Posted 01 June 2006

by New World Computing

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Might and Magic V

LOG OF THE DRAGON PHARAOH

Log entry: 3/3/850
Last night two meteors impacted Darkside within seconds of each other. Judging from their trajectory, they must have landed near the volcano. I have sent Wolrow to investigate the impact site. The time of the Prophecy draws near, and I suspect that these meteors are a good omen.

Log entry: 3/4/850
Crindr Amn has announced the hatching of 18 healthy children ! I am so happy for her ! Not a single one had to be eaten because of
deformities. Everything in the world seems to be going right. The initial preparations for the Prophecy have been flawless, and I
anxiously await Queen Kalindra’s response to my request for her aid in the final Prophecy ceremony.

Log entry: 3/5/850
I have issued a proclamation requesting volunteers to help facilitate the final stages of the Prophecy. Responses should be coming in soon. The culmination of the Prophecy is so near I can taste it.

Log entry: 3/6/850
Wolrow was expected to return today, but there is no sign of him yet. He probably took some extra time to study the meteor phenomenon. I have not yet received a response from Queen Kalindra or any volunteers.

Log entry: 3/7/850
Four days have passed since I last saw Wolrow. He should be back by now, and I fear for his safety. I will send a search party for him if he is not back in two more days. I have had positive responses from several volunteers on the matter of the Prophecy, and they have all indicated that they will arrive at the royal pyramid in a few days.

Log entry: 3/8/850
Letters from volunteers continue to pour in. The response is more than gratifying. All signs and omens continue to point to successful completion of the Prophecy.

Log entry: 3/9/850
Wolrow is still missing. I sent a search party out to find him today. The volunteers have begun to arrive, and I have been dispatching them to their posts. Queen Kalindra sent word of her willingness to participate in the Ceremony, and mentioned that she had taken
in a mysterious but charming guest named Alamar. She also said that the emissary from the other side of the world had not yet arrived.

Log entry: 3/10/850
My study of the signs today showed a drop in confidence for the completion of the Prophecy by 10%! Something is amiss and I cannot read the signs clearly enough to tell what it is. I am very worried about Wolrow, and hope that the search party discovers him soon.

Log entry: 4/1/850
Confidence slipped another 3% this morning, but returned to its previous level in the afternoon. There is some chaotic factor in the equation now, and even a small drop in confidence makes my tail twitch nervously. The volunteers have stopped arriving, and I sent the last one to his post today. All that remains is for the Queen to complete her task, the emissary to arrive, and for the proper time to arrive.

Log entry: 4/2/850
The search party returned with bad news today. They reported that they were unable to approach the meteor impact site because a rebel army was camped before it! A rebel army!? Led by who? Who would dare challenge my authority or detain my servants? On top of this bad news, confidence fell to 74%. The Queen has not sent confirmation of her readiness to complete the Ceremony, and the first day the Ceremony could begin is tomorrow.

Log entry: 4/3/850
Today is the first day the Prophecy can be completed. I have not heard from the Queen. Scouts report that the rebel army is both growing in number and advancing toward the royal pyramid. Confidence has fallen to 40% and continues to fall by the hour. I have sent messages to my monstrous allies informing them of the situation and asking them to muster their armies and come to my defense. My tail lashes in agitation.

Log entry: 4/4/850
All is lost! The Queen has not responded to my attempts to contact her magically. The Orcs sent a message stating that they were involved in religious ceremonies and were, sadly, unable to come to my aid at this time. As soon as the ceremonies are over in a month, however, they will be happy to come. The Ogres sent a simple refusal. I have not heard from any of my other allies. Scouts predict the rebel army’s arrival tomorrow. Since confidence fell to 20% today, I have decided to recall the volunteers and shore up my defenses. Reports also indicate the sudden building of a dungeon on the Isle of Lost Souls and a castle near the meteor impact site.

Log entry: 4/5/850
The rebel army besieged the pyramid today. I can see from the window that some of the members of the army are my former allies. There have been refusals of aid from the Sprites and the Gremlins, the last delivered with insults and jeers. An emissary from the rebel army demands my surrender to his master—Alamar. I refused, of course. He cannot possibly have the key to the pyramid. Confidence fell to 6%.

Log entry: 4/6/850
Alamar has the key. He must have taken it from Queen Kalindra. His army has entered the pyramid and has been battling my forces all day. The first level has been lost, and my forces seem unable to hold the rest. Ellinger, Queen Kalindra’s advisor, reports that Castle Kalindra has been “moved out of phase” with the rest of the world, and is impossible to enter. He also reports that the Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Gnomes have been confined to a small section of Castleview town.

Log entry: 4/7/850
I have ordered my forces to surrender to save their lives. I have set the seals of the final level of the pyramid to prevent unauthorized entry, and I am certain they will work. Unfortunately, I am now virtually powerless. While the army cannot enter here, I cannot leave. Ellinger informs me that he has taken similar steps to ensure his safety in his tower in Castleview. Confidence has fallen to 1%.

Log entry: 5/7/850
Nothing has changed in a month. Alamar’s army is unable to pass the final seal. His emissary demands my surrender every day—I wonder when he will grow tired of asking. To deepen my troubles, Alamar has indicated that he has captured the emissary from the other side of the world, Prince Roland, and has sent his own ambassador there. Alamar seems to be firmly in command of Darkside now, and it doesn’t look like he is going to rule very well. There must be something I can do to influence events. I will try to contact the Queen tomorrow.

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• MM5

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Posted 26 February 2006

by Vladimir Kuzmanov

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While there are several great articles on mapmaking available at MapHaven and Celestial Heavens, a recent discussion at the Round Table prompted me to think further about one aspect of mapmaking – the aesthetics.

The purpose of this topic is to share my experience and get some feedback from other authors and players alike.

It is said a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ve included some examples. The screenshots were taken from my favorite scenarios and campaigns, although I do understand I may have missed some gems. Feel free to list your own favorites.

One will find a number of great posts dealing with gameplay, but few threads deal with the looks of the adventure map. Hardcore players, especially veterans who prefer online multiplayer, might say that you should stick to random maps. This missive will mostly discuss single player and RPG maps, where the settings are as important as the balance or the story.

Heroes I and Heroes II

I must admit I have never been much of a fan of the early chapters. Some of the best maps EVER were made with the Heroes II editor, but they were just that – maps.

Everybody knows that artifacts in Heroes have always been larger than heroes, although even such tiny heroes could hardly live in the towns… Needless to say, all the objects on the adventure map were symbols – they used to represent things, not show their actual size. Although the map of the world in Heroes II introduced more trees and rocks, it was Heroes III that actually signified a transition, which was completed in Heroes IV (more on that issue later).

Finally, few (if ANY) Heroes I and Heroes II maps have been published in the last two or three years. The community has moved on, although we all like to remember the good old days now and then. As this article is supposed to provide some hints and tips for new mapmakers, let’s discuss:

Heroes III

* Dos and don’ts

A long time ago, Shae_Trielle asked a good question – where has the fantasy gone? She wrote:

“It seems as of late that Heroes has become such a cold, clinical game. Everything seems to have been worked out to an exact formula and I find it sad that the heroes are not even referred to by name. They’re either MAIN or SCOUT as far as players are concerned. People seem not too focused on the idea of grand conquest and players are in a rush to get it 'over and done with'). You know, what draws me to this game is the fantasy and the strategy and if this game was called Astronauts of Sabers and Rockets, I wouldn't play it...”

If you are a hardcore player, you probably couldn’t care less. You’d rather stick to familiar templates anyway. However, let’s all try to remember why we fell in love with this game in the first place, back in the days when you thought Solmyr was the best hero ever.

It was not just another addictive turn-based strategy game – it was a fantasy world swarming with fantastic creatures and dazzling spells. A good mapmaker doesn’t underestimate the importance of immersion.

In Heroes III, the mapmakers were finally given the tools to create their own lands and continents. – Alas, it was a double-edged sword. Personally, I’ve stopped downloading new scenarios by unknown mapmakers a long time ago. While I learned the CD maps by heart, custom ones can often be such a disappointment (and that is an understatement).

1) Plan your map
Think about it before you open the editor, lay out the towns (and other key features) first, and draw a mini-map on a piece of paper if you must. This way you can choose the right size for your story/theme/idea. True, XL scenarios get the most downloads and reviews, but need your map be so large? Not only could you risk spoiling the gameplay, but also you could end up with vast areas that need to be covered. As Kristo says in his School of Quality Mapmaking, “there are few things worse than having a large section of a map with nothing in it.”

There are some exceptions, of course. Remember the desert in “Unleashing the Bloodthirsty” by Andrew Tanzi? It was left barren for purpose, though. Furthermore, you can usually tell if the map is any good by opening it first in the editor. A good mapmaker devotes as much time to planning, storytelling and testing the map, as to decorating it.

Do not use brushes and pre-done random maps. They are ugly as hell.

2) Starting area
Shae_Trielle once wrote:

“I used a form of logic that Dr. Dre uses in his songs. He once said that people will only listen to the first fifteen seconds of a song to decide whether they like it or not. If you don't hook them in the first fifteen seconds, the rest of your song, no matter how good, will be a flop.”

A town, a sawmill and an ore mine are fine, but you must give the player something that will glue him or her to the screen.

Don’t forget the starting area should fit the story as well!

The best opening I have seen was in To Kill for Power by Tang Wen En, where your main hero starts in a completely white circle…

3) Unique concepts
Keep in mind that players have seen it all by now, so you should try to experiment a bit. Try to design the key areas and place important objects in an original way. Draw a labyrinth or a field, for example. Feel free to repeat certain patterns and place multiple copies of the same object, like Darklord did in The Empire of the World. Charles Watkins built an entire town in his “Kid Heretic”.

However, don’t push your luck; as bold as your concepts may be, the Heroes 3 editor has its limitations.

Do not put objects where they do not belong! You must have a really good story to back up snow hills on lava terrain.

(In my opinion, the Heroes IV editor is a much better solution for unique ideas.)

4) Fear of the empty space
It’s a common thing in arts; believe me, as a comic book artist, I would know.

Just like you shouldn’t leave vast empty areas, you mustn’t overdo it. Move the objects away from each other. Don’t cram them together unless it’s on purpose. Give some space to heroes so that they can move freely. Again, do your best to immerse the player into the world you have created.

5) Polishing phase
Placing mountain ranges is boring; polishing is as tedious, but more rewarding.

The objects are divided into sections according to terrains, BUT you’ll find two pieces of dead vegetation in the rough section that you can use for underground. The subterranean mushrooms can be placed in the swamp, while moss-covered logs look natural on the grass, just like dirt hills on the rough… In the sand section you might discover this tiny bush that can fit most terrain types, so it can be used to block important squares…

Take your time! If you spend ten minutes of your life moving one single rock first left, then right, then left again – don’t worry, you are not the only one who does that! :D It might seem insignificant to the rest of the world, but you know how important it is! ;)

What matters is not just the placement of objects, but also creating a believable world. Ask yourself: could my map really exist? Is my work that convincing, authentic and realistic? Sure, it is just an imaginary world, but its magic would be lost if the players are reminded of the fact that they are playing a computer game. Most players will forever remember beautiful places, such as the flowery gardens of the tower in “Y Ddraig Goch” by Keith Williams.

True, it is a fantasy world and anything could happen, but why are the Orcs guarding a Faerie Ring?! Like somebody noticed - has the invasion from Mordor already started, or has the mapmaker put a random monster there?

