I have just finished Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, but I feel really disappointed... I don't mean I didn't like the game - I just loved it - but it was too short. And there was not much to see. Here I come to the main point:

Don't you think it would be great if Ubisoft created game similar to Dark Messiah(I mean FPS and the same fighting/spellcasting system), but with the option to travel around the whole Ashan. Imagine that you are walking on a desert, and you suddenly notice a huge, floating city(Academy in this case) in front of you. It would be great. I think of more RPG oriented game than Dark Messiah(I mean quests with multiple solvings, conversations in which you can decide what to say and other classic things). I would like everybody to post your ideas here. Who knows - maybe Ubi will take this in consideration?

Question:
What do you think about this idea?

Choices:
I'm with you!
It's not a good idea...

 

The "old" Might & Magic games were huge. And by "huge" I mean exactly that - you can't possibly get through M&M VI (for instance) for less than 140-150 hours, and then you'll probably miss about 70-80% of all the things the "world" has to offer.
Creating games where you can explore vast spaces is a bit difficult nowadays - the system requirements of one such game will be unbearable. Frankly, I've played a game like that - TES III - Morrowind, both beautiful and allowing serious exploration of the realm in exchange for only 700 MB + reasonable requirements at the same time. But in general - it's difficult, the engine will require NASA computers. And the games are getting shorter and shorter...
I'd recommend finding these "old" M&M games (better start with M&M VI). Clench your teeth when you see the graphics and carry on - you won't be disappointed.

Yeaa... I remember old M&M. But I'm thinking about a game, in which I would be able to see every feature of the new Might and Magic world. Think about Oblivion. Big game with incredible graphics. I'm thinking about something like that. But you are right, that the whole Ashan is very big. Maybe the game could consist of many areas, between which you would use "fast travel". Or the world could be divided into small squares which would load as you get closer to them(as in above mentioned Oblivion). I don't know much about game-making and engines. I'm just playing games Ah, and one more thing. The least important think I take in consideration while judging games is graphics. And I assure you - I played most of old M&Ms and I loved them.

Thanks for good comment.

quote:

Originally posted by Xenofex_086:
The "old" Might & Magic games were huge. And by "huge" I mean exactly that - you can't possibly get through M&M VI (for instance) for less than 140-150 hours, and then you'll probably miss about 70-80% of all the things the "world" has to offer.

That's pretty crazy writing no offense. I went through the game mm6 in about a month of real people time, so I'd say that's probably about 80 hours, and on a first run through. I read everything I could find in-game and I visited all the zones. The world stopped offering stuff about level 50 and the rest of the game was a tedious grind to level 90 so I could beat the damn thing.

edit: but I did like the world size, these are my impressions from playing the game through for the first time last year.

On the other hand I much prefer that kind of game to Dark Messiah which I had no desire to finish after playing through about 8 levels.

You think the 3DO games are big? Pfft, they're NOTHING compared to the classic M&M done my JVC's own studio New World Computing, is those the game world was exactly that, a WORLD not some pissant little continent.

And even they pale compared to World of Xeen, proberbly the biggest RPG game ever made since it's about x2.5 the size of Clouds or Darkside on their own.

quote:

Originally posted by PhoenixReborn06:

That's pretty crazy writing no offense. I went through the game mm6 in about a month of real people time, so I'd say that's probably about 80 hours, and on a first run through.

Well, I guess I'd ventured too much then, 'couse for these 80 hours I had just reached Kriegspire for the first time (Blackshire, most of Darkmoor, icluding the castle, Dragonsand, Hermit's Isle, Isle North, Paradise Valley and other location were still unexplored). And by "new things" I mean secret locations, hidden items (and those Excalibur-like swords ) and such. The game is a tresure hunt of sorts, which may be a bit dull for some, but I like it.
As for the *really* old M&M games - I can't get through this Apple emulator for the first 2 parts. I just hate emulators.

Really epic worlds are easily possible if you water down the graphics a bit and arent afraid to make the game take 15 gigabytes. But i sort of dobut ubisoft doing that. Especially now that id give dark messiah elements a 95% chance to be a flop.

A game with "watered down" graphics won't sell. And if my impressions are correct, almost noone is looking for huge game worlds any more. So I guess you have to put up with the 15 GB thing, which, if you're lucky, will offer about 30 hour of gameplay at most, or just replay the old games.

well if they make it with the different maps around the capitols they can still have a fairly large world. without the need of a nasa pc

quote:

Originally posted by gotri7:
I have just finished Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, but I feel really disappointed... I don't mean I didn't like the game - I just loved it - but it was too short. And there was not much to see. Here I come to the main point:

Don't you think it would be great if Ubisoft created game similar to Dark Messiah(I mean FPS and the same fighting/spellcasting system), but with the option to travel around the whole Ashan. Imagine that you are walking on a desert, and you suddenly notice a huge, floating city(Academy in this case) in front of you. It would be great. I think of more RPG oriented game than Dark Messiah(I mean quests with multiple solvings, conversations in which you can decide what to say and other classic things). I would like everybody to post your ideas here. Who knows - maybe Ubi will take this in consideration?

