DIY internal look at HOMM5 beta

[GoatJuggler]

Here's some fun I just had and can be had by you! (If you installed HOMM5 beta)

Open WinRAR and browse to C:\Program Files\Nival Interactive\Heroes of Might and Magic V\data

Open data.pak.
Extract files someplace. (takes a few minutes)

Get IrfanView http://www.irfanview.com and install the plugin pack http://www.irfanview.com/plugins.htm

Use IrfanView to open any .dds file you find in the folder where you extracted data.pak. They are texture map files, so they'll look like jigsaw puzzles, but neat nonetheless. Also, you can browse into the Creatures folder and see lists of creatures via filenames, dwellings, buildings, etc.

[GoatJuggler]

Here's a list of the artifact names and descriptions that I found in the HOMM5 beta. Click the last link on the page to view the list. (host doesn't allow direct linking apparently).

http://goatjuggler.50megs.com/

[GoatJuggler]

Just added list of dwellings' names and descriptions:

http://www.gaminghorror.net/runescape-c ... -playable/

[GoatJuggler]

50megs is down for maintenance, so I slapped everything together with more goodies here http://www.geocities.com/goatjuggler/

Includes:
ð list of all heroes and their biographies (where available) by faction
ð list of hero specializations by faction <I'm so glad to see this back in HoMM from HoMMIII days>

[Symeon Star-Eyes]

Is this info correct? Can anyone confirm?

The adventure map spell "Summon Creatures" sounds nifty. "Summon Creatures Summons creatures from nearest town."
This could be interesting if it's implemented!

The different heroes, skills and artifacts also sound very good.

[jamsz]

Summon Creatures is in the beta, but is not functional (i.e. nothing happens on cast)

[Bad Wolf]

This info is correct...
It simply cannot be incorrect as it was taken from INSIDE the game, aka from inside data.pak...
However NOT everything that is written there is functional in the game (yet), so it's basically a throwdown of everything that is planned for the final release, as far as the open beta goes

[Gaidal Cain]

I.e. it's what's palnned for the open beta. The final game may differ.

[Bad Wolf]

I hope it will differ a lot!
But that's neither here nor there