Thoughts On An Arcanum Remake

I talk about what I would do if was in charge of an Arcanum remake.
Videos I mention include:
Arcanum As A Windows 10 App: • Arcanum As A Windows 1...
Thoughts On A Fallout Remake: • Thoughts On A Fallout ...
Arcanum 2: Journey to the Center of Arcanum: • Arcanum 2: Journey to ...

[@Onionblast1000]

I’d gladly fund a kickstarter for this

[@Eagle_SFM]

Same

[@CalvinJary]

Absolutely same

[@Hoppelite]

Same. Lets make it happen Tim.

[@waffy_kun]

This fr

[@MobsZello]

LETS GOOO

[@srottfaen]

Tim Cain remaking Arcanum is my dream.

[@n4m3l3ss0n31]

Tim Cain directing Arcanum 2 is MY dream.

[@MFKitten]

The name Arcanum alone is just too good to leave it in the past :p A refreshed Arcanum would be absolutely amazing, like going back and finishing the things that got cut short, rebalancing and fixing the little things that hindsight has revealed to you, making the game work on modern displays, maybe upscaling or redrawing the sprites in higher resolutions (or having the game logic drive a 3D engine layer on top of the original game).

[@gfh110]

Arcanum is my "stranded on a desert island" game, if I could only have one RPG to play for the rest of my life. A remake/remaster would be a dream. Honestly, I can't believe the IP has been dormant for so long, especially with the resurgence of the throwback CRPG's like Pillars, Tyranny, Original Sin 1/2, BG3, etc. and all the "Enhanced Editions" of the classic Infinity engine games. It seems like a no-brainer.

[@tarsis6123]

Still the only game I have played every year for the last 20 years. It has something that games have lost over the years. Thanks for this joy Tim.

[@Pedone_Rosso]

One thing I loved in Arcanum (among many, but this one I'm mentioning is rarely addressed), is the "persuasion minigame" not being a minigame at all, it's just (in-game-)logically unfolding dialogue. That's how you turn a game mechanic from immersion-breaking to immersion-enhancing, imho. Thanks for your videos, and for the amazing games you developed with your colleagues!

[@KeithBurgun]

The one thing I would add RE: Turn based only, is that I actually really liked that in Arcanum, I could hit spacebar to quickly "auto resolve" an easy fight. I'd love to keep that feature in, but maybe make it more intentional.

[@AJRestoration]

I absolutely would LOVE a remake or Arcanum 2. I still play Arcanum regularly going for 6 years now. Its a great game, a REALLY great game. I would pay AAAA price for Arcanum 2. (no Jokes)

[@TheRealClaylex]

Arcnaum defeinitley needs more love I mean these guys took medieval fantasy and steampunk and made em have a baby, and it worked! I especially loved the mechanics and the various ways you could build your character

[@skupipup]

Now that's a Kickstarter I could get behind.

[@SoundLibrarian]

20 plus years game dev here. Arcanum for all its flaws is still one of the most interesting and enjoyable games I have ever played. So much atmosphere and depth. I think I have completed it twice and started many more run-throughs. So much that can be learned from that game, but yes, Harm became a crutch and was all too easy to get "lazy" with. This video introduced me to your channel. I am certainly going to be hanging around to hear your thoughts. Thanks for sharing!

[@LandBark]

I do like that, Arcanum deserves more love. Would be fun in remake to play halfling or gnome females. Also more companions and existing one should get quests like Virgil or Magnus got. More cities etc. Arcanum remake is the most great idea!

[@Koupip]

with the success of BG3 this opens the door for you tim to make arcanum the amazing product you wante to make it, i hope to be able to see it in the future on steam, arcanum the first video game i ever played on pc which changed the cource of my life forever

[@TheHonoredMadman]

Tech vs magic is such a genius yet underused concept, like theres games where both are an option obviously, but almost none where theyre diametrically opposed like how it is in arcanum. I love it personally

[@user-yy3sx1ec2s]

You have my support 100%

[@Dingleburry37]

The more i watch tim, the more i realize he *made* the isometric crpg genre what it was. Props to you, man

[@TheHonoredMadman]

I would love this. I absolutely love the setting and all the variety in arcanum. Its so unique

[@apresmidi153]

I really hope we see a remake or new Arcanum game someday!

[@Beatofblues]

I JUST installed Arcanum yesterday to play it for the first time. I was curious ever since I came across MandaloreGaming's video. Listening to you and looking at the comments makes me really excited to play!

