Game News Aeolwyn's Legacy is a Might & Magic VI-like blobber by New World Computing veteran Tim Lang

[Infinitron]

Tags: Aeolwyn's Legacy; Brrapp Games; Tim Lang

Tim Lang was the level designer of Might & Magic VI and VII and lead designer of Might & Magic IX back at New World Computing. Since the studio shut down he's been doing all sorts of things, including a short stint on the Medal of Honor series, various mobile games, a vaporware sci-fi RPG project called Project 2137 and an equally vaporous shooter set in the same universe called Zombie Gauntlet Live. A couple of days ago, Tim announced that he'd decided to set the vapor aside and revealed his new project called Aeolwyn’s Legacy. He doesn't describe it as such, but it's very clear that the game is a homage to the late Might & Magic games. First person, party-based, not grid-based, with both real-time and turn-based combat modes. Here's the teaser trailer and details from the official website:

Aeolwyn’s Legacy is Brrapp Games new first-person party-based RPG for the PC. It’s an epic tale in a sprawling world filled with knights, kings, allies and betrayal.

The kingdom of Laryndor is in upheaval! Factions have begun forming against the king. Secret societies are plotting against the monarchy and may even threaten life itself!

Party Based Gameplay
Aeolwyn’s Legacy is a throwback to the Party-based Role Playing Games of old! Instead of playing one all-powerful character you’ve got a party of 4 characters who are under your full control to customize and develop as you choose!

Exploration
There’s a large open world at your doorstep. Explore the world and find strange monsters and hidden locations. There will be plenty of secrets to uncover! Explore the wilderness and investigate dark dungeons and abandon temples.

Adventure
Talk to NPCs. Take on quests large and small. Join factions and fight your enemies!

Epic Story
Play an epic, multi-branching story where choices you make may affect your future in Laryndor. Just because you are friendly with one faction doesn’t mean that all the other groups in Laryndor appreciate you meddling in their plans! Meddle too far and they may take action against you!

Combat
Fight powerful monsters and loot their treasure! Choose between real time combat to slay your foes, or if you prefer to think more strategically about your battles, switch to turn-based and outsmart your enemies. You can switch between the two any time you want.

Develop Characters
There’s tons of skills to learn, including martial skills, magic skills, and plenty more to help you in your quests! You have four characters to customize any way you want. Do you want to face the world with four soldiers? Do it! Do you prefer magical attacks? Go ahead! In Aeolwyn’s Legacy there are tons of character choices, each with 2 levels of promotions to get even more powerful.

Regular Updates
You won’t get the whole thing all at once! New regions, enemies, and quests will be added regularly!
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Yeah, it's extremely low budget. I guess this game might end up being vaporware too, but this time there's an actual demo you can download. Given Tim's track record, the incremental approach to development is probably a good idea. Hopefully he'll release the game on Steam Early Access where it can get some attention.

 

[Carls Barkley]

Unity asset flips look more appealing than this

 

[Sinatar]

This looks like an actual 0 budget game.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

This literally looks like completely amateurish shit. Which by the unwritten law of the Codex means it could turn out to be a beloved cult classic.

...Or Ultima Ascendant 2.

EDIT- 0:35 to 0:40. Is the main character 30 cm tall?

 

[Kliwer]

Wow... resurrecting those M&M VI-VIII abomination... Whats a reason? This sub-series of M&M games was a product of its times, when cRPG designers did not know what to do with 3D. I like, to some degree, M&MVII but grid-based movement is just better for blobbers. M&MX was a move in right direction.
Ach, and all games, which tried to be turn-based and real-time-based in the same time, had bad combat. They could had another good aspects (like Arcanum) but battles were terrible.

 

[Max Heap]

Brrapp Games

What an unfortunate name.

On the other hand... if it's functional it might just be autistic enough to be interesting. Like, in a Dominions 5 way.
That game ain't beautiful either.

and lead designer of Might & Magic IX

Oh.... oh no...

 

[Lady_Error]

lead designer of Might & Magic IX

 

[Trans-Financial-Man]

I do hope you all learned your lesson. "This game is like the other games, and has people who changed the lightbulbs in the office where that game was made" is not a guarantee of success. And I say that as someone who hates M&M and always preferred the far superior Ultima games.

