Seriously, I'm not trolling. I'm a huge fan of Black Isle, Troika and Obsidian, and I really want to enjoy this game, but for the last twenty hours or so it's been making me nothing but miserable.

My first couple of attempts ended in utter confusion, so I looked through the first few pages of some random walkthrough for pointers. That helped a bit (basically, I've forgotten some of the things that would've been obvious ten years back, guess I just started taking the now-common dumbing-down of RPGs for granted), although it also produced the first "WTF???" for me. I mean, it's an RPG centered around the technology/magick conflict. And the recommended "easy" character is a terminally stupid neutral melee fighter.

WTF???

That didn't quite sit well with me, as I wanted to explore the titular conflict in some depth, after all. So I started playing using a techie character without any particular combat-related deficiencies, and with a few points dropped towards melee combat basics. I was having fun for quite some time and even got over the fairly omnipresent "you talked to me, now lick my boots or I'm gonna gib you in one turn" characters.

Anyway, I did a bunch of side quests (funny how wilderness encounters you see every two seconds on the world map give you far more experience points than the actual, um, *questing*), then decided to proceed with the main quest. Black Mountain Mines or whatnot.

At this point I was constantly strapped for cash (guess I wasn't being enough of a pack mule, refusing to haul every last bit of random junk to a vendor who would agree to take it off my hands for a reasonable price?) My tech aptitude really started kicking in, so Virgil was knocked out half the time trying to keep me alive. Once again, I guess I could spend half an hour in the wilderness picking roots, but if I fancied that kind of thing, I'd be playing WoW instead of Arcanum most likely.

So anyway. The force composition in Black Mountain Mines is driving me crazy. What the hell was the thought behind putting there half a million kites who can't even scratch my team interspersed with a bunch of monsters that tear off my character's limbs in two hits?! Am I too low level for this location? Or too high level? Or... something else? WTF???

And it's not even like this is is any way level-related. There are some utterly harmless level 30 mobs, and some fairly outlandish level 15's. Okay, so the whole monster level concept requires quite some suspension of disbelief, but from the gamist perspective it does make a lot of sense to tailor areas to a certain power level (unless there's some sort of a power scaling scheme in place).

And then there are traps. Now, perhaps it was naive of me to listen to that walkthrough I mentioned before, but it implored me in a rather kind-hearted manner to ignore the trap-related skills: "Oh don't bother, my dear chap, the traps in this game are nothing but mosquito bites. Leveling those skills would be a waste of perfectly good skill points you could apply elsewhere."

Mosquito bites, yeah. Only there's half a zillion of them!!!

Is maneuvering around those minefields - or, god forbid, disarming them - supposed to be fun?

So for the last three hours or so I've been reduced to mostly waiting for Virgil to regain enough consciousness to heal my team (or at least try to do so). Then I walk about thirty feet, and all of a sudden my guys are poisoned, half-dead and require urgent armour repairs.

WTF???

Now I know I'm doing something wrong. And I'm really enjoying the dialogue, the atmosphere and the characters (I find Virgil's tendency for unconsciousness just charming). But I really hope that righting the "wrong" doesn't boil down to either learning to enjoy the pain, mindless grinding for levels/ingredients/gold or building a square-jawed power character and playing through the game in a strict order.

I hope someone can help me without spoiling the good parts.

Traps are really only an issue in two places in the game: the BMC mines (as you have already discovered) and then the Wheel Clan Dredge (which you'll come to later in the game). For most of the game the trap related skills are rather worthless, hence no one recommending them as skills to level. A good solution for those times when you need some trap detecting skills is the Flow Spectrometer (the third item in the Electrical Discipline or something you can buy in techy stores). You equip it as a shield and your character detects traps and (hopefully) doesn't run into them as often. For a magic user you have to find scrolls of detect invisible (there are lots on the bodies of the Molochean Hand members in the BMC mines) or use the appropriate spell. Or you can get your perception up to 20 and I believe that makes you detect traps (as well as everything invisible). What level are you actually? You should absolutely not do the BMC mines before level 15 (in my opinion) and the last couple times I've played I've been at least 20-25 before going there (because I know the game well enough to do as many side quests as possible and level up tons). If you are playing a melee character you are also going to be hurting more than a mage or other ranged types (to some degree - bows are not really that useful against ore golems unless you like using hundreds and hundreds of arrows, which I did the last time I played, it just is ineffective).