[@fredrik3880]

It is such a great game.

[@Beatofblues]

@@fredrik3880 the premise alone made me interested! looks fun

[@Galildoughty]

I was enthralled with this game. It makes me so happy to hear Tim just talk about it. Remake! Remake! Remake!

[@charliek5964]

Those all sound like really fun changes. I have a hard time going back to Arcanum just because it is difficult to play on a modern system. Even just bug fixes, graphics, and a quality of life update would make this great game so much more accessible. Here's hoping this channel's popularity makes the Arcanum IP holder interested enough to consider this

[@pokermitten9795]

I 2nd this comment

[@ZacHawkins42]

Runs fine for me on a potato Chromebook. There's this amazing thing called the Unofficial Patch which does a lot of good things for the game, you might check it out.

[@dandanthesuitman6013]

I'll always love these. I'm very curious about your views on the world design in Dragons Dogma, if you've ever heard of it. Not necessarily the story or anything, but how it's physically composed. A lack of scaling, inviting exploration but making sure you know it's always at least a challenge, if not impassable, how the map is designed etc. You're a hero in many ways, it's so great to get these insights!

[@lt3880]

The world building in Arcanum is such a pleasure to explore. Challenging themes arent messily filtered through allegory inconsistently applied like a certain tentpole RPG, issues of class and race are directly addressed without trepidation. Its at the top of my wishlist for a refresh because of all the obvious quality of life issues.

[@peterosipov400]

That's some master class on making games, man! I've been such a fan of your games for many years and I love hearing your thoughts on making games. Thank you for your content!

[@marathon1bear]

Hey Tim! I think a lot of people, including me, would really enjoy an Arcanum remake!

[@jandelic1278]

One of my favourite games, i grew up playing Arcanum, still have it, and also on steam, played it couple months ago. Next to Baldurs Gate, game that got me into rpg genre. Cant thank you and your team enough. Its with me forever, setting, mood, story, combat. Basically, always use it as a barometer of quality for any other game ive played. Cant sing enough praises. Thank you!

[@xdeckard6]

I'd LOVE to see Journey to the Centre of Arcanum today, I bet it'd be a very interesting game

[@MicoSelva]

I would love to play this version of Arcanum. Hopefully it gets made someday.

[@ermtol2901]

It is technically possible now that Microsoft owns all the IPs and Obsidian. I wish it happens, but, as I understand, the focus now is to make everything "modern". There isn't enough incentive for big companies to invest into more old school games unfortunately.

[@merrygin]

I don't know, perhaps 2023 and especially BG3, and before that Disco Elysium&Divinity OS 2, might prove an incentive for games along the lines of Arcanum to be "remade" / expanded upon. Let's hope it is :)

[@OscarGiudici]

Not really, Pentiment was a successful experiment, like Hifi Rush. An Arcanum related project, even little would be awesome.

[@lt3880]

Companies dont seem to be investing in much of anything right now, they have closed so many studios and laid off so many developers. I always fear for Obsidian getting gutted

[@grandaddyjesus]

Real time was actually quite exciting and enjoyable to play the game on. I think it could use some big tweaks but I loved blasting people with guns or magic, hurling bombs or magic blades while they scramble.

[@techieg33k]

I'd really liked to see this happen tbh. Someone legit start a Kickstarter.

[@bobham8929]

This.

[@JD-tp2lj]

I'd sign up.

[@Zanoladab]

Microsoft legit owns the IP, it doesn't need a Kickstarter

[@KubinWielki]

I wonder if the suits at Microsoft could be made to view Arcanum as a potentially profitable investment. It'd be absolutely amazing to play a remake (not to mention a sequel), if you and your colleagues from Troika would be the ones working on it.

[@DoctorFurioso]

Tim's ideas for the remake are solid so this is not criticism, but they are very clearly from his own point of view as the OG developer. For example, in suggesting upscaling the sprites instead than putting them into a 3D engine, etc., it comes across less a total overhaul and more along the lines of gardening: cutting off the dead branches, watering your plants, etc. In other words, Tim is essentially describing lovingly preserving the game as-is. It's worthwhile, for sure, and I'd love to play it, but it's not going to find a big audience. On the other hand, I can totally see Microsoft making a new Balder's Gate 3-esque re-imagining of Arcanum.

