I'm watching the trends in Tarant, and it's just so similar to American turn of the century styles... so, how about an upgraded economy, with stock markets, people stupidly buying/selling stocks and absolutely insane credit rates? Kind of like the 1920's! And you can have places like Dernholm and Shrouded hills act like Europe and Asia did, struggling to catch up with the booming, decadent styles and world of rich Americans.
Heh Heh sounds good So Arcanum 2 would be ~100 years later? Well... don't you think Vendigroth would be the marvel city of the world? It DOES have people riding around in those neat little cars (the pic at the end of the game)
Not 100 years later, just about 20-30 years later. I haven't beaten the game yet, and won't, for a time. I'm oh so busy at this point.
To balance out magic, here is a GREAT scenario, Instead of the plot just following the magic-tech-magic-tech cycle, there can be a new discovery, the idea that magic can be used to ENHANCE technology, like magically fueled vehicles, or various other magically enchanted weapons of destruction, therefore, leading to the same crisis, of old versus new, I beleive that is very simple my friend, and in fact, the best idea EVER.
Magick can't work with Technology. The two work on fundementally different planes. Magick nullifies natural law, Technology strengthens it. To have a device that combines them both would be just plain Anti-Arcanum!
If you get the good ending for the Bedokann it says that they joined the elves and drove everyone else from their lands. This would make the area a haven for magic. Also the plains north of the montains and east of the bedokann swamps contain no civilisation, just old ruins. As vendigroth rose from the ashes, the mages would have to leave Tulla to maintain their 'philosophical purity', why not go there, its not all that far from where they are alrady anyway.