Technologist Ideas

This is the sort of thing I'm talking about.

Sure, when we first get the game, we're trying to build uber characters and end up with a backstabbing escaped lunatic who can make balanced swords, cast stun, disarm, the armor spell, and haste.

The thing is, if you're going to save scum (save right before fights or pickpocket attempts, etc), you might as well download a trainer to max your stats and skills to save yourself the tedium of all that saving/loading.

Arcanum is an easy game. If a character lives to level 20 or so, you'd pretty much need to be deliberately gimping the party not to be able to win against anything you'll run into.

Because of this, the thing that makes it such a great game we're talking about and actively playing a decade after it came out is the fact that it allows great opportunity to RP massively different characters and parties. I believe the only really enjoyable way to play the game is to RP and this sometimes means doing things that are technically a waste of CP (like raising beauty because I don't RP pussies who beg people to be civil).

Arcanum's famous as one of those games people start over 5 million times and never finish - not because they couldn't finish with the previous characters, but because they lose interest halfway through. This is because not RPing causes you to look at your characters as nothing but numbers. RPing allows you to come up with goofy quirks - like I once played a character whose parents died in a cold winter so one of his quirks was that anytime I got a piece of coal I would drop what I was doing and run back to his base to store the coal in a chest in case of a bad winter. A waste of time? Damned right, but like a well written character in a good book, I felt like I knew this guy and wanted to see him finish on top.

 

I have never made automatons, so my experiences as a character who learned Smithy were kind of a drag for that very reason.

You can learn to make Feather-Weight Chain Mail and a lot of other stuff that sounds like it's going to be awesome from the descriptions. But the reality can be a little disappointing.

Feather-Weight Chain is, indeed, really cool looking armor that weighs less than regular chain mail. But its armor rating is comparable to the Elvish Chain Mail any magickally inclined character can just buy in Tarant if they feel like it. It's a nice upgrade if you've been having a hard time finding anything for your character to use other than leather armor (due to weight issues, or whatever), but I would have liked it more if I hadn't had to spend so many character points to learn how to make it.

And don't get me started on the Goggled Helm. It's awesome if your TA is really high. It's not so great if you make a spare and try to figure out if one of your followers can get any benefit from it.

The first four schematics let you make two nice weapons and a type of armored gloves, but yeah... Chain Mail Gloves you can buy in stores are slightly better and weigh less. The only real advantage with Dwarven Gauntlets is that the components are cheap or free, as opposed to spending about 300 gold on the other ones.

I'm generally content with just recruiting Magnus and letting him make me stuff from that discipline. It might be nice to have Charged Swords sooner, and you can't go wrong with making at least one Pyrotechnic Axe. But usually I don't mind waiting for those upgrades.

 

Correct on both instances.

The Electro Armor's protection-related stats change with each aptitude point between 100 MA and 100 TA.

The Machined Plate's can also be mentioned, seeing how its protection-related stats scale as well (between MA 30 and TA 30), yet to a smaller degree because of it being less tech. Also, the Plate give a different Strength boost depending on aptitude, from none at all up to +3.

As for the Feather-Weight Chain, the "Chain" part doesn't scale (it gives the very same protection no matter the aptitude), but the "Feather-Weight" one does (between 20 MA and 20 TA).

 

Apperantly you already began playing and I am a little late. But in Arcanum it is always possible to adjust on the way.

I suggest Firearms strongly, even if for just the challenge they are fun. Also once you find out how they work, how noise work, range penalties, light penalties, shotting an opponent that hasnt noticed you yet etc, guns become pretty fun. Underpowered? Yes indeed. Costly to use? not as much as bow once you learn the Bullet Schematic. Fun? Very much!

Followers! get many of them. As a tech you wont be a powerhouse and you will need many followers to cover up your needs in combat. I also suggest editing their leveling schemes to meet your expectations more (like I edited magnus to learn 5th schematic from smithy too for googled helmet, it was meaningless that he stopped there, also vollinger learns LGR, Jayna gets more points in her techs rather than PE)

Get Jayna Stiles form Delhorm! She is great for a tech. You will notice that magical heals will miss you, and even major heals wont heal as efficient due to your TA.

Get followers with TA, but if you have RP concerns like me you can throw in a few MA too. (I have Virgil as MA, Dog as neutral, rest of team is high TA like Magnus, Jayna, Vollinger, Sebastian, Payne) That way they will benefit charged rings, salves the most. Also smithy discipline gives TA items so better fits them (featherlight chainmail+shocking staff for jayna for example, her low STR makes her useless in damage, but she is melee. with non-ecumbrance she can make several hits with +DEX from from her craft items, and deal nice damage with a shocking staff. you need to find out usefullness of each follower. Also note that it is usefull to give Tranquilizer Gun to firearms followers etc)

Get a little magic if you want! Haste / Tempus are great for making a technomancer. Also Teleport comes in handy.

Electric is a great discipline with everything. I also suggest Chemistry and Explosives to witness full power a tech can achieve.

Good Luck in your adventures