[@KubinWielki]

@@DoctorFurioso Oh, I agree. I'm just talking about the general possibility of a remake, given that all the pieces are in place, so to speak. The nitty-gritty of how it'd be done and implemented, if it'd be a remake or a sequel etc. is something I don't have a particularly strong opinion on. If the decision would be to try and shoot for similar scope and success that BG3 had - count me in! I'd just love it if the "people with money" would give a lot of creative freedom to the gentlemen who helmed the creation of the original Arcanum.

[@xBINARYGODx]

Phil/etc would almost certainly not stand in the way of this - Game Pass alone get's the Yes to developers more than anything else at this point.

[@512TheWolf512]

@DoctorFurioso I don't agree. If Microsoft is allowed a full remake, they EILL censor the game to hell and back. For example, that gnome conspiracy? You can kiss it goodbye.

[@bewilderedlearningevolving]

I'll have to revisit this game, so much praise. I still know where the disc is. Haven't even played the video yet. Love your work Mr Cain!

[@princeabassi7771]

I have to say playing Arcanum really was a treat. I hope that this and other hidden gems get remade into a 3d experience without losing its isometric identity. It really is a shame that we never got a true 3d isometric experience like we could've had with van buren.

[@deathsheadknight2137]

RIP to Van Buren 🫗

[@pokermitten9795]

Fallout 2 is an all time favorite of mine but I think Larian has done just fine as the modern leader in isometric RPG play. I like being able to zoom in and also have some nice verticality.

[@ChrisGalegar]

Don't play with my heart!

[@ygrezzie]

I have never played arcanum but as soon as you explained the setting I immediately thought it’s a fallout level idea and there’s so much you can do with that. I would love to see a modern game from Obsidian with this IP.

[@this_connor_guy]

I love these ideas for an Arcanum remake. Same old Arcanum we know and love but now with some fun new additions. :)

[@tyalikanky]

Would be fantastic to make something in that universe.

[@giglebebo]

Hey, Tim! You probably wouldn't have time to do this sort of project, but I think it would be REALLY interesting to watch a series of you playing through games you've been involved~

[@ordinator.]

Arcanum is one of the games I love best. Took me a few attempted playthroughs to get through the starting area with the wolves, and the first village - somehow got stumped by the bandits guarding the bridge. But then! Once I got builds figured out enough to get through the starting area, the world opened up, and it *really* opened up. It´s one of those games (like Deus Ex, Torment, Morrowind, and V:TM Bloodlines) that really left me a feeling of having experienced another world. Thanks for uploading your thought on this! Arcanum definitely deserves a remake.

[@StavrosNikolaou]

I want to play this remake yesterday!! 😄 I've been waiting for this video! Thank you for the insights. One question regarding one of your suggestions. You mentioned the removal of level caps for the remake. Are you concerned that such a gameplay feature might lead players (under the current character system in Arcanum) into generating same-y characters with no flaws or limitations likely removing the "consequence" from the character building choices? If a character can do everything, is that an interesting character to play? Admittedly Arcanum is well designed in that respect as it forces the magic/tech dichotomy which in turn helps alleviate some of the overpowered capabilities that can come from infinite leveling. I can also see the argument that such a feature is optional and players that do not want to create a perfect character can ignore it and thus don't have to worry about the level cap and it's potential abuse. Having said that, I can't help but wonder if level cap removals could be better paired with additional "vertical scaling" (increased damage, duration of abilities, decreasing costs etc) as opposed to the ability of learning everything.. Anyhow apologies for the rambling; I am curious about what you think. 🙂 Thank you again for another great video!! There is not enough Arcanum discussion on KZbin! Also Microsoft if you are listening please please pile some $ in front of Tim (maybe as an advisor/lead along with Leonard) and make this happen! Have a great day Tim!😊

[@toastmandenis1218]

Tim, have you heard of Arcanum Multiverse Edition? A group of enthusiasts polished Arcanum for many years, fixed bugs, added content which was in the game files but was not implemented. Just check out their patch notes, they are awesome! A few years ago I played it and with all those bugs fixed it reminded me once more of how much this legendary game means for me, why, imho, it is among the greatest games of all times and why I have so many warm feelings in my heart about Arcanum! PS: I’ve read comments on Steam that the Multiverse version uploaded there has some noticeable problems including the keyboard language set to ru, however, when I played it I didn’t notice any of them and everything was smooth. PSS: In the times of remakes and remastered version of classic games I hope to see the news about the remaster version of Arcanum release! And it would be great to have some of the ideas mentioned by you implemented in it!

