Ubisoft has granted a dedicated group of modders the green light to breathe new life into the beloved classic, 'Dark Messiah of Might and Magic,' GameRant reports.
The revival project is centered around a code-based Software Development Kit (SDK) that promises to pave the way for seamless modding, potentially rekindling interest in the game that has garnered a dedicated cult following over the years.
'Dark Messiah of Might and Magic'
Developed by Arkane Studios, 'Dark Messiah of Might and Magic' introduced players to a unique blend of first-person action and role-playing elements.
However, despite its cult status, the game has gradually faded from the limelight. Enter a passionate team of modders led by David Wiltos, whose enthusiasm for the game has driven them to reverse-engineer a modding toolkit that could breathe new life into the title.
Reviving the Game
Wiltos' journey to obtain Ubisoft's blessings was not without its challenges. Negotiations spanning two years were required to clarify the details of the modding SDK's release.
The crux of the matter was the legality of releasing significant portions of the game's code, a process that could potentially infringe upon copyright laws. Ultimately, the green light was given, allowing the modding community to explore new horizons while adhering to legal boundaries.
The modding community's ambitions go beyond a mere facelift for 'Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.' Initial efforts centered on adding a co-op mode to the game, but the technical intricacies necessitated the development of a comprehensive SDK.
This SDK promises to democratize the modding process, empowering enthusiasts to tinker with the game's inner workings with relative ease.
Latest Update
Wiltos shared in a recent project update, "As of May, we have been given a completely blank check to do whatever we see fit with this mod and the development of the SDK."
This unprecedented permission from Ubisoft underscores the company's commitment to the creative potential of its dedicated player base. Ubisoft's stance can be summarized in their own words: they want to ensure that the community can fully appreciate the depth of effort poured into the project.
What's Coming
PCGamer reports that the modding toolkit's release strategy follows a pragmatic approach. Wiltos' team plans to roll out modding tools incrementally, focusing on one area of the SDK that garners the most interest.
This strategic approach aims to simplify the modding process and make it accessible even to those with minimal programming experience. The team's initial offering includes a toolkit for implementing ray-traced lighting, leveraging Nvidia's RTX Remix toolkit.
While the RTX Remix toolkit initially demanded the game to run in DX7, a technical feat was achieved by making 'Dark Messiah of Might and Magic' compatible, a testament to the modding team's dedication.
This has resulted in a proof-of-concept for ray-traced lighting, and there are high hopes for a full-fledged Dark Messiah RTX mod to grace players' screens in the near future.
For those eager to track progress, the modding journey can be followed on the project's ModDB page, as well as through David Wiltos' active Twitter and YouTube accounts.
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