KB: Crossworlds

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Kalah
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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby Kalah » 19 Sep 2010, 16:18

In all the fuss over Heroes VI, we missed the latest on King's Bounty: Crossworlds. The game was released on Friday 17.09.10, in these three different versions:

King’s Bounty: Platinum Edition
King’s Bounty: Crossworlds Game of the Year Edition
King’s Bounty: Crossworlds

KB: Crossworlds requires an installed version of KB: Armored Princess and adds in all the new features, campaigns and the long-awaited game editor.

The new version features a new racial ability - more "Adrenalin" for Orcs, new unique bosses, and three new campaigns: "Orcs On the March", "Defender of Crown" and "Champion of the Arena". They also stuffed in nine new creatures, fifty new items and thirty spells. Accompanied with new abilities, skills, academy and some other special buildings.

System requirements are ... actually quite high, and we know that even having the recommended system is rarely enough to run these games smoothly. The recommended specs are:

DirectX 9.0c
3 GHz CPU
2 GB RAM
Video card: nVidia GeForce 7950GT with 512 Mb or ATI equivalent
5,5 GB free hard disk space

If you would like to take a look at the original page visit this link:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/1284913084
Last edited by Anonymous on 20 Sep 2010, 12:18, edited 2 times in total.
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GreatEmerald
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Unread postby GreatEmerald » 19 Sep 2010, 21:02

Also, it's already available on Impulse:

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GOTY

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Unread postby Pol » 19 Sep 2010, 22:08

After Steam reinstall it's working for me now. Both - game and the editor. I can't prevent impression that's pretty hard however. :D
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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby Ryder » 20 Sep 2010, 02:26

Excellent.

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parcaleste
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Unread postby parcaleste » 20 Sep 2010, 05:48

WOOOOOOOOOO!!! Would have totally missed this one if wheren't you here guys! Thanks a lot! *bows*

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OliverFA
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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby OliverFA » 20 Sep 2010, 15:35

Kings Bounty is a very good series. Picks a proven formula and evolves it in a natural way, making it even better than the original while still feeling like the original concept.



Tactic battles in KB are better than any HOMM. Every unit has an interesting way of behaving. There are dozens of creatures abilities. Spells are interesting, and battlefields are not always the same.



Even the argument in Armored Princess feels like old NWC arguments. It has everything from old good NWC days. The usurper, the demon, the portals to travel between worlds, the fairy tale feeling...



KB is much more true to HOMM spirit than HOMMV.



I hope that Katauri creates its own HOMM clone soon. It will be an excelent game for sure.

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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby archcorenth » 20 Sep 2010, 22:02

It really does feel more like HOMMV than HOMMV. But it lacks HOMM music....



I guess that means I'll still be buying both series.

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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby archcorenth » 20 Sep 2010, 22:15

I don't know what I think about Oliver's comment about the tactic battles being better, though. There's rarely any reason to use more than two or three spells through the whole game in King's Bounty, which was a big disappointment over how awesomely well thought out the spells were in HOMMV. (or even the fun overpowered ones in IV.) I do like how your troops were always changing, but what troops you had rarely mattered to how you played the battles -- unlike, say, Etherlords II where that was the whole game. Bosses really mixed things up though.

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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby Darmani » 21 Sep 2010, 04:04

It lacks HoMM music, but it makes up for it with King's Bounty music. I imported 9 of its songs into iTunes, and listen to them fairly frequently.



Oh, and two or three spells? Wow, you're either a fighter or very uncreative. I found myself using Magic Spring, Life Light, Sacrifice, Resurrection, Demon Portal, Trap, Fireball, Geyser, Haste, Pain Mirror, Phantom, Slow, Target, Teleport, Fear, Fire Rain, Poison Skull, Battle Cry, Fit of Energy, and Peacefulness quite frequently at various points in the game. I found all but 7 or so spells useful during my playthrough, and one of those is still incredibly useful as part of a combo I never used (Green Dragons/Invisibility).