[@iSlowhands]

Yes. The answer to an Arcanum remake is a resounding YES. Thank you so much for that gem of a game, Tim.

[@dukelionheart5435]

this video gives hope that one day we can play a great game again.

[@spudd86]

I think unless you have a centeal authority planning roads you'd probably be able to use a polynomial algorithim. The hard part would be deciding which pairs of places get roads, then you just us pathfinding to connect them in a way that makes sense. Could probably use different cost functions depending on how important the road is so that a road between two major cities would be willing to cross bigger obstacles and generate things like big bridges or mountain cuts. It's only NP hard if you're doing global optimisation of the road network, but I don't think any road network was ever designed that way, at least not entirely. Most roads are basically evolved from where people tent to go a lot, so the most covinient path between two places. They usually follow the path of least resistance, unless you have soneymthing like Rome to take bigger more planned things, but even the Romans went around big hills and mountains for most roads.

[@CRCBenton]

Hey Tim! If you read this, I hope you're well. Arcanum led to an undying in-joke/game term between my best friend and I. Circa 2009/2010 we were playing our own separate playthroughs, and the recurring topic of discussion was that I was having such an easier time of it than he was. One day, right before he was about to enter the game's final areas, we considered what might have been the reason for this struggle. After a long discussion, we realised he had much less money and much less gear than I did. I mentioned that most of my money came from selling enemy equipment from random encounters, and then it slowly dawned on him: he had no idea you could loot enemy equipment. We both had a manic meltdown about it, laughing about all the items he could've used, and all the gear he could've sold, all the unique items he might've missed, now forever lost, all because he didn't catch on to what we considered a vital part of the game's progression. We coined the phrase "Arcanum Moment": where a basic or vital feature that could've made a night/day difference eludes you for a long length of time. No matter how long we've carried on, "Arcanum Moments" never seem to die. They're big events that immediately catch the other's attention; all we have to do is say it: "Arcanum Moment". We've had many major and minor "Arcanum Moments" over the years, and something tells me they'll never stop coming. 😁

[@CainOnGames]

I love this. I’m tickled thinking of someone playing the game and never looting their victims. It’s almost a self imposed challenge mode. This story will be my Arcanum Moment.

[@CRCBenton]

@@CainOnGames Just to add more context: while he *was* technically looting enemies, there were two small buttons that swapped between enemy inventory and equipment; he (obviously) missed these buttons. It just so happens that most folks don't keep their most valuable and effective gear in their backpacks! 😆

[@dragonbricks7086]

I love Arcanum. Has been playing it on and off for the past 20+ years. I agree the storyline is good. The only thing to add perhaps more opportunity to complete quests without shifting alignments to good. I know there are ways to keep alignments below -20, but I may want to play with as close to 0 alignment as possible

[@PipeJream]

I bought arcanum yesterday as a result of all your in depth videos and your excitement about the game. Also the idea that people thought it was too complex made me want to buy it more! Cheers and thank you for your work Tim :)

[@TripleFudgePacker]

Would love a video on the music, sound effects, voice acting. The sound design of Arcanum is beautiful. Did you have a design document about it, or was it mostly improvised? Specifically, it'd be awesome to see a chat with Ben Houge, since there's not many interviews out there.

[@diegomorales7290]

The world of arcanum is such a facinating place, so i would rather have a sequel over a remake because i would love to see how would the world evolve given a couple of decades.

[@axeldrane]

I have about a dozen games on my console that I haven't played yet. Top notch graphics, well reviewed...everything you'd ask for in a modern game. And yet I just reinstalled Arcanum a week ago and haven't even touched the console since. That's just how engaging and fun that game is to me...Playing as grenadier/gunslinger tech character and having a blast with it. Good things there's guys like Drogg Blacktootth and his famous UAP that kept the game alive and possible to run these days plus the KZbinrs that show how to patch it to run on modern rigs. You guys delivered an absolute gem of a game back then and it truly deserves a sequel.

[@nathaniellamb2154]

So... How can we raise cash-money to make Arcanum 2 happen?

