TotE Is Out

[Orfinn]

Post edited. -Mod



But back to the joy of ToE

It is indeed promising and have the most stuff in any Homm expansion I have seen so far. And for a reasonable price

All those alternate, lol gonna get headache by choosing. Im glad my wish got granted by Ubival, that feature is what I wanted the most!

Threat levles are neat too and that wizard adventure guy that can rewind your mind (skill choices) for a price. And the altars are similar to those in H3, maybe not innonative but good to have back. Good to know in fact that you can sell artifacts too, man finally!

And that creature groups with several creatures from a faction are present is juicy too.



The only nitpick I have is tthe Sev. lol well thats not a big deal and either way it dosent improve or damage the gameplay and I guess most understand what it stands for, unless youre a freaking Klingon...




Edited on Thu, Oct 11 2007, 09:03 by Orfinn

[PhoenixReborn]

Easy Orfinn, Mistweaver was around at the same time as DL. And being negative doesn't make them "morons".

They put in a kingdom overview in ToTE.

Does anyone have the expansion yet to say anything about the new gameplay?

[Jolly Joker]

Sure. What do you want to know?

What I can offer myself is:
Completely different gameplay due to a completely revised ability-tree (see changed skillwheels). That's something *I* requested for a long time and they did it (even though I don't think they did it because I requested it ).
Furthermore, with the 2 possible upgrades another bunch of different tactics is available. For example, with the Barbarian I often try the effect of grading Goblins up to Witchdoctors because they have 1 more speed, but fill the empty slots in my early army with Trappers - they can make sacrifice attacks (adding rage points) AND lay traps as well, which is pretty cool against walkers.
The RMG has been massively improved - and don't faint, when you see the sizes possible (which is probably the reason why ToE doubles the hardware prerequisites).

[PhoenixReborn]

Sure. What do you want to know?

Is it still set up so that some factions have a better chance of winning early game and other factions have a better chance after week 6?

I can't gauge the effect of the new skill wheel and the alternates...

[Jolly Joker]

There have been lots and lots of changes and adjustments. For example, MotN gives now 1 point of Mana for 75 damage only, an effect you feel initially.
Generally I'd say that the balance is getting always better and better.

[PhoenixReborn]

What about the new maps? I assume they show off the new buildings like in the demo, but are there any new map functions or interesting designs?

I remember in heroes 2 there was a map that the terrain in the minimap created a picture of the lion shield!

[Mozared]

I do hope the whole expansion works better then the demo, which has crashed both the two times I played a map now. .......

[Jolly Joker]

What about the new maps? I assume they show off the new buildings like in the demo, but are there any new map functions or interesting designs?

I remember in heroes 2 there was a map that the terrain in the minimap created a picture of the lion shield!

Yes, but I won't spill things here. I don't want to spoil the surprises.
There are some very interesting scripts in the campaign (you saw, for example, the firing catapults in the demo).
MP maps include some allied maps.

[Omega_Destroyer]

Thanks for the heads-up on the Bone Crusher JJ. Unlike their alternates, I'm glad to see the Bone Crusher's most note-worthy ability will not be dying in all the time.

Do you have any quick thoughts regarding the upgrades for the factions not featured in the demo?

[Jolly Joker]

Do you have any quick thoughts regarding the upgrades for the factions not featured in the demo?

Too many to list them.

[Omega_Destroyer]

I shall take that as a good sign then.

[ThunderTitan]

> If not they are top 3 morons around.<

Man... and i thought you where the only one left...

[Cleanpea]

People should really start to give notice when they quote people. either with "these marks" or with copying the name of the post as well, like this:



Metathron at 2007-10-10 07:26 wrote:

a thoroughly good expansion to a game that was considered the most revolutionary in the series upon its release. Make of that what you will.



Yeah, and I make of that that it's bull-honky. Heroes IV was the most revolutionary game for better or for worse.



But it's good that the game is out. Judging by the demo, it's going to be the best HoMM V product, and with sensible additions and improvements -- first and foremost the choice in creature upgrades -- it may well manage to draw me as deeply and devoutly into the game as the previous four installments have done.





The first Metathron writes is a quote. Not the best example, I agree. It is not hard to see the advantage of this? Am I the only one to have an issue with this?

[ThunderTitan]

i use ><.... it's more visually distinctive.

[Cleanpea]

People should really start to give notice when they quote people. either with "these marks" or with copying the name of the post as well, like this:



Metathron at 2007-10-10 07:26 wrote:

a thoroughly good expansion to a game that was considered the most revolutionary in the series upon its release. Make of that what you will.



Yeah, and I make of that that it's bull-honky. Heroes IV was the most revolutionary game for better or for worse.



But it's good that the game is out. Judging by the demo, it's going to be the best HoMM V product, and with sensible additions and improvements -- first and foremost the choice in creature upgrades -- it may well manage to draw me as deeply and devoutly into the game as the previous four installments have done.





The first Metathron writes is a quote. Not the best example, I agree. It is not hard to see the advantage of this? Am I the only one to have an issue with this?

[PhoenixReborn]

I prefer to read on the forum where you can see quote boxes properly. That should solve your issue. But I will try to remember in the future.

[MistWeaver]

Post edited. -Mod

[ThunderTitan]

It's nicer to use < >... and never ever edit your post... that way it looks ok on the main page too...


Also:

SirCharles wrote on another forum:
>For the money Ubi is willing to pay for it, Nival's the best available.<

[Jolly Joker]

A very unfair quote.

Let's see Chuck's whole quote:

>Ummm...okay then. And what exactly would YOU propose? Do you want Ubisoft to go through another bidding war to see who wins the rights to make H6? Do you want to see a new developer struggle through all the learning process yet again?

And finally, just out of curiosity, what would YOU want out of Heroes 6? What features would you want that weren't in H5, or what features should be removed or re-done? Because you're making it sound as if it was the worst game ever made.

And just so you know...yes, Nival WILL be doing h6. Consider that written in stone. Nobody else has the experience and nobody else can come close to the budget. For the money Ubi is willing to pay for it, Nival's the best available.<

And when someone put in, that would be very indicative, Chuck went on:

>I'm sure that considering how successful H5 was, that the budget will be increased substantially. (That comment was more about when H5 was being developed rather than pre-h6). However, you've still got to consider the experience factor. I don't think Ubi would want to go through another new developer's learning curve, do you? The quality of the game has grown dramatically better with each release. Why go backwards?

If someone is deluded enough to think that someone like Blizzard is going to step in and take over they need to see a whole team of psychiatrists. :O) It ain't gonna happen. I don't know if contracts have been signed yet with Nival, but the way Ubi is talking...it's a done deal.

In regards to the AI, you have to remember that the AI was written when H5 was still developing. Nival was still learning the game itself. AND Ubi kept the budget at the same level. So the money simply wasn't there to stop production and re-work the AI from scratch like it basically needed to be. They've tweaked it and adjusted it where they could with the alloted time they had. Starting from scratch with H6, Nival will have a MUCH better idea what the AI needs to achieve and it'll be a much higher priority. Trust me, they're aware of its lack of the "I" in A.I.<

[MistWeaver]

>Nival will have a MUCH better idea what the
>AI needs to achieve and it'll be a much higher
>priority. Trust me, they're aware of its
>lack of the "I" in A.I

And I think Nival is still very confident that good AI is AI that will, quote: "Show some resistanse and then yield to the Player, because Player likes to win".
If Nival will see such design as inappropriate for TBS, then they will have a chance.