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1. Dont worry too much about your build.

the many options are there for a reason and the game is designed so that you can complete it in several ways
plus perfect build ruins the game.
(if you really really really screw up. there is a way around that also WOOF WOOF.

2. Its about the journey not the end.

take your character, mess around with the game, travel, experiment. this is the main strength of arcanum. to rush to the end rather defeats the point of the game IMO.
this game seems to definately work best as a chance to roleplay and get a bit lost. its perfect.
i can think of lots of games that are better to rush to the end in (all of them tbh).

3. If you want instant and simple gratification. specialize in magic. if you want to get deep and have the challenge of finding parts and building stuff. choose tech.
both are cool (and the recruits you pick up can handle the other side)

i hope this can help some new players.
if you have played rpgs. you will be able to complete this game easy (its getting there that is fun).
build the character YOU want to. if you just follow some forum guide you are playing a template ;/
there is nowt to worry about.
Post edited January 25, 2013 by muffblaster
I second these sentiments.
You could use that advice for every game really. At least, I do! I play games through as a fighter in a level 1 Wizard's robe, I play as meleeing wizards... bascially I play how I want to and the way I want to, regardless if it's "ideal" or what others say is the "best".

The thing most I agree with what you said, well I guess all of it, but with Arcanum, is that magic can make the game too easy. With magic, it's easy to become an invincible killing machine, you can kill guys way ahead of you in level. Combat was never perfectly balanced in the game. In the end though, why not just play the way you find fun. Even games people say are too tough, are not really that tough and can be played the way you want(even the designers of those types of games say so).

One other thing, don't always take your time... otherwise a doggy somewhere may die :).
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Kadlin: You could use that advice for every game really. At least, I do!
True, but I think there are some games where it can be a lot of fun to come up with really effective character builds. Action-RPGs like Diablo are good examples. Then there are other games where certain builds can be completely useless and make the game nearly impossible to play... I remember in Daggerfall there were loads of weird sklils, like different languages, and you build build a character using only those skills, but the game wasn't designed to make that viable so it would just be too hard and no fun.

Arcanum, on the other hand, is designed to really reward trying out all sorts of weird builds for roleplaying reasons. You can min-max and pick an "ideal" build, but that's not that fun in Arcanum. What's fun is roleplaying different characters, especially since Arcanum really adapts to what you do and how you play.
Well there are a lot of games where if you just build your hero however you want, you won't be able to get far because the combat is actually supposed to be challenging and difficult in many games. Arcanum is not like this, and that allows the complete freedom due to the mindlessly easy combat.

Agree with the advice.