Worlds of Magic Kickstarter

[doomtrader]

Hi

 

I’m a member of Wastelands Interactive team, an independent game developer. We are a team of dedicated people with experience in creating strategy wargames. We are currently working on our new game called Worlds of Magic which we would like to become a true spiritual successor to Master of Magic.

 

 

 

 

The main features of the game are:

Master of Magic Spiritual Successor: After waiting more than a decade for a true Master of Magic successor, we decided to create one.

D20 System: Units, Spells, and Heroes will all draw from the D20 OGL rule set during tactical battles.

Deep 4X Playability: Explore, exploit, expand and exterminate in a world of magic, diplomacy, and war.

Hero Units: Recruit powerful, artifact wielding heroes to lead your forces into battle.

Twelve Spell Circles: Focus on depth in a single school, or gain the ability to cast incredibly diverse spells.

Unique Races: Each race offers the ability to create exclusive units, with their own strengths and weaknesses. The factions also play differently allowing players to choose a faction based on their play style.

Settle Powerful Cities: Construct buildings, raise crops, and control production in order to create and support powerful armies.

Multiple Victory Conditions: War is not the only way to conquer the world; make treaties, establish trade routes or use peace as a tool for domination.

Procedurally Generated Universe: Each game can be different. The entire universe is created procedurally using a seed that can be random or specified by the player.

Multiple Planes of Existence: Explore and conquer seven different planes of existence ranging from the Prime Material Plane, which is much like Earth, to the elemental planes that course with pure elemental energies. Find new creatures and new lands for expansion in these unexplored realms.

 

Recently we have launched a Kickstarter campaign, which we are planning to help us speed up the development process of the game.

If the above sounds interesting for you, and you would like to get some more info what we are doing please visit our KS page:

 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/304725524/worlds-of-magic-a-new-classic-4x-fantasy-game

 

We are hoping you will let your friends know about the project and back us to make this game.

 

More info and screenshots can be found at the games website: http://myworldsofmagic.com

[LadyCrimson]

We do have a Kickstarter thread for making simple links/announcements about projects, where I think your KS has already been mentioned...thought about merging this into it, but you made such a nice presentation of your KS project I'll let it be.

 

I don't personally know anything about the game you're trying to emulate, but looks like a lot of effort and thought going into your project, judging by description, website and your forum. So I wish you good luck.

[Oerwinde]

I really hope this one works. There have been several attempts at spiritual successors to Master of Magic, none of which really came close to recapturing the feel or addictiveness of the original.

[doomtrader]

Master of Magic is the first among fantasy 4X games. It has been created by the same team, which has made Master of Orion.

 

We have just released some World Map screens and I think it's kind an awesome so you might want to see it





Yep, we have to keep working on water, but this is progressing a lot! BTW, you can see all the other official updates here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/304725524/worlds-of-magic-a-new-classic-4x-fantasy-game/posts

Well, what do you think?

[rjshae]

Yes, that's a nice look.

[alanschu]

I had posted a couple of questions on your message board (I went there FROM here, actually), but I was getting more of a D&D vibe from the topics than a Master of Magic vibe.  As such it's a game that ended up moving more onto my "I'll wait and see how it goes"

 

 

While I understand that the mechanics are d20, when I saw discussions about leveraging other aspects related to the D&D influences that d20 has, such as the Dark Elves becoming the Drow with all their affinity for spiders and the like, as well as the discussion about Hero classes and so forth tying into the specific d20 classes, which ended up leading to me having reservations once I realized that the spells being discussed that what I didn't mind about d20 was the method of rules mechanics for combat (determining damage and combat resolution), but influencing things like what the Heroes, Spells, and Units will actually be left me feeling that part of that unique vibe that Master of Magic provided was being obfuscated with a level of D&D familiarity that I wasn't super comfortable with.  I understand nothing is set in stone, but if many are gravitating towards the game because of its d20 background (something I wasn't aware of, but was told on the forum), it means people will be lobbying for those aspects based on their familiarity in many ways.

 

 

I know one of the posters was starting to feel frustrated with my perspective and general "lack of comfort" though so I ended up taking my leave, as I didn't want to be a buzzkill around your forums.  It might seem nitpicky (especially as I was reminded on several occasions, it was all going to be "behind the scenes" but with the information being spread throughout the forums, it didn't seem like it was behind the scenes enough and it felt reinforced based on the conversations being discussed.

 

I play d20 modern and am a big fan of both KOTOR games (am replaying the second one now) so the d20 combat mechanics (i.e. how to determine resistances, damage, and hit chance) seemed fine, but the influence over the units, heroes/classes, as well as the spells, is where I felt shaky.  Balance was often cited by one poster, but the best I could discern from the forum was that that necessitated leveraging the D&D aspects in order to take advantage of the balance provided.

 

 

EDIT:

tl;dr I'm evidently not as comfortable with the d20 aspects as I first thought, as it seems to be exerting greater influence in the spell/unit/hero/class selections rather than purely a way to resolve combat.

 

 

I do wish you luck with the project, however, and hope that you are able to knock it out of the park.  If it does I will definitely pick it up.

