rcanum is designed as a long story arc with one central conflict that drives the game. There are a variety of major plot points that frame the game, and these are major events that take some time and thought to solve. However, exactly how you solve these conflicts is up to you and your character, and there will be many solutions for the player to choose (and I am sure creative players will find solutions we never thought of.)

Meanwhile, there are hundreds of side quests that you can play. The difference between these quests and the story plot points are that you do not have to complete any particular side quest to complete the game. However, some of the major plot points may be difficult or impossible unless your character has reached a certain level, so you will have to do side quests to gain experience and items. You just don't have to do any particular one.

By the way, we went to great pains to develop a story arc that does not have time limits or required items to complete. This is to avoid the problem of people discovering that something they did a while back will prevent them from completing the game. We are not saying it will not be harder to complete some plot points if you lose a particular item, just that it will still be possible. For side quests, since they do not have to be performed to complete the game, this restriction does not hold. For example, if a baron asks you to rescue his kidnapped daughter, and she dies during the rescue, that quest cannot be completed unless you resurrect her. And if she died in some permanent way, like falling into lava or being disintegrated, that quest can never be completed.

We have also gone to great lengths to ensure that any type of character can complete the game. A combat-avoiding thief is just as viable of a character as a hardcore mage or warrior. Each will be able to complete the quests and finish the game.

The world of Arcanum is huge - it would take 20 game days to walk from one end of the continent to the other, which translates to 48 hours of continuous real-time play. Of course, that's assuming you can make it across the continent without running into one of more than 70 different types of monsters or animals that populate the world. Each of these creatures, in turn, has four variations for a total of 280 types of beast on the prowl. Beyond these creatures of darkness, there are hundreds of unique characters throughout Arcanum that players will come into contact and interact with during their journey. This huge cast of characters resides in the dozens of major towns and dungeons spread across the land in environments ranging from tropical islands to vast forests to icy mountain strongholds.