My reflection over Mageworld

[jb]

My reflection over Mageworld…

I will be doing it injustice if I did not state that Mageworld is simply a true gem, and I am in awe from this marvelous creation. Not only have you managed to create a beautiful and outstanding fantasy world, but throughout have woven such an atmosphere that immerses the player; and makes him believe that he truly plays a role in the outcome of the heroine’s fate.

The details are amazing… everything, from the morbid kitchen of the Black Queen, to the White Knight trying to catch the eye of a disdainful Bishop; all have been polished to bring the world of Shatranj alive. The in-depth characters and gameplay breaks free from the fare you receive in your everyday games… and absorbs you into an adventure that leaves you with a genuine sense of satisfaction.

The thing I loved the most was the challenge. It took you away from casually clicking your mouse and slaughtering hundreds of enemies… to where you could, and indeed had to actually approach every obstacle from a different perspective. Like whether to skirmish with a group of enemies by range using spells and arrows, or to confront them directly with melee and heavy armor; or if so you please, you could even sneak-past them... Thus carefully preparing for every battle was a must, and the training and crafting system only served to embellish and amplify the concept. And once you went into combat, the fights were always against odds… and you had to use every ounce of skill and wit to overcome each foe, and it continually kept you on the edge of your seat; and gave you a real feel of the hardship the heroine was subjected to.

I just can’t praise Mageworld enough; it was truly a wonderful experience. I was obsessed with the game from beginning to end, and it will stay in my memory for a long time to come. Though this leads me to my final question, where does the story go from here? To me there just seems to be so much more to be told…. What happens to Pooka when she returns to the land? After all the warriors of Shatranj return, what happens to the struggle between the Whites and Blacks? After the collapse of the Wizard Kings, does the Land descend into a bitter civil war? What of the Red King? What happens to the love triangle between Mantri, Pooka, and Ahu? … There just seems to be so much unanswered! I can understand that it may not be realistic for you to create another siegelet, but I do hope you are willing to continue this Story in another form. Any who, I thank you for the opportunity to play this epic labor of love, and wish you all the best in the times to come.

- JB

[Kilarin]

It is an incredible ride, isn't it.

[cypherwulfe]

If I remember the ending correctly the last time I finished it, you do not go back to the land. Shatranj stays on as a seperate world, no wizard kings, just the remaining knights, bishops, pawns and Vaharita.

[Kilarin]

If I remember the ending correctly the last time I finished it, you do not go back to the land.

unless I'm forgetting, that all depends upon the players choice.

[Xaa]

jb said:

My reflection over Mageworld…

I will be doing it injustice if I did not state that Mageworld is simply a true gem, and I am in awe from this marvelous creation.

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. =)

Though this leads me to my final question, where does the story go from here? To me there just seems to be so much more to be told…. What happens to Pooka when she returns to the land?

Well, depending on how you ended the game, you can have just Pooka and Mantri in the final scene, or you can have all your travelling companions. Either way, Pooka and Mantri go home - and, all of the warriors of Shatranj are released.

After all the warriors of Shatranj return, what happens to the struggle between the Whites and Blacks?

Well, that's a good question. I rather envisioned the whites, blacks and reds ending up continuing their struggles - after all, the blacks don't know any better way other than force, and the culture they have developed is not a nice one. The Whites would, naturally, take up the side of the people of Shatranj. In essence, there would be lots and lots of fighting - with our heroine, as the one who finally freed everyone, likely the new overall leader. Meanwhile, the red warriors would likely act as mercenaries, serving either side as they saw fit. As it says in the readme - for Pooka and her companions, this is only the beginning.

After the collapse of the Wizard Kings, does the Land descend into a bitter civil war?

Oh, I think it would, yes.

What of the Red King?

He and the other kings sit back and watch. For them, they'd find the conflict entertaining, possibly even amusing.

What happens to the love triangle between Mantri, Pooka, and Ahu?

I left that question entirely open, so that the player/reader could fill in the blank as their own morality dictated. Ahu makes it clear that she is willing to step aside - yet, at the same time, she also makes it clear that she still loves Mantri. Those of a more conservative moral outlook would likely presume that Mantri and Pooka live happily ever after, with Ahu as their mutual friend. Others of a more liberal moral outlook might assume that Pooka, having been through hell and back, might consider teaming up with Ahu to see if they might sway Mantri to the potential joys of polyamory. Either way, I left this part of the story open for the player to fill in the blank themselves with an ending they are comfortable with. In real life, love triangles never turn out happily. Ever. SOMEONE is always miserable.

I can understand that it may not be realistic for you to create another siegelet, but I do hope you are willing to continue this Story in another form.

I've been fiddling with the notion of writing a book on it, yes.

[Kilarin]

I rather envisioned the whites, blacks and reds ending up continuing their struggles

Oh, I don't think it will be much of a problem in my game. I made certain to only leave one or two black warriors behind on purpose, and they were decent sorts. And even if I missed a dozen or so by accident, they shouldn't be that much of a threat.

[Liantedan]

kilarin said:

Oh, I don't think it will be much of a problem in my game. I made certain to only leave one or two black warriors behind on purpose, and they were decent sorts. And even if I missed a dozen or so by accident, they shouldn't be that much of a threat.

True.

But the real issue would be of how the people of the Land would respond to you. The Whites and the Virahita will see you as their saviour, but what of the common people back in the Land ? Will they see you as a hero, or as the biggest mass-murderer in known history ? Can those deaths all be justified by the cause, and can the heroine live with these accusitions ?


edit for spelling

[grobblewobble]

Oct 13, 2006 19:45:02 GMT -5 Xaa said:

In real life, love triangles never turn out happily. Ever. SOMEONE is always miserable.

