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 I compiled all of this in one thread to keep things simple. Table of Content
General info Developed by Arkane Studios, the team behind the critically acclaimed Arx Fatalis game, Dark Messiahâ"ž¢ of Might & Magic is a new breed of action-RPG game that puts players in a first-person perspective, allowing them to immerse themselves in the legendary Might and Magic universe as never before. It is also the world's first fantasy action game to feature a complete first-person combat system. It takes full advantage of the Sourceâ"ž¢ Engine's exceptional technological enhancements in areas such as character animation, advanced AI, real-world physics and shader-based rendering and High Dynamic Range lighting (HDR). Ubisoft acquired the Might and Magic brand in 2003, and Dark Messiahâ"ž¢ of Might & Magic is the second title Ubisoft will be launching as it restores this famed franchise to glory. Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is scheduled for a Fall 2006 release. NOTE: Dark Messiah is not the sequel to the Might & Magic games. It is a spin-off, featuring the new universe that was first introduced in Heroes V. Back to the list The Story In Dark Messiahâ"ž¢ of Might and Magic, players will be introduced to the world of Ashan, the new setting for all future Might & Magic games. Ashan is a dark and unforgiving world, scarred by a bloody history. The story begins 18 years after the epic events of Heroes of Might & Magic V, and the world is now threatened by the apocalyptic prophecy of the Dark Messiah. Players will embody the young hero Sareth, young apprentice of the great mage Phenrig, who has been trained in the arts of magic and war. He has been set the task of retrieving the Skull of Shadows, an ancient artifact of immense power that can battle the prophetic Dark Messiah. Players will have the choice to become expert warriors, mages or assassins, each with their own cache of devastating weapons and spells to use in battling huge and vicious enemies. Through combat, players will unlock new skills and equipment, advancing Sareth's experience and improving his performance, battle combos, hits, spells and techniques, and setting his course for his destiny. Back to the list Key Features Back to the list System Specifications Supported OS: Windowsâ® XP Processor: AMD Athlonâ"ž¢, Pentiumâ® 2.2 GHz (3 GHz recommended) RAM: 512 MB (1 GB recommended) Video Card: 128 MB DirectXâ® 9-compatible video card Sound Card: DirectX 9 compatible sound card DirectX Version: DirectX 9 or higher CD-ROM: 12x CD-ROM â€" 1 DVD-ROM Hard Drive Space: 7 GB free Back to the list Dark Messiah’s E3 2006 Premiere E3 Penny Arcade Comic http://e3.ubi.com/features_pa.php E3 Gameplay Footage http://media.ubi.com/emea/Dark_Messiah/video/DM_E3_DEMO_EMEA_s.wmv Back to the list Multiplayer Mode 2 Factions: Human versus Undead Players: Up to 32 Confirmed Maps: Confirmed Modes: Character Classes: Back to the list Multiplayer Character Classes  ArcherStrong in ranged physical attacks with sniper precision, but weak in physical force. The Archer will deal heavy damage to a single target from great distances. Skills: fast reload, zoom, and multiple shots.  AssassinStrong in clandestine activity and some melee, but weak in physical force, the Assassin would rather hide in the shadows to strike swiftly. Skills: stealth (invisibility, silent movement), poisons, and trap installation.  WarriorA strong melee fighter; a true force of nature. The Warrior will rush at the enemy, protected by his shield and a natural resistance to damage. Skills: strike harder, run faster, and last longer.  PriestessStrong in ranged offensive magic and defensive maneuvers, but physically weak. The Priest will support his team by launching spells dealing damage over time and spotting otherwise invisible threats. Skills: pinpoint assassins, healing spells, and status effects.  MageStrong in ranged offensive magic, but physically weak. The Mage will deal area damage to enemies with his spells. Skills: improve spell strength, learn new spells, and increase magical resistance. Back to the list Multiplayer Character Skills Archer The signature weapon of the Archer is a versatile weapon which delivers significant damage over a long range. This skill is nearly identical to that in the single-player game, except the “reload/draw bow†time is now dependant upon the player’s upgrades. Upgradeable. Increases the arc of the bow (the pulling power). Arrows travel further, faster. Upgradeable. Reduces the time taken to nock and draw arrows. Adds in a modified zoom so the archer can see his target more clearly and aim more precisely over long distances. A bright flare attached to the arrow’s tip causes this projectile to cast light on the environment. This (magically) flaming arrow sets targets alight. This arrow delivers the effects of the magical poison spell to a single target. The archer draws and fires two arrows simultaneously in a horizontal spread. This is slower and less powerful than an equivalent single arrow shot. The archer draws and fires three arrows simultaneously in a horizontal spread. This is slower and less powerful than an equivalent double arrow shot. Arrows with a tempered steel tip. Delivers massive damage, ignoring armor. An unpleasant missile, this arrow causes extreme pain to the target resulting in the magical slow effect for the duration. Assassin A lethal ‘leap forward and kill’ move. This move is triggered automatically when the assassin is close behind a target. Signature ability of the Assassin, the Cloak provides varying degrees of invisibility depending on experience and behaviour. The visibility of the cloaked assassin depends on how fast he moves, and what objects are visible behind him. This upgradeable skill reduces