Game News Might & Magic X Update: Q&A #2

[Infinitron]

Tags: Limbic Entertainment; Might & Magic X: Legacy; Ubisoft

Over at the Might & Magic X Legacy open development blog, the Limbic team have answered a whole bunch of questions they've received about the game from fans. Here are a few of them:

“THAT SEEMS NICE TO ME, ALTHOUGH I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU PLAN TO ADD SOME NON-COMBAT SKILLS LIKE OTHER MM (IDENTIFY, BODYBUILDING, MERCHANT ETC.).”​

As already mentioned as a comment within “The Freemage” blog posting: There are some earlier (social/miscellaneous) skills that we won't have in MMX. However there might be the one or the other available in a different form. I.e. we'll have a Negotiator as Hireling (instead of the merchant skill).​

“I ALSO MISS THE OLD "SOFTSKILLS" LIKE DISARM TRAP, IDENTIFY ITEM, PERCEPTION, IDENTIFY MONSTER, ALCHEMY. TO BE HONEST I AM AFRAID THIS GAME WILL LOSE SOMETHING WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME IN THE OLD M&M GAMES: COMPLEXITY.”​

I understand that. However you might be pleasantly surprised, that you might find several of the old mechanics in a similar form but in a different way within MMX. This Open Dev Blog is still quite “new” and in the beginning we started introducing the project and the team etc. and only recently we started describing some of the game play mechanics. So there are still a lot more game mechanics and rules that we’ll reveal on the blog more in detail! As I just mentioned in my previous answer, there will still be a possibility to earn more gold even if there is no merchant skill (i.e. with the Negotiator as a hireling) and you will still be able to disarm traps (which will be depending on your attributes in might, magic and perception), just to mention a few.​

Besides the skills, there will be spells, there will be Hirelings, and there will be blessings, artifacts etc. pp. Stay tuned for more info to follow on the blog soon!​

“THE LAST SCREENSHOT WITH ALADIN THE TRAINER LOOKS LIKE YOU DO NOT PLAN TRAINERS WHO ONLY TRAIN ONE CERTAIN SKILL?”​

Sorry if that screenshot was confusing you guys. We do plan trainers who only train one certain skill, of course. How many skills and what skills the trainer will be able to teach you, differs from trainer to trainer. So some will be able to teach you more than one skill and others will only be able to teach you one.​

“WILL THERE BE BARRELS AND/OR WELLS THAT ONE CAN USE TO INCREASE… WHATEVER?”​

Yes, this is one of the questions, that was asked within the forums, too.​

As it was already mentioned by the devs:​

To be honest, all I can say is that the team is currently in discussion about all these objects and functions. Just the other day they discussed shrines for temporarily bonuses as an example. I also know that there are currently discussions about a building (church / chapel etc.), where you have an option to donate gold in order to receive full health/mana for example.​

Afaik the detailed definition what objects we’ll have and their functions are not yet 100% defined. As soon as they are, we’ll be happy to post some news about them on the blog!​

“I WONDER IF WE CAN ONLY WALK ON FLAT TERRAIN OR IF THE GRID-MOVEMENT ALSO EXPANDS ON MOUNTAINS?”​

In general MMX will have different environments: plains, barren lands, forests, jungles, mountains… Just not drastic climate changes like an ice field being located near a desert. The peninsula explored in MMXL is more "realistic" in that regard.​

So besides “normal flat terrain”, the grid-movement will expand to some hills, plateaus and flat water at least. In order to climb some hills/mountains, you might however need the respective blessing.​

More info on blessings will be revealed on the blog soon, of course!​

There are plenty more questions and answers in the full post, as well as the usual set of related in-game screenshots.

 

[Rpguy]

“Can we find spell parchment in dungeons or only in arcane libraries?”
Actually, this is currently one of the discussion points within the team. However right now it looks like we’ll keep all spells in the Arcane libraries for the adventurous parties to buy.

That sucks... No more hunting for that special rare spell

 

[Vault Dweller]

MMX: just like the old games but in a different way!

 

[Infinitron]

MMX: just like the old games but in a different way!

