item issues

[IvanRhys]

So I'm replaying Arcanum for the first time since it came out when I was a freshman in high school. I do seriously love this game. However I have some issues, and I vaguely remember having them before as well. Therefore, I humbly submit my curiosities to the scrutiny of this community.

Items:

Does Kerosene actually exist in game? I ask this only because I cannot seem to find it anywhere. Oddly enough, the items lists I can find don't mention it either. That having been said, I need it to make fire obstructions, which are a learned schematic. Also, I have seen some sites say I simply need fuel and liquid soap, but the schematic calls for kerosene and fuel does not seem to fly as a substitute.

Secondly, mr. wassisface in Caladon has offered to to make me a mechanized gun. Yippie! He asks for a loading mechanism and a clarington rifle. Now, the only thing I can find remotely similar to "loading mechanism" is "auto loading chamber"... sadly, this does not seem to be the correct item.

Finally, I am at doctorate level in both explosives and mechanical and yet I cannot make many of my found schematics in those two areas. Do I need to have experience in mixed areas for some of these (such as fuel?)

As far as I can tell, I am updated and patched, although to be honest I didn't patch my game until some time in shrouded hills. Is it possible that a game in progress does not take to the patches?

Thanks in advance, guys...

-Ivan

[Mr. Pastorius]

First of all, welcome to the GB forums, Ivan.

Now, about your problems... Kerosene does exist in the game, but it's very hard to come by, I've had the same problem with making fire obstructions as you did.. It does appear in inventors' shops once in awhile, so you just have to be persistent.
There is a bug involving Maxim which prevents him from making you a mechanised gun. By the way, the auto loading chamber is the same thing as loading mechanism. There is a fix found on Terra Arcanum which handles that problem.
Finally, some schematics require of you to have some knowledge in two skills. These can be increased by purchasing tech manuals in Tarant (the northernmost building in the city). They cover all tech disciplines, cost 750 each and each of them increases one of your skills by 10 (if I recall correctly).

Arcanum is a pretty buggy game, but the patch fixes most of them. There are also unofficial fan-made patches that fix certain bugs. Also, the patch applies to the entire game, so no worries.


Hope this helped.

[IvanRhys]

thanks for the info, Sir Pastorius. And thanks for the welcome!