the noise made by an assassin’s movements. At the highest class levels, an assassin will be able to run almost without being heard. This upgradeable skill increases the rate at which the stamina bar refills. This allows the Assassin more sprinting and more jumping, increasing his chances of escaping from enemy Knights and other attackers. A successful blow of this poisoned dagger delivers the same effects to the target as those of the magical poison spell. An assassin using this ability appears to be a member of the opposite team. Team indicators (name color, map location etc) will also be changed, although the assassin’s actual name will not; by looking at the player list, a polymorphic assassin can be detected. This skill allows an assassin to fall to the floor and pretend to be dead, only to get up again upon his command. With this ability, the assassin may lay down a tiny explosive trap which detonates on proximity to a target, thus spraying a toxic gas cloud. This special attack delivers a wound which cannot be healed, and causes the target to continually bleed health away at a low rate. Triggered traps allow the placement of more individual traps, and crucially allows for the remote detonation of these explosives â€" they are not traditional contact-activated, but more like ‘pipe bombs’. This allows for more complex traps to be constructed. Knight The knight’s shield allows him to project a visible magic shield, offering physical defense from arrows and spells. This upgradeable skill increases the rate at which the stamina bar refills, allowing knights to run faster, longer, and chain more stance attacks. This upgradeable skill reduces damage taken from physical attacks. An ability of knights to resist all magical effects â€" both enemy damage and their own team’s bonuses. This skill is entirely personal and provides no assistance to any other character. Using Shield Charge the knight covers the distance to a target in a rush, and throws him or her back, dealing massive damage. The Knight must have a high stamina available before he can charge. Two knights who Shield Charge each other at the same time are knocked back and stunned. A special move that seriously damages one enemy. The knight must be moving at top speed towards his target. After jumping and attacking, he will bring his blade down from above with awesome force. Reduces the time taken to enter Combat Stances. Increases the amount of damage done by each blow. This skill delivers a short-term health boost to a single Knight. However, a timer also begins. At the end of this timer, all of the energy that has been ‘loaned’ to the Knight is removed immediately. This may kill the Knight if he has taken damage in the meantime. This skill allows a Knight to deliver the effects of Last Gasp to himself and other friendly characters within range. Priestess The basic ability of priestesses, this skill allows them to heal friends and harm targets. Note that like all of the ‘Cure’ spells, the effects are different depending on the team orientation of the target. Curing your own team gives them health. ‘Curing’ (or ‘cursing’) the enemy is the same spell, but reduces their health. Selecting the ‘Defend’ action with this skill will heal the priestess instead. Creates a spherical cure field (similar to Magic Reflection). Sphere has a maximum amount of curing ability, depending on radius (it shrinks as it cures those inside it). Cure Spheres act as Curse Spheres to enemy characters. This skill allows a priestess to sacrifice her own energy to heal nearby friends in a wide radius. Allows a priestess to ‘mark’ an enemy and highlight it to their own team. Team mates who kill the marked target gain extra XP. Conjures ‘bramble grenades’ which the priestess throws down to create patches of writhing thorns. Running through these thorns does damage. Additionally, enemies inside a slow area suffer a damage penalty if they are also cursed. Priestesses are immune to their own thorn effects. Allows the priestess to cast a temporary armor enhancement spell on friends or herself. A priestess can resurrect friendly characters, bringing them back from the dead to fight anew. Resurrected characters must protect their benefactor - if the priestess dies, so does the resurrected. Priestesses can also ‘eat the souls’ of enemy bodies, gaining XP for herself while preventing enemy priestesses from resurrecting them. Casts the resurrect spell on multiple friendly souls simultaneously. Ranged Blind attack. Creates a cloud of toxic fumes which poisons and disorientates Mage A straight-shot magical attack. Increases the total mana available to the mage. Boosts the rate at which mana recharges. Identical to the single-player skill of the same name, this flaming arrow can be guided to a target. Identical to the single-player skill of the same name, this glowing ball of fire can be guided to a target before exploding in an impressive and deadly fashion. A roiling ball of fire which explodes on contact, spilling flames into a large area and setting enemies alight. A visible spherical shield which defends anyone inside it from magical spells by bouncing their effects off the surface. Provides no physical protection. Zzap is a fast moving little bolt of electricity, enough to give minor damage to all classes. An instantaneous bolt of lightning. During casting, the target location hears a growing fizzing electrical noise, before a sudden bright flash of light, the crack-boom of thunder and then an after-image of a lightning streak joining the caster to his target. Damage is instantaneous. If a caster holds the ‘charge’ pose for too long, the Bolt will discharge through him instead, causing damage. A bolt of lightning that leaps around hitting multiple viable targets. It will not hit the same target twice in the same