Jolly Joker`s Preview

Pitsu · Unread postby **Pitsu** » 12 Apr 2006, 15:09

Dalai wrote:2 Jolly Joker
Just plainly list features from HoMM-IV and their evolution.
Thanks again.

I am not sure how well such a list can be done. Like the town build-up. I do not even think developers had Heroes IV in mind when they replaced the linear prerequistes with town level requirement. It works on different principle, but at harder situations where money is short gives the effect of Heroes IV dwelling choices.

Other than that it is certainly the magic schools and factions relationship which is not as strickt as in Heroes IV but not as open as in Heroes III. Probably more toward Heroes IV.

Heroes IV at its time propagated that "each creature now has a special" and indeed in many cases you did not need the creatures because of their stats, but their specials. This is certainly true for Heroes V as well. Compared to raw stats (like the speed value) specials have higher importance in IV and V than in III.

Creatures with a spell book were introduced in Heroes IV. :p

Limited number of heroes per tavern per day - not as restrictive as in Heroes IV, but not possible to buy 4 heroes on first day like in H3

There may be others and more important ones, that JJ had in his mind.

Jolly Joker · Unread postby **Jolly Joker** » 12 Apr 2006, 15:42

Yes, thanks Pitsu. Another one is that heroes can't act when they want to (before any of their creatures), but get turns like creatures. The unique skill for each race began in Heroes IV as well (remember the race-specific sub-skills for each of the magic schools?).

Pitsu · Unread postby **Pitsu** » 12 Apr 2006, 16:09

Jolly Joker wrote:(remember the race-specific sub-skills for each of the magic schools?).

Um, i am not sure what you mean here, since all subskills were available when you got the primary skill (from a witch hut for example) no matterof the hero origin. Anyway, in general terms the differences between factions and number of (distinct) alternative strategies in Heroes V is certainly closer to Heroes IV than III. Again, it is perhaps not designed on the basis of Heroes IV, but it is someting that was good there and that is present in Heroes V.

Dalai · Unread postby **Dalai** » 12 Apr 2006, 16:41

Thanks Pitsu, thanks JJ.

Though there are some features close to HoMM-IV ideas, but not "a lot". This "a lot" striked me at once.

Most of them seem to be rather accidental. Just as Pitsu said, " I do not even think developers had Heroes IV in mind when they..." did that things.

There is a discussion in the thread "Are you going to buy Heroes V?" and some people are sure that Ubi and/or Nival has/have "keep all HoMM-IV features, which were not in HoMM-III, out of HoMM-V" policy. I expected to see strong arguments against this.

Pitsu · Unread postby **Pitsu** » 12 Apr 2006, 16:58

Dalai wrote: Most of them seem to be rather accidental.

Anyone who is going to boicot Heroes V because of some Heroes IV features are there "accidentally" and not because of Heroes IV.... Um, sounds maniacal.

ThunderTitan · Unread postby **ThunderTitan** » 12 Apr 2006, 16:59

Well at the start they did strongly maintain that "the aberation that is H4 will not affect the game as we're sticking to H3"! OK, they only said they will stick to H3, but whatever...

Guess it likely they ignored H4 as inspiration, but aplied stuff that's alot like H4 because it made sense. Or maybe the "H4 bad" talk was all about marketing!

Malicen · Unread postby **Malicen** » 12 Apr 2006, 17:02

Well this is a GOOD preview. And the game looks more promising than ever. Now, just one more month to wait...

theLuckyDragon · Unread postby **theLuckyDragon** » 12 Apr 2006, 18:26

Great post!

I have one question: last I heard (quite some time ago...), there was no paper doll for the hero's artifacts. Is that still true?

Pitsu · Unread postby **Pitsu** » 12 Apr 2006, 18:51

theLuckyDragon wrote: I have one question: last I heard (quite some time ago...), there was no paper doll for the hero's artifacts. Is that still true?

Like in open beta.
See the image at:
http://www.the-genies-lamp.com/oakwarri ... entory.jpg

theLuckyDragon · Unread postby **theLuckyDragon** » 12 Apr 2006, 19:04

Yuck. That does not look good. Ah well... Can't have them all...

But a paper doll might have fitted in there.

Shredst0r · Unread postby **Shredst0r** » 13 Apr 2006, 13:00

sound really really great!

especially the ressource management and the upgrading system .

pigoo3 · Unread postby **pigoo3** » 13 Apr 2006, 15:54

One thing that I always found irritating about previous Hero's versions is...you spend a lot of time & resouces building up a town...only to lose it to some passing by hero's army.

To me taking a town should be very very difficult. The towns defenses should be very tough.

Can anyone comment of the difficulty of taking a town in Heros 5 vs. previous versions?

Thanks

Jolly Joker · Unread postby **Jolly Joker** » 13 Apr 2006, 17:44

If you read the review you will have seen the

Town special

Many town specials deal with either strengthening the defenses (walls, towers), the defenders (Luck, Moral) or weakening the attackers (Luck Moral).

Moreover WITHOUT the War Machines skill (and the catapult ability) you will see lots of catapult shots doing not much damage to the walls. The grid is so big no flyer will reach behind the walls in the first turn. And shooters get penalties of course.

So, yes, things have become more difficult - except if you "waste" one of your precious six skill slots with the War Machines skill, in which case I'd rate the difficulty as hard as in III. Note there is even the possibility that arrow towers shoot with poisend arrows or with spell-imbued arrows!

Labyrinth · Unread postby **Labyrinth** » 13 Apr 2006, 19:23

So that's what your german version looks like

Labyrinth · Unread postby **Labyrinth** » 13 Apr 2006, 19:35

Note: It is not true that the Succubi Mistresses' Chain Shot does not hit your own units - it does not hit *INFERNAL* units.

This means,

- whenever you have some nice Assassins joining your army, they'll get a punch each time you use your Upg. Succubi.

- When you fight against a demon army, the Chain Shot does not work. When there are only infernal units on the field, it hits only the first (the attacked) stack - and nothing else.

ThunderTitan · Unread postby **ThunderTitan** » 13 Apr 2006, 19:43

So it's like the Death Cloud from H3.

Xsi · Unread postby **Xsi** » 13 Apr 2006, 21:54

"HoMM V is CLEARLY the best Heroes game ever."

Well Joker was right, this game rocks (based on demo)

pigoo3 · Unread postby **pigoo3** » 14 Apr 2006, 02:24

Jolly Joker...I did read your review...and from what I read...MOST of the things that improve the defensive aspects of town are very similar to what was in previous versions of Heros...so it doesn't really sound like town defenses have really been improved that much.

I am looking forward to Heros V...so I will have to see how the town defences have or have not been improved.

Thanks

Sandro123 · Unread postby **Sandro123** » 20 Apr 2006, 15:55

HoMM V is CLEARLY the best Heroes game ever.

I totally agree. Homm series have been going towards improving the strategy and h5 is definately the climax. One of the best reviews I have read.

Why did no-one give me a complete version to translate...

DaemianLucifer · Unread postby **DaemianLucifer** » 20 Apr 2006, 21:04

Finally a review worth reading.Although I still think the game doesnt deserve to bear this famous title.

The Heroes Round Table