Dark Messiah Of Might & Magic New Information

[Al3xand3r]

A pretty good interview that finally gives some solid information about the title's gameplay and style. I must say it sounds quite different than what I was expecting (an Arx Fatalis like experience) but it also sounds pretty good at the same time. I'm still looking forward to it even though it's not really an RPG at all. Click:

http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=1212

 

Also includes three new screenshots, this is my favorite:

http://newspics.rpgdot.com/gallery/1223/Sc...dotcom_mage.jpg

 

Several references to Thief are included in the interview, I hope the AI is good enough to be fun to play as the sneaky assassin class, I have faith in this great development team!

[SneaksieDave]

Not really an RPG at all? Uh oh.

 

*runs off to read*

 

What I'm still most wondering, since I too have faith in Arkane, are technical:

 

Steam?

Starforce?

 

I know we have speculation, but I'm waiting for it from the horse's mouth.

[Al3xand3r]

Well, Ubisoft is the publisher so they would make that decision. I don't know what they use but I never had a problem installing/uninstalling Ubisoft games in the past at all so I think we are safe in that aspect.

 

Edit: Also, since Ubisoft hired the developers to make it, and they own the rights to the Might and Magic name (and likely the Source engine licence), and they are a publisher who gains money from retail sales, I don't think they will be using Steam for the game at all. I could be wrong but they'll likely just distribute it like any other game Ubisoft distributes...

Edited March 7, 2006 by Al3xand3r

[Taffer36]

I've been watching this one for awhile now. The combat system looks real promising. Although in the end it might end up being another "Left Click = Attack, Right Click = Block", I highly doubt it.

 

I am also hoping that they won't make you pick a class like some games. That's one thing I loved in Fable. It never made you choose whether you wanted to specialize in archery, strength, or magic. You could specialize in all and use all of them whenever you wanted. This adds a lot of variety to games instead of focusing on only one combat type (which inevitably gets old after awhile).

 

Completely off-topic, but I'm just wondering what everyone's stance is on Star Force. I've read a few articles, but I still can't decide. One thing I am truly against is how Star Force apparently installs itself without your consent.

 

Edit: Maybe I should've read the article first... looks like the combat system will be better than left click, right click, but eventually you will have to make decisions in specializing in classes, or you are actually penalized for it. You will not be able to be the best in a certain field, which is very lame. Oh well.

Edited March 7, 2006 by Taffer36

[SneaksieDave]

Taffer36, follow the link in my sig if you are at all interested in reading completely biased stuff.

[Al3xand3r]

Bad news, Ubisoft have been using Starforce in their latest titles. They have also made a post detailing how a very very VERY tiny & of users report problems and how most of them get solved.

 

The person who was writing details about this went ahead to say how these are only the reported problems but he didn't see why someoone with problems wouldn't report them when he has all the contact information, thus assuming the % of reported problems is a good estimate of the full ammount of encountered problems...

 

I guess he forgot that while they may have Ubisoft information available they have no way of knowing that Starforce was installed on their systems (unless they research), and have no way of knowing which software installed it on their system either.

 

By the way I only did research after your last post and within that time I have found that I was infected with Starforce and that it is very likely Starforce is the reason I've had to change 3 dvd drives within little over a year (and my drives get BARELY any use).

 

I hope I have removed it now, my current drive had already started having some problems (the main problem I got with the others when it had been a while was that somehow drive startup functions stopped the computer from booting up altogether. it'd just hang on start up and the DVD read light would remain on all the time even though no disc was inserted). I hope the removal will reverse the effect...

 

If I had money I would so sue them for breaking 2 drives and possibly a 3rd one...

[Domarius]

I think further discussion on starforce should be in a starforce thread. That topic is totally going to take control of this thread and is easily worth it's own thread.

 

Go here;

http://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?showtopic=3435

[SneaksieDave]

They have also made a post detailing how a very very VERY tiny & of users report problems and how most of them get solved.

 

What's the timeframe for the post you speak of which you speak? The reason I ask is, recently someone among the boycott mentioned that Ubi had said something to the effect of "we realize there are a lot of complaints and people are having problems with starforce.. we are looking into what to do about the situation." I don't remember if it was a direct email or a post from Ubi. I and others have been hopeful that would mean they'd go with a new protection method.

 

If not, I guess I won't be buying Dark Messiah.

[Al3xand3r]

So yeah, Dark Messiah will rock (hope they remove starforce)... The interview sheds some nice light on the gameplay.

(bumping the original topic since now we have a starforce specific topic. Anyone interested please read the original first post and comment on that!)

[sparhawk]

That's bad news. I was loooking forward to Dark Messiah, but if it uses Starforce, I will definitely not buy it.

[Forsaken]

I wonder why you all hate SF...

 

If the game's mechanics won't follow at least somewhat close to Mount&Blade it shall be downloaded only... Hate slashers. Looks fun though... Strange... Dark Messiah, Project Offset, companies are trying to go in heXen's direction a bit. FPS in fantasy, finaly, way to go, way to go.

[Dram]

I wonder why you all hate SF...

