Might & Magic

dmc · Tue, 19th Jan '10, 10:32pm

OK - to start, the only one of these I ever played was the first, back on my Apple ][ who knows how long ago. I read DotW's thread and it looks like the later ones have some support and are still playable. I'm thinking of going retro and trying one or more of them out. What's the consensus for good/bad on these, what will still work without too much finagling, etc.

FYI - my machine is several years old, has an nVidia 6600 something or other, so I don't have anything vaguely like a top of the line machine to worry about here. I like a good dungeon crawl/hack fest that's not buggy, and am more than happy to have some puzzles to solve as well. I'm not expecting the second coming of BG or anything like that, so no worries.

TIA.

Chandos the Red · Tue, 19th Jan '10, 10:57pm

M&M 6 is the game I would recommend. It should be no problem for you on a Windows XP computer (but you will need a patch). M&M 7 is very much like 6, but not easily played on XP (you might need DOS Box). In any event, I would stick with #6 - great game.

http://www.celestialheavens.com/viewpage.php?id=707

Blades of Vanatar · Tue, 19th Jan '10, 11:01pm

DMC, if you really like old-school games and don't mind old-school graphics, I would recommend starting from the beginning. M&M are classics and I rate them alongside the Ultima Series and the Wizardry Series as top of my list old-school fun. Chandos is right about # 6, great game. 1-5 were lots of fun for me as a teen.

Caradhras · Tue, 19th Jan '10, 11:02pm

It's more about dungeon crawling and character building and development. The strong point of these games is that they are not linear. You'll never know a dungeon is too hard for you until a monster kills one of your characters with one hit.

The graphics are a bit outdated but the game is fun. I recommend Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven and Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor.

Great games.

Disciple of The Watch · Tue, 19th Jan '10, 11:32pm

Actually, Mok has released patches for MM6-8 which makes the game works just fine and irons out bugs.

But I'm glad my thread inspired you to play M&M. Great games, MM6 is a timeless classic, which is why I'm still playing it. MM7 is good but not as good as MM6, and MM8... what a huge letdown. Silly storyline, ridiculously overpowering -- you CAN recruit 4 dragons and there is a tweak to have a *dragon* as first character, so that's 5. The game is WAAAY to generous with the artifacts/relics. In MM6, one was GENUINELY happy to find such an incredibly powerful item. In MM8, it's like "Oh, great, another [censored] relic/artifact. Where the hell am I going to put that?"

It's a great dungeon crawl/hack, and the worthwhile puzzle is the obelisks... the payoff in ridiculously insanely good.

Chandos the Red · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 12:08am

Mok?!!!!

Quote:

A person with an exceptional large penis. If you want to be specific, Mok is used appropriately if a person has a penis longer than 8 inches. The population of "Mok" is small, this is a group of people originally from the Far East.
Mok is hung like a honkey.

I'm sure you mean someone else....

Check out #6....

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mok

Disciple of The Watch · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 12:16am

...this is weird

Talking about the patch for MM6 by Mok... the name of guy, not slang.

Ziad · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 12:53am

I wonder if Mok knew what he was getting into when he picked this as his internet nickname

I just found out that someone has updated Mok's patches. I've not tried them but from the description they have some very nice fixes for issues still present in Mok's (such as items vanishing from chests if there wasn't enough space to spawn them - VERY annoying when it happens to an artifact).

As for which games to recommend, DotW's description of 6-8 is spot on. I don't dislike MM8 as much as he does and still enjoyed playing it, but it's by far the weakest of the trilogy. I would go with Blades' recommendation though and play through the entire series (for added fun, if you like the Heroes series, alternate between both series as the story requires). The first game is HARD, by far the hardest in the series, and it's so unforgiving that I always have trouble recommending it, but it has some very good aspects, so truly crazy puzzles and some very challenging encounters.

Rawgrim · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 1:09am

Personally i liked MM 6-8 the most. Especially number 6. Number 8 was way too easy. I remember finding Caurie Blackthorne when I was around level 8. She was level 50 when i found her, and had grandmaster merchant skill. All my money troubles were gone.
Number six is one of my all time favorite games, I think. its right up there with Betrayal at krondor, and the BG games.

