<s>
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IX	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
last	O
developed	O
by	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
released	O
in	O
2002	O
by	O
The	O
3DO	O
Company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VIII	I-Application
:	I-Application
Day	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Destroyer	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
feature	O
a	O
significant	O
game	O
engine	O
overhaul	O
since	O
1998	O
's	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VI	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Mandate	I-Application
of	I-Application
Heaven	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Powered	O
by	O
the	O
Lithtech	B-Application
1.5	O
engine	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
also	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
feature	O
fully	O
three-dimensional	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
production	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
known	O
by	O
the	O
working	O
title	O
of	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IX	I-Application
:	I-Application
Writ	I-Application
of	I-Application
Fate	I-Application
,	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
usually	O
referred	O
to	O
by	O
that	O
title	O
by	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IX	I-Application
features	O
a	O
party	O
of	O
four	O
player	O
characters	O
,	O
each	O
of	O
whom	O
is	O
selected	O
at	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dwarves	O
are	O
proficient	O
in	O
endurance	O
,	O
but	O
lacking	O
in	O
magic	O
;	O
elves	B-Application
are	O
proficient	O
in	O
accuracy	O
,	O
but	O
lacking	O
in	O
endurance	O
;	O
half-orcs	B-Language
are	O
proficient	O
in	O
strength	O
,	O
but	O
lacking	O
in	O
speed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
main	O
questline	O
takes	O
place	O
a	O
short	O
time	O
following	O
the	O
destruction	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Enroth	O
-	O
the	O
location	O
of	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VI	I-Application
through	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VIII	I-Application
-	O
as	O
depicted	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
and	O
deals	O
with	O
the	O
attempted	O
invasion	O
of	O
the	O
region	O
of	O
Chedian	O
by	O
the	O
army	O
of	O
the	O
Beldonian	O
warlord	O
Tamur	O
Leng	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
spirit	O
of	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
six	O
slain	O
Jarls	O
,	O
Sven	O
Forkbeard	O
,	O
reveals	O
that	O
Darre	O
is	O
a	O
double-agent	O
working	O
for	O
Leng	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
party	O
is	O
sent	O
to	O
the	O
Otherworld	B-Application
of	O
Axeoth	O
to	O
recover	O
the	O
dead	O
warriors	O
from	O
Skraelos	O
,	O
the	O
god	O
of	O
death	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
doing	O
so	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
sent	O
to	O
the	O
ethereal	O
Dark	O
Passage	O
by	O
the	O
gatekeeper	O
of	O
Hallenhalt	B-Application
,	O
Hanndl	B-Application
,	O
to	O
obtain	O
a	O
Writ	O
of	O
Fate	O
from	O
the	O
Wyrd	O
,	O
Igrid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Returning	O
to	O
Hallenhalt	B-Application
with	O
Tamur	O
Leng	O
,	O
the	O
party	O
speaks	O
with	O
Krohn	B-Application
and	O
Fre	O
,	O
the	O
leaders	O
of	O
the	O
gods	O
,	O
who	O
reveal	O
that	O
the	O
god	O
of	O
chaos	O
-	O
Njam	B-Device
the	I-Device
Meddler	I-Device
-	O
has	O
been	O
orchestrating	O
their	O
destiny	O
from	O
the	O
start	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Disposing	O
of	O
the	O
Wyrdes	O
,	O
influencing	O
Leng	O
to	O
send	O
Forad	O
Darre	O
,	O
and	O
taking	O
the	O
forms	O
of	O
Yrsa	O
the	O
Troll	O
and	O
Igrid	O
,	O
the	O
god	O
of	O
chaos	O
plotted	O
an	O
elaborate	O
coup	O
against	O
Krohn	B-Application
,	O
coveting	O
Fre	O
and	O
desiring	O
rulership	O
of	O
the	O
denizens	O
of	O
Axeoth	O
for	O
himself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Krohn	B-Application
sends	O
the	O
party	O
to	O
imprison	O
a	O
pursuing	O
Njam	O
in	O
the	O
Tomb	O
of	O
a	O
Thousand	O
Terrors	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
succeed	O
,	O
encasing	O
the	O
malevolent	O
god	O
in	O
a	O
shell	O
of	O
impenetrable	O
frost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
previous	O
three	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
had	O
taken	O
place	O
on	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Enroth	O
,	O
the	O
land	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
change	O
to	O
a	O
new	O
world	O
with	O
little	O
direct	O
connection	O
to	O
previous	O
storylines	O
was	O
prompted	O
by	O
the	O
destruction	O
of	O
Enroth	O
,	O
as	O
depicted	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
which	O
also	O
takes	O
place	O
on	O
Axeoth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Heroes	B-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
however	O
,	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IX	I-Application
makes	O
only	O
passing	O
reference	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
previous	O
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
one	O
character	O
from	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Nicolai	O
Ironfist	O
,	O
makes	O
a	O
return	O
appearance	O
,	O
though	O
King	O
Roland	O
Ironfist	O
and	O
the	O
Kreegan	B-Application
are	O
also	O
mentioned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
themes	O
,	O
characters	O
and	O
location	O
names	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
gods	O
,	O
the	O
Frost	O
Giants	O
,	O
Lindisfarne	O
,	O
Arslegard	O
and	O
the	O
Otherworld	B-Application
,	O
were	O
directly	O
inspired	O
by	O
Celtic	O
and	O
Norse	O
mythology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
continent	O
upon	O
which	O
Heroes	B-Application
IV	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
settled	O
by	O
refugees	O
from	O
Enroth	O
,	O
is	O
located	O
far	O
across	O
the	O
sea	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
not	O
referenced	O
in-game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
on	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IX	I-Application
began	O
in	O
2001	O
,	O
following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VIII	I-Application
:	I-Application
Day	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Destroyer	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
,	O
coupled	O
with	O
limited	O
employees	O
due	O
to	O
staff	O
cuts	O
and	O
ongoing	O
work	O
on	O
Legends	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
,	O
forced	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
developers	O
to	O
cut	O
corners	O
and	O
eliminate	O
features	O
originally	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
retained	O
from	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Information	O
on	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IXs	O
was	O
first	O
published	O
on	O
the	O
Norwegian	O
website	O
Gibme.com,	O
and	O
its	O
development	O
was	O
later	O
confirmed	O
at	O
GameSpot	O
by	O
a	O
3DO	O
representative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jon	O
Van	O
Caneghem	O
,	O
the	O
series	O
creator	O
,	O
had	O
minimal	O
involvement	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IX	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
production	O
of	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IX	I-Application
,	O
Tim	O
Lang	O
began	O
designing	O
a	O
preliminary	O
storyline	O
for	O
a	O
possible	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
X	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
its	O
hasty	O
development	O
,	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
potentially	O
serious	O
software	B-Error_Name
bugs	I-Error_Name
were	O
uncovered	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