Well, yeah.

 

[LeStryfe79]

Fuck this game.

 

[Broseph]

A lot of needless streamlining going on.

 

[Xenich]

As I just mentioned in my previous answer, there will still be a possibility to earn more gold even if there is no merchant skill (i.e. with the Negotiator as a hireling) and you will still be able to disarm traps (which will be depending on your attributes in might, magic and perception), just to mention a few.

That is a marketing answer to evade the fact the game has no secondary skills and consists entirely of combat skills, you know... because combat is the shiznat!

I mean, seriously... they are trying to spin streamlining secondary skills into the hirling and attribute system as somehow feature direction? What a joke!

It is clear they are trying to market this to a broad audience. You know, can't have the tardsolers getting all flustered with those "useless" skills, more combat please!!! /boggle

 

[Infinitron]

It is clear they are trying to market this to a broad audience. You know, can't have the tardsolers getting all flustered with those "useless" skills, more combat please!!! /boggle

I think it's more likely they just don't know where to shove a bunch of non-combat skills in a dungeon crawler which is primarily inspired by a game that didn't have any non-combat skills.

 

[Xenich]

It is clear they are trying to market this to a broad audience. You know, can't have the tardsolers getting all flustered with those "useless" skills, more combat please!!! /boggle

I think it's more likely they just don't know where to shove a bunch of non-combat skills in a dungeon crawler which is primarily inspired by a game that didn't have any non-combat skills.

Not sure what you mean. Are you saying Xeen doesn't have any seconday non-combat skills? Looking at my Xeen Manual gives a list of:

Thievery
Swimmer
Pathfinder
Mountaineer
Cartographer
Direction Sense
Spot Secret Doors
Danger Sense
Arms Master
Crusader

Arms Master is the only secondary combat oriented skill, but the rest are all non-combat secondary skills.
Add in primary skills and you have a nice selection in the game.

If the game is inspired by Xeen, they are doing a pretty piss poor job of holding to it.

Now admittedly, many of the skills are "access" skills to pass or enter a given environment, though that concept was key to a lot of the game. You needed to have a minimum of two characters with those access skills to go through forests, over mountains, or swim across water. Very important in a dungeon crawling "exploring" game where many secrets and often areas needed to complete the game required the party to develop skills to reach them.

The direction sense is a feature for better knowing your position on the map (useful when you get lost in the desert or other areas), though useless in a game that is extremely small.

If you look at all of them, the entire line of skills are built around giving the player tools for travel and exploration. Something I think is lost in this game. That is, this game is along the lines of Wizardry 1 and MM 1, basically... pick a party, go out and hack and slash. /shrug

 

[Infinitron]

Thievery
Swimmer
Pathfinder
Mountaineer
Cartographer
Direction Sense
Spot Secret Doors
Danger Sense
Arms Master
Crusader

Those aren't "skills" in the sense we're talking about here. They're discrete talents that you can find in the world. I believe MMX will have those. (Luzur?)

 

[Xenich]

Thievery
Swimmer
Pathfinder
Mountaineer
Cartographer
Direction Sense
Spot Secret Doors
Danger Sense
Arms Master
Crusader

Those aren't "skills" in the sense we're talking about here. They're discrete talents that you can find in the world. I believe MMX will have those. (Luzur?)

Oh, ok... then I guess I was misreading the complaints here. I didn't see anything about that, do you see anything concerning it?

If they have the list of secondaries like those, for the purpose they existed, then... well... then it seems like they are holding true. When they said they were making a Xeen spiritual successor, I expected just that, maybe with "additions" to the existing Xeen system. If they do that, then the game IS exactly what they stated and I have no problems. While there are some nice features in the later titles, Xeen is a solid system of its era and I think the game may be good if it holds to that. That said, if they don't have those skills, this game will be garbage in my opinion as a large portion of the game was centered around those access skills.

 

[Infinitron]

Thievery
Swimmer
Pathfinder
Mountaineer
Cartographer
Direction Sense
Spot Secret Doors
Danger Sense
Arms Master
Crusader

Those aren't "skills" in the sense we're talking about here. They're discrete talents that you can find in the world. I believe MMX will have those. (Luzur?)

