CH Exclusive: Julien Pirou Q&A

Kalah · Unread postby **Kalah** » 10 Apr 2011, 22:08

<img src="/images/avatars/1301266403479deffc59109.jpg" align=right hspace=10 vspace=10>You have been asked to <a href="/viewtopic.php?t=11567">submit your questions</a> to the devs, and we have passed them on, hoping for answers to the things you want to hear about the most. Well, in <a href="/https://www.celestialheavens.com/774">this interview</a>, Julien "Marzhin" Pirou reveals the possibility of disabling the Area of Control, how the AI and Town Screen will work - in addition to his cravings for Coca-Cola Zero.

To summarize the more important points, you will be able to enable or disable the Area of control as per your personal choice, the AI will cheat less than in H5, and if you're going to Marzhin's place for a gaming night, make sure to bring lots of sugar-free Coke.

The highlights:

<ul><li>"The H6 AI is still a work in progress, but obviously we'd like to have something better and "cleaner" that the one in H5. I can already tell you the AI turns are way faster this time around. Also, in H6, the AI will cheat much less and less obviously than in H5.

<li>What is possible today is to create maps without Areas of Control in the editor. If there is no control point in an area, then mines work the same way they did in the previous Heroes.

<li>In H6 we brought back the "kingdom overview" screen, where you can see a larger, more detailed minimap. (...) As for the in-game view, you can zoom out more than in H5. It's not a 2D view, but you have a better sense of your surroundings.

<li>The town screen is actually a town window. The town visuals will be animated. Building and recruiting is done through the window interface."</ul>

Read the whole interview <a href="/https://www.celestialheavens.com/774">here</a>.

These answers will no doubt satisfy fans slightly, but they will no doubt also create a hunger for more. Giving out info to the fans is a bit like giving an ice cube to a man in the desert; very satisfying, but only for about thirty seconds. I predict loud voices shouting for more info in about ... four minutes.

If you would like to take a look at the original page visit this link:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/1302473315

jeff · Unread postby **jeff** » 10 Apr 2011, 23:59

His answer on the early preview of the editor made some sense. I begrudgingly see their point about not wanting to reveal everything about the game. I hope they work it out, but still no word on the campaign editor function. Unfortunately almost half the interview had nothing to do with H-6, but it was a light-hearted exchange. Sadly not a thing there that would convince me to buy this game; hopefully that will change when fans start playing it and post positive reports.

scorch · Unread postby **scorch** » 11 Apr 2011, 11:03

"The town screen is actually a town window. The town visuals will be animated. Building and recruiting is done through the window interface"

what does it mean??

it's gonna be like Heroes 1-4? or like 5? or nor at all??

we will still gonna get inside view of the castle when we double click it???

Infiltrator · Unread postby **Infiltrator** » 11 Apr 2011, 11:51

It means that the screen is gonna be like in the H2-H3 screens but windowed instead of full screen.

Pitsu · Unread postby **Pitsu** » 11 Apr 2011, 12:19

Infiltrator wrote:It means that the screen is gonna be like in the H2-H3 screens but windowed instead of full screen.

And except that when in H2-3 the screen was the interface, now the image is no more functional than hero portrait.

Infiltrator · Unread postby **Infiltrator** » 11 Apr 2011, 12:41

I sure hope that's not true.

theGryphon · Unread postby **theGryphon** » 11 Apr 2011, 13:36

@ Infiltrator: Unfortunately, that's the only meaning I too could infer...

Angelspit · Unread postby **Angelspit** » 11 Apr 2011, 16:38

Julien: Keep harassing Ubi for that new M&M game!

Ildrenvred · Unread postby **Ildrenvred** » 11 Apr 2011, 17:05

I think that if they gave Julien creative control of the project, then they would make a really great game. As it stands, it looks decent- at least an improvement over the giant turd that was Heroes V.

CloudRiderX · Unread postby **CloudRiderX** » 11 Apr 2011, 17:40

Well, even though its not much, still good information. A radical change (area of control) is being made optional, and a problem with the previous game (AI) is being improved on. Keep up the good work.

XEL II · Unread postby **XEL II** » 11 Apr 2011, 23:11

>Julien: Keep harassing Ubi for that new M&M game!

<

Don't you find it dangerous?

