Might & Magic VI - The Mandate of Heaven

[magerette]

I'd happily trade my weak-sister pally for HALF a caster!

I've played before with a knight and also with an archer--the knight is pretty effective, but the archer never seems to be all that impressive with his bow, even with two shots, and his casting ability is limited to non-offense because like the useless paladin, he never gets enough spell points.

It's very true you need a generous mana pool to be effective, however, maxing out the meditation skill helps a lot with this--I'm now at level 40-something and what with Beaconing and townportaling as needed, seldom run out.

 

[Guest]

What I _AM_ gonna try in M&M7, is having a single knight... and then three other party members with HC offensive casting power.

 

[magerette]

I replayed VII last year, but if I decide to go again I'm following Corwin's all-caster method--and I may even try for the dark side as I've always done the good path.

I think the party you describe though, Zakhary, is one of the more fun and effective ones out there.

 

[narpet]

I've never tried a monk in any Might and Magic game, so... playing MM7 my party is as follows:

Human Monk
Dwarven Paladin
Elven Cleric
Elven Sorcerer

I'm about 15 hours in and having a blast with that party so far...

And I have to say... I'm about as excited about MM7 as you are about MM6 (Zakhary). Even though I've played it before... this play through is making me realize what a truly great game it is. As a matter of fact, if it keeps going like this, MM7 may become my new favorite Might and Magic (a title previously held as a tie between 3 and 6).

 

[Guest]

I'm about 15 hours in and having a blast with that party so far...

And I have to say... I'm about as excited about MM7 as you are about MM6 (Zakhary). Even though I've played it before... this play through is making me realize what a truly great game it is. As a matter of fact, if it keeps going like this, MM7 may become my new favorite Might and Magic (a title previously held as a tie between 3 and 6).

That's good to hear! Keep at it, man!
Damn I'm glad I started this thread.

 

[Guest]

I think the party you describe though, Zakhary, is one of the more fun and effective ones out there.

Yeah, I think you're right. Especially about the fun part (which is the most important one for me )

 

[Corwin]

@Corwin
How would you specialize? I've never done a full caster game before, so I always just have two general casters (a healer and a damage dealer). I have done a full lich game in MM8, which ends up being very easy because of certain extremely powerful spells.

Don't try to raise all the skills of each caster. Have one specialise in Water, one in Air and one in Fire to begin for example. Build them up to master before raising another skill.

 

[JDR13]

I gave up too. Since all left from my original MM6 is the manual I had to buy them all. I was lucky to get a brand new -factory sealed- MM6 Special Edition. It includes MM1-6 in a real nice box with extras. Feels almost like a crime to open it (It has been closed for a decade or so).

Rest of the series 7-9 I bought complete in box. It wasnt really that expensive. You can get stuff cheap from ebay/amazon if youre lucky.

I did a search for that MM VI Special Edition but the cheapest I could find it for in the US was $50.00 + shipping. I just can't see paying that much for it when MM I - V can be had for free off abandonia. I'm definitely getting the Platinum Edition (VI - IX) though because I think I want to start with M&M VI first anyways. My fear is that if I start with the first M&M I might get burnt out too soon. I've been told that the first 2 games require an extraordinary amount of patience.

I plan to play MM1 on NES (enhanced version). MM2 and MM3 on SNES (enhanced versions). Its really nice to play from sofa with gamepad.

Not sure whether I need to get the World of Xeen CD-ROM. I might pick it from some abandonsite if its not in the MM1-6 collection.

Don't count on the NES and SNES versions to be better than the DOS ones, you might be disappointed. The graphics are a touch better on the console versions, but they made the view window smaller for some reason. You can see them in action on YouTube.com, I wouldn't consider them "enhanced" at all.

 

[Turjan]

You probably have to have played old DOS games in order to appreciate them. I hate to admit it, but after playing stuff like Leisuresuit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards in the olden days, I only re-started with MM6 and Baldur's Gate later on. From this experience, it's extremely difficult to get into the mindset and accept the graphical simplicity of old DOS RPGs. This might sound vain, but I guess I would be much more open if I had played the classics when they were new. Unfortunately, I had an anti-gaming spouse . And I cannot bring myself nowadays to go below my MM6 and BG experience. I might miss a lot, but I can't help it.