Oh, ok... then I guess I was misreading the complaints here. I didn't see anything about that, do you see anything concerning it?

If they have the list of secondaries like those, for the purpose they existed, then... well... then it seems like they are holding true. When they said they were making a Xeen spiritual successor, I expected just that, maybe with "additions" to the existing Xeen system. If they do that, then the game IS exactly what they stated and I have no problems. While there are some nice features in the later titles, Xeen is a solid system of its era and I think the game may be good if it holds to that. That said, if they don't have those skills, this game will be garbage in my opinion as a large portion of the game was centered around those access skills.

Yeah, I asked about that myself in the dev chat:

 

[Xenich]

Yeah, I asked about that myself in the dev chat:

Ok, then things aren't as bad as I thought then.

 

[Luzur]

Thievery
Swimmer
Pathfinder
Mountaineer
Cartographer
Direction Sense
Spot Secret Doors
Danger Sense
Arms Master
Crusader

Those aren't "skills" in the sense we're talking about here. They're discrete talents that you can find in the world. I believe MMX will have those. (Luzur?)

well, since they traffic these forums, i am kinda blocked from answering that, but i see you did your own research.

 

[LeStryfe79]

I understand the point of streamlining and accessibility when it's done well, but I'm just not seeing it here. I think they think there is an audience of people who dislike complex character generation and skills, but like grid based movement, lack of narrative, and turn-based combat. This kind of thinking is so out of touch with reality, that I can't begin to believe these fuckers know what the hell they are doing. WTF.

 

[Luzur]

i never thought that character generation was difficult to understand in the MM's..

 

[Infinitron]

I think they think there is an audience of people who dislike complex character generation and skills, but like grid based movement, lack of narrative

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/01/18/l...over-600000-copies-devs-tease-future-content/

 

[J_C]

I don't know what some of you are talking about. I mean, I get it and I see that there has been some streamlining. But so much of the game kept the essence of Might and Magic game. And from a popamole publisher like Ubisoft, that is a big thing. If every RPG released in the last few years only had this many streamlining, we would have a lot of pretty good RPGs. Which are not as complex as the classics, but they are close to them.

 

[LeStryfe79]

I think they think there is an audience of people who dislike complex character generation and skills, but like grid based movement, lack of narrative

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/01/18/l...over-600000-copies-devs-tease-future-content/

Grimrock wasn't turn based, and relied on exactly replicating a certain formula. I erased half of my original post because it dealt with the differences between Grimrock and MMX, and I ultimately felt those differences were obvious enough to forgo posting them. Also, grid movement still looks okay in a dungeon crawl, but not in the open world anymore. I get why MMX devs believe copying Grimrock will sell Might and Magic games, but mother of all fucks, Dungeon Master and Might and Magic are completely different games. Has anyone on that team even played these games or realized the differences? For fuck's sake, it's nothing but PR bullshit covering their asses every time they open their fucking mouths. How about just upgrading the original formula with better graphics and UI, instead of raping it to death? Old school, new rules....Yeah. Sorry, this shit is a stinker. It's obvious by their lack of give a damn for the source that's paying their tab.

 

[Stabwound]

I don't understand the decision of removing skills like Mercantile and instead shoving them onto hirelings. Sure, it's more or less a useless skill, but why does it need to be this way?

I like the idea of unlocking abilities that allow you to access new areas of the world like Xeen does, but in Xeen it was pretty simple to find Mountaineering and Swimming right off the bat.

 

[Infinitron]

I don't understand the decision of removing skills like Mercantile and instead shoving them onto hirelings. Sure, it's more or less a useless skill, but why does it need to be this way?

Possibly the same reason Josh Sawyer is consolidating skills in Project Eternity?

Has anyone on that team even played these games or realized the differences? For fuck's sake, it's nothing but PR bullshit covering their asses every time they open their fucking mouths. How about just upgrading the original formula with better graphics and UI, instead of raping it to death? Old school, new rules....Yeah. Sorry, this shit is a stinker. It's obvious by their lack of give a damn for the source that's paying their tab.

