Welcome to Development Diary #2, where this time we will be looking at some of the events and artwork being remade for this timeless classic.
Events
There are several different types of events in Master of Magic, and they will all make a comeback in the remake:
All events have the option of accepting the default state, or using the ‘choices’ button to see if there are alternative options available.
Map locations
The map of Master of Magic is filled with various locations that can be explored by the player. These include things like fallen temples, ruins or mysterious caves where both treasure and challenge may await. There are also three power nodes, Sorcery, Nature and Chaos, and the magic towers that serve as portals between Arcanus and Myrror. All of those locations have an event attached to them, so that the appropriate path will trigger - combat if there are defenders, or loot if it is abandoned. Those events are fairly straight forward and apart from some extra fluff here or there, they will remain unchanged.
Random events
This is what a ‘module’ looks like inside the event editor - a tool that will be available for players as well.
All of the random events from the original MoM are returning, but they are slightly modified. In the remake, we want to give the wizard a chance to react to some of those events, instead of them being a simple notification of what occurred. You will always have the option to simply accept the default result, but in some cases, you will be able to either alter or even avoid the consequences. This will typically be achieved by offering a payment via mana/gold or other means that an event may respond to.
In the classic ‘Benefactor’ event, you have the added option of giving up the gold to gain some fame instead.
Some events will of course remain choice free, as they are pretty straight forward. But, the event editor allows for easy modifications if needs be.
These events have varied triggers, that include turn counter, specific prerequisite (like x amount of fame/gold/mana, etc) or simply chance. All of the events also have a cooldown counter, to ensure they do not pop up one after another.
We are also planning to add an event pack to the game, which will bring in additional and new content. But, as in the original, those events will be optional (using something like an on/off toggle).
This work-in-progress event is from the new pack and has some additional options to change the outcome of an otherwise negative occurrence.
Traders and recruitment
The last category of events is the recruitment and/or item sales. These events are not yet implemented, but they too will return to Master of Magic. Based on your Fame, units, heroes, champions or items will be offered to you for sale/recruitment.
Art Show of the month - Wizards
Finally, we will end today's dev diary with a look at some Wizards and their evolution. As with the original, there are 14 Wizards to choose from. The Wizards will have their preset traits (formerly known as retorts) and magic books, but you will also be able to change this as you wish, thus creating your own, custom versions. The preset Wizards also have a short backstory or flavour text to show their character.
First, the ones that remained mostly unchanged:
Rjak remains mysterious as ever. In their new reincarnation, you don’t even see the eyes, making them an even more unsettling character.
Tlaloc is the master of rain and storm, some call him an Aztec priest, some believe him to be the rain god incarnate. He seems to be in a darker mood these days.
Some have grown older and wiser:
Lo Pan is a Wushen master who specialises in Chaos and Sorcery magic. The years may have whitened his mane, but Lo Pan's wisdom remains steadfast.
And here are some that were reinterpreted:
Sharee is an accomplished voodoo priestess and despite her deceptively young visage, she’s said to have cheated death many times over. She now wears more clothes...
Sss’ra is a draconian warlock who specialises in both Chaos and Life magic. Sss’ra has clearly become more ferocious over the years...
For a discussion of the dev diary, please join us on our Discord channel here.
You can also wishlist Master of Magic on Steam.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1623070/Master_of_Magic/