MumboJumbo Games executive producer Mike Donges announced earlier this week that Myth III: The Wolf Age had gone golden master, but his news was applicable specifically to the PC version of the game. The company’s lead programmer, Andrew Meggs, fleshed out some details about Myth III’s Mac status in his own .plan file update.
According to Meggs, the PC version of the game is due in stores sometime next week, but the Mac version hit a last minute snag that he thinks should get resolved promptly. He also has great news for Mac gamers still sitting on the fence regarding Mac OS X 10.1.
“The Mac version is not yet final due to some compatibility issues under Mac OS 9. Honestly, the OpenGL performance under Mac OS 10.1 is so good that I’d recommend that everyone playing any sort of 3D game on a Mac upgrade if they have the RAM, and to get the RAM if they don’t, but we’ve got to make sure it works for the hold-outs too,” said Meggs.
Myth III: The Wolf Age is the latest game to carry the marquee first developed and published by Bungie Software. Myth III is a prequel, taking place a millennium before the events depicted in the first two games. The game follows the hero Connacht as he battles to save humanity from the oppressive clutches of the Trow and Myrkridia.
Like its predecessors, Myth III: The Wolf Age is a squad-level real-time strategy game, but it features a completely redesigned engine that makes use of modern 3D graphics acceleration and other nifty features. The PC version of the game is coming from Take Two Interactive Software, while MacSoft will be responsible for publishing the Mac version.
Meggs noted that he, Bill Heineman and Chris Jacobson are all working on the Mac version together. The three programmers have impressive credits between them — Heineman’s most recent accomplishment was MacPlay’s Aliens vs. Predator, while Jacobson did the Mac conversion of Baldur’s Gate II: The Shadows of Amn. Meggs himself was responsible for converting Heavy Metal FAKK2 to the Mac, and was also the lead programmer on the much-mourned and defunct Mac conversion of Half-Life.
With Bungie’s release of Myth II: Soulblighter, Mac and PC users alike acquired the tools they needed to develop their own add-ons, or mods. Myth III: The Wolf Age also has editing tools that will be available to gamers. Meggs noted some details about MumboJumbo’s efforts there, as well.
“We wanted to include a full package with some raw art assets from one of our own levels as an example of how everything gets put together, but it just wouldn’t fit on the CD. Look for a download to be put up as soon as we hear that the game is on shelves,” said Meggs. “Our tools are cross-platform for both Windows and Mac OS, so this means the Mac tools could potentially be available before the Mac game is.”
Meggs also indicated that a demo version of Myth III: The Wolf Age would be forthcoming “as soon as the Mac version is final.”