For a techy using melee I would suggest using the Pyrotechnic Axe against the ore golems - it doesn't take damage from attacking them (if I recall correctly) and it does excellent damage. A clue to where to get the schematic for it: Tarant Sewers. Have you been to Dernholm? You can pick up Janya Stiles, though she starts rather low level so you probably missed your opportunity to get her at a level relatively close to yours at this point. She is a tech healer and so more useful than Virgil in that department. Probably something to think about for future games as a tech character.

Virgil also has the heal skill, which requires bandages. That might be more effective for your character than his attempting to use magic - though I don't know if the AI is smart enough to use bandages (if he has them) instead of his heal skill before he runs out of fatigue. Something to try at least.

Good luck!

Thanks a ton for the pointers, I'll be using as much of those as I can.

The general scarcity of traps is quite a relief, that's really what's been driving me crazy.

Re Flow Spectrometer: I was intending to level Electrical, but I started feeling my melee combat was underdeveloped before I've run into these trap problems, so I've been dumping a lot of points there lately, therefore now I'd need way too many points to get to Flow Spectrometer for BMC - but I hope it's going to help with the other trap-heavy location you mentioned.

I was 17-ish I think when I first got to BMC, 22 now.

My main char has been staying out of trouble with golems for the most part, since I've been using a revolver to deal with them. But I'm not soloing (the very thought is chilling), and Virgil, in particular, is just getting roflstomped by those things. Wererats, too. Oh, and those lvl 20 brutalfangsofdeathanddoom or whatever they're called.

The Pyrotechnic Axe sounds very promising, if my skill would be sufficient for crafting it. I actually skipped the sewers because I didn't fancy going there without any specific reason - might've been a smart thing to do, in retrospect.

I actually picked Jayna up on my short visit to Dernholm, but eventually kicked her out of the party. Yes, she can craft the salves, but that sounds like a grind for components to me: at least I've been going through what few tech cures I've found on my journeys like crazy. Virgil, despite his consciousness problems, is at least kinda self-replenishable.

Party members with Heal skill and bandages: oh yes, I tried that (on Jayna I believe). She went through the entire bandage healing something like 10hp. Of her own wounds. I was rather unimpressed, although this might've been another case of me doing something wrong.

Thanks again, I hope I get through the traps soon enough, then the going's ought to get easier.

Oh, and apparently quoting here is as beyond me as dealing with traps in Arcanum. *sigh*

It could be that the heal skill is just super useless in Arcanum. I can't actually remember if I've ever used it with a character. You can up your tech skills by buying Technical Manuals (in Tarant, you can try and find where on your own), but they are costly (500 gold a piece) and really heavy. But they are useful if you need to build a schematic you don't have the skills in.

Though if you are using a revolver you (hopefully) have some firearms skill, and so you could just stick with that and go that direction. There are a lot of good guns in the game (you just have to find them/build them).

Good luck with the rest of the game!

I just wanted to post here to say this: The Black Mountain Clan Mines are considered by most players to be the most annoying part of the game. Please don't give up! If you can get through them, the game gets a lot more fun and interesting afterwards.

The main annoyances, as you've found, are some very tough enemies who can damage your armor and weapons, and tons of traps (many of which also damage your armor). You can run back to Tarant to have the smith repair your stuff, which is tedious, but at least he's good enough that it doesn't lower the max health of your equipment.

Otherwise, SheBear has given great advice. I think your character build is totally viable, and you're just running into the universal annoyance of the Black Mountain Clan Mines.


EDIT:

Also, those who say that melee or mage characters are easiest are correct, but it doesn't mean that tech characters are impossible by any means. I think tech characters are the most fun, and found a melee fighter to be too easy. So don't worry too much about character build recommendations, just make a character you think will be fun. And then make many more and try them out too... replaying the game with different characters is one of the games strong points, as things can happen very differently each time.

Hey, thanks a lot for your support and advice, I really appreciate it. I am out of the mines, and it's a huge relief. In fact, whatever (arguably minor) issues bothered me before BMC seem unworthy of attention now :-) I feel I screwed up my main character a bit by throwing skill points all over the place, but that should be fine for my first run through. I've also run into a quest bug - Liam's mother seemingly went astral. I hope there's not much chance of bugs like that screwing up the main quest?

