Master of Magic/Magic screen

The Magic screen can be accessed by clicking the Magic button at the top of the main map screen. The Magic screen is highly important for regulating your empire and relations with other wizards. You will be visiting this screen regularly throughout the game, either to make adjustments or to check information. This page will describe the main functions of the Magic screen.

Overview
Please note the image on the right. This screen is your access to several major functions. At the top, you will see the diplomacy function, showing the wizards you have contacted and their diplomatic status. Next, on the right, you will see a box that shows any active Global Enchantments, both those cast by you and other wizards. To the left, you see the Power Distribution bars, that control the use of your magical power. Blow that, you will see text containing important information relating to your magical power, skill and research. Finally, at the bottom right, you see the Alchemy button, which allows the transmutation of gold into power and vice versa.

Diplomacy
The Diplomacy function consists of four crystals. As you achieve contact with each opposing wizard, they will appear in one of the crystals. The crystal will have the portrait of the wizard, bordered by their playing color and underlined with a box showing their opinion of you. Right clicking the portrait will bring of a detail of that wizard with important information, such as their spell books and abilities, their resources, their general personality and their heroes.

Left clicking the portrait will open the diplomacy screen, where you can trade spells, form alliances or beg for peace. The menus are self-explanatory, but note that depending on your diplomatic relations, some options may not be available.

Power Distribution
The Power Distribution bars allow you to allocate your magical power to different pursuits; mana generation, spell research and magical skill. How much Power you have available will depend on your cities and nodes. You may wish to vary the allocation of Power as you gain more or perhaps to suit some strategic purpose. At some stages of the game, you may find it more important to focus on, say, improving your skill and so allocate all power to this branch. Do not be afraid to play around with different distributions. An even, three-way split may not necessarily be the best way to go. Note that research buildings add a flat bonus to your research. This research can never be taken away. It does not depend on the power allocation. With sufficient research buildings you can eliminate the need to use power for this purpose.

Global Enchantments
This box allows you to check which enchantments are active. While you will receive a message when an opposing wizard casts an enchantment, they may cancel them at any time. Keep up to date; knowledge is power. Knowing which enchantments your opponents can cast and maintain can be an indicator of their overall strength. Right clicking any enchantment shows a pop-up explaining its effects and cost.

Magical Info
The least flashy part of the screen is also one of the most important. These simple line of text give you important information on your resources and progress:


 * Casting Skill lets you know your level of skill with magic. This may be relevant for your decisions to allocate power.
 * Magic Reserve tells you how much mana you have stored up. Likewise important.
 * Power Base shows you your raw power. This is the resource that you distribute using the bars above.
 * Casting tells you what, if any, spell you are currently casting.
 * Researching shows what spell you are researching. Note that you can get more information on this by clicking the Info button on the main screen and choosing the Apprentice option.
 * Summon To tells you where your summoning circle is located. It will start in your capital, but you may move it later on. This is also the city to which your new heroes are recruited, so it's important to make sure it's placed where you want it.

Alchemy
The Alchemy button is humbly placed in the corner, but may at times play a significant role in your games. Alchemy allows the transmutation of gold into mana and vice versa. This normally takes place at a 2:1 rate (i.e. 200 gold into 100 mana), but if you have the Alchemy ability, you can do it at 1:1. The flexibility that this function provides should not be underestimated.