6) Include some Easter Eggs
Everybody likes nice surprises. Carefully combine such Easter Eggs with the story and you will create unforgettable moments for the players! :)

7) Testing
While you are testing the balance issues and looking for bugs, pay attention to details on the adventure map. The scenery might look a bit different from the picture in the editor.

You may ask your testers for impressions, but don’t have to listen to all the suggestions (unless the feedback is extremely negative).

The truth is few would notice the results of your hard work, but everybody would see if it wasn’t there.

Mapmaking is a lousy job anyway – no fame, no fortune and no scantily clad ladies.

* Mods

A large number of Heroes III fans moved on to WoG (short for In the Wake of Gods), a great mod created five years ago by Slava and his international team.

The essence of the mod is ERM, a powerful scripting tool that enables the mapmaker to change everything in the game, including the properties of the adventure map. If you can master it, ERM can do wonders.

The mod has also introduced a lot of new objects, mostly imported from other games. Sadly, some of them don’t fit Heroes and perhaps you should avoid them (especially the features from early patches). Others look as if they have always been there (snow or rain, for example). My favorites are new adventure objects placed in respective terrain sections; I like to place them even if they serve no real purpose. I find statues and runes fascinating… even without wordy messages, they create the atmosphere of your map. Things have a way of telling their own stories.

The other powerful tool for mapmakers is the Object Editor made by Sergey a.k.a. GrayFace. It enables altering the nature of ANY object with very few limitations: you can change yellow and red squares, place all objects underneath others (make them part of the ground), even use some lost .def files. Since it works with the expansions and mods, it is a must for every mapmaker.

Heroes IV

Most of the aforementioned rules apply to Heroes IV mapmaking. However, for the first time we got a real world, not a map.

The artifacts stayed too big and towns remained small, but everything else changed. Even the level 7 dwellings got the proportions they deserved! The object palettes introduced hundreds of trees and rocks. In addition, mapmakers and players could enjoy bridges, walls, fields, animals and birds… The quest huts formed villages bustling with wandering humans.

Seemingly, creating a map has never been easier - mountains blend naturally with the grass and trees. However, that’s where the easy part ends.

* The beauty is in the eye of the Beholder

…or is it not?

Some fans hate the Heroes IV graphics, saying they look like plastic toys (unlike paper dolls in previous games, I presume? Bah!). Even if it is a matter of taste, I agree your adventure map might end up like a table full of scattered toys.

In order to avoid that, create several layers: first choose the terrain and place the objects (keeping in mind all the previous tips), then leave the center empty but put trees in corners; now add grass (more near the woods and less around the roads). As for finishing touches, include some animals. Needless to say, it all depends on the scene you want to make; crows would circle above wheat fields or bloody battlegrounds, songbirds would most likely dwell in Elvish forests or tropical islands, etc.

If possible, connect the objects with roads; the scenery looks more natural that way, not to mention that the player will appreciate the increased movement. Roads can cover whole areas, like an additional terrain type, or you could use different terrain types (such as a dirt strip on the grass) to create forest paths.

a farm with a pigsty and stables in my upcoming “Midsummer Nightmare” scenario

a huge waterfall in “Truth and Justice” by yours truly

The first map that took my breath away was “Sunken Empires” by Aczl. One of the most enjoyable maps I’ve played recently is Dimov’s “Stories for Peasants, Lords and Castles”, which features a wonderful adventure map.

Make the vital spots stand out by using special terrains (which don’t affect spells in Heroes IV) and structures (pillers, hedges, walls etc), like in this screenshot taken from the Equilibris site:

Even multiplayer maps needn’t look bare – take any scenario created by Laelth. In his M masterpiece called “ZMineZ”, the author has managed to include more quests than some have in XL maps!

* The “wow” moments

… as Psychobabble once called unique features in his reviews, are essential.

Sometimes they are just this narrow passage in the dark forest, like in his “My Brother’s Keeper” scenario. Rest assured all those who passed it will never be able to forget the feeling of claustrophobia they experienced!

For more exotic sites, play Robenhagen’s “Planewalker” campaigns:

Here he used the elevation tool on the sea (!) to take us to other "planes".

Take a look at his use of snow and water in order to paint clouds! The blurry columns of the hidden bridges disappear in them, creating an illusion of depth.

If these are not your cup of tea, think of original details you might create:

In “AmericanWayHuhuhu” by Vel and Wildbear, you can conquer Iraq and her oil shafts – depicted with gold mines with some cursed grounds and geysers; in addition, you might discover the Iraqi WMD on the left – all you have to do is follow the arrows! :P

These arrows (identical to movement path) are some of the hidden objects, buried deep in the editor. Aside from the pointers, the list includes the Grail, Potion of Immortality, Breeze the Falcon and a few other objects. Several mapmakers like to put a placed event on the artifact pile and give a gift to the hero, for example.

Vel has used the glowing “mire” object to make the Necropolis even spookier

The existing objects can be arranged in new ways; In “Lost Crusade”, Charles Watkins placed Ghosts in dead trees and a Blacksmith in a Quest Hut in order to depict a demolished mansion.

Finally, there are more exotic approaches to mapmaking; special scenarios built around a unique idea or concept can be a lot of fun:

In Vel’s “Poker” you get to play the game, while in his “Draconic” you can bet at the Crocodile Race! :)

In Ekshenman’s “Town of Sports and Games” you can watch a football match, among other things!

* Mapmaking tricks

Again, this article will focus on aesthetics, rather than other aspects of mapmaking.

I have already mentioned the elevation tool and hidden objects. Some authors excel at creating picture maps, although you must be careful:

In his masterwork called “Angels Are Back”, Ururam Tururam has sacrificed the adventure map in order to get a dazzling mini-map; he succeeded in covering certain areas with moss, though…

… but I preferred his “Around the Calendar”. Don’t miss his new scenario “Song of the Wraith”, featuring another stunning mini-map!

* Brushes

... are another important tool. Forget the pre-done sets – they are good for covering huge areas with grass only. Instead, create your own brushes. You can include events and customize them afterwards, overlap towns or enable heroes to move through the void terrain, best shown in Vel’s “A Beautiful Land”:

* Equilibris

Although its developers emphasize it is a balance mod, the upcoming 3.6 version is going to introduce dozens of new adventure objects, mostly various quest huts, creature corpses and different structures. Don’t miss the next update!

Search for more random tips in my Heroes IV reviews.

Other games exist, too.

Don't be ashamed to look for your inspiration elsewhere. :)

The Heroes IV editor enables you to make reproductions of the sights from Age of Wonders, Disciples, Warcraft, and even classic RPGs such as Baldur's Gate, Diablo or Neverwinter Nights.

Re-create ancient temples or forgotten ruins from your favorite books, movies and comics.

Make a clear reference, though; it is not plagiarism if you admit it - it's an homage. ;)

Heroes V

The release of the latest sequel has been postponed, and the information on the new editor is scarce. The one screenshot proves the existence of mapmaking tools in Heroes V, but nobody aside from developers can tell more than that.

Sadly, it is obvious there will be no interactive landscape (like in Age of Wonders, for example), which was on the wish list of the fans for a long time.

Heroes V will introduce 3D graphics, which might change the way maps are made… or maybe not. We’ll have to wait and see.

This section will be updated once the game is finally published.

By Vladimir Kuzmanov aka Vlaad

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Posted 26 January 2006

by SaveHeroes.org

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Heroes of Might and Magic Community Sites Launch SaveHeroes.org

Dedicated Fans and Players Want to Delay Game for Higher Quality Release

Worldwide, Jan. 26, 2006. A group of Heroes of Might and Magic community Websites today launched a collaborative effort to persuade Ubisoft executives to delay the launch of their highly anticipated title Heroes of Might and Magic 5. SaveHeroes.Org is a concerted community effort to further that cause.

This effort, and the reasons behind it, started largely because of the open beta test, which started on GameSpy on Monday, January 23rd. With Heroes of Might and Magic 4 having received poor sales in comparison to its predecessor, Heroes 5 is seen by most as a make or break game. If it fails, so will the entire Might and Magic franchise. If it succeeds, then the product line would gain the support it needs for a long term at Ubisoft.

With these facts in mind, community websites, including Celestial Heavens, The Oracle League, Age of Heroes, Heroes Community, The Genies Lamp, Guardians Grove, and many others started posting petitions and banners to "Save Heroes 5". Not long after, these same leaders gathered to try and organize a collaborative effort to attempt to show Ubisoft that releasing an unfinished game would not go over well at all.

After the rough start and continued issues of the Open Beta, and some investigation, these leaders realized that there was little time to act. Ubisoft's fiscal year ends on March 31, coinciding with the release date. Ubisoft was also the target of a takeover bid in December of 2004, something they are not likely to forget easily. Wanting to hit or exceed their yearly targets could be a reason for the March 31 release date.

However, such short-term plans are exactly what doomed Heroes 4, New World Computing and The 3DO Company. SaveHeroes.Org is now open to try and prevent such a thing from happening.

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Posted 10 January 2006

by Gothrak

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Back to page 1

VII. Interview with the Super-Peasant

Behind every screenshot is a terrible story of cruelty and shame. I managed to find the very same peasant who was pictured, and he had a different tale to tell.

Peasant: Oooo, arrr, innit, me back, innit, potatoes and dirt. Arrrr.

Me: Er... That made no sense.

Ah, sorry. It's the peasant talk. Makes me real popular with the ladyfolk, hur, hur, hur, oo, arrr, et cetery.

How very... nice. So, you wanted to talk to me about something? Or did you just grab hold of my shoe for another reason?

That's right, guv, that's right, me lordship, I 'ave got wot we in the peasant industry term 'a story'. Now, you going to listen to it while I fetches you a right bowl of maggot stew?

You know, I already ate three bowls of maggot stew. I couldn't possibly have any more. Really.

Nuthin' like maggot stew. Now, where wos I? Oh, yes, the story. Yes, sir, the story. See, 'ere I was, tilling the fields, ploughing the corn, harvestin' the cows. That's right. An' there I was when this great big duffer wot with big wings comes landin' in my cabbage.

I'm sure that was surprising.

Ah, well, you'd think so, wouldn't yer? But given that I'm quite partial to maggot stew, I thought it were one of them whatchersies, allucy-nations. Things that aren't really there, yerknow? Like mirages and professional wrestling.

I see.

Anyway, because I'm a right friendly chap, I tried to make polite converwhatsit. I tried to talk to him. So I says, 'Good morning, Mr. Allucynation. Whatchoo doin' on my best cabbage?' And you know wot he said?

I can't imagine.

'Is that a cabbage? I thought it were a turnip!'

Is there a joke in that somewhere?

Afraid not, but it scared the right blinkers out of me, oo, arrr, yes. Fell over in the mud. Which ain't particularly strange given that I happen to live in the stuff.

That explains a lot.

Doesn't it just. Anyway, I says to him, 'You is real!' And he looked at me mighty surprised like, as if he thought I were an idiot, or something. Ain't that just the darndest thing.

I have no idea how he got that impression. You're so intelligent and scholarly.

I can count to four, you know. Anyhow, I decided to pass time with this guy and all this time he's watching somebody over me shouder. Ventually I turn around and see this creepy lady in a red wig wot is sort of sneakin' up on me.

I bet that happens a lot around these parts.

Well, no, strangely enough it don't. I hails her and says 'Howdy mornin'! Whatchoo doin' in my pumpkin patch, missus?'

No, no, let me guess. She said 'Is this a pumpkin? I thought it was a turnip!'

... What?

Sorry.

Hm. Anyway, she gives me a smile and is right ladylike right up to the point that she grabs me in a vice-like grip and starts castin' spells on me.

Gosh.

