Might & Magic 10: Artists & Writers Wanted!

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Might & Magic 10: Artists & Writers Wanted!

Unread postby MMXAlamar » 27 Mar 2011, 22:54

Might & Magic 10: Artists & Writers Wanted!

Hey there fellow die hard M&M fans. On your journeys across the Internet, you may have heard of a fan project being developed called Might & Magic 10. But was this project rumor or real?

The Might & Magic 10 project is quite real, and our developers have made tremendous progress as of recently. One of the main reasons why it's taken so long is that we've completely scrapped the original game ideas. About 3 or 4 years ago, MM10 was titled "The Anduran Saga", and was supposed to take place on a hidden chain of Islands Southwest of Enroth called Glorennes. One version of the storyline reached over 14 pages long, and everything from maps and dungeons, to quests and items were being developed through the Horizon engine, which powered Might and Magic games 6 through 8.

Over time, we decided to take them game into the context of it's predecessor, Might & Magic 9 (The Writ of Fate), and all of the previous years of work we had done became obsolete. Thus, almost an entire game was made only to fade away into nothingness. We also had the game undergo a name change from "The Anduran Saga" to "Children of the Void."

This catastrophe will not happen again, because we have made some incredible breakthroughs on the original storyline planned for Might & Magic 10. Tim Lang has disclosed his original plans to us, and we have taken the game to the world of Axeoth, where (again) the series left off in Might & Magic IX (The Writ of Fate), as well as Heroes of Might & Magic IV (Also the Gathering Storm and Winds of War), and even Legends of Might & Magic, which was originally staged to take place on Axeoth's Southern continent of Lodwar. We are including the whole world of Axeoth in Might & Magic 10: Children of the Void.

We have many developmental processes going on with the game, and it will not become like Might & Magic Tribute turned out (much respect due to Ribannah for her noble endeavors.) On the Internet, everything from a regularly updated Facebook page to a brand new website is being developed, and behind the scenes there is much work being done on the game itself, including a brand new game engine in the works.

As we're growing and expanding, we need the help of our most important contributors - you, the fans of Might & Magic. Since this is a fan based operation, we are always looking towards our fans for assistance and feedback.

If you would like to join the Might & Magic X Development Team, here are some of the jobs that we could use your valuable help with:

Graphic Artists (2D/3D Designers)
-Land Maps
-Dungeon Maps
-Architecture
-Items
-Monsters
-Objects
-Interface Screens

Writers
-Storyline
-Quests
-Dialogues
-Item Descriptions
-Journals
-Area Descriptions
-Character Ideas
-Histories

Programmers (To be announced)

There is much work to be done, and everyone who comes aboard our team and contributes to the project will receive their name and any affiliation on the finished game's credits, a wonderful experience working with the MMX Developers, and a permanent place in the history of the Might & Magic universe.

To sign up, please either reply to this thread with what you'd like to help out with, or contact me, or any of the developers. You can also head over to the MMX Forums and apply. Also, don't forget to check out the project on Facebook.

Facebook Page: Might & Magic 10: Children of the Void (On Facebook)

Forums: Might & Magic 10 Forums @ The Gaming Universe

Old Development Thread: The Old Might & Magic 10 Progress Thread @ Celestial Heavens

Thank you very much for your time!

Sincerely, The Might & Magic X Development Team:
-Vector (Project Leader)
-Alamar (Team Coordinator)
-Corlagon (Cheif Story Writer)
-Nick (Programmer and Web Developer)
-Todde (Soundtrack Composer)
-NicholasRay (Web Developer)
-Darknessfood (Quest Writer)
-Pirvix (Team Member)
-Aria (Graphic Designer)

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GreatEmerald
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Unread postby GreatEmerald » 28 Mar 2011, 05:28

Interesting. I have to say that I always wanted to write item and area descriptions, so if you need help with that, I can contribute :)

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Unread postby legendoferthia » 28 Mar 2011, 05:43

That is my biggest problem from delaying my game, the story...
MIGHT AND MAGIC INSPIRED GAME: Legend of Erthia - Armageddon!
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Unread postby phamlongtuan » 28 Mar 2011, 11:42

savetara wrote:That is my biggest problem from delaying my game, the story...
I come from a part of this world which is heavily influenced by Chinese novel and story. Some of them was built based on Western fantasy world but much more complex, extent and amazing. If you want to spend some of your free time and learn some i will send you a copy. I suggest a novel call "rage of beast blood".

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Unread postby MMXAlamar » 28 Mar 2011, 18:10

Thanks for you interest in helping us GreatEmerald! I will let Vector know you're interested and get back to you as soon as I can.
savetara wrote:That is my biggest problem from delaying my game, the story...
Savetara, the story is one of the largest and most complicated parts of making a game, so I completely understand what you mean. It starts with a few big ideas and then goes from there, pretty much being created from out of thin air.

Right now 100% of our storyline is being developed by Corlagon and I, along with the wonderful help from Tim Lang and his old MM9 & MM10 notes on the side. Other than that, we need writers with a creative thirst and good ideas to help us along the way.

