Heroes 3 creature editing

The old Heroes games developed by New World Computing. Please specify which game you are referring to in your post.
mr.hackcrag
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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 16 Jul 2006, 16:30

BB, your avatar is the same portrait as the hero I'm currently using in the map I'm playing. Hopefully he won't let me down in combat. He has pretty good stats right now. Plus his mystical sparkly void is so spooky, how can he fail?

Ya5Miel, If you'd like, I could type up a much more organized and concise version of everything I've suggested so far. I'll skip the long the explanations and just have simple list for easy referance. I could even send it to you as text format so you don't have to keep checking the thread. If you want me to do this, let me know.

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difool
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Unread postby difool » 16 Jul 2006, 17:24

I hope other people are interested in this (and not just the handful which
have posted in this thread); it represents a pretty significant set of changes.
My thoughts:

I agree with hackcrag that damage spells are too powerful in the early game.
But even with that +7 bonus they may still be weak in the endgame, so I
think we have hit a fundamental limit in the game system which cannot be
modded beyond this pont.

Overall I approve of most of the changes-certainly some of the more obvious
imbalances have been remedied, and that is for the good. I like how
Inferno is now a very dangerous spell, for ex. But...

Prayer +6 all around at expert? Balanced more or less tho for its new level (5) I guess.
How is Loynis affected now-do his Halberdiers get +9 all around?

You realize that Disrupting Ray is cumulative, right? I can then pork the
defense of an Azure Dragon down to 2 in 4 turns, since DR is now level 4
which makes the Azures very vulnerable. That's pretty powerful.

I am of two minds about Hypnotise. It is certainly one of the weaker
spells, mainly useful as a poor man's Blind when resurrecting lost troops.
Make it too powerful tho and it can easily swing a battle around by grabbing
control of a good enemy stack, so I'm not sure if it is worth it to pump it
up to say 100* or so. It's the same issue with direct damage spells.

I concur that the luck/morale spells should all be +/- 3.

One last consideration: the AI. The AI skill choice tree (the guys over at
the other forum have researched this extensively) does NOT put a priority
on choosing spell schools. I'm afraid that map makers will have to
compensate by giving starting AI heroes 2-4 schools at start, or the AI
will be at even more of a disadvantage than before. That and the poor
pathetic idiots rarely recharge their spell points (so oodles of Magic Wells
will be necessary too).

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Unread postby ByteBandit » 16 Jul 2006, 18:57

difool wrote:I hope other people are interested in this (and not just the handful which
have posted in this thread); it represents a pretty significant set of changes.
People other than those posting on this thread seem to be using the trait files more and more as a simpler alternative to, say, WoG. I'm seeing more and more maps for regular Heroes 3 using these files now. :-)
I like seeing different variationss of H3 and I'm all for it. Keeps the game fresh and alive.

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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 16 Jul 2006, 19:06

Finally, someone has posted some feedback here about the spell patch besides me! I thought I was the only one who cared...

-I have to disagree with you about the +7 mainly because you have three big things that you have to compare it to:

The first is the original fixed damage that spells recieved prior to the patch. If you crunched the numbers using my +1, +2, +3 formula (and restoring original damage of spells that were weakened), you'll find that most of the spells deal a little bit above the original fixed damage rate. The only exceptions I believe are Implosion which does a little bit less,(which is good because I think it's too strong) Armageddon, which does significantly more, (I suggested earlier to move armageddon up to L5) and then all of the spells like death ripple, frost ring, fireball, etc. These spells deal a little below the fixed damage, however, these are also the spells that benefited most from an increase in base damage, so it all balances out really well.

The second thing is that if you want a spell to be more powerful, you have to increase it's base damage, NOT give a larger bonus for skill proficiancy. This will place more emphasis on the hero's SP, as opposed to his skill level which is really easy to master. Personally, I think that the damage levels of all the spells are good as they are. I don't think spells need to be more powerful in the endgame because by the time you get to the end, your magic oriented hero usually has 20 or more SP. Prior to the patch, I could cast an implosian that could deal an excess of 1500 damage and that was actually doubled after I got the orb of silt. My hero was so overpowering, that I could destroy 15-20 gold dragons in one shot. Hero's should influence combat, but this is ridiculous! Although I should mention that when I play maps, I don't usually draw out the length of the game so the map lasts more than 4 or 5 months. I always play on impossible and try to win as fast as possible, so we might have a different idea of how big armies get compared with relative power of spells.

Lastly, you can't make spells so powerful that it trumps might oriented heroes. You need balance between the two. I mentioned earlier of how this can be done if someone could fix the problem if the creature specialty bonus was applied properly. I've been testing for a while, and I've noticed that especially in the early game, might heroes don't stand a chance against magic heroes. I think that the +7 was the biggest problem from an otherwise good patch.

