Hero portraits through the games [PICTURES!]

[Bandobras Took]

H4 undoubtedly had the best adventure map graphics. but this was overshadowed by the hideous character portraits, bland towns, and misproportioned creatures.

[Akul]

Whats wrong with the potraits?! Most of theme look better then the ones from H5 and many look better then H3 ones.

[pepak]

Town graphics and some unit graphics are lacking, but IMO adventure map graphics are best of the HoMM series.

Same here. I am somewhat of a tree freak and some of the forests in H4 easily beat anything I have seen in any other game.

[berntie]

Town graphics and some unit graphics are lacking, but IMO adventure map graphics are best of the HoMM series.

Same here. I am somewhat of a tree freak and some of the forests in H4 easily beat anything I have seen in any other game.

Agree. The HIV adventure map is just gorgeous.

[ThunderTitan]

Maybe you should try higher resolution?

That better be a joke...

[Slayer of Cliffracers]

I thought, wow. It has heroes that can actually fight and better graphics.

[Bandobras Took]

H4's portrait poverty is especially apparent in the minotaur area.

[Akul]

No. 1: An ugly ogre. If it looked nice, I would be shocked!
No. 2: looks good
No. 3: my favourite nekromancer! I always hated the nosferati look in H3
No. 4: an ugly grandma. How suprising!
No. 5: I like the minotaur. You can see that she is a female.
No. 6: ok, the demons suck.
No. 7: Ok, she is ugly!
No. 8: AAAAH!!!
No. 9: Whats wrong with Kyrre?

So again, whats wrong with the potraits?

[Bandobras Took]

There weren't any ogre in the gallery from H3.

Saurug's a much better example of an ugly ogre that doesn't look bad.

With a few exceptions, Heroes 4's range from okay to bad.

With a few exceptions, Heroes 3's range from okay to good.

[Humakt]

There weren't any ogre in the gallery from H3.

Saurug's a much better example of an ugly ogre that doesn't look bad.

With a few exceptions, Heroes 4's range from okay to bad.

With a few exceptions, Heroes 3's range from okay to good.

Except in Heroes 4 you are more free to choose which hero to hire from tavern and you can change his/her name as well. So excluding starting hero(es), you aren't stranded on one particular. And there are some H3 heroes that look bad (Sir Mullich for example) and many H4 heroes that look good (Ufretin, Adelaide and many others). Nice examples you pick though.

[Akul]

To Humakt:

[HodgePodge]

So again, whats wrong with the potraits?

I really like the Heroes IV Portraits too. Well, most of them. But there's quite a few Heroes III Portraits which I'm not too fond of either. Overall, I like the Heroes IV ones better. Just my

[Bandobras Took]

Okay, here are a few reasons that I find the H4 hero portraits inferior (keeping in mind that I agree with the adventure map graphics of H4 being the best -- I'm not dumping on H4 to dump on H4):

1) The H4 colors are paler and muted. Pale, muted colors in portraits don't convey much action or emotion.
2) The H3 portraits have the characters in a setting -- there's a background behind them, giving the feeling that the hero is part of the world, rather than just a face.
3) This is strictly a personal preference, but the barbers in Axeoth are lousy. The hairstyles in H3 were much better.
4) The color choices in H3 were better. Ash having glowing red eyes is much better than Ash having blue reflective eyes; Astral in Black and Gold is much better than Astral in a Blue Turban, and Christian wearing blue is better than Christian chopped off at the neck.
5) Elleshar's headgear. 'Nuff said.

The H4 portraits are most successful when they deviate the least from the H3 portraits (Adelaide, Calh, Bron etc.).

But even then, H3's colors are more vivid, the background included in the portrait gives a better world feeling, and the costume design design doesn't include a Davy Crockett hat for Elleshar.

[Humakt]

Okay, here are a few reasons that I find the H4 hero portraits inferior (keeping in mind that I agree with the adventure map graphics of H4 being the best -- I'm not dumping on H4 to dump on H4):

That's your personal preference. IMO the half of those portraits you listed in above post look better in H4 version than H3 and rest are very close. I find the background disturbing in H3 portrait and it takes emphasis from the hero him/herself, the more cartoonish look of the portraits look better than low resolution "realish" graphic.

I even like the colour circle on H4 heroes which shows heroes alignment at first glance.

The H4 portraits are most successful when they deviate the least from the H3 portraits (Adelaide, Calh, Bron etc.).

Simply not true.

[Bandobras Took]

Okay, here are a few reasons that I find the H4 hero portraits inferior (keeping in mind that I agree with the adventure map graphics of H4 being the best -- I'm not dumping on H4 to dump on H4):

That's your personal preference.

Er . . . yes. Were you honestly expecting anything else in a discussion of relative artistic merit?

I find the background disturbing in H3 portrait and it takes emphasis from the hero him/herself, the more cartoonish look of the portraits look better than low resolution "realish" graphic.

Those would be a reason for liking the H4 portraits better. I felt it was a step backwards.

I would ask, though, if you feel that the H4 portraits could have gone with less pale colors to allow a little bit more expression of emotion.

I even like the colour circle on H4 heroes which shows heroes alignment at first glance.

That is strictly a gameplay point. It has nothing to do with the portraits.

The H4 portraits are most successful when they deviate the least from the H3 portraits (Adelaide, Calh, Bron etc.).

Simply not true.

Ah, so it's a question of true/false after all, and not of personal opinion!

Actually, if it's not true, neither is it false. In which case I can still get away with saying it.

And as a side note, if you feel that the Heroes 4 portraits are not the most successful when they deviate least from the H3 portraits, you should probably get rid of the portraits of Adelaide, Calh, and Bron in your preceding post, since they're almost direct rips of the H3 portraits.

[HodgePodge]

Personally, I like the Round Images in Heroes IV better than the Square Images in the other Heroes games.

Aeris is a definite improvement in Heroes IV from Heroes III and so is Solmyr (not pictured). Mostly though, I think the portrait qualities are more of a draw than one being better or worse. Let's agree to disagree and say, they're both good.

And while I usually do like bright colors, I also really like the muted color shading of Heroes IV; the Portraits were colored to match. Though, I could've gone with more Emotion in the Heroes' faces, but what do you expect from Mug Shots??!!??

[gravyluvr]

It really depends what you like better... For me all HOMM4 beat out HOMM3 for these lovely ladies.

MEPHALA
VS.

TYRIS
VS.

NEELA
VS.

RISSA
VS.

SHIVA
VS.

ORIS
VS.

FIONA
VS.

[HodgePodge]

Good one, Potato Man. But what about this not-so-lovely lady?

Vidomina

vs

And this dude is just butt-ugly no matter which game he's in.

Ayden

vs

[gravyluvr]

Its what's on the inside that counts?

[HodgePodge]

Its what's on the inside that counts?

With Vidomina & Ayden, that's what I'm afarid of.