Any other "old farts" playing HMM here?

[Dublex]

I'm probably one of the older farts then, since I started playing the spectrum 48k, and moved up its incarnations until I was about 12 and got my first PC back in the days when sound-cards first came out and everyone was playing Wing Commander 2 (which had real speech)

I bascially got into the heroes games just by liking RTS/TBS games and happened to pick up 3 once by accident.

I hadn't played 1 or 2, but since then I have them all through originally the paltinum edition and then now Heroes complete edition.

[DaemianLucifer]

My very first game was papper boy on C64.HoMM i discovered first on my cousins PC(it was HII)and fell in love with it.I remember that while I had amiga it was screwed so I couldnt save any game.I had to play civ I for the whole day,from the begining to the end in order to finish it.Kings bounty and HI I tried just recently.But I didnt finish them though.

[ThunderTitan]

Heroes II was the second real PC game I saw/played. I played Dune 2 before for like 5 min before on a laptop my aunt got from work for a coule of days. Then some time after my mom got a laptop from work that had HoMMII on it. She kept that longer and I got to play. Never managed to win or even last past a week or too, and that when playing on a previous save.
After that I did get the game again (after H3 I think), don't recall from where, and I finaly won my first map with the Wizards (Titans have been my favorite creature ever since, taking over from the BD).

[blueparrot1966]

Hey, if folks like H IV, it's a free country. I never understood people flaming over it. And I actually DID like the graphics, unlike a lot of people. The thing I could never forgive IV for was the utterly nonexistent AI. It was worthless as a single player game imho. I'm worried about H V for the same reason, after things I've been hearing, but I haven't played it enough to see that yet.

I also agree that 3d graphics just aren't needed for a good strategy game, and I'm really missing the clean, informative H III interface as I play this one. Don't get me wrong, the game is just gorgeous. But I can't help but feel that most other elements of the gameplay have suffered because of all the effort that went into the looks.

Only time (and patches) will tell...

[Bethel]

Well, older than most of you, but that's all I'll admit to in the given description.

I started with an Apple ][+ (circa 1978), playing Adventure!, most of the Zorks and related games, Akalabeth (the first of Lord British's Ultima line) and many of the initial lo-res graphic games. Shoot, who'd ever need more that 64k, right?

H3 was my first introduction to the HoMM games, as I was primarily an RPGer, not a Strategist. With the WoG expansion, it has remained my favorite, but I enjoyed H4 for the scripting capabilities that were available to mapmakers (not that I ever made one, but did enjoy many of those made by others), and the possiblility of running single heroes. Erica Fade, loaded up with Stealth and Combat, and enough Order to teleport into towns. Unbeatable.

[igoraki]

I'm probably one of the older farts then, since I started playing the spectrum 48k, and moved up its incarnations until I was about 12 and got my first PC back in the days when sound-cards first came out and everyone was playing Wing Commander 2 (which had real speech)

well actually my first computer was zx80 or zx81 not sure but it was few years before zxspectrum....but that is quite offtopic

[Wolfshanze]

Well, my FIRST computer was the Ti99/4A, complete with a whopping 16k of memory, and a cassette-tape drive! I used to play the text-only adventure games on it myself, with options like typing "GO NORTH" or "TAKE MAP".

I'd bet I stand a fair chance to compete with the other folks around here for "old fart" award... and I'm one of the few who've been with the franchise since HOMM-I.

[Metathron]

I was first introduced to the HoMM universe in 1996 when I stumbled upon the HoMM II demo. I instantly became addicted, though IIRC the demo had only one map - Broken Alliance, which coincidentally is my favourite map ever. I've even editted it many times over to prolong its playing value!

Since then I've dilligently followed any new releases and loyally stuck with all of them. I even went back to HoMM I and played it extensively: Love that warlock castle - so gorgeous. I finished the campaign with the sorceress but not the other three, the third map was the trickiest for me, rather than any of the later ones.

