Prerelease:Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor.

Sub-Pages

Background Stories
This tale is the oldest that I have to tell—a tale of the Silence...

Concept Art

Sketches from Polish Version of Manual

Early Concepts of Bracada by Brian Kemper^[1]

Box Art and Main Menu by Boris Vallejo

In high resolution.

Renders

Monsters

By Tracy Iwata^[2]

From Ubi-Soft Digital Press Kit Fall Winter 1999^[3]

Items

April Lee's Spellbooks^[4]. The last book gone unused.
Interesting renders of crossbows from different views by John Estle Gibson IV^[5].
Beautiful big renders of known items^[5].
The second Dagger in a vanilla doesn't have crossguard^[4].
The first Halberd on the left can't be found in the final release game files. Moreover rusty Minotaur Axe also get gone^[5].

Heroes

Interface

An old Arcomage background.
Rich ornaments for buttons in the Main Menu by Louis Henderson^[6].
A little art used for a small part of one of a loading screens by Brian Kemper^[1].

Release	Preview

Slightly different colors of Wyvern's wings^[1].

Release	Preview

Dwarven Lady without her head?!^[1]

Mockups

First promo images, made without user interface. Composed of character renders and in-game environment shots.

Unknown Map

^[7]
^[7]

These 2 images are composed of creature renders for Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and some area which looks like as if it is from Might and Magic VI. It is hard to tell whether it is an existing area or something custom, made for testing purposes.

There are screenshots combining these images with the early version of the user interface.

Screenshot is probably from the dungeons placed behind the Stone City. Unlike the other mockups, an enemy Troglodite is a MM7 render.^[7]
Both Might and Magic VII and Heroes 3 use the same Medusa model, the render at the back is similar to a frame of animation from MM7 while the one on the front to a frame from HoMM3.^[7]

Old User Interface^[8]

One of the earliest states in the development of the title. The user interface is completely different which makes it really easy to distinguish it from the other stages. The color palette is also much more vibrant and more similar to the tones of Might and Magic VI. The promo screenshots showcase only the Emerald Island areas including Temple of the Moon. This can mean that these two maps were made first.

It seems that knights are the only NPCs on the map.

Release	Preview

Different tree graphics, missing shop signs.

Release	Preview

^[7]

Release	Preview

^[7]

Release	Preview

^[3]

Release	Preview

Different spellbook layout.^[7]

March 3rd 1999

From preview by IGN (IGN Vault) April 15th, 1999.^[9]^[10] A slightly later stage of the development. The date is taken from the IGN's screenshot library. The date of the screenshots may vary since some of them have user interface differences. However it is not clear how to surely split them up for now.

Release	Preview

The tree graphics are not present in the release build files. It may be not visible on the screenshot but it seems that the shipyard area was a bit different. The wooden parts that are visible are of different size and using different textures. The minimap also shows the difference.

Release	Preview

Different wall and floor textures.

Release	Preview

No castle guards. No decorations like trees and rocks. The minimap is also different and seems to not have a road. Some castle textures are different.

Release	Preview

The NPCs seen on the preview screenshot do not spawn in Erathia in the release version. The conversation background seems to be using a different texture.

Release	Preview

Missing conversation topic, different background cutscene, different house name. The exit house button is from Might and Magic VI and the layout in general is more similar to it.

Release	Preview

Entrance model for The Hall Under the Hill is completely different. Some decorations are missing.

Release	Preview

Well and training houses have different textures. Tree graphics are different.

Release	Preview

Another example of the starting area but some things seem to be different: UI for auras is brighter and the tree graphics are different.

Release	Preview

Dungeon entrance UI layout similar to the one in Might and Magic VI. Button graphics are from Might and Magic VI as well. Slight change in the map name - from "Dragon's Lair" to "The Dragon's Lair".

Release	Preview

The Dragon's Lair on Emerald Island had additional caves prior to the main room with the dragon. In the release version that section is not present and the party appears in the dragon room right away.

Release	Preview

Different wall and floor textures.

Release	Preview

The ship is pointing into the opposite direction. Some textures are different.

Release	Preview

Different conversation topic - Castle Harmondy^[8].

Release	Preview

Different decorations on the background^[8].

Official promo screenshot.
Official Promo screenshot.^[8]^[3]
Official promo screenshot.^[8]

Preview by PCPlayer

Video preview made by the German magazine PCPlayer showcasing the game before release. The game seems to be on the similar stage as the screenshots above.

Spellbook Concept Art

Spellbook concept art by Brian Kemper^[1] features some spell previews not present in the release version of the game, some layouts are different as well.

The spell names written in Erathian are altered as well.

Mind magic school is missing from the concept art.

Release	Preview

Release	Preview

Different images for air magic spells like Sparks and Implosion.

Release	Preview

Release	Preview

Release	Preview

Image for bless spell is slightly different - the archer's armor is of blue color in the release.

Release	Preview

Release	Preview

Release	Preview

Vampiric weapon and Armageddon are swapped in the release.

Trailer

Trailer uses the early voice-over which differs from the release version. The release version starts with a contest on an island while in the trailer the story seems to be about finding Lord Markham's daughter, who was kidnapped. The party of 3 is also mentioned which explains why there are only 3 characters in the intro instead of 4.