Why hasn't HOMM series won many more fans?

[RustedSorrow]

I started playing Heroes of Might and Magic 5 last year in January. After that I have played both the expansion packs that have been released. The game is simply enchanting and absorbing. I have recommended it to many of my friends and all of them simply loved it. This is quite rare. On most occasions, about 25% of the people don't like popular games like Elder Scrolls 4 and Half life series. But to see them like HOMM5 means the game or the theme on which it has been based has something special.

But I guess it isn't that popular. According to me it should have won many many more fans than it currently has. Of course, it isn't absolutely polished: the AI is dumb and predictable and the difficulty gradient is odd. Some missions are relatively easier than others.

So what is the main reason behind it being no that popular. Lack of proper advertising and marketing? Or is the game simply not good enough even though the theme is certainly one of the best?

[Akul]

Because it is a TBS, I guess.

[Elvin]

H5 has a dedicated fan base but the fans are divided. Most loved H3/h2, some H4 so each of us has an ideal heroes game in mind. That way it's easy for them to be disappointed. Also H5 had the worst release ever full of bugs and imbalances so people were more wary.

[Kristo]

It's probably a lot more popular than you think. Most people don't post on message boards such as this. Heck, the game sold enough units that Ubisoft is confident in continuing the franchise.

Now, as to why the game doesn't feel as popular as you think it should, the reasons are twofold. First, a lot of die-hard TBS gamers are busy playing Galactic Civilizations 2, myself included. TBS games require a lot of attention so the "masses" tend to focus on one at a time. The other reason is that H5 has failed to attract the base of the HOMM fans, i.e., those that have been around for a decade or more. I helped beta test H5; it just wasn't a fun game. I can't really describe what's wrong with it, but I didn't get the same feeling I did with Heroes 2 (my first HOMM game) or Heroes 3. The devs have some big shoes to fill. The bar is set so high with H2 and H3 that a lot of people will never be happy no matter what they do.

[ThunderTitan]

because it doesn't appeal to the lowest common denominator... no matter how hard Ubival tried...

Where i'm from everyone that's into games knows about HoMM3... even if they haven't checked out any sequels...

[Metathron]

I helped beta test H5; it just wasn't a fun game.

I agree with you here to a large extent; Hopefully, you and others of like mind will reach for Tribes of the East, which is HoMM V proper IMO. A great game and loads of fun.

[Mirez]

the game doesn't seem very populair because tbs game aren't very populair online
most shooters however, are only fun when playing online and that's where you see thousands of people on

[Corelanis]

I think it may have something to do with the fact that after you finish a map you dont gain anything. To explain when playing a map your heroes are gaining xp and artifacts and your towns are being built and such then when you finish the map its all gone all your work is added up into a score (sometimes) and then its gone. Compared to genres like mmos where your work stays with you. It seems that people want long term recognition for everything hence the popularity off mmos, gamer scores, achievements, and unneeded xp systems (call of duty 4 anyone). Even the post counts here are an example.
Theres also the time needed to beat a map to take into account this applies most to multiplayer games a medium map takes what an hour or so to beat? For one player for 2 the time doubles to two hours and so on so fourth. It could just be my play style so the time may be a bit higher than normal. Even if you divide it up in to sessions its still one long game. Other tbs have simultaneous turns (civ4) to keep people playing so no 15 min downtime between turns or have no multiplayer at all (galactic civ2). Please dont bring up the H5 version of simultaneous turns they were awful with the ghosts and bs.
The single player aspects are diminished for H5 atleast because the story sucked, so people who like good storys decided to skip it altogether. The graphics are not really up to par for its time so the technophiles bought other games to whine about. The issues with the map editor killed it for a lot of people cant really emphasize that enough. I remember some stupid crap with the mods that didnt help any.

[Bandobras Took]

Also H5 had the worst release ever full of bugs and imbalances so people were more wary.

Oh, come on, even if they weren't brilliant, H5 had on release:

Multiplayer
AI
The standard imbalance of Necromancy

So it can't be the worst Heroes release ever.

[Ya5MieL]

As the time passes and this game gets older, i notice more and mroe ppl actualy apreciate it. Its strange, as if we need the game to get old to say it out loud that we like it. Anyway. H5 has a good base of players, but most of them dont play online. Hot seat games versus friends seem to be the most played variation of the game.

I for once, completely switched to H5 once TotE was released, and i never looked back to a game i worshiped so long (h3).

Also heroes players are in average quite older than for example FPS players, so they have less free time to discuss things on online boards and chats (or they are simply afraid of the new technology (like it or not, we are not getting any younger)). They just enjoy the game

[ThunderTitan]

AI

Hmmm.... seems that this slipped through somehow.

[Alamar]

IMHO "first impressions" hurt H5 a lot. The initial release wasn't anything to brag about. So-so to bad story in campaign mode, poor documentation, non-beta tested AI, .... were all problems that the initial release had. After perceived issues with H4, H5 needed to be a perfect release and it wasn't ....

From what I understand the devs didn't really get H5 "right" until the final expansion and even then the map editor isn't terribly friendly so many of the old time map makers didn't bother and the AI isn't really up to year 2008 quality expectations.

The above, of course, is my opinion only

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BTW: In its day H1-H3 was a fairly popular game. All of my friends that were into computer games [except 1] had a copy and loved each edition.

[Bandobras Took]

AI

Hmmm.... seems that this slipped through somehow.

I amend myself -- adventure map AI. There was at least one previous Heroes Game where the adventure map AI did nothing.

[arturchix]

Angelspit, you should copyright all orc avatars - I thought it's you asking.

[ThunderTitan]

AI

Hmmm.... seems that this slipped through somehow.

I amend myself -- adventure map AI. There was at least one previous Heroes Game where the adventure map AI did nothing.

Feeding the AI resources so it doesn't have to do well on the adv map don't make it better imo...

[Bandobras Took]

Oh, I'm not talking about that -- I'm talking about watching the AI just stop as it repeatedly sends creatures to join the main hero -- who then has creatures with no movement points in their army and therefore can't move for the entire game.

[PhoenixReborn]

Akul's point that it's TBS has some weight.

But I would say the series as a whole has plenty of fans.

And the heroes boards in total are much more active than say the adventure game forums that I also go to.

[darknessfood]

TBS isn't fun for most peple. They have to think about what they are gonnando. People rather run somewhere and play the same shooter, over and over again. Because you just need to aim and shoot. If you play a TBS you need to use your brain, and you need to wait. People don't like that...

[ThunderTitan]

Oh, I'm not talking about that -- I'm talking about watching the AI just stop as it repeatedly sends creatures to join the main hero -- who then has creatures with no movement points in their army and therefore can't move for the entire game.

That can't happen in H5, so it doesn't really tell us anything...

[Ohma]

First impressions really did hurt 5. The way objects on the adventure map were (still are) scaled, the confusing interface, poorly worded (or nonexistant) skill and artifact descriptions, obvious imbalances, and a piddling selection of maps with no editor to create new ones; put together, those issues were very...upsetting to say the least.