casting. Sticky magical fire grenades that bounce on the ground within a limited range before stopping and exploding. If they hit an enemy first, they stick to him or her and kill instantly. A slow-moving sphere of lightning energy which attacks anything within its immediate area. Back to the list Enemy Creatures Undead Cyclops ID Card http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Fiche%20ID_Undead%20Cyclops.jpg Screenshot http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Screenshot_Cyclop%20Undead2.jpg Orc ID Card http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Fiche%20ID_Orc.jpg Screenshot http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Screenshot_Orc1.jpg Black Guard ID Card http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Fiche%20ID_Black%20Guard.jpg Screenshot http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Screenshot_Guard1.jpg Ghoul ID Card http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Fiche%20ID_Ghoul.jpg Screenshot http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Screenshot_Ghoul1.jpg Undead ID Card http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Fiche%20ID_Undead.jpg Screenshot http://www.mightandmagic.com/ss/Screenshot_Undead.jpg Back to the list Developers Q&A on Worthplaying.com Q : First of all, could you introduce yourselves and give us some of your professional background? RWG : I am Romain de Waubert de Genlis, Ubisoft Producer of Dark Messiah. I most recently worked on Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2. Being a big fan of the Might and Magic games, and having spent way to many sleepless nights playing them, when Ubisoft granted me both the opportunity to develop a new game within that universe, and to work with Raphael, I jumped on board before they gave that opportunity to someone else. RC : I’m Raphael Colantonio, Arkane Studios Game Director of Dark Messiah. I’ve been in the game industry for 12 years and worked for various companies including EA. I founded Arkane Studios in 1999 and acted as CEO and Game Director for Arx Fatalis. My passion is game design. I’m fascinated by immersive first-person games in general and I’m always keen on taking the next crazy creative challenge in this genre. Q : How would you present us the concept behind Dark Messiah of Might & Magic in a few words? RWG : If you were to live an adventure in a heroic fantasy universe filled with combat, how would you want to experience it? The answer to that question is the core of what’s going into the making of Dark Messiah. If we were to start fresh in such a universe, it is obvious that we would all have different sensibilities on who we would want to be and how would you defeat your enemies. Would you rather use your muscles or your magic or your mind? In Dark Messiah, you all start the same but no one will live the same experience, no one will end up the same. The first-person point of view also helps us to create a more impressive and, to a certain extent, a more immersive experience. In first person, you can’t see these monsters lurking in the shadow behind you, and when you stand at a dragon’s feet, only then will you realize what it means to be five stories tall. Q : For this game, you are using the Source engine from Valve. Could you explain why you decided to use this engine? To what extend does it answer your development objectives? RC : Back in 2003, we were building our own engine. During a game show, we ran into a few folks from Valve who had played and liked our first game (Arx Fatalis). We checked out the Valve booth at E3, saw their amazing demo and realized that the Source Engine was providing absolutely everything we wanted and more. We decided to start talking with them about a license. Valve was very enthusiastic about giving us access to Source at an early stage, even before they would officially license it, which was great because it was just the engine we needed. Being the second generation of one of the most proven engines for first person action games, Source featured all of what we were looking for: super realistic rendering, stunning physics integration, solid multiplayer architecture and great flexibility for quickly prototyping crazy new features. RWG : For me it is reassuring to work with a team like Arkane that does not have to focus on building an engine from scratchâ€"with all the technical challenges which that entailsâ€"but, instead, can dedicate all the creative energy on making great gameplay. Very early on we were able to discuss the prototyping of some specific gameplay elements, instead of having to spend most of our development time in hoping that ultimately “it will work.†Q : What is the level of your collaboration with Valve? RC : I like to think that our collaboration with Valve goes beyond a simple license deal. We share the same passion for games. We play each other’s games. Our team regulary spends time at Valve’s offices where we have "hands on" sessions and showcase our latest features for Dark Messiah. It’s good for us to see and hear their reactions. We get consulting from some of the smartest guys in the industry and we really appreciate this. Q : Could you introduce the universe and storyline of Dark Messiah? RWG : In Dark Messiah, you are Sareth, apprentice to a powerful wizard. He has raised you for a single purpose, training you in the arts of magic and war. At the beginning of the game you are given an ancient artifact and ordered to carry it to a friend of your master. It seems like a simple task…but of course, yours will be a sinuous journey, filled with unexpected encounters and revelations, and upon your quest, looms the shadow of the Dark Messiah… Q : How did you come up with this scenario? What was the original idea behind it? RC : It’s a constant team effort between Ubisoft and