奥秘：蒸汽与魔法 Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura p.300

Leonard [Boyarsky]，Jason [Anderson] 还有我之前设计过角色系统，但是在《奥秘》中，我们希望这个系统能反映出背景设定。这意味着不仅需要加入魔法咒语和某种形式的科技技能，而且需要一种机制来衡量角色对于两者的态度。我们希望世界中广泛存在的魔法与科技之争也能够体现在每个角色身上。

Leonard [Boyarsky], Jason [Anderson], and I had made character systems before, but, in the case of Arcanum, we wanted the system to reflect the setting. This meant that not only would there need to be magic spells and technological skills of some kind, but there would need to be a mechanic that measured the character's aptitude with each. We wanted the struggle between the magic and tech that was taking place in the world to exist within every character as well.

Tim Cain,
《奥秘》项目主管及主程序员

Tim Cain,
Arcanum's project leader and lead programmer

《奥秘》的世界设定在 CRPG 中非常不同寻常。这是一个高度幻想的世界，而它正在经历工业革命，于是这就导致了广泛的冲突——魔法与科技之间的对立与分歧。游戏中相当多的内容都是通过这种对立来呈现的，而且这种分歧也体现在了游戏系统之中：你的矮人技师可以把废料打造成刀剑和手枪，但是咒语和药水对他就起不了什么效果；同样的，专精于魔法的半精灵角色最好学会传送魔法，因为火车不会允许他搭乘。

《奥秘》的游戏世界规模庞大，包罗万象到令人讶异，所以毫不奇怪，在推出之时它满是 bug 而且某种程度上尚未被完成。由于 Sierra 要求在原本的回合制战斗之外再同时加入即时制模式，战斗系统受到的影响相较于其他方面最严重。因此游戏中的战斗不尽人意而且极不平衡，在某些规模较大且战斗较多的地下城中尤其令人厌倦。

Arcanum's setting is quite unusual for a CRPG. It is high fantasy set during the Industrial Revolution, resulting in a widespread conflict – the dichotomy between Magic and Technology. This conflict is the lens through which much of the game's content is seen and it is reinforced within the gameplay itself; your dwarven technologist might craft swords and pistols from scrap, but magic spells and potions aren't going to have much effect on him; and your highly magical half-elf better learn to teleport, because he won't be allowed to board trains anymore.

The scope and scale of Arcanum are astounding, and so it's hardly surprising that it was shipped somewhat unfinished and quite buggy. Combat suffered the most of any element because of Sierra's demands that a real-time mode be implemented alongside the intended turn-based mode. As a result, combat is quite unsatisfactory and unbalanced, becoming a chore during some of the larger, combat-filled dungeons.

Arcanum Multiverse Edition 是一个庞大的 mod 包，包括了爱好者们制作的最好的漏洞修正与改动。即使是第一次玩这个游戏，我们也强烈推荐使用这个补丁包。

The Arcanum Multiverse Edition is a massive mod pack with some of the best fixes and changes made by fans. It's highly recommended, even for a first playthrough.

不过从好的一面来看，Sierra 给 Troika 带来了 Ben Houge 的才华，他为《奥秘》编写了游戏史上最复杂精妙、最有深度、最令人难忘的配乐之一。他的弦乐四重奏节奏轻松，同时设法捕捉到了《奥秘》中的宏大感，再与 19 世纪的蒸汽朋克美学相结合，共同营造出一种令人愉快的氛围。

《奥秘》最大的成就是给玩家提供了真实的代入感。这或许是游戏最大的长处，但别说 RPG 了，能做到这一点的游戏都很少。游戏中随处都可以见到冲突，而你不仅有能力解决冲突，还可以根据你的意愿和技能来从中获利又或者加剧冲突。

《奥秘》向我们展示了 CPRG 可以成为什么模样，在这方面它前无古人后无来者。尽管《奥秘》并没有完成自己所有的目标，但 Troika 的第一部作品展现出的愿景与野心仍然值得铭记。

On the bright side, Sierra did supply Troika with the talents of Ben Houge, who composed one of the most memorable, sophisticated and thoughtful soundtracks ever produced for a game. His string quartet pieces set a relaxed pace while managing to capture a sense of the grand scale of Arcanum. This, married with the 19th-century steampunk aesthetic, creates a thoroughly enjoyable atmosphere.

Arcanum's greatest achievement is giving the player a real sense of agency. It is perhaps gaming's greatest strength but so few games, let alone RPGs, deliver on it. There is conflict everywhere and you have the power not only to solve these conflicts, but to prey upon them or exacerbate them according to your desires and skills.

More than any other title before or since, Arcanum showed us what CRPGs could be. Although it did not achieve all that it set out to achieve, the vision and ambition of Troika's debut is remarkable.