[@TripleFudgePacker]

I remember when I first played Arcanum in 2001, I assumed all the forests were randomly generated, but I thought maybe if I traveled far enough in any direction, I'd find things. It was actually a little unsettling that it was just a sea of trees in the middle of nowhere with no points of interest, lol. Stumbling upon secrets is so fun, even years later. My favorite is Old Blind Master, especially as a real-time player on "hard" (I enjoy kiting enemies), to find one of the best throwing weapons among the mountains is awesome. More secret areas / silly references would be awesome. The road path system would really help, especially with some signs that are damaged or misplaced to give hints. Absolutely love the idea of using that unused space in forests/caves for procedurally generated events (that mark the map once you travel over them). It'd be so much fun to replay Arcanum like that, if the variance is big enough. Hopefully you reconsider multiplayer / real-time. Would be great to have more games like BG3, where you can hop on and join your friends. Especially when I was in a Diablo 1 / Diablo 2 mood, Arcanum was the only thing that could compete.

[@lrinfi]

"It was actually a little unsettling that it was just a sea of trees in the middle of nowhere with no points of interest" "love the idea of using that unused space in forests/caves for procedurally generated events" Ah, but that was then. This is now. Why wouldn'tt the empty sectors of which Tim speaks be touched by artists and sprinkled with new, handcrafted material? I don't know, guys. Talk of procedural generation as anything other than a tool makes me feel queasy.

[@FluffySylveonBoi]

The great thing about Harm spell in Arcanum is that I randomly found it on my first play without any guides, then I was like "This is awesome, are all spells so great?" Which made me hyped for the game and I am happy for it. I started kinda unorthodox for a first time player, I decided to be an evil elven sorceress, who hated technology, so I went bad right away xD I gave the spells and everything else some scrutiny and decided to go this, this, and this magic.

[@scroogenmacduck9064]

One of my favorite games of all time. I think a remake of this with turn based combat like bgIII would rock. I always played in real time when the game came out, but I recently bought this on gog and i think I'll try turn based Anyway I'd love to see a remake or anything from this IP that has been a cherished memory in my gamer heart for over 20 years so thanks!!

[@Anubis1101]

Thanks for expanding on this, I'm glad you had so much more to say! One thing I would note is that a LOT of people enjoyed the real-time experience, balanced or no. You mention looking at what other patches did, but I am willing to bet money at least 60% of players would like it to be left in, at least as an option. I think your ideas for refining turn-based were great, but real-time was its own experience, and for many of us, it's an iconic Arcanum experience. If we're talking about balancing, spells are balanced by fatigue cost, and the fun mechanic where physical actions during combat also cost fatigue, making falling unconscious a threat mages must remain aware of. Aside from Harm, I never felt the magick system was at all unbalanced. Tech objects and combat skills were balanced by preparation and carry weight, so in many cases that actually seemed more exploitable. What I'm getting at is keeping both real-time and turn-based systems in the game is both important to the experience, and absolutely viable.

[@Darkholow]

Arcanum is one of the best underrated CRPG's of that era and it's in my top 10 of all time. Every time I think of it I hear that phenomenal music in the back of my brain playing. I would totally replay an Arcanum remake. Another idea would be to make an Arcanum sequel in that isometric style. Too bad it's still stuck in Activision's vault and I don't think MS will do anything with the IP.

[@RewdanSprites]

I do love this channel and drop by often to watch the videos. Not sure I'd like a turn based Arcanum though. Although that is just my opinion. For me personally, Arcanum is a classic and sometimes I just feel these things are best left alone rather than be remade. Having said that at the time when I discovered it I was probably one of the few who noticed it's potential. I believe it was a game that was quite a bit ahead of it's time and a unique experience that still lives with me to this day.

[@YellowCable]

It's interesting how turn-based had a revival in the last few years. It's great from my PoV.

[@Striker9]

I second whoever said I would pay towards a Kickstarter. I legit used to have a dream to make an arcanum Movie when I was a teenager. From the viewpoint of Virgil. That was my "at school daydream" sitting in class waiting to get home to play more arcanum. Man. Arcanum is still my top number 1 game. I've played it off and on since then. Tried almost every fan patch and expansion. I actually really enjoyed multi-player while it lasted, I used to play around in the World Maker, but never actually made anything but it was still fun lol. Man, this video alone brought back so many memories lol. I don't even know How many hundreds of play throughs I did lol.

[@progenitustang5580]

Yes please! And tell us if there's anything we can do to help make this happen! Hype! Hype! Hype!

[@brandleesee]

Always great to hear your thoughts on Arcanum. Should you ever work on it, please, do not remove real-time but at least make it an option. Its absence would ruin my childhood memory of the game. Thank you.

