Q1: The question surely most of the fans are interested in how far is the development of Might and Magic IX and when will the game be released?

We are coming along nicely right now and are on schedule for a spring release.

Q2: As one could read M&M9 will play in Chedian the northern region of the new continent Rysh. How is Rysh connected to Erathia and will we nevertheless meet some "old friends" like Corak, Sheltrem or the Ironfist family?

The continent of Rysh is on the planet Axeoth, which is an entire new world from MM6-8. Being that it's a new world, it is extremely unlikely that the characters from previous games will make an appearance in MM9, though it is not impossible.

Q3: The magic system should be overworked completely. Could you mention some of the spells that will appear the first time and the ones that will fall apart? What is the most important modification about the magic system?

We've changed the spell system greatly. The most drastic change being the elimination of the rigidity of the spell schools. In previous games, the game had 12 spells in 8 schools. We've changed the spell system to be more flexible so we don't have to put in a useless spell just because the fire school had an empty slot. For instance, we've replaced the "Create Food" spell with the more useful "Magic Mine" which will make an item in your inventory into a magical mine.

Q4: Just talking over the magic system: Will there be a seperation of light and dark again?

The four spell schools are Light, Dark, Elemental, and Spirit. For the more powerful spells you may need skills in up to three of these schools to be able to cast them.

Q5: A point of criticism of M&M7 and M&M8 had been that the quest system and the dungeons were too easy and linear. Can we expect more complex quests and greater dungeons again?

We're trying hard to please everyone here. We're spending more of our time making the dungeons we have cooler and more interesting than longer. We'd rather see a small dungeon with a lot of cool stuff than a giant empty one.

Q6: Where do you see the largest improvements in opposite to the former games?

The largest improvement is definitely the transition to the Lithtech Development System. Fans can expect the best looking Might and Magic ever.

Q7: Many fans regret that there have been no level editor for M&M to create own worlds. Can we expect this feature in the future?

To start of with, we would love to release some of our tools to the public. The mod community has done wonders to increase the shelf life of many games, including Heroes of Might and Magic. The biggest challenge we face in doing the same thing is reducing the complexity of the tools to make them easier to use for the fans. It is definitely a feature we will be continuing to look at as we move forward.

Q8: Will there be again a game in the game like Acromage?

There are no current plans to include a card type game with MM9, although we do have plans to include games that the player can participate in.

Q9: Could you perhaps give us first specifications of the hardware that is needed?

Our current minimum spec is a PII/400 or equivalent with 64 megs of ram and a DirectX compatible video card with 16 megs of ram.

Q10: And at last: What can we expect after M&M9? Are their any plans about a follower and/or more other games from the M&M-universe?

We are already in the planning stages for Might and Magic X. PS: PC Games will make their coverage in the next upcoming issue, I will send it to you.