The Choice.

[Spin]

Now we know that Black Hole is no longer working on HVI and a new developer's taking over I was wondering what you, if you were hypothetically in charge of the following decision would do:

Would you:

1. Get the new developers to patch the game and create the already planned expansion(s).

2. Get the new developers to release a couple of patches and then start working on a Heroes VII from the beginning.

or anything else.


Now I'm just interested in your Opinion, do not take into account anything alleged from Ubisoft or Black Hole, just your thoughts on what you want in the Heroes franchise, and what you think is the best move in the present situation from a publisher's point of view. There's a lot to be made in Heroes games I believe, and it's the decisions surrounding the games that make the largest impact. With very specific elements that are unique to any game (that usually require custom-made engines), it must be very hard for developers to create a Heroes game.

[Tress]

Considering MM6 potential is not nearly used, I think it needs addons. Also, aside of homm1 there is no homm game with no addons(Though wow/TGS was barely more than mission pack).

[Avonu]

Considering MM6 potential is not nearly used

[Pitsu]

1 - for them to study the code and its complicity and "try their hand". It would be the learning phase.

[Metathron]

just your thoughts on what you want in the Heroes franchise, and what you think is the best move in the present situation from a publisher's point of view.

I think the best move would be to patch up the current game and then sell the brand to another publisher. That's what I really want for the franchise.

[Tress]

I think the best move would be to patch up the current game and then sell the brand to another publisher. That's what I really want for the franchise.

Like who. Electronic art's , that would be even worse.
Frankly speaking, I doubt any publisher company is much better or worse than UBI. It's not like ubi dont have successful brands like AC or SC. But they do have good and bad parts for those brands, so it all depends which company develops it. Sure we can blame for making relatively poor choices in form of Nival and BH(both of which aren;t top name companies), but I doubt switching hands would change all that much.

[Toejam]

I Think Might & Healing: heroes 6 needs some expansions first

[XEL II]

Considering MM6 potential is not nearly used

Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven is an excellent game and one of all-time RPG classics, which has its potential used very well and has even more of it than that You must be referring to MMH6 (Might and Magic: Heroes VI), which potential, I must agree, is not used to a decent extent.

[XEL II]

I voted Other. My option is get the new developers to patch the game and create the already planned expansion(s) and then stop focusing this much on HoMM for a while to develop Might and Magic X with the involvement (if possible) or at the very least conseling from the former NWC emplyees.

Note that MM10 shouldn't be called something stupid like Might and Magic: Adventures. Just Might and Magic X, probably with some subtitle.

[XEL II]

(Though wow/TGS was barely more than mission pack).

Then again, so was Price of Loyalty. The amount of new features in PoL is actually smaller than in TGS + WoW. And the new campaigns in the latter were connected with the storyline and set in the main game's world, unlike PoL's.

I think we can all agree that the best addons with the most new features were Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death expansions for HoMM3. And HoF and TotE were also big, introducing a new faction each.

[ywhtptgtfo]

I voted Other. My option is get the new developers to patch the game and create the already planned expansion(s) and then stop focusing this much on HoMM for a while to develop Might and Magic X with the involvement (if possible) or at the very least conseling from the former NWC emplyees.

Note that MM10 shouldn't be called something stupid like Might and Magic: Adventures. Just Might and Magic X, probably with some subtitle.

DMoMM is not a promising representation of Ubisoft's ability to make a good MMX.

[XEL II]

I voted Other. My option is get the new developers to patch the game and create the already planned expansion(s) and then stop focusing this much on HoMM for a while to develop Might and Magic X with the involvement (if possible) or at the very least conseling from the former NWC emplyees.

Note that MM10 shouldn't be called something stupid like Might and Magic: Adventures. Just Might and Magic X, probably with some subtitle.

DMoMM is not a promising representation of Ubisoft's ability to make a good MMX.

Not Ubisoft made DMoMM (although they indeed oversaw the development) and, thankfully, this game never aspired to be Might and Magic X nor it was presented as such by Ubisoft.

