(H4) how to make game harder?

The old Heroes games developed by New World Computing. Please specify which game you are referring to in your post.
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Taro
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(H4) how to make game harder?

Unread postby Taro » 25 Oct 2014, 17:51

Well, we all know adventure AI in h4 is weak, so we have to somehow "improve computer players" with scripts. I made some maps harder and my conclusion is to improve a little every aspect of the game for computers. In my opinion the best way is to give AI players some more gold, creatures skills and/or experience.

But I think details are not so obvious. How many creatures? How many gold? Which skills and why? And when? Is showing entire map for AI a good idea. I think it's good, but there is a risk if you give strong spells or combat skills for comps they will rush you.

What is better? Making a custom levels of difficulty or just making hard maps?

Maybe you made one of classic maps harder and you can show us how?

Last time I improved "Conquest of Four Lakes". Changes are pretty simple:

1) AI players see entire map.
2) All players have importance set to Vital.
3) Computer players gets more units (double growth in towns) and gold to recruit them.
4) Computer heroes get tactic skills at expert and 10.000 experience.

I played this on level 3, and I felt like I was playing a map in h3 on 5! After 3-6 weeks one of AI players will wipe you out if you are not prepared.

I will gladly play some classic maps improved by others. So, how do you make game harder?

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Karmakeld
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Unread postby Karmakeld » 03 Nov 2014, 19:24

i think it's better to balance according to chose difficulty.
I use some of the same tricks:
Show World (or parts of it)
increased resources
stat bonuses
creature Growth
I also found temp. att/def. bonus to be a way of increasing AI's aggresiveness, rather than 'fictionious troops' but it also depends on the map objective.
Reducing time limits for higher difficuties is also a way to do it.
I alse replace certain artifacts and or structure depending on difficulty.
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Taro
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Unread postby Taro » 05 Nov 2014, 14:30

Interesting.

Can you explain more about temporary icrease of attack or defense? Do you mean that hero will gain more attack and it will disappear when we face him? And return after combat?

How about importance in map editor? Do you use it? And did you make some classic maps harder the way you described?

I think maps with time limit are harder in general. For example Parental Guidance was pretty hard on champion even without any additions.

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Unread postby Karmakeld » 10 Nov 2014, 10:31

Taro..

yes, simply increase stats of AI heroes, and upon encounter I decrease the stats by the same amount. AI will think it's strong and act more aggresive. Sure if you rely on AI winning you could add similar script to victorious script. Importance is in the encountered script and that it's not removed. I can send you a map (before and after) where I can see it in use if you want.

Not sure what you mean with map editor importance(?)

I haven't changed existing maps, as I only focus on my campaign in process.
About time limit, I use different time limits for diff. difficulties. E.g. in my third map you have to poison 5 wells within a time limit. Novice players will have more days to complete the task than champion players.
I find that methods like these are an easy way of setting according to difficulty.
I'm silent in seven languages - and I got all my familys fear.
Everytime you throw dirt, you loose a little ground


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