Legends of Might and Magic is a first-person shooter video game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing and published by The 3DO Company in 2001. As a spin-off of the Might and Magic franchise, Legends has a fantasy theme. Reviews likened the game to a medieval Counter-Strike, but criticized it for being a mediocre clone. Gameplay Gameplay in Legends is almost entirely online. An offline practice mode exists, but the game does not provide bots to simulate actual gameplay conditions. Players pick a server, and then choose from six classes of either the evil team or the good team. The evil team consists of the Heretic, Archer and Warrior, and the good team of the Paladin, Druid and Sorceress. The players then enter a map. Each map exhibits one of four game types: Sword in the Stone: Each team must attempt to gain control of the sword and reach the exit. It is essentially a variation of one-flag CTF. Rescue the Princess: The good team must try to save a princess who is guarded by the evil team. This mode is similar to the hostage rescue mode in Counter-Strike. Warlord Escape: A player assumes the role of the warlord, who must be escorted by the others to safety. This is nearly identical to the VIP missions in Counter-Strike. Slay the Dragon: Both teams battle in a map containing a fire-breathing dragon. The team that kills the dragon wins the match. In addition to the opposing team, hostile creatures may be present for players to fight (the host of each game decides whether or not there will be monsters). By killing monsters and opening treasure chests found on the map, and also by winning rounds, players earn gold with which to buy equipment. Players lose these items when they die or at the end of a match, whichever comes first. This was another flaw attributed to the game; as players lose everything once matches end and start with only basic gear at the start of each new one, there was no long-term reward and no way for more experienced players to gauge their skill against the less experienced. History Legends of Might and Magic was announced at the 2000 E3 by 3DO as the first Might and Magic game designed for online play. At the time, it was intended to be an Action/RPG that focused on co-operative multiplayer.