Chandos the Red · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 1:17am

Sorry, DotW. I had no idea who the guy was. That's just what came up when I googled "Mok," and there were no other links for M&M. I should have used Might & Magic in the search.

dmc · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 1:21am

Just to be clear, when talking about the whole series, are you guys suggesting to go back to the Secret of the Inner Sanctum? I trotted that out a couple of months ago (I think it was on an abandonedware site) and it was okay for a while and I got about half way before the creaking and groaning from its ancient architecture got to me. I'm not sure I want to go THAT retro, if you know what I mean.

Chandos the Red · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 1:55am

DMC - No, not that one. That's a really old game - like the 1980s. I really would give #6 a try though....

Ziad · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 4:56am

Actually that is the ones Blades and me were talking about

If you found MM1 to be too ancient, then I also suggest you skip #2 as well. MM2 uses an updated engine with much better graphics, but it is the same engine after all, which means lots of random combat, very slow progression, and did I mention LOTS of combat? 2 is even worse than 1 in this respect.

So, to sum it up, the series went through 3 major engines, and the reason I'm splitting them like this is because the gameplay and age of the "architecture" as you refer to it is pretty much the same within a certain engine. So 1-2 are the old step-movement, all-text combat. You can also only save at inns, so in only 5 places in the entire world map; considering how MASSIVE the games are this can be very annoying (especially in the tougher parts of MM1). The game also resets all enemies, chests, etc whenever you reload a game (which possibly occurs every time you enter the inn, ie also when you save...), which means redoing some of the same surface fights. 3-5 use a completely different step-movement engine, with much better graphics, and where the enemies appear in the distance and approach, and there is a finite number of them. You can also save anywhere, and the game does NOT reset in any way. Once you've done something, it stays done. And finally 6-8 use the free-flowing 3D engine with 2D sprites.

I would really say to at least finish MM1, just because it's got such an unusual story (and a very bizzarre ending), but if it's just too old for you then I suggest you give 3 a try instead. The changes in engine and the permanency of your actions on the world make it MUCH more accessible, and less of a chore to go through. 3, 5 and 6 are IMO the best games in the series, but since 4 and 5 can be combined in to the same game (World of Xeen) you might as well just start with 3 and play all the way through.

dmc · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 5:11am

I actually remember MMI pretty darned well, seeing as how I hadn't played it in years. I was able to find that stat fountain in the first outside area really quickly, which helped ease the tedium of the beginning, and I remember the ending as well. I even remember FEDBAC as one of the codes for putting together those cryptic messages, and I remember some of the amazingly cheesy encounters like dragon hall meeting where you fought all of the different dragons as well as a major demon and devil and were rewarded with a black box treasure drop the first few times you did it. (Have I mentioned that I have a pretty good memory for games, songs, movies, tv shows and books?)

Anyway, I'll look up III then and see if I like it. If so, I'll march through to at least VI. If not, I'll probably start at VI.

Is III a for sale thing or is it abandonware?

Ziad · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 5:38am

Legally? there is no such thing as Abandonware. Practically? we'll turn a blind eye, and so will Ubisoft (the current copyright holders)

I hadn't realised you'd already finished MM1, as you first thread only mentions you've played it a long time ago - I assumed you hadn't completed that playthrough. I'm impressed you remember so much of it! I do not remember any of the codes to solve the messages, but I do remember the dragon fight, as well as the demon fight under that city... the one where you had to have all-female party members and was ruled by a succubus. That was fun. I will also never forget how to free Ogg. That puzzle got me stomped for a LONG time until I finally managed to put all the pieces together - so satisfying when I did!

I don't think any of the M&M games have been reissued recently, so they're probably all out of print. The last compilation that included MM1-5 was Might & Magic Classics, and that was easily 10 years ago (probably closer to 12; I think it was released at the same time as MM6). So if you want to get a legal copy you're REALLY going to have a lot of trouble. Abandonware copies of 1-5 should be all over the place though.

Depending on what you don't like about MM3, you may still want to try World of Xeen. If you dislike the engine completely then skip to 6, but if you just feel it's not polished enough then go for WoX, as it's the same engine but much cleaner. Definitely use DOSBox for 3-5 though. Especially for 3 you'll need to find the right number of cycles where things move quickly enough but not so quickly that they look ridiculous. WoX has no such problem as it has a built-in frame limiter.