-Loynis's prayer, and for that matter any spell effect specialist will always add a bonus as follows regardless of what level the hero is on:

+3 for level 1&2 units
+2 for level 3&4 units
+1 for level 5&6 units

I don't think +6 is that bad for L5.

-12 is a lot for disrupting ray, but the fact that it's on level 4 makes up for it if you consider that stoneskin can raise the defense of all units by +6 on level 1. If you really feel it should be weakened, maybe -10 or 8 would be better. But then, you might also have to lower it's level.

-Luck and morale spells should also all be on the same level (probably 2) and should cost about the same too.

-I don't even know how hypnotize works because I've never been able to cast it on any unit, so I can't really comment here. Same goes for AI, but my real concern is that in combat they don't choose to cast a spell that's doesn't match their school profinciancy and end up wasting all their magic.

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Ya5MieL
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Unread postby Ya5MieL » 16 Jul 2006, 19:15

OK, im back and im gona redo the whole thing later tonite, but before i start i would need te be clear on what to do (thats why i cant start yet)

i must say that i didnt had much time to test all of these myself so anything anyone can add would be usefull

...alternative main option is basic-double cost, advanced- standard cost, expert- +3SP and/or mass effect....or something else?

about mass spells- add cost or no?...

berserk? it IS the area of fireball now at expert (or at least it should be).
edited its range to 1/7/7hex (was 1/7/19)

prayer overpowered? should it go back to old formula?

rearanging any other spell?

another idea that i might add in same file is to increase chances for all destructive spells to apear in dungeon magic towers by some (maybe15%) percentage.

etc, etc (i know i didnt mention all things)
a list would be great crag, if its no problem..
also, if anone knows about whose registered mark is heroes now and so on so i can put the "legal stuff" in readme too.


all changes should be made clear before i start making a revision since i need like 45 minutes to do it and i want as many things to be as good as they can.

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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 16 Jul 2006, 20:25

I've finished the list. It doesn't include explanations, so if something looks strange to you, you should probably ask me about, or look back to my reasons from previous posts. I've made the list in mostly the same order as I posted them the first time, so should be easier to find if you want to look back. If you want me to send you a text file, let me know.



- I love triple cost system! This is a way to make it more complete so it affects SP and knowledge more equally.
With no skill proficiancy, spells cost triple.
At basic, cost is reduced by 1/4 or 1/3
Advanced, cost reduced by 1/2 or 2/3
Expert, cost is normal.
(I prefer 1/4 and 1/2, but use what you feel is right.)

-Skill proficiancy bonus:
Basic: +1 spell power
Advanced: +2 spell power
Expert: +3 spell power
(Also restore spells that had their base damage reduced to original level.)
(Maybe power boost should also apply to effect spells if it's not too much work for you... unless it already does apply?)

- Make spells cast at mass level cost more. Haven't thought of a formula yet, maybe 50% more, but that might not be enough for low level spells and might be too much for high level. You probably have a better idea. To be honest, I kind of felt most spells should increase cost a bit, especially considering intelligence skill and dwellings like mana vortex and magic spring. It's actually not too hard to get 4x your knowledge this way. But you also have to think about might heroes...

- Hypnotize more powerful

- Move dispel to fire school

- Sorrow, Mirth, Fortune, Misfortune all reduce/raise morale by 3. They should also all be on at least level 2 and cost about the same mana.

- Raise re-animate to level 4

- Move Magic Arrow to fire school and Fireball to air school. Change names of spell respectively.

- Berserk at expert is not the area of effect like fireball. At least not when I cast it.
Give "Berserk" an area of effect like fireball at expert level and move it down to level 4. If you feel that being at level 4 with fireball effect is too strong then maybe you can try raising the cost or something... Sorry I've got no better ideas at the moment. I'll try to think of something...

- Raise "armageddon" up to level 5.

- Change cost of Haste and Slow so they reflect triple cost system formula instead of double.

- Move "Slayer" to level 2, or raise the bonus it gives to attack and leave it on L3.

- Move "Weakness" to level 1

- Move "Shield" to level 2.

- Move "Prot. form Air" and "Prot. from Earth" down to level 1.

-Move "Precision" down to level 1.

- Raise casting cost of "Forgetfulness."

- I don't like the idea of raising chances of destructive spells in dungeon because this isn't homm5 spell system where spells are divided stupidly. You don't have all damage spells in one school, and all effect spells in another school, etc. I like it the way it is now.

- Don't change prayer, I like it how it is for a level 5.