Well, that would be it, in a nutshell. Viva la Heroes!

[cher]

Old fart here, heheh. I played my first HOMM when my #3 son bought it for me on Gameboy, I was hooked and I still have both gameboy ones. I've sold off and traded most gameboy stuff over the years but always held onto those 2. Since then my Aussie guy has bought me every HOMM for PC and I've been impatiently waiting for V. Playing it now and love it.

I too, was disappointed in IV. My fave til now was III.

[asandir]

I wouldn't stress too much about the ai in HV, blueparrot. It works alright and can provide some decent challenges the battle ai is mostly very good (has some quirks) and the adventure ai is odd but there is some AI there which is always good!!

[kgavin]

I guess a woman can be an "old fart" or are we "old hags"?

My first strategy game was the classic Star Trek from the 70's. I played it on a Univac 1230 (shipboard model vintage 1955) with 32K, bigger than your front door. Had to crawl up a ladder to change a channel, which are now called ports. That was back in '78. I'm assuming that other computer shops had the same game. Been playing games ever since and I'm now 51. My mother still doesn't understand.

My first and favorite was HOMM III. What I liked best about it was the map generator. All I had to do was setup the vars and push the button. Never had to play the same map twice. I liked the graphics in HOMM IV but I went crazy playing the same maps over and over or combing the internet looking for something new to download.

[Madaxe]

In the world of gaming, I qualify at 37. First game was Adventure on a DEC mini. First home computer was a C64 (good times!), followed by an Amiga 500 (most exciting computer I've owned), Amiga 4000 ($3000 boat anchor as it died the same time Commodore did ) then onwards to the PC world.
I started with King's Bounty on my Amiga 500, skipped H1, then bought H2 on a whim. I played it and the expansion POL exclusively for a year! And that was during my heavy gaming years (before kids, wife and mortgage) . H3 I consider the best of the series though, as it replaced H2 on my hard drive. H4 I finally bought over a year ago for a crazy price because of its scarcity at the time. It also is still on my hard drive for when I want a change of pace.
Just got H5 and so far, so good. It definitely has the same addictive quality as the past games and has kept me up way too late at night. I like most of their design decisions and think they did a great job overall. I am optomistically hopeful that UBI will take care of the bugs and missing content. Now if someone would just do real quality sequals to MOO2 and MOM, my stable of Old Fart games would be complete!

[Wolfshanze]

I'm an old Amiga 500 and Amiga 3000 owner too... sad when Amiga died... anyways...

Now if someone would just do real quality sequals to MOO2 and MOM, my stable of Old Fart games would be complete!

Amen to that... MOO2 has never been equaled in the space 4x department if you ask me. Don't talk to me about MOO3, it stank on-ice.

On the subject of a "proper" sequel to MOM... I think there already is one... it's just not called MOM2 or anything like that.

If you haven't already done so, check out "Age of Wonders Shadow Magic". It's the closest thing you'll ever see to a proper sequel to MOM... it's sooooooo close to MOM, you'll barely notice the differance. If you like MOM, you should love Age of Wonders Shadow Magic.

[Killroyan]

Definitely another old fart here. Started to play on the atari 2600 with Pong and space invaders. Damn those were good days. Played several other games on Amiga and texas instrument comp. Then owned a C64 and played a lot of mission impossible. Who dares wins is a game I can remember also.

Then I got a 286 and got some discs from a friend with MMIII on it. Needless to say I was hooked. The huge map (for that time) and the riddles and the items, ............., it was just plain great. Then I got a copy of HommI and well, love the series since then.

[Caradoc]

Well, my FIRST computer was the Ti99/4A, complete with a whopping 16k of memory, and a cassette-tape drive! I used to play the text-only adventure games on it myself, with options like typing "GO NORTH" or "TAKE MAP".

I'd bet I stand a fair chance to compete with the other folks around here for "old fart" award... and I'm one of the few who've been with the franchise since HOMM-I.