Newsflash: just noticed that GoG are selling MM1-6 for the low price of $10. If the only one you have is 1 then go for it. 6 by itself is worth the price, but if you end up playing 3 and WoX as well then that's a really good deal. Not to mention you get shiny PDF manuals, cluebooks, and so forth.

Rawgrim · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 9:41am

Now I am struck with the MM bug too. Thinking of digging out my MM6 cds... However, the thought of Castle Darkmoor pops into my head, so I find myself weary of doing so. Its arguably the worst dungeon I have ever experienced in any crpg.

Ziad · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 3:27pm

Hey, I think it's a great dungeon! One that most of us just happen to hate with a burning passion

But yeah I'm starting to get the bug too... although if I'm going to replay them I will do it properly and start with MM1... and that game's difficulty always puts me off

Disciple of The Watch · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 10:21pm

Castle Darkmoor... the only thing that makes this dungeon worthwhile is the thought that while this dungeon will drive someone on the edges of the edges of insanity, the payoff is incredibly SWEET. It's a good place to become EXTREMELY powerful... it just requires a cool head, lots of time, and good gear.

While this dungeon brings my piss to a boil, and makes me curse worse than a drunken marine on LSD, I am actually glad I did it when I look at the loot/XP.

Blades of Vanatar · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 10:51pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rawgrim

Personally i liked MM 6-8 the most. Especially number 6. Number 8 was way too easy. I remember finding Caurie Blackthorne when I was around level 8. She was level 50 when i found her, and had grandmaster merchant skill. All my money troubles were gone.
Number six is one of my all time favorite games, I think. its right up there with Betrayal at krondor, and the BG games.

Betrayal at Krondor? Never tried or read about it, though I have seen it on the shelf. Though i am familiar with the books. Is this one worth playing? Can you describe it?

Taluntain · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 11:04pm

dmc, http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/might...1207a8c0c0c549

Rawgrim · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 11:12pm

Blades - Betrayal at krondor is insanely good. Its divided into chapters, and your party consists of the main characters from that particular chapter. kind of like a book. Movement is first person (alot like might and magic 6), but combat is turn-based. Abit like heroes of might and magic, I guess. Also, i belive, its the first game ever to have a quick-save function. If you are familiar with the books, you will recognize alot of the characters as well. You get Jimmy the hand, and Locklear in your party, and a few others.

The game is abandonware now, and can be downloaded for free, and legally, at Abandonia.com. It works like a charm in Dosbox. You have to set the cycle thingy to 19 something, though. Hope this helps.

Ziad · Wed, 20th Jan '10, 11:27pm

Definitely, definitely get BaK if you haven't played it. It combines a good skill system, an excellent plot, open-ended exploration in the same vein as MM6 (I am only just now noticing how similar the world exploration is) and last but not least a very good combat system with some very interesting and challenging encounters. It's really one of the best RPGs of that era. The writing is also insanely good; in fact, playing the game before I had even heard of Feist, I was then disappointed by the writing in the books themselves.

Woops, should have provided an SP-approved GOG link myself. Forive me Tal?

dmc · Thu, 21st Jan '10, 3:52am

OK Tal, I downloaded it from GOG, so you should receive your cut, however small it may be.

Taluntain · Fri, 22nd Jan '10, 12:03am

All for the good of the Rep... I mean SP.

dmc · Fri, 22nd Jan '10, 6:49pm

So I played a little MM3 - takes me back to a simpler time, that's for sure.

I like that it was a bit bare of explanation (unless I just missed a manual) regarding races and classes and whatnot. I just threw together a party to see how it goes: paladin, knight, robber, archer, sorcerer and cleric. I hired the extra archer and druid that were available. They all seem to be doing alright. I've explored the starting town and its dungeon (killed the big boss rat), the first outside area, and the temple of moo (that's frickin' funny), although I haven't finished that. Need a levitate spell so that all the pits don't kill me.

I can intersperse some of this game with D2 and IWD2 and I'm all good for now. Thanks for the recommendations.

