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| Thread: Heroes: The Odyssey | |
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ThE_HyDrA
Admirable
Famous Hero
The Leader of all Hydras
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posted October 30, 2001 11:01 AM |
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Heroes: The Odyssey
Heroes of Might and Magic has been an Odyssey…….
………..Have you wondered why Heroes has become so popular, and how the things had been put into place? Well, the team at NWC and 3DO had created these games, and were focusing on the ‘lost’ aspect of the lives that we live today. We do not go around walking our Cerberus in the afternoon; neither to we spot a Unicorn running around in the paddock. The Heroes series combine these aspects of life and fantasy, together with battling and strategy. This has made the game very appealing and has given so much depth to the game.
Heroes of Might and Magic 1, 2 and 3 have all been excellent games. Heroes 1 started with 2-D graphics and 4 castles. The Warlock, which specialised in battling with powerful and fierce creatures, which were almost unstoppable in battle, and where the Dragons ruled the battlefield. (With the Hydras in backup of course.) The Knight castle, which consisted of troops which were solely human, and considerably weaker than other units. Although, if you wanted a challenge, this castle would suit you well. The barbaric Barbarian which were the tamers of wild creatures such as goblins and ogres, which were high in Hit Points, but faltered with speed and HP in the endgame. Finally the Sorceress, which possessed very classic, mythical creatures such as Phoenixes, Unicorns, and Dwarfs. They were a favourite.
This game used to be top of the range back in the days in the early 1990’s. It was Strategy game of the year and it also sold many copies worldwide. But really, King's Bounty started the Odyssey with the introduction of fighting with armies and heroes, which gave the aspect of fantasy. Also controlling armies and building up your castle with many fantastic devices, with you’re hero getting to choose them at your discretion. But the main thing that interested viewers was the way you could manoeuvre the creatures with such ease and enjoyment, at this early time in gameplay, where you were used to jumping around with Mario and his pals. You were able to move them around the battlefield, which you were not able to do with Mario, not only because of the type of game, but also because of the type of technology available to interact so intensely with you characters and creatures. You were able to cast spells to defend your army. Meanwhile another hero was scavenging for lost relics and artifacts which would in turn boost your morale or battle skills.
Then, Heroes 2 was created with the help of New World Computing and 3DO. It boasted 2 new castles. The Wizard and the Necromancer. The Necromancer, or Necropolis as it is now known has become one of the players favourite towns. It consisted of undead creatures, such as the vampire, probably the most famous, notable liches and Bone Dragons graced the battlefield for the first time.The Wizards, which were very interested in the pursuit of mystical knowledge, contained very powerful creatures, such as Titans and mages, which were the 1st and 3rd best ranged attackers in the game. Titans also challenged dragons for endgame power. The creatures got an upgrade, they now had more HP and nearly all were fitted with special abilities, which made the game that little bit more interesting. The heroes also undertook some changes. The spells, which they learnt had been more organised and easier to use. Heroes also pumped their fists into the air when their creatures won. Also another thing that was fitted in was ‘eye candy’ a way of making the game more interesting.
Heroes 3, was not quite what people expected it to be. Everything was smaller in proportion, and made the game feel a bit funny if you had played Heroes of Might and Magic 2 for the past 3 years. Although the graphics were very good, and the battle screen was enlarged considerably. It also boasted many new creatures. Heroes 3 also included 8 towns which were mostly different named variants of the ones in Heroes of Might and Magic 2,such as Necropolis (Necromancer). Heroes of Might and Magic 3 also boasted 120 creatures Many from Heroes of Might and Magic 2 had returned, such as the Black Dragon andTitan. Each and every creature had an upgrade, which were mostly name variants too. They also included an adventure dwelling. It had many new features, such as the spells
They were more organised and set out, and they had been placed into groups named fire, earth, air and water. There were also more interactive things and places on the adventure map, which increased playability.
And now, Heroes IV is around the corner. Will it return with the same punch and unique mystique it had before? Will it bring out the true strategy aspect. We at Heroes Community often worry about the factual side of Heroes IV. That is all well and good, but what do you actually feel when you are playing the game? The playability and the context and setting of the game. There are many small details we only notice when we are playing the game in full, with no interruptions or worries. The music in Heroes 2. Many people would agree that it is the best music that has ever been chosen for a HoMM game. Will Heroes 4 possess similar music?
Heroes of Might and Magic has also brought out the best-and the worst in gameplaying. Heroes IV proves to be very complex, and in-depth styling will certainly help it. But will Heroes IV have the same impact on us as the other Heroes games have? This was the reason Valeriy decided to start up Heroes Community. It had a great impact. The inevitable release of Heroes IV has been to create a forum about it. Please, give us your opinion, on this topic, or ho we could change a few things to make Heroes IV more interesting than it proves to be so far.
