Why is MM8 so eerie?

The role-playing games (I-X) that started it all and the various spin-offs (including Dark Messiah).
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Deftclaw Redreaver
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Unread postby Deftclaw Redreaver » 28 Apr 2013, 15:56

I think it was on purpose. To give the un-easy feel of war.. Like the people are killing each other (Necromancers vs Clerics) (Dragonslayers of Garrot Gorge vs The Dragons) And then Escaton comes along Captures the Elemental lords causing havok and insanity in the Elemental reals. The effects of it Flooding Balthazar Lair and destroying the troll civilization

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Unread postby Xfing » 24 Jun 2013, 19:42

I have never considered MM8 creepy or dark. Maybe that's because I was never able to run the music in the game, but neither was I able to do this in MM7. Virtual discs don't cut it apparently :(

But all things considered, MM7 still appears much darker and more evil to me. The colors are less vivid than MM8, and you can actually play on the evil side. No game since MM7 has made me feel the same degree of immersion in evil, not even Oblivion with its Dark Brotherhood questline, which is commendable.

Shadowspire and its Necromancers actually appeared like quite a friendly bunch of fellows to me compared to their Deyjan counterparts (yay for Liches). The Dagger Wound Island was a great and immersive tropical adventure, while the Ironsand Desert was so colorfully vivid that it definitely put the Bracada Desert to shame. Hell, I'd say even MM6 was darker than MM8. And I have played MM8 the most of all games. So I don't share the sentiment.

Oh, and as for Murmurwoods, it actually feels relaxing and uplifting to me. Well, except that part with the destroyed forest, haha :D But as I said, maybe that's because I never even once played the game with music. Some tips maybe? For 7 too.
Last edited by Xfing on 24 Jun 2013, 19:49, edited 1 time in total.

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Tress
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Unread postby Tress » 24 Jun 2013, 19:49

There is something unsettling about mm8 compared to mm7. Oddly, it is locations of dark elves and daggerwound that have this feel, rather than location that should be (shadowspire). I think it is rather unintended effect of somewhat raw landscape. In mm7 location is filled with stuff thus you never feel lost, while dense forests of Alvar gives some sense of being lost. That is you get feeling of being far away from civilization much faster.
Last edited by Tress on 24 Jun 2013, 19:51, edited 1 time in total.

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Xfing
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Unread postby Xfing » 24 Jun 2013, 19:51

Kinda weird. MM8 has always made me feel like at home. I liked the locales a lot. Lately I've been playing MM7 mostly, though, so I have also made a bond with the game. I think the story of 7 is breathtaking and it really is a shame that it didn't get a rightful continuation. Now that I've watched a trailer of MMX, I seriously weep for the future of the franchise.

BTW how about those tips for running music!

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Unread postby MadeOMeat » 24 Jun 2013, 20:36

Xfing wrote:Kinda weird. MM8 has always made me feel like at home. I liked the locales a lot. Lately I've been playing MM7 mostly, though, so I have also made a bond with the game. I think the story of 7 is breathtaking and it really is a shame that it didn't get a rightful continuation. Now that I've watched a trailer of MMX, I seriously weep for the future of the franchise.

BTW how about those tips for running music!
Might and Magic ended after 8. That's fine. They're good games. I do wish they wouldn't try selling us boring FRPGs by putting Might and Magic on the box, but I guess you can't blame them for wanting money.

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Unread postby Xfing » 24 Jun 2013, 23:57

MadeOMeat wrote:
Xfing wrote:Kinda weird. MM8 has always made me feel like at home. I liked the locales a lot. Lately I've been playing MM7 mostly, though, so I have also made a bond with the game. I think the story of 7 is breathtaking and it really is a shame that it didn't get a rightful continuation. Now that I've watched a trailer of MMX, I seriously weep for the future of the franchise.

BTW how about those tips for running music!
Might and Magic ended after 8. That's fine. They're good games. I do wish they wouldn't try selling us boring FRPGs by putting Might and Magic on the box, but I guess you can't blame them for wanting money.
Oh, well said bro.

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Unread postby zib » 25 Jun 2013, 03:34

Agreed with the last posts.

Wanted to mention something about MM9, though : I found the idea of making spell effects depend on multiple schools was good, although it was completly useless in mm9 since it didn't change the fact you still put all your late levels points into one single realm (mages= elemental iirc, not dark as usual :p). If used properly, the idea could have lead to multiple builds instead of one cookie-cutter like the usual. So there's half a good thing at least in this game, lol.

Also, about the OP, my own feeling is that MM8 is filled with lazyness :D
I mean, the elemental planes just feel like visual robbery.
I find the general areas landscapes a bit uninteresting, feels a bit flat too.
The maps either feel empty or repetitive (or both), basically empty spaces "filled" with low density regularly-spaced thingies like rocks, flowers, bones... (like shadowspire) or high density (tree area + tree stumps area in murmurwoods, tree area in...Alvar?).
Dungeons are really short and don't feature much detail.
“Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.”

― Richard P. Feynman


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