Tue, 19th Jan '10, 10:32pm	#1
dmc SPS Account Holder Distinguished Member Moderator Speak softly and carry a big briefcase 3 Card Poker Champion! Balloon Shoot Champion! Bumper Golf Champion! Falldown Champion! Plumber 2 Champion! Rotations Champion! Towerball Champion! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Posts: 6,500 Like: 18 Liked 55 Times in 44 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 15,916 Level: 36 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 23.42% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 30.32% Monthly Activity 64.5% Achievements Awards	Might & Magic OK - to start, the only one of these I ever played was the first, back on my Apple ][ who knows how long ago. I read DotW's thread and it looks like the later ones have some support and are still playable. I'm thinking of going retro and trying one or more of them out. What's the consensus for good/bad on these, what will still work without too much finagling, etc. FYI - my machine is several years old, has an nVidia 6600 something or other, so I don't have anything vaguely like a top of the line machine to worry about here. I like a good dungeon crawl/hack fest that's not buggy, and am more than happy to have some puzzles to solve as well. I'm not expecting the second coming of BG or anything like that, so no worries. TIA.

Tue, 19th Jan '10, 11:01pm	#3
Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,559 Like: 38 Liked 42 Times in 30 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,792 Level: 29 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 55.66% Daily Activity 135.76% Weekly Activity 87.16% Monthly Activity 98.99% Achievements Awards	DMC, if you really like old-school games and don't mind old-school graphics, I would recommend starting from the beginning. M&M are classics and I rate them alongside the Ultima Series and the Wizardry Series as top of my list old-school fun. Chandos is right about # 6, great game. 1-5 were lots of fun for me as a teen.
	__________________ "Still round the corner there may wait, a new road, or a secret gate." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Tue, 19th Jan '10, 11:02pm	#4
Caradhras I may be bad... but I feel gooood! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Lugdunum Posts: 4,105 Blog Entries: 9 Like: 9 Liked 15 Times in 9 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 10,387 Level: 30 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 30.53% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	It's more about dungeon crawling and character building and development. The strong point of these games is that they are not linear. You'll never know a dungeon is too hard for you until a monster kills one of your characters with one hit. The graphics are a bit outdated but the game is fun. I recommend Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven and Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor. Great games.
	__________________ We’re going to hell so bring your sunblock.

Tue, 19th Jan '10, 11:32pm	#5
Disciple of The Watch Preparing The Coming of The New Order Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Negative sub-plane of darkness and anger Posts: 7,028 Blog Entries: 42 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 16,188 Level: 36 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 48.74% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Actually, Mok has released patches for MM6-8 which makes the game works just fine and irons out bugs. But I'm glad my thread inspired you to play M&M. Great games, MM6 is a timeless classic, which is why I'm still playing it. MM7 is good but not as good as MM6, and MM8... what a huge letdown. Silly storyline, ridiculously overpowering -- you CAN recruit 4 dragons and there is a tweak to have a dragon as first character, so that's 5. The game is WAAAY to generous with the artifacts/relics. In MM6, one was GENUINELY happy to find such an incredibly powerful item. In MM8, it's like "Oh, great, another [censored] relic/artifact. Where the hell am I going to put that?" It's a great dungeon crawl/hack, and the worthwhile puzzle is the obelisks... the payoff in ridiculously insanely good.
	__________________ The rep bar lies... I'm not nice.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 12:16am	#7
Disciple of The Watch Preparing The Coming of The New Order Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Negative sub-plane of darkness and anger Posts: 7,028 Blog Entries: 42 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 16,188 Level: 36 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 48.74% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	...this is weird Talking about the patch for MM6 by Mok... the name of guy, not slang.
	__________________ The rep bar lies... I'm not nice.

		Sorcerer's Place Home \| Chatrooms \| BoM Rules & FAQ Sorcerer's Place Stores: Games, Books, DVDs, Merchandise (buying via these links & our affiliated stores below helps support the site - thanks!)
Have you liked us yet?