[@OMGaPooPooLaser]

The procedurally generated caves and ruins sound awesome. It would be even cooler if each one also generated a book or similar item somewhere in world (like the libraries) where players could find the coordinates). For example, if the cave generated with the dwarven mine tileset, there could be a newpaper article pointing towards it.

[@lrinfi]

I'm just going to say it. BGS has run the idea of judicious use of pointers to POIs, whether or not they contain any lore, into the ground, the reason being they haven't made very judicious use of the practice. In fact, it's become sheer bad habit for them to do that excessively over the years. What's the point of exploration if the player is not discovering less significant POIs on their own? Where's the player agency? Heck, I used the cabinet under the stairs of the awesome Skyrim house mod, Riverside Lodge, specifically as a trash can in which to store the messenger's unopened missives pointing to word walls along with all the other exploration killers, stuff and nonsense in the game. Do I expect everyone to play the way I do? Absolutely not. But there must be a line to be drawn somewhere between incentivizing exploration and positively destroying it.

[@johnnyboi177]

This would be sick

[@madscialex9030]

Both me and my best friend are from those few people who actually enjoy the chaos and deadliness of real time combat much more. We did a lot of coop of official modules, as well as a few tries with Arcanum module port to MP. While I understand the preference for discarding MP and RT combat, I can't discard the dream of coop Arcanum - simultaneously influencing different parts of the world and experiencing each others' influence, becoming either allies or enemies. I've thought about the issue with isometric RT combat, and there's one game that I think did it right: *Robin Hood - The Legend of Sherwood*. I wholeheartedly recommend this game as is, but speaking with Arcanum in mind - RT combat in this game is slow, as characters in combat are fencing/on guard. There is loads of strategy and planning, there are both automatic attacks and ordered special attacks, there's automatic movement and targetting as well as directly overriding those. There's definitely enough time in this combat type to e.g. cast and throw an aoe spell, or to order Virgil via commands to back off. All of this, while being much faster than turn based and definitely much more engaging. Arcanum skills would definitely fit right into this type of combat system. There's also one feature I don't see often in video games - you draw patterns with your mouse in order to execute a special attack with similar weapon path (e.g. if you draw a circle around your character, it spins and knocks enemies around, drawing a short line into enemy will make a stabbing attack). It is extremely intuitive, and in this type of slow RT I think it complements better than hotkeys and artificial cast times/cooldowns. It could be extended to spells, requiring a simple drawing of spell's college symbol in order to cast said spell. This would also enable additional skills like for example concentration.

[@PeterMaranci]

I am totally in for a remade version. One thing I would definitely want to change is the weight of electricity. It never made sense to me that a battery with lots of charges weighed so much more than a battery with no charges. I'd also like to see a lot of rebalancing of spells and skills. And one thing I still don't quite get is the relationship between magic and technology. Sometimes they interfere with each other, but I get the implication that it's possible to have both. So a character could master tech and magic, and possibly even have the two interact in interesting and unexpected ways. But I suppose that would require too much programming.

[@CFMaximus]

My younger brother is currently guiding my grandma-age mother through a playthrough. For my part, I first played Arcanum when I had just hit my teens. Out of all the games I've played (many!) it's the one that stuck with me the most. It really made an impact.

[@vittoriotomassetti4179]

Probably my favourite game of all time, thank you for all. I would really love a ramake

[@emolovetree]

Remake could finally give us the diving helmet

[@djfjdidoskslwkhemejsjskaos74]

If Larian Studios were able to do get the IP for a remake, I believe it would be an absolute masterpiece!

[@NaughtyLink115]

I know the IP is probably in hell but, I would buy a stable version of the game in a heartbeat. When I was a kid and played Fallout 1 and 2, I found out about Arcanum and gave it a try. It now rivals Fallout 1 for my favorite game of all time. Honestly I'm just going to start another playthrough today just because you lit that fire again.

[@Austin-gj7zj]

What great timing for this vid! I just finished my first playthrough of Arcanum last night. I would really like to see the Bedokan and the Vendigrothian people get some extra screentime in the sequel as well. It's such a cool world you guys made. I did a black necromage so I'm gonna go back and play it again with the training wheels off lol.

[@user-cb1rh4wl1w]

I get it with Bedokaan, but why Vendigroth? I mean the whole ordeal is just Fallout reference IMO. 😂

[@Austin-gj7zj]

@@user-cb1rh4wl1w I'm not seeing any direct parallels. Care to elaborate? Fallout is more than retrofuturism/anachronistic tech.