Me muscles start bulgin', like, like when you fill a sock with cold porridge. And my feet start tinglin' and my eyes start wrigglin' and I feel like there's a snake curling up me spine.

Eeeeeech.

The big wing chappy looks kind of surprised, and he says in his snooty voice, ''Old there, varlet woman, whatchoo think yer doing to this... nobbley peasant man?'

What did she say?

Strangest thing I ever 'eard. She says 'I'm trying to make a screenshot for Celestial Heavens. I'd rather you didn't get in my way, as this is going to be a very amusing picture of a peasant killing an angel.'

What did it mean?

Buggered if I know. The big feathery guy looked kind of surprised too, and she was still clutching on to me muttering mumbo-jumbo and higgedly-hoodle--

Higgedly-hoodle?

--shut up, shut up, I'm tellin' the story. Anyway, the big feathery guy says, 'Beg your pardon?' And she looks at 'im as if he's daft, and says, 'Don't you realise that as a level four unit the concept of a level one unit attacking you and winning would be seen as remarkable and thus proper material for a Screenshot of the Day?'

Don't skip back to me just yet. I haven't got anything to say.

Sorry. Anyway, the angel bunched up a fist -- 'cos by now I'd guessed he was an angel, see -- and says 'Who are you calling a Level Four Unit? Can't you tell I'm an angel? And that there is no Level One Unit, that's a humble peasant!'

And then?

Well, there was no call for him to go callin' me humble, was there? I forgot how big he was and just let fly, smackin' him right on the gob! He went flyin', I tell you, flyin' for miles, and the whole time the creepy lady was cacklin' as if it were the funniest thing wot she ever seen!

You killed him?

Aye! Weren't no call for him to call me what 'e did!

You don't actually know what humble means, do you?

Er, no, not in so many words. It is a bad word, right?

No... not really. In fact some people would consider it a compliment.

Really? Well... er... I've got to go water the turnips, thanks for stoppin' by, and if you ever need to collect some taxes I've left the bag over there by the carrots.

So there you have it. The truth behind the screenshot in all its terrible detail. Perhaps now we can learn to understand, and even revere, the humble peasant-- ouch! OUCH! Stop it--

VIII. The Fate of a Peasant

We all know and love the Super Peasant. I recently recently visited his hovel and couldn't see him anywhere. There was, however, one thing that seemed slightly out of place.

Me: Uh... have you seen a peasant anywhere?

Black Dragon: Why, no. I can't say I have.

I'm pretty sure that's his shoe on your lower fang. The really, really big fang. The one right there. With the shoe.

What a coincidence. I merely have it there for... decoration. Mwahahahaha!

Why did you laugh like that?

Because I can. Mwahahahaha!

It's very unsettling.

I know. Are you going to insist on bothering me? I'd rather be left alone.

Well, while I'm talking to imaginary creatures, why don't we hold a conversation?

Go right ahead. But make it quick. In ten minutes I'll have to eat again.

...again? What do you mean, again? Are you sure you haven't seen my peasant friend?

I might have. Let's play a little game.

Pass the Parcel!

No.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey!

Shut up. The particular game I have in mind is a fearsome puzzle played by dragons since the very dawn of life as we know it. In the darkest caverns and abysses my ancestors would pass the centuries with this amusing pastime. Before mortal men even learnt the secrets of the flame our reptilian children spend long, primeval evenings with this sole entertainment.

Heroes of Might and Magic 2?

You have to be kidding. We're not that old. No, I'm talking about a different game entirely. A game that requires wit. A game that requires cunning. A game, that if you lose, will cost you your life.

I don't want to play now.

Oh, but you have to.

I don't want to.

You don't have a choice.

Please?

No. You're going to play my game now. And you're going to enjoy it, human. Or else I may have to get... angry!

Sure! I love games! Anything you say!

Firstly, one of must draw a sacred rune upon the ground with a stick, like so.

This is Tic-Tac-Toe, isn't it?

No, it's an ancient dragon game. Pay attention. After the drawing of the sacred rune, one of must take the holy stick and draw the symbol of the relic upon the ground. I shall be the Circle. You can be the Cross.

I'm pretty sure this is Tic-Tac-Toe.

It's a dragon game, I tell you. We're ancient wyrms. Our games are beyond your comprehension! Okay, I'll go first, and put my Circle in the middle square. Mwahahahaha!

That's not fair.

Listen, when you're the thousand-tonne lizard with the ability to breathe scalding jets of flame, you can be the one to start in the middle square.

Okay, I'll put my cross just here.

Fool! That's the same mistake your friend made!

I'm beginning to think you really do know where that peasant is.

Er, really? What gave you that impression?

You just said it!

No I didn't. Let me draw my circle right here.

I'm not playing your games anymore. I want to know what you did to my friend.

Oh, come now. Isn't it obvious? I'm a gigantic dragon, he's a small peasant, his shoe is dangling from one of my teeth. Do I really have to draw you a picture, human?

You mean...

Yes.

No! That's horrible!

That's what Black Dragons do! We have no limit to our fiendish, diabloical natures. We can't fight it. We are evil in its purest form!

But why would you force him to watch family entertainment?

I sa... what?

Cruel creature! Oh, the horror!

I ate him, you idiot. I crunched him like one of your accursed turnips. I devoured him whole. I swallowed him into my mighty maw. I guzzled him! I gnawed his bones and split his flesh into gristle an--

I get the idea. That's really twisted.

You're the one talking to a creature that doesn't really exist.

Well, yes, but it's 1:25 AM. I'm allowed to do that sort of thing this early in the morning. I'll probably regret it by dawn.

It's 1:25 AM? Why, when we started talking, it was 1:15 AM. What a coincidence.

Why is that?

Remember when I said I had to eat again in ten minutes?

Oh.

Mwahahaha!

I really don't like it when you laugh like that.

Stand still, now... I don't like fast food. Mwahahaha!

Oh, come on. If you're going to kill me, don't do it with your bad humour.

Right, that's it. I've had enough games. This'll teach you not to build the Hydra Dwelling in EVERY SINGLE GAME YOU'VE PLAYED AS ASYLUM!

Uh-oh.

IX. Reasons to chose the Ogre Mage

I have felt very bad about the way I constantly insult, mock and generally belittle the humble Ogre Magi. This is my apology. Feel free to add to this list, so that we may convince people that Ogre Magi aren't nearly as bad as everyone claims they are.

1. Once they're dead you can use them to grit the driveway.

2. They can wear orange stripes on their chainmail and still be fashionable.

3. Without them the skull-on-a-stick industry would most likely be bankrupt, causing many employees to lose their jobs.

4. They're the only Might unit with visible human toes.

5. They hide some of the obsolete Heroes III units in their names. Drop the R,E,M,A,E and you can arrange the word GOG, or drop R,E,E to spell MAGOG.

6. They are the only Might unit that wears a hat in the constant scorching Stronghold sun.

7. They are a positive role-model to children forced to co-exist at school with a bully twice their size with a gigantic single eye in his forehead.

8. Ranged attacks are for wimps anyway.

9. If you zoom up really, really, really, really close to their face in the Reference Card, it seems as if they're looking right at you.

10. Bloodlust is much easier to say than Area Attack.

11. It's easier to type too.

12. They aren't leprechauns.

13. They build a Fort instead of a Cave, thereby allowing the precious subterannean ecosystem to survive.

14. They don't seem to mind standing pointlessly on castle towers just because the AI told them to.

15. They don't cause optometrists to burst into tears during their routine eye inspections.

16. Their name reversed is Egam Ergo, which isn't exactly Latin but is enough to get you applauded during a fifth-grade play of Julius Caesar.

17. They make Naga look like a good unit choice.

18. They're safe for the environment and are completely bio-degradable.

19. They're the only troop that waddles without looking embarassedly self-concious about it.

20. Two eyes are better than one. Four eyes are even better, if you count their skull-on-a-stick.

21. They didn't replace Mighty Gorgons, like a certain unnamed troop did in the Chaos town, you filthy wretched Nightmare.

22. The red shawl they wear is completely artifical and no endangered animals were slain to provide its material. The dye is also strawberry flavoured.

23. Unlike Behemoths you can shake their hands without being impaled in twelve places.

24. No matter how bad they are, they're still not as bad a third level unit as Earth Elementals.

25. If you bury an Ogre Magi up to his neck in the sand he'll appreciate the joke and forgive you in a day or two.

26. Ogre Magi stacks on the game screen look as if they're quietly dancing to a tune nobody but they can hear.

27. No matter how long you wait, they'll still never be leprechauns.

28. When you go for a walk with an Ogre Mage instead of a Sea Monster you won't have to avoid harpoons, rabid photographers and bearded Scotsmen insisting that ye exist in yon wee lake.

29. They make creating a list like this really, really hard.

X. Expansion Packs we'll never see

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Lumberjack Lich

The evil lich Sandro is up to his old tricks, this time cutting down pristine wilderness to build his Casino of the Damned. Can the Preserve heroes unite to strike him down - with the aid of the mysterious Dendroids, who have returned from their role in The Two Towers to arrive on Axeoth?

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Forge Strikes Back

The entire Might city is destroyed from space by a deadly laser beam fired from the Forge Death Star. They soon colonise the planet with their Utwig Juggers and Spathi Eluders, and create a Technocracy with a population of 21 in their main city. It's up to Luke Skywalker the Knight to fight the evil Forge Empire and reunite the two splintered Klingon factions.

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Armageddon's Blade

Armageddon's Blade didn't really explode, reveals an aged woman. It just used a vortex to escape through to Axeoth, where it has become a talking, zany character with the ability to move objects with its mind. But can it adjust to Axeoth society? Crag Hack thinks so, and he takes it on a madcap adventure throughout the realm! But watch out, Crag - the Government is right behind you!

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Global Warming

Pollution from the Necropolis furnaces has caused the polar ice caps to melt, flooding the realm of Axeoth. In a desparate attempt to stay alive, heroes tamed Sea Monsters and now ride them between various Floating Water Cities. Pirates are now the dominant level four creature, and the Sextant has been moved to Relic class.

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Mensa Edition

The AI will outsmart you at ever turn. Thanks to an artifical intelligence honed by games of chess against Grandmasters, you'll never be safe even if you outnumber them two to one. Having passed the Turing test and succesfully researched the solution to all mankind's diseases, the Heroes IV AI has never been more challenging. It's only a matter of time before it develops self awareness and conquers the world!

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The FPS Shooter

With both a RPG and a strategy game in the Might and Magic universe, NWC decides it's time to make a FPS shooter based on their award-winning fantasy worlds. You play Duke Dangerous the Titan, shooting bolts of lightning at your enemies. Fighting through 21 levels to reach the Asylum of your arch-rival Black 'As The Night Itself' Dragon, you'll have to avoid traps and powerful enemies. Five different weapons, including the Peasant Launcher and the No-retaliation Ray, will make your job a little easier... but watch out for Minotaurs and their Blocking ability!

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Gathering

Can you collect a deck with enough cards to overthrow your opponents? Tapping lands like 'Swamp Terrain' and 'Snow Terrain' to summon creatures like 'Efreeti', you'll need to keep your wits about you to defeat all your rivals. Special cards like 'Memory Leak' will give you the upper-hand, if you can tap enough 'System Resources' to use it safely!

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Our Artists Were Fired

Times are bleak in the land of Axeoth, as the wicked Gargamel has stolen all colour from the land. Stuck in a black and white world, it's a battle to survive against the Stick Man Legions. Fortunately, loyal creatures like the Stick Man Crusader, the Stick Dragon and the Pixel are on your side, willing to fight for the ultimate artifact - the Grey Anti-Aliased Circle!