That would be problematic... If you wanted Dark Messiah's ragdoll physics, and generaly the whole fighting/physics system.

An RPG game engine could do some of it, but not nearly as good as Source currently does. The physics would not be as exact and the fighting system might be a bit different...

On the other handm Source can not handle maps that are really big. It was improved with the OB engine update but still not "Huge". As such if you wanted DM but with open huge world... You'd have to wait through loading screens upon entering a new area, and repeat that over and over. So making a huge world using the source engine would not only mean: Great PC needed, but also lots of space for the map files themselves.

I think there are maps upwards of 70MB in DM, and they weren't exactly "huge either" combine 70 MB maps with models, sounds, and materials and you have a need for a pretty big HD with a long install from multiple DVDs.

I'd love on an online game like DM SP though. A real "Might and Magic: Multiplayer" game (not like the ones before, DM online included). Using an updated version of the SP engine to create big online maps full of physics, traps, quests, and the SP weapons (+ Minor tweaks of course). Where 32-64 people could participate (Clearly depending on your PC).

Dark Messiah has like what.. 6 gigs of materials and models that are going to waste. Some of which were not even used in the game (Xana's Armchair anyone?). I think it's a big waste if they are not used in a sequel/some sort of an expansion.

And regarding making a huge open world with beautiful graphics... It could be done if the devs know how to efficiently stream the map data in nearly real time. That would not require a supercomputer but it wouldn't change the 2 or more DVDs required to install the game.

Heh, might be a space hog.

Well we can only wait and see how the next M&M game will look, feel and play like.

Yea... I hope it won't be as straight as the first game...

IMHO, The next Might and Magic game should be HoMM DS!

TBS is flourishing in the DS. We have Advance Wars, Age of Empires (yes, the DS version is TBS), Panzer Tactics, Front Mission, Final Fantasy Tactics, Worms, Warhammer 40k and, very soon, Civilization. HOMM should be on this list!

I don't understand what you mean with that thread :
You want Dark Messiah Oblivion type ?

I can live with Oblivion
better give me classical MM 6-8 party RPG back.

OK folks here we go. Next Might and Magic game should be online, an MMORPG. I in fact have the idea for it, being a developer. Might and Magic Online would have an all new world (with expansions featuring "portals" to our good old favorite places like Varn, Cron, Terra and Xeen).

You will have Starting Races like the traditional M&M games, with new races and classes for Jadame expansion. Lots of nice dungeon content and some raid content but not too much. Can you imagine some poor soul running after he's pulled a "Leeroy Jenkins" in the Aeraelian Crossroads, slaughtering nearly everyone going back to town there? I'm a lover of the OLD game, bring back Town Portal, Fire Ball, Mega Volts, Shrapmetal, Power Cure, Mass Distortion, Inferno, etc. back to the game. Bring back the old skills, the NPCs, etc and return our game to its height again.

I love the old game, I'd love to see this become reality, I mean first expansion return to Old Sorpigal and Algary, second return to Luxus Palace Royale and Tundara, third to Dragontooth Castle, Wildabar and the Pyramids. Oh and the 4th, Newcastle, SANDCASTER!!! oh and Castles Basenji and Alamar, and the Great Towers. Xeen was the best world of them all.

I'd love to see this happen, it's my vision for an online world, and I'll have more info on my ideas.

Might and Magic online?? are you insane?
Might and Magic have always been about adventuring by yourself, not with some 12 year old that gets nude and starts dancing in the middle of the streets like in WoW.

Now, now relax. He's only brainstormig.

In fact I think it's a very interesting idea, but firstly I would like to see MMX, because it might be important to re-establish the series before it goes on-line.

i am relaxed, just forgot the smileys.

Can someone HELP ME and tell me where i find this "online key" so i can play online?

I just got done with MM6 and its really not that big compared to oblivion. In response to first reply, I would have to say that this is absolutely false. World of Warcraft is a huge game that requires no NASA computer to run and also does not rely on separate maps of small areas. Oblivion is also a game that is huge and requires no smaller maps or loading times.

If you think that MM6 was huge you may want to replay it. The world of Xene, I would have to replay as memory failed me on MM6 and its size.

In the end I don't think we are going to get MM10 as wow and oblivion took years to develop and I just don't think UBI will want to all those resources into its development or they will want to change to much making it a non Might and Magic game.

Unfortunately I think you're right. WE are not likely to get MMX though it would be both possible and awesome, all be it expensive. It is the expense that does it; I don't think UBI will be willing to make that kind of investment in a game that holds true to Might and Magic. All the money these days is with Morrowind and WOW which are both great games but not the same as the Might and Magics.