【Basic Introduction】
This is an ancient series, and its developers take pride in keeping players sleepless, while players are thrilled by the charm of the game. This is one of the three classic RPGs in Europe and America, "Might and Magic" produced by New World Computing.
In the long history of such classic RPGs, there are inevitably some signs of regression. The 6th, 7th, and 8th editions of "Might and Magic" are typical examples. The new 3D engine of the 6th edition in 1998 gave people a refreshing feeling, the 7th edition was still using that engine, just so-so, and the 8th edition continued this way, making players "angry"... Before introducing the 9th edition, let me give you a reassurance: the new game will use Monolith's "Lithtech 3D" engine, and regarding the effect of this engine, "Aliens 2" is an example.
When picking soft persimmons, it's natural to talk about the key points first (aside: what's the connection between the two?). According to existing information, the most impressive aspects for me are the dialogue system and a so-called "NPC action system." The dialogue system is simple, essentially like in "Baldur's Gate," where conversations can be recorded; the latter, if successful, will be a groundbreaking milestone in RPG history. This system enables NPCs not to stand idly waiting for players to "interrogate" them; they have their own thoughts, actions, and even lives! In the morning, you might find NPCs getting out of bed and heading to their workplace; after a day's work, they go to the tavern for a few drinks, adding some interest to monotonous life. According to the creators, this is just a drop in the ocean of a complex gaming system, with more surprises awaiting players to experience firsthand.
The story, as introduced in the news, involves a group of pirates accidentally intruding into a mysterious island unmarked on the map, which is suffering from unprecedented disasters. Will the protagonists unite with the local six tribes to jointly resist Western invaders, or will they assist the invaders in conquering the island? Light and darkness lie within your decision. However, the game only has four controllable characters and three NPC assistants, so how to explain this "group" of pirates? Did they all heroically sacrifice themselves? The number of races has slightly decreased, and the protagonist can only choose from humans, dwarves, elves, and half-beasts (with an additional choice of "strength" or "magic" inclination). Skills and magic remain consistently diverse, but it is rumored that there is a major change in the magic system. It seems that magic may all belong to hybrid types, and spellcasters must master two or more skill attributes to successfully cast a single spell. Sounds complicated, NWC's explanation is that this can reduce the occurrence of useless spells, maybe.
A vast world setting is a major characteristic of Western RPGs, and "Might and Magic 9" is no exception. The entire area is divided into ten parts, with over forty underground mazes, plus twenty mainline quests, twenty-one side quests, and twenty-six job-changing quests... It's overwhelming, comrades need to prepare food for a long-term battle. A game supervisor mentioned that in previous works, the focus of dungeons has increasingly leaned towards combat, and they say this is wrong. Therefore, boring slaughters should be replaced by more puzzles. With increased difficulty, gameplay time will be between 40 to 60 hours.