(following expansions added by Marelt Ekiran)

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Mendeleev attacks

The druid Mendeleev has rebelled from the old system of Earth, Water, Fire and Air elements and has introduced his entire periodic system of elementals. Fight to stop his complete domination of Axeoth while watching your crusaders hacking through Neon elementals, your gold golems being corroded by fluorine elemental and the almighty plutonium elemental radiate all your units to ashes. 119 new units. More to be added every year.

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Anarchy edition

No creature is allied with any other creature and everyone is trying to carve an empire for himself. Make your hero the strongest of all and let him or her conquer all 483,291,502 empires to unite Axeoth under his or her rule.

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The unlimited stronghold

There is no limit when building up your towns. All new maps will be XXL, giving you full time to do all building you want. Watch as you and your enemies clash with armies containing level 2843 creatures or watch as they try to break through a super-ultra-extra-overhuge-starpower-steelbarred-indestructive-triple-enchanted-castle fortification. Afterwards, boast that your hero was more than 200 levels higher than your opponents.

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Survival of the fittest

A level 1 hero starts as a string of DNA and has to work it's way up the evolutionary ladder. Use your towns to produce nutrients. Build up the plant life to produce food and battle for the domination of the sea, land and sky. Choose if you want your hero to become a dinosaur, a mammal, a fish or another part of the animal kingdom

(following expansions added by Lord Haart)

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Return of the Mini-Wyverns

A plague of Insect-sized Wyverns has infested Axeoth, eating all the crops and generally annoying everybody. You take control of Harry, of the new pest-killer hero class, as you fight off the plague with the new insectacide school of magic.

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Night of the Giant Leprechauns

You woke up one morning only to find that all the Leprechauns in Axeoth have increased in size by 7567443567%! Battle as the now-dwarf-sized Megadragon Mutare as you strive to save the world from these muntant freaks! But beware, it is they who will do the squashing...

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Gorgon Edition

Gorgons are back in Axeoth! The news is so wonderful that all of the contries of Axeoth have combined their funds to buy the new creatures. Due to their wondorous return, all other creature types are not available, and the new gorgon hero Gorgona is the only hero left. Guide her and her fellow cows gorgons to glory and dominance!

(following post by GhostWriter)

Heroes of Might and Magic XXXVII: The Past that Refuses to Die

Scheduled release date: May 2142

Yes, it's back! With all "new" graphics, music, and gameplay. It's Heroes of Might and Maigc XXXVII with a twist. Due to overwhelming fan requests, Heroes now uses 16 bit technology, a whopping 12 KHz soundtrack, and an astounding 4 bits per second movie and animation sequence. Amaze your friends with stunning never-before seen features in their lifetime, like the ability to use a "mouse" by simply clicking a "button" to activate the more than five features in the game. Your vision sense will be engrossed by the constant splendor of a "cathode-ray-tube" to view the incredible two-dimensional graphics! Multi-player has never been better, with a wait-time less than three hours between turns, using the all-new 2400 band "modem"! No more direct sub-cortex implants! Have more time to do the things you really want to do!

System Requirements
GigaHexium 12000 Parallel Multi-Dimensional Processor
2072 TeraBytes XXGBO4 Plasma Memory Cubes
Infinite Bridge Superconducting Video Port
Modem
Cathode Ray Tube (available at some surplus stores)
Mouse (mousepad recommended)

MSRP: 599,999.99$ Chinese

Copyright 2131 3DO Company, a subsidiary of Space Dynamics Interplanetary
Pong technology licensed by the Pong Corporation, China

XI. The Artificial Intelligence Playground

I noticed the late thread on the AI and what it does/doesn't do. (This was also originally a reply to that thread, but got too long and I realised it would probably engulf it). This sparked an idea, and so I set to work creating a little map for our AI companions. I dubbed it the Artifical Intelligence Playground, and like scientific gerbils our friends Blue, Green, Orange, Teal and Purple were confined into separate areas of a large map, in which I could test them.

Having put on a mad scientist costume, I opened up the Campaign Editor and made the following fiendish contraption:

Blue

I placed a single Stronghold on an island surrounded by water, and scripted it so that he recieved 500,000 of each resource at the start of the game. By Day 7 I would check to see what buildings he had bought. Would we see a disturbingly logical mind in action, or the acts of a randomly guessing monkey?

Green

I gave Green a single barbarian hero, trapped in a small room with several artifacts in strategic locations.

In one corner we have the Cart of Lumber. Facing it are the Boots of the Crocodile, diagonally from which are the Shackles of War(tm), and across from which is the Sword of the Gods. See a pattern? Treasure, minor, major, relic. Just to confuse him I also put a single lump of mercury.

Orange

I'll confess that I was cackling with power-bloated glee at this point. Orange was confined to a similar mountain complex, given a healthy dose of Haven troops - 100 Squires/Crossbowmen, 100 Pikemen, 50 Monks and 20 Angels. Directly ahead of him are four 'wandering monster' stacks who have been commanded not to do any of their pesky wandering, for fear of breaking my sterile laboratory environment.

He's up against Chaos troops. First stack is 200 Rogues, second is 180 Minotaurs, third is 80 Nightmares, fourth is 30 Hydras. I'm sure most human players could win these fights with minimal losses, given the troop diversity above. Let's see how many stacks he wipes out and whether his hero - Lemming the 25th Priest, armed with GM Life, Spirituality, Healing and a Tome of Life - survives.

As a lure for the AI I put a leprechaun dwelling after the Hydras.

Teal

In this case, I wanted to see if they were in fact capable of completing quests. I placed a nice Quest Hut by Idiot, Teal's level 1 sorceror, with the goal of obtaining 8000 gold and returning it. I placed 8000 gold right next to the hut. If the AI can't manage this, then I'm never letting it out of the house without a leash.

Should he succeed, he'll be given a waspwort. I hope he's not allergic to them.

Purple

Purple got the most intricate experiment of all. He's in a small valley with unflagged mines, one for each resource, a fully-constructed Academy and a host of creatures. Not far south is a neutral Preserve with a garrison of creatures. How long will it take Purple to flag the mines and capture the city?

I set them to be my allies, all except for Teal (hey, I had to have at least ONE enemy to avoid winning on Day One). I then cunningly placed a hero with GM scouting just where Teal couldn't reach it, to check for that tell-tale waspwort.

The meaningful statistics from my experiment are detailed at the end, but for details of the rigorous testing process you'll have to read this rather long post. Let the games begin! (Advanced Difficulty was used)

EXPERIMENT #1

DAY 1

Green (Artifacts) took the Cart of Lumber, the Mercury, and then the Shackles of War, in that order. Hmm. A very strange and seemingly meaningless pattern, that, so I'll have to run it again later to see if it has some sort of deeper purpose.

Orange (Wandering Monsters) defeated the Rogues and then the Minotaurs. Total losses - 4 Angels. Not too bad, but losing level four units against level one and level two troop types speaks of shoddy battlework. At least Lemming survived.

Teal (Quests) didn't even pick up the Pandora's Box with 8000 gold in it. And he's in a tiny little isolated mountain circle with absolutely nothing else to do. I get a sinking feeling.

Blue (Building) built nothing? Huh? Did I forget to give him basic intelligence along with his thousands and thousands of resources?

Purple (Expansion) sent a bunch of wandering monsters out to roam pointlessly to the left of his city. Didn't buy a hero, didn't claim the nearby ore mine, didn't pass GO, didn't collect $200.

DAY 2

Green (Artifacts) nabbed the Sword of the Gods and then the Crocodile Boots. That means his current test is over, and so he'll just have to stand there looking confused until I'm done with him. Additionally, I forgot to block off his city and now he has gold golems wandering pointlessly through the gigantic unfilled regions of the map. Bah.

Orange (Wandering Monsters) just stood there, ignoring the Nightmares. Perhaps it doesn't think it can handle 80 nightmares with its troops and every Life spell in the game. Come on, Lemming, don't spoil it for everyone.

Teal (Quests)... pick up the freaking gold, Teal. Pick it up NOW. Are AI perhaps unable to use Pandora's Box? Or is he just really, really dumb? Next test I'll give him the 8000 gold manually and forget about the box.

Blue (Construction) still built nothing. Is he even awake?

Purple (Expansion) hired a hero and pottered down south, past the ore mine, without any troops. A few steps after the mine he headed back up to the mine (without flagging it) and joined up with the previous wandering monsters. So far he's still mineless. And mindless? They're such similar words.

DAY 3 (the plot thickens)

Green now has two gold golems wandering around the map, and waiting for them to trudge about is KILLING me. Next time I'm going to make sure I break their legs before I put them in the experimental cage.

Orange (Wandering Monsters) is now stuck in a permanent state of terror, so I'm going to have to conclude that Lemming is a failing, snivelling coward. Shame, Lemming, shame!

Teal (Quests). Teal would make an impressive mime, as his hero hasn't moved at all in an entire three days.

Blue (Construction) finally built something, a Citadel. To protect him from hordes of killer bees and other small insects, perhaps?

Purple (Expansion) - amazing! He recruited a stack of nagas and sent them shambling aimlessly to the left of his academy, true. But his hero flagged not only the ore mine but the wood mine as well.

DAY 4

Purple (Expansion) did some more exploring with hero-less creature stacks, apparently chosen at random, as he's actually using dwarves for scouting... that's like using Ballista in a sled-race. The hero also galloped southwards, which is where he's meant to be going. No mines today.

Blue (Construction) built harpies. Says it all, really.

Teal (Quests) is really beginning to bug me. He could at least move a LITTLE...

DAY 5

Purple (Expansion) now has an alarming amount of wandering creature stacks who seem to be walking in circles. His hero did, however, flag a Crystal mine while galloping towards the south - albeit somewhat erratically.

Blue (Construction) built Ogre Magi. Yes. He built Ogre Magi. Willingly and with nobody forcing him to at gunpoint. He had 500k of each resource and he built Ogre Magi. I'm going to leave a meaningful empty space at the end of this paragraph.

DAY 6

Please, Green. For the love of all that is holy, do not continue scouting my empty map with gold golems.

Purple (Expansion) is now, I'm convinced, making things up as it goes along. It had a few titans run up, then down, then up, then down, then return to the garrison. The hero did not move at all this turn, but sat watching the captured crystal mine - despite the fact that the sulfur, gold and gem mine have been revealed.

Blue (Construction) built a castle. Probably in preparation for Thunderbirds, but with this sterling military mind at work anything is possible.

DAY 7

Purple (you know which it is by now) made a few more wandering monsters jog around, and then sent the hero to capture the gold mine. Despite his bizzare desire to scout around with one or two monsters, he has yet to uncover the nearby town.

Blue built Thunderbirds. Who didn't see that one coming? This fufills his quota of seven days, and so the final round now belongs to Purple and his meaningless conquest.

What follows is now his masterful battle plans, copied straight from his own diary.

Day 8: Saw gem mine. Flagged it. Saw sulfur mine. Decided to go back up and sit next to the crystal mine instead. Move magi around.

Day 9: Galloping home to get troops, to defend me from the invisible vampire pirates who I'm sure are waiting in the fog of war to get me.

Day 10: Waited for Green to stop moving gold golems. Recruited new hero, combined the two and put all wandering monsters into one army. Is this strange feeling called... intelligence? Person looking at me through computer monitor seems surprised.

Day 11: Moved into city. Sat there.

Day 12: Stayed in city. It's cold outside.

Day 13: Stayed in city.

Day 14: Stayed in city.

Day 15: Stayed in city.

