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Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick ObscuraTurn-based combat suddenly goes real-time.(14 posts)solved(14 posts)solved
(14 posts)solved
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This is my favourite topic
Posted July 27, 2013
I never really got started on this game as I have now.

Since the UI in this game isen't exactly intuitive, I find myself puzzled from time to time. I usually have no problems looking at the manual, but this one is a plain pain when you search it for info. I'll list some questions along with my problem, if anyone answers them I'll be much obliged.

Q: I play turn based combat. For some reason, the game sometimes makes combat real-time for no appearant reason. I'd like to fix that (I keep pressing space as if I was playing BG series, although it probably does nothing). I'd also like to know what "fast turn based" is, compared to the other settings.

Less important questions:
- What causes the display of targeted entities to change from full info (Reaction, HP/Fatigue, bullseye-thing) to only showing only a name in the middle?
- What are the 2 indicators just above the display (one being 10 bars filling with red light, the other being a line of varying length)? I'm guessing one is XP, no clue which one or what the other indicates.
- Is there a combat log with non disappearing combat feedback?


Thankyou.
This question / problem has been solved by TwoHandedSwordimage
Posted July 28, 2013
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RosenVitae: I play turn based combat. For some reason, the game sometimes makes combat real-time for no appearant reason. I'd like to fix that (I keep pressing space as if I was playing BG series, although it probably does nothing).
It's a simple fix: stop hitting the space bar. During combat, it toggles turn-based and real time.
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RosenVitae: I'd also like to know what "fast turn based" is, compared to the other settings.
Fast turn-based eliminates some of the combat animations: when you click on a square you appear there instantly, instead of running there. Ditto your foes, once combat starts. (Until that point, you'll still see them charging you.)
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RosenVitae: What causes the display of targeted entities to change from full info (Reaction, HP/Fatigue, bullseye-thing) to only showing only a name in the middle?
I'm not sure what you mean by this.
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RosenVitae: What are the 2 indicators just above the display (one being 10 bars filling with red light, the other being a line of varying length)? I'm guessing one is XP, no clue which one or what the other indicates.
If I'm understanding you right, the ten red bars are the XP you need to get to the next level (each bar represents 10% of the total) while the yellow line directly underneath is the XP needed to reach the next red bar.

Alternately, the row of lights (green, yellow and red) above the red bars represents the action points you have left in turn-based mode. When the lights disappear, your turn is over; when they scroll green, someone else is taking their turn.
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RosenVitae: Is there a combat log with non disappearing combat feedback?
There's a bare-bones combat log in your logbook (open it, then click the crossed swords tab on the right) but all it does is tell you the most and least powerful, evil, etc. creatures you've killed. I'm not sure what other kind of feedback you might be looking for; you get better at melee, gunplay, etc. by investing points in that skill, not by practicing it more.
Post edited July 28, 2013 by TwoHandedSword
Posted July 28, 2013
Yeah, you're toggling turn-based on and off when you keep hitting the space bar.

I believe fast turn-based skips the walking animations of characters. I didn't care for it.

Both bars you described are XP bars. I'm just gonna copy straight from the manual:

"The experience gauges are located directly below the hot key bank. There are two
such gauges: one might be best described as "the Experience Bubbles", while its
partner is best described as "the Experience Bar". The Experience Bubbles light up,
from left to right, as one’s Character gains experience. They are a measure of how
near the Character is to reaching the next level. When the rightmost bubble is
filled, the Character gains a level. The lower bar, by contrast, is a magnified view
of each bubble. It shows how near the Character has come to lighting up the next
bubble. The lower bar is a good way to measure the progress of one’s Character
closely."

The manual and the guidebook are must reads and good to have on hand, probably moreso than even Baldur's Gate.
There's also a handy quick reference card.

Edit: Ninjaaaaaa'd!!!
Post edited July 28, 2013 by bengeddes
Posted July 28, 2013
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bengeddes: Edit: Ninjaaaaaa'd!!!
It's about damned time; up till now, I've NEVER gotten to be the ninja!
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bengeddes: The manual and the guidebook are must reads and good to have on hand, probably moreso than even Baldur's Gate.
Seconding this. Unlike some manuals, this one's a pretty fun read: not only is it informative, the writing style is in-universe and in-character throughout.
Post edited July 28, 2013 by TwoHandedSword
Posted July 28, 2013
Thankyou for answers, both of you, ninja or not ;)
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RosenVitae: I play turn based combat. For some reason, the game sometimes makes combat real-time for no appearant reason. I'd like to fix that (I keep pressing space as if I was playing BG series, although it probably does nothing).
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TwoHandedSword: It's a simple fix: stop hitting the space bar. During combat, it toggles turn-based and real time.
I'll add that I only hit spacebar when it has toggled by itself to realtime, which doesn't remedy the situation (It keeps being real time, even though I try spacebar several times or go to options to ensure its turn based).
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RosenVitae: What causes the display of targeted entities to change from full info (Reaction, HP/Fatigue, bullseye-thing) to only showing only a name in the middle?
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TwoHandedSword: I'm not sure what you mean by this.
I'll post a screenshot when it happens next. Most propably I've hit a key that toggles what info is shown on targets.
Posted July 28, 2013
For me it tends to happen when my character is knocked down, drop their weapon or fall over from fatigue. Sometimes hitting space does nothing while in one of these states, it will stay in real time until the combat is over, even as my character gets up and continues wailing at the enemy.

