Would you?

Discussion in 'Arcanum Discussion' started by Zanza, May 12, 2009.

Remove all ads!
Support Terra-Arcanum:

GOG.com

PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!
  1. Zanza

    Zanza Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    3,296
    Likes Received:
    61
    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2009
    Make the final offering in Vendigroth if it was real life, remembering you don't really know if you have done it properly or if the riddle was even right? Personally I wouldn't, life to me is too precious to just throw away in a blind leap of faith.
     
  2. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,182
    Likes Received:
    22
    Joined:
    May 22, 2007
    I could do it if I were mortally wounded and/or very old and it would be obvious, that death is right behind the corner. Hooray for last minute godhood.

    When talking about real life, there were already plenty of people making the final offering to what they believed was the equivalent of Velorien. Thugh none did share their feelings after, strangely.
     
  3. Maloch

    Maloch New Member

    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2009
    I'm not so sure if I would make that particular offering in real life. I mean if it works you become a god, but if it doesn't work and it kills you anyway, you would have thrown your life away.
     
  4. knightlag

    knightlag New Member

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2009
    If I was teleported into the world of arcanum, with the godly 'strategy guide' yeah, I'd do it.

    After making sure my companions have the ability to resurrect me if I do die.
     
  5. Minuos

    Minuos New Member

    Messages:
    427
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2009
    It's win / win for me. If I died, I wouldn't be around to care anyway.
     
  6. General Mandible

    General Mandible New Member

    Messages:
    161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    May 6, 2009
    Probably, but I would have to be absolutely sure about the order first. How would you know you had gotten the other blessings if it wasn't written down like in the game, would you feel it?

    And having some people around to resurrect you would probably be a good idea.

    How much of a god would you become? Isn't it just a lot of life and fatigue and such?
     
  7. Yuki

    Yuki Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,398
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2009
  8. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,182
    Likes Received:
    22
    Joined:
    May 22, 2007
    It depends. The blessings give you certain boosts and increases in various skills, but you could as well explain it as "Hm, I'm feeling really good today, for some reason". So both feeling the differences and believing (or not) in them is important for the great decision.

    As for being a god. It is written by Mazzerin, that he whose offering to Velorien will be accepted, will become as the great forefather himself, or something like that. Anyway it suggests that you gain godhood as well. Receiving Velorien's blessing also triggers the possibility of the gods' endings (blocked in vanilla Arcanum due to a bug, Drog repaired it in UAP), when it is said clearly how you return to Arcanum as a god.
    The big fatigue+health+skill boost is just a in-game representation of that methamorphosis. You could interprete it as you are a demigod, for example, and will join the pantheon after your mortal shell will die.
    The boost was supposed to be big enough to feel the difference, but not insanely unbalanced (for example immortality - now that would make the end of the game boring as hell).
     
  9. General Mandible

    General Mandible New Member

    Messages:
    161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    May 6, 2009
    Awesome, I never knew about the god ending, and I had forgotten or never realized that you would become a god. Pretty cool. What exactly does it say in that ending?

    I recently had a character with his alignment to the left and Halcyon wouldn't accept my offering which was a little annoying since I wanted to do the whole offering thing.

    If you became that powerful from it, I definitely would. Again, with the right preparation, of course.
     
  10. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,182
    Likes Received:
    22
    Joined:
    May 22, 2007
    I don't remember exactly, since I didn't finish the game with UAP yet, and the time when I saw what those ending were talking about was quite some time ago. You can return to Arcanum as one of four possible types of a god and the ending tells hat god are you and what were the very general consequences of a new god in Arcanum. Not very much, but enough to be a nice thing to hear.

    Did you receive blessings from the four lesser good gods in the correct order before trying to get Halcyon's blessing?
     
  11. General Mandible

    General Mandible New Member

    Messages:
    161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    May 6, 2009
    Cool. So it's at least either a nice or a not so nice god? I'd like to hear that.

    No, I didn't, so that's it right there. Thanks. I just thought of it as a regular altar where you don't have to do it in order. Too bad for the people of Vooriden. I suppose it wasn't their fault after all.
     
  12. Yuki

    Yuki Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,398
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2009
    Wasn't there some secret ending where the dwarves attacked Tarant?
     
  13. General Mandible

    General Mandible New Member

    Messages:
    161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    May 6, 2009
    Never heard of it, but I never did hear a lot of the endings. Would that be because of Bates and him sort of causing the BMC to be banished?

    A little off topic, but regarding the whole "how would you know about the offerings effects", wouldn't it be kind of interesting to translate the skills and such into what they would realistically be?
     
  14. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,182
    Likes Received:
    22
    Joined:
    May 22, 2007
    There are actually four possible god engings. If you're interested, here are the exact endings:
    (1) On returning to Arcanum, you take the role as a Just God. All of Arcanum revere your benevolence and Wisdom. Your reign ushers in golden age where both Magick and Technology are accepted and used to make a better world.
    (2) On returning to Arcanum, you take the role as a Dark God with arcane forms of worship and sacrifice. The world you made was a hard place. You are worshipped but you are also hated and feared.
    (3) On returning to Arcanum, you take the role as a Quiet God and slowly fade into memory. Arcanum continues to prosper. Your life and virtues are used as an example for others. Arcanum enters an enlightened age.
    (4) On returning to Arcanum, you wander Arcanum, indecisive of what type of God you wanted to be. The world waited a long time for your wisdom.
    I do believe that that one was a myth. It isn't even listed on the list of possible endings and endings which were supposed to be possible but aren't, due to bugs (unless of course, UAP).
     
  15. General Mandible

    General Mandible New Member

    Messages:
    161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    May 6, 2009
    Nice, thanks for listing them.

    I like the two last ones better, the first ones are a bit...cliché.
     
  16. Xiao_Caity

    Xiao_Caity New Member

    Messages:
    3,691
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2005
    Number four does look pretty good.

    As for making the offering? Oh fuck yes. If I failed I'd never know it, and if I succeeded my health would vastly improve. Bring it ON.
     
  17. Minuos

    Minuos New Member

    Messages:
    427
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2009
    Now that's what I call logic.
     
  18. Xiao_Caity

    Xiao_Caity New Member

    Messages:
    3,691
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2005
    Hee hee! Truth is, my health is shot to shit, so the blessing of the All-Father would probably bring me up to, oh, maybe normal human levels? And as long as I either went without a powerful healer (unlikely, Vendigroth is shit-scary) or made my party heal-type swear on whatever they love most not to bring me back if I failed, then the comment holds true.
     
  19. Zanza

    Zanza Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    3,296
    Likes Received:
    61
    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2009
    Alright now for the next phase of 'Would You' and if anyone else wants to pose a hypothetical question by all means go ahead.

    Would you be technology or magic based in real life Arcanum?

    Although magic would make seem easier and I would feel more powerful, there is just something about wearing a top hat that deflects bullets as well as a healing jacket. I would go as a technologist and sit there tinkering as well as busting out my hand cannon in mages faces. If Doc Roberts can put a bullet between a mage's eyes, why can't I?
     
  20. Skyfish

    Skyfish New Member

    Messages:
    53
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Aside: You don't need any blessings for the 'god endings'. You just need to properly navigate the dialogue channels.


    As for hypothetical #2, i'd probably be neutral, as i imagine the vast majority of regular folk would be. If we're answering this 'Choose Your Own Life'-style, i'd lean heavily toward magick, specifically the necromantic white, nature, and water colleges.
     
Our Host!