Arkane, and it goes through many iterations. Arkane Studios was more focused on the story details and narrative elements that would drive Dark Messiah's level design. Ubisoft played a more overarching role: Erwan Le Breton and Richard Dansky worked a lot on the Might and Magic universe and background that we share with Heroes of Might and Magic franchise. They also provided consulting support for polishing our dialogues and improving the characters’ personalities and motivations. Q : So you say Dark Messiah is mostly an action game. Could you detail that a bit further? How, for instance are we going to play as a warrior, a mage or an assassin? Can I really decide to be only an assassin and finish the game that way? RWG : First-person action drives Dark Messiah, while the game does have elements of an RPG, everything is handled in real time and monsters will not wait for you to think before to act. If you want to plan ahead how you will bypass a challenge, try to look for a vantage point and have a look at the scene, and plan your course of action. Playing as a Warrior or as an Assassin will be totally different. One will charge headlong on his enemies, using his skills and superior control over the most advanced techniques of close combat while the other will try to kill without being detected, plan traps, and when finally the enemies detect his presence it should be to realize that all reinforcement has already been taken care of. Q : What challenges did you face regarding the choice of a first-person view? RC : We already had some expertise with first person in our previous game (Arx Fatalis), so the challenge was more about how to bring something new to the experience. We decided to tackle the combat system: create a first person melee experience that just felt right. There have been attempts in the past, but we think nothing as convincing. This was a great opportunity and a great challenge. A tremendous challenge in fact. First, we had no choice but to support a body-awareness system (the experience of seeing and almost feeling your own body in first person). Aside from the fact that having a body feels very immersive for obvious reasons, it’s also absolutely necessary to see your feet when you kick an enemy. It also improves the player's ability to evaluate distance between himself and the opponent. Basically, you’re not just a floating camera; you belong to the world, which makes a huge difference. This body awareness is a very challenging feature, believe me. There are gazillions of things to think of when you start developing it. Along with body awareness, we took on the challenge of creating a melee combat system that is fun, where the aiming is smooth, not confusing; where player strategy is at the forefront and where you really feel the hits (both given and received). We're thrilled with the results so far: The constraints of a first person view have actually become our ally. There are things we implemented that you can only do in first person, such as aiming at a specific part of the body to maximize damage or disarm your enemy (if you aim at the hand). But most of all, the character/player relationshipâ€"thanks to body awarenessâ€"becomes visceral. You are the fighter, because you feel it. You are in your shoes. You are the guy who just managed to do the super cool move, and this is all possible thanks to the first person view. Q : How important are physics in the game? RC : Highly simulated environments have always been one of our obsessions because they lead to emergent gameplay and fun situations. Physics naturally take a very important role in game mechanics: any object that looks like it could move is physically simulated so that it can potentially have an influence on the game world and change the experience for the player. RWG : It is very important to us to provide the player with this “vertical†freedom (as opposed to the “horizontal†freedom you have in games with huge environments), and physics are an important part of the mix in that they greatly add to the depth of the game. It is very satisfying and rewarding to know that you will be able to use physics during combat or to alter the level design of a room and generate a new path or situation. Using the objects and the environment against your enemy is of course one of the most fun things you can do. But you are even more stunned when you realize that your opponent can and will take advantage of it too… Q : What about the RPG elements in the game? RC : Dark Messiah features some of the classic RPG elements such as collecting items and building up your character. As you progress, you pick skills to coincide with your chosen play style (whatever it is) and be assured that the quest is going to support whatever style of play you choose. RWG : For instance if you decide to play as an assassin, you will have access to skills that will improve your ability to stalk your enemies while remaining undetected, such as silent walk, backstab, advanced disarm… The great challenge and originality in Dark Messiah is that innate and acquired are intrinsically tied together in the game. The innateâ€"your own skills, the ones you have in real lifeâ€"is nothing without the skills you acquire in the game. And gaining a new skill is useless if you do not learn how to master it. It is really a mix between the traditional skills of a RPG (purely based on statistics), and the ones of an action game (purely based on the player skill). Q : Can you tell us about the multiplayer modes? RWG : The game will be playable as a team-based multiplayer mode, playable with up to 32 players. We have dedicated a whole team just to develop that part. We are lucky to have an engine that powers games like Half Life 2 death match Counter Strike and even crazy multiplayer physics experiments such as