[@user-cb1rh4wl1w]

@@Austin-gj7zj technologically advanced industrial civilization that was wiped out by other powers during war and all that is left of it is barren wasteland, underground facilities, ancient machinery, technological wonders and hordes of dangerous creatures that for some reason indigenous ONLY to that particular area(IMO those arachnids are vendigrothians that were twisted by Arronax' magic, akin to the ghouls and sups in Fallout). Seems like Fallout to me.

[@Austin-gj7zj]

@@user-cb1rh4wl1w I guess if you want to cut your feet that glass slipper will fit.

[@user-cb1rh4wl1w]

@@Austin-gj7zjare you for real? 🤣 Cmon it's an obvious fallout reference. Quest for water stone in Tulla, hello.

[@ih8people]

Back in 2005 we were making a LARP based on Arcanum, and we wanted to continue the story from where the game left off. We came up with a lot of new content and lore, including a new continent to the West, a new species of Bedokaan who were completely unrelated to those living in the Old World, a physics model that tried to describe the way magick and technology interacted with each other, and a lot more. At some point my friend and I found ourselves discussing this crazy idea where the world of Arcanum we see in the game is actually a product of a nuclear war that happened millenia ago, and magick and technology were the forces that held everything together (so one can't exist without the other as it would literally unravel the fabric of the universe). At some point we had a question about the Panarii religion and I wrote to Leonard Boyarsky to ask about that. We didn't get the answers we were hoping for, but I remember him thanking us for being such hardcore fans of the game :) The world of Arcanum shouldn't end on telling just one story. If there's any official remake (or, hopefully, a sequel), I'd be happy to help fund it

[@Heffalord]

Never played another game quite like Arcanum. An absolute masterpiece with the greatest soundtrack in gaming to boot. I'd love to see it brought back or even just updated to work on modern systems. Everytime I go back to play it I have to spend awhile getting it to run.

[@user-jv3we5mz5y]

I they would add if the player dies or a companion, his body is bones or the body can be revived, taken to a special temple to get the potion or immediately doused with the potion on the spot and flying on dragons or Reptiloids, I have an endless number of ideas and the most difficult thing in the game is to build a time machine and neural networks will do what you did it in the game in the past when you built a time machine, this is probably the most difficult thing

[@tiny_kurgan]

Hi, Tim and thank you for all the interesting insights on the video game industry. As we already have a Fallout tabletop RPG, I would like to ask if there’s any other computer game that you’ve worked on that you would like to see made into a pen-and-paper version? Would there be any gameplay mechanics, features, or world building details that you would be particularly interested to see transitioned onto a tabletop version and if there would be some things that would be difficult to implement? Also, did you ever consider making tabletop RPGs yourself?

[@simondaniel4028]

My people and I tried, a few times, to get online going wayyy back in the day. I would have liked to see that work, but I'm with you when it comes to taking it out for a better single player experience.

[@misterj8815]

I wonder with the state of the industry after BG3 if Microsoft would consider this, or at least granting the rights to a studio that would enthusiastically take this one. I sure hope to see it one day!

[@KubinWielki]

Right? It's double fun, because the main 3 gentlemen who helmed Troika when they made Arcanum, are actually working for Microsoft right now (under different studios, and Tim is a contractor, but still). BG3 really shook up the rather forsaken cRPG scene, and many greedy eyes are looking intently at this genre right now. This is possibly the single most golden opportunity for Arcanum remake/sequel to ever exist - as if all the pieces of the puzzle were right there, waiting for someone to push them into place.

[@husnuceylan]

I would pay top dollar for Arcanum 2! I have been playing that game for the last 20 years on and off! A masterpiece for sure…

[@CircleOfTheSeptagram]

Great video! Thanks. The thing I wished for the most was just more stories in this world. A sequel in the same engine with the same dev pipeline but with more stuff. Or a toolkit for users to make mods and additions so players could keep the world going.

[@Sasha-nj8or]

I want to play Arcanum MMO in 3D with other gamers the remaining years of my life, because there are very good atmosphere, ambience like forest, wolfs, sounds, buildings made of wood and stone, basements, sewers, your hiding places, recipes of weapon, magic, visual style, color palette

[@ghjong001]

I want! Even though it's one of my favorite games of all time, I hesitate to recommend Arcanum to people interested in crpgs because of all the jankiness. I could see past that twenty years ago, but it's not something people new to crpgs are likely to get past. But the writing and immersion of it was breathtaking, and I'd love for people to experience it.