Day 16: Stayed in city. Person looking at me through monitor seems annoyed. Is pressing a button with a word I can't quite make out, but I think the first two letters are QU--

EXPERIMENT #2

I went back to the drawing board with my new knowledge. Firstly, I took out the infamous Pandora's Box and made Teal recieve 8000 gold at the beginning of the game. Then I lowered the number of Nightmares to 45. I took out Purple entirely - I haven't got the patience to live through that nightmare again – and took away Green's city, for my own sanity.

DAY 1

Green (Artifacts) took the Cart of Lumber, the Mercury and... the Shackles of War... is it just me, or is there a strange feeling of deja vu?

Orange (Combat) killed the first two stacks, Rogues and Minotaurs, but lost five angels this time. That's one more than the last.

Teal (Quests) is still doing nothing. I've given up on him, and am declaring the AI to ignore all kinds of quest huts and Pandora's Boxes.

Blue (Construction) didn't build anything. Because of this, I began to feel uneasy. Surely he's not going to build EXACTLY the same buildings as he did before... surely the AI isn't just a series of set patterns?

Orange (Combat) froze at the sight of the newly reduced Nightmares, once again in a limbo designed to torment the one behind the experiments...

Well, to cut a long story short, Green took identical artifacts and Blue built identical buildings in the second test. Orange still didn't attack the Nightmares.

This gives me reason to present the following statistics and ideas:

1.) The AI cannot interact with Quest Huts and Pandora's Boxes.

2.) The AI builds structures in a fixed order. In the case of the Stronghold, he built:
Day 1: Nothing
Day 2: Nothing
Day 3: Citadel
Day 4: Harpy Dwelling
Day 5: Ogre Magi Dwelling
Day 6: Castle
Day 7: Thunderbird Dwelling

3.) Never let Green hire gold golems.

4.) The AI does not choose artifacts by power or usefulness, and seems to have some strange favouritism to several. I'm not sure if distance was an issue here, as the amount of squares between hero - artifact was roughly equal. It loves the Cart of Lumber.

5.) The AI understimates the ability of its hero and combined troops when facing an enemy monster stack. In the case of Lemming, with his Life spells and array of Haven troops he SHOULD have been able to take 45 nightmares. Yet he chose to stand motionless for two weeks instead.

6.) Teal is an idiot.

7.) The AI will explore to a certain degree but has a paranoid desire to stay close to its own city. It will also ignore nearby mines in favour of further ones, will not claim mines that are partially visible on the map and will not explore a certain distance away from its main city.

8.) The AI follows a predictable pattern, unlike in Heroes III where the same situation could produce different results with each replaying.

9.) Don't try to do things like this at 4:36 AM.

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Posted 18 August 2005

by Corribus

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Part II.

Last time I discussed why it makes sense to make evolutionary rather than revolutionary changes to video/computer games. For the remainder of this three-part article, I will discuss this in the context of H5, which many people feel is going to be nothing other than an H3 clone. There are some instances where it makes sense to take bigger risks in producing a sequel by making larger changes to the core elements associated with the game. It did made sense in H4 (though the risks ultimately did not pay off). But in H5, it makes no sense whatsoever – in fact it makes sense to regress to an older formula - for reasons to be discussed forthwith.

In this part of this three-part thingie, I present four facts surrounding the decisions to make H5 “more H3-like”. In the final part, I’ll discuss why I believe the decision can be rationalized in terms of these facts.

The Facts

Fact #1: H4 was not universally liked.

Was the quality of H4 a matter of individual opinion? Yes. But the fact remains that many HoMM fans were unhappy with some of the radical changes that appeared in H4. Personally, I think some of them were great ideas. I think many of them weren’t. A lot of people still play H4, and I commend the mapmakers who have turned out reasonably decent efforts for this game. But really, many feel that playing it can be an exercise in tedium, and even those that like the game will often admit that at the very least the game is woefully unbalanced. Whether you pin the cause of this deficiency at a teetering developer which didn’t have time/resources to adequately finish the game (e.g., the incompetent AI) or whether you pin it at a fundamental inability of the new ideas to be effectively integrated into the HoMM formula regardless of the resources that were thrown at it (e.g., heroes on the battlefield), the important thing is that a sizable portion of HoMM fans did not like H4. I brought up the risk of changing core elements in my last article, and H4 is a good example of what can happen if you do that.

Ironically, I think it was a sensible gamble in H4. After all, 3DO had taken HoMM through several very well-liked iterations and so the game was well-enough established that it could afford to take larger risks with its brand-name. This is because the fans could (and ultimately would) tolerate a poor showing. In a manner of speaking, when a brand name becomes “strong” by building up trust through several years of meeting user expectations, that brand name earns itself what I like to call “consumer credit”, which essentially means that if a subsequent product bearing that name turns out to be a dud, the user base may disregard it, in the process eating a little bit of that credit away. Too many duds and you as a company exhaust your credit line, and you start to eat away at the fundamental reliability of your product line. This isn’t specific to games, by the way. It’s true of any product, be it soda to sneakers to fish food.

Back to H4 – So 3DO/NWC had built up a substantial consumer credit and so it made sense to gamble a little bit because the ultimate potential for loss was small. But, as often happens as a result of taking risky choices, it turns out that the gamble failed, and the franchise took a hit. Because of the consumer credit, however, and because H4 wasn’t a complete disaster, the brand name wasn’t damaged too much. Yet it was damaged and this will come into play later.

Fact #2: H3 was a stable, well-liked evolution of H2.

When H3 was released, it was a hit. H3 was built off of the very successful H2 – it was just “bigger”, by which I mean that the core elements were virtually the same, but every aspect of the game had been expanded in some way. More spells, more creatures, more artifacts, more everything. H3 did change some things, most notable of which was the AI. But really – it was the same game and so it could be said that H3 was an evolution of H2, and because H2 was loved, H3 was loved also. That’s how you build up consumer credit.

Now, some of those players went on to like H4 better; and a lot of them went on to like H4 less and then returned to H3 (some of them are still playing H3). So regardless of whether you think H4 was an improvement over H3 or not – statistically the fact that a sizable portion of those who played H4 either (a) quit playing HoMM altogether or (b) went back to H3 means that H3 was, by percentage of total players who played it and also liked it, the more popular of the two. (After all, I am not aware of a sizable portion of HoMM fans that went back to H2 after H3 had been released.) Put another way, most people who liked H4 also were satisfied with H3, even if they though the former was superior to and an improvement on the latter.

Fact #3: H5 has a new developer, Ubisoft.

When a game title is purchased from a dead company, the reason this is done is because the new owner thinks the game title will help sell games. Ubisoft could have easily made a Heroes-like game without purchasing HoMM, but name-recognition is a powerful force that drives game sales (look at how Square slaps “Final Fantasy” on just about everything they turn out). People are more likely to try your game if they recognize the title as something they trust, even if there’s no logical reason to do so anymore. Unfortunately, with the benefits of purchasing a brand name comes the burden of expectation. Sometimes, even if a product bearing a brand name is good, if it veers far away from the expectation of a sizable percentage of your customers, the producer may still lose consumer credit. Specifically with regards to H4: people have played four versions of HoMM, and those people will have certain expectations about what a HoMM should be – and any developer of a new product bearing the HoMM brand name had better figure out what those expectations are. And the way to do that is too look at previous products bearing that name, and how they were received.

Fact #4: Games are a Business.

There was a time, long ago, when computer games production was simple, often done by a handful of people who did the designing themselves. The Ultima series was born in this fashion. So was Might and Magic, for that matter. This was a hobby and a passion, and some true works of art were created. I put that in bold for a reason. We had a debate on the Round Table boards a long time ago (look for the Behind the Curtain: Saving NWC thread) where some people were claiming that HoMM and other modern games are works of art and that the creators should not sacrifice their artistic vision for the sake of what fans wanted. This debate was in the context of the much maligned Forge town (let’s not go there). Their argument went like this (their terms in bold): When an artist forsakes his vision to appease the masses, crap is produced. My contention was/is that art ceases to become art when the goal behind it is to turn a profit in a non-personal way. Sure, the game designers may put some personal artistic feeling into the games they make, but fundamentally there really is no “artistic vision”, or at least there is no “artistic vision” beyond what will help a game sell. It’s a totally different beast when money changes hands on a massive scale.

The problem here is, of course, that on a personal level, we as fans love these games perhaps a little too much. And we tend to think on a personal, individual level. This is especially so in the case of a game like HoMM, which, due to the capabilities offered by the mapmaking system, tends to hold our attention long after the average game has long-since been put on the shelf to collect dust. I mean, seriously: it’s been 6 years since H3 was released in 1999. That’s an eternity as far as the gaming industry is concerned, and yet people are still playing the game like it was released yesterday. Some people even still play H2! Unfortunately, when you have a game that makes it so easy for the fans to be the “creators” and lends itself so well to repeated playing, eventually we as fans almost lose sight of the fact that neither NWC, 3DO or Ubisoft is in this to provide us with entertainment. But be not deceived: they’re not making these games to express themselves artistically. Games aren’t made to be admired, loved, enjoyed or even to be played at all. First and foremost, they’re made to be sold. Everything you love about a game is there because it helps the game sell. They’re doing this to make money. And they’ll accomplish that in any way they can, and there are times when their interests don’t necessarily agree with yours. They market their games to anybody with 50 bucks to blow on the latest cool piece of software. You (plural – meaning hard-core HoMM fanatics) are only a small subsection of that group.

Now that sounds obvious. So why do I feel this needs explained? Well, I don’t really like to single someone from the Round Table boards out, but I will anyway for the sake of an example. In the context of simply rehashing old material in a game sequel, Dragon Ranger writes the following in the thread about whether there’s really anything new to be found in H5:

In a world that is so proud of a free market, such a lazy attitude from the developer or publisher is inexcusable.

Really? I'd argue that the blame goes to the consumers. Companies just cater to what consumers want. If companies put out bland products, and people buy them, it's not the companies' fault, is it? Isn't it the fault of consumers, who aren't discriminating enough? If the average gamer wanted revolutionary changes in every new sequel, games would be made that way. But that’s clearly not what gamers want. Whether that expectation is a conscious one or not doesn’t matter. Companies are just out to make money – they sell their customers what sells.

In that context, let’s restate Fact #4 a different way that maybe is a bit more blunt:

Fact #4b. Ubisoft is NOT a charity.

As a commercial entity, Ubisoft will put in the minimum amount of work and take the minimum amount of risk they can to turn the maximum relative amount of profit. Companies like this employ in some cases hundreds of people, some of whom have the sole task of evaluating how much risk is reasonable per unit chance of reward. That is their job. This sort of evaluation is done way before development of a product even begins. It goes without saying, then, that if Company X turns out a bland product, and I'm not even sure H5 qualifies because it doesn't look at all bland to me, it's because they have judged that you or someone else will buy it anyway.

There's nothing inexcusable about that, either. It's the nature of business, of supply and demand. Until you (plural) as consumers demand better and more “revolutionary games”, companies will not supply them. Just as until you as consumers demand more games for the Commodore 64, companies will not supply them. There's no reason to. Why on earth would a computer game company take an unnecessary risk to produce a game that will probably sell just as well as a game that can be produced with less risk? Unless the company feels that putting less risk in now can jeopardize the success of future releases (i.e., sometimes doing nothing risky is a risk), there's absolutely nothing to gain by taking risks with their product names. We’ll get into the specifics of how these decisions apply to H5 in Part III, but generally speaking, it is crucial that a game developer identifies what the average player wants and what the average player thought of recent products that also bared the brand name in question. The company caters to the average gamer because they have the most purchasing power. In contrast, the “hard-core fan” is often small potatoes, a vocal but statistically small group of the otherwise enormous, dynamic and fickle game-playing community that is persuaded into spending its money primarily by eye-candy, 30 second CGI movies, blurbs in gaming magazines and, most importantly, brand names. In this sense, it might be argued that the importance of the opinions of the average hard-core fan is not proportional to the passion (and shall I say, the vociferousness) with which they are often expressed. Thus the hard-core fan often comes off feeling cheated.