Tue, 19th Jan '10, 10:57pm	#2
Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 8,209 Like: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post vBActivity - Stats XP: 21,118 Level: 40 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 69.58% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	M&M 6 is the game I would recommend. It should be no problem for you on a Windows XP computer (but you will need a patch). M&M 7 is very much like 6, but not easily played on XP (you might need DOS Box). In any event, I would stick with #6 - great game. http://www.celestialheavens.com/viewpage.php?id=707
	__________________ "It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it." - George Carlin

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 12:53am	#8
Ziad I speak in rebuses Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 4,088 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,148 Level: 28 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 71.72% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	I wonder if Mok knew what he was getting into when he picked this as his internet nickname I just found out that someone has updated Mok's patches. I've not tried them but from the description they have some very nice fixes for issues still present in Mok's (such as items vanishing from chests if there wasn't enough space to spawn them - VERY annoying when it happens to an artifact). As for which games to recommend, DotW's description of 6-8 is spot on. I don't dislike MM8 as much as he does and still enjoyed playing it, but it's by far the weakest of the trilogy. I would go with Blades' recommendation though and play through the entire series (for added fun, if you like the Heroes series, alternate between both series as the story requires). The first game is HARD, by far the hardest in the series, and it's so unforgiving that I always have trouble recommending it, but it has some very good aspects, so truly crazy puzzles and some very challenging encounters.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 1:09am	#9
Rawgrim Gems: 21/31 Latest gem: Pearl Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 1,351 Like: 0 Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 3,337 Level: 18 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 58.18% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Personally i liked MM 6-8 the most. Especially number 6. Number 8 was way too easy. I remember finding Caurie Blackthorne when I was around level 8. She was level 50 when i found her, and had grandmaster merchant skill. All my money troubles were gone. Number six is one of my all time favorite games, I think. its right up there with Betrayal at krondor, and the BG games.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 1:17am	#10
Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 8,209 Like: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post vBActivity - Stats XP: 21,118 Level: 40 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 69.58% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Sorry, DotW. I had no idea who the guy was. That's just what came up when I googled "Mok," and there were no other links for M&M. I should have used Might & Magic in the search.
	__________________ "It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it." - George Carlin

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 1:21am	#11
dmc SPS Account Holder Distinguished Member Moderator Speak softly and carry a big briefcase 3 Card Poker Champion! Balloon Shoot Champion! Bumper Golf Champion! Falldown Champion! Plumber 2 Champion! Rotations Champion! Towerball Champion! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Posts: 6,500 Like: 18 Liked 55 Times in 44 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 15,916 Level: 36 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 23.42% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 30.32% Monthly Activity 64.5% Achievements Awards	Just to be clear, when talking about the whole series, are you guys suggesting to go back to the Secret of the Inner Sanctum? I trotted that out a couple of months ago (I think it was on an abandonedware site) and it was okay for a while and I got about half way before the creaking and groaning from its ancient architecture got to me. I'm not sure I want to go THAT retro, if you know what I mean.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 1:55am	#12
Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 8,209 Like: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post vBActivity - Stats XP: 21,118 Level: 40 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 69.58% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	DMC - No, not that one. That's a really old game - like the 1980s. I really would give #6 a try though....
	__________________ "It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it." - George Carlin

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 4:56am	#13
Ziad I speak in rebuses Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 4,088 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,148 Level: 28 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 71.72% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Actually that is the ones Blades and me were talking about If you found MM1 to be too ancient, then I also suggest you skip #2 as well. MM2 uses an updated engine with much better graphics, but it is the same engine after all, which means lots of random combat, very slow progression, and did I mention LOTS of combat? 2 is even worse than 1 in this respect. So, to sum it up, the series went through 3 major engines, and the reason I'm splitting them like this is because the gameplay and age of the "architecture" as you refer to it is pretty much the same within a certain engine. So 1-2 are the old step-movement, all-text combat. You can also only save at inns, so in only 5 places in the entire world map; considering how MASSIVE the games are this can be very annoying (especially in the tougher parts of MM1). The game also resets all enemies, chests, etc whenever you reload a game (which possibly occurs every time you enter the inn, ie also when you save...), which means redoing some of the same surface fights. 3-5 use a completely different step-movement engine, with much better graphics, and where the enemies appear in the distance and approach, and there is a finite number of them. You can also save anywhere, and the game does NOT reset in any way. Once you've done something, it stays done. And finally 6-8 use the free-flowing 3D engine with 2D sprites. I would really say to at least finish MM1, just because it's got such an unusual story (and a very bizzarre ending), but if it's just too old for you then I suggest you give 3 a try instead. The changes in engine and the permanency of your actions on the world make it MUCH more accessible, and less of a chore to go through. 3, 5 and 6 are IMO the best games in the series, but since 4 and 5 can be combined in to the same game (World of Xeen) you might as well just start with 3 and play all the way through.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 5:11am	#14
dmc SPS Account Holder Distinguished Member Moderator Speak softly and carry a big briefcase 3 Card Poker Champion! Balloon Shoot Champion! Bumper Golf Champion! Falldown Champion! Plumber 2 Champion! Rotations Champion! Towerball Champion! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Posts: 6,500 Like: 18 Liked 55 Times in 44 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 15,916 Level: 36 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 23.42% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 30.32% Monthly Activity 64.5% Achievements Awards	I actually remember MMI pretty darned well, seeing as how I hadn't played it in years. I was able to find that stat fountain in the first outside area really quickly, which helped ease the tedium of the beginning, and I remember the ending as well. I even remember FEDBAC as one of the codes for putting together those cryptic messages, and I remember some of the amazingly cheesy encounters like dragon hall meeting where you fought all of the different dragons as well as a major demon and devil and were rewarded with a black box treasure drop the first few times you did it. (Have I mentioned that I have a pretty good memory for games, songs, movies, tv shows and books?) Anyway, I'll look up III then and see if I like it. If so, I'll march through to at least VI. If not, I'll probably start at VI. Is III a for sale thing or is it abandonware?