 

Heya Forsaken, a while since you've been here

 

Yeah the reason we all hate starforce is because it installs drivers onto the system which do a number of nasty things. These drivers get installed when you install the game and it does'nt even tell you. It causes problems with DVD ROMs as well. Several people say their DVD ROM was fucked up by it.

[SneaksieDave]

Link in sig will begin to help shed some light.

 

I'm not overly worried. Ubi wouldn't dare.

[Domarius]

Plus it looks like it's losing favor. Game companies won't implement it for fear of community backlash in some cases already.

[Subjective Effect]

Interesting info on the game. I like the sound of it alot. Plus Purah ftw!!

[SneaksieDave]

Saw over on Blue's a link to a new interview with two great new long videos:

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3149483

 

Oh they soooo better not put starforce in this. I wrote to Raph Colantonio today and got a surprisingly quick reply. Without quoting him directly (doesn't seem right without his permission), he said it will be Ubi's decision to include starforce or not, but he hopes they pick a different protection method for DM. I agree!

 

Do the right thing, Ubi. ...Or die!

 

 

Edit: Oh yeah, and Dark Messiah has rope arrows... didn't know that.

[Bukary]

WOW! I've just finished watching these vids.

 

It seems Arkane is great at recreating old gameplay in new engines.

 

Arx = Ultima Underworld. And Dark Messiah seems to be new ShadowCaster (that game was great!).

[Forsaken]

ShadowCaster? Are you refering to the old game by Raven?

[SneaksieDave]

Oh well, win some, lose some. It looks like, according to the beta testing signups here:

 

http://www.mightandmagicgame.com/uk/

 

that Dark Messiah will require Steam. Bad move, Ubi...

 

[woah]

It's nice that Steam is eliminating an intermediary, allowing Valve to reap more profits, but it is not nice that a program as simplistic as Steam bumps my memory usage up from 160 to 400, thereby significantly reducing performance in all games on Steam (why, exactly, is Steam so memory intensive? As far as I can tell, it's just a game selections menu with an integrated, half-ass instant messaging program...). In addition, the smoothness of netplay is greatly reduced with Steam; I can still remember how much smoother online play was with Counter-Strike back in the days of WON (yes, I play Counter-Strike now and then . Don't mock me ). Hit detection was virtually immediate. It was also nice to be able to join a Counter-Strike or TFC server in about 3 seconds or less with the old load times. Now it takes roughly 30 seconds. I could go on and on...

 

Of course, everyone is tired of hearing anti-Steam arguments.

[SneaksieDave]

I'm not. The only way we can accomplish anything in the face of omg oppression! is with our voices.

 

Steam should be optional. Steam should be delivery. That's all it should be. Valve had to push it too far, and blatantly lie about reduced costs too. Steam should now die.

 

Hey, we got Ubi to drop Starforce...

[Bukary]

ShadowCaster? Are you refering to the old game by Raven?

Yes. It was incredible and extremaly long... and it had underwater action!

 

[Al3xand3r]

Steam uses about 8-10MB of ram for me when I have its window closed (so it's just in the tray) which is how you have it when you play anyways (and if you don't, why not?). I do dislike certain aspects of it (for example, since a recent update, it always pops up the store view @ first instead of the mini my games view I had it set on), but, please, let's not compare it to Starforce which actually has the potential to cause extensive damage to your system among other things...

 

Anyway, I'm definitely looking forward to Dark Messiah of Might & Magic now that I know Ubisoft has dropped Starforce. Hope I get in the beta (or have they announced the participants already?).

Edited May 31, 2006 by Al3xand3r

[SneaksieDave]

Of course. Starforce could prevent a user from doing as they wish with their own system (as in the case of preventing DVD burning, etc), and supposedly could even cause physical damage.

 

Valve on the other hand, only installs in Steam a completely unnecessary piece of bloatware, while establishing precedent for other companies to do so as well, as the unaware or unwilling to fight line up to support it, thus damaging gamers' interests as a whole. As we move closer and closer to a pay-per-play model and ever decreasing content, it will fit in nicely. And let's not forget all those reduced prices it brings, "someday!" We should keep that distinction clear.

[Al3xand3r]

Well, Steam doesn't stop any of my programs from working and it doesn't break my pc in any way, and both are things Starforce did do (and not just "supposdelly" as you say).

 

I do think you are being ridiculous with the pay per play thing. There are games that fit with the current "in thing", the episodic deal, but there will always be room for a massive RPG, a great adventure game, etc... Games that simply have to be released the same way they always have. It's similar to how TV shows compare to movies. They offer a different kind of entertainment and can co-exist with each other fine. I love watching Lost on TV, but that doesn't stop me from going to see a great full length movie, and it also doesn't hinder said movie in any way...

 

By the way, pay per play has existed since, well, a long time ago, with the coin op arcade games. Once again, it was used there because it simply fit... It wasn't replacing anything, it was/is something different.

 

You know, even if the things you said were true and not pure unfounded speculation, I'd still rather support Valve and make Steam the most popular program rather than support the likes of EA or any other company that attempts this thing. If that is how things will be, they would end up that way and possibly worse without Valve.

Edited May 31, 2006 by Al3xand3r