Our entire storyline document is only 2-3 pages right now, but it will certainly grow over time. And the more help we get the faster it will grow!

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Unread postby Sendoh » 29 Mar 2011, 01:50

i would love to contribute with the storyline and everything else, i'm really creative

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Unread postby MMXAlamar » 29 Mar 2011, 03:30

Sendoh wrote:i would love to contribute with the storyline and everything else, i'm really creative
Hey Sendoh, would you be able to use paint or photoshop to design items, weapons, and armor for us?

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Unread postby Sendoh » 29 Mar 2011, 12:35

MMXAlamar wrote:
Sendoh wrote:i would love to contribute with the storyline and everything else, i'm really creative
Hey Sendoh, would you be able to use paint or photoshop to design items, weapons, and armor for us?
i think i could try

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Unread postby Xography » 29 Mar 2011, 17:32

Hey there, as a longtime M&M enthusiast I've been browsing several M&M boards on an irregular basis since around 2003 without really participating actively, so you may call me a lurker.
I'm aware of the "old" 50+ page thread and read a large portion of the posts in there over the past 3 years, but never really followed your own dedicated MMX forums (shame on me, I know).

There are some big questionsmarks - at least for me - after reading the introductionary post. So please forgive me in case I'm asking for the obvious with everything already answered over at your boards.

Essentially, it comes down to the following questions:
  • It is not clear what exactly will be changing besides the name and story location:
    - Are you going to scrap every bit of material you had (Dungeons/Outdoormaps, Textures, Sprites, Audio, Artwork, Story) and start from scratch with nothing but the mentioned 2-3 pages?
    - Are you still going for a "Total Conversion" (= A mod replacing almost everything in an existing game to make a "new" one) based on the Horizon-Engine?
  • What are your plans to prevent your project from suffering the same fate as all the rest of the projects, being never completed at all - left to rot in a corner of the web; abandoned and forgotten, never feasible from the start?
    In short, what makes this re-start different from the original approach?
It might sound a bit harsh, but if you really want to recruit members that are of serious help you'll need a very convincing answer for the last question.
Don't take me wrong, I'm sure you've learned from past mistakes but at this point it just sounds a bit too ... obscure.
I just can't really grasp your intent, your goals besides the obvious story/location overhaul - care to enlighten me?

Cheers
Last edited by Xography on 29 Mar 2011, 18:12, edited 1 time in total.

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Unread postby GreatEmerald » 29 Mar 2011, 17:54

This is from what I can gather:
1a) They have scrapped that idea a long, long time ago. In fact, I wasn't even aware the original plan was like that. So nothing will be scrapped - whatever was scrapped was already done years ago.
1b) No, it will be a standalone mod. It will not require you to have MM7 installed.
2) The fact that it's nearly complete, and that it's not a restart by any means. It's just not completely finished yet as well. The old thread showed a lot of things that are already finished, however.

So correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I gathered :)

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Unread postby koval321 » 29 Mar 2011, 20:04

I changed EVERY items from MM6 and there could be probably few usefull for this project. http://www.moddb.com/mods/suicide-squad

Am still modify M&M graphics so there is much more, new paperdolls, items etc.

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Unread postby MMXAlamar » 29 Mar 2011, 22:11

Xography wrote:
  • It is not clear what exactly will be changing besides the name and story location:
    - Are you going to scrap every bit of material you had (Dungeons/Outdoormaps, Textures, Sprites, Audio, Artwork, Story) and start from scratch with nothing but the mentioned 2-3 pages?

    No, we are by no means scrapping everything accomplished in the past few years. We already have, however, thrown away the obsolete material from the previous game "The Anduran Saga." Obsolete material includes mainly the entire Glorennes storyline, some of the quests that tied directly into Glorennes, and any old journals that were written. Other than this, we have retained many if not all of the already completed graphics for the game.

    - Are you still going for a "Total Conversion" (= A mod replacing almost everything in an existing game to make a "new" one) based on the Horizon-Engine?

    As of right now, Might and Magic 10 will as planned require that you own a copy of MM6, MM7, or MM8 on your computer to install it. This is mainly due to our legal obligations to the creators of the Horizon engine. However, we're planning on using a completely different engine in the future if we can get a hold of one. One of our developers is planning on looking into open-source engines, which would open the possibility of playing MM10 in 3D. We are by no means at that stage right now, so tentatively, MM10 will function similarly to a mod.
  • What are your plans to prevent your project from suffering the same fate as all the rest of the projects, being never completed at all - left to rot in a corner of the web; abandoned and forgotten, never feasible from the start?
    In short, what makes this re-start different from the original approach?

