The Damage is Already Done

[cjlee]

I just asked around.

In my crowd (mostly 35-45 years old) no one wants to try Heroes VII.

In the past we sometimes pooled games, where we would agree someone can buy a game and someone else would buy it off him at a discount if the original buyer didn't want it. Of course now with online validation I don't know if that would work, but in any case no one I know wants to do that for H7.

They just don't want to touch this game anymore. I'm talking about people who love fantasy and RPG games. But they don't want HOMM7 or Might and Magic.

I think I might still buy H7, but with my own greatly diminished enthusiasm I will wait for bug reports and bug fixes first. Possibly I might wait a year, since the game would become cheaper and all patches worked out (not to mention I am hoping for the Protoss expansion to come out first).

I think Ubisoft has learned some lessons, but not completely, from the first debacle. They are still uncommitted to dragons for instance, which I find ridiculous and a sign that they don't understand the fantasy genre any better than they did a few years ago.

[Coldy]

I have little faith in Ubi so I'm going to wait for player reviews and then maybe buy after a while. So yea I'm going to wait an see.

Ubi so far has done little to keep the old fans happy. If they keep trying to make Heroes for the masses they will fail miserably.

As far as I am aware off the TBS market is a fairly niche market with passionate fans. Why does Ubi want to disappoint it's core fans again?

[Panda Tar]

For now, I'll wait reviews and bugs etc. My opinion might change as more info comes out regarding the game, for the better or for the worse.

[Aemaeth]

First answer, even they are bugs, I will be the first to report them and help M&M's team to improuve the game !!

[cjlee]

I have little faith in Ubi so I'm going to wait for player reviews and then maybe buy after a while. So yea I'm going to wait an see.

Ubi so far has done little to keep the old fans happy. If they keep trying to make Heroes for the masses they will fail miserably.

As far as I am aware off the TBS market is a fairly niche market with passionate fans. Why does Ubi want to disappoint it's core fans again?

I think having to vote for dungeon and dragons, plus elves without unicorns, did it for me. Ubisoft is so much a corporation that they don't even understand the fantasy genre. Might as well create Diablo IV where you have to fight through urban Washington until you reach Lord Diablo at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[Banedon]

The game hasn't even been released and you're already ready to complain!? Pardon me, but you seem like a hardcore negative "fan" who is impossible to please.

That said I have no lack of games to play right now, and taking on a new game is always a big commitment. I'll wait for reviews before committing. This has nothing to do with the game being bad or whatever - it's simply a consequence of how I play games. I play few games, but I play them a lot.

[parcaleste]

^ You are absolutely wrong. And maybe I am about what the others above think, but in my mind, after the debacle that was MMH VI (I didn't even finished it - got bored to death), I am REALLY pushed back from the series. And now when I see the 90% similar graphics and stuff... yes, I am sceptical and even don't feel the urge to vote for these stupid votes. Just give us some diversity in them damn units already! Some diversity in the battlefields! It's the same line-ups and battlefields forever. And this is the least problem. A few weeks ago I was playing King's Bounty: Halls of Valhalla and Dark Side... and I had a blast, even with the total similarities with the previous parts of the series and just the few new units and spells + the kinda different Skill Trees. Tell me how to be enthusiastic about MMH VII after the previous installment and all the similarities I see in the new one, tell me how to/why should I trust Ubi, please!

[Konfuzius]

I am not really hyped for H7. I'm sure it can be a good game, but since its announcementI got the impression that it's just a rehash of Heroes 3 and bits of H2. Undoubtedly, those are two good games, but I want to see more than just them running on Unreal Engine 4.

I was hyped for Heroes 6 and even-though I disagree with some design choices I got the impression that Heroes is finally moving forward. I was just disappointed with the result, which ended up damaging for everybody involved. (I have to admit that I do like Shades of Darkness, imo it has really good Dungeon gameplay and cool new units.)

Heroes 7 was announced rather surprisingly and I questioned myself, if a new heroes game is really what we need right now? Like heroes 5 is considered a heroes 3.5, I think Heroes 7 is just going to be Heroes 3.7.

I'm just not sure if those additional "0.2" are worth the price. Sure, it appeals to the aging fanbase, what when they are gone? My impression that Heroes 3.7 is a soft downgrade from Heroes 6 (by 2.3).


To be honest, I'm not really sure what Ubisofts long term goal is with the Might and Magic series (or if they have one). Of course it's good to have brands who differ from their main AAA titles (who are actually extremely similar if you compare them). But to be honest, it's nothing spectacular either.