 

[Corwin]

Tried to install the 1st 5 games from the LE CD and get a CRC error with the main data file; can't even C&P it. Anyone know anything about this?

 

[Guest]

try creating a disk image (iso file for example) from the disk using something like imgburn or winiso or nero or clonecd.

 

[zakhal]

My fear is that if I start with the first M&M I might get burnt out too soon. I've been told that the first 2 games require an extraordinary amount of patience.

There is always that risk with really old retro games but sofar Its been pretty easy and I kinda like the MM1 NES version. I dont plan on mapping the gigantic world myself though - i just use maps from the web.

Don't count on the NES and SNES versions to be better than the DOS ones, you might be disappointed. The graphics are a touch better on the console versions, but they made the view window smaller for some reason. You can see them in action on YouTube.com, I wouldn't consider them "enhanced" at all.

I really much prefer the NES and SNES graphics/sounds over CGA/pcpeeper? PC version (yack) atleast in MM1 and 2 (MM3 looks ok on pc too). As for the window It doesnt really look smaller on my 32" screen - I havent even noticed any size differences until you claimed them. I have played MM1 NES twice sofar of total around 4 hours.

More importantly the NES version game world seems exact copy of pc version atleast according to the pc walkthough/maps. Only thing missing was proper char creation but I dont mind it.

Also gamepad and sofa is enhancement in itself allready.

 

[zakhal]

You probably have to have played old DOS games in order to appreciate them.

Im totally opposite. The fact that I didnt play them makes me want to play them. I still remember the reviews of i.e pool of radiance (original gold box) and might magic 3 from pelit-mag (I still have the mags). Originally I never had the money to even get the computer so it was not until 20 years later that I play them.

Also there are other older games that I have never heard of like final fantasy series. But still I started to play all of them from the beginning. FF was infact what started my retro gaming. GBA version of FF1. FF2 was on NES but still I went through it. After that I have usually played every series from the start - wiz1-7 been the only exception sofar.

 

[Guest]

Im totally opposite. The fact that I didnt play them makes me want to play them.

Exactly. I'm kinda happy that there are so many classics that I've missed when I was younger and I can enjoy now that I'm a bit older and can fully appreciate the brilliance and genius that these games represent.

During the early 90's... I was pretty young... and did not really like RPG's.

I played M&M3 last summer, which was the first early 90's PC RPG for me.
I hadn't never even seen the game before.

And it was the best gaming experience of the whole year.

Then I played MM4, MM5 and Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession.
I was having a blast.

And I sure as hell am gonna repeat that - my dos crpg marathon - this summer. When there's nothing to look forward to.... Only thing to do is adapt
to crappy games.. or look back in time

zakhal, in some way I think we're in the same boat. Trying our best to play all the classic series and games we missed. BTW, have you got a dos rig set-up in some corner or are you just using dosbox on winxp?

I've got two dedicated dos gaming machines. One is my fathers old 300mhz PC and the other one is a 133mhz thinkpad laptop I bought recently.

 

[Turjan]

I've got two dedicated dos gaming machines. One is my fathers old 300mhz PC and the other one is a 133mhz thinkpad laptop I bought recently.

That probably makes it easier. First, it's a pain to get these old games to run on any of my computers. Second, I don't have a CRT, so I have to choose between stamp-sized pics or extremely blocky blown-up images on my LCDs. I was looking at the party-building screen of MM III on my machine, and I cannot recognize anything (it looks much worse than on the screenshots in the database). This way, it's not really fun for me.

 

[Maylander]

The easiest way to get MM6-8 to run on new computers (Win XP etc), is to install it using the original discs, and then replace the .exe file with a no-CD cracked .exe file. For some reason, the old MM games seem to have serious issues with DVD ROMs and various tests made in XP when running from the CD.