Gary’s mod. Back to the list RPGDot Interview Link We had the chance to do a loooong chat with Raphael Colantonio & Julien Roby from Arkane Studios and learned some interesting things about their upcoming project Dark Messiah of Might & Magic. RPGDot: How is the work on Dark Messiah (DM) proceeding? Are you doing well? Are you still on schedule? Raphael: Julien, since you're the producer, do you want to go first? Julien: We just delivered our Alpha build to Ubisoft, meaning we got most of the features in the game right now. The next months are going to be dedicated to tune & tweak all the game features. I would say we're on schedule  RPGDot: That sounds great - so the game is likely to ship this summer? Raphael: I'll do this one, it's easy: Yes RPGDot: For how long have you been working on DM now? I know you worked on Arx 2 for a time...how much of the work from Arx 2 could you use for DM or did you have to start from scratch because you used the Source engine? Raphael: These are very different games, a while back, we were shopping our Arx2 demos around for publishers, UBI really liked what they saw (We made the demo with the source engine), and they offered us to take on the challenge of doing a new Might and Magic game. We thought the opportunity of working with a big publisher on a historical franchise was kind of seducing, so we accepted to be part of that adventure. Most of all, UBI showed a lot of open mindness in regards to how we wanted to do that game. RPGDot: I see - so DM is not Arx 2 in disguise? Julien: Nope it isn't. Raphael: Not at all, in fact if there was an Arx 2 one day, it would be treated differently. Julien: The gameplay in DM is more focused on action than RPG as in Arx. Raphael: Agreed. It's an Action RPG, Arx was an RPG action. RPGDot: Ok, that answers my next question already... Raphael: But hey, we're RPG fans, so you'll find some common ground there  RPGDot: So it is a new kind of Might & Magic as well - or can it be compared to the infamous Crusaders of M&M in regards to gameplay? Raphael: It can't be compared to any MM game to date. RPGDot: What rpg elements are left in DM? Raphael: It's really our interpretation of an immersive Action RPG. It's all about providing a player driven experience. We give a lot of freedom on how you want to solve challenges and how your character will evolve; in other words, how you as a player want to express yourself and identify with your character in terms of what are his strengths. RPGDot: Can you give an example, maybe explain, how a typical RPG situation from Arx would look like in DM, if that's possible? Raphael: So there are skills, and spells that you choose as you play in order to shape up your hero. RPGDot: Skills & spells sound good :-) Raphael: Basically, we really provide the player with a set of tools that he can use to win the challenges his own way. Julien: For example the main difference to a RPG a la Arx would be that these tools are not statistics driven but their use will depend on the player's real time action. RPGDot: I see. Julien: For instance if you got a combat skill it will give you a new move that you can perform, but it wont give you a +3% in short sword skill. We wanted a skill to be immediatly rewarding once you've earned it; not just a little percentage but something that will make you feel a great warrior. Raphael: Let's say there are 3 monsters wandering around in a room and you need to get on the other side of the room as part of your objective. You can either jump in and attack in melee combat, but you can also try to sneak in their back and backstab them, or you can try to throw objects at them, or you can grab a barrel, and use it as a shield so that you can avoid their arrows, then throw the barrel at one of them, or you can even totally avoid the fight by climbing over a bridge above your head thanks to your rope arrows and hope they won't find you... RPGDot: Then I assume there is no manual character development by distributing skill points? Raphael: Yes we have skill points. SP are given on objectives, not on kills. This is the basics of a game that allows freedom. Raphael: In other words, we don't care how you managed to get behind that door, as long as you did, you get the XP Julien: We have a set of skills that will allow you to perform special actions: backstab, sneak in shadow, spells, special combat moves, lockpick... RPGDot: All of that sounds like a game that a/ gives you great freedom , b/ great rewards and c/ a game I can hardly wait for :-). And you get the same amount of XPs no matter how you did it? Julien: Absolutely we dont want the player to feel like he's getting less XP because he did it the way he likes not the way we like RPGDot: Ok, that sounds reasonable. Raphael: So the game is linear in its mission structure, but open ended in your playstyle. RPGDot: Is there a kind of specialization then like you create/pick a thief in the beginning or become a thief by your playstyle? Julien: You start as a "basic" character and you can pickup skills as you wish. To build a specialized character or multi class you can be anything you'd like too, though there is a skill tree so at some point you'll have to make choices RPGDot: So your character can be everything at a time, e.g. a mage-thief wielding a battle axe? Raphael: Sure he can, but you won't max out everywhere. You'd end up with an average character in all disciplines. RPGDot: What else is there in DM? First question: can you briefly describe the story, is it based on other M&M games? Raphael: In Dark Messiah, you are Sareth, apprentice to a powerful wizard. He has raised you for a single purpose, training you in the arts of magic and war. At the beginning of the game you are given an ancient artifact and ordered to carry it to a friend of your master. It seems like