MM4's start can be trivialized with a single spell; just cast Protection from Acid and only the boss can hurt you, and even then only occasionally and only by one point.

Note that this sort of strategy works elsewhere in MM4, though the protection spell you need may be different depending on the area (make sure to cast it *after* Day of Protection, if you're using that spell). In MM3, I don't remember seeing this situation as often, and Power Shield (the other protection spell) only affects one character at a time, so it's not likely worth it unless enemies only attack one character, or if an enemy has a low damage attack that causes a nasty side effect (there's one enemy type in particular that I'm thinking of that can instant kill your entire party). In MM5, enemies are generally too strong to reduce their damage to 0, at least not consistently (though I can think of one early enemy whose damage and status ailment can be easily negated this way).


Personally, I don't like the lack of enemy respawns in the Xeen games. (Enemies sometimes respawn in Isles of Terra's overworld, though you can prevent it by destroying the lairs, except in a couple places where the developers goofed.)

By the way, there's also Swords of Xeen, but be aware that the game has lots of scripting bugs (don't trust the game) and is poorly balanced (play on Adventurer difficulty, not Warrior difficulty, as, again, you can't trust the game to provide a fair challenge). Nevertheless, the game does do some interesting things, and I did enjoy playing it, but again, don't trust the game.

Thanks to all who replied. I have since installed MM3, even though it will have to compete with Trails of Cold Steel for my attention. My impressions from an hour of gameplay is that the graphics are a bit inferior, interface slower/clunkier, but everything else is pretty much the same as in MM4. It's just difficult – I'm having a hard time reaching just level 2; I don't know whether I should tackle the hard-hitting monsters in the first town or brave the hordes of weaker orcs outside. Oh well, lots to do. :)

I seem to recall that grabbing some bows and mowing down the outside orcs makes life easier. You can get two shots per "turn", as an FYI, just push the button fast enough.

I found it easy to endure the first town, clear it full, suffer out the first couple levels in there, and then it is a very smooth ride starting from Fountain Head Caverns. It will become gradually easier afterwards, especially when you reach the dungeon, where you gain a level after each couple of monsters killed (and there are many monsters in it).

There is no right or wrong in the order to do things.
Be aware that MM3 doesn't take auto notes like WoX so it won't hurt writing down some stuff.

I went outside before clearing the dungeons. You can get some good xp from destroying the creatures' lairs.

No bows currently at the blacksmith's. How often does be restock? I only have one short bow that I took of one of the premade characters before I dismissed them. Can you fire from multiple bows at once before the enemy comes close to you? If yes, that would be very useful. I can't fight more than one moose rat or bubble man at a time now. With goblins I can easily survive half a dozen, but more than that is also a problem.

I don't remember about the blacksmith or how I got the bows, I just remember rattling off four arrows at a time per attack 'wave', which means I had 4 bows equipped (cleric and sorcerer can't use one, I believe, and I was using the default party).

When you hit the key to shoot arrows, I believe that everyone with a bow takes a shot. You can hit the key twice (two volleys) before monsters will advance/act once; so you can get two volleys per 'round'. If you only hit the key once and then wait, they'll advance after one volley.

I just want to know how you see Might and Magic 6 as not open world???

Shops restock once per week and you fire from all equipped bows simultaneously just like in World of Xeen.

Respawn is the cancer of rpg. Why do you like respawn? RPg is not diablo. Grinding is not interesting.

respawn is great only when it's justify like in lands of lore.

In M&m 6, it's not justify, it's juste boring and useless. It's a bug of design.

edit: even in diablo, I find very boring the respawn and although, it's the type of game where respawn is the most usefull. It's explain why I prefer diablo 1 instead of diablo 2 .

For M&M3, you must visit fountain head and the sewer of fountain head before leave fountain head.
Use the temple to protect your group and use spells.
If you have completed world of xeen, it's not more difficult than the start of M&M4.

I have to agree. Respawning encourages grinding, reduces the feeling of player progress, and increases annoyance where some backtracking is needed. Developers just add them due to popular demand and/or to pad out their game with gratuitous combat, but RPGs are always better without it.

But I don't remember respawns in Lands of Lore. Maybe those hornet nests in the mid-game forest? Even then it's not so noticeable.

Thing is, what you refer to as "grinding" is more or less one of the aspects that distinguished early CRPGs from other genres (though I don't actually count it as a genre defining trait).

Consider that, without enemies respawning:
* Going through early areas gets incredibly boring. This also means that, after clearing every area, going through all areas gets incredibly boring, meaning I can't continue to enjoy the game from that save.
* If I just want to take time to level up without progressing the game, I can't without respawn. (Note that this includes situations when I am just a few XP away from gaining a level, or just need a few skill increases to gain a new ability (assuming a skill that needs an enemy to practice against).)
* Sometimes, I want to play the game, but don't want to progress through it, and don't want to consume anything; without respawning enemies, I can't just enjoy a little more combat.
* In games with leveling systems where you can make mistakes while leveling (including, for example, skill point systems), not having enemies respawn means I don't have any opportunity to correct my mistakes.

Edit: One other thing: Not having enemies respawn defeats the role of resource management. When enemies don'r respawn, I can just fight a battle, go back to town, rest at the Inn, and then just go back to where I was in the dungeon; no need to conserve resources for harder fights. Hence, respawn and mid-term resource management just don't work together. To fix that, one would need to auto-restore resources after each battle, not allow resources to be restored in town, or not allow leaving a dungeon once entering it (the latter option I find rather distasteful).

Except that you can trivialize the start of MM4 with a single spell (all the enemies in the starting town do acid damage), whereas that isn't an option in MM3.

What's wrong with that?
I disagree. I would consider getting XP and treasure to be a form of progress, and by being able to fight enemies while backtracking, I can continue to make progress when doing so.

Also, the annoying aspects can be eliminated by including alternative forms of transport (like fast travel or a teleportation spell), or by including a spell or item that prevents encounters with low level enemies (like in the Dragon Quest series).

A RPG like M&M is not a multiplayer game or a sandbox game or a diablo like game.
When the game is finished, it's finished.
It's like you want to continue your party in monkey island 2 when you have killed lechuck . M&m has a storyline. When you have finished, it's finished, It would be illogical to continue.
If you want to play again, you restart.

If go early areas is borring for you when there are no ennemies, it's just that the type of game is not fit for you. One of the aim of thses games is to level up and exploring in the same time False because if you make mistakes, you restart.
False because in M&M3 fopr example, you can't make mistakes while leveling.

I think that you mistake. You want diablo like, RPg like M&m is not diablo like. You don' understand the principle of theses games.
Make mistake and must restart is a component of these games.

Respawn is useless, boring in these games and totally illogical. Respawn broke the progression of characters. M&M 3 is easy. In M&m 3, you have spell (lloyd's beacon) and town portal .