Why I want Might and Magic
Aurthor's note: Because this is a commentary/critique all pictures used this are valid under the terms of the fair use agreement of 1976.
If you read my last article on Might & Magic, you know that I’m quite the fan of it. Well, this essay/commentary will be a little different. I’ll be going into specifics of the major problems that occurred in this wonderful franchise.
I’ll also explain why I want the franchise. And address some comments that I suspect will come up.
For context I want to make something clear to John Van Caneghem, Ubisoft, and all Might & Magic fans. I am going to be critical here. But I say these things not to attack you or disrespect you but to make you think.
1. Where did the franchise go wrong?
Well, there were several points where it started to go wrong for the franchise.
The first time it started to go wrong was when John Van Caneghem or JVC. for short decided to blow up Enroth. Now I admit there were problems with it. But this is where he made a big mistake.
Enroth was a well-crafted world which had a lot going for it.
I recognize that Bracada is a snowy mountainous region. I realize it got messed up in Might & Magic VII: For Blood and Honor. But a little good storytelling could explain that away with no issues at all.
The Reckoning itself seemed more like a good idea getting thrown away for nothing. But that’s not to say no one can do anything about it. More on that in my solutions segment.
Third major problem in the early stages. It can get summed up in one name Axeoth. From the get-go when Might & Magic IX and Heroes of Might & Magic IV got released there were issues.
Considering both games got released half-finished there’d be issues.
While I never played Might & Magic IX, I did play Heroes of Might & Magic IV. To be specific I played the sample scenario they had. And I found the movement to be difficult.
The controls were frustrating to work. Also, the way they handled the combat was a jarring change from previous Heroes games. Also, the stories for the various scenarios were forgettable at best.
There was no real catchiness to them the way that Heroes 1, II, And III had. Quite disappointing if you ask me.
It all makes me wonder what financial decisions were coming from 3DO that got them into that mess to begin with? Whatever the reasons it’s evident it’s what caused Heroes IV and Might & Magic IX to get released early. And to such disastrous results.
Now to the next part of what went wrong let me start out by saying this.
When I learned that Ubisoft was going to be leaving JVC.’s. universe altogether I was more than a bit put off. But in fairness I got a pleasant surprise with Ashan.
In Heroes V this world had a lot of good characters, a good storyline, and a deep lore to it.
The gameplay was a little shaky in the initial incarnations of the game. But the latter half and expansion packs Hammers of fate and Tribes of the East Heroes V picked up its A game.
Where Ashan started to go wrong was in Dark Messiah of Might & Magic. I liked the concept of the embracing or rejecting the power and legacy of the Demon Sovereign.
But I felt that both “good” endings were more than a little wanting. Because there was no real resolution with said antagonist/father. It left room for an ambitious somebody to find another way to release the Demon Sovereign.
The bad ending was straight forward I give it that. But it could still get explained away with good storytelling.
Another problem I had was the Orcs and the Empire were on the mend. So why would the Orcs take to attacking people? Also, the Undead Cyclops was a little odd.
The biggest change was that Arantir got made into a monster.
In Heroes V he could be ruthless. Yet the Necromancer tempered that viciousness with reason and logic. These were two aspects that broke Heroes V canon.
And with any franchise there needs to be an effort to maintain the canon. One cannot change canon on a whim.
Things started to go south when it got decided to go into Ashan’s past with Heroes VI and VII. First off prequel sequels like that have a habit of going very wrong. And Heroes VI and VII are no exceptions to that rule.
Now usually I’m pretty easy to please as gamers go. But Heroes VI was the first time in my life that a game gave me buyer’s remorse.
Where to begin with where this one went wrong? The characters were more than a little bit bland. That is, they didn’t seem to have that much in the way of personality.
I found that I couldn’t empathize or root for them like I could for Isabel or any of the other characters in Heroes V.
Second, they introduced the Faceless. A race that hadn’t existed in the previous game without any explanation for them. The canon in regards to Brian Falcon got shredded in HoMM VI.
It made Brian Falcon into a weak ruler and painted one of the Archangels of Heaven as a schemer. Thus, muddling the concepts of Good and Evil.
Also, there was the problem of The Dragon Blood and Dragon Tears abilities. Some of the spells in the game were interesting. But the whole concept of Dragon's Blood/Dragon’s Tears was a little too vague and subjective for my liking.
