[Unofficial Expansion] The HOMM5 Role Playing Edition

[magnomagus]

Allright, as a prize for ultimate stubbornness over minor things I will reward you with the ability to easily adjust all classnames to your own taste

Open H5-RPE-Core09.h5u with a zip program that can edit text files (I recommend 7zip, do not learn your OS always to open h5u files with it!)

Go to: Gamemechanics/Reftables/HeroClass/ and edit the contents of the text files (do not change the names of the text files themselves!)

Go to: Text/Game/Heroes/Specializations/'faction of choice'/ and edit the class names in the specialization descriptions (the description files need to be empty, you only need to change the name files!)

[ThunderTitan]

Well i guess that's something... but the idea was to make the official mode have better names... oh well, it's your work, you get the final say.

[magnomagus]

Well i guess that's something... but the idea was to make the official mode have better names... oh well, it's your work, you get the final say.

The problem is a 'better name' scheme doesn't really exist. During the process I changed class names many times. The problem is: for every person who likes the name warlord there is another person who likes the name chieftain. In the end I decided to stick to what I would call a 'conservative approach' and name most classes after names that are already somewhere used in the creation of HOMM5. In the TOE the word chief is mentioned many times. I renamed sages to druids since druids were present in the sylvan faction. etc etc.

[ThunderTitan]

People are wrong... it happens.

[Robertukas]

Wow, very nice!
HoMM5 is still alive!

Good job!
I really like the idea of "Role playing", but there is some disappointment ...

Make a guess what is the first thing I've looked at in your screenshots?
Answer: Secondary Skills and Abilities.

Disappointment (this is VERY important for me):

- there are still only 6 secondary skills, i.e. the same bad thing which was in HoMM3 (all versions, except WOG) and HoMM5 (all versions, including this, as I can see)

- there is only 3 abilities again? (how I hate such limitations, this is really bad)

For me it doesn't really matter how many new skills there are. Much more important thing is:
- how much secondary skills and abilities my hero can learn!

Typical annoyance in HoMM (any version):
- you visit Witch Hut, but she tells you that "I can't teach you no more" (i.e. you don't have enough free slots for that skill or ability).

When you seek for Ultimate skill (like Urgash's Call) Witch Hut should no longer be able to screw it up.
Moreover, by visiting Witch Huts you should always learn something new (one time bonus, let it be still random, but no more "taking free slot" - new slots should always be available).

Heroes 3 WOG was a really masterpiece of work (you could learn all skills and many abilities, AND you had a hero, with his own skills (by default also limited, but you could modify that!)).

I'm not saying that you should be able to learn absolutely all secondary skills and absolutely all subskills/abilities.
Of course, there should be some limitations, for example:
- some limitations by faction
- some limitations by alignment
- some limitations by class
- maybe some other limitations

But your hero shouldn't be too limited like it is now:
- in standard HoMM5 you can learn ONLY 6 secondary skills out of 12 (+1 unique faction skill)
- in standard HoMM5 you can learn ONLY 3 abilities out of 9

Instead, it should be done this way:
- possibility to learn all 12 skills (IF you have prerequisites)
- possibility to learn all 9 abilities (IF you have prerequisites)

I mean that there shouldn't be slot limitations, only prerequisites (by faction, class, alignment, maybe level, etc., whatever)

Some new ideas:
- give more skills and more levels for each skills (basic, advanced, expert, master, grandmaster), but limit the level of each skill by (by faction, class, alignment, maybe level, etc., whatever)

For example,
Grandmaster Luck can be learned only by Rangers (warrior hero).
Grandmaster Light magic can be learned only by Knight (caster hero).

Limitation is already done by experience needed:
- I mean that at level 80 you should be able to learn almost all skills and abilities (excluding some I mentioned before), but in reality you will never get 80 level on any map (but it must by possible, for example in the case if there were many trees of knowledge).

[magnomagus]

I understand your dissappointments, but it is impossible to implement the functions you are proposing. Also take in mind in a normal game a hero reaches between level 26-30, which means the amount of level ups needed to fill so much skill slots is not reached.

[Robertukas]

I understand your disappointments, but it is impossible to implement the functions you are proposing.

Thanks for reply.
I understand that implementing more than 6 skills would require modifying H5_Game.exe file.
But it is not impossible.
I'm sure that you can do it, because you already did much more complex work. Adding more than 6 skills (and more than 3 Abilities) should be easier work than you already did (in HoMM3 WOG it was possible).
Just look at it, how wonderful it would be (notice the arrows):

Also take in mind in a normal game a hero reaches between level 26-30, which means the amount of level ups needed to fill so much skill slots is not reached.

It is not a problem, because from my point of view it should be done this way:

1. One of the main problems in HoMM game (in all versions, even H3WOG) is this:
   - the most difficult (and the most interesting) part of the game is only the first 20% in time, after 50% of time the game becomes too easy and very boring (I've finished only 70% of maps, I was too lazy to play the boring end).
2. One of possible solutions:
   - computer's army grow (and all income) should get x% bonus, where
   x = a*week*(your_towns/computer_towns)^2
   On Normal level:
   a = 0
   On Hard level:
   a = 10
   On Heroic level:
   a = 50
   - or better, there should be a custom level of difficulty (choose a from 0 to 100).
   Additionally, on Heroic level in the last battle enemy hero should have at least twice bigger army than the sum of your all your army in all towns and heroes (but the level of enemy hero should be as it is, i.e. it can be even level 1)
3. Another problem in H5 is this:
   Ultimate skills (like Urgash's Call) are absolutely useless, because the map is already finished when you get it). Moreover, in most maps you never get it.
   You should be able to get it somewhere in the middle of the game so that you could actually use it (and the end of the game should be much more challenging than the beginning).
4. Heroic level of difficulty was made really bad, because your hero experience is reduced (I'm still playing 1.6 version, but I think the same problem remains also in expansions). Your hero should always get not reduced experience, even on Heroic level. I.e. game difficulty should be greatly increased by the number of monsters instead of reducing number of experience.
5. Skills like Urgash's Call should be faster achieved on Heroic level, because you kill much more.
6. A huge problem in H5 is this:
   Heroic level is too boring in 1.6, because computer almost always Flee
   http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/ ... 3991082628
   (i.e. it should be fixed)

[Corlagon]

I'm sure that you can do it, because you already did much more complex work. Adding more than 6 skills (and more than 3 Abilities) should be easier work than you already did (in HoMM3 WOG it was possible).