- I mentioned something about imbalance of the number of spells between schools on certain levels. Overall, this actually hasn't been too bad when I've been building mage guilds. I seem to get a good variety of spells, but sometimes I don't. You should probably leave this alone for now and we can always test it in a later version when get a feel of new version.

If you need me to clear up anything, let me know. Good luck!

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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 16 Jul 2006, 21:17

I've beent thinking about it more, and maybe instead of increasing the cost of the spells, you could lower the effect of the intelligence skill to 10%, 20%, 30% at expert. Right now it doubles your knowledge and that is just crazy! What other skill gives you that much power?

EDIT: Maybe also have haste give +4 at advanced and expert and slow 40% at advanced and expert?

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Ya5MieL
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Unread postby Ya5MieL » 16 Jul 2006, 21:37

Unfortunately, skills are not in the same txt file as spells, and im trying to make this as simple as it can go for a start so im dealing only with this file ATM.

Maybe after i do the final version of this particular file i can go to other ones, but i think ill do creatures next...

as for this patch, ive decided to do system that i mentioned above

none- triple cost
basic- double cost
advanced- standard cost
expert- +3SP/mass effect

all spells will have increased damage in formula to make up for lack of SP bonus (or fixed added damage if comparing to original version)

reason why i stoped reducing cost after advanced is because expert gives you enough advantages already, and only level that i didnt liked before was advanced because it didnt give you much of advantage in the original game (xcept being in the way to get expert)

fireball and magic arrow spell animations are too much to be swaped in schools, but some diversity among schools should be there anyway :)

slayer, protections, weakness etc will be changed

original hypnotise formula is 25*SP, i might increase it, still thinking of a number.

Also i need to test percentage based spells in conduction with spell power
(i was thinking on giving fireshield reflection rate of 2% per SP and magic mirror 3% per SP, but i need to test that) (+3 SP bonus from expert would apply if it was made so)

im curently more than 50% over, hope that i havent forgot anything :)

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Unread postby difool » 16 Jul 2006, 21:41

Ya5MieL wrote:OK, im back and im gona redo the whole thing later tonite, but before i start i would need te be clear on what to do (thats why i cant start yet)
Dude this is your mod, do what you want! If you include an easy explanation
as to how we can change things too then include it in the zip so we can try
out our own ideas as well. That said:

In response to HC:

1. Prayer is okay for a 5th level spell, problem is Castle, which has no 5th
level Mage Guild, can't get it without either Loynis or taking another town.
And Castle without Prayer makes no sense. Perhaps leave it at L4 but
with a +5 boost (so that it isn't QUITE as good as Bloodlust/Stoneskin/
Haste).

2. Costs look good, I also concur with the +1/+2/+3 spell power bonus,
since we can't tweak things beyond that. Mass spells prob. should be more
expensive (I think I prefer H3's system to that of H4 in that respect-one
spell instead of 2).

3. I LIKE having a boost in damage for Frost Ring/Fireball/Inferno. I
think with Inferno at x18 it is quite competitive with Meteor Shower (at
x25), considering the larger radius.

4. Berserk, even with reduced radius at Expert, probably still belongs
at Level 5. Not sure what you mean by no area of effect HC...

5. Arma also has to be 5. With the right troop mix it rules.

6. One thing at a time-don't mess with spell chances across towns-that
may introduce other imbalances. Wait on that.

7. Air Shield vs. Forgetfulness. Perhaps at Expert 25% of the enemy will
still shoot? Forgetfulness is hugely effective against neutral shooting
stacks. 5,000 Sharpshooters? :yawn:


And while I'm at it I'd like to see a few Scholar specialists where their
specialty allows trading of 5th level spells, but that's for a future mod.

I'd sure like Fnord, Gaidal, Bytebandit, and some of the other vets chime
in here. Their silence is deafening (or perhaps like many others they have
moved on to newer pastures...).

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Ya5MieL
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Unread postby Ya5MieL » 16 Jul 2006, 21:56

i said ill wait for the opinions simply because i dont have time to test the changes alot myself. :)

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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 16 Jul 2006, 22:21

3. I LIKE having a boost in damage for Frost Ring/Fireball/Inferno. I
think with Inferno at x18 it is quite competitive with Meteor Shower (at
x25), considering the larger radius..[quote]

I like inferno too, especially with the inferno hero who specializes in it. Unfortuately, he doesn't get the specialty boost damage if the inferno targets more than one creature. :mad: This isn't surprising, because there are so many heroes who's specialty doesn't work right. I can't wait for someone to mod this.

4. Berserk, even with reduced radius at Expert, probably still belongs
at Level 5. Not sure what you mean by no area of effect HC....[quote]

I think I meant that it should only target one unit. To be honest, I don't know what to do with this spell. If you put it at level 5, then fire school has to many of L5 spells. At level 4, people say it's too strong. Quite a conundrum!

