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Re: Heroes o Might & Magic III

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Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Tue, 13 Aug 2024 05:24:34 -0500, Altered Beast
> <j63480576@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Having gone to Heroes IV right when it arrived, I never realized that
>> the AI in Heroes III is very competent.  Heroes IV basically had no AI
>> that I could discern.  The missions were like ride down this coast
>> killing wolves until you get off the island - no interaction with the
>> enemy.  Heroes III just kicked my ass again because the enemy came from
>> a direction I didn't expect.
>>
>> What Heroes IV had going for it was that it was very pretty.  They
>> brought back an AI in Heroes V but that is for another story.
> 
> Past the first HOMM, I really don't differentiate the various
> iterations. They're all a blur to me, merging one into the next. Maybe
> slightly better graphics but I never really saw much difference in
> gameplay or AI. I bought and played the games, but they never engaged
> me like the first one because they lacked the freshness and novelty of
> the original. The innumerable expansions in HOMM5 (and later Heroes
> Chronicles) ultimately drove me away entirely. The games just weren't
> offering enough new for me to keep buying (and buying and buying) the
> newest iterations.
> 
> But I still fire up HOMM1 and 2 every now and again. They're still
> surprisingly playable experiences, and despite their age still look
> pretty good.
> 
> Which isn't to say I disagree with your assessment. I never played the
> game intensely enough to really notice; I was more of a dabbler in the
> franchise than a die-hard fan. But -for me at least- the competency of
> the AI was the least of the series' problems.
> 
It may not sound like a lot, but HOMM3:RoE has 6 campaigns.  The secret 
is that they definitely ramp up the difficulty as you progress through 
them.  If you decide to get the new remastered HOMM III, like someone 
else said previously, get the GoG.com version because it includes two 
fantastic expansions.  There was a campaign in the expansion where Gelu 
the elf who can train archers and wood elves into sharpshooters has to 
make it without cities and a final scenario in the last expansion where 
one totally overruns the world with a zillion liches.  Both a great deal 
of fun.

The campaign in 1 didn't feel real to me, I think you fight a few then 
fight a hero of identical class.  HOMM 2 had two campaigns that were 
pretty good.  HOMM3 really blasts it out, like they had someone famous 
and gifted create the campaigns.  They are all different and once again 
like in HoMM2, one plays both sides in the conquest, with a third side 
belonging to scavengers and peacekeepers.

The reason I notice the HOMM3 AI is because as far as I could tell, HOMM 
IV shipped without one.  It wasn't obvious - you had to slog through 
some tedious scenarios as the only player on the map.  However, over 
time and before finishing it was a very lonely experience for me.  To 
say that there is no AI in there is slightly strong.  The enemy hero 
would trek from point A to point B to point A to point B, but there was 
no feature on the map at point B.  He had strong aspirations for 
conquest then thought better of it, the whole time your power is growing.

I think it was the HOMM5: Tribes of the East where they sold out.  It 
introduces a new faction, the orcs.  The orcs are a derision against 
certain players who like to maintain their positions.  If you don't move 
the orc troops they get a negative to their abilities.  The thing is it 
is a failure.  You can even move them backwards.  Just moving one space 
is good enough.  So you've got these guys fidgeting around and the 
disdain for an effective strategy, albeit one that is often hated, 
camping in one place to wait for the enemy to get there.  I use it all 
the time against the computer and probably in multiplayer too.  I get 
this new Tribes of the East and it's like Ubisoft told me, "Your 
strategy sucks."  HOMM6 was terrible and because of a Steam error I 
can't play HOMM7.  I think I navigated backward during the sale or 
something and it's sitting in my library incapacitated.

I would play HOMM2 again if it were remastered.  Very good story.

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Heroes o Might & Magic III Altered Beast <j63480576@gmail.com> - 2024-08-13 05:24 -0500
  Re: Heroes o Might & Magic III Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2024-08-13 10:12 -0400
    Re: Heroes o Might & Magic III Altered Beast <j63480576@gmail.com> - 2024-08-13 14:26 -0500
    Re: Heroes o Might & Magic III Altered Beast <j63480576@gmail.com> - 2024-08-28 12:10 -0500
    Re: Heroes o Might & Magic III Peter Steele <snakesbloodpussycat@yahoo.com> - 2024-12-09 20:49 -0600
      Re: Heroes o Might & Magic III Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2024-12-10 11:55 -0500

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