Could it have something to do with followers not being locked in combat before my own character somehow drops out of it? I don't know how the mechanics work, I'm just recounting how things appear to me.
Posted July 28, 2013
Sufyan what you are describing is a kind of time-lapse function, where it just autoskips your turn over and over because you don't get one: your whole party is stunned or dead or unconscious. It does this until you recover and get a turn again (when stun ends, or you get positive fatigue, etc).

What determines which info screen you see at bottom center is combat. When in combat, you see HP/FT%, targeting info, and so on. Out of combat you see their name and racial icon.
Posted July 28, 2013
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RosenVitae: I'll add that I only hit spacebar when it has toggled by itself to realtime, which doesn't remedy the situation (It keeps being real time, even though I try spacebar several times or go to options to ensure its turn based).
In that case, you should still be able to force turn-based by hitting 'O' to use the Options menu; I just tested this, and it will work even during combat.

(If the game says you're still in turn-based, then it's possible you're in the situation Sufyan described: you don't get a turn because you're stunned, or fatigued to the point of unconsciousness [your blue FT meter is empty and showing a negative number].)
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RosenVitae: I'll post a screenshot when it happens next. Most propably I've hit a key that toggles what info is shown on targets.
I think ewmarch may have nailed this: it could just be the difference between being in combat and not.
Post edited July 28, 2013 by TwoHandedSword
Posted July 28, 2013
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RosenVitae: I'll add that I only hit spacebar when it has toggled by itself to realtime, which doesn't remedy the situation (It keeps being real time, even though I try spacebar several times or go to options to ensure its turn based).
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TwoHandedSword: In that case, you should still be able to force turn-based by hitting 'O' to use the Options menu; I just tested this, and it will work even during combat.

(If the game says you're still in turn-based, then it's possible you're in the situation Sufyan described: you don't get a turn because you're stunned, or fatigued to the point of unconsciousness [your blue FT meter is empty and showing a negative number].)
I've experienced turn skipping when my character is incapable of action, which is just fine.
However, I've experienced this outside my character being incapacitated. Ex: Combat break out and I have to quickly target the enemy, whom my character will then continue shooting at, fast and nonstop, untill the enemies are gone. With more enemies this becomes troublesome.

I've only experienced this a total of 3 times (twice when out traveling from town to town with random encounters).
Posted July 28, 2013
No, I'm not talking about skipping turns. I'm talking about the game clearly entering real time combat. My character will get up from being knocked down or keep fighting without a weapon, but the game is irreversibly stuck in real time combat until all enemies are dead. The settings menu also clearly shows that the game is set to real time combat, even though I have not hit the space bar during gameplay.

There is no reason the game would register a space bar command for any other reason, like macros or custom mouse set ups, because I'm not using any software or settings that would cause it.
Posted July 29, 2013
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Sufyan: For me it tends to happen when my character is knocked down, drop their weapon or fall over from fatigue. Sometimes hitting space does nothing while in one of these states, it will stay in real time until the combat is over, even as my character gets up and continues wailing at the enemy.

Could it have something to do with followers not being locked in combat before my own character somehow drops out of it? I don't know how the mechanics work, I'm just recounting how things appear to me.
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Sufyan: I'm talking about the game clearly entering real time combat. My character will get up from being knocked down or keep fighting without a weapon, but the game is irreversibly stuck in real time combat until all enemies are dead. The settings menu also clearly shows that the game is set to real time combat, even though I have not hit the space bar during gameplay.

There is no reason the game would register a space bar command for any other reason, like macros or custom mouse set ups, because I'm not using any software or settings that would cause it.
This actually describes my main combat problem. Although I'm sure it still said "Turn Based" in the menu, I'll have to wait till it happens again. For the most part, combat works fine. I'll try to take note what happens prior to it, when it happens again.

As for the "combat display", what I experience is that character "portrait" name/reaction/HP/FT etc disappears, leaving only a name in the center. I didn't screenshot it the last time but going to main menu and back remedied it.
Post edited July 29, 2013 by RosenVitae
Posted July 30, 2013
Out of curiosity, are you using the Unofficial Patch? I don't know if it fixes this issue, but it is highly recommended regardless. But it may not be compatible with non-unofficial-patch save files.
Posted August 06, 2013
As an update, I have not experienced any complications with combat since then, so I am closing this threat.

Thankyou for all replies.
Posted August 07, 2013
So what changed? Any idea why it stopped happening?

You installed the patch didn't you!

Admit it!
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Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick ObscuraTurn-based combat suddenly goes real-time.(14 posts)solved(14 posts)solved
(14 posts)solved