Looking backward: First impressions on HoMM4

[darknessfood]

Never had any problems with game crashes...

[ThunderTitan]

Never had any problems with game crashes...

Did you play before patch 1.3?!

And i think i didn't even get the patch when it came out, as back then i still had dial-up (and not even at 128kb).

[darknessfood]

No, I bought the complete edition, so fully patchd and all...

[ThunderTitan]

I made the mistake of getting it very early... at full price even...

[darknessfood]

I payed €10 for the whole game including all expansions. Expansions are quite fun, but not really good...

[frozd]

I was cleaning up my room and found a Heroes 4 complete, man this game is so great really. Played the Draconic and The Eye of Osiris maps during the last few days, this game is great, when you pick it up after a while, best of the series imo.

[Artas1984]

Perhaps i need to re-check Heroes 4 AGAIN, after 7 - 8 years after all. Perhaps i missed something too in this game.. One thing for sure: it had the best soundtracks in all the Heroes franchise (have not played H1 thought)..


QD: i admire your antics and continuity of thinking, i was surprised by this thread..

[blueskirt]

It's a matter of taste.

HoMM1-2 was mostly strategy.
HoMM3 was half strategy, half RPG.
HoMM4 was mostly RPG.

If you prefer to level heroes and acquire artifacts and spells in HoMM3, you'll like HoMM4. If it was collecting resources, raising armies and beating opponents before they could raise their own that you liked, you're better off with HoMM1-2-3.

At least that's what I remember from HoMM4 when I played it long ago. With Master and Grandmaster skill levels, the possibility of having more than one heroes in one army (and didn't artifacts carry over to the next missions too?), we were no longer raising armies, we were leveling little adventuring parties.

Personally I prefer the strategy aspect over the RPG aspect, nothing bores me more than delaying quick victories in HoMM3 to level my heroes a bit before they are carried over to the next mission, just in case the next mission was designed for leveled heroes.

[GreatEmerald]

It's a matter of taste.

HoMM1-2 was mostly strategy.
HoMM3 was half strategy, half RPG.
HoMM4 was mostly RPG.

If you prefer to level heroes and acquire artifacts and spells in HoMM3, you'll like HoMM4. If it was collecting resources, raising armies and beating opponents before they could raise their own that you liked, you're better off with HoMM1-2-3.

Yeap, that's true. Hence why I like HoMM4 - it reminds me of the main MM branch. Potions, levelling, promoting etc.

[Qurqirish Dragon]

Perhaps i need to re-check Heroes 4 AGAIN, after 7 - 8 years after all. Perhaps i missed something too in this game.. One thing for sure: it had the best soundtracks in all the Heroes franchise (have not played H1 thought)..


QD: i admire your antics and continuity of thinking, i was surprised by this thread..

I'm glad you liked it. As I wrote in the introductory post to the thread, my particular situation afforded me a very unique perspective into the game, so I wanted to see where that led. I think that it would be interesting if, after H6 is released, someone who only started with H5 or even a newbie into H6 did something similar with H1/2/3/4. In particular H1 or H4, since those are the ones with major differences (the magic system in 1, almost everything else in 4)

[GreatEmerald]

Just read the 16 pages and that was definitely an interesting read there.

[xdTaro]

Well, this was interesting review indeed. But on the other hand, QD, you still don't know the true potential of the game. Basic campaigns are not espacially hard (even at champion). Fan made are much better and I advice you three of them: The Gambler, Megom Chronicles and Saga of Depierelles. First is really good - it's so nice when AI kicks your ass

Believe me, if you don't play them, you'll miss something...

[WarrenD]

Great read Qurqirish Dragon!

Basically I'm in your original position with HoMM IV, I had bought the game back when it came out but it was so different from HoMM III plus the fact it ran so poorly on my machine of the time, I ended up giving the game away.

So I went from Heroes III to Heroes V + expansions and only getting back into trying Heroes IV now thanks to GOG.com. And now with Heroes VI out adding to the mix, makes it even more interesting.

I'm wondering if you ever did try any of the Campaigns with the Equilibris mod(that's what I'm using from the start)and if it improved it or not?

Anyway, all very interesting for longtime Heroes fans.

[Qurqirish Dragon]

Great read Qurqirish Dragon!

Thank you.

I'm wondering if you ever did try any of the Campaigns with the Equilibris mod(that's what I'm using from the start)and if it improved it or not?

Anyway, all very interesting for longtime Heroes fans.

I never replayed the campaigns- there are so many maps out there, I wanted to play new stuff. I did install Equiliibrus immediately after- though I usually played maps with the base game unless it explicitly said it was for Equil. As you know, I review al the maps I play, and so I try to always play in the intended form. This made some things in H5 difficult, due to the major changes implemented in the expansions.

[xdTaro]

Hello again. I made a remastered version of one of the basic maps. I mean: Ancentral Home. My goal was to improve an AI behavior by:

1) Changing quantity of neutral monsters - it does not depend on which level we play. There will be similar neutral stacks on Novice and Champion. So on Champion AI will be able to conquer many things.

2) Giving AI Vital priority for Blue player - computer players are more agressive now.

3) Giving AI nearly all map visibility - when computer players see all the map they do not stand in one place. They capture mines, dwellings etc.

I want you to play this because i think this is a proof that AI in Heroes IV is not so bad. And that a gameplay can be a challenge. Champion level recommended. Link:

http://www.uploader.pl/?d=4EA59CCF2

[bot]

Did someone notice that AI plays different on different PC configurations? I've played homm4 from the beginning. First I had an Athlon 1GB, memory 128Mb maybe. The computer played laughable. Then I played on better configurations. I noticed that the computer started to protect its hero. Let's say it started to play mediocre on battles, but not good on the adventure map. AI still cannot build a combo of heroes alone, cannot play clever on the adventure map.

[Brainster]

Just wanted to give a shout-out to Quirquish, my old reviewing buddy. This is Smoking Dragon, perhaps best known for doing the first review of one of Charles Watkins' maps (Colossal Cave). What an experience that was!

As it happens, my experience with Heroes IV is pretty much the same as yours. My machine wouldn't run it when it first came out and I had to do some searching to locate a copy by the time I upgraded.

I like Heroes IV a lot, and have played it pretty well constantly since I got it. I think what I enjoy most about it is all the teeny-tiny exploits you can use to improve your situation. I'm one of those folks who go back over maps time and again to try to improve on my score and/or put together the perfect first week by trying different things.

[Karmakeld]

just spend the last 3 hours reading through this topic, and def. an interesting subject and replies. Also learned a thing or two. I remember buying H3 when it came out, after having being introduced to H2. But unfortuantly I couldn't install H3, and bought a new one, before I realized PC wasn't strong enough. I've played H3, but never completed the main story When I first played H4 I also recall how I had to get used to the change of graphics, the facts that hero was more part of the combat and the potions. Wasn't much for it at first, but after friends of mine started playing it, I got used to it. And still stick to it, even though I too must agree that most campaigns offered minor challenge, esp. at higher levels. A few years ago I bought H3 complete, but the graphics was like a step back for me, so I haven't yet played it much. But I too can only recommand user made campaigns. Recently completed Megoms Cronicles, and I had to restart the first map on novice just to get past the openingen (shamefull). I would have loved to played it on advanced but many placed in the campaign I was offered a good challenge and got to develop new tactics even on Novice.

[Taro]

Well, I have made a map called "Challenge for Haters" where computer players are very agressive. Duzeom played it on novice and could'nt win so I think that the "champion players" will have some problems even on advanced. It will appear in several days. Here