[ywhtptgtfo]

I voted Other. My option is get the new developers to patch the game and create the already planned expansion(s) and then stop focusing this much on HoMM for a while to develop Might and Magic X with the involvement (if possible) or at the very least conseling from the former NWC emplyees.

Note that MM10 shouldn't be called something stupid like Might and Magic: Adventures. Just Might and Magic X, probably with some subtitle.

DMoMM is not a promising representation of Ubisoft's ability to make a good MMX.

Not Ubisoft made DMoMM (although they indeed oversaw the development) and, thankfully, this game never aspired to be Might and Magic X nor it was presented as such by Ubisoft.

And Ubisoft did not make HoMM6. Hellhole did.

[Spin]

Heaps of ideas here already. I was suprised to see a lot of people going with 1, I'd thought a lot of people had lost faith in Heroes VI, but it must be that only a few have and are voicing it very loudly.

I'm finding it hard to decide either way, the main problem i see is that an expansion would not be done until at least early next year, assuming the new developer took over somewhere in the last 2 months, In 2-2.5 years you could easily make a completely new Heroes game.

I still do think they can make Heroes VI fantastic, right now it's 80% of the way there and just needs a fair amount of polishing, it's going to be a while though before this happens.

As for other games in the franchise, Ubisoft are really doing it oddly, making completely new games and calling them Might and Magic rather than doing sequels. I do hope some kind of RPG is made.

[Pitsu]

I was suprised to see a lot of people going with 1, I'd thought a lot of people had lost faith in Heroes VI, but it must be that only a few have and are voicing it very loudly.

No, it is not whether there is faith in H6, but simple logic that the new developer needs experience. If you let them start H7 right away H7 would be as bad as H6.

[Spin]

No, it is not whether there is faith in H6, but simple logic that the new developer needs experience. If you let them start H7 right away H7 would be as bad as H6.

Yes that's a pretty good point. I guess they can learn about how Black Hole has made the game and see what they've done right and what could have been done better. Making expansions would no doubt be a challenge for these guys though, i'd imagine once their done with the game and if they get to develop a Heroes 7 that they'd make their own engine anyway.

Experience is hard to get, it took NWC 3 tries to get it really perfect, with Heroes 3 pretty much being a successor of the original 2.

[Ell1e]

Pretty sure a lot of people are actually happy with the game, or at least content enough not to yell "DIS GAME SUCKS! WHERE MY TOWN SCREENS AT????????" at every possible opportunity, it's just that with everything there's a small but vocal minority that loves it to pieces, another small but vocal minority that hates everything it stands for and a silent majority that thinks both sides are idiots.

Anyway, I consider 1 the more desirable option because I think there has to be a noticable difference between two games and Heroes VI hasn't been out for half a year now. I doubt Heroes VII would be that different from Heroes VI. So I'm going with the more optimistic approach that an expansion pack will add new features and improved gameplay to a game with some good sides and some bad. Sounds better than scrapping everything and hoping for a new game at least.

[cjlee]

These AB guys know how to make games. License it to them; Ubisoft can just sit back and collect money.

[jigsaw2008]

I think that H6 is a game with a lot changes acccording to the previous game of the series. It has a lot of bugs. It is not balanced yet. It has more to do and not to abandon the project. We know that the game is already 6 months old with little improvements. Let the new developer patch the game and create the expansions even if it may take them time to improve the game. I think that H6 can be the best game of the series. The new developer first has to work with the bugs, which is the big problem of h6, second to work the balance of the factions and third to work the town screens in parallel with the new factions to add in the expansions. In conclusion H6 is in "infant" stage and it is wrong to abandon it. H7 has to wait.

[Spin]

One thing i am uncertain of is whether Ubi will switch developers after Heroes 6 is finished. Experience in making these games is essential, no one has every got it right on their first try. If they do switch developers, all the practice in making the expansions/patches is wasted. I guess that could be said for Nival after doing Heroes V, even though no one knows how good (or bad) a new heroes game by them could have been.