The Damage is Already Done

[Kenshinzen]

I'll buy it when comes out... I think!

[Panda Tar]

Oh, welcome to the RT forums, Kenshinzen.

[Panda Tar]

And, Jesus, what have they done with Necropolis town-screen? I don't know even what to think of it, it's as if their new concept just placed my critical self into Limbo nucleus.

[mr.hackcrag]

Necropolis design is just awful all around since Ubisoft took control. Haven and Necro are the most urgently in need of a total redesign and both got a ton of delicious copy pasta.

P.S. What ever happened to "using less green"?

[Panda Tar]

Even more ominous with your question is that we saw that units had a strange purple kind of glow and colors. Then they launch a Spideropolis full of green lights.

It's almost unbelievable. I actually had a problem with my humor control and I cannot stop having fits and random giggles after seeing that. The thing broke me!

LOOOOL, the best comment ever that describes precisely how Necropolis Town Screen looks like:

looks like someone squished a crab with a brick then started decorating.

Brilliant.

[BlackDragonSlayer]

And, Jesus, what have they done with Necropolis town-screen? I don't know even what to think of it, it's as if their new concept just placed my critical self into Limbo nucleus.

Is... is that a building... with spider legs coming out of it...? Excuse me while I go do something terrible and nondescript.

However... I think it would actually be a fair town-screen if you got rid of the legs (how does that even make sense architecturally?) and the mess of green glowing stuff (bar the glowing stuff in the moat- that looks like it's good to deter invaders- and maybe the glowing statue). It's a bit cluttered either way, but the shape of the pyramid-castle-thing is promising, and could be a solid base for a good design. The background creates a spooky mood, though, what with the lightning and the mountains.

[Panda Tar]

The background creates a spooky mood, though, what with the lightning and the mountains.

Actually, what with the copy and paste stuff. You saw the other town screens? they seem to be following the same logic as they created town screens in H4, all on the same form, same position, same landscape. All towns are looking like they are big camps, not towns or kingdoms.

Anyway, those are works in progress.

[BlackDragonSlayer]

The background creates a spooky mood, though, what with the lightning and the mountains.

Actually, what with the copy and paste stuff. You saw the other town screens? they seem to be following the same logic as they created town screens in H4, all on the same form, same position, same landscape. All towns are looking like they are big camps, not towns or kingdoms.

Anyway, those are works in progress.

Hm, yeah... why do the people of Ashan have such an obsession with settling near pits? I wonder how many people die each year falling into these pits on their way to work? Then again, as you said, these don't really look like actual functional settlements.

[mr.hackcrag]

Is that a vampire house on top of the crab shaped leg above a canyon...

[Panda Tar]

Who knows? A place that only fliers or crawlers can get there. Talk about accessibility issues.

[Kenshinzen]

Different from H5 necro town sceen but I like the spiderlike view. Still I'm a sylvan follower and don't care much about anything else.

[Yurian Stonebow]

While I don't think (hope) that The Damage's Been Done Already, a lot of what the original poster said is echoed in my thoughts. I won't go into detail here but as I'm no longer a young man nor a newcomer to the series, Ubisoft's strategy of showing pretty graphics ruling over weak gameplay just fails on me. They can try their best to sell us a shiny looking "apple" with full price if it pleases them but I shall certainly not be preordering the thing as I have my reasons to suspect that there's a "worm" hiding under the pretty surface. At the moment I'm considering the option whether or not to buy the game the day it hits the local game store shelves.


-Yurian

[mr.hackcrag]

Compared to other games out there, the graphics aren't that impressive though.

[BB Shockwave]

It might sound petty, but as long as they stick to A: stupid squary-based battlefield instead of hexes and B: don't drop the Asha storyline that I think no-one is interested in, and return to Erathia or Enroth.. I am not caring about anything.

Heck, they just posted about combat tactics and they are listing the return to the old turn system instead of intiative as a hard decision, when they already did this for VI. And they also incorporated flanking (probably stolen from AOWIII), something I already bet will totally unbalance the game

And, Jesus, what have they done with Necropolis town-screen? I don't know even what to think of it, it's as if their new concept just placed my critical self into Limbo nucleus.

Heh, you saw their latest post? They are indignantly posting about how they will grudgingly rework the lich and vampire models but how "that'll take up precious time and grumble-grumble, money costs, be glad what you are getting",,, as if we should be GLAD that they decided not to simply reuse two HOMMVI models.

[mr.hackcrag]

I think the online heroes game also had flanking, but the point stands that the combat system is outdated and in need of a makeover. When comparing sequels of modern rpg games and their previous versions released 10 years ago, there's been a lot of creative successes in revamping how battles play out. Never for HoMM though and I often feel like we're getting shafted hard.

[parcaleste]

^ Yes, I love the King's Bounty one, esp. in the part where one of your creature's "turns" is the one with which it hits it's target. And even the part in which it can wait in mid turn to lure the enemy creature few hexes in, so to hit it with it's point or two movement left. I think even Disciples 3 used familiar system. And that game had the thing with the Interception ability, which was also pretty cool.

[Panda Tar]

Heh, you saw their latest post? They are indignantly posting about how they will grudgingly rework the lich and vampire models but how "that'll take up precious time and grumble-grumble, money costs, be glad what you are getting",,, as if we should be GLAD that they decided not to simply reuse two HOMMVI models.

Yeah, I have been watching the council often and venting my displeasure as well, actually.

Then, yesterday's article they simply stated what we already presumed: they are working on the game. "Oh, really?" Anyway, the 'news' did disappointed me the most because they said it was still too early to venture explaining or talking about anything hero development and mechanics. I asked myself: Too EARLY?! I mean, they are about to have Alpha game available to play a map, how will they play without any mechanical or sketch or prototype of it and worst, not even sharing with the council what they are creating? Will they leave to the last minute, see all the raging explode only to say that's now it's too LATE to do anything and that they don't have the budget? Truly, I think they are shooting their own feet right now.

[Galaad]

Hello,
I am going to the MMH7 Fan Day Event at the end of the week with a few others and would be interested into gathering questions regarding interviews towards Erwan le Breton.

[Kalah]

That's great.

I have some simple yes/no questions for you:

1. Can he confirm that H7 will be released with an RMG?
2. Will the Collector's Edition be available in the US?
3. Will Mulitplayer have sim turns?

[Galaad]

Thanks for quick reply.
Game content and user support related questions of course are ready at that time (you can find the list and feedback it on hc). They already said in the past about rmg and sim turns they didn't know but community is doing some pressure.

I did not choose this thread by accident, maybe some people have some franchise legacy problems related questions they'd like to ask in here?