My first couple of hours in this game were total confusion, getting lost, and being killed. You can almost smell my suffering from this old-school game and I have not even gotten into things yet. Sometimes you just can’t push progression even when you want things to move along at a faster rate.

After getting over the madness of even getting into the actual game with a party. Let’s just say there were many attempts. Including this one where I just had a single character, I called Arch as I was not having it anymore.

I was at least thrilled to work out how to even get in the game with a character. It quickly however met its maker as you are supposed to be playing with a party of six. Not to mention as you might have guessed this was a ranged class so it got murdered being up at the front of the group since it’s the only character in the party.

I quickly returned this time fully ready for anything yet nothing as I only had my starting gear. Right next to the inn is a blacksmith. I went in there and spent the starting money I had on a single piece of gear for each character. Some got a better weapon (I assume there are no in-game stats listed on weapons). For other characters, I simply bought a piece of gear they had an open slot for (another thing I had to guess since there are no hints of what slot is for what in the game.)

I then started to wander around Sorpigal without a clue of what I was even attempting to do. Since there is no in-game map I can get lost in a shoe box. I can assure you I ran around in circles and I’m sure it took me longer than it should have to realize that.

For a while, I ran into nothing but walls. Then I found a tavern but there were no rumors to be had. I’d later discover I had to tip and drink a lot of booze before the tips would start flowing in like cheap beer. For now, however, it was another place I had no clue how to get back to and one I’d not find again for a while.

I then found a training center. The funny thing is despite Might and Magic VI coming out quite a few years after this game. I could hear in my mind the voice actors from the first training center in that game as I read to myself the text that appeared before me.

While it would take a few kills I’d later return to Otto’s Training. In Might And Magic, you have to pay once you have enough experience to advance a level. It more or less took all the remaining gold I had on each character just to afford the training.

It did not help any some characters got knocked out or I’d be later replaced with other ones. As such the experience gaps between each of the characters and their next level up were all over the place. So I’d return often to the trainer which was not hard to find once you left the inn just to see who was ready for their next level.

I don’t know why but I am just loving the artwork for the different creatures in this game. You would not expect a low-level orc to look like he was something you would run into midway through the game. Thankfully their gear was far more intimidating than fighting them was.

Sometimes I’d run into a group of monsters that were just three in a party. Other times I’d run into a full squad of six and those would often be the far more challenging battles where I might win and get a nice chunk of experience or get killed and lose everything I had not yet saved at the inn.

Usually after a couple of kills, I was quick to run back to the inn. Since combat are random encounter you have no idea when you will run into something next. I learned after a fair amount of time was tossed away. I’d rather make the short trip back to the inn since I was still in the starting town than lose half an hour of progress of the experience grind.

There came a couple of times were I took a wrong turn and fell into total darkness. There are a lot of hidden rooms and even one area that drops you down into the zone below. Trying to discover the door in a locked room in the dark to escape sucked.

Later on, I’d discover Serena my cleric could cast a light spell so I could see in this level 1 darkness of an area. This however was not one of those times. So I’d just bash my party's forehead on every wall hoping to find the door out.

As soon as I’d make it out and back into the light I’d swear to never return to such a trap! I however had no clue where it was. So as you can easily guess I had a few more trips into that area before I started to avoid it.

Sometimes when I did end up back in the room I’d end up in an encounter. I’d defeat it and then move around before realizing I forgot to search for any drops. You can’t see what drops on the ground if anything at all when you defeat a pack of creatures.

Instead, you need to press S and search to see if you got a drop. You then had to try and work out how you wanted to open it. The loot could be trapped and if you failed to open it safely that could cause enough damage to wipe out the group. I’d often reset before opening any loot just to be on the safe side.

After a while, I got bored of being in the town of Sorpigal and wanted more. I wanted a grand adventure. Little did I know that adventure no matter where I tried would end up in quick death as I was not ready for it.

I’d sometimes end up in the underground area below Sorpigal. While it’s not that hard of an area like any game if you are not ready for a different zone you will quickly find out. I sure did with death.

I was certain there must be somewhere else I could go. While I did find in a hidden room a portal. The price to use it to go to different towns cost gems. I decided since I had no clue even where to go I’d leave the NPC alone that allowed teleportation.

Instead, I took a more direct approach to trying to get out of this darn town. I left by what ended up being the front gate. This led me into the woods and then the mountains. I wandered on for what must have been ten minutes or more.

I was hoping by now I’d find another city or something the deeper I went along. It turned out I’d find something alright a pack of creatures. I barely escaped with a couple of characters getting knocked out. The loot was a few hundred gold which sure beat the three to five gold coins I was sometimes getting.

This however was short-lived. Barley survives one encounter just to get wiped out while trying to backtrack to Sorpigal. A quick death meant I lost all the gold I had acquired while out being lost. At least I was back in the safety of the city of Sorpigal again.

Final Thoughts

It looks like for now trying to get out of Sorpigal would just ensure getting killed either slowly or quickly. For a while, I’d just stay put and keep fighting anything I randomly came across within the city walls. Over time I learned the different areas of the city and no longer felt like I was lost all the time.

Information

Screenshots were taken and content was written by @Enjar about Might And Magic 1.