Mod Preview: Master of Myrror

[Drift]

Beta version of the mod is now available.:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79607

I also opened a unit request thread for the mod here. Check it out if you are a unit creator and would like to help.

Some background information:

Master of Myrror is a fantasy mod influenced by a classic game from Simtex, Master of Magic. Myrror was an another dimension in that game. This is not a remake and this not even a Master of Magic mod. The two games are too different for that. But there are a lot of familiar things so a tribute to Master of Magic is the most appropriate term.

Master of Myrror is a mod where 12 wizards compete with each other over the domination of the magical world of Myrror. The wizards are divided into four camps, death mages, chaos mages, nature mages and sorcerers. All three wizards of each group are at the moment identical in terms of gameplay. Different mages have different units, strenghts and weaknesses and they require different playing styles.

There are very rare ‘resources’ of different races scattered around Myrrror - trolls, orcs, elves, dark elves, dwarves, lizardmen, goblins and men. Usually there is only one of each on a map so you often end up playing with different units each time. Also, Myrror is dotted with nodes of four different types of mana.

Most of the Civ features have been given a magic coating. You don’t build great wonders, but cast great spells. Instead of gold, everything is paid with mana (crystals). This is still in its baby steps as I haven’t yet touched game’s texts.

Terrain is Snoopy’s terrain with a twilight theme. Everything has a purplish tint to it and it’s darker than in regular civ. To go with the more moody terrain, interface follows the same theme.

But I could go on with this stuff forever. Let’s see some pics. Let’s start with the mages:

Upper row: Death mages Mordja, Rjak and Vlad. Chaos mages Tauron, Draloc and Kali
Lower row: Nature mages Sss’ra, Bardos and Ariel. Sorcery mages Oberic, Merlin and Freya.


Units of the different mages: From left to right: Death mages, Chaos mages, Sorcerers and Nature mages


Units available through different resources: From left to right: Lizardmen, Orcs, Elves, Men, Dark Elves, Trolls, Dwarves and Goblins.


Other units:


Terrain shot with my puny Death mage on an island without fresh water. (click to enlarge)


First era tech tree through the eyes of a chaos mage (click to enlarge) - arrows haven't yet been drawn.

 

[MarcusSaurono]

Beautiful.

 

[Vasili]

It looks good but you could use better units.

 

[Drift]

Originally posted by Vasili
you could use better units.

Suggestions of better units are accepted. There isn't a surplus of fantasy units for Civ3 you know... Besides, I think that is putting down the amazing work people on these forums have done for the matter.

 

[aaglo]

Holy crap!
That looks wonderful, Drift!

Initial thoughts & comments (how stupid thing to do withoult even trying the beta )
- No life magic
- I see Freya has gone through a sex change operation
- The colour scheme is brilliant

 

[Yoda Power]

Damn this looks awesome, I wish I had time to test it

Good luck

 

[embryodead]

Well, you can obviously count me in. I'm mad about one thing though - you used my MALE Malekith as female! (I don't mind Legolas being used as female, he's isn't very male anyway ).

 

[Colonel Kraken]

Wow! STU-pendous!



--CK

 

[spincrus]

Your work seems to pay off, Drift (forgot to add that I'm in for the "test drive" ).

 

[Bobisback]

cool looking I am not to much in to fantasy, but I think I can make an exception an, I will help test

 

[mrtn]

I'm interested.
If you don't get webspace for this you can send it to me through ICQ or MSN Messenger (I'm assuming you have broadband). Just throw me a PM.

I like the way the tech tree doesn't start from the left as usual.

 

[Thorgrimm]

Drift i would be more than happy to help in your playtest as i bought MoM when it first came out and still play it.

One question why did you leave out life magic as it has some of the coolest units available in the game like the archangel. And i can think of one wonder that would convert over to MoM very easily if you had life magic, Battlefield Medicine, as that would represent one of the bennies of life magic.

If you want to let me participate in your playtest either give me a pm or email me at rikardon99@comcast.net


Cheers Thorgrimm

 

[Drift]

Thanks everyone.

About Freya's sex:
Up to now I've been under the impression that Sween32's Elf is female. Live and learn.

About Malekith's sex:
Embryodead, I knew you'd flip. I just couldn't resist the temptation. Sh... He is bit of an androgyne. I did think of making some leaderheads myself, but I don't have the time. Kali would've been on the list.

About life magic and resemblance to Master of Magic:
Lack of units for Sorcery and Light magic made me combine them under one name. Also, the tech tree would've given some extra troubles with five groups. However, current sorcery resembles more Light magic than Sorcery... But remember, this isn't really a Master of Magic -mod. I started off doing one, but units, different concepts and such ended up having me taking huge liberties concerning similarities to Master of Magic. This is pretty much a fantasy mod by Drift with the Master of Magic providing universe, wizards, city names, theme and some features.

I'm currently sick at home with not much else to do than work on this mod (besides coughing my lungs out and sleeping when the coughing lets me). So I'm ahead of schedule, we'll see if that lasts. The good response this thread has got has made me want to finalize things a bit more before putting it out there. I won't promise I have it available by today (assuming TF okays it), but I can try.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[aaglo]

Drift:

-Will all the wizards be able to research all the magic fields? And if so, then:
- do they have any specialities concerning other magic types, like cheaper spell research on own magic type? I think that could be done via flavors - like in the 'colonization conquest' in C3C, where europeans can research the native american techs, but it would take 80 turns to do so.

