Might & Magic VII

[GawainBS]

Since this board was the closest thing to a M&M board, I decided to post here.
I'm going to replay MMVII, and I want to try out a rather unorthodox party.
Knight, Thief, Monk or Ranger, Druid. Should I take a Monk or a Ranger?
Do you foresee any difficulties? I'm mostly afraid of lacking Light magic.

Thanks in advance!

[fable]

I'd go with the Ranger, rather than a Monk, for the extra magic. But I agree: without a cleric, you're going to find fighting the forces of the dark very, very difficult. Not impossible, if you can stand killing one or two, leaving, returning, killing one or two, etc. But if you don't like that, get yourself a cleric.

[GawainBS]

Thief, Knight, Cleric, Druid, maybe? That sounds a bit more balanced.

[fable]

Thief, Knight, Cleric, Druid, maybe? That sounds a bit more balanced.

Yeah, you could get by with that. My own preference is for Knight, Thief, Cleric, Sorc, because by the latter part of the game you're swimming in cash, and can afford to buy all the black potions the druid can otherwise make. Meanwhile, the Sorc easily outclasses the Druid for sheer power. But it's up to you.

[GawainBS]

I've had a Sorcerer & Cleric in every M&M party up untill now. I'm trying to find a way around them.

[fable]

I've had a Sorcerer & Cleric in every M&M party up untill now. I'm trying to find a way around them.

Heh. So have I. Druid, then, it is. You'll just find your offensive magical power reduced somewhat, but not horribly so.

[GawainBS]

I read about people who finished the game without a Cleric or Sorcerer and it sounded intresting.
But since I'm a buff-freak, I'd feel initimidated by casting all the protection spells, heroism, bless, haste (which should work in the non-official patch), wizard eye, etc. Hence, my love of Light Magic.
I think I'll make the Cleric more of a "Battle Cleric", with only Spirit (later Light as well) and weapon skills. Just for the change of pace.

[fable]

I read about people who finished the game without a Cleric or Sorcerer and it sounded intresting.

I've never gotten into the "kill one, retreat, sleep and heal, kill another, retreat, sleep and heal, ad infinitum" grill. You either have to do that, or use a lot of cheese. Magic is pretty essential after the first few levels in any M&M game, I think.

But since I'm a buff-freak, I'd feel initimidated by casting all the protection spells, heroism, bless, haste (which should work in the non-official patch), wizard eye, etc. Hence, my love of Light Magic.
I think I'll make the Cleric more of a "Battle Cleric", with only Spirit (later Light as well) and weapon skills. Just for the change of pace.

As I recall, those Light spells really help in the regenerating undead-infesting catacombs, which are a good, continuing source of income.

[GawainBS]

Not much point in taking a Druid then, unless for a very magic-heavy party. Going to settle on Knight, Monk, Cleric, Sorcerer. This has the added benefit of having lots of different weapon types and all armour types. Yes, I'm a bit odd, but I feel so sad when I have to sell that Artifact Platemail because nobody uses it...

[fable]

Not much point in taking a Druid then, unless for a very magic-heavy party. Going to settle on Knight, Monk, Cleric, Sorcerer. This has the added benefit of having lots of different weapon types and all armour types. Yes, I'm a bit odd, but I feel so sad when I have to sell that Artifact Platemail because nobody uses it...

I'm the same way! So should I suppose you'll choose your races to make the most of the Arcomage reward?

Mind, I wish they'd made some of those rewards less race-specific. Even more, I wish they'd let you specify to an item creator what type of item, before they spent your ore--and perhaps let you contribute a sum of money to prevent the very wide disparity between worst and best posssible when something was finished. But NWC wasn't very open to ideas like that.

[GawainBS]

Actually, I choose my races based on their starting class. It will be Knight-Goblin, Monk-Human, Cleric-Dwarf, Sorcerer-Elf, I think.
Oh, I always save before handing over Ore. Experience is a good teacher.

[fable]

Actually, I choose my races based on their starting class. It will be Knight-Goblin, Monk-Human, Cleric-Dwarf, Sorcerer-Elf, I think.

So, optimized for racial/profession mix. I go the same way. In fact, you've duplicated my setup, except that I typically run a thief- or archer-human.

Oh, I always save before handing over Ore. Experience is a good teacher.

Same here. But you know that a gameplay subsystem has failed in its design if the players routinely save before using it, then reload endlessly.

[GawainBS]

My all time favourite party in MM would be something else, though.
Paladin - Dwarf, Archer - Human, Cleric - Human, Sorcerer - Elf.
This time around, I was too curious as to the Monk's combination of Unarmed, Dodging, Staff & Leather.
One thing I sometimes do, is changing weapon skills. Like using an editor to give my Paladin GM in Axes instead Maces.

[fable]

My all time favourite party in MM would be something else, though.
Paladin - Dwarf, Archer - Human, Cleric - Human, Sorcerer - Elf.
This time around, I was too curious as to the Monk's combination of Unarmed, Dodging, Staff & Leather.
One thing I sometimes do, is changing weapon skills. Like using an editor to give my Paladin GM in Axes instead Maces.

I never played a Monk, simply because it meant giving up all those opportunities to wear and use fantastic armor and weapons. Worth trying, I suppose, but I'm about topped out on M&M 7 and 8, just now. I've only used an M&M editor, once, when I made a bad choice by accident the last time I played. I went back and fixed it; that's all. In BG2, on the other hand, I regularly change weapon skills. I like to configure the classic party NPCs according to my lights, and there's even a mod, I think, that lets you do that, now.

[GawainBS]

Yes, I do that with BGII as well. Sometimes, you're just fed-up with playing Rangers, Fighter-Druids and Thief/Mages.

[fable]

Yes, I do that with BGII as well. Sometimes, you're just fed-up with playing Rangers, Fighter-Druids and Thief/Mages.

It's not that, for me. It's just that I don't think much of some of the decisions in weapons proficiency made for the party NPCs. And as I've played through the game with those proficiencies before, I think I can safely change them without frowning at myself in the mirror in the morning.

But I generally stick with playing sorcs and kensai/mages. Except that in the game I've currently got on hold, I'm playing a cleric for the first time, using Divine Remix. It's working out well.

But back to M&M 7. If you've heard about the new mod under development (it might even be finished by now), I wouldn't suggest it. The creator didn't have any interest whatever in the progression of difficulty--he wanted to drop some massive level 25+ creatures in your town relatively early in the game, so he gave your party a fantastic weapon, armor, and magical talisman. As a result, the game is boringly easy through several levels, and then incredibly difficult, and then boringly easy, again. No responses to queries why he's chosen this path, and lots of fanboi action urging him on.

[GawainBS]

I stumbled upon it yesterday while searching for any means to get MMVI to work again. I didn't even touch the mod, for exactly the same reasons you described.

[fable]

I stumbled upon it yesterday while searching for any means to get MMVI to work again. I didn't even touch the mod, for exactly the same reasons you described.

It's a shame, but understandable that the M&M games don't get modded. They are simply too well built from the perspective of gradual increase in difficulty. The apparent non-linearity covers up an extremely sophisticated progression that always offers you at least 2-3 options at any time which will keep your party developing. Tampering with that is like trying to remove several wheels from the inside of a complex 18th century clock and keep it running accurately.

But I suppose if you had to mod, M&M 2, 7 and 8 would be good places to start. Only they would require a lot more effort than is currently being provided.

[GawainBS]

Would you happen to know if different items that regenerate HP/MP stack their effects?

[fable]

Would you happen to know if different items that regenerate HP/MP stack their effects?

They don't.