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 5:38am	#15
Ziad I speak in rebuses Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 4,088 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,148 Level: 28 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 71.72% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Legally? there is no such thing as Abandonware. Practically? we'll turn a blind eye, and so will Ubisoft (the current copyright holders) I hadn't realised you'd already finished MM1, as you first thread only mentions you've played it a long time ago - I assumed you hadn't completed that playthrough. I'm impressed you remember so much of it! I do not remember any of the codes to solve the messages, but I do remember the dragon fight, as well as the demon fight under that city... the one where you had to have all-female party members and was ruled by a succubus. That was fun. I will also never forget how to free Ogg. That puzzle got me stomped for a LONG time until I finally managed to put all the pieces together - so satisfying when I did! I don't think any of the M&M games have been reissued recently, so they're probably all out of print. The last compilation that included MM1-5 was Might & Magic Classics, and that was easily 10 years ago (probably closer to 12; I think it was released at the same time as MM6). So if you want to get a legal copy you're REALLY going to have a lot of trouble. Abandonware copies of 1-5 should be all over the place though. Depending on what you don't like about MM3, you may still want to try World of Xeen. If you dislike the engine completely then skip to 6, but if you just feel it's not polished enough then go for WoX, as it's the same engine but much cleaner. Definitely use DOSBox for 3-5 though. Especially for 3 you'll need to find the right number of cycles where things move quickly enough but not so quickly that they look ridiculous. WoX has no such problem as it has a built-in frame limiter. Newsflash: just noticed that GoG are selling MM1-6 for the low price of $10. If the only one you have is 1 then go for it. 6 by itself is worth the price, but if you end up playing 3 and WoX as well then that's a really good deal. Not to mention you get shiny PDF manuals, cluebooks, and so forth.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 9:41am	#16
Rawgrim Gems: 21/31 Latest gem: Pearl Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 1,351 Like: 0 Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 3,337 Level: 18 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 58.18% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Now I am struck with the MM bug too. Thinking of digging out my MM6 cds... However, the thought of Castle Darkmoor pops into my head, so I find myself weary of doing so. Its arguably the worst dungeon I have ever experienced in any crpg.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 3:27pm	#17
Ziad I speak in rebuses Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 4,088 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,148 Level: 28 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 71.72% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Hey, I think it's a great dungeon! One that most of us just happen to hate with a burning passion But yeah I'm starting to get the bug too... although if I'm going to replay them I will do it properly and start with MM1... and that game's difficulty always puts me off