I'm sorry to revive such an old thread, but this remark really has me wondering. Xaa, may I ask you what makes you so sure about this?

As it happens, I once considered (open) polygamy as a serious option. That was before I met my current girlfriend - she doesn't like the idea, so I just forgot about it. Monogamy certainly has the advantage of keeping things simple. However, deep down I always felt that with monogamy one is severely restricting the freedom of a person you love - and I never really understood why that would be necessary.

[Kilarin]

deep down I always felt that with monogamy one is severely restricting the freedom of a person you love - and I never really understood why that would be necessary.

I know you're interested in Xaa's answer (as am I!), but I thought I'd throw my opinion into the pot in the meantime.

I'm a conservative Christian and I occasionally run into a man (never a woman yet) who tries to defend the idea of polygamy as being sound from a Biblical point of view. After all, there are a LOT of polygamous marriages portrayed in the Bible.

I always supplement the Biblical argument for Monogamy with the simple observation that in all of the many examples of polygamous marriages in the Bible, not a single one is portrayed as happy or positive. Not one. There are some where we aren't given enough details to know whether the family was happy, but in every case where we ARE given details, there was strife between the wives, tension among the children, and a general full time headache for the husband. There are no exceptions. The wives get jealous of each other and fight. The husband plays favorites among the wives and kids. NO ONE is happy.

In the modern attempts at open relationships, polyamory, or multiple marriages that I have a few details on, it always seems to end up much like the examples in the Bible. As Xaa said, Someone is ALWAYS unhappy. Usually everyone.

Human beings don't share this kind of intimacy very well. We weren't built for it. I posted my "manifesto" on sex and why I think monogamy works best <here>. It is a Christian site, so if that offends you, don't click!

[grobblewobble]

Kilarin, thank you for the serious response. At the risk of diverging further from the original topic of the thread, I would like to answer.

Since your believes are somewhat different from mine, I found it hard to come up with an answer. I do believe in a God, but I'm not a Christian, and while I regard the bible as a beautiful source of inspiration, I do not regard it as a definite authority on the subject. I hope this does not offend you. The only thing I can say is just that - our believes differ here. And while I admit that monogamy has many benefits, I do not believe that it is Gods will. I believe His intention is for each of us to find out what works best for us, no matter what we choose.

And while monogamy is a very romantic idea, it does very often not work out well, either. I would almost go as far as to say that in conventional marriages, SOMEONE is always unhappy, usually everyone.

Seriously, what I see is that many people divorce, and many other people stay unhappily together just because they feel they have to. There are happy marriages too, yes. But even in those cases there tends to be arguing, tensions and such.

There may be other possibilities, and in some cases they may work out well, who knows?

[Kilarin]

grobblewobble:

I do believe in a God, but I'm not a Christian, and while I regard the bible as a beautiful source of inspiration, I do not regard it as a definite authority on the subject. I hope this does not offend you.

Of course not! If I couldn't get along with people I disagree with, my marriage would be in serious trouble.

Seriously, what I see is that many people divorce, and many other people stay unhappily together just because they feel they have to. There are happy marriages too, yes. But even in those cases there tends to be arguing, tensions and such.

Monogamous relationships are often rocky, you are absolutely right about that. Many fail. Even successful ones have times of tension. But you can not HAVE human relationships without the occasional friction. A successful relationship is not defined as one where the participants never have an argument, but as one where they deal with arguments and other disagreements in a way that strengthens rather than weakens the relationship. That applies to serious friendships as well as sexual relationships. Only fairly shallow relationships never have a disagreement.

Which brings us back to the key question, are you aware of ANY relationships that you would consider to be successful? Not perfect, but generally happier together than they would have been apart? People who have arguments, but know how to work through them and come out the other side still loving each other?

If you do know of any, are those relationships monogamous or polyamorous/polygamous? If you are aware of any polygamous relationships that appear to be actually working well, I'd be very interested in hearing about them.

[grobblewobble]

I have to admit that I do not personally know any people who tried such a thing, let alone a case where it was succesfull. However, I did see a documentaire on TV about an artist who lived together in a kind of community with about six or seven women, and they appeared to get along quite well, as far as I could tell. However, the artist died at a relatively young age of cancer (he was in his fifties, I think). Later on I read an interview with the women, who told how they had continued the community after his death and how they missed him. Of course, I can't judge how things really were from such minimal evidence, but still..

I also read in the latest VIVA about a couple of women who are involved in a kind of triangle relationships with homosexual couples. They call it friendship relationships rather than love, but since some of them are seriously considering to have a baby from one of the guys and sometimes even share the same house, there is technically very little difference.

This kind of thing is rare, but that's not surprising because there is a cultural barrier to it, too. It is almost taboo, so it takes a lot of courage and open-mindedness to try. On top of that, a love relationship will obviously be more complex and vulnerable when there are more than two people involved. But I doubt it is fundamentally impossible.

I guess we can only agree to disagree on this subject..

[DSLOA]

Back to this topic.... Dungeon siege was a very nice game. I was immediately "stuck" to the game...
That's before I found the joy of tweaking it and tanking it back to trial and error the effects of spells and stuffs (thanks to Siege University)..
Then came LOH, then came Mageworld.... WOW !!!!
5 years after DS and I am still fiddling with the game and siegelets. NONE beats Mageworld !!!! Simply incredible....