Are you using the Unofficial Patch? I have only ever played with it, so I have less of a sense for the bugs in the standard version. The Unofficial Patch is highly recommended, but I don't think saves are compatible with the standard version, so don't bother patching until you're ready to start again with a new character (unless, of course, you're already using the patch).

Anyway, with the patch there were definitely no problems with the main quest. Also, many times when it might seem that you are stuck there are other ways around it. Post back if you ever get stuck at a specific point and we'll help you out.

No, I'm playing without any community patches. Thought I'd get a taste of authentic(tm) Arcanum experience first :-) No games-breakers/CTDs/corrupted saves or anything like that yet, just a few minor glitches.

Man I would patch the game with the unofficial patch because it adds stuff that was supposed to be in it anyway. Two points about your problem with followers and money.

Spoilers!
For a tech character you want to ditch Virgil fast. Early on there are a few decent followers you bump into before BMC. If you dont mind sinking one point into charisma you can pick up Sog Meadmug in Shrouded hills and with i think two points in diplomacy you can get Gar in tarant if you ask him about tea (you get a fate point if you let him go free though) both are solid melee fighters.

Go to Dernholm to snag Jayna if you have a couple points sunk into tech disciplines who is a good healer and can make the first four schematics in the theraputics and herbology trees she can also heal you with bandages in addition to carry around alot of supper light ginka roots and kurda stems and turn them into healing salves.

Another decent tech character is Magnus who is gets the first four schematics in smithy and mechanical which makes it very easy to make a pyrotechnic axe since you need the balanced axe to do it and kind of replaces virgil as a follower who has spoken dialog in the game. He is sitting just outside of schyuler and sons in Tarant.

If your evil and want a tech character you can snag vollinger from Dernholm who gets the first four in gunsmith or chemistry. A bonus is he is the only low level character that can use guns and of the three who can hes the only evil one. ***Massive spoliers*** Just remember you will loose him when you see the dark elves if you dont pick up the book from eldar joachem in stillwater at the inn and tell the guy who forces dialog with you outside the dark elf leaders house what you read in the book ***End massive spoilers***

Also lastly if you dont mind visiting towns out of plot order you can go strait to ashbury and go strait to the back of town and you will find a dog being beaten by a gnome. Tell the gnome to cut it out and you will get the greatest melee fighter in the game. As a bonus dog doesnt take up a follower slot and doesnt need gear. The downside is he cant carry anything and you wont be able to use the train any more. Dog is seriously the training wheels of arcanum and you shouldn't feel bad using him while you get the hang of the game especially if you use him just to get through the mines.

As for money tech characters never should have to worry about that as many of the tech disciplines allow yo u to make items that sell pretty high to the junk dealers compared to how much you buy the ingredients for. The fatigue restorers in herbology sell for a decent amount, stun grenades in explosives sell for alot, the shocking staff in electric and the goggles in mechanical sell for a crap load. You can just keep waiting till morning for the stores to restock (make sure the seller isnt on the screen when you fastforward) untill you buy the parts, make the items and sell it to the junk guy in tarant by the docks untill you have enough cash to buy what ever you want.

Also one last point thats personal preference to me but i find guns to be rather weak at the beginning of the game but i love tech characters and gunslingers so i normally always dump three points in throw no matter what tech guy im playing early on and one point in explosives so i can make molotv cocktails which are great for doing alot of damage at low levels and have a good knock back attack to give your self some breathing room. I will usually use a boomerang for the first quarter of the game to save on ammo and slowly upgrade to a bow or gun depending on what im using since the low end gear for both kind of sucks. ***Massive spoilers again*** if you dont mind cheesing it and want a gun early on that can take you through most of the game the pick pocket master in tarant is holding a hand cannon and the firearms master in ashbury has a looking glass rifle that you can just blow a fate point and pickpocket them to get.

"Also, those who say that melee or mage characters are easiest are correct, but it doesn't mean that tech characters are impossible by any means."

Tech gets a slow start but certain builds become insane at the end since there is no limit to how many mechanical/medical/poison arachnids, medical clockwork decoys, automatons and reanimated corpses a tech guy can have following him. His regular folowers get the best gear in the game and can pharmaceutically boost their stats that matter to the max. Blowing a crap load of fatigue on disintegrate to nuke a couple dudes is unimpressive when most of my late game characters have a problem simply getting a shot in before everything dies to the automaton hoard.