Yeah I got burned by Ritchy British and his motley astronauts with Shroud of the Avatar. Don't make my mistake is what I'm saying. I'm old and fucked up! Don't be an old fuck up!

 

[Morkar Left]

Seems to be in early stages. I'm sure the graphics and menus get improved. Doesn't look the shoddy if you compared it to the kind of animytions the sprites of yore had. Unfortunately his late track record isn't too encouraging...

Planned improvements to the M&M series seems to be some dialogue trees and c&c. Curious how much there will be. But the main question for me would be how gets the old (and fun) formula of the M&M 6-8 series improved? Some non-combat social skills? Good trap disarming? Even stealth? Thievery? Things to do in taverns? Talking to npcs with actual dialogue? What's with Arcomage/Minigames?

If these things get improved without failing in the other things that made these M&M games good I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Alpan]

That is one of the ugliest game trailers I have ever seen, and the low framerate in the trailer harkens back to the glory days of Underworld Ascendant.

Regular Updates
You won’t get the whole thing all at once! ...

A genuinely amazing statement to include in your marketing pitch.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Won't be acromage since its not MM universe. Some of that lighting was awfully dark for a demo vid.


NPCs are often bland in mamy rpgs. You have to hope the scripted buggers have writers with tons of dialoue. You probably need some sort of karma/faction meter. Ya know, i liked alternate reality where if you bought enough drinks everybody would know your name and cheer. Eventually you were too regular. Maybe modern games have that. Romance i don't care for but theres that niche i guess. Crafting, gathering, hoarding, base building, and army building with pets ain't bad though its more of a MMORPG autism aspect imho. Maybe if the engine is uber enough the old VI-IX could be modded into it (ha! Right).

I too believe MMX was a step in the right direction but different strokes for different folks.

 

[karnak]

NPCs in that universe sure seem to have some severe case of asthma or tuberculosis.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Maybe that's why Alamar wanted to chuck worlds into the sun; failed genetic beings but the "coraks" were cucks and hoarders like crazy cat ladies.

 

[Eirinjas]

Oh god, my ears. What did they do to deserve that assault?

 

[Herald of Durance]

I don't have any expectations, but I definitely think the world needs more games like M&M VI and VII (not IX).

 

[Valky]

BRAAAAAAAPP

 

[SausageInYourFace]

Since the studio shut down he's been doing all sorts of things, including [...] a vaporware sci-fi RPG project [...] and an equally vaporous shooter [...]. A couple of days ago, Tim announced that he'd decided to set the vapor aside [...]. Yeah, it's extremely low budget. I guess this game might end up being vaporware too.

That sure inspires confidence.

Brrapp Games

Top tier name.

 

[Grotesque]

"and lead designer of Might & Magic IX"

the sequel that popped my cherry regarding "totally failed sequels"
my mind until that point was unable to envision how is it possible to make a worse sequel than its predecessor

 

[Max Edge]

Tim Lang was the level designer of Might & Magic VI and VII and lead designer of Might & Magic IX back at New World Computing

That would explain many things:

 

[mondblut]

Looks horrible. Might be a cool game.

Not a fan of post-Xeen Might & Magic, but don't mind it if a game like that is still being released once a decade. Surely better than a deluge of poor Baldur's Gate wannabes we've been flooded with a few years ago.

 

[Eirinjas]

Might & Magic IX was like a murder scene - why would you confess to any involvement with it? Using it to promote your supposed bona fides seems a bit reckless.

 

[Max Edge]

Might & Magic IX was like a murder scene - why would you confess to any involvement with it? Using it to promote your supposed bona fides seems a bit reckless.

People remember brand, not real game.

 

[Alpan]

Might & Magic IX was like a murder scene - why would you confess to any involvement with it? Using it to promote your supposed bona fides seems a bit reckless.

People remember brand, not real game.

Being an outright terrible, hated game, I'm pretty sure Might and Magic IX evokes a strong reaction in the franchise's playerbase independently of its association with the Might and Magic brand.

 

[mindx2]

I would LOVE a game similar to the AWESOME dungeon crawling of MMVI-VII!! However, this doesn't inspire much confidence...

 

[Max Edge]

Being an outright terrible, hated game, I'm pretty sure Might and Magic IX evokes a strong reaction in the franchise's playerbase independently of its association with the Might and Magic brand.

Most of playerbase had in 1999 nine years, five, zero or even minus. They were too young to get PTSD.