Master of Magic is a really, really great 4X--at least if, like me, you're part of its cult following. MuHa Games, the Polish indie studio behind the new Master of Magic remake, has posted its first developer diary, which looks at what they left out and changed from the original Master of Magic will be acquired in 2019 by publisher acquired by Slitherine and re-released on Steam in early 2020 along with an impressive fan-made expansion.

1994's turn-based 4X was the dawn of PC strategy, but it has a truly golden design based on the mix-and-match of fantasy civilizations and custom-made player wizards. Powerful wizards attempt to cast "mastery spells" that make them masters of their own magic while at the helm of their civilization's conquest.

Almost everything from the original core game seems to be returning for the new Master of Magic. The development journal includes all the factions and wizards from the previous game, the twin game worlds of Arcanus and Mirror, and even the mana system. In the journal, MuHa writer and lead quest designer Mira Undro says, "Our design philosophy is to try to recreate the mechanics and gameplay of MoM as faithfully as possible."

"Our design philosophy is to try to recreate the fidelity of the game as much as possible," said Mira Undro, MuHa writer and lead quest designer, in her diary.

The major changes are in the shape of the map, moving from squares to hexes, and quality of life improvements such as customizable difficulty settings, tooltips, and automatic tactical combat resolution. There are also many improvements to the game AI, as one would expect from a remake of a game from the 90s; MuHa also intends to add extensive modding tools.

The remake of Master of Magic can be found on Steam and GOG, as well as on the MuHa games website. (The original and its DLC can also be found on both Steam and GOG)