And while I'm at it I'd like to see a few Scholar specialists where their
specialty allows trading of 5th level spells, but that's for a future mod.[quote]

Yes, as I said before, hero specialists (especially creature specialist) need to be fixed big time.

EDIT: Oops, something went terribly wrong with the quote. ;|

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Ya5MieL
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Unread postby Ya5MieL » 16 Jul 2006, 22:31

A dillema...
what about moving prayer back to 4 and puting uber resurection at 5? :)

BTW, if anyone can think of any good names for the spells that have unchanged names so far, feel free to mention them :)

as for weakness... i think it reduces att for all units, while bloodlust adds only to melee atackers, so its a bit above bloodlust in power. im not sure is it this way tho.

as for creature specialist, i think they work as good as it can get (taking the unnecesarily complicated formula)

1st level specialists get boost on 1st, 11th, 21st, 31st ....etc... level
2st level specialists get boost on 2nd 12th, 22nd, 32nd ....etc.... level
and so on...

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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 16 Jul 2006, 22:39

I just cast bloodlust on a ranged unit, and it's attack did go up in the status window. Seems like the text for the spell is just wrong.

If you raised ressurect to L5, wouldn't you also want to raise re-animate to the same level? It's essentially the same spell, except for the undead. You don't want to clog up L5's though, you only get one of those from your mage guild.

Also, do you plan to keep prayer with the same bonus if you bring it down to L4?

I don't understand what you mean about the specialist. It's supposed to give a bonus to attack and defense for each level that is a multiple of the respective creature the hero specializes in. Problem is it caps at after +2 and then progresses much more slowly. I've documented this extensively in other threads. Spell specialist use the formula:
Hero level/creature level*3.

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Ya5MieL
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Unread postby Ya5MieL » 16 Jul 2006, 22:59

im not sure , i think somone somewhere mentioned that bonus only aplies if unit is doing a melee atack (even ranged units can do that). but i dont have time to test it now heh :)...
i was thinking on reducing prayer to normal one, and boosting resurection power instead (that is basicaly only 1 level 5 water spell if you dont count summon) but as time goes on im closer to leaving both spells on level 4.

Mostly its because castle cant get level 5 and from the file i can c that only castle, tower and conflux have a possibility to get prayer (ATM :) ...

as for specialists. I always thought its the same formula as i mentioned before, that specialists get bonus at creatures level and then every 10th level after but i could be wrong on that.

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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 16 Jul 2006, 23:14

This could be dangerous in terms of balance, but you could always change the % chance to learn a spell from a faction mage guild.

As for creature specialist, if you check page 2 of this thread, half-way down the page you can get a more in deph idea of what I was talking about.

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Ya5MieL
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Unread postby Ya5MieL » 16 Jul 2006, 23:22

Well, all that will have to wait, im done with current versions without any such drastic changes..

Ill leave spell chances for factions and SP dependable magic mirror and fireshield for some other time.

Unless there are any major bugs or flaws i think this version will have to do for now.

Im more interested in making a DISBALANCE creatures patch now :), but im doing it for myself mostly just to have fun, since it will prolly ruin any tactics that are known so far :)

PS. link to revision of spell patch will be in edit of this post in few minutes.
If you notice any major bugs sound the alarm in this thread :)
Last edited by Ya5MieL on 17 Jul 2006, 02:46, edited 1 time in total.

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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 16 Jul 2006, 23:37

Thank you so much for the patch. I really appreciate all your hard work. :) :-D :D ;) Have fun and success with your creature patch!

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Ya5MieL
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Unread postby Ya5MieL » 16 Jul 2006, 23:44

you should re-downlaod a patch, there was one minor bug that i forgot to fix, now its done :)
(sunray effect had error)

have fun ppl.... now of to creature patch :)

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Unread postby difool » 17 Jul 2006, 01:02

One more thing I wanted to mention: if the Fire Shield increase holds true for
Efreet Sultans, then they will be probably THE kick-butt 6th level troop-hand-
to-hand combat with these guys will be very dangerous.

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Ya5MieL
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Unread postby Ya5MieL » 17 Jul 2006, 01:12

LOL, nice observation......never even thought of that fireshield thing... but anyway, even if it is the case, inferno could use a slight boost :), so i doubt it will unbalance the faction.

EDIT:

I checked. efreet sultans are not affected by sptraits.txt file

their fireshield always returns 26,666666666% of atackers damage
(which is about as equal as standard basic fireshield)

CURRENT H3spellpatch version: v1.60
LINK: http://www.geocities.com/yasmiel/H3spellpatchv16.zip


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