Possible Master of Magic 2

[Ibbz]

Recently on the Galatic Civilizations website, An interesting bit of news was posted...

Friday, September 24, 2004 - Stardock is hiring...

Right now Galactic Civilizations II is in development. But we are also in pre-production of a certain "Master" fantasy strategy game. And we need more people to make it reach its potential.

Specifically what we're looking for are:

1) 3D Modelers (preferably ones who can rig their models). We need a senior level modeler in particular (one with a great deal of experience).

2) A senior level game developer. Someone with existing software development experience, DirectX experience of some kind is preferable but more importantly, someone who knows how to learn new things on the fly.

Now, combine that with this thread - http://www.quartertothree.com/phpBB2/vi ... &start=150 - over at QT3 where Brad Wardell (Owner of Stardock)
tries to gauge general interest in the Master of Magic name.... and it appears there's a fair chance that Stardock are proceeding ahead with a Master of Magic 2.

 

[Spazmo]

http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4682

So yeah

 

[Ibbz]

That news post was what caused the QT3 thread. An update:

Barring something really unexpected, the MOM deal with Atari will happen. Either way, we are going to do a fantasy strategy game after Galactic Civilizations.

GalCiv 1 sold over 100,000 copies with basically no marketing and on a shoe string budget. I think the market for turn based strategy games is coming back strong.

What we are hurting for are -- 3D modelers. So if you know any good artists with significant 3D modeling experience let them know that we're looking for them. MOM2 would use a 3D engine and the units would be 3D models (and one nice thing about turn based is that you can have really high polygon models since framerate isn't quite as crucial).

Like GalCiv and GalCiv 2, our goal would be to do a year's worth (or longer) of updates to the game to keep it evolving based on user feedback.

So its pretty much confirmed.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Sweet Jesus. Now lets hope it isn't watered down.

 

[Anonymous]

It'll hope it wont suck ass. Might do the usual 'ruin the great details of the game and probably make it RTS' move.

My guesses on what suckage might get added if they are dumbasses about it:

-reduced to either 3/4 races or all of them but implemented wrong
-Custom wizard probably not in
-Real-Time
-retarded spellbook with general fudge ups and feature removals (I can already here "That spell wasnt really handy so we dropped it" for alot of stuff)
-Probably no second plane
-Resource collecting, probably
-Probably marketed as 'MODERN UPGRADE FOR OLD SCHOOL CLASSIC' aka 'We found an awesome old game and decided to make it cater to every moron'

 

[Astromarine]

I think the market for turn based strategy games is coming back strong.

Reading comprehension is da bomb-diggity, Patrick. TBS is what Brad Wardell does. That's ALL he does. Well, if you discount Lightweight Ninja.

 

[Ibbz]

Its basically been said that all they're gonna do is remake it with better graphics plus some other tweaks.

 

[Anonymous]

I think the market for turn based strategy games is coming back strong.

Reading comprehension is da bomb-diggity, Patrick. TBS is what Brad Wardell does. That's ALL he does. Well, if you discount Lightweight Ninja.

Right, but i'm still really suspicious no matter what he says, It's Master of Magic 2. Dont want another MOO3.

 

[Astromarine]

that's because you don't know the guy and what he thinks about games. Trust me on this if nothing else. The guy can fuck up the game in a variety of ways, by implementing suckage into the MoM design elements. But he will NEVER alter the basic design elements like that.

#190 by Avatar Frogboy - 8/17/2004 4:04:15 PM

There is nothing official going on yet with Master of Magic. We're still in negotiation with Atari on it. There probably won't be "news" real soon as these kinds of licenses tend to be lengthy and complicated to nail down and agree to (how many "Expansion packs" are allowed, can it be distributed electronically? How will it be handled on TotalGaming.net?, etc.). But we will try to set up MasterOfMagic.com soon so that there's a forum there for people to discuss things. Until then, it's oaky to talk here about what you'd like in there. But for those people looking for a radical change, that's not going to happen. We *like* Master of Magic. We just think it needs updated graphics and effects and a better computer AI and maybe a few new building and units or something. We don't want a MOO3 type scenario where the basic game is being changed. Stardock diabolical plan is to bring turn based strategy games back to the norm. And one way we think that can be helped is with a new Master of Magic done RIGHT. And that means not messing around with what made it a good game in the first place. And unlike most developers, Stardock can pay for its own development on its own so no would-be publisher can force us to "modernize" the game play. We're going to focus on making a fantasy strategy game that adheres to the spirit. That doesn't mean a MOM from Stardock is going to just be a MOM clone down to the nth degree. I'm sure there will be lots of nitpicking because we'll make some tweak to the game (for instance we might mess around with some of the spells a bit).

 

[DrattedTin]

The part that really got me excited was him mentioning that the guy who did the music for Age of Wonders was probably going to score the MoM project.

Okay, so I'm a fag. :D

 

[Sol Invictus]

Alexander Brandon is doing the music? Sweet.

 

[Astromarine]

and Galciv 2's music as well. It was Age of Wonders 2 though, I think. Same guy?

 

[Sol Invictus]

Nope. Alex Brandon did not make the Age of Wonders 2 music. Alex Brandon's stuff is more electronic sounding and he did the Deus Ex music.

 

[Trash]

Hmmm, good luck in trying to make it better than Age of Wonders 2; shadow magic. That game is really the bomb (and that for just euro 9.99)

 

[Whipporowill]

The music for the Age of Wonders series has always been top notch. Production Value up the wazoo - here's hoping for a sequel for that as well as a good MoM2.

 

[Astromarine]

[edit]I was wrong. Brandon it is.

 

[Greenskin13]

Who picked up the Rematch reference?

Bradon is a great composer. He did the Tyrian 2000 soundtrack, greatest soundtrack of all time!

 

[Araanor]

Cool beans. An updated (updated as in updated interface, tweaked) MOM might be just the thing to loose sleep over.

I see we've got AOW aficionados here, is there any point in playing the originals or should I go for Shadow Magic?

 

[Trash]

Here in the Netherlands they're all out on budget labels....though if you have to choose, shadow magic was imo the best one.

 

[Araanor]

Money isn't the issue, time is. If they're all very similar in gameplay and Shadow Magic is the best of the lot, I wouldn't want to waste time playing the rest.