    This time around, our project will be extremely organized. Every last detail will be thought out. We will state on paper what we need to get done, what kind of skills we need to accomplish it, and assign specific jobs to specific individuals on the development team to be completed by a set deadline. In short, we will have a definite plan of action, and most of the work this time around will be the total amount of progress generated by members of our development team. Every developer matters to us, and no matter how small or large their contribution to the project, we will give them an equal value of credit and recognition in return. This is much more than just a project to us. It is the future of the original Might and Magic legacy. It will take time to develop the entire game, so don't expect a release date anytime soon, but as our body of work and accomplishment grows, so will the overall magnitude and spirit of the project when it is finally done.
I will be happy to answer any more questions that arise.
-MMXAlamar

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Unread postby MMXAlamar » 29 Mar 2011, 22:13

koval321 wrote:I changed EVERY items from MM6 and there could be probably few usefull for this project. http://www.moddb.com/mods/suicide-squad

Am still modify M&M graphics so there is much more, new paperdolls, items etc.
Wow, you have some impressive artwork there koval! Would you like to sign onto the project as a graphic artist?

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Unread postby jeff » 29 Mar 2011, 22:51

MMXAlamar wrote: This time around, our project will be extremely organized. Every last detail will be thought out. We will state on paper what we need to get done, what kind of skills we need to accomplish it, and assign specific jobs to specific individuals on the development team to be completed by a set deadline. In short, we will have a definite plan of action, and most of the work this time around will be the total amount of progress generated by members of our development team. Every developer matters to us, and no matter how small or large their contribution to the project, we will give them an equal value of credit and recognition in return. This is much more than just a project to us. It is the future of the original Might and Magic legacy. It will take time to develop the entire game, so don't expect a release date anytime soon, but as our body of work and accomplishment grows, so will the overall magnitude and spirit of the project when it is finally done.
That is the only way you can hope to finish a project like this. BDJ was very strict about deadlines during TCCs development. He always had a backup plan for any missed deadlines and did not hesitate using them. It cost us a team member, but it also ensured TCC was completed.
Mala Ipsa Nova :bugsquash:

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Unread postby MMXAlamar » 30 Mar 2011, 01:50

jeff wrote:That is the only way you can hope to finish a project like this. BDJ was very strict about deadlines during TCCs development. He always had a backup plan for any missed deadlines and did not hesitate using them. It cost us a team member, but it also ensured TCC was completed.
I admire that style of work ethic! You guys made a fantastic game too. I know that Vector wants Vladimir to help with monsters since he did such a fantastic job in TCC.

I believe that wishful thinking will in fact help take us where we want to go. :)

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Unread postby GrayFace » 30 Mar 2011, 02:48

I have many doubts about strictness of deadlines, but here's one sure thing: have less discussions and more actual tasks and work on them.
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Unread postby Corlagon » 30 Mar 2011, 13:20

You said it. Most of the long period of... nothing is justified in that we were awaiting things like TCC, the map editor and the engine remake to make work as convenient as possible. It's like shooting a movie while developing the video camera.

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Unread postby MMXAlamar » 30 Mar 2011, 18:16

Corlagon wrote:It's like shooting a movie while developing the video camera.
This pretty much sums up the physical game of MM10. However, continuing the movies analogy, we are hard at work on the script including the history, the storyline, the characters, and the lands to be used in MM10.

In my opinion, deadlines are guidelines. The unexpected is bound to happen, and it may slow down our progress, so many things may be subject to change. The one thing that will not change is our desire to finish and produce this game. An extensive and well-polished computer game can take years to make when it's based on the free time of the developers and contributors. I have no problem in working on MM10 for a couple more years before it's finished. I think it would become a great game. To speed up the process though, we need more people to collaborate their free time with ours so that every individual developer doesn't have so much on their plate that they can't finish the meal, so to speak.

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Unread postby Xography » 30 Mar 2011, 18:51

So, if I get it right, you are currently in a kind of elaboration phase of your concepts?

Whereas strict deadlines are basically a good idea, there is a certain common misconception regarding computer software. It will never be a physical product, nothing to really grasp, to hold in your hands. This makes it even harder to come up with realistic deadlines. Even if you thought you've planned everything through, there will always be an obstable nobody anticipated.
This might not apply to your current tasks, but it sounds you are - more or less - relying on two other projects with both having a very uncertain future, since the outcome of those projects underlies the above mentioned problems. It is most certain that, no matter how skilled or experienced their developers are, they will hit a wall sooner or later - even if it is 'only' sudden lack of time - causing the progress to stall, delaying releases or having the project never being completed if it comes to the worst.

What I am trying to say with that wall of bla-bla: It is always dangerous to rely on external factors.
I'm not suggesting not to trust the developers of the two projects Corlagon mentioned. But you should have alternatives as BDJ had them, always.

I do believe that you have the will and motivation to push things through - and sincerely hope you do so and deliver most awesome greatness.

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Unread postby GreatEmerald » 31 Mar 2011, 16:02

In my opinion, deadlines are not very useful and can lead to hasty and unfinished products more than actually working ones. A great example is 3DO itself. But a roadmap is a good idea, as long as you don't follow it blindly - if something needs polishing, you need to go and polish it instead of releasing it just because the deadline is there.

As for things getting stalled, personally I try to make all of my projects open-source so if I wasn't able to finish them, someone else that is interested in them could, no matter after how long. In fact, Arcomage Clone is alive just because of that - the original developer had it open-sourced, but never finished, hence after around 3 years I was able to continue the project and it's currently growing very nicely.


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