Hi, I'm a role playing gamer who entered this world at the end of 1990s with the games like Daggerfall and Might&Magic 6. Now I want to delve deeper into retro dungeons. :) I recently finished Ultima 5 and now I decided to begin Might&Magic 3.

I have some questions about the game:

1-Do we have to begin the adventure with preset characters? Is there no way to adjust my party members profession, skills and such?

2-Is there respawning of monsters in the game? Or do I have to fight same monsters over and over again upon passing the same areas?

3-Is this game big and open ended as M&M 6?

Actually MM3 is the only one I haven't played yet (I did 4-6 back in the day and have done 1 and 2 from GOG, will get to 3 soon) but I am certain that you are able to create your own characters. For more info on how to do this, check the PDF manual that comes with the game (it should be in the install directory, you can also download it separately from the "additional content" tab on the gamecard in your GOG account). Or someone who has played MM3 can post here with how to do it. But every MM game lets you make your own party if you want. Well, World of Xeen (the mega-game formed when MM4 and MM5 merge together) is quite large, and MM1 and MM2 were both pretty large as well. I have heard that MM3 is not quite as big as Xeen but it should stlil be pretty big. And they are all completely open-ended, basically allowing you to go wherever you want, with some small exceptions, like not being able to cross mountains until you learn the mountaineering skill.

1 - Yes, but by returning to the tavern, (Directly behind you when you start) you can dismiss the default party and create one of your own. Don't throw it away out of principle, though, as it's actually fairly well constructed.

2 - No. Enemies do not respawn. There are a lot of enemies in some areas (particularly the outdoor areas) that can sneak up on you, but once an area is clear, it's clear forever.

3 - Pretty much. The world is huge, there are tons of dungeons and towns to explore, and lots of quests and puzzles. It's not as big as, say, World of Xeen, but that's a pretty unfair comparison, because World of Xeen is actually two games in one. You can also travel almost anywhere from the start of the game. There are some areas that you need certain skills or items to cross or enter, but other than that you can travel wherever you want, whenever you want.

Thanks for your answers. I began to play to game. Its' interface is so user friendly according to a RPG which was release in 1991.

Same non linearity, open world, easy to learn difficult to master gameplay. Now I must go, a huge world is waiting for me to explore. Long live retro. :)

1.) Just turn around and sign in at the inn.
If you want to recycle the faces of the pregenerated characters you have to delete them. Freshly created characters start unequipped, so don't forget to trade equipment at the inn.
2.) There are a few outside areas where monsters might respawn. If you kill the goblins outside Fountain Head and leave the area without destroying their lair you might meet a few when you return, but it stops when their lair is destroyed for example. Quite likely you will finish the game without ever noticing a respawn. It's not like in MM6 or 7.
3.) MM3 is a big game, but MM6 is much bigger. MM3 has only one ending, but you are free on your way to get there, just like in MM6. It's an open world to explore and many things are optional.