I feel terrible that a new expansion has come out when I still haven't played Armored Princess. Hmmm...my roommate and I have birthdays near each other. (I gave him the original last year.)

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parcaleste
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Re: KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby parcaleste » 21 Sep 2010, 05:59

Darmani wrote:... combo... Green Dragons/Invisibility)...
Or Reds instead, pretty much that is, sometimes they are way better. Sorry dude, have to admit with the spells thingy - early in the game when your hero is weak perhaps a lot of them are useful, but later when you find dragons and Invisibility... well this is pretty much what you need to finish the game without wasting money for precious Runes for creatures. The spell diversity percent in HoMMV is up by something like 200.

BUT I like the concept in this "Crossroad" that is up now - fights against only heroes or only Bosses is a way to explore the spells... even though it feels like someone is pushing me to. :P

You can play AP now, it's required for this upgrade of the game. I guess I'll have to replay it (for like fifth time :angel: ), to see of the new artifacts. :tongue:

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Re: KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby Metathron » 21 Sep 2010, 07:38

OliverFA wrote:Kings Bounty is a very good series. Picks a proven formula and evolves it in a natural way, making it even better than the original while still feeling like the original concept.



Tactic battles in KB are better than any HOMM. Every unit has an interesting way of behaving. There are dozens of creatures abilities. Spells are interesting, and battlefields are not always the same.



Even the argument in Armored Princess feels like old NWC arguments. It has everything from old good NWC days. The usurper, the demon, the portals to travel between worlds, the fairy tale feeling...



KB is much more true to HOMM spirit than HOMMV.



I hope that Katauri creates its own HOMM clone soon. It will be an excelent game for sure.
I agree fully and completely. King's Bounty has been casting a long shadow on HoMM for quite some time. It's little wonder it's managed to enter so many people's personal hall of fame.
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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby vicheron » 21 Sep 2010, 10:50

Crossworlds was actually pretty disappointing. It didn't really add anything new. All it did was add some stuff to the Armored Princess campaign and two mini-campaigns which are basically boss rushes that you can finish in an hour. The new stuff aren't even that new. The new skills are just slightly changed skills or skills from the Legend. The new creatures are reskinned old creatures with some new abilities and the new spells are just the rage powers from the Legend. There are only three new original spell.
Edited on Tue, Sep 21 2010, 15:52 by vicheron

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OliverFA
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Unread postby OliverFA » 21 Sep 2010, 12:00

How can the orcs be reskinned creatures?

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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby Dave_Jame » 21 Sep 2010, 15:48

@OliverFA

I would like to corect you. I just finnished teh Legends game and have to say that, yes the game has a god old fealing but its a bad HoMaM.

like archcorenth said I only used 3 spells and 3 Box-cereatures abylities in the whole game. the batles were boaring and repetiv. (and I'm not mentioning the skills, such a waste of a good system), And on top, it just a RPG game with Long-time combat with wery low tactic oportinities. Cant realy think how a Could compare ti to a TBS Like HoMaM or Etherlords. More likly to an MaM.

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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby Darmani » 21 Sep 2010, 16:33

parcaleste, I have to laugh that you called all spells save Invisibilility useless because of one "If you let battles take forever, you'll win automatically" combo. After all, After all, if you do that, then you're missing out on the other overpowed combo, using Magic Spring/Sacrifice/Rage Draining/Time Back (and possibly Resurrection or Life Light) to generate a full army for free at the end of every battle.



Seriously though, of the 20 useful spells I listed, I found around 12 of them frequently useful even near the end of the game.

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vicheron
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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby vicheron » 21 Sep 2010, 19:57

@ OliverFA



The new creatures are reskinned old creatures. For example, there are a couple of new Orc creatures, the Orc Tracker is basically the regular Orc but more orange, the Goblin Shaman looks like the regular Goblin with tattoos, the Orc Blood Shaman is like the regular Shaman but red. The worst looking new creature is the Faun, it's an elf creature but it's a reskinned Imp that's green.

