Who you gonna call?

[prelati]

Just a brief rant...

The most irritating creature in the game just has to be the ghost. Nothing gives me that 'screw this - I'm going to boot up minesweeper!' feeling quite like seeing a map littered with the infuriating little beggars. Watching one 'miss' result after another as they slowly nibble away at my army makes me want to stick my keyboard through the monitor.

Does anybody actually like these unneccesary undead underachievers? Is there are more irritating critter in the game?

[Jolly Joker]

Isn't that exactly what makes the game fun? That touch of uncertainty?

[Orfinn]

Indeed JJ. I like them and with that Incororability rune for the dwarves, all of those Fortress units can turn into "ghosts" aint that funny? Oh yes Ghosts both in real life and in games, films are supposed to be annoying you know, scary and such

[Alamar]

I not a big fan OR hater of the ghost.

If I were designing the game I suspect that I would use a different metric than a simple 50% total miss chance.

I would think that a "huge" defense rating [given their level] would be more appropriate ... I.E. you might miss one or two but on average you should still hit something in that huge stack .... Therefore a huge defense rating or something similar would be appropriate.

[winterfate]

Ghosts aren't so bad...*attacks with War Dancers*miss
*attacks with Master Hunters* miss miss

Aw, screw this.

Druid Elders cast Lightning bolt on Ghosts....*ghost dying sounds*. Ah, much better.

To answer the question, I don't like them, but in town defense, IMO, they rock (them and Zombies).

[erased. over. out]

Druid Elders cast Lightning bolt on Ghosts....*ghost dying sounds*. Ah, much better.

As far as I understand, aren't Ghosts/Spectres incapable of "missing" spells? I scratched my head the time I cast Fist of Wrath on a stack of Ghosts, only to find "Miss!" floating promptly in red letters. It's never happened again though. Strange...

[Gaidal Cain]

Fist of Wrath is considered as doing "physical" damage, so it can (as the only spell) miss the Ghosts. OTOH, it can hit Black Dragons...

[erased. over. out]

Fist of Wrath is considered as doing "physical" damage, so it can (as the only spell) miss the Ghosts. OTOH, it can hit Black Dragons...

Ahh, I see. Now it makes sense.

[aulfgar]

Ghost busters!!

I am very pleased with ghosts as they stand now. The global counter makes it alot more reasonable to attack them physically. I do wish that obviously magical attacks should hit them auto as well, IE Mage, Druid, Succubus, Sprite.

XD

[Kareeah Indaga]

I don’t care for them, they suffer from the ability-always-triggers-for-AI-never-for-you-:P! syndrome, like minotaurs in H4. As it stands they seem to be either completely screwed or completely invincible (barring spellcasters which I always seem to be short on). Personally I’d prefer if it were something like 10% total miss chance, 10% no miss, then for the percents in between gradually stepping up the percentage of damage that got through. That way it’d be more like 50% damage-25% damage-Full damage-Miss, rather than Miss-Miss-Hit-Miss-Hit.

[Bonzer]

I take them as they are, great when I play Necro (especially if I get "haunted mines"), and a bit of a challenge when they are opponents.

I usually try to avoid them until I get decent spells or casters, but usually find that the 50% rule works quite well. If one missile troops misses, the next one hits. Not always, but it's in my favour as often as it isn't, so 50% seems to work.

I have only patched to 1.3, and have yet to get HoF so I can't comment on the Dwarven ability to become incorporeal (Is that right?).

If Dwarven units can do this, albeit with a spell, I expect the poor little things are wondering what on earth is happening to them. They aren't supposed to like magikery, or do I play too much D&D?

One thing is for sure, it will mess up the annual dwarf throwing competition, they will fly straight through the wall instead of sticking to the target with their pointed helmets like they should!

[winterfate]

I have only patched to 1.3, and have yet to get HoF so I can't comment on the Dwarven ability to become incorporeal (Is that right?).

Yes they can...it's one of their runes.
Lasts for one turn only though.

[Orfinn]

Lasts for one turn only though.

Yes, but makes your opponent think "Not ANOTHER ghost!!!"

[Metathron]

They certainly can be annoying, but that's all part of their charm. And I concur with Kareeah's assessment of the "ability-always-triggers-for-AI-never-for-you-:P! syndrome".

[HodgePodge]

Fist of Wrath is considered as doing "physical" damage, so it can (as the only spell) miss the Ghosts. OTOH, it can hit Black Dragons...

Cool! I hadn't thought to use it on Blackies.

For Ghosties & other incorporeals, I try to have a nice cold Ice Bolt or an electrifying Lightning Bolt handy.

[DaemianLucifer]

Isn't that exactly what makes the game fun? That touch of uncertainty?

Considering that its a game of strategy and not roulette,no thats not what makes the game fun.A much better thing would be to make incoporeal decrease all physical damage by 50%,in a way bad luck does.

[aulfgar]

Fist of Wrath is considered as doing "physical" damage, so it can (as the only spell) miss the Ghosts. OTOH, it can hit Black Dragons...

Cool! I hadn't thought to use it on Blackies.

One of my first games was playing as Dungeon and some lame wizard going Fist of Wrath on my poor Blackies. I have since learned that 7th level troops now die on a semi regular basis against enemy heroes.

[Jolly Joker]

Isn't that exactly what makes the game fun? That touch of uncertainty?

Considering that its a game of strategy and not roulette,no thats not what makes the game fun.A much better thing would be to make incoporeal decrease all physical damage by 50%,in a way bad luck does.

The uncertainty in the Luck department is just the same because you cannot rely on it. It triggers or it doesn't. "Strategy" doesn't depend on the Ghosts, it depends on how you go at them and deal with them, forcing you to use different "strategy". You are mistaking strategy for total calculability.

[sezerp]

While I agree it is OK to have random factor in strategy game (we have it in real life too after all), I sometimes have the feeling it is a bit too big in HoMM V. (initial ATB during battle is IMHO good example)

Speaking about ghost in particular, personally I don't have the problem with that the effect is random. The problem (if any) is that it is 'all-or-nothing'. Perhaps if the 'miss' effect was weaker (as DL suggested), but they had more defence they would be overall better unit.
OTOH I like to use them as they are if I can get them for free (hero Nathir (IIRC), Haunted Mines)

[Jolly Joker]

The all-or-nothing problem is not Ghost specific. Unicorns, Nightmares, Squires, Militia, Master Hunters, Spear Wielders, Blackbear Riders. Luck and Morale (and Minotaurs).