Unfortunately that's not the case.

It isn't too difficult to unlock slots for additional classes, but hacking the game to display and process any more than six secondary skills would require a team of prodigies working night and day for months. The Heroes V .exe is several times more complex than the H3 one, and even that nut took years for Slava to crack.

No question that magnomagus' work is brilliant, but it didn't involve extensive work on .exe rebuilds. What you ask is, while interesting, unfortunately infeasible without the game's source code. And I don't see that arriving any time soon.

[katykat29]

Newbie question but how do I generate a random map with the update? It shuts down every time.

[magnomagus]

@robertukas:

sorry for late reply, but cepheus is right, creating more skillslots is close to impossible and that also applies to the formula for creature growth. I agree often the last 50% of the game is boring, but I think this is often related to the way maps are designed. In a strategy or RPG game it is important players are constantly motivated to improve their skills and find better artifacts provided they are constantly facing stronger enemies. In HOMM (all versions!) this tension is often lost at around 50% because the player is too strong and the map doesn't provide anymore challenges. A really good map contains many customized monster stacks that provide many challenging battles. Unfortunately there are not many H5 maps of that kind and creating a good H5 map can take months. I know it is possible with Silpions RMG Template editor to create very complex RMG templates with an unusual amount of zones. That means you can design many randomized zones especially for the late game period. It takes some trial and error to get a good map but I had some satisfying results in the past. Here is the link to the tool I'm talking about:

http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=24893

You can also try to adjust the team settings from certain maps you like to all-vs-you to create better challenges for yourself.

@Katykat:

It was already explained in the first post, you can play random maps in RPE but you need to generate them in the editor or the normal exe and then reload the game with the RPE exe.

[katykat29]

I've tried generating a random map from the original map editor and it still crashes. Also, I can't load the original TOE game anymore.

[magnomagus]

You should uninstall the mod if you want to play the original game, if you have problems with the map editor try to remove the file index.bin from the data folder.

[Alamar]

So for the folks that have been playing around with this mod here's a few questions:

-- Is the AI good without being annoying?
-- Is the update more fun than H5:TotE?
-- What are the pros & cons for those folks that mostly play single player?
-- Would it be worth it to buy H5: Complete then add the mod?

[magnomagus]

This mod is can only be installed on TOE 3.1, so the question if it is preferable over TOE or the H5 complete edition is not relevant. This is for people who have the best version of the game (ToE 3.1) and are bored with it.

[Alamar]

This mod is can only be installed on TOE 3.1, so the question if it is preferable over TOE or the H5 complete edition is not relevant. This is for people who have the best version of the game (ToE 3.1) and are bored with it.

Hmmm ... I think a question as to whether a MOD is better than the game it's modding would be a good question

Either way I imagine the response tells me everything that I need to know.

[magnomagus]

I have updated the mod to version 1.0:

Download (50mb):
http://www.mediafire.com/?mvwlx2b725lkzep

Version 1.0 is divided into 2 cores, an ashan core and an axeoth core. The Axeoth core creates the possibility to play the game with 308 heroes from HOMM3/4. This is done with great thanks to Simonak who made it possible to create the necessary xdb files and icons in an automated process. I also included the xl maps from the Heroes of axeoth, which can also be played with the ashan heroes. The old Heroes of Axeoth mod is now completely renewed.

The 2 cores should not be installed together !!!

Currently the TE scripts are not included because TE edition 4.1 is still WIP and TE 4.02 already contained a lot of new advanced functions that I have (not yet) been able to properly implement in RPE. I didn't want this to delay the release further. You can still use the old scripts however.

Fixes and balance tweaks in 1.0:

-Fixed Nicolai specialty
-Fixed Bloodfrenzy skill
-remove casters luck from orc branch, also power of speed and stone
-several manual fixes
-many text fixes
-Wizard skill development fixed
-corrected AI script mod question.
-(balance)some demon lords start with basic gating + all demon lords start with ballista
-(balance) some death knights start with necromancy
-balance fixes to skill development:

DK = 12% necromancy / 10% offense
DL = 12% gating / 10% counterstrike
SR = 10% gating / 8% summoning

-More variation in classes primary skill development, every class is now slightly different:

Knight = 35/45/10/10
Paladin = 15/35/20/30
Heretic = 30/15/35/20

Ranger = 45/35/10/10
Warden = 15/35/25/25
Druid = 10/20/40/30

Demon Lord = 50/30/10/10
Gatekeeper = 35/15/25/25
Sorcerer = 10/10/45/35

DK = 30/45/10/15
Reaver = 35/15/20/30
Necromancer = 10/15/45/30

Overlord = 45/30/10/15
Assassin = 40/10/30/20
Warlock = 15/10/50/25

Seer = 30/20/20/30
Wizard = 10/15/30/45
Elementalist = 10/10/50/30

Engineer = 30/50/10/10
Runemage = 20/30/30/20
Flamekeeper = 15/10/45/30

[kylde001]

how do I actually PLAY this? What do I choose from ToE's main menu after installing the mod as detailed in the readme.txt? No takers for an answer ?