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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby agni » 21 Sep 2010, 22:21

Am I the only one who found the new version (orcs march) more difficult than the previous one? Then again, I was dumb enough to play as a magician (a bit underpowered in AP, overpowered in Legend)...



As for the spells argument, I think in all games there are only a few that are 'useful.' But with KB AP forcing you to change creatures, it at least forces you to change your spellbook a bit since different armies obviously have differing spells that they're better off with.

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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby archcorenth » 22 Sep 2010, 02:41

@Darmani, I was a paladin, which supposedly is balanced between might and magic. (I was also playing at the most difficult setting, which wasn't difficult in the slightest, but I didn't mind, since I wouldn't really have like to played through half the game to find out I'd have to restart because I made some poor choices at the beginning.) But all the same I did feel rather forced into being might oriented largely because there are so many creatures who the opponent can't attack if you use them correctly like snakes and bandits and vampires. Or have a tough time dying like giants and vampires. And this was very attractive due to my desire to spend my gold on things that weren't troops. However all those kinds of troops have low attack to balance them, which made me focus on rage abilities and direct damage spells, of which I really only needed the usual chain lightening and pendulum. I could be more creative, but it would only result in coming away with a couple of my soldiers dead, and I like to play as perfect a game as possible. Things like stone skin were never useful because I would have no casualties anyway. So I guess really I lied and I was a magic oriented hero. Since generally my troops never really made it into combat. I really thing HOMMV was far the better tactical game, since it had a few levels that really made me sweat, moreso in the adventure map, but in the tactical map as well. However, it was also not as engaging. They really need new script writers. I offer my services. :-P

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OliverFA
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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby OliverFA » 22 Sep 2010, 13:36

Well, I respect all opinions, but I don't see the game as a bad HOMM in any sense. First, it cannot be compared in the adventure map, because one is an RPG game and another is an strategy game. But in the parts that they have in common, it can be compared, and I still think that in those parts it is the best game since HOMM3.



Spells... you can be unimaginative and use always the same spell. But this does not mean the game is only 3 spells. First of all, are you playing about a warrior, paladin or wizard? As a warrior, spells are a lot less important. As for myself, as a Paladin I find that I use different spells depending on my troops (as Darmani said).



The tactical options are superior. For example, you can move one hex with your troop, then WAIT and finish your turn later. It's the first game to allow a fragmented turn.



You can move and then shoot, which opens new strategies.



It is very important which troops you choose and how you combine them, and which skills you choose to complement your play style.



The story, as I said, is goold old NWC story. With its share of pretenders, world portals, and all-mighty artifacts.



The only thing I really miss is Heroes in battle.

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Darmani
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KB: Crossworlds

Unread postby Darmani » 22 Sep 2010, 16:50

Well, the original King's Bounty let you move and shoot, but not wait.



Archcoreth: I'm a bit impressed if you were really able to defeat some of the ginormous armies seen late game using direct damage spells, but you'll find that a lot of the spells on my list actually let you use troops in combat while still not taking any losses.



For example, there's the Royal Snake/Trap combo. You bring the snakes to two hexes from an opponent, cast Trap on the intermediate hex, and then use the lunge attack. When the attacked stack gets its turn, it will walk right into the Trap, and lose it.



You can attack and then Teleport it away. You can use Fear to stop nearby troops from attacking. You can use Rage skills like Stone Wall or Glot's Armor to absorb hits for free. Or use Demon Portal and Target so that an "expendable" stack takes the hits. And, of course, there are creature abilities that are useful: the Archmage's stun, for example.



Of course, once you get Resurrection, you can focus on having stacks absorb lots of hits, and then Resurrecting them back. I used the Griffins/Peacefulness/Magic Spring combo a lot for this, and later I started teleporting in a stack of Ancient Ents with Divine Armor (or that elemental protection spell when fighting Dragons).



Of course, once you get the Sacrifice/Time Back combo, you'll never need to spend money on troops again, and the whole thing becomes relatively trivial.



No, I'm not just making these up to try to defend my claim that these spells are useful. These are the combos I actually used to routinely defeat armies several times my size without losses.


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