Tim Cain joins Obsidian, working on Arcanum 2?

DarkUnderlord

According to his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/timothycain">Facebook profile</a>, Tim Cain (Former Lead Developer of Troika Games) has joined Obsidian Entertainment. Obsidian are best known for their RPG-Lites with shitty uncontrollable in-game cameras built with other people's technology.

Will this mean Arcanum 2? (The Arcanum IP is owned by Sierra Entertainment still I think). Will this mean some sort of similar game that's not quite a sequel but is in an unofficial way? Are we just wildly speculating?

Possibly... Possibly...

Spotted @ <a href="http://rpgcodex.net/">RPGCodex</a>

Jojobobo · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:20 pm **Post subject:**

Sweet! A think I'd enjoy an Arcanum sequel no matter who makes it.

Arthgon · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:32 pm **Post subject:**

If they really are going to make a sequel of Arcanum, then they really should do something about those cameras first. Let's hope that it is not going to be in 3D. *fingers crossed.

Zanza · **Joined:** Apr 20, 2009 **Posts:** 2768

I think making Arcanum an fps/rpg hybrid would work out well.

Arthgon · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 1:21 pm **Post subject:**

I truly hope it is a good idea. That's because I already have seen some awesome series going to the drain when they became 3D. (Ultima XI being the utter worst.) Perhaps it also have to do that I am a bit old-fashioned. Loving a really good plot over state of the art graphics.

Being grown up with the old classics like Wizardy, Dungeon Hack and the Ultimas, etc I know how it was back then. But now everyone wants to make everything in 3D. (adventure games are not safe either.) Why must every game by in 3D? Yes. NWN I and II were in 3D (sort off.), but it was not bad or irritating like others.

Lets just hope that they will make good decisions when they create Arcanum 2.

Muro · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:14 pm **Post subject:**

The main antagonist should be a follower of Kerghan with the exact same philosophy and plan as his master, who will abandon it if you ask him really politely.

Arthgon · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:23 pm **Post subject:**

You idea is okay, but would not it better that the sequel has a different plot as Arcanum I?

Muro · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 3:25 pm **Post subject:**

Arthgon · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 3:47 pm **Post subject:**

Mmm. Let me say it differently. That sort of plot would be more fitting in an add-on than in a sequel. Because I do not think that everyone is waiting for a Kerghan 2 or something. I would rather prefer a civil war with political intriges, treason, murder and racial discriminations (Humans vs Elves or Orcs) than the same old thing that was already a part of the plot in Arcanum I.

PS: Important things like toilets and a better and easy way to create new creatures, objects, facades, etc. would make it even better.

Edit: It would be very interesting to make an add-on with the point of view of Kerghan or the Dark Elves.

TheDavisChanger · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:02 pm **Post subject:**

I only played a couple of hours of Fallout 3 and I was not disappointed by the game. Although the interface was different and I could not effectively navigate the world because I am abysmally inexperienced at FPSs, I thought there was a great deal of the Fallout feel put into the game. It seemed like a worthwhile experience, but my girlfriend and I broke up and I couldn't play her son's Xbox anymore.

Although I prefer the third person isometric experience, I hesitate to say that Bethesda did Fallout 3 wrong. Likewise, I expect anybody (especially Tim Cain) who has enough interest to continue Arcanum would give it equal if not more care. If I have a point, it would be that moving from third- to first-person does not necessarily break a game and am open to see how Arcanum is continued if it is continued at all.

Arthgon · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:58 pm **Post subject:**

If there is a possibility that you can switch Third Person to FP and back, then everyone can play the game in their own favorite way.

TheDavisChanger · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:14 pm **Post subject:**

I think Fallout 3 had this implementation, but it was closer to over-the-shoulder third-person as opposed to omniscient isometric third-person.

Muro · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:48 pm **Post subject:**

Fallout 3 is a fun game with a weak recycled far-fetched incoherent plot and shallow boring characters* with awful voice acting**. Did I enjoy playing the game? Yes. Would I want to see the same happen with Arcanum? Not really.

* I have to admit, some of the ideas of characters were quite good. For example, I liked the idea behind Moira Brown, but hearing her trying to be funny and failing each and every time filled me with sadness and readiness to put an end to her misery.

