When I play Might and Magic games, especially #7, I like to do what I can to role play. I intentionally blow up a potion or two, lose a battle now and then, hire useless NPCs. I like to lure all the harpies into the corner of deyja and then throw junky treasure at them. At least once per game I make a point to jump on the various beds of the realm. When I loot Markham's Manor I distribute the stuff I find out on the hardened streets of Tatalia, a la Robinhood. Usually at one point or another I have the party take a vacation and go rest for a few weeks, drinking exotic potions in some remote locale. Sometimes I have the party circle around Hairbaugh in a threatening manner and imagine them taunting him. Sometimes I like to pretend that my Sorcerer is doing too many drugs and can't even remember how to cast torch light, or set the Sorcerer's quick spell to "Jump" and have the party perform a skit for the monsters. Currently I'm thinking about finding a lone tree (probably in SW Harmondale early spring) and having the party act out the first part of "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett. Also in a future game I intend to see how long I can draw the game out; recently I managed eight years but part of that was because I pretended Clanker's Laboratory was a den of iniquity and had the party spend seven months there, only coming out for food now and then. Once I gathered up a ton of berries and bought some wine and went to the flaming brazier (challenge) in the Tularean Forest and the party had BBQ Widowsweep Berries breaded in Rosepetals (I brought an NPC chef to help with the preparations).

Also I do not always run. It seems so ridiculous to always run everywhere. I mean, seriously people. Think of how it must look to the residents of Harmondale : first their lords run up to the castle! Now they come running out of the castle and run to the armory! They run to the tavern! Then they run to visit Blayze before running to the bank! Then they run off into the hills only to come running back fifteen minutes later because they forget to buy enough flasks! Now they are running off once more! Do they walk up to Harold the Herbalist? No, they run! And by what gracious manner do they approach Sarah the Instructor? By running until they are directly nose to nose with her!

This is only the beginning of a long, long list. There is so much to do! For instance you can bring that reagent outside of Wormthrax's cave to Wormthrax and then proudly declare, "Now we can see eye to eye!" Then throw the reagent out at him and let the battle begin. If you throw things at creatures they usually stop what they are doing and turn towards you, just like in real life if you throw some gems or boots at someone, they look at you funny.

Once my characters were strict vegans and refused to wear leather armor, or leather belts, or leather boots. Another time they were B&D fetishists and that's ALL they would wear (that was really quite challenging BTW). One Knight of mine had severe OCD and always was throwing his sword into the ocean. Another game I had two clerics who totally did NOT get along and half the time refused to heal each other. Later though they became lovers and refused to heal the other two; this was also a really tough game cuz of that. In a future game I also plan to make all the characters old and crochety; there will probably be a lot of bickering.

Also I simulated a dinner party whereby I invited the other monarchs to Harmondale and we dined in the NW mess hall; Queen Catherine was polite but obviously accustomed to fine dining and she was somewhat of a snoot. Hoffnar XI is very coarse and cannot get enough turmeric. The cleric lured Xenofex into a remote room and performed hypnotic age regression on him (immunity to mind magic =/= immunity to hypnosis!) only to discover that Xenofex was but a scared child who secretly wanted to please his mommy, so the cleric brought in the ranger-lady for some role-playing but my ranger-lady was like, "Yuk he is NASTY, get away" and as you can imagine, gentle reader, this was very damaging to Xenofex in his regressed-age mode, which caused him to weep and weep; finally we had to kick him out. Don't get me wrong people I'm not callous but this guy Xenofex would not stop weeping. So don't prejudge Xenofex to be evil, people, when all any of YOU do is go and kill him over and over. He's actually just really really sad. Seriously, if you wait until the year 1400 or so, Xenofex will probably have committed suicide. What Xenofex needs is some serious therapy, but I sure am not going to pay for it. Therapy is really expensive especially in Avlee.

This game is capable of many more imaginitive pleasures than mere mega-stat gratification. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm just surprised that not one single person has addressed this, neither here nor at the other MM6/7/8 forums!

Other ideas welcomed.