Another problem with the game was the story was very disjointed. You had to hop between characters to be able to get the whole story. And that can confuse people.
It’s best to go through each character one campaign at a time. So, a person can concentrate on each character.
I would add the items of power in the game for increasing the stats of the characters weren’t all that great. In fact, they left a lot to desire.
And here's the final problem I had with the game. The fact the units used were nothing like the Heroes V units. I realize it was the past but even then, there’s no way there'd be riders on steeds made of light.
I will say this though in fairness. I liked the Nagas as they were a unique addition. I felt more effort could've gone into making them a good faction.
The various intrigues and aspects of their culture reminded me of feudal Japan. More could’ve gone into their lore and giving them some real depth.
And now we come to the game which has proven the biggest sore spot to me. Might & Magic Heroes VII or as I call it Heroes of Might & Magic VII.
First, I’ll say this about it. There's the assessment of Joe Vargas AKA Angry Joe. This game being one of his top 10 disappointing games of its year was spot on accurate with good reason.
And the Shadow Council is still a sore spot with me.
Second, I’ll point out the graphics for the scenarios in this game were gorgeous. On that part there was some heart put in and I appreciate that. Good scenery can be an inspiration.
Also, Heroes VII brought back the troop caravans. I saw them used in Heroes V and I found them to be quite useful. Having to create a hero to run to the various lairs to get troops to bring back can be tedious.
So, the troop caravans come in handy.
Now to the major problems.
First the scenes of “animation” with the characters. They reminded me more of Disney animatronics built by the lowest bidder. It’s evident with the cutscenes there was no heart put into them.
So, you don’t see any kind of personality in any of the characters. Yes, you hear them talking but their mouths aren’t moving. Like I said Disney animatronics built by the lowest bidder.
Did the people who created this game take that into account? Based on the end results I would say no.
Next up the storyline was quite disappointing in this way. Rather than things relevant to the crisis they’re in, Ivan’s council tell him a bunch of stories/fairy tales. It made me think, “Is this a War Council or Ivan getting bedtime stories from his nannies?”
And the stories/scenarios had no real relevance to his current crisis in the Empire. So, no heart paid to good storytelling. Hence why the storytelling of the game needs a lot of work.
A real major problem of the game was the skill wheel. Now when I got introduced to it on the Shadow Council it looked good. But when I saw it applied in the game itself, I realized something.
This was a shining example of something that looked good on paper. But when translated over into reality it ended up having disastrous results. The skill wheel did not work out well with Heroes of Might & Magic VII.
And by the time they went back to Axeoth which was also flawed it was too little and too late.
2, What solutions can I bring to the Might & Magic franchise?
I pride myself on being a benevolent soul. When I do a commentary on the problems something has, I also like to give solutions to said problems. And for one of my favorite gaming franchises, I could do no less a courtesy for it.
Now for starters I’ll say this. I am not a computer programmer or game designer. I’m atrocious at those things!
But what I am is a writer and a very good one at that. I can come up with stories and storyboards for the game. I can make great characters and great dialogue because I'm that good.
I have a grand master plan for the direction I want to take Might & Magic in. And the fans old and new are going to love it.
I will reveal some things here. But as a good magician doesn’t reveal his tricks a good writer doesn’t reveal all his plans. But I can assure everyone what I have in mind is epic stuff.
For the first solution Axeoth has to get the axe no pun intended. Enroth must get restored to its greatness. This has to come to pass because Axeoth was badly rushed.
The Reckoning was interesting. But it was more than a little on the rushed side. As if someone were trying to get away from Enroth as fast as they could.
As I said Enroth did have some problems. But nothing a good writer couldn’t explain away with no problems and no hiccups in the canon. And besides which the universe of JVC deserves a good send off.
Second combine his universe with Ashan. While I want to axe Axeoth that’s not to say we can’t give the Reckoning some relevance. And use it to open a way to the universe of Ashan and said world.
Thus, tying both universes together. And allowing for an epic adventure where both could get wrapped up real nice. As I said in Heroes V Ashan showed it has a lot of potential and I want to bring that potential to life.
Third, I would axe most things from Heroes VI, Might & Magic X, and all Heroes VII. But that’s not to say I would get rid of everything.
