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I was just wondering, I picked up the CD version last year but I haven't played it much at all. How big difference is there between the CD version and the GoG version?
This question / problem has been solved by Ansobimage
They should be pretty much the same other then Gogs version is drm free (not sure what if any drm it used before) and compatibility fixes. If your cd version runs fine, no real need to get gogs version unless you want a digital copy.
I like the fact that you don't need a CD to use GOG games. I saw Arcanum recently at my local EB games store and it was selling for $20. It looks almost identical to GOG's version. But does the CD version have that add on you can choose to play with? I can't remember what the name of the add on is though.
The main differences are the paper manual and strategy guide (which are both quite large), and sometimes a map, depending on which retail version you're looking at. The retail version also requires the play disk in the drive, unless you use something like the Unofficial Arcanum Patch, which removes the disk check.
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writer2036: I like the fact that you don't need a CD to use GOG games. I saw Arcanum recently at my local EB games store and it was selling for $20. It looks almost identical to GOG's version. But does the CD version have that add on you can choose to play with? I can't remember what the name of the add on is though.

Edit: Scratch that. The "The Lost Dungeon of Souls" module was a pre-order special given to those who pre-ordered the game from EB Games (remembered it wrong, sorry). Still you should get thight paper manual, world map and quick reference card.
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EBM: The main differences are the paper manual and strategy guide (which are both quite large), and sometimes a map, depending on which retail version you're looking at.

What version came with strategy guide? Mine certainly didn't.
Post edited August 04, 2010 by Petrell
I bought the game way back when and have found no difference between that version and the version offered by GOG, except that it is patched and has no DRM.
Edit: Scratch that. The "The Lost Dungeon of Souls" module was a pre-order special given to those who pre-ordered the game from EB Games (remembered it wrong, sorry). Still you should get thight paper manual, world map and quick reference card.

That module is available here, if anyone is looking for it.
What version came with strategy guide? Mine certainly didn't.

My small box edition came with a strategy guide, but the original big box didn't. Both are US versions.
Post edited August 04, 2010 by EBM
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EBM: That module is available here, if anyone is looking for it.

And from my site in downloads section inside arcanum folder. Looks like Terra Arcanum has finally updated their version of Unofficial Patch :-p. Took them quite long.
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Petrell: What version came with strategy guide? Mine certainly didn't.

Mine either, nor a map.
I remember my original CD release coming with a soundtrack CD.
Mine does have a map actually, nevermind. It's a little one though, not some huge foldout.
In fact, if you install the Unofficial Arcanum Patch (which you should do regardless, because it fixes a few bugs that Troika never dealt with), there's no disc check for the physical version either, so they're pretty much identical.
Post edited October 01, 2010 by Ansob
I've played both and by a mysterious coincidence I never managed to complete the game playing the physical version because it always bugged up at some point. Whether I just got better at avoiding bugs or whether GoG's is better is hard to say.

Having the manual irl is awesome though, not because it's really helpful, but because it's really nice.
the cd-version is neigh unplayable on win7 (and IIRC win vista) due to stutter issues... there are some bugs that are fixed in the GOG version and ONLY in the GOG version. I was unable to find a fix only (no, the unofficial patches do NOT fix it) for my CD version, so I bought the gog one.

Also, use the -no3d -doublebuffer arguments to run it. Unlike most games the no3d option for arcanum does NOT result it worse graphics, they actually made a comparable software rendering engine.
Post edited October 01, 2010 by taltamir
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taltamir: Also, use the -no3d -doublebuffer arguments to run it. Unlike most games the no3d option for arcanum does NOT result it worse graphics, they actually made a comparable software rendering engine.
It does result in less performance though, in my experience. Large mobs at high resolutions will make the game stutter.