I was also a fan of the idea of doing what they did with[spoiler]Harold's body, but his mind... I will never be able to forgive the creators turning a sharp-witted cynic into a full-time retard.[/spoiler]I also like the idea behind...

**...John Henry Eden being the exception here (him and Dad, why not). If only his dialogue was as good as his voice.

Jojobobo · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:21 pm **Post subject:**

I guess we should bear in mind though that if they did make Arcanum 2 it would have creative input directly from Tim Cain, so unlike Fallout 3 I don't think we'd have to worry much about the story not being good.

Muro · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:11 pm **Post subject:**

Point taken. Perhaps there is hope for a quality sequel after all.

Jojobobo · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2011 4:42 pm **Post subject:**

Aren't we missing the point a bit though that he'll probably just be working on Fallout 4? I think that's much more probable than an Arcanum 2 sequel, they probably got him on board to appease hardcore fans of the first two games who found Fallout 3 and Fallout: NV disappointing.

TheDavisChanger · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2011 5:33 pm **Post subject:**

Good (unfortunate) point, Jojobobo. Unless I'm mistaken, Arcanum does not have quite the following that Fallout does. I'd bet the only way we're going to see an Arcanum sequel is if Cain pushes for it.

Drog Alt · **Joined:** Jun 30, 2010 **Posts:** 544

Arcanum is not as popular as Fallout, because the setting is kinda half-assed. On one hand you have tons of genetic Tolkien/D&D bullshit, on the other hand you have some interesting industrial/steampunk stuff (which is often refreshingly not politically correct). The problem, though, is that the interesting stuff is barely fleshed out at all. The game is more about the struggle between elves and dwarves and the coming of the ancient evil than the industrial revolution and funky inventions.

Grakelin · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:05 am **Post subject:**

Obsidian didn't make Fallout 3.

Fresh Air · **Joined:** Sep 27, 2011 **Posts:** 31

As far as I'm concerned Fallout 3 was never made.

TheDavisChanger · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 2:38 am **Post subject:**

If nothing else, the setting of Arcanum is ambitious and unique. I'd say that this quality alone made Arcanum less accessible than Fallout; its setting was too obscure, occupying too specific of a niche. People are familiar enough with post-apocalyptic speculation to know where to compartmentalize that in their fiction spectrum. It would be uncommon enough for somebody to recognize steampunk, let alone high-fantasy steampunk.

Drog Alt wrote:

Arcanum is not as popular as Fallout, because the setting is kinda half-assed.

I'd say the setting was fleshed out well enough. The industrial revolution challenging the magickal establishment made for a fitting backdrop to advance the dwarf versus elf plot. This setting was not only a convenient plot device, but also allowed for the game mechanics to highlight the dichotomy of Magick and Technology.

random1 · **Joined:** Nov 20, 2010 **Posts:** 15

Jojobobo wrote:

Aren't we missing the point a bit though that he'll probably just be working on Fallout 4? I think that's much more probable than an Arcanum 2 sequel,

"at first I was like: Agreed."

Quote:

they probably got him on board to appease hardcore fans of the first two games who found Fallout 3 and Fallout: NV disappointing.

"but then I was like: lolwut"
I don't know if you're trying to refer to bethesda or Obsidian in that remark, but it doesn't make sense in any case: publishers don't give a fuck about the hardcore fans and Obsidian didn't do that to please anyone, they just see him as a very valuable asset and probably a good friend too since some of them already worked together.
Also you are wrong at the hardcore fans reception of NV. NV is indeed perceived as a worthy successor to FO, it's the real FO3 so to speak. Check NMA.

The important thing to remember here is:

Tim Cain wrote:

There is more of me in Fallout and Arcanum than in any other game I made.

What matters is that he'll be able to contribute to any game he gets his hands on.
Even if there is no Arcanum 2 in the works, it won't surprise me at all if they eventually work on another steampunk game in the future.

Kick Phil · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:29 am **Post subject:**

Very informative i like it.

Muro · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:17 pm **Post subject:**

Here, OdiProfanumVulgus wrote:

I have just stumbled upon this interview of Tim Cain...

Both bad news (he's working on another game + he may leave Obsidian in March) and good news (Anything is possible).

Tim Cain joins Obsidian, working on Arcanum 2?

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