I had never played this game before buying it. I bought it because the HOMM and Civ series are 2 of my favorites. I have spent about 3-5 hours now just *learning the basics* of this game, and I'm still sort of baffled by combat sometimes (i.e. when creatures that are seemingly far more powerful get slaughtered by swordsmen).
That said, I can tell that there is a really great game here. It's very apparent as soon as you get into it even a little. The breadth of races, creatures, spells. The hero abilities, the racial bonuses and drawbacks. I can see why this game is a favorite of many.
I'm going to keep trucking away. I think it will be worth it.
...the AI is just a punching bag. It really just can't play the game at all. So, while I love the game, love the spells, the different races, the different ways to play, all the little touches of detail that make this feel so much like a fantasy "world"... it's not really accurate to call this a strategy game, because winning is just a matter of figuring out the AI's weaknesses and exploiting the hell out of them. Still, while you're still figuring out how to do that, a very enjoyable experience.
Master of Magic is an old game, but it's among the very best online. I remember buying it when it first came out in the 90's. It was fun back then, but the version for sale here is awesome. The AI is smart, and the Hard and Impossible setting pose real challenges. There are hours and hours of fun here. I recomend this game with NO hesitations!
This game had been on my to get list for GoG for quite a while.
So when I finally got it recently it was quite the experience.
Master of Magic plays very much like Master of Orion, you choose your race, erh.. Wizard and start out in a small town with a few basics such as low level troops and whatnot.
You research spells, build stuff in town and thereby are able to field a more capable army. (Those poor hobbit spearmen you start out with are better suited to living quietly at home)
You can send out your forces to explore land and sea and later the other world in the game. Yes, you heard it, MoM has two paralel worlds to explore. In either world you'll encounter monsters, ruins, chaos nodes, free towns and the mind-controlled-minions of other wizards.
In the latter case you have a plethoria of options: be diplomatic, keep your distance, play the raiding game or go for KKND. (Krush, Kill 'N Destroy)
Whatever you may choose, this game provides hours of fun. Thing is though that there are a few flaws that might put you off if you are blind to the qualities of the game.
First off, the graphics are where the game shows it's age the most. It looks almost like Gemfire or Uncharted Waters 2 for the SNES.Armies are represented by icons and battle scenes feature models about 1,5cm².
The research completion animations differ per wizard, but get repetative. (Merlin and his snake are point in case)
Secondly, it takes a while for your armies o amount to anything much. Most ruins and such have monsters that see your starting party as a quick snack, even on easier difficulty levels. So the difficulty curve can be quite steep.
Thirdly, the AI isn't too great either, but maybe I'm a bit spoiled by MoO2? Opponents turn from licking your boots to raging nemesis over one turn at times or so it seems.
On the more positive side though, the music is really good, if considered for it's time. With many memorable themes in between the OST that GoG provides is a welcome bonus.
Aditionally, if you like MoO 1,2 or 3 then MoM is without doubt right up your alley. To me the old graphics are a bonus as I do like the SNESsy nostalgia they invoke.
