Staff reduction at Nival

[jeff]

And that is different from now?????

It's different from the 3DO days in that there is no risk of a bankrupcy delaying the next game by two years...

What I was referring to was the fact UBI was in charge in both cases.

[ByteBandit]

For those of us who were around for the 3DO debacle after the release of H4, this is somewhat of a surprise by Nival to announce something like this. We were hoping that the Heroes franchise would be in somewhat safer hands than the previous owner had them in. But then again, maybe we should'nt of thought this. Do I think the franchse is in trouble? I agree with arturchix and say no. Nival may rebound and get back on track with the Heroes games once again. A layoff here and there does'nt necessarily mean the end of a franchise, but what we went through several years ago with 3DO, it definitely rattles our cages.

[HodgePodge]

Those who haven't noticed, this is what FC wrote at Ubisoft forums on this matter:

Blah, blah, blah …

Fabrice has danced around the truth so often since the conception of Heroes 5 that I wonder if he isn't quite dizzy. He's the mouthpiece for UbiSoft and says whatever they pay him to say! While I'm sure TotE will be released, I hold out no hope that it'll be any better than whatever else Nival has developed.

[Elvin]

Maybe but I must ask. Apart from the allegedly monthly patching(which was a general plan anyway) where have you seen him be wrong about something?

[MistWeaver]

For those of us who were around for the 3DO debacle after the release of H4, this is somewhat of a surprise by Nival to announce something like this. We were hoping that the Heroes franchise would be in somewhat safer hands than the previous owner had them in. But then again, maybe we should'nt of thought this. Do I think the franchse is in trouble? I agree with arturchix and say no. Nival may rebound and get back on track with the Heroes games once again. A layoff here and there does'nt necessarily mean the end of a franchise, but what we went through several years ago with 3DO, it definitely rattles our cages.

Now recall that it is UBI who is the owner of franchise. And Nival is just the dev company that was hired to do the job with H5+addons.

And for gods sake, ppl, make it out already. Neither H4 nor H5 are cause of troubles in 3DO / Nival

[ywhtptgtfo]

Not very jolly at all, JJ.

How about you guys start thinking for a change?

If Heroes 5 was successful - so successful at least, that Heroes 6 would be a at least CONSIDERED a) to be made and b) by them - why would they go a) bankrupt or b) out of business?

If on the other hand Heroes 5 was NOT successful (assuming it), there would very probably no Heroes 6 anyway, whether with or without Nival, right?

[jeff]

Now recall that it is UBI who is the owner of franchise. And Nival is just the dev company that was hired to do the job with H5+addons.

And for gods sake, ppl, make it out already. Neither H4 nor H5 are cause of troubles in 3DO / Nival

Agreed, Nivals troubles could well be tied to other projects and perhaps expanding their company to quicky (remember Nival US) put them into a cashflow problem they are still trying to recover from. Though I am not a big UBI fan, from all indications they are still financially sound. So from that standpoint H-VI may be delayed but not dead by any means.

[Corribus]

You guys read too much into things.

[HodgePodge]

Maybe but I must ask. Apart from the allegedly monthly patching(which was a general plan anyway) where have you seen him be wrong about something?

Hah! I remember before Heroes 5 was released, FC claimed that "the plot would be much darker and mature, we would be crying for more". What he really meant to say was "the plot will be so insipid, the voice overs so hideous & the characters so dull, you'll be crying that you gave UbiSoft your money in the first place".

[Pol]

"the plot would be much darker and mature, we would be crying for more"

That to the original plans, but it was rewritten manytimes I bet and some part of plots thwarted. But FC cannot expect all that. Fact that it doesn't developed enough is not his mistake. I'm pretty sure. - He just stated what it could be, well reality differ, that's how's going.

[King Imp]

That Kings' Bounty spell book is a mess. I like H5 spellbook. People should just get over this, it's only games... In fact I am going to play H5 right away. Now.

Seriously, I think some people will just defend Nival to the death no matter what crap they give them. I'm sorry, but I cannot see how anyone with two good, working eyes can look at both spellbooks at say that KB's is a mess and H5's is better. Heroes 5's spellbook looks like it was made by a child.

Oh, and how about that after we have repeatedly told them from back in the testing phase that the spells need to be put in order (by level) and they still have not done it.

[Akul]

To KI:

And some people will attack Nival no matter what they do.



Ah yes, and the KB spellbook sucks. The rest of KB looks good, but spellbook... no way.

[MistWeaver]

>And some people will attack Nival no matter what they do.

Well, Nival should make something good, so we could check this.

[King Imp]

Ah yes, and the KB spellbook sucks. The rest of KB looks good, but spellbook... no way.

I'm not looking to turn this into an argument, but I would like to hear the reasoning.

Why do you say KB's is bad and H5's is good?

[Cleanpea]

H5 spellbook is simple, and easy to use, with the large graphics. I have never tried KB's spellbook, but is NOT simple! it's A LOT of text, small graphics for spell icons, and it has distracting "artistically" drawings. I think it is a mess to look at.

H5 book drawn by a child? Do you really think so?

[King Imp]

H5 book drawn by a child? Do you really think so?

Yes, I do think so. KB's looks like an actual artist drew it with how detailed and defined it is and H5's looks like they sat a child down with crayons and told him to have fun.

My main beef isn't the artwork though. It's the fact that there is no reason for the icons to be so big where they only fit 3 on a page as opposed to KB's 6 per page. I get sick and tired of having to flip through 10 pages constantly just to find a spell at the end. Children's books are made with big pictures and text because it's easier for them and that is exactly what H5's book reminds me of.

And of course there is the organization logic when it comes to putting them in order. What organization logic do I mean? Exactly, because Nival still doesn't get how to make that work. Had no problem with it working in H3 and H4. Glad to see things going backwards.

[Akul]

Well, Nival should make something good, so we could check this.



H5 is a good game by all standards.

The lore and story are good enough (seen much worse things).

Factions in H5 feel differently, unlike H3 where the only difference were the creatures.

Spell system.

...



Why do you say KB's is bad and H5's is good?

H5 one is ugly and KB one doesn't look like a spellbook. It looks like a book into which you put some pictures with help on MS Paint.

True, the icons are better in KB, but that doesn't help it.



And of course there is the organization logic when it comes to putting them in order.



Organization wasn't the strongest element in any HOMM game.



Had no problem with it working in H3 and H4.



And I had less problems working with H5 spellbook then with H4 one.

[jeff]

I don't disagree with you often but:

H5 is a good game

Yes

by all standards.

No, just a few reasons too much micromanagement of resources, bugs still being corrected, and most of all a editor that is very user unfriendly.

Had no problem with it working in H3 and H4. And I had less problems working with H5 spellbook then with H4 one.

How can you say that H-IV had the spells arranged by school and level, H-V was not an improvement and at best equal to H-IV, and that's stretching it.

But to get back on the topic, Corribus is right it is too easy to read far too much in this news. It easily could be an economy move while H-VI goes through concept developement, when a lot of programmers are just dead weight, oh wait H-V patches and a fixed editor. Oh nevermind!

[Elvin]

Well Fabrice's reply could be an excuse for all I know but what he posts is reasonable and always makes sense. By now ToE should be almost finished with some testing and proofreading to be done. In any case there are many reasons why you do not want some personnel and it's hard to guess from the outside. Not that I did not notice some other news about Nival recently but nothing is set in stone.

[jeff]

proofreading to be done.

Now that is news, I never saw much evidence of that in the past.