BTW: Please do not reply saying: ‘I don’t have an idea because it is too early to make a judgment, or it is not out yet.’ If you are planning to say that, please keep it to yourself
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"Dragons may breathe fire, but Hydras have many heads." - The Creed of Hydras
"As the Dragon drew its breath, the Hydra pounced, swiftly but powerfully, and the Dragon was defeated.”
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Jenova
Famous Hero
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posted October 30, 2001 03:41 PM |
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I didn't really feel HOMM3 was a big step up over HOMM2. All they really did was add some new units and revise some stats. It didn't really feel all that innovative, with very few rule changes. HOMM4 will need to be a step above HOMM3 if it wants a big impact. And it seems like it will be by addressing issues in previous HOMMs and making big changes to the way it plays. Will the changes be for better? I don't know, but I hope so. They seem to be encouraging longer games, which is one thing I don't like. The visual flare is definately a big leap over the IMO uninspired looking HOMM3, which adds to the feel of the game. The heroes look very distinct and detailed (I especially like the blonde mage girl).
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StormWarning
Promising
Famous Hero
Archmage of Thunder
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posted October 30, 2001 10:08 PM |
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The thing I'm most looking forward to about HoMM 4 is that it will be a completely new game. I never played 1, but 2 and 3 are essentially the same game; 3 just has more of everything, but the same type of strategy works, nothing really changed much. 4 is going to throw most of that out the window - spellcasters will be much more unique since they have to have a skill to cast any spell of a school, skills have been completely rearranged, heroes can fight, multi-hero or no-hero armies, town-based magic system (in H3 there's little, if any, difference between a Warlock who takes over a Tower and a Wizard who takes over a Dungeon), and the fog of war. All of those changes will make this game much more different from H3 than H3 was from H2.
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The calm before the storm is about to end.
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UnkaHaakon
Responsible
Famous Hero
happily tilting at windmills
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posted October 31, 2001 12:10 PM |
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Offtopic: Bonus Applied
This is one of those rare times when all I'll say is 'Nice Post'. 
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Sha_Men
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Jack-Of-No-Trades
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posted October 31, 2001 12:18 PM |
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Very good post indeed by Hydra...here are my thoughts:
I don’t have an idea because it is too early to make a judgment, or it is not out yet.
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Catch the vigorous horse of your mind.
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ThE_HyDrA
Admirable
Famous Hero
The Leader of all Hydras
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posted November 01, 2001 07:27 AM |
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LOL, Sha_Men.
Firstly, I'd like to thank Unka_Haakon for the Credits and QP. I believe you are maintining this forum excpetionally.
I really do not believe it is too early. By the telling of the information we do know about Heroes Of Might and Magic IV, we can see that the graphics have been enhanced greatly. The is due to the hard work put in by the people at 3DO.
But when i was comparing when i was looking at Heroes 3 previews to Heroes 4 previews, i noticed some changes.
1. The Heroes 3 landscape did not include many new features: i.e. bridges, or pits, or any obstacles that could have been included.
Where as, Heroes of Might and Magic 4 does. You may cross over lakes or find yourself face to face with a desolate beast. The proportions were also different. The castles appearance on the adventure map has been made to look like a real castle, since in the previous series, the Hero was about 1/3 the size of the castle. I really like this step, since it looks more life like, and if i',m not mistaken, you can also walki inside the outer walls of the castle.
2. The creatures, they had not included the range of creatures I would have excepted. Instead, they filled up the gaps with upgrades for every creature, which I thought was a good idea at the time. But as time and hours of heroes playing went by, i realised it was another way to make you play the game longer, and use more money. Although than can be useful sometimes. In Heroes IV, i have been really impressed by the number of creatures. Even though it has 66 to about 120, if you include the upgrades, it will equal to about 60, which is less than that of Heroes IV.
3. The Battlefield in Heroes 3 looked slightly bigger than the one in Heroes 2. But that is it. It still had the same obstacles and priciples that Heroes 2 possessed. In my opinion, more obstacles and other hinderances in battle would have made it better, and more demanding, too. In Heroes IV, the case is quite different. It now includes an isometric perspective, which makes you see equally and more cleary where your creatures AND heroes are moving. There are also more obstacles and you also see how much damage and how many stacks are defeated after the effect of the attack. Although, the major thing is that Heroes may now fight and take part in hand to hand combat. This gives Heroes 4 more depth and playability, since heroes now need the equiptment to fight in battle well.
Any other thoughts?
Moderator's note:This topic has been closed, as it refers to an older version of the game. To discuss Heroes 3, please go to Library Of Enlightenment, to discuss Heroes 4, please go to War Room Of Axeoth.
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"Dragons may breathe fire, but Hydras have many heads." - The Creed of Hydras
"As the Dragon drew its breath, the Hydra pounced, swiftly but powerfully, and the Dragon was defeated.”
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