Myth III: The Wolf Age
Encyclopedia
Myth III: The Wolf Age is a real-time tactical combat video game developed by MumboJumbo
. Released for the PC in November 2001, the game is the third installment in the Myth franchise but is the only game in the series to be developed by MumboJumbo
. The game is a prequel and takes place 1,000 years before the events of the first game in the franchise. In the game, players assume the roles of different Fallen Lords, a group which would later become corrupt and appear as the villains in the previous games.
genre. Players battle enemies in a 3D environment and make use of landscape to gain the higher ground during combat or outflank
the enemy.
Spellcasters use a resource known as mana
to cast magical spells to damage enemies.
purchased Bungie Studios from their main competitor, Apple, in order to have the studio develop Halo
exclusively for Microsoft's new Xbox
game console. Early development versions of Halo resembled a sci-fi clone of one of Bungie's other franchises, Myth. As part of the sale of Bungie, the rights to the Oni and Myth series went to the video game publisher Take-Two Interactive
who were holding a large share of the studio at the time of the sale. Take-Two hired the startup company
MumboJumbo
to develop Myth III based on Myth II
code. MumoJumbo was founded by employees that left Ritual Entertainment
and Myth III would be the first game they created. Take-Two also hired many talented members of Myth IIs modding community to work on both expansions for Myth II and the new Myth III. The developers made significant changes to the existing code to improve the game's visual aesthetics including the removal of bump mapping which would no longer be required with the increases made to the game's texture quality. The new engine also sported full 3D characters each with 300 to 800 polygons and at least 13 different animations, unlike its predecessor which relied on sprites for characters and animations. Soon before the game's release, PC Gamer
's staff writer Jim Preston wrote that he was skeptical as to whether the developer had been given enough time to satisfactorily complete the game.
The developers worked to support the modding community by taking Fear & Loathing, the application used to create mods for the previous games, and creating a new, easier to use application known as Vengeance.
MumboJumbo
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, MumboJumbo LLC is a publisher, developer and mass marketer of casual games for PCs and game consoles including those manufactured by Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft Corporation. Established in January 2001 they originally focused exclusively on...
. Released for the PC in November 2001, the game is the third installment in the Myth franchise but is the only game in the series to be developed by MumboJumbo
MumboJumbo
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, MumboJumbo LLC is a publisher, developer and mass marketer of casual games for PCs and game consoles including those manufactured by Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft Corporation. Established in January 2001 they originally focused exclusively on...
. The game is a prequel and takes place 1,000 years before the events of the first game in the franchise. In the game, players assume the roles of different Fallen Lords, a group which would later become corrupt and appear as the villains in the previous games.
Gameplay
Similar to its predecessor, Myth III is a real-time tactical combat game which focuses on tactical combat and does not require intense resource management like other games in the real-time strategyReal-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
genre. Players battle enemies in a 3D environment and make use of landscape to gain the higher ground during combat or outflank
Flanking maneuver
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
the enemy.
Spellcasters use a resource known as mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
to cast magical spells to damage enemies.
Plot
Myth III occurs 1,000 before the events of the first Myth game and follows the story of the Fallen Lords, a group which becomes corrupted and is seen as the villains in the earlier games from the franchise. The story focuses on Connacht the Wolf, also known as the Fallen Lord Ballor, and his close friend Damas.Development
In 2000, MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
purchased Bungie Studios from their main competitor, Apple, in order to have the studio develop Halo
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved, frequently referred to as Halo: CE, or Halo 1, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The first game of the Halo franchise, it was released on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the Xbox gaming system, and is...
exclusively for Microsoft's new Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
game console. Early development versions of Halo resembled a sci-fi clone of one of Bungie's other franchises, Myth. As part of the sale of Bungie, the rights to the Oni and Myth series went to the video game publisher Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
who were holding a large share of the studio at the time of the sale. Take-Two hired the startup company
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
MumboJumbo
MumboJumbo
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, MumboJumbo LLC is a publisher, developer and mass marketer of casual games for PCs and game consoles including those manufactured by Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft Corporation. Established in January 2001 they originally focused exclusively on...
to develop Myth III based on Myth II
Myth II: Soulblighter
Myth II: Soulblighter is a 1998 real-time tactics computer game for the PC and Macintosh developed by Bungie. It is a sequel to Myth: The Fallen Lords and the second game in the Myth series.-Gameplay:...
code. MumoJumbo was founded by employees that left Ritual Entertainment
Ritual Entertainment
Ritual Entertainment was a computer game software developer established in 1996 by Robert Atkins, Mark Dochtermann, Jim Dosé, Richard 'Levelord' Gray, Michael Hadwin, Harry Miller and Tom Mustaine...
and Myth III would be the first game they created. Take-Two also hired many talented members of Myth IIs modding community to work on both expansions for Myth II and the new Myth III. The developers made significant changes to the existing code to improve the game's visual aesthetics including the removal of bump mapping which would no longer be required with the increases made to the game's texture quality. The new engine also sported full 3D characters each with 300 to 800 polygons and at least 13 different animations, unlike its predecessor which relied on sprites for characters and animations. Soon before the game's release, PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
's staff writer Jim Preston wrote that he was skeptical as to whether the developer had been given enough time to satisfactorily complete the game.
The developers worked to support the modding community by taking Fear & Loathing, the application used to create mods for the previous games, and creating a new, easier to use application known as Vengeance.