…legendary Arcanum modder and Codex alt suspect Drog Black Tooth reappeared on the Codex (with his original account) for the first time in over four years, with a link to what appeared to be a Journey to the Center of Arcanum pitch document dated to August 2001, allegedly provided to him by the leader of a Russian modding team. Interestingly, the document, entitled “Arcanum Underworld: Journey to the Center of Arcanum”, directly references Ultima Underworld and promises a game with a systems-driven design rather reminiscent of the currently-in-development Underworld Ascendant.

Here’s a clip from the pitch document:

In JTCA (Journey to the Center of Arcanum), we hope to incorporate the best aspects of the most popular first-person RPG’s on the market, as well as include a new direction, one that is inherently Troika’s. If Arcanum has proved anything, it is that we know how to craft a well-balanced RPG, with memorable characters, a compelling story, and a character-development system that is second to none. The dichotomy between magick and technology gave us a perfect game environment to create an almost infinite number of playing styles, and we hope to translate that same environment into a 3-D world.

We hope to achieve a similar gaming environment as was presented in Half-Life or Deus Ex. The complexity of the levels in Half-Life, as well as the obvious care that was put into their design, created a game that was both fun and challenging at all levels. The use of puzzles and the intelligent placement of enemies helped players learn the use of the items presented to them, as well increasing their skill in items they previously had. The puzzles in JTCA would make the best use of these items, offering multiple solutions for every puzzle.

Imagine taking the weapons in Arcanum, such as the Tesla Rod or the Elephant Gun, and wielding them in a 3-D environment. The technological gadgets in Arcanum will almost drop into a game like this; lay down the Bear Trap and watch your enemies being trapped, struggling to get away while you pull out your Compound Bow and pick them off from a distance. Items like the Flow-Spectrometer could alter the game-view (think infrared-vision), where Mages and magickal items glow different colors and intensities, depending on their power. Mages will have an enormous number of spells at their disposal, and the size and power of those spells is basically limitless once we’ve moved into 3-D. A summoned Water Elemental could look just like flowing water, leaving behind puddles when it walks, exploding when hit with electricity or dissolving quietly when it dies otherwise. Fireballs, spewing flaming embers (particles), could track follow enemies around corners. And all of this in the world of Arcanum, with its industrial-age cities and magickal kingdoms and deep, dwarven mines and dungeons. The possibilities are endless.

Infinitron Dragon, being the one who reported on this discovery, remarks thusly to conclude the news post:

So there’s another historical mystery clarified. Although this was apparently but one of several pitches for Journey to the Center of Arcanum, taking the series in an Ultima Underworld direction sounds like it could have resulted in something interesting. Not to mention, it would have been a clever tactic for preventing fanrage by directing attention to the existing precedent of a top-down party-based franchise successfully making the leap to first-person. I imagine things might have gotten awkward after Arx Fatalis was released in 2002, though.

Another one for those moments of contemplation about what might have been.