I had tons of errors I couldn't get rid of when trying to run from the CD, but after I started using the no-CD .exe files, I never had a problem.

 

[JDR13]

I really much prefer the NES and SNES graphics/sounds over CGA/pcpeeper? PC version (yack) atleast in MM1 and 2 (MM3 looks ok on pc too). As for the window It doesnt really look smaller on my 32" screen - I havent even noticed any size differences until you claimed them. I have played MM1 NES twice sofar of total around 4 hours.

Do you have a 32" PC monitor? Because earlier you said that you were running them on an emulator.

After some more thought, as well as some YouTube watching, I definitely don't plan on trying to play M&M 1 or 2. They're just plain annoying by today's standards.

 

[zakhal]

zakhal, in some way I think we're in the same boat. Trying our best to play all the classic series and games we missed. BTW, have you got a dos rig set-up in some corner or are you just using dosbox on winxp?

Nope. I just run them on dosbox, virtual pc (dos/win98) or vmds etc. Theres no single game that I have not been able to run. As for real machine I dont really have space for them so its out of the question. I did own 486DX33 dos5 long time ago but I sold it when upgrading to 120Mhz pentium with win95. I still have the dos disk and can install them to virtual pc if needed.

Virtual pc is free btw nowadays.

That probably makes it easier. First, it's a pain to get these old games to run on any of my computers. Second, I don't have a CRT, so I have to choose between stamp-sized pics or extremely blocky blown-up images on my LCDs. I was looking at the party-building screen of MM III on my machine, and I cannot recognize anything (it looks much worse than on the screenshots in the database). This way, it's not really fun for me.

Thats understandable. However I own LCD too and have never experienced such problems (atleast with emulators or dosbox). MM1 NES looks just fine on my screen - I can easily recognize everything - no massive pixelation or anything. Did you play the mm3 through dosbox?

Do you have a 32" PC monitor? Because earlier you said that you were running them on an emulator.

I have a 32" LCD TV as monitor. Have had for two years now. It has pixel perfect 1024x768 and 1366x768 so its superb for older games. Thats one reason why I havent bothered to get a full hd yet.

After some more thought, as well as some YouTube watching, I definitely don't plan on trying to play M&M 1 or 2. They're just plain annoying by today's standards.

The pc versions are horrible cga 4 color without soundcard propably only pcpeeper sounds. But thats why Im planning to play the NES/SNES versions.

I dont really like pc cga games myself either. EGA/MCGA (16 colors) I still accept but that purple 4-color cga stuff is kind of over the border.

 

[JDR13]

The pc versions are horrible cga 4 color without soundcard propably only pcpeeper sounds. But thats why Im planning to play the NES/SNES versions.

I dont really like pc cga games myself either. EGA/MCGA (16 colors) I still accept but that purple 4-color cga stuff is kind of over the border.

That's only M&M 1, M&M 2 looks almost identical on console and PC. The graphics aren't the reason anyways, it's just the whole game in general.

 

[zakhal]

That's only M&M 1, M&M 2 looks almost identical on console and PC. The graphics aren't the reason anyways, it's just the whole game in general.

Identical? No way!

Might magic 2 PC (pixelated with too much blue colors):
http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/m...-another-world/screenshots/gameShotId,115862/
http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/m...-another-world/screenshots/gameShotId,115869/

Might magic 2 SNES (smooth and more colors):
http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/...o-another-world/screenshots/gameShotId,94146/
http://www.mobygames.com/game/genes...o-another-world/screenshots/gameShotId,93768/
http://www.mobygames.com/game/genes...o-another-world/screenshots/gameShotId,93777/

Also console version boasts superb sound/music while pc doesnt even have soundcard yet (first adlib perhaps but that was horrid).

The game might look crude but the basic concept is still the same. You explore surroundings, kill mobs, get loot, buy weapons, get levels, talk with npcs, do quests, solve puzzles and kill som major bad guy.

Also these oldies are part of gaming history so its worth to play through atleast once just to know how it all begun and to really experience the evolution of series. Of course these things might not interest everyone.