Creative designer Julien Pirou is apparently a huge classic Might & Magic fan.

Julien Pirou, one of the guys in the team is a familar name. And indeed, he is well known in the french retrogaming community for doing some TV shows about old games, debunking some myths about that. His show is surprisingly called "Retro & Magic". That's at least one guy you can trust.

He is a big fan of M&M indeed and a fan of pen & paper. He even runs (or has run) a small show about p&p on a cable channel dedicated to video games called Nolife. He worked on HoM&M VI though, he got recruited because of a mod he made on the 5th.

 

[LeStryfe79]

I don't know what some of you are talking about. I mean, I get it and I see that there has been some streamlining. But so much of the game kept the essence of Might and Magic game. And from a popamole publisher like Ubisoft, that is a big thing. If every RPG released in the last few years only had this many streamlining, we would have a lot of pretty good RPGs. Which are not as complex as the classics, but they are close to them.

Nope. You're actually part of the problem by jumping on an imaginary bandwagon. Making your party is fucked, the world is fucked, the UI is fucked, and the skills are fucked. The problem comes when all these changes not only soil Might and Magic as a franchise but ruin any possibility for similar types of games to be made. Party creation is only good with freedom, exploration is only good with skills, and blobber combat is only good when the other two come together. The "streamlining" of these components make MMX the worst sort of CRPG villain. If you champion pudding made of shit because it looks like chocolate, than you're gonna be stuck eating shit the rest of your life. Why the hell would you give people a free pass for trying to cash in on a franchise by shitting on your face with popular tropes? Come on man, be better than that!

 

[Stabwound]

I think you're jumping to conclusions, but I get what you're saying. The fact is, this game is clearly being developed on a shoestring budget, and we're seeing the result of that in the smaller scope. Sure, there are some disappointing things in here, but there's way more good than bad in my opinion. Yeah, the developers are obviously a little off track and their method of promotion with the meaningless polls is getting pretty tired, but overall I think the game is looking a lot better than I would have ever expected if you told me 5 years ago that there would be a new Might & Magic game.

The fact that we're getting a (seemingly) decent game of this type in 2013 from a big publisher is good enough to me. Calling it shit is a bit of a stretch at this point.

 

[Infinitron]

LeStryfe79 seems to reach this point for almost every game in development where he overreacts to minor stuff and starts going EVERYTHING IS SHIT OH GOD EVERYTHING IS SHIT.


Wasteland 2:

I like Deep Silver, but the lack of transparency here is disturbing and dishonest. This or something similar has obviously been in the works for ages now, but apparently the folks paying for a Wasteland sequel were unworthy of knowing "The Big Picture". How pathetic.

Project Eternity:

This woman appears to be a pretty talented artist, but I don't like her concepts. They seem generic and unimaginative. It's by far the poorest aspect of Project Eternity I've seen so far. I wonder how she got hired? I'm not trying to seem misogynistic either. Many of the best concept artists from Japan are women, for example, and this has nothing to do with why I don't like Polina's work. I almost feel bad saying it, but poor concept art can mean the difference between the creation of a unique, memorable setting and a forgettable one.

It's kind of hard to take seriously.

 

[LeStryfe79]

Infinitron, I'll give you props for research, but I still believe P:E and W2 will be good games despite the underlying BS attached to them. I have little hope for MMX, but I really hope I'm proven wrong there. Hey man, I just call it as I see it. I'm also wasted 100% of the time and tend to overreact, so I guess I'm pretty much a shitposter. I'm goddamn sorry.

Forgive me dude!

Stabwound Honestly, I've been pissing on MMX from the start. Outside of being a TB blobber with decent Gfx, I've yet to see anything redeeming about it. I literally hate almost every design decision that's been made here. I've kickstarted 12 "old school"games the last 18 months and mostly have positive things to say about them. However, I'm always gonna speak out if I see something I don't like. In the case of MMX, I love the concept but hate everything about the execution. I think it's demeaning, ignorant, and harmful to the genre. It's just how I feel.