Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate
Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate |
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Developer: New World Computing This game has unused areas. This game has a prototype article This game has a notes page |
The ninth game in the Might and Magic series. The game switched to be completely in 3D, powered by LithTech engine. The game seems to be based on the foundation made for Legends of Might and Magic (LOMM). Many files that seem to be unused are just the assets from Legends of Might and Magic that made it into this game.
Contents
Sub-Pages
Prototype Info |
Notes |
Hidden Development-Related Text
Data Tables
The game stores a lot of data in data tables similarly to the previous games.
Spell Effects
In the data table Spells there is a column named SpellFX which supposedly describes for the developers what visual effect the spells should have in the game.
Spell | Spell effect |
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Arms of Earth | we need an animated pair of arms that come out of the ground. And grab at mons. Plus an anim where the arms "hold" and then dissipate. |
Bless | should be a portrait effect |
Chain Lightning | a lightning bolt, projectile, that hits a target |
Column-of-Fire | a tube of fire animation that quickly streaks down out of the "sky" and envelopes the target then continue on downward through floor |
Curse | purple particles "swirl" around targets head until time is up or target dies |
Dark Grasp | projectile, ball of animating color (purple) and when reaches monster it surrounds model with that color for a moment |
Death's Touch | reaper model? Appears, taps monster and then moves toward caster and disappears (fade out) |
Disease | on party- portrait anim; on mons- swirls of colored splotches until dissipated |
Divine Intervention | Foreground effect; white "bar" of light travels down screen |
Elemental Aura | Should be a portrait animation |
Elemental Blast | very fast wall of energy radiating from party ourwards in view-only. Colors follow scheme in elem bolt |
Elemental Bolt | projectile, changes according to element and expertise. Four colors dictate the four elements, normal-one color random, exp-two colors randomand alternating, mas-three, gm-all four alternating |
Elemental Protection | Foreground effect |
Enchant Item | this happens in inventory screen. Perhaps the result is pop-up showing new item description? |
Enrage | small red particles "swarm" around creature while it begins to attack |
Eye of Leggib | use Eyebow effect from Legends |
Eye of the Storm | earthquake effect in area, "wind" effect pushes across screen (maybe peppered with leaves or something?) |
Faith | should be a portrait effect |
Fear | projectile - screaming face towards target. Then monster must run away if affected |
Feather Fall | A foreground anim. "feathers"? |
Fleet Foot | tunnel-blur affect in adventure screen |
Haste | portrait effect |
Heal | should be a portrait effect |
Lloyd's Beacon | we need a beacon model that drop upon casting. Then we need a "map" that shows where our beacons are when we wish to return to them. Perhaps it can be a screenshot? |
Magic Mine | cast in inventory screen, item dropped at feet of party and activated when party leaves the spot |
Meteor Shower | large spheres falling from sky with huge fire-tails that strike an area and explode on impact |
Natural Armor | Should be a portrait animation |
Pain Reflection | Should be a portrait animation, at GM could be foreground. . . |
Paralyze | purple point that spreads into a rod (verticle) and stays on monster until dissipated |
Phantom Fighter | cast in inventory screen, item should probably be weilded by an invisible model that can swing attacks etc. |
Poison | <color> particles "rain" on targets head until dissipated |
Poison Cloud | wall/cloud of <color> particles emulating a fog radiating from party outwards to target |
Power Draw | potrait anim- swirl of color that moves from out to inwards |
Purify | Should be a portrait animation |
Regeneration | should be a portrait effect |
Resist Death | Foreground effect |
Resurrection | portrait effect |
Shared Life | Foreground effect |
Souldrinker | purple "plane" that pulsates light to dark toward party |
Sparks | small balls of light that bounce around ground and against walls until they explode. Number of balls depends on skill level |
Spell Reaver | wall of purple radiating from party outwards to 5 feet from party |
Torchlight | sound play; "gamma change", perhaps a sparkle effect in foreground? |
Town Portal | Foreground effect |
Transfusion | on party- portrait anim; on mons- mons gains property transferred? |
Turn Undead | area effect, bright cone of light above monsters |
Wizard Eye | Radar pops up; sound plays |
Wound | projectile, purple |
Wrath of Bugs! | wish: a horde of bug models racing at the adversary from the party. |
Scripts
The game uses a script system, mostly for handling things such as in-game events, AI and cinematics. Many scripts are really well-commented.