[@TheOnboardAphid]

I mean maybe I'm too young to get used to and appreciate it (early 30s), but the main thing that stopped me from playing Arcanum was the UI and outdated graphics, everything else looked fantastic. It'd be fantastic to see a new version with updated CRPG controls in the near future.

[@Hurlebatte]

SOME THOUGHTS 1) I wish Arcanum had more animation, like trees swaying in the breeze. 2) I wish there were complex enemy caster encounters. There are anti-caster spells but why use them when you can just blow up the enemy caster? I never felt there was anything akin to a wizard duel in Arcanum. 3) Maybe instead of getting rid of real time combat there could be a note next to it like "(not recommended)". When I was very young I liked the real time combat because kids are dumb. 4) A lot of people seem to really like the Dark Souls thing where the lore of the game isn't made clear, but can be pieced together. Given that Arcanum takes place in the equivalent of our 1800s, when many scientific fields were being pioneered, I think this kind of "discovery gameplay" would complement Arcanum. Here's an example. I recall there being lizard monsters running around. Are they related to dragons? Are they descended from dragons? I forget if the game tells the player, but whether the case, it would be cool to discover what exactly the link is between those lizard things and dragons by exploring the game and piecing evidence together.

[@dallacosta2868]

Tim, have you ever seen SsethTzeentach’s review of Arcanum? It has millions of views and is hilarious.

[@VictorJulioHurtado]

I. I loved everything you said. The only thing I'd probably change is that instead of rerendering the sprites, I'd redo everything in 3d, but keep an isometric perspective. Oh! And also make modding easier. Nothing keeps a game going beyond it's life cycle than mod support.

[@AgostinhoRenner]

Hi Tim. What you described is more akin to the enhanced edition than a remake. Remakes, usually, tends to be from the ground up. New engine, new project, remade assets, revised history etc. A enhanced or remastered edition would be neat though.

[@TC-re7nv]

Do you think that the overall quality of writing in the gaming industry has decreased in the recent years? With your tenure, I’m sure you could explain the phenom of older game devs cycling out, passing along major franchises to younger writers/devs, and the youth totally dropping the ball for some cash - or maybe I’m just an old cynical man myself! I’d like to hear your opinion!

[@squadcar25]

Arcanum is one of my favorites. A lot of these ideas sound great as a remake.

[@brett3366]

After finishing BG3 this past week, I would love to see Larian's take on Arcanum. Aside from that, I agree with all your suggestions except procedural dungeons, I'm just not a fan of procedurally generated gameplay. Thanks for making my favorite classic crpg!

[@TheDeathstyk]

I definitely like the idea of options when it comes to changes to points etc. Always appreciate choice. I also think turn based only would be great for balance, because then bow and arrow wouldn't be an insane mega instant kill option.

[@roselios2820]

Please, sir, go on the kickstarter, now is best time for making things like this. Good engines, a lot of programmers, neuron network, big gaming community. ARCANUM is a legend, you all are legends, just not give arcanum disappear in past . I begging you. No one else can't make this game.

[@Rabskeens]

I really liked that you could switch between realtime and turn based! The realtime mode was especially suitable for fighting easier enemies

[@KrucLeo]

I'm ready to start, just let us know.

[@kafamalmyor5418]

Hi Everyone Its me Tim

[@kafamalmyor5418]

Oh no it was hey not hi...

[@kafamalmyor5418]

patching this might take a while

[@ozancobanoglu812]

@@kafamalmyor5418 Türkçe yaz diğerine de artık :D

[@GabrielOnuris]

Hey hey people, Tim here.

[@deathsheadknight2137]

me too

[@freedomis4all]

I was always mesmerized by Arcanum, even though I was never able to play past the first few moments due to the clunkiness of the UI and my own lack of patience. I, for one, would love a remake. So, the true question is: where can I throw my money?

[@MFewwy]

I would love to see more voice acting in arcanum. The parts that were voice acted were so good but the amount of voice acting was really low in comparison to the volume of text

[@Gamefreak2998]

Theres benefits to keeping real time combat code for AI purposes, players can walk into or wait out a battle hes not involved with. As seen in under rail, albeit this was a leftover from when they tried realtime combat in full

[@fredrik3880]

Arcanum video! Such an amazing game and setting. The only worthy peer to Fallout in all entertainment!

[@AppleJackApple]

Please, mister Cain, tell us it is actually possible and that Microsoft contacted you 🙏