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 10:21pm	#18
Disciple of The Watch Preparing The Coming of The New Order Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Negative sub-plane of darkness and anger Posts: 7,028 Blog Entries: 42 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 16,188 Level: 36 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 48.74% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Castle Darkmoor... the only thing that makes this dungeon worthwhile is the thought that while this dungeon will drive someone on the edges of the edges of insanity, the payoff is incredibly SWEET. It's a good place to become EXTREMELY powerful... it just requires a cool head, lots of time, and good gear. While this dungeon brings my piss to a boil, and makes me curse worse than a drunken marine on LSD, I am actually glad I did it when I look at the loot/XP.
	__________________ The rep bar lies... I'm not nice. Last edited by Disciple of The Watch; Wed, 20th Jan '10 at 10:41pm.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 11:04pm	#20
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Resident Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Cori Celesti Posts: 20,801 Blog Entries: 13 Like: 158 Liked 122 Times in 79 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 53,151 Level: 58 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 49.38% Daily Activity 135.76% Weekly Activity 77.69% Monthly Activity 81.08% Achievements Awards	dmc, http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/might...1207a8c0c0c549
	__________________ Help Support Sorcerer's Place! Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 11:12pm	#21
Rawgrim Gems: 21/31 Latest gem: Pearl Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 1,351 Like: 0 Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 3,337 Level: 18 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 58.18% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Blades - Betrayal at krondor is insanely good. Its divided into chapters, and your party consists of the main characters from that particular chapter. kind of like a book. Movement is first person (alot like might and magic 6), but combat is turn-based. Abit like heroes of might and magic, I guess. Also, i belive, its the first game ever to have a quick-save function. If you are familiar with the books, you will recognize alot of the characters as well. You get Jimmy the hand, and Locklear in your party, and a few others. The game is abandonware now, and can be downloaded for free, and legally, at Abandonia.com. It works like a charm in Dosbox. You have to set the cycle thingy to 19 something, though. Hope this helps.

Wed, 20th Jan '10, 11:27pm	#22
Ziad I speak in rebuses Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 4,088 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,148 Level: 28 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 71.72% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 1.89% Monthly Activity 2.46% Achievements	Definitely, definitely get BaK if you haven't played it. It combines a good skill system, an excellent plot, open-ended exploration in the same vein as MM6 (I am only just now noticing how similar the world exploration is) and last but not least a very good combat system with some very interesting and challenging encounters. It's really one of the best RPGs of that era. The writing is also insanely good; in fact, playing the game before I had even heard of Feist, I was then disappointed by the writing in the books themselves. Woops, should have provided an SP-approved GOG link myself. Forive me Tal?

Thu, 21st Jan '10, 3:52am	#23
dmc SPS Account Holder Distinguished Member Moderator Speak softly and carry a big briefcase 3 Card Poker Champion! Balloon Shoot Champion! Bumper Golf Champion! Falldown Champion! Plumber 2 Champion! Rotations Champion! Towerball Champion! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Posts: 6,500 Like: 18 Liked 55 Times in 44 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 15,916 Level: 36 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 23.42% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 30.32% Monthly Activity 64.5% Achievements Awards	OK Tal, I downloaded it from GOG, so you should receive your cut, however small it may be.

Fri, 22nd Jan '10, 12:03am	#24
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Resident Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Cori Celesti Posts: 20,801 Blog Entries: 13 Like: 158 Liked 122 Times in 79 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 53,151 Level: 58 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 49.38% Daily Activity 135.76% Weekly Activity 77.69% Monthly Activity 81.08% Achievements Awards	All for the good of the Rep... I mean SP.
	__________________ Help Support Sorcerer's Place! Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Fri, 22nd Jan '10, 6:49pm	#25
dmc SPS Account Holder Distinguished Member Moderator Speak softly and carry a big briefcase 3 Card Poker Champion! Balloon Shoot Champion! Bumper Golf Champion! Falldown Champion! Plumber 2 Champion! Rotations Champion! Towerball Champion! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Posts: 6,500 Like: 18 Liked 55 Times in 44 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 15,916 Level: 36 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 23.42% Daily Activity 3.31% Weekly Activity 30.32% Monthly Activity 64.5% Achievements Awards	So I played a little MM3 - takes me back to a simpler time, that's for sure. I like that it was a bit bare of explanation (unless I just missed a manual) regarding races and classes and whatnot. I just threw together a party to see how it goes: paladin, knight, robber, archer, sorcerer and cleric. I hired the extra archer and druid that were available. They all seem to be doing alright. I've explored the starting town and its dungeon (killed the big boss rat), the first outside area, and the temple of moo (that's frickin' funny), although I haven't finished that. Need a levitate spell so that all the pits don't kill me. I can intersperse some of this game with D2 and IWD2 and I'm all good for now. Thanks for the recommendations.