After knowing games like Fallout 1 & 2 had speedruns documented, I felt like checking if Arcanum had a speedrun.

Fastest one currently known - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBuwNfsUTUQ

Another fairly fast run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue-3PFu2qQk

I'm going look into how a these videos can be submitted to the speedrunner forum ehre - http://speeddemosarchive.com/
In the meantime, I am curious if anyone can figure out a faster way to beat Arcanum then these guys.

(Note: yes, I know the proper way to play Arcanum is to spend hours in it, soaking its detail and uncovering the various plot possibilities, but there is something fun about beating a game in the fastest time possible)

I watched a YT video of an Arcanum speedrun straight through once — it might even have been one of the ones you posted — but the method is so opposite to my playing style that I could never do it that way myself. While I can appreciate the skill of those who do them, I also kind of SMH at them at the same time.

It's kind of like morrowind, in that the game is so easily breakable and abused that it is a kind of race to the bottom of who can do the worst using the flawed game mechanics.

Would be more depressing or weird than impressive.

Depressing? I think its fun - no game is perfect, and knowing flawed mechanics reveals us one or two things we may have not known about a game before.

I mean, I love Deus Ex, but I know that there is one flawed game mechanic that allows the game to end fairly early on the last level

I don't see how it is depressing anyway. Why does it matter how people are playing a game? I am not saying everybody has to speedrun, but it if you enjoy it why not?

I find it quite entertaining to watch and I enjoy doing it myself.

As for the original question. One way to improve Bioman's run (11:32) is to skip Stringy Pete. You can use a waypoint glitch to travel from Blackroot to Thanatos.

I have been able to get a run in under 9 minutes and I wasn't even that fast with handling dialogue and menus. I think someone really skilled can cut another minute.

Is it possible for you to do a recording of this 9 minute run? I want to see if we can get it on the speed demos archvie website, and thus, get this game some more notice.

That's definitely possible and I have done it as well. I am currently in the process of submitting a 7:43 run to SDA. I don't know how long that will take to get through but I hope they accept it.

I know this is old, but

http://speeddemosarchive.com/Arcanum.html

Congrats, Skydivizer :)

Grats Skydivizer!

I liked that he didn't come here to brag about it, after he finished the speedrun.

I like seeing speedruns, especialy for games that I have fond memories, like this one.

Thanks for sharing to the world.

A good run with some error :

www.youtube.com/watch?v=snDBMkszbb8&t=11s