Does that suck? Maybe, for you as a hard-core fan. Don't like it? Fine. Overthrow capitalism. That should help.

Part I.

If anyone has been following the Round Table boards lately, you know what the big “controversy” is right now surrounding Heroes 5. You also know where I stand on the issue. But for those who don’t, or for those who need reminding, the controversy is this: from what comparatively little (and I stress little) the folks at Ubisoft have leaked to us about the forthcoming latest installment of the HoMM franchise, it does appear that it will be a regression, at least in terms of game-play and design, back to the core elements of Heroes 3. That is to say, some of the new and quite radical changes made in Heroes 4, vis-à-vis Heroes 3, which are often viewed upon in a mixed light by the collective body of “fans”, have been scrapped in favor of a more “classical” approach. Naturally, those who liked the changes in H4 are somewhat disgruntled by this realization and have started calling Heroes 5 a “Heroes 3 Clone” or “H3-3D”. Many have said they will not buy this product because it offers nothing new.

Too bad for them, if they’re being honest. But I think it’s just, as they say, empty promises.

But the larger question here is this: must a video game (or computer game) sequel be revolutionary (with respect to the earlier game) to be an improvement on the original? And perhaps more in the context of Heroes 5: does it always make sense to gamble the good name of a game and jeopardize future installments just for the sake of being “revolutionary”?

The answers are: no, and no. If you think otherwise, you’re not being realistic.

History is rife with examples of computer/video game sequels that relied on the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” philosophy and were as good if not better than the originals. At the very least, these examples certainly weren’t worse (though, there are examples of those too, although one must make the distinction between a bad game and a bad-selling game; sequels to good games are usually good-sellers, even if they’re less than sterling). In most cases, these sequels were very similar to the original games except they had moderately updated graphics or minor changes to the core game-play to address issues and bugs that were a problem the first time around. The best example that I can come up with is Ultima 7 and Ultima 7 part II, which is really a sequel of Ultima 7 even though they bear the same “number”. The games were almost exactly identical; in fact they used the same engine. There were minor changes to the inventory system, but by and large they played the same. And yet, Ultima 7 part II is probably one of the best games in the entire Ultima series, despite the fact that it is essentially a clone of Ultima 7. Might and Magic VII is a virtual clone of MMVI. Might and Magic V is a clone of MMIV (which are basically both clones of MMIII!). Baldur’s Gate II was very similar in style to Baldur’s Gate I. Etc., etc. Sure the sequels may be bigger and badder and more colorful and employ more weapons/creatures/character classes or what have you. But fundamentally sequels are generally the same as the games which preceded them.

And why wouldn’t they be? In fact, the very reason companies make sequels to good-selling games in the first place is because if people liked the original, they will probably like the sequel if the sequel shares a lot in common with its predecessor. It’s a way of milking an idea. So if you’ve got a good thing going, how does it make sense to radically change it around? If you make a bowl of soup that your dinner guests just adore, does it make sense to totally change it around the next time you serve it to company? Granted, you might change a little bit. You might try a different garnish. A little paprika. Perhaps some grated cheese. If that works, then you might try some more changes the third time. If it doesn’t, then you probably aren’t going to add it the third time around; maybe you’ll add something else in stead. What you don’t do is take a successful chicken noodle soup, and then add mayo, pickles, mushrooms, blueberries and peanut butter the next time and hope that the same people will suddenly like it just because you tried a bunch of new things with it. It goes without saying that if you mess with the formula enough and disappoint enough people through bad decisions, eventually you’re going to ruin the integrity of your product name – or your reputation as a cook. Instead of saying “OH WOW! A new [insert game title here] game! I’ve got to have this!”, your customers will says, “Oh.. a new [insert game title here] game. Looks interesting… but the last two weren’t that great. Maybe I’ll just wait on this one.” Remember, most gamers are people with limited budgets who can’t afford to buy every game that comes out – they have to pick and choose. If a game company put out a couple of duds, gamers aren’t going to take a risk on them any longer. This is why brand names die out.

That’s not to say that sequels should be stagnant. People can take only so much of something before they become bored (MM8?). You take a good formula, and you tweak small chunks at a time. In this manner, if something you did turns out not to be such a hot idea, it is (a) easy to get rid of the next time around and (b) its potential impact on the quality of the product as a whole is probably small. Thus the progression of games is generally evolutionary rather than revolutionary. This makes sense, and is good business. Self imitation is how you ensure the longevity of your product. Have revolutionary sequels been successful? Absolutely. But many of them sank. Like rocks. Ultima 8 is a great example. Ultima 9 is even better (and shows that two successive failures dooms a company). And might I suggest that so is Heroes 4.

But let’s leave the virtues of H4 aside for now. We’ll touch on that in part 2.

Generally speaking, the only time when it makes sense to completely change a sequel to a game is when many years have passed between the original and the sequel. This is because you’re at this point not dealing with the same audience that played the original, so the risk isn’t as great. (I’ll get back to risk versus reward later.) But even then, core elements are left intact, because a game brand name is associated with certain features that just cannot be tampered with without dashing user expectations. So even under the umbrella of being “revolutionary”, game sequels STILL have to retain something of their original selves. A good example is the Metroid games for the Nintendo consoles. When Nintendo announced they would be making (well, Retro made it…) a revolutionary 3D update to the classic Metroid games, fans were naturally a bit skeptical. How could a 3D game retain the core elements that defined the Metroid formula? Retro DID revolutionize the game by bringing it into 3D, and the new game, Metroid Prime, was fantastic. But though it was “revolutionary”, it also contained just about every game-play element of the originals, and it is for THIS reason, not because it was “revolutionary”, that it was admired by a very discriminating fan base. If MP had left something out that was deemed essential to the formula, be it the “morph ball” or the “back-tracking through a seamless world”, which were integral parts of the original games, MP probably would not have been nearly the success that it was. If Retro had left those elements out, some people (particularly those who didn’t remember the original games) may not have missed them; but a lot of people would have, and though the game probably would have sold well, that less-than-stellar experience would have lingered in their minds. And when it came time for the NEXT sequel, gamers would have treaded a little more carefully if the new game also promised to omit some of these core elements. Thus it is important to realize that even when a company decides to be revolutionary (and in this case, there was not much of a risk involved in doing so with the Metroid franchise), that path must be approached with caution. It’s a fine line between going too far that a new sequel completely loses its identity and not going far enough that you’re really just selling the same game in a new box. Generally game developers err closer on the side of the latter, because if a game is good, gamers will want more of it – they want it to be the same, or at least similar. For a while.

In essence, success is all about baby steps. And that’s smart business.

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Posted 03 April 2005

by Psychobabble

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Heroes 4 Map Contest
'An American Tale'

Rules
This is a Heroes of Might and Magic 4 map contest open to anyone who submits a completed Heroes 4 map fitting the contest theme before the closing date. The general rules are as follows:

• Map submission closes 1 August 2005. No modifications or new versions of the map will be accepted after this time for the purposes of the competition so please make sure it has been play tested and polished. Please have your map in on time, no submissions will be accepted after that date.
• Maps should be submitted to the staff email address and should be marked as submissions for the map contest. They will also be posted on the site as normal maps so they should have appropriate text information attached.
• Maps can be in any Heroes 4 game version including both expansion packs and the Equilibrius unofficial mod.
• Maps can be any size but single maps only - no campaigns.
• Maps should be dedicated single player maps with a story which brings out the theme. Co-op maps are fine, though they will not be played in that mode for the purposes of judging.
• The decision of the judging panel (Psychobabble, Wimfrits, Robenhagen and Corribus) is final.
• There will be prizes awarded, most likely Ubisoft Games, but the exact prizes and categories have not yet been decided.

Theme Details - 'An American Tale'

A recent article in The New Republic identified four key American cultural narratives. These stories will seem very familiar to anyone who has had contact with with american culture - movies, television, books and politics - which, for good or ill, is much of the world. Not all aspects of these stories are uniquely American but they do have a distinct flavour reflecting the history of the United States.

Your goal is to make a map incorporating and centered around at least two of these four themes:

The Triumphant Individual. This is the familiar tale of the little guy who works hard, takes risks, believes in himself, and eventually gains wealth, fame, and honor. It's the story of the self-made [Note: This means no royals or demi-gods as the protagonist!] man (or, more recently, woman) who bucks the odds, spurns the naysayers, and shows what can be done with enough gumption and guts. He's instantly recognizable: plainspoken, self-reliant, and uncompromising in his ideals--the underdog who makes it through hard work and faith in himself... it's found in the manifold stories of downtrodden fighters who undertake dangerous quests and find money and glory.

The Benevolent Community. This is the story of neighbors and friends who roll up their sleeves and pitch in for the common good. Its earliest formulation was John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity," delivered on board a ship in Salem Harbor just before the Puritans landed in 1630--a version of Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, in which the new settlers would be "as a City upon a Hill," "delight in each other," and be "of the same body." The story is captured in the iconic New England town meeting, in frontier settlers erecting one another's barns, in neighbors volunteering as firefighters and librarians, and in small towns sending their high school achievers to college and their boys off to fight foreign wars.

The Mob at the Gates. In this story, the United States is a beacon light of virtue in a world of darkness, uniquely blessed but continuously endangered by foreign menaces. Hence our endless efforts to contain the barbarism and tyranny beyond our borders.... The narrative gave special force to cold war tales during the '50s of an international communist plot to undermine U.S. democracy and subsequently of "evil" empires and axes. The underlying lesson: We must maintain vigilance, lest diabolical forces overwhelm us.

The Rot at the Top. The last story concerns the malevolence of powerful elites. It's a tale of corruption, decadence, and irresponsibility in high places--of conspiracy against the common citizen. It started with King George III, and, to this day, it shapes the way we view government--mostly with distrust.

Source (subscription only).

How you use these themes in your map is up to you but they should be central to the story and gameplay. Please indicate in documentation attached to your map which of the themes you have used.

Judging Criterion

The judging criterion are as follows (in approximate order of importance):

• Level of adherence to the theme and how well the ideas are brought out in the map's story
• Overall playability and enjoyment of map
• Map-making skill (good placement of objects, lack of bugs and glitches, appropriate player rewards, advanced scripting)
• Graphical quality and detail
• Player difficulty level. If the map is too hard or drastically too easy it will weigh against the map. Scaled difficulty is a bonus but not essential
• Innovation in overall design, graphics, quests and scripting

Good luck and have fun!

Entries

• Draconic Zwei by Veldrynus
• Lowlands by Thash
• Truth and Justice by Vlaad

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Posted 28 February 2005

by Andy4590

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This guide is for Windows XP Pro Service pack 2 on a clean system install and everything is updated. This means to update your bios, video drivers, directx 9.0c and xp. After you have installed the games make sure that you have the latest patches installed for MM6-7, and 9. This should work on XP Home also as long as you have Service pack 2 and everything uptodate. Special Thanks to Bones at http://telp.org/ for the fix for MM8.

