New Unique Campaign Underway

[Muszka]

And DD does'nt really impede on the game play all that much, I think.

I feel it does so. On easier difficulties it doesn't counts that much, but on impossible so many heroes had and used it that in my current game I defeated everybody except Sandro and ShadowDeath castle (for testing purposes I don't finish the map), but I still didn't discovered about half of the land, cos I was obligated to hunt down dimensiondoor-ing enemy heroes, who could teleport regardless of barriers. I think I ask BAD for help....

As for your idea UHO, at least we know a way how to restrict it eventually. Although truncating the map would result with losses similar to dimensiondooring, so we better leave it. As far as I know AI only cheats in the number of creatures he can recruit from towns. About 1/1/2/3/3/5? for levels 6/5/4/3/2/1 on impossible. On lower lvls it seems normal, although I didn't checked all difficulties.

[ByteBandit]

Well, if BAD has'nt the time to make a patch for something like this, and you think it may interfere with the game using DD, I may just end up banning the 5th level in all Mage Guild then. We'll see.

[BAD23ro]

I don't have time right now and the process to make some mage guild changes isn't so easy.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

Increasing the cost is a great idea.

You have only succession wars? No problem, I converted all my PoL 2.1 offsets to SW 1.2, not a problem.

Just tell me the offset of the spell costs for v1.2 and I will then somwhat easily manage to find the counterpart offset for PoL 2.1 and change the costs to 255.

[BAD23ro]

I have Price of Loyality, Gold and Succession Wars, but right now I have installed only Succession Wars.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

LOL! Just when I had finally figured out the offset myself on my own, (0xF189E for With-CD Price of Loyalty, v2.1) I come back and you edited your post. Thanks anyway. Took me a while to figure out that adventure spells didn't have string of text next to them to tell them apart.



My own H2 Mod, with Price of Dimension Door to 255, for PoL v2.1
http://pages.infinit.net/plague/h2door.zip

[Muszka]

Thanks guys. It's great. Pity it's limited to 255. It would be best to see an 500(511) cost, or 999. Anyhow this is great. Thanks again.

[BAD23ro]

Glad that I could help and perhaps when will have time, I'll release a patch to remove dimension door from mage guild and map

[UndeadHalfOrc]

Glad that I could help and perhaps when will have time, I'll release a patch to remove dimension door from mage guild and map

That's over and done with. A hero with more than 260 spell points, even if it casts the spell once, will have no mana left to fight.

Now, we need a patch that boosts Fireball, Frost Ring power multiplier to 13 instead of 10 !!! And Fireblast to 15

Secondary skills are not a priority to balance IMHO because in Heroes 2 there are so fewer skills (compared to H3) that you're usually bound to get the ones you want anyway. Even my Wizards get Archery most of the time, and my Barbarians, Wisdom.

[BAD23ro]

Is possible over 255, but the best method I'll give when have time to make a patch to disable dimension door from mage guild and map

[ByteBandit]

This sounds great! I would like to thank both of you for doing this. I have edited the Campaign map making it possible for the human player to play a little longer than before. The player will have to visit all the tents to get to the end victory, where as before, it was'nt set up that way. So that may help. I'm not sure about adding the patch(es) just yet. (?) Need to hear from Muszka what he thinks of the new revised map first. But one thing IS certain. If the patch(es) are not included, we'll point people in the direction where they can get them.
On another note, the SoD map is now painted. I'm writing and adding the story and timed events to it now. It should be ready for testing by the end of this weekend.

And BAD:
I have been allowing the testers to use the EXE you created for H1 and H2. It makes it easier to look over the maps during the testing phase. I told all of them to thank you for making it and extending the life of their CD's. If you want me to stop sending it out, let me know and that'll be the end of that. Any case, WE owe you our thanks!!!

[UndeadHalfOrc]

When I have time, I will apply my own patch changes to the H2 no-cd executable...

I feel such shame in not having any C++ compiler installed on my computer, making new patches would be so much faster... I could have easily written a small program that reproduces part of one file into another... I hate having to do this manually.

[ByteBandit]

To UHO: If the combination to the 2 could be done, and was done properly without crashes, I would consider it added to this campaign map. It would be perfect. Also, have you gotten the H3(SoD) map for the campaign yet for testing? It's ready now. Got it done sooner than I thought I would. I could add more story to it later but 95% of it is there in the map. I always will be trying to save a little extra just in case the next map I do has a plot twist in it, from here on out.

To Muszka:
The paperwork you recieved with Map 3 is not the finalized version. Nothing, as you know, is finalized until everyone testing feels it's ready to be checked off the list as "complete."

[BAD23ro]

[UndeadHalfOrc]

To UHO: If the combination to the 2 could be done, and was done properly without crashes, I would consider it added to this campaign map. It would be perfect. Also, have you gotten the H3(SoD) map for the campaign yet for testing? It's ready now. Got it done sooner than I thought I would. I could add more story to it later but 95% of it is there in the map. I always will be trying to save a little extra just in case the next map I do has a plot twist in it, from here on out.

Have any of the patches I've made ever crashed? Be sure to tell me if that's ever the case. (No problems on my side so far)

And no, you have not sent me any Heroes 3 maps yet, but I can't wait to try it out!

[UndeadHalfOrc]

Okay ByteBandit, I'm done!

Here is my own H2 Mod, for PoL v2.1:

- No CD required
- Price of Dimension Door to 255
- All of my current balance changes.
http://pages.infinit.net/plague/h2door.zip

It didn't take that long, all offsets were identical, I only had to cut and paste a few sections (creatures, buildings, heroes).

[Muszka]

@BAD and UHO
Just as ByteBandit said, your help is unvaluable. It's great.

@ByteBandit
Polishing is a hard thing, but the results speak for themselves. It's getting better and better with every time. I have some net problems, but in minutes you should receive the updated H2. I added my part, to the one you've sent me this (my) morning. The only major thing is that I increased the armies of Sandro and ShadowDeath, also I gave some levels to Sandro, since it looked just ridiculous with lvl 1. He is now 30.
I begin testing today, but i fear, I'll be able to finish it only tomorrow.

Oh, and UndeadHalfOrc, I haven't experience any crashes either with your patches

[ByteBandit]

@Muszka:
Mapmaking is a hard thing. But I think polishing the map is even harder. No matter how well you fine tune a map, you always miss something. But generally they are just minor things. Things only the mapmaker(s) know about.
I will look over Map 2 sometime today and let you know about it. I like your style when polishing maps, so I'm confident it will be a positive change.

@UHO:
Your EXE will be added to the Zip file with the Map and the ReadMe text for the released version, if that's all right with you. I feel that both you and BAD should be given credit for the EXE. It's a fair thing to ask. He has done a lot for us "behind the curtain" so to speak. And still helping when called upon for help.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

No problem at all, he has helped me a lot indirectly for my Heroes 3 patch, it's thanks to him and Yasmiel that I can change secondary skills in Heroes 3, by not only posting offsets, but teaching me how to convert percentage values to hexadecimal

If you include my mod, maybe you should also include my changes.txt so people will know exactly what stats has been changed.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

ByteBandit, I started your H3 map as soon as I received it.
Problem: The shipyard produced a boat directly to its bottom right, and I cannot access it! Maybe by removing some rocks and shrubs next to it?

Oh and I forgot to thank you for giving me credit.