Edited April 12, 2013 by alanschu

[Jigawatts]

I have never heard of Masters of Magic before, if you had to compare this style of game to something else, is it more like the Warcraft RTS games, Final Fantasy Tactics, or Heroes of Might and Magic (preferably 3)?

 

P.S. Those screenshots look pretty.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Jigawatts

[Oerwinde]

I agree with alanschu that some of the D&D aspects were taking too much hold, especially with the Dark Elves. Some of the things in the magic system I don't think make sense, but a lot of others seem to like it so oh well. Hopefully the final product has that MoM feel too it. One thing that would really help that along is music. Light-hearted overworld music, with some bombastic combat music.

[Oerwinde]

I have never heard of Masters of Magic before, if you had to compare this style of game to something else, is it more like the Warcraft RTS games, Final Fantasy Tactics, or Heroes of Might and Magic (preferably 3)?

 

P.S. Those screenshots look pretty.

 

It was essentially a fantasy clone of Civilization with turn-based tactical combat in which you or your hero units could cast a variety of spells along with however you move your troops and such.

 

 

This shows off a good deal of gameplay.

[HoonDing]

Master of magic was a really easy game. Heroes and certain units like paladins or angels could become so powerful that they could solo entire armies. Kinda like with the first Age of Wonders game.

[Oerwinde]

Easy doesn't mean its not fun though. And it was really the endgame that was easy. I don't get how that guy in the video has brand new recruited heroes facing basilisks and such and not getting touched.

[Elerond]

In my experience easiest strategy to win in MoM was to make custom wizard with all point put in life and take Invunerability spell, which make unit/hero immune to non-magical weapons, which make it very easy to conquer all neutral cities near you with your spearman and swordman unit that you get in start and this gives you quite good ability to expand more and more and then conquer both dimensions quite easilly, even in highest difficulty levels where computer gets humongous starting bonuses. Of course magical creatures are still problem but you usually can evade them until you got 8-10 cities and troops that can destroy them easilly.

[Oerwinde]

I liked playing with a variety of wizard types. One favorite was warlord with 9 life books, allowing Champion experience level units with the combo of Warlord and the Crusade enchantment.

[Elerond]

I liked playing with a variety of wizard types. One favorite was warlord with 9 life books, allowing Champion experience level units with the combo of Warlord and the Crusade enchantment.

 

And with adamantium weapons you have quite killing machines on your hand, which can challenge even demi-god level heroes.

[Oerwinde]

 

Brief look at the City UI and some combat animations. Dead on copy of MoM for the UI. Me likey.

[doomtrader]

Hi

 

The Worlds of Magic is moving forward, and at the beginning of the next week we should have some new nice images of the world map.

 

Now just some concept and a developers video about the evolution of the battleboard.

 

 

Here you can read more about the progress and ideas:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/304725524/worlds-of-magic-a-new-classic-4x-fantasy-game/posts

 

 

I’m hoping that you will help us bringing the old good times of PC gaming back.

[Wastelander]

Hey there, people! How is it going?

 

Another Wastelands member here. Finally we can show progresses on the World Map. Some elements have been added, and of course water has changed a lot since your last visit, lol. Hope you like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

95% at the moment!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/304725524/worlds-of-magic-a-new-classic-4x-fantasy-game

 

Thanks a lot.

[Wastelander]

Hello again!

 

Well, I am incredibly happy to announce that we have reached our base goal, so the minimum funding for development is now guaranteed! That's BIG THANKS to all of you guys. Now we are trying to hit some stretch goals, and make sure that the game will be released with as much content as possible.

 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/304725524/worlds-of-magic-a-new-classic-4x-fantasy-game/posts/

 

Also, I take the occassion to tell you too that Draconian will be the 5th faction for Worlds of Magic, as the community have decided. Here you can find some art from George Purdy, you know, the creative director and former Master of Magic - Master of Orion designer .

 

 

 

 

 

 

See you soon,and thanks again!

[alanschu]

Congrats on reaching your goal!

[Oerwinde]

I have to say the concept art for the Draconians is badass, the 3D model is not so much.

[Wastelander]

Hi there!

 

 

Congrats on reaching your goal!

 

 

Thank you!

 

I have to say the concept art for the Draconians is badass, the 3D model is not so much.

 

 

Just a WIP, you'll see :D.

 

Today we can say we surpassed the 35K GBP stretch goal! So the seven faction is a reality too, soon we will ask the community (aka YOU) about what faction will be the next . Also, now it is possible to pledge via PayPal. Of course paypal pledges will count for the new stretch goals! 

 

http://store.esellerate.net/s.aspx?s=STR2943433056

 

Thank you.

 

[doomtrader]

Hello All.

We have broke the 40k stretch goal tonight, and with 29 hours left we can try to hit the 45k, which is additional race and Linux and Mac version available at the release date.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/304725524/worlds-of-magic-a-new-classic-4x-fantasy-game

Thanks for your support, spreading the word and for backing us.
You can still give us a hand, and help making this game greater.

[doomtrader]

Hello All!

You can still help us by backing our game
Come and see what we are doing there and if you like it, just back us and spread the word

http://tinyurl.com/ck5yftd