a simple task … But of course, yours will be a sinuous journey, filled with unexpected encounters and revelations, and upon your quest, looms the shadow of the Dark Messiah... RPGDot: And the story takes place in a classical fantasy world or will there be other elements like for example the Sci-Fi elements in earlier M&M games? Julien: The Sci-Fi elements have been removed from the M&M universe background for now. RPGDot: That's good actually...i always found them a little strange ;-) Raphael: Us too. RPGDot: *g* Julien: Didn't help to make the world consistent. RPGDot: Ok. And as compared to Arx there is an upper world now? Are there real cities you can visit and if so, how many cities? Can you walk into every house then (if you can open the door)? How large is the gaming world? And how many dungeons are there? Raphael: As you know us from Arx, we craft our games very much. So, we don't base so much the locations in terms of 'how many', but more on 'how detailed' are these environments, and varied. There are a total of 30 maps, Julien, am I right? Could be a little more Julien: Yes around 30. RPGDot: Maps means cities/dungeons/buildings? Raphael: Yes Julien: Yes the game is mission based. RPGDot: Oh...so there is no persistent world where you can walk anywhere anytime? Raphael: No, there isn't. There are places that you come back and revisit in different contexts, but the highlevel experience is tied into a well crafted story, this is why we made the choice of going mission based for the structure (like some other cool games I won't mention RPGDot: Like Thief? Anyway some hardcore RPG fans will not like that, but then again, dm is no hardcore RPG after all. Raphael: Yes we really tried something different here. RPGDot: Other aspects that contributed to the great atmosphere of Arx was the immersive world: Are the following features also available in DM: enchantments/alchemy/the need to eat/automap/journal/multiple choice dialogues? Raphael: There is some occasional object crafting, but it appears mostly as a cool 'secret' layer that we give for the ones who will find it. You can eat, there are quite a fair amount of items to eat actually (I guess it's a french game, eheheh) RPGDot: (cliche) Eat cheese and drink red wine all the time? ;-) Raphael: Hehe, right. Eating is actually a way to restore your health also. Julien: Or eat garlic - I would say the immersion is still one of the strong elements of the game! RPGDot: Oh yes, and the women will run away from us again...no, i will not do that again in any of your games *g* RPGDot: How about automap, journal & dialogues? Julien: No automap. We got something like an objective screens for your current objectives & secondary objectives. RPGDot: Similar to Thief? Raphael: Ooops, you said it! Julien: There are no multiplie-choices dialogues. Nevertheless the story will have different branching at some points depending on your choices & actions. This game is really all about the player actions RPGDot: I see. I need to get used to that first :-) Ok...we're almost done: final question: Who is doing the music or are there only ambient sounds as in Arx? Julien: Mostly ambient sounds except for some key scenes, the ambient cues are done by Kemal Amarasingham, who did the Thief and also the Arx ones. RPGDot: Anything else you would like to add? Raphael: Many things Julien: The combat? Raphael: First person RPGDot: I know...I have enough questions for another hour as well ;-) but I don't want to keep you too long...but as you name it: Tell me about combat & the first person perspective :-) Julien: The First person combat in DM is something we're very proud of! Raphael: One of the unique things about our combat system is that it is first person. So, what appeared initially to be a real challenge, became also a good thing because it allowed us to rethink the way fighting usually works in games, and most of all, we could take advantage of the 1st person view, instead of taking it as a constraint. So for example, aiming at different parts of the body came up as a very intuitive mechanics that you can only do in 1st person. Julien: You got a lot of different moves which are various tools to defeat your opponents, that you can trigger very easily: chained & fast slashes to keep them away, big slashes to go through their parry or damage their shields, rush attack to stun them, then kick to knock them down and a last strike to impale them... Raphael: We spent many months playing around with ideas until it felt right. Julien: PLUS we're making extensive use of the physics as a gameplay element in the combat. RPGDot: So how is the 'damage system'? Can you cut off a leg for example and how would that affect the opponents (fall over/ jump away...)? Raphael: Right, so these are combos you can do after a while when you're really feeling confident with the system and how to manage your enemy's state. Raphael: We put the cutting feature at the bottom of the game design mecanics chain, because we've always been worried that they could be removed for rating reasons. So, we couldn't support them as part of the gameplay, but instead we kept them as a 'finish off' effect whenever you do a critical hit for example. You know, for parental lock for example. Julien: You can put your opponent in various states depending on your actions: you can stun him, disarm him, knock him down, make him slide on a frozen ground? Raphael: Also, using the environment is a very important part of the fighting gameplay. Julien: Yep, basically you can grab a barrel and break it on your opponent's head, or make a platform to collapse on him...but the NPC can also use these tricks! Raphael: Using hazards, terrain, but also physical objects that happen to be here. You can actually trigger some really cool chain reactions. Julien: The Cyclop