If I want to give the Might and Magic series a try, which game should I start with?

[factotum]

Why? I mean it's not the best RPG ever but there are a lot of games that are way worse then MM9.

But, I'll wager, probably not part of a generally well-received and long-running series of games (with the obvious exception of Ultima IX). If MM9 had been some standalone no-name RPG then it probably would have been reasonably well received, but coming as it did off the high point of MM6/7/8 and also being part of the same massive change in game setting that was also used for HoMM4, it would have had to be absolutely fantastic to be well received--and it most definitely was not that.

[Corlindale]

I was probably being a bit hyperbolic about IX, heh. I just remember being massively disappointed as someone who adored the previous games and was very hyped for IX. As factotum noted, it might have felt less terrible in a different context.

[Morty]

If Might & Magic IX had come out as its own game rather than a part of the series, no one would be talking about it now. It would have just been an ugly, empty game with a pretty dumb story and imbalanced mechanics.

As far as other games in the series are concerned, I agree that Might & Magic VII is probably a good start, but I found the combat really awkward. The real-time/pseudo-turn-based model accomplishes neither and is mostly just a lot of strafing, firing arrows and casting spells. Then swinging melee weapons when you can't do that. And it's old school, for better or worse... well, for me it's usually for the worse, because I can't stand most "old school" trappings. Like the general sense user-unfriendliness and having to plan out your whole party carefully if you don't want to be struggling.

Might & Magic X is an interesting enough return to the old style in the Ashan setting (which is unfortunately as interesting as plain oatmeal). That said, it has some distinct old-school elements that put me off as well. Like being stopped cold by an enemy using paralysis and realizing the character I assigned to fire magic (needed to remove it) won't be able to cast it for a while.

[noob]

If Might & Magic IX had come out as its own game rather than a part of the series, no one would be talking about it now. It would have just been an ugly, empty game with a pretty dumb story and imbalanced mechanics.

As far as other games in the series are concerned, I agree that Might & Magic VII is probably a good start, but I found the combat really awkward. The real-time/pseudo-turn-based model accomplishes neither and is mostly just a lot of strafing, firing arrows and casting spells. Then swinging melee weapons when you can't do that. And it's old school, for better or worse... well, for me it's usually for the worse, because I can't stand most "old school" trappings. Like the general sense user-unfriendliness and having to plan out your whole party carefully if you don't want to be struggling.

Might & Magic X is an interesting enough return to the old style in the Ashan setting (which is unfortunately as interesting as plain oatmeal). That said, it has some distinct old-school elements that put me off as well. Like being stopped cold by an enemy using paralysis and realizing the character I assigned to fire magic (needed to remove it) won't be able to cast it for a while.

In m&m 7 and 6 you can do a party with anything and it will not be too hard: at worse if you are doing a 4 knights party the game will take a long time: you will have extremely tough heroes that have to chase down or shoot with bows monsters and can not regenerate from attrition so all you need is a lot of trips back and forth from the churches to the dungeons.
A 3 mages 1 cleric party makes both 6 and 7 easy(just use turn per turn each time there is a fight and wander around a lot to get the cool skills).

[Zombimode]

As far as other games in the series are concerned, I agree that Might & Magic VII is probably a good start, but I found the combat really awkward. The real-time/pseudo-turn-based model accomplishes neither and is mostly just a lot of strafing, firing arrows and casting spells.

Very much disagree with this assessment.

Maybe it a question of how you play? I never felt that MM 6-8 had an "awkward" real-time/pseudo-turn-based system because I always play in turn-based mode only switching to real time (in combat of course) in specific situations. Instead of being awkward to me the system is extremely fluent and useable. The games play extremely well, better than most contemporary RPGs.

But I guess usability is simply not universal.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

Why? I mean it's not the best RPG ever but there are a lot of games that are way worse then MM9.

Because it was terrible, but it was terrible because the game devs only had 9 months to make it while their publisher went bankrupt. So it’s not fair to complain about it because it’s not the devs’ fault it was bad, but it not being their fault doesn’t magically make it good either, so we just don’t talk about it.