN1 Hordes of the Underdark) for "base game" rather than genuine second part (worth mentioning that transfer from BG1 to BG2 wasn't that smooth). Idea to go beyond lvl 50 and get some epic/godlike skills/techs/magic do sound amazing (now people would be sad even that Arcanum 2 never came out). Listening to those ideas, I do imagine them working in isometric environment of Arcanum but I am curious how it would look and feel in planned 3D environment. Tbh I would more like new adventurer some years after Arcanum ended (with obviously not joining Kerghan ending), fresh start and a chance to briefly see the world changed by Arcanum 1 decisions (nowadays with Obsidian help we wouldn't have to save transfer, just do "Tyranny conquest" explaining what happened before Arcanum 2). Myself I did imagine how either Arcanum 2 or expansion/remake to Arcanum 1 would look like and what systems it would have, we had few similar ideas xD

[@gargamellenoir8460]

I have to say that if I put grandmastery in a repair skill, I'd expect to never have to deal with durability ever again in the game.