The Inspiration for Michael

[Avonu]

Maybe "setting" is wrong word but you can see that HoMMIV and MMIX don't have many elements from old games (Ancients, alien Kreegans) and are rather focused on pure fantasy (Kreegans rather as devils/demons from hell then from outer space; gods as in many fantasy words, not like previous games, were they awere imposters or not exist - Yak, Mok, Bark, Baa, etc.).

And about that MMO, I think Corlagon wrote some article here in CH about it.

EDIT:
http://www.celestialheavens.com/viewpage.php?id=779

[Corlagon]

The decision to get off of Enroth was made before Greg Fulton left IIRC (between H3/MM7 and Armageddon's Blade). I don't know if they wanted to blow it up before the Forge, but I do know there was debate as to how it should be done when that decision was taken (one suggestion was to retcon MM8 into having Escaton succeed in his mission...). But supposedly, nobody in NWC was as up-to-date on the Enroth lore as Fulton, so his departure can't have helped. I didn't like the Reckoning, but I suppose it made some kind of sense, since you can't just keep conjuring up new continents on Enroth to explore for each RPG sequel.

I also once read Sir Charles state that Heroes IV was planned to be set on Jadame at an early stage. I know he was an old confidant of Christian Vanover's, so it's likely true - you can ask him about it if he comes online again sometime.

Contrary to popular belief, Tim Lang actually knew what he was doing with MM9, and most of the lore he invented did tie back to the Ancients-Kreegans storyline, or was eventually going to at least. The game itself was just so bad and so rushed that we never saw the fruits of Chedian and its place in the story.

[Avonu]

The decision to get off of Enroth was made before Greg Fulton left IIRC (between H3/MM7 and Armageddon's Blade). I don't know if they wanted to blow it up before the Forge, but I do know there was debate as to how it should be done when that decision was taken (one suggestion was to retcon MM8 into having Escaton succeed in his mission...).

According to Kareah Indaga there were texts about Enroth blow up in future in AB. As it is hard to find 2.0 copy of AB, it isn't easy to confirm or deny that. But even if these texts were in first version of AB, then there is still question HOW Enroth will blow up? The way how it was done in HIV intro was... "disaponting" (after we saved this world so many times).

I also once read Sir Charles state that Heroes IV was planned to be set on Jadame at an early stage.

Yes, I remember that information from some early annoucments.

Contrary to popular belief, Tim Lang actually knew what he was doing with MM9, and most of the lore he invented did tie back to the Ancients-Kreegans storyline, or was eventually going to at least. The game itself was just so bad and so rushed that we never saw the fruits of Chedian and its place in the story.

As you can see in game, there is information about the Kreegan and the Ancients and if you read between lines, you can see what could happened next with Nicolai, six jargs and other stuff from MMIX. This game had potential but it was killed by 3DO.
But back to Tim Lang, he also screwed few things and letter from Roland to Nicolai is the best proof of that (if of course he was responsible for that). Without someone who knew all previous game lore (well, HoMM2-3 and MM6-8 at least), it was hard not to made mistakes.

[Corlagon]

Agreed.

I point again out, though, that an awful lot of new games were released in the span of about three years from 1999-2002 (H3 and expansions, H4, MM7-9, eight Chronicles, Sea of Mist, Legends, Dragonbone staff, the Ardon rubbish).

We have the benefit of hindsight, but with like 20 new sources of information being poured out from several teams with no single person in charge of all of it at once, it was probably challenging for anybody to keep track of what lore was what back then.

[Darkström]

I never liked the whole norse thing, it felt cheap, fake, and plastic...like something made in china, imported, and sold at your local traitor shop Lidl

Oh, I didn't know there is Lidl in Finland. ^^

[Humakt]

I thought the Gods in MM9 were very creative. They were based on the Nose Gods. Krohn was Odin, Fre was Freyja, Idgra was Yggdrassil, the 3 Wyrdes were the Norns, and Yanmir the Frost Giant was the original Nordic Jotun, Ymir. I'm not too sure about Skraelos, but I really like his name!

How is copy/pasting Norse gods and changing their names creative?

[ThunderTitan]

>>I was browsing Wikipedia and stumbled onto this page: Archangel Michael. Sounds like a very familiar concept to the Michael character from Heroes!<<

Ok, what planet are you from?!

Seriously, considering the US being religion crazier then most western countries how could you not have heard about him?

[hatsforclowns]

I never liked the whole norse thing, it felt cheap, fake, and plastic...like something made in china, imported, and sold at your local traitor shop Lidl

Oh, I didn't know there is Lidl in Finland. ^^

Oh, yes, there is! *shudders* X(

[ywhtptgtfo]

>>I was browsing Wikipedia and stumbled onto this page: Archangel Michael. Sounds like a very familiar concept to the Michael character from Heroes!<<

Ok, what planet are you from?!

Seriously, considering the US being religion crazier then most western countries how could you not have heard about him?

A lot of American kids don't know anything.

[overall]

i seen few of those x) Michael... Gabriel...

btw... isnt this angel myth originally come with bird wings... bit same thing like dragons and dinosaurs...

[XEL II]

It would be like encountering ... Zeus in Xeen

Which played out fine in the end.

P.S. I don't see how Roland's letter found in MM9 is in any way a screw up. It was most obviously written (shortly) before AB campaign takes place, and we know (from AB) that Roland had visited Enroth between his release in MM7 (1169) and the beginning of AB (start of 1171) at the very least once. The only part of the letter that could seem dubious is Roland mentioning that Armageddon's Blabe has been forged, but then again Roland only heard about that as he puts it, and the rumors about Armageddon's Blade being created started to spread even before the Demon Wars between Erathia and Eeofol (Ab campaign) began, being the main reason why Catherine invaded Eeofol in the first place.