I ended up discovering some stuff that makes Might and Magic 2 quite the gamer changer over the first one. A quality-of-life change that I just can’t live without. A change of my own. Along with learning more about the changes this one has over the first one.
While I was wandering around, I looted a compass. At first, I just thought it was just going to list the direction I was facing. Along with a spell you could get in the first game that shows your (x, y) when you cast it. I, however, was not expecting an actual game map.
In the first area, the Town of Middlegate, I ended up walking into a shop. Turns out there are secondary skills you can train on different characters in this game. This shop wanted to teach one of my characters mappings.
I can’t tell you enough how excited I was to discover there are maps in this game! No more having a secondary map on my second screen and trying to keep track mentally of where I was on that map as I moved around.
The only catch is you first must discover an area for it to show up on the map. The second is there are no labels on the in-game map. At least as far as I know. So, I just must recall where different ships and entry or exit into a different area are on the map.
While I can still get lost a bit. Once I’ve been around an area to map it things will get so much easier. This improves Might and Magic 2 a lot over the first one. One of the reasons I got bored of the first game was the lack of an in-game map beyond just being able to get the location via a spell and having to plot that on an out-of-game map to work out where you are.
I also had a few deaths along the way now. A big change I made to my setup was dropping the ranged class and putting in a second sorcerer. It also just felt right having a character named Enjar at my party.
I’m not sure yet if this was smart play. I do know in the first game I had wished I made such a change early enough to make an impact. Thankfully I made the switch quickly enough. The new character added to the party is not that far behind experience-wise.
This is also one of those kinds of features I rather like. So many group-based gameplay games don’t allow you to make any changes to the group once you create them. In this game not only can I do it. It’s like the game is set up in a way that almost promotes doing so.
I could for instance leave some characters at a higher-level town. The only way any group I am using at the time can even make the switch with other characters I have is if they are acting in the current town, I'm at.
This game also allows you to hire mercs. This was something I was wondering what version of the game it would have added in. I know in Might and Magic 6 that was something I took advantage of to try and fix any gaps I had in my group or to leverage that group even further.
Part of the fun in a game like this is trying to work out where you can even grind to find new items and level up. I discovered going outside the gate and trying to grind outdoors was a massive mistake.
Let’s just say it did not take long before I found myself dead and back at the in. I don’t see myself making any attempts to leave the front gates of the Town of Middlegate. There is however an underground cave that is most likely the better place to grind things out for a bit.
I decided after that defeat. My best use of time early on was exploring the first town and getting to know it better. There will be portals in other towns to take me back here. Along with who knows what other ways I'll find along the way. So, it just makes sense to have it fully explored.
I ended up finding my first quest in this area. It also gave me the context clue that going into the caves under the city was going to be my next thing to do. I however put that off till a little later.
As I was wandering around, even in the town there are chances for random combat events. Those helped me get to a couple of early levels where I made quite an interesting discovery.
Just because my casters level up to a new caster level. That does not mean they get all the spells they can use at those higher levels. It turns out I only get a couple from training and leveling up. The rest I must find, quest, or simply buy if I can find them.
This also rather explains why sorcerers for instance get far more interesting spells at the lower casting levels. Just because you level them up does not mean they have those spells.
It will be interesting to see if I get right away spells like fly, invisibility, wizards' eye and so many other spells at level up or if I'll have to somehow find them. Most important for the short term is a spell called Lloyd’s Beacon that allows you to port to a saved location. I have already found you don’t just get Lloyd’s at level up.
I noticed in the spell guide that comes with this game that my cleric gets something called nature’s gate that opens doors between two points depending on the time and day. Making me wonder what kind of surprise I'll have to discover myself for quick traveling around.
Final Thoughts
I’m far more excited for Might and Magic II than I was for the first one after discovering an in-game map system. Along with the fact I made some changes to the group and there is a chance to get some higher powerful spells if you can find them at lower levels that would make quite a difference and time saved from how often I find myself running back to the inn or to a trainer once I find those spells.
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Screenshots were taken and content was written by @Enjar about Might And Magic II.