Remember 'Tunnels of Doom' on the TI 99/4A? I played a lot of that. For its day, that was a pretty cool machine--32 bits, speech module, hard drives, visual BASIC, Pascal.

In addition to the usual Adventure games, there was an SDK, which we used to make a TI adventure. You started out in the parking lot, but since you didn't have a badge, you couldn't get in. So you had to go around to the public entrance and try to hire in. Eventually, you got involved in secret projects, got chased by the mail robots, and learned to dodge the forklifts.
Beware the employee cafeteria.

[Wolfshanze]

Hehe... not many folks remember "gaming" on that rig!



Anyways, one of my favorites on the TI 99/4A was "B-1 Bomber"... I used to nuke the Russians all the time with that game (back when they were "the enemy")... who ever heard of a text-based flight sim, anyways?

Now the Russians are making my favorite game HOMMV. What a crazy world we live in!

[theLuckyDragon]

The first computer I have ever seen looked something like that, but the tapes (is that what they're called?!) were smaller. I was really young back then, but I can still remember I loved playing pinball on it!

[Madaxe]

I'm an old Amiga 500 and Amiga 3000 owner too... sad when Amiga died... anyways...

Yes, it was hard to watch the Amiga, technology wise, slowly overtaken by the PC and finally dying off.....

Amen to that... MOO2 has never been equaled in the space 4x department if you ask me. Don't talk to me about MOO3, it stank on-ice.

Agreed. Moo3 was rubbish. What a depressing release. Nothing has replaced Moo2 in my book either. Still on my hard drive today...

On the subject of a "proper" sequel to MOM... I think there already is one... it's just not called MOM2 or anything like that.

From what I heard, Stardock was trying to do the next one. Even though I never could get into GalCiv (no tactical!), I would think they would do a good job and treat consumers right.

If you haven't already done so, check out "Age of Wonders Shadow Magic". It's the closest thing you'll ever see to a proper sequel to MOM... it's sooooooo close to MOM, you'll barely notice the differance. If you like MOM, you should love Age of Wonders Shadow Magic.

I played AOW2 for a while and saw definite similarities between it and MOM, but the game just "lacked" something for me. I heard Shadow Magic was a nice improvement. Been keeping my eye open for it for over a year in the bargain bins but haven't found it cheap enough yet.

[Wolfshanze]

From what I heard, Stardock was trying to do the next one. Even though I never could get into GalCiv (no tactical!)

Stardock is doing a new MOO or a new MOM?

As for GalCiv, I couldn't get into either... I read flattering review after flattering review on GalCiv, so I finally caved-in and gave it a try... I HATED IT... didn't remind me of MOO2 at all, and I just couldn't get into it.

GalCiv2 is now out and getting loads of praise, but after the bad taste GalCiv1 left in my mouth, I can't see myself trying it.

Like you, I'm sticking to MOO2 as my main space-4x game until something better comes along.

As for Age of Wonders Shadow Magic, it was indeed a NICE improvement on AoW2, and (once again), the closest thing you'll see to MoM2 for awhile IMHO. Really nice tactical turn-based combat, lots of spells, and an alternate "Shadow Realm" plane, much like the one in the original MoM.

[blueparrot1966]

I've been happy enough with the battle AI so far. I'm just getting used to the different scale and pace of V.

As for where I am on the "old-fart-O-meter", my first computer was a Commodore 128d. I was high tech, I had TWICE the memory of a C64. I remember stuff like Questron and the Seven Cities of Gold, and the original Pirates!- the game, not the intellectual property thieves...

I got into the first Warlords when I got my 386 pc- again, I was high tech, I skipped 286 altogether, and my friends were impressed with my 2 MEG of memory! Whoa!

It's been a long time, lol. I can't help but feel that while the tech has finally caught up with the imaginations of really good game designers, those same folks have been pushed to the sidelines by the "mainstream" big market console crowds. I hope it's just a lull, and not the end of what's been a great hobby for 20 years and more.