Master of Magic
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Master of Magic (MoM) is a turn-based fantasy strategic computer game. Published by Microprose in 1993, it was developed by Steve Barcia (Simtex), who also wrote the better-known Master of Orion.
Master of Magic
Masterofmagic.png
Master of Magic box cover
| Release date: | 1993 |
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| Platform: | PC |
| Developer: | Simtex |
| Publisher: | Microprose |
| Genre: | Round-Based Strategy, Fantasy |
| Sucessors: | |
| Gameplay: | Top-Down View |
| Official site: | - |
| Influences: | Magic the Gathering |
The game has a lot of similarities with Civilization. However, it features a magic world, spells, heroes, two connected planes, different races, and tactical battles. It is loosely inspired by the world of Magic: The Gathering.
Famous for its replay value as well as for its countless bugs and broken AI (both largely fixed in a later patch) the game is loved still today by its fans, and acted as grandfather of a whole sub-genre of games. Rumors of a sequel never die out entirely.
MoM is only loosely related to the Master of Orion series. The ant-like Klackon race from MoO appears in MoM and the idea of heroic leaders was carried from MoM to MoO2.
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Technical details
The game runs in DOS and supports VGA graphics, Sound Blaster audio, MIDI music, and a mouse. Although it can run successfully at least under Windows NT as well, on modern computers the best way to run it is by emulation (DosBox).
Description
The game begins by letting the player customize his/her wizard. The choices included specialisation in knowledge of several of the five different magic paths (chaos, sorcery, nature, death, or life) as well as special skills (such as a decreased cost to summon monsters, or an increased mana production). The player may control one of over a dozen starting races, each with different graphics, skills, troops, and needs.
The main game interface is a top-down map of the magic lands. The game world consists of continents of varying sizes separated by water. Randomly scattered across the land are temples, lairs, neutral and enemy cities, magic towers, rivers and mountains. The player can zoom into his/her starting city and micromanage to build city structures or troops. A better-developed city allows production of better troops. Later on, conquest of neutral and enemy cities as well as founding of outposts will expand one's empire. Conquest of heavily-defended magic nodes will gain Mana income.
Armies are stacks of up to 9 units that can be moved in a turn-based manner around the magical lands. If an army lands on a map square containing another army, a battle is fought. The player can control all of his/her units during the battle and can also cast magic spells.
With the aid of researched spells, recruited or summoned troops, mercenaries, chance events, heroes (equipped with magic items that can be forged) and diplomacy, the game can be won in two ways:
- world conquest;
- researching and executing the spell of mastery.
See also
- Warlords series
- Heroes of Might and Magic series
- Age of Wonders series
- Dominions2
- list of computer and video games by name
External links
- www.the-underdogs.org (http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=687) Download and Manual, fan-written multiplayer-patch
- Age of Magic (http://www.ageofmagic.org/) Remake of MoM in progress
- Leylines (http://www.geocities.com/p_simoons) Finished remake (but heavily modified)
- Master of Magic Clone (http://george101.demon.co.uk/mom/) Another Remake of MoM in Progress
- Master of Magic Clone (http://www.ruvo.boom.ru/) Russian Remake of MoM in Progress
- Magic Master Project (http://magmap.sourceforge.net/) OpenSource Remake of MoM
- www.galciv.com/ (http://www.galciv.com/forum.asp?BID=GF&id=177564#185267) Stardock Remake of Master Of Magic 2
- www20.brinkster.com/kadirclan (http://www20.brinkster.com/kadirclan/default.asp) MoM Fansite
- www.masterofmagic2.com/ Fansite for the development of MoM2
- Mom FAQ (http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/game/564960.html)de:Master of Magic