If you have any questions or comments please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You do not have permission to modify this file. Enjoy your Might and Magic Series. Copyright 2005 Andy4590

Might and Magic I-III on XP Pro Service Pack 2

1. To run these games download http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/download.php?main=1
2. Browse to your start menu and run dosbox.
3. You will need to type "mount c c:\" (Without the quotes) then enter.
4. Then you will need to type c: and hit enter.
5. Now browse go to the directory from dosbox and run the exe.

Note: If you are not familiar with dos, then read the readme.txt. You can play I-III without dosbox but the games will run smoother with dosbox.

Might and Magic IV-V plus Swords of Xeen on XP Pro Service Pack 2

• You will need to run dosbox to play these games trouble free.

Might and Magic VI-IX on XP Pro Service Pack 2

IMPORTANT: Download Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit from here and install.

I had hardware accelerated mode for video on ALL except MM7. I was not able to select sound options at all on MM6-MM7.

1. MM6 -http://home.mchsi.com/~andy4590/mm6x.zip Follow the instructions included. This allows you to play on XP with the CD.
2. MM7 -First run MM7 configuration utility and change to software 3d. Go to your MM7 directory and right click MM7.exe and choose properties. Click the Compatibility tab. Go to compatibility mode area and click run this program in compatibility mode. Then choose Windows 98/ME and click okay. Then goto the start menu, then run, and type dxdiag. Click the sound tab. Then under directx features move the slider all the way down to no acceleration Hardware sound Acceleration level. Now run the game. You will need the cd.
3. MM8 -To play MM8 you need to have installed Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit. You will need to download http://home.mchsi.com/~andy4590/MM8comXpProSP2.sdb Browse to the start menu, then programs, then to Microsoft Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit, and then click on Compatibility Administrator Tool 3.0. Click open and browse to where you saved MM8comXpProSP2.sdb and open the file. Under New Database you should see a new entry. Something like MM8 [c:\Documents and Settings\Drew\Desktop\MM8comXpProSP2.sdb] Right click this and chose install. Go to your MM8 directory and right click MM8.exe and choose properties. Click the Compatibility tab. Go to compatibility mode area and click run this program in compatibility mode. Then choose Windows 98/ME and click okay. Now run MM8 and enjoy.
4. MM9 -Should work just fine after installing the game.

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Posted 28 January 2005

by Jay Kaplon

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This article was originally published here, and is reprinted with permission. A special thank you to CJ, for providing the information on Might and Magics 1-7.

 

BEGINNING STORY (not an actual game) - These beings known as the Ancients, though we are not yet sure what they are, have been "seeding" the galaxy with microcosms, which are small biospheres supporting life. The microcosms in the first 5 Might and Magics are all flat planets. We don't know why they did this.

The Ancients got into a really bad war with the demon race known as the Kreegans. A large part of the galaxy was cut off from the direct influence of the Ancients. It is in these worlds where the Might and Magic games occur. Many of these worlds had appointed "guardians", who were sent to guide those flat planets to their appointed place in the galaxy. One of the guardians was named Sheltem, who was the guardian of Terra. Sheltem has gone funny in the head. But Terra is very important to the Ancients, and they aren't taking any chances, so they send Corak to check things out. Corak is either an Ancient, or just a servant made by the Ancients, I don't know.

Corak got Sheltem and began taking him back home to check him out. Somehow in some way, Sheltem escapes and begins going on a rampage. Corak begins his quest to chase after Sheltem. Here begins the Might and Magic series.

Might and Magic: Secret of the Inner Sanctum - Sheltem lands on VARN (Vehicular Astropod Research Nacelle). He defeats the good King Alamar and masquerades in his palace. A group of adventurers, with hopes to uncover the secret behind the Inner Sanctum, accidentally discover Alamar is really Sheltem. Sheltem, realizing his cover was blown, escapes through a magic portal before anybody else finds out who he really is.

Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World - Sheltem escaped by a magic portal and has landed on CRON (Central Research Observational Nacelle). Sheltem has driven it off of its course and is hurling it towards the sun. While our adventurers are trying to stop CRON from being destroyed, Sheltem escapes again.

Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra - Sheltem has escaped back to Terra, where everything started. But our adventurers find out what he's doing behind the scenes and they drive him off course. Sheltem escapes (again) in a space shuttle. Corak goes after Sheltem in another shuttle. Our 8 adventurers take a third shuttle and follow Corak and Sheltem. Sheltem safely lands on XEEN (Xylonite Experimental Environment Nacelle). But Corak lands a lot less safely (I don't know exactly what happened to him). As for the party of 8 adventurers, they never landed! They are supposedly never to be seen again. (Please remember these adventurers because they will become very important as the story goes on.)

Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen - A new party of adventurers is formed with a vision of peace to defeat a new undead calling himself Lord XEEN, dwelling in the Clouds of XEEN, a world in XEEN's sky. When our adventurers do defeat him, we see a vision from Sheltem saying "You may have defeated my lieutenant, but the Darkside of XEEN will always be mine. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!".

Swords of XEEN - (This game was not created by 3DO. It was only distributed by them.) This doesn't have much to do with the whole story line. After Lord Xeen was defeated, the portal that he came from was discovered. A group of 6 adventurers travel through the portal, and find total chaos. This world has grown barren, and is slowly being conquered by an evil force. These 6 people must stop the world from being lost to an insane god.

Might and Magic V: The Darkside of Xeen - Sheltem is again masquerading as Alamar and is still driving planets into their suns. The Dragon Pharaoh summons our adventurers, and they have to perform many tasks to set things with the planets right again. The adventurers find Corak's shuttle. They find something called a "Soul Box". With this device, they can smuggle Corak's essence into Sheltem's castle without Sheltem knowing. When the adventurers finally get there, they release Corak, and the two confront each other. Sheltem has grown much bigger and stronger over time, and it seems that Sheltem will win. But Corak grabs Sheltem and activates his self-destruct mechanism, destroying them both. This ends the first story in the Might and Magic world. (World of XEEN is a combination of both Might and Magics IV & V in case you were wondering.)

Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest - (I cannot find any detailed story to this. In this game there is someone named Lord Ironfist. This could be the same lord Ironfist from M&M1) We begin on a new planet, on the continent of Enroth. We see here a power struggle between 4 rulers. It is an all out war between Lord Ironfist of the knights, Lord Slayer of the barbarians, Queen Lamanda of the sorceresses, and Lord Alamar of the warlocks. (Note that in the game, you have a choice to play as either of the 4, but for storytelling's sake, we'll say you chose Lord Ironfist.) So now Lord Ironfist is the King of Enroth.

Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars - After ruling for many years, Morglin Ironfist has died of old age. He left two sons. Archibald was greedy, cruel, and power hungry. But Roland was good, honourable, and you would be proud to call him your king. By tradition, the choice of who would be the next king is up to the royal sire. Unfortunately, the sire died in a boating accident, his replacement fell out of a castle window, his replacement was killed by a dragon, and his replacement died of food poisoning. Archibald used these coincidental deaths to his advantage, and accused Roland of murdering them all. Roland abandoned his castle and went into hiding, where he would eventually declare war against his brother. With Roland out of his way, Archibald had a chance to "influence" the new sire (looking at the intro film, it looked like a bribe). So the sire chose Archibald, and he began a reign of terror in Enroth. Three years later, Roland declared war. (Again, you have a choice of playing for either side, but for storytelling purposes, let's say you chose Roland.) When Roland defeats Archibald, he turns Archibald to stone, and puts his statue in the library of Castle Ironfist.

(Note, the Heroes of Might and Magic II Expansion Pack (The Price of Loyalty), does not have anything to do with the story line, so I'll leave that out.)

Heroes of Might and Magic III has 2 add-ons, The Shadow of Death, and Armaggedon's Blade. The games occur at different times, so please pay attention to the titles to avoid confusion.

PRELUDE TO THE NEXT GAMES - For a little while, nothing happened. Roland has restored order to Enroth and everyone is happy. Roland receives a letter from Nicolas Gryphonheart, the king of Erathia, a country on a new continent called Antagarich. The note said he wished for his daughter, Catherine Gryphonheart to marry Roland. Roland accepted, and the two were married. This was the first time for many of the citizens of Enroth to hear about this new continent called Antagarich. Many heroes left Enroth to live in this new continent.

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death - (This is a long story, but every detail is important.) One of the travelling heroes from Enroth was Sandro, a crazy power-hungry undead freak-of-nature necromancer. He wanted to rule all of Antagarich. He wanted to build 2 combination artifacts that would give him this power. The artifacts were the Cloak of the Undead King, and the Armor of the Damned.

Another hero was the Gem the sorceress, travelling to the country AvLee. Sandro disguised himself as a human, and called himself a wizard's apprentice. He convinced Gem he was performing anti-necromancy research, and needed three artifacts to study and destroy. Little did Gem know that these were the pieces to the Cloak of the Undead King. When Gem gives him the artifacts, Sandro runs off.

Another hero was the barbarian Crag Hack, who was travelling to the barbaric country of Krewlod. Sandro convinced Crag that he was looking for a number of artifacts that were stolen by evil people. These were the artifacts of the Armor of the Damned, which Sandro said him and his master would destroy. When Crag gets them, Sandro takes them all and runs off.

In the mean time, in another part of AvLee, Gelu is being trained for the forest guard. He had to find the pieces of the Elixir of Life, and he began working for Lord Faloral of AvLee.

Also, in the country of Bracada, a wizard named Yog has travelled to Krewlod to become a barbarian. To do this, Yog had to disperse the pieces to a sword known as the Angelic Alliance. (You'll find out why this is important a little later.)

Back with Sandro, he is travelling to the country of Deyja, the country run by necromancers. He defeated his old warlock master Ethric (In Heroes 1, Sandro was a warlock), and he made an ally, Finneas Vilmar. After making some accomplishments, Sandro made Finneas the new king of Deyja. With Sandro's artifacts, and Finneas' rule, they began invading the rest of the continent of Antagarich.

Gelu discovers that Lord Faloral was a vampire and he wanted the Elixir of Life to destroy it, not use it in defense. (It turns out that Lord Faloral was killed by Sandro and raised as a vampire, and was sent by Sandro to destroy the Elixir of Life). Gem discovers that Lord Fayette (another person of power in Avlee), has been killed and raised as vampire. Crag Hack and Yog have also been having problems with necromancers. The 4 heroes meet, and decide to investigate. They soon learn Sandro's true ambitions, and they decide to do something about it. Yog remembers the Angelic Alliance sword, and the heroes retrace its pieces, and build it. With the sword they steal Sandro's artifacts and destroy them.

But the story does not end here. Sandro still won't give it a rest. He comes up with a new plan. He convinces Lord Haart to poison King Gryphonheart, Catherine's father, who is the king of Erathia. With the king gone, Sandro continues his plan to conquer all of Erathia. After helping out the Kreegan race, the countries of Eofol and Nighon joined Sandro's cause. Sandro had to build a tunnel for the Kregans to use in their invasion. (This tunnel becomes important later on.) In the end, Finneas Vilmar (still the king of Deja), plays a trick on Sandro, which eventually gets Sandro thrown in prison, so Finneas can take all the credit for Sandro's idea. Nighon used the tunnel Sandro built to invade Erathia from underground, and Eofol also used this tunnel to invade from the east. Deyja invaded from the north.

Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven - (In a sub-plot, there is a character named Lord Kilburn, this may or may not be the same Lord Kilburn from Might and Magic I. Also, Might and Magic I begins in a town called Sorpigal, and Might and Magic VI begins in a town called New Sorpigal.) Back in Enroth, Catherine has heard of her father's death, and has departed for Erathia to attend King Gryphonheart's funeral. The Ancients and the Kreegans have still been at war for 900 years. Their battles are headed towards Enroth and Antagarich (MM6 takes place in Enroth). The Kreegans have kidnapped Roland and took him to the demon kingdom of Eofol back in Antagarich. This leaves Roland and Catherine's young son Prince Nicolai in charge. A new group of adventurers discovers the cult of the temple of Baa are in league with the Kreegans. The oracle of Enroth tells us that we need to free the stoned Archibald, because he has a magic item that will teleport the Kreegan Queen's hive in north-western Enroth to the void while we destroy it, without destroying the world. We succeed in destroying the Enrothian Kreegans, but now Archibald is free. (It should also be noted that there is a place in Enroth called the Tomb of Ethric the Mad. This could be the same Ethric that Sandro killed in the Shadow of Death.)

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia - (Note, it is believed that HoMM3 and MM6 occur at the same time.) In Erathia, things have gotten MUCH worse. The Kreegans from Eofol and Nighon have taken Steadwick, the Capital of Erathia. In the western part of Erathia, the Countries of Tatalia and Krewlod are using the Kreegan invasion to their advantage, and are taking lands in the west. However, when Tatalia and Krewlod soldiers meet, they break out in their own war. Catherine lands in Erathia and finds a NIGHTMARE. Erathia is being invaded literally in all directions! Catherine makes allies with the Angels of Angel Gate, and the griffins from Griffin Cliff. With her allies, she retakes Steadwick. With help from AvLee, they free Roland Ironfist, and with the help from Bracada, she pushes Tatalia and Krewlod back into their borders. She also takes over the tunnel Nighon used to invade Erathia. Unfortunately, while all this was happening, Deyja invaded King Gryphonheart's tomb, and raised him as an undead lich. They also freed Sandro from his prison. Deyja got rid of Finneas Vilmar, and replaced him with King Gryphonheart. But King Gryphonheart became too powerful, and Deyja did something nobody expected. They asked Erathia for help. Catherine reluctantly accepts, but in return the Deyjan lords told Catherine that it was Lord Haart who murdered King Gryphonheart. Catherine fights through Deyja, and brings Lord Haart to her undead father, and King Gryphonheart kills his traitor. Then Catherine kills her undead father, to give him his final peace.

After this, Archibald has travelled to Deyja to start his new reign.

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor - Remember those eight adventurers from Might and Magic III, who never landed on XEEN? Well, they just crashed off the coast of Antagarich. Four of them are travelling to Bracada, where they hope to trade their technologies and build a portal back to the ancients. The other four are travelling to Deyja, where they are working with Archibald to build a "forge", a machine which will give them weapons powerful enough to dominate the world. You can choose to be with the good guys or bad guys. For the story, let's just say you went with the good guys. If you choose the good guys, you will build the portal back to the Ancients, where we learn more about them and the Kreegans.

HERE IS THE BEGINING TO MIGHT AND MAGIC 8, BUT MIGHT AND MAGIC 8 HAS NOT YET STARTED - The Ancients have a policy, saying that the Kreegans may not settle on any part of our galaxy. If they do, the people of the planet have a certain amount of time to get rid of the Kreegans before the Ancients take matters into their own hands. There are still Kreegans in the countries of Eofol and Nighon, and they have been there for too long. The Ancients have a servant named Escaton, the most powerful Planeswalker in the world. Escaton is asked to destroy the world because the Kreegans are still there. Escaton uses the elementals to destroy the world. But, they are peaceful when in order, so Escaton kidnaps the 4 elemental lords of earth, fire, air, and water, and puts them in horrible prisons where they start to die slow and painful deaths, bringing chaos in the elemental plains. Escaton travelled to the continent of Jadame, and summoned the Crystal Conflux, which opened portals to the 4 elemental plains. The elementals began coming out of the plains, and once they reach this crystal, all will be destroyed.

Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade - Xenofex was an Eofol king that was defeated in Might and Magic VII. When he died, Lucifer Kreegan came to power. On the night he died, Xenofex sent Lucifer a message from beyond the grave, telling him to build Armageddon's Blade, a sword that will destroy all of Antagarich and Enroth, leaving only the Kreegans left, giving them the whole planet.

Lucifer sends Xeron to find its pieces, and bring them to Khazandar, who will build it for them. Catherine learns of his plans, and invades. Catherine attacks Eofol from the south west, and Gelu of AvLee's Forest Guard from the north. Both Catherine and Gelu noticed these strange new towns where elementals are summoned (Note this might be a coincidence, or it could be caused by Escaton's crystal. I don't know.) These new towns are called Confluxes, and their heroes all say they were summoned by the elemental gods (They might mean the Ancients) to destroy the Kreegans.

Xeron finds the pieces to Armageddon's Blade, and is travelling back to Eofol. Roland Ironfist closes the western border of Eofol, which finally gives Erathia and AvLee a chance to invade. Gelu, Roland, and Catherine steal Armageddon's Blade, with this, Roland and Catherine quit their jobs as king and Queen of Erathia, and with Gelu and the new Conflux armies, destroy the Kreegans of Antagarich, and take Eofol. Catherine gives Armageddon's Blade to Gelu, and he disappears into the woods with it and nobody has seen him since (hmm.....). Roland and Catherine depart for Enroth and the Confluxes are beginning to disappear.

Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer - The Kreegans have been destroyed, and Escaton is not allowed to undo what he has already done. Now this gives us somewhat of a problem. One MAJOR problem. Because even though the Kreegans are gone, the elementals are still headed towards the crystal! You have been chosen by the dark elves of Alvar in Jadame to do what you can to stop the cataclysm. You form an alliance between three major parts of Jadame, with their help, you should be able to stop this cataclysm.

Roland and Catherine Ironfist, along with a powerful magician named Xanthor are being blocked by a Regnan Pirate fleet. When you sink the fleet, Xanthor tells you to travel to the elemental plains and find the hearts of the elements. Xanthor builds a key which gives you entry into Escaton's Crystal, where you are teleported to the Plane between Plains, where you free the elemental lords from their prisons, saving their lives. The elemental lords don't use the crystal to destroy the world, but to destroy Escaton. They destroy the Crystal, closing the portals to the elemental plains, saving the world and destroying Escaton. In the end we see a vision from Escaton saying "Tell them I have failed." (He might mean the Ancients.) Roland and Catherine Ironfist continue back to Enroth, and the Ironfist dynasty is back on track.

Might and Magic the Book: The Sea of Mist - (Though this does not have to do with the main story line, there are a few characters from the Heroes games in it, and it looks like the events in this book occur sometime after Heroes 3, but it's unknown as to actually when.) A boy only 6 years old by the name of Praz has been trained by the demoniac Nymus (Nymus is in Heroes 3.) Praz finished her training, and got the suffix "El" to the end of his name, making his new name Praz-El. El is an earned name showing that this person is, or has been well trained by a demon (Nymus was a demon). Praz was sent to Sarrone. Praz knew nothing of his family, until he was invited to a land called Murlank, where all would be explained. Before he could go there, he must stop 2 people across the Sea of Mist, who have discovered the power of the gods, and are growing to be invincible. The Sea of Mist is ruled by a demon named Sendark, and he can summon thousands of zombies from the deadly sea in the blink of an eye. In the end, Praz-El defeats the 2 evil gods-to-be, and continues to Murlank.

NEXT (though this itself is not a game), the new king of Krewlod, Kilgor, has grown very greedy, ruthless, and power-hungry. He basically declares war on the entire world, because he wants it to be his. In his travels he finds something called the "Sword of Frost". Kilgor's armies eventually find Gelu, who still has with him Armageddon's Blade. As the two armies fight, Gelu and Kilgor dash at each other, and they swing the two swords at each other, and when the two swords clash, BOOM! The world is immediately covered in fire, and many people die instantly, including Kilgor and Gelu. But, before it's too late, survivors open a portal to a new world called Axeoth, where the survivors of Enroth, Antagarich, and Jadame will have to form the new world.

Heroes of Might and Magic IV - By this time, the survivors have been settling themselves in over many long and laborious years. But conflicts are beginning to arise. A civil war breaks out between the new Elven country, which could destroy everything they worked so hard on to rebuild. Surviving barbarians are battling each other, which could possibly bring an end to the barbarian race. Erathia's new home breaks out in war as an impostor claiming to be the last of the Gryphonhearts tries to steal the throne. A female pirate attempts to take entire bodies of water and rule them all. And the once-great king Gavin Magnus has gone insane, and Emilia Nighthaven, Solymr, and General Tharj must stop him before he enslaves the world.

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Posted 18 January 2005

by Marelt Ekiran

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HoMM 5 >Magic >Weather

Weather

There are various kinds of weather. Cloudy weather is neutral and all other forms of weather have a bonus for one allignment and a penalty for another (might has no bonus or penalty). What weather it is, will depend on a chance and on terrain. For example, on snow terrain, the weather will often be snowy and never cindering, but it can be cloudy, misty or sunny.
If it is a certain type of weather, there is a 10% chance that a storm of the associated weather will occur. Storms have all kinds of effects, but one kind of weather will lead to one kind of storm. For example, if you start a fight in snowy weather, there is a 10% chance that a blizzard will occur. Every schools of magic, except for Life, has a L4 spell that summons a storm, which belongs to their beneficial weather. Since there is no storm associated with sunny weather, Life has the "Fairweather" spell, which sets the weather to cloudy or sunny (depending on level of caster) and nullifies all further storm, weather or weather spell effects.

Notice that when I write "benefit", it can also mean that everyone except for that alignment suffers a penalty, in which cases the penalized alignment suffers extra penalty. For example, everyone but order moves slower in snow, and Archeon also get reductions in attack and morale.

*Note: Except for "Firestorm" and "Fairweather", there are no storm spells in the spell descriptions. Perhaps, I'll edit them in later, but it is not high on my list of priorities, right now.

Weather +Benefit -Penalty	Visual	Storm Spells with higher damage.	Visual
Sunny +Life -Death	Slightly brighter than "cloudy".	None None (sunny gives small boost to divine	None
Cindering +Chaos -Order	Cindering effect (the wavy-air effect on a hot summer day).	Firestorm Fire and lightning	Red texture, occasional flame.
Dry cold +Alchemy -Chaos	Slight light blue texture.	Cold ridge Metallic	Bit darker blue texture, with small bits of vapour.
Snowy +Order -Archeon	Gentle snow.	Snowstorm Cold	Gusting snow with windswirls.
Misty +Archeon -Life	Battlefield appears blurry.	Tempest Blasting	Purplish mist with occasional lightning flash.
Raining +Nature -Alchemy	Gentle rain.	Rainstorm Arrow	Gusting rain with sudden wind gusts.
Dark +Death -Nature	A slight dark texture.	Dark shroud Dark	Stronger dark texture with smoke-like effect.

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Posted 18 January 2005

by Marelt Ekiran

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HoMM 5 >Towns and Creatures

Alchemy
Archeon
Barbarian
Chaos
Death
Life
Nature
Order

Semi-towns

The six towns that were in HoMM4 will also be in HoMM5, as well as two new towns. The Archeon town is based in the gigantic underground domes of Axeoth. The native terrain will be the swamp and the creatures will be from the HoMM4 Chaos town, the HoMM3 Fortress town and some of my own creation.
The Alchemist town consists of technology (but still within the scope of fantasy) and of units from the Life and Order towns of HoMM4, as well as a number of creatures from my own creation.

The towns works by the principle of HoMM4, which is by choosing a creature of each level, except for the first one. That makes a total of seven creatures per town. Since I believe that there should not be more than 7 or 8 slots per army, the players will probably have to make a choice on which creatures to use and which to leave home, in order to make room for heroes (who should be on the battlefield as well).

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