will grab barrels and even other NPCs and will throw them at you. The goblins will try to use traps if you happen to be at the right place at the wrong time. RPGDot: Sounds impressive! Julien: The combat is really based on how you and the NPCs will use the things around you/them to fight. so you'll use different moves/actions depending on the NPCs you're fightning...and depending on where you're fightning. Fighting near a cliff? Use your kick to push the enemy and make it fall. Fightning near oil jars? Use fireballs to ignite the jar or even better: throw the oil jars at the enemy and then set him on fire. Julien: The idea is: if the player thinks he can do it, he should be able to - that's how the game world becomes immersive. It's like a big sandbox, we give you tools and you decide how to use them. RPGDot: Cool! How effective is ranged combat? Can a single arrow shot be lethal? Maybe even based on where it hits the opponent? Julien: If you aim at the head and if the enemy is totally unalerted, your shot will be really lethal - but if it has a helmet, you'll have to get rid of this one first. RPGDot: Great - I have to re-think my expectations...I was expecting more of an Arx type game, but all of this sounds VERY interesting actually! Back to the list This message has been edited. Last edited by: FCY-JMDK-WLKY, ______________________________ Soup, soup, a tasty soup, soup, a spicy Carrot and Coriander, Chili Chowder, crouton, crouton, crunchy friends in a liquid broth I am gazpacho - ho - I am a summer soup - ho - Miso Miso, fighting in the dojo, Miso Miso, oriental prince in the land of soup |
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Global Moderator |
Dev Q&A from Ubisoft’s Dark Messiah Forum
"that is 8 days since the first question was asked, so wondering, dont we express our questions clearly enough?or are there some problems, so you cannot answer us? or are you busy playing DM beta?" ==> We're very busy making the game as best as it can be, and we didn't want to get caught in the question trap so it might be another while before you see me here again and I hope you'll excuse me "Will the A.I. learn and adjust to you when you are fighting it? " ==>AI adjusts it's strategy according to your tactic, your equiped weapon, etc... But there is no dynamic AI difficulty system if this is what you're asking. "Since physics are very present (I think even more so then HL2) in this game do we need the AGEIA Processor in our computers in order to play it? " ==> no "Since most of the game is melee combat oriented I was wondering how much control do we the player have in the sword fights? Is it going to be limited slashing and jabbing moves (like in the Elder Scrolls Games)? Or total control (like in Jedi Knights 2)?? " ==> The philosophy relies on lots of context based actions, rythm control and AI state management. This provides a lot of variety, it provides tactic and action at the same time, and most of all, you can use the environement a lot as part of your tools to kill enemies. For example kicking NPCs into the fire, off the ledges, into barels, etc.. Grabbing heavy objects and throwing them at NPCs... "Will there be a lot of micromanaging as in the amount of items you can carry, the spells use and the amount of times you can use them, money, personality of your character, etc.?" ==> the RPG side of the game is very intuitive and accessible: there is an open persistant inventory where you can store all your items and goodies, and there is a skill screen where you upgrade your character as you progress through the game. "Will there be multiplayer co-op? Allowing users to team up and take on missions together?" ==> no, good idea though "Will there be a map and/or campaign editor allowing users to create their own missions, and even campaigns? (please yes)" ==> probably so "will daggers be the only weapon that are usable in both hands or will it also be possible to use something like a short sword in the second hand if you are using a one-handed weapon (longer than a dagger) in the "primary" hand?" ==>you can wear a shield too. And there are several types of daggers / kryss "Why make dm insted off mm x? " ==> because Dark Messiah is not the gameplay continuity of mmX, it's a new genre "will there be an option to switch to a third person view?" ==> All the mechanics were designed to take advantage of first person only. "In the demo videos, the warrior taking different stances is really cool, but once he moves the sword into a new position, his arms become completely stiff, rather unrealistic. Will the first person stance animations be loosened up for the release?" ==> we're working on the game almost every minute of the day, so things will surely evolve by the time the game ships "Is the player presented with choices that affect the storyline?" ==> yes, in a few important occasions, there will be different possible endings too. "The game is going to be release on steam too, right? If so, will you release updates after game release? Like new multiplayer maps, new models and even classes? Like in Counter-Strike: Source. Valve added a lot of new stuff from first release, new models, maps etc. Can we expect something like that from DM dev team?" ==> it is still being debated at the moment. Back to the list Possibly on XBox 360 A job listing indicates that Arkane Studios has plans for an X360 version of its upcoming action/RPG Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, as it is looking for a lead programmer and project leader for "an upcoming title currently in development on the PC, using the Valve's Source engine, which is already running on Xbox.†NOTE FROM UBISOFT: There are no current plans for a X360 version of DM. Arkane is an independent studio that can work on several projects simultaneously, beyond the scope of the upcoming Dark Messiah title. Back to the list ______________________________ Soup, soup, a tasty soup, soup, a spicy Carrot and Coriander, Chili Chowder, crouton, crouton, crunchy friends in a liquid broth I am gazpacho - ho - I am a summer soup - ho - Miso Miso, fighting in the dojo, Miso Miso, oriental prince in the land of soup |