Dragon
; ; Dragon.scr ; Jeff Leggett ; 11/14/2001 ; ; Implementation of the Dragon King ; ; Optionally, the dragon can start out hidden. When ; Triggered, he will fly in from above and land. ; ; We have 4 attacks: ; ; 1. Fireball attack ; - This attack is a simple fireball projectile that ; does radius damage on impact. ; ; 2. FlameThrower attack ; - This attack sends continuous bursts of fire ; in the direction that we're pointing... ; ; 3. Wing attack ; - This does no damage, but can be used to push ; players away from us... ; ; 4. Hand Attack ; - We do this instead of a wing attack sometimes. ; ; ; After each attack, if we've attacked the current ; target long enough, we decide whether we should ; switch to another target. Targets that are out ; of range are ignored. Targets that we don't have ; a clear shot at are randomly ignored. The last ; target to do damage to us gets a higher priority. ; This higher priority is proportional to his distance ; away from us... (ie: if someone along way off is ; hitting us, while we have many more targets near us, ; we have a less chance of switching to that target than ; if they're close to us... ; ; After each attack, we also check to see if there are ; a lot of targets within our wing attack distance. ; if so, we'll switch to one of them and do our wing attack... ; ;
Cat
; ; Cat.Scr ; Jeff Leggett ; 08/03/2001 ; ; Behavior: ; ; - Go from actor to actor and hang out with them ; - When a dog comes after me, run away in various ; directions ; ;
Dog
; ; Dog.Scr ; Jeff Leggett ; 08/03/2001 ; ; Behavior: ; ; - go from actor to actor and hang out with them ; - Search for cats. If a cat appears, then we'll ; go chase him until we are "tired". ; - Follow the player for a while perhaps.... ; ; ;
Yanmir
; ; YanmirPatrol.scr ; kd 10-26-01 ; Parameters ; ; Specialized patrol script for Yanmir the giant. ; When triggered, Yanmir runs to a SquishVictim and kills it. ; Then he begins his routine patrol of the Fort. He kicks ; any closed doors. (Added Sfx with FrostDust and DoorQuakes) ; Cool Factor = HIGH!! ; ; 0 - Marker Root name (ie for Markers Mrk0, Mrk1, Mrk2 "Mrk" is the root name) ; 1 - Number of Markers ; ; 2 - Second Root name for marker path. (Optional) ; 3 - Number of Markers. (Optional) ; ; 4 - FireObject Root Name (FrostDust in this instance) ; 5 - EarthQuakeObject Root Name (DoorQuake in this instance) ; ; ; :OnDeath ; ; just in case some freak figures out a way to kill me ; give the completed quest key <--------TL ; ; :KickTheDoor ; [Specialized grouped subroutines.] ; Yanmir encounters a Door Object, kicks it, opens it ; and we get to see stirred up FrostDust, shaking walls ; and door slammin' Sfx. ; ; :PlayScene ; [Specialized grouped subroutines.] ; Triggered to play out the SquishVictim and PlayAnims ; associated with SquishVictim stuck to Yanmir's Boot. ;
Unused Characters
Warrior Character (LOMM Class Model)
The party uses the Warrior character model as a representation in the 3D world. That can be observed in the prototype when going into spectator mode which leaves the player model in place while allowing to travel around the map.
Dragons
There's a quest in the game regarding Dragon King. However, Red and Earth dragons are also present in the game's files, although apparently never used. They all use the same model.
There are different script files for each dragon. The main script commentary for the dragon AI can be found in the development text section.
; Implementation of the Red dragon. ; ; The dragon starts out asleep. It doesn't notice anyone ; until they do damage. We then wake up and start ; attacking.
Unused Areas
The release version of the game includes a couple of project files (.ED) for the maps. That allows to view and edit them using DEdit tool, while the other maps are compiled and no longer editable. The following maps have project files:
- Afterworld
- Anskram Keep
- Arslegard City
- Bathhouse
- Beethoven
- Chasm of the Dead
- Bootcamp
GREATGATE.DAT
The early version of the Arslegard gates. The cutscene for the first visit starts automatically after the map is loaded.
The Might and Magic series
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NES | Secret of the Inner Sanctum |
Mac OS Classic | II: Gates to Another World |
DOS | III: Isles of Terra • IV: Clouds of Xeen (Demo) • V: Darkside of Xeen (Demo) • IV + V: World of Xeen • Swords of Xeen |
SNES | II: Gates to Another World • Book II • III: Isles of Terra (Prototype) |
Windows | VI: The Mandate of Heaven • VII: For Blood and Honor (Prototypes) • VIII: Day of the Destroyer • IX: Writ of Fate (Prototype) Clash of Heroes |
PlayStation 2 | VIII: Day of the Destroyer |
Heroes of Might and Magic | |
Windows | A Strategic Quest (Demo) • II: The Succession Wars • III: The Restoration of Erathia • V • VI • VII |
Dreamcast | III: The Restoration of Erathia |
Other | |
Windows | Dark Messiah of Might and Magic |
Game Boy Color | Warriors of Might and Magic |
PlayStation 2 | Shifters |
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