On the one side Ubi tries to soothe the fans with classic content, but this way I don't think the game will ever appeal to more people. Really, if it wouldn't be for the name "Might and Magic", isn't it just one out of many fantasy games?

I'm a bit sceptical about the future of MM in general...
I also like Limbic and think that MMX was worthwhile, but I believe it requires more than just a studio that happens to have many fans of the series and instead has more experience.

[Pol]

I will wait for reviews and bug fixes before I buy

I will wait, plenty of time. No stress. If that will be good game, time will polish it to be only better.

Only, I have somewhat problem with 3D games, as they tend to be generally slower to play I prefer 2D (or false 3D) execution.

[jeff]

I did not buy H6 because of a lack of a working editor and horrible fan reaction. It was a good decision, and one I am going to repeat. I will let the fan reaction determine if I buy or not. Sorry, though MMX legacy was a good step; it was not enough to earn my trust for H7.

[Panda Tar]

That's exactly how I feel too.

I even enjoyed H6 for a little while, then I started to try finding any depths of strategy in the game and there was none. It was simply and thoroughly boring.

[Banedon]

^ You are absolutely wrong. And maybe I am about what the others above think, but in my mind, after the debacle that was MMH VI (I didn't even finished it - got bored to death), I am REALLY pushed back from the series. And now when I see the 90% similar graphics and stuff... yes, I am sceptical and even don't feel the urge to vote for these stupid votes. Just give us some diversity in them damn units already! Some diversity in the battlefields! It's the same line-ups and battlefields forever. And this is the least problem. A few weeks ago I was playing King's Bounty: Halls of Valhalla and Dark Side... and I had a blast, even with the total similarities with the previous parts of the series and just the few new units and spells + the kinda different Skill Trees. Tell me how to be enthusiastic about MMH VII after the previous installment and all the similarities I see in the new one, tell me how to/why should I trust Ubi, please!

There's a difference between not being hyped / enthusiastic about a game and outright criticizing it before a beta is available. I didn't like MMH6 much either, but I'm not going to say Ubisoft doesn't understand the fantasy genre.

[Panda Tar]

Good news on their website: No town conversions. HOORRAAAYY!

[cjlee]

Every genre and market has its distinct characteristics.

There is nothing to stop Rolls Royce from adopting a toilet bowl cover instead of its characteristic famous Grecian grille. But if they should produce such a car, would you be severely critical?

When the signs are abundant that Ubisoft still doesn't know what it is doing, only a fool will preorder. When RR rolls out its latest car with a toilet seat grille, do you think most potential customers are going to spend time in the nuances of how good the engineering under the joke of a front grille? It takes a dedicated customer to consider waiting for reviews instead of completely abandoning the make.

The bizarre thing is that you seem to think I am extremely negative, yet the fact is that I am at least willing and open minded enough to wait for reviews. My friends may not come to this website and say anything, but they are not buying, plain and simple. As are a large number of ex-fans and most people responding to this thread.

And you are not even willing to commit yourself to preordering. You even produce this excuse about how you normally wait for reviews first.

Actions speak louder than words Banedon. Comments Deleted by moderator.

[Angelspit]

I will wait, plenty of time. No stress.

The words of a gamer dad! Welcome to the "Guys Who Can't Keep Up With Game Releases" club.

[jeff]

@cjlee Look I agree with much of what you said but you need to avoid personal attacks; even when you feel they are self-defense.

[mr.hackcrag]

I prefer 2D (or false 3D) execution.

I think this would have a tremendous beneficial effect for homm that it is desperate for since confidence is shaky among many fans.

[Dalai]

My thoughts exactly. Their combnation of dev team + marketing dept + commercial stuff is hopeless beyond saving.

Good news on their website: No town conversions. HOORRAAAYY!

Yep. One down, over 9000 to go.

[Panda Tar]

I hope it's not 9,000 polls to go.

[Dalai]

I hope it's not 9,000 polls to go.

Definitely not.

They won't fix everything in one sweep. They need to brake twice as much. Otherwise there will be no room for "innovation", as Ubisoft sees it.

7 resources -> 4 resources -> any number of resources;
Mage Guilds -> No Mage Guilds -> Mage Guilds;
Skill tree -> Skill Wheel -> Skill Cube/Pyramid/Honeycomb; etc.
All opposites are "perfectly founded". All are better than the other opposite, which are better too.

They have to keep this illusion of creative work being done. If common sense is sacrificed - so be it. They are "artists", they are free from the tyranny of being reasonable or consistent.