Might and Magic on sale

procco

Heads up, M&M 1 thru 9 are on sale this weekend on GOG. All 9 games cost like $9 if bought together. I've been waiting forever for them to go on sale, and am starting with MM7. It is kicking my butt. I'm loving it so far, but wow, it is difficult.

SharGuidesMyHand

Thanks for the heads up! I just bought games 1-8 for $7.23.

procco

I am really enjoying 7 so far, especially now that I've figured out how to play. Not nearly as frustrating this time around with a new batch of more optimized characters and a bit more exploring...

BelgarathMTH

Procco, I'm glad you're discovering MM. MM 6-8 are at the top of my all time favorite games list at 2-4, just behind Dark Wizard and ahead of Baldur's Gate.

These are old school games that don't give you much to go on to find everything, so you have to explore like crazy, and sometimes take notes, or else have a guide handy. "Back in my day", before the internet, they wanted you to buy a paperback guide to find all the buttons and secret rooms in dungeons to be able to finish. You'd usually hit a brick wall eventually if you didn't buy the guide. It was worth it just to get a collection of maps and locations of all the trainers, plus information to get you past being stuck.

BelgarathMTH

Sorry, meant to tag @procco in the previous post.

procco

Thanks @BelgarathMTH I've been meaning to give these games a go for a long time, and am glad I finally did. I made it off Emerald Isle in MM7. It took me a bit to get a handle on combat, until I discovered you can switch to turn based(and also discovered a particular pedestal that boosts the characters' stats). I honestly can't believe it's possible to play the combat in real time. I was initially put off by the somewhat crude graphics (compare to BG and IWD that came out at about the same time), but the gameplay is rock solid and super fun. I'm sure I'll be checking in here from time to time when I get stuck!

procco

One thing that does kind of bug me about the game is the keyboard layout. It feels really clunky having to constantly switch my right hand between the directional keys and my mouse. Does anyone have a recommendation for an alternate key mapping that's a bit more efficient?

Ardanis

Real-time combat is only feasible when you greatly outlevel monsters and just want to dispose of them quickly. This is less of a case in MM9, however, as the controls are much more fluid in there.

Keymapping - IIRC no. I actually switched the right hand between mouse and attack button, while keeping the left on the arrows. MM is the only game series that I played with my hands constantly crossed, lol

Also I recommend installing the Grayface patch, it fixes a few bugs left in the official version and offers small UI enhancements.

smeagolheart

I'm in for mm6, 7,8 and homm3

procco

smeagolheart said:

I'm in for mm6, 7,8 and homm3

I've played a bit of HOMM3...it's great, but I am really terrible at that type of strategy game.

Kurona

MM6 is my favorite of the series.

But screw that they're all great.

JuliusBorisov

Those are wonderful games! Good luck to everyone trying and playing MM!

If you would ever try a no-reload game, feel free to report it in https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/44456/might-magic-old-school-minimal-and-no-reload-thread-spoilers

Son_of_Imoen

procco said:

One thing that does kind of bug me about the game is the keyboard layout. It feels really clunky having to constantly switch my right hand between the directional keys and my mouse. Does anyone have a recommendation for an alternate key mapping that's a bit more efficient?

For MM6, Grayface patch includes the option to use mouselook to control the game, also he provided a tool to remap the keys, both can be found here.

BelgarathMTH

@Procco , I developed my own technique for controlling MM and other games like it. It may or may not work for you.

I play my games on my widescreen TV seated at a recliner, with a trackball mouse so I don't have to move my right arm, but it would probably work as well with a regular mouse.

What I do is to pick up my wireless keyboard and turn it up in my lap and onto my stomach with the right end up, holding it somewhat like a guitar, with my left hand over my stomach or lower chest.

The middle finger of my left hand is placed on the up arrow key, and I move forward and back with that middle finger. My left index finger rests on the right arrow key to move or rotate the camera to the right, and from there, that finger can easily reach over to the num pad to activate abilites for MMO's or other games that need ability rotations, although MM6 doesn't need the num pad. My left ring finger controls the left arrow key for moving or rotating the camera to the left.

My left little finger then rests on either the shift or the enter key for easy pausing and run/walk control.

The right hand is free to stay on the mouse. I control my game without any need to move or reorient either hand.

For games that use WASD by default, I remap those controls over to the arrow keys so I can use the same technique I developed for Might and Magic on all WASD and MMO games. (You could do it just the same with the keyboard resting on a desk, I suppose, but I've never played games at a desk.)

I would never have been able to start enjoying games with this kind of control scheme if I hadn't developed my special technique.

smeagolheart

procco said:

smeagolheart said:

I'm in for mm6, 7,8 and homm3

I've played a bit of HOMM3...it's great, but I am really terrible at that type of strategy game.

The strategy I use if it's too tough is to turtle and build up your economy and when you have powerful units then adventure out

JuliusBorisov

6-9 M&M games are on sale again (plus Legend of Grimrock 1-2 and Wizardy 6-8).

BelgarathMTH

smeagolheart said:

procco said:

smeagolheart said:

I'm in for mm6, 7,8 and homm3

I've played a bit of HOMM3...it's great, but I am really terrible at that type of strategy game.

The strategy I use if it's too tough is to turtle and build up your economy and when you have powerful units then adventure out

Every time I try what you're calling the "turtle and build up" strategy, I get destroyed by enemies, because I left them alone too long. That's especially true on any map with warlocks, because they get black dragons if you let them be too long. Also on any map that is programmed such that the enemies won't fight among themselves, but all come straight at you.

I guess it might work if you're the one playing the warlock castle. Really, everything depends on the starting map conditions. No one strategy works for every map.