Might & Magic I

Designer Tim Lang reveals som info about the game.

07/11/2001

Game Engine: LithTech Development System
"One of the things the LithTech engine will provide us with is more interaction with the environment," says designer Tim Lang, "In the old engine, you just pretty much clicked on a lever to make something happen. In this, we can script more events along the lines of Half-Life or No One Lives Forever. You can hear people talking to pick up pieces of the story. People can interact with each other. In fact, in one area, we have plans to have a play. It should bring the player into the game a lot better."

Might & Magic IX will be built of areas connected by an overland map. Lang compares overland travel to Sea Dogs or Fallout. "It's essentially a shortcut so you don't have to sit through four loads to get to a dungeon," he says.

The new dialogue system will take a page from RPGs like Baldur's Gate with branching conversations. A new class system will stress flexibility throughout your characters' careers. There are might classes (paladins, rangers, crusaders, mercenaries) and magic classes (mages, druids, liches, priests) and you'll be able to change your class as you play. The spell system will be more flexible by opening spellcasting to more classes. Skills will have specific and unique functions for each class to differentiate characters as they get more powerful. The combat system won't change much, offering real time or turn-based modes depending on the player preference. Lang says the LithTech engine will allow combat to be a little more "action oriented" this time around.

Source: Computer Games Online