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Global Moderator |
Well, a nice bit of detail there, some new, some already known, I wonder how everyone will take the info. It`s bound to please and upset in almost equal amounts, we`ll soon see as the comments start rolling in
  Official Whisky taster and Herald to the Mighty Alderbranch. "The clues are out there.....S.N.A.F.U." Maximum-Gamers | Anno Fans | Settlers Maps | |
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from this info there is no question that the assassin will be use less in the mp
however the archer seems to be very strong |
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Might & Magic Mod |
Where is the supported list? We can do anything... we only need to propose it! http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.es ---> Comunidad Hispana Numero 1 |
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Global Moderator |
I posted what I was allowed to post. It could be an oversight I suppose ... I'll make some inquiries later.
______________________________ Soup, soup, a tasty soup, soup, a spicy Carrot and Coriander, Chili Chowder, crouton, crouton, crunchy friends in a liquid broth I am gazpacho - ho - I am a summer soup - ho - Miso Miso, fighting in the dojo, Miso Miso, oriental prince in the land of soup |
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Might & Magic Mod |
Ok We can do anything... we only need to propose it! http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.es ---> Comunidad Hispana Numero 1 |
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Looks like they are fixing the assassin. It says when you polymorph your team color and map location (?) change. Thats good I hope the assassin isnt too bad. All they need to do is make it do more damage and the stealth isnt completely obvious (the shadow). Also in an interview it says there are 5 Mp modes, is that true or not? (check MP modes thread)
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Does anyoen know if the open beta will be delayed with the delayed release of the game?
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Might & Magic Mod |
Probably yes  We can do anything... we only need to propose it! http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.es ---> Comunidad Hispana Numero 1 |
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@ Kartabon:
"supported list" is an oversight from the Editorial Marketing Team. Sorry, you'll just have to pretend that we didn't say that: the supported list is still an internal document. :P I'll edit it out shortly... |
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I dont see why they cant release the open beta right now. They just need to open the closed one. If they delay the beta too long by the time its out the game will be out in a week and kind of late to fix bugs/make changes. From what I've heard there are hardly any people in the closed beta anymore and most dont try to find bugs or tell them what to fix or balance. They need to just open the closed beta like... right now ^^
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Might & Magic Mod |
Ok, no problem Acheval We can do anything... we only need to propose it! http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.es ---> Comunidad Hispana Numero 1 |
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FCY, do you want to say really there's so little of enemy creatures? i really know more, unless they're not confirmed.
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Global Moderator |
These are the creatures that have been officially announced on the main mightandmagic.com portal up untill this point. Others will probably follow soon
______________________________ Soup, soup, a tasty soup, soup, a spicy Carrot and Coriander, Chili Chowder, crouton, crouton, crunchy friends in a liquid broth I am gazpacho - ho - I am a summer soup - ho - Miso Miso, fighting in the dojo, Miso Miso, oriental prince in the land of soup |
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Thanks FCY for your great effort. All information in just 1 page and it would have been more difficult for me to browse through to search for developers replies
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Global Moderator |
Happy to help, mate. I can't take all the credit though - Acheval was kind enough to give me a list of all the things I could disclose and edited some of the stuff that was already in there. Couldn't have done it without her.
______________________________ Soup, soup, a tasty soup, soup, a spicy Carrot and Coriander, Chili Chowder, crouton, crouton, crunchy friends in a liquid broth I am gazpacho - ho - I am a summer soup - ho - Miso Miso, fighting in the dojo, Miso Miso, oriental prince in the land of soup |
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just found more in Frenchsite |
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Might & Magic Mod |
I dont see anything new  I saw that images in a Spanish web i think... We can do anything... we only need to propose it! http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.es ---> Comunidad Hispana Numero 1 |
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i didn't say i found anything new, Karta, notice this messagew is for FCY who don't want to add those to his list
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Forums Might and Magic Dark Messiah Might and Magic General Discussion What we know so far...