Might and Magic Q&A

WorthPlaying has posted a brief Q&A with Ubisoft content director Erwan Le Breton about the role he plays in developing the Might & Magic universe. An excerpt to follow:
Q: Could you describe the process of creating a new design?

A: I always start by picturing the different factions, how they are related to each other, what differentiates them, etc. Then for each side, I come up with some basic shapes and silhouettes that remind of places, eras, etc. So I give graphical codes to each one of them. Then I use this basis to create all the characters and places.

For Might & Magic, one constraint was to look different from the usual fantasy universe. Factions like the undeads or the elves have very strong and established visual codes, but Ubisoft wanted to move away from this single vision. This is why the elves in Might & Magic do not only refer to a Celtic imagery but also to American Indians. The Dark elves, on the other hand, will remind you of the Italian Renaissance.