The Nagas as an example I felt had a lot of potential and could’ve become even better if done justice. I want to expand on the Nagas and give them a richer and more grand culture. As well as characters reminiscent of much of Feudal Japan.
Also, I thought the lost Shantiri Empire from Might & Magic X had a lot of potential. My one problem was the way the civilization vanished. I found it very disappointing.
Such a grand civilization deserves a better send off than a spell that wipes them out of existence.
So, the Empire needs a revamp. Something I can do quite well.
Finally, I would add the Nagas and keep the Heroes V factions. But I would add some more factions to help make Ashan bigger and deeper a world. Also, to allow for the use of some characters and story arcs I have in mind.
These are some of the solutions that I have in store for Might & Magic.
3. Addressing some comments and questions.
And finally, I’d like to address some comments that might come up and some questions that might get put forth. Please note if I didn’t answer your question, please feel free to ask in the comments section.
“It’s their game they can do what they will with it.”
I’ve heard this comment used as one of the major excuses for the current sorry state of Might & Magic. Having been around YouTuber the Renaissance Nerd as long as I have it stands to reason he’d have an influence on me. And I would respond with this.
I find that comment very condescending because what it doesn’t say but implies is this. “Shut up consumer peasant and give them/us money for whatever rubbish game they/we see fit to give you.”
That level of entitlement annoys me to no end. And my response is this.
No, no I will not! I am not some mindless drone consumer whose money these companies feel entitled to! I am a customer with my own thoughts and beliefs. I work hard to earn the money that I get.
So, when I buy a game, I demand a good quality of product for the money I pay.
Also, a game is more than graphics. It’s also good characters and good gameplay. Good playability/replayability, and the mantra of story, story, story!
Another comment would be “Oh but it wasn’t Ubisoft who did the games it was another company.”
And that lack of any responsibility annoys me to no end! Ubisoft were the ones who outsourced it. Rather than having their own artists and people create a good game.
And in doing so gave it over to those who had no love or understanding of the game.
I’d say Ubisoft you made a big mistake on this one. Sometimes it's necessary to swallow one’s pride and admit a mistake got made. And then go in earnest to the public and ask for input on how you can do better.
More important is listen to the public and what they have to say. Because the actual gamers out there know what they're talking about.
Ubisoft you are the company that gave us the memorable Ezio Auditore from Assassin’s Creed II. I’ve seen you at the heights of excellence and I know you’re better than this.
Another argument is “Oh this isn’t for the old Might & Magic fans this is for the new fans.”
This proclamation is something that makes me want to hit my head against a wall!
At the time I’m writing this essay I’ve worked in the retail business for almost 23 years. So, I have a very good understanding of what makes for good customer service. And that statement is as bad as saying “Oh this game/movie/product isn’t for you.”
That kind of attitude is a great way to drive people away. How do you think you get new Might & Magic fans? You create a good product sell it to the old and current Might & Magic fans.
Then you let the fandom bring in new fans. That’s how it’s been for a long time.
To me the ones saying, “This is for the new Might & Magic fans.” and/or “This isn’t for you,” I say this. It’s obvious somebody needs a refresher course in the art of customer service!
Another question that would come to mind is “Oh yeah you think you can do better? Prove it!”
On that count I’d be happy to!
First there’s the short story Shijak. It got published in the Martin Schiller compilation novel A kinder, greener vampire. There’s also the fact I do a lot of writing on the free speech platform Minds.
I have fifty short stories and five free story arcs from my first serial ready for viewing. There’s also a whole bunch of stuff on my patron tiers available for those willing to pay.
So, to all the gamers and Might & Magic fans I will show off my work. I will do what it takes to prove to you that I am worthy of your trust! I’ve also played most of the Might & Magic games and understand the lore.
So, I have the skill to help preserve the true lore and even deepen it.
Most important of all is this. I’m a very good writer and am passionate about Might & Magic. So, I can help make it a great franchise and wrap things up on Ashan and the universe of JVC all in one fell swoop.
So, there you have it folks.
I’ve laid out the major problems with Might & Magic. I’ve offered up some solutions. And addressed some of the major questions and comments that might get posed to me.
I hope this essay and my fiction prove I'm worthy of helping resurrect the franchise. Thank you for reading this essay and have a lovely day.
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I hope you liked this essay and found it eye opening. I’m Animeman73. Stay true to yourselves, stay classy, and God bless you all.
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