Letting Ubisoft get their hands on the core series is hardly a wise decision.

jeff · Unread postby **jeff** » 12 Apr 2011, 00:04

XEL II wrote:>Julien: Keep harassing Ubi for that new M&M game! <

Don't you find it dangerous? Letting Ubisoft get their hands on the core series is hardly a wise decision.

They already have their hands on it; we are just not happy with what they are doing with it.

CloudRiderX · Unread postby **CloudRiderX** » 12 Apr 2011, 01:32

Well, its not directly Ubi's fault. Ubi bought the rights to the series and handed the torch down to Nival, who produced Heroes V in all of its campy glory.

We alerted them to the fact that H5 could have been a lot better, so they put Black Hole entertainment in charge for Heroes VI. At the very least, they have been listening.

Ryder · Unread postby **Ryder** » 12 Apr 2011, 02:09

Ofcourse it's Ubi's fault, they are the ones that hired Nival and Black Hole.

It doesnt take a genius to figure out that Katauri Interactive should be handed the rights.

XEL II · Unread postby **XEL II** » 12 Apr 2011, 06:26

>It doesnt take a genius to figure out that Katauri Interactive should be handed the rights.<

No, thank you. Please, spare us Ktauri having rights for MM. KB - fine, after all, the remake itself was rather good game, but no need for them bringing heir campy humor ("Bill Gilbert" as protagonist's name and other BS like that) to Might and Magic. Not to mention that they most likely won't keep old universe just like Ubi.

JVC should get the rights back. He created Might and Magic basicalle single-handedly and headed its production since then, expanding the series and creating perfectly good sci-fi universe (with fantasy flavour style) and storyline, as well as one of the greates RPG series (with TBS and other sub-series). He deserves to be lead designer once again more than anyone else, especially considering that he had a very minor role in the creation of HoMM IV and practically not being involved with MM IX and Chronicles.

Kalah · Unread postby **Kalah** » 12 Apr 2011, 09:01

I wonder what you guys would say if Katauri (or JVC for that matter) were handed the job of making H7. "Oh, no, they'll make a complete hash of it too" is close to my list of guesses.

We're never quite happy, are we.

Shoaura · Unread postby **Shoaura** » 12 Apr 2011, 09:22

>I wonder what you guys would say if Katauri (or JVC for that matter) were handed the job of making H7. "Oh, no, they'll make a complete hash of it too" is close to my list of guesses.

<

I would tend to disagree with you, Kalah. I would imagine the comments, especially with JVC, would be not so much glowing as celebratory. I think the comments along what you're thinking may come after any gameplay or beta releases
Edited on Tue, Apr 12 2011, 05:26 by Shoaura

Kalah · Unread postby **Kalah** » 12 Apr 2011, 10:35

Well, I could be wrong, but it seems to me that there's a mass of complaints no matter what happens. I guess the ones who are happy with things don't make as much noise.

Dalai · Unread postby **Dalai** » 12 Apr 2011, 13:21

Kalah wrote:I wonder what you guys would say if Katauri (or JVC for that matter) were handed the job of making H7. "Oh, no, they'll make a complete hash of it too" is close to my list of guesses.

We're never quite happy, are we.

Katauri chose to be not like heroes. They could imitate any aspect of the game (they are active heroes fans and know HoMM games very well) and they made their decisions. They made adventure, not strategy, and that defined their choices. All of those choices were conscious and well thought.

Now Blackhole makes their own choices, and they (for some completely strange and inexplicable reason) chose to imitate Katauri's work, at least in some parts. I am pretty sure that if Katauri made H7, they would make other choices. And they would not use the same ideas Blackhole is "borrowing" from them (skilltree, mainly).

If it was JVC, I think, most fans here would hold their breath and just wait for a miracle. Personally I think that Phoenix-from-H5-to-be is still unsurpassed, after all those years passed, money spent and technology developed. At least the game that JVC would deliver would rest upon the legacy of HoMM, and be real, not fake imitations hovering over a AAA-brand. Even though it would be based on H3, not H4, as I personally would prefer.

Vitirr · Unread postby **Vitirr** » 12 Apr 2011, 14:06

Black Hole imitating Katauri? In what?

You say skill tree is Katauri's invention? LOL and LOL again.

Frankly I don't see any imitation in H6 development (at least from katauri's King's Bounty), and actually it wouldn't be so bad to borrow some good ideas from that great game. I'm quite confident H6 will have his own pluses though.

The Heroes Round Table