- Will this mod have more ages (or just one)?

- Will all the wizards have an unique unit too (not just the units based on magic type)?

- You mentioned you still need some graphics. Do you need help? Lähetä vaikka PM, jos apua tarvit.

- This mod has tremendously potential to be a truly great mod.

 

[Drift]

Originally posted by aaglo
Drift:
-Will all the wizards be able to research all the magic fields? And if so, then:
- do they have any specialities concerning other magic types, like cheaper spell research on own magic type? I think that could be done via flavors - like in the 'colonization conquest' in C3C, where europeans can research the native american techs, but it would take 80 turns to do so.

Yes they can. Researching all 20 'main techs' of an era and the one in the middle allows era advancement. Using the flavors in that fashion sounds interesting, I'll have to look into it. Not a dramatic difference, but a small bonus for each wizard's own magic. Hmmm...

Currently I have the system worked out so that you can advance only two steps ahead of other fields of magic. For example, researching any level 4 magic requires that you have learned all four level 1 magics. I'm not sure if I should discard this. Techs become more expensive with each step so focusing on one single branch would mean stagnated research in other fields for a very long time. On the other hand, it would offer more choices for the player. However, in the few test games I played I never really felt like I could beeline for one magic's level 5 - there was too much useful stuff behind other techs too. I guess it could be safe to discard it - my reasoning was to keep stronger units from making their appearance too soon.

- Will this mod have more ages (or just one)?

It has two eras. Although the latter one is a bit more sparse than the first era. Eras are supposed to last longer than the eras in regular Civ3, but I have no idea how I've achieved that.

- Will all the wizards have an unique unit too (not just the units based on magic type)?

This is something I've been pondering on a lot. I would like to do it, but the lack of units restricts me - all the available ones are needed for common units. I'm also using the civ traits (ind, agr...) for differences between different mages so I can't really make them unique in even that matter. This is something I would definitely like to solve. One thought I've been having is allowing different mages to summon some units of a different branch of magic. For example Nature mage Sss'ra being able to summon select few Chaos units.

- You mentioned you still need some graphics. Do you need help? Lähetä vaikka PM, jos apua tarvit.

Thanks. Pity your own field is mechanical units, ships and such. I don't really need much of those any more (thanks to your ships and cannon).

I've been managing ok with what has been made, but I think most troublesome are the Sorcerers' (gotta rename them Life mages) units. Angels, good fantasy creatures like Unicorns and such would be useful. There are some units still in production that fill in several gaps:
- Embryodead's Fire Giant will be a lesser Chaos demon, Mauler.
- Embryodead's Giant will be the highest Nature land unit, Forest Giant.
- Embryodead's third Giant may go to Trolls who have my ugly palette-edited Warrior as a Mantroll.
- Smoking mirror's Giant Spider will go to Death mages as their highest land unit.
- Embryodead's two doggies may have a use somewhere.
- Kinboat's Gnolls may go to Nature mages possibly replacing the Dinosaur units of which I'm not very keen on.

Maybe I should do a request thread for what I need.

- This mod has tremendously potential to be a truly great mod.

Thanks. I do feel like I have something here.

 

[aaglo]

Originally posted by Drift

Yes they can. Researching all 20 'main techs' of an era and the one in the middle allows era advancement. Using the flavors in that fashion sounds interesting, I'll have to look into it. Not a dramatic difference, but a small bonus for each wizard's own magic. Hmmm...

...

It has two eras. Although the latter one is a bit more sparse than the first era. Eras are supposed to last longer than the eras in regular Civ3, but I have no idea how I've achieved that.

Perhaps the previous could answer the later. By increasing the 'tech research costs' on the foreign fields of magic could increase the time spent on the first age.
But I'm not sure, if the flavor-thingy prevents the AI from researching the non-favored techs at all

 

[mrtn]

Originally posted by aaglo

...But I'm not sure, if the flavor-thingy prevents the AI from researching the non-favored techs at all

As far as I've understood embryodeads explanation of flavors they only give chances that a civ should research some tech. This needs the tech tree to be sufficiently large, of course. AFAIK the AI isn't prevented to research techs, just discouraged.

I haven't heard of that cost increase before, are you guys certain about that?

 

[Gogf]

Wow Drift, this is amazing. Finally, a preview thread for MoM!

 

[aaglo]

Well, check the 'age of sail' (or what's the name of that europeans going to america) conquest in C3C. Native americans have techs that can be researched by them in mere 20 turns, but the same techs cost to the europeans 80 turns (maximum) - and vise versa. But I'm not sure if the cost can be changed (to flavor civ) like 25 % less than to non-flavor civ.

 

[Drift]

I looked at the Age of Discovery scenario, but wasn't able to figure out how that tech thing worked. Mesoamerican techs seemed to cost 500, but I couldn't figure out how mesoamerican civs research them in 20 turns.

I haven't touched flavors so far and I'm a little confused with them.