Heroes of Might and Magic 5

[snoopy369]

Well, it could have been HOMM IV with 3D graphics...

[vmxa1]

I have about the same rig, but with an X700. Will an 700 do anything more than a 600? It is with 256mb, iirc.

[Standup]

Should do a bit more or at least you should get less stutter when there;s a lot on the screen. I was running it at 1068x768, detail high (2nd highest setting) but with AA and Ansio off and it was very playable most of the time.

[Grumbold]

Anyone played enough to tell what the AI is like? Is it capable of attacking when strong and going on the defensive or manoeuvering when weak?

[Standup]

Not really enough in the demo scenarios to tell. One is a capture the city objective and the AI just continued to throw units at it which seemed a sound enough strategy. The second scenario is a case of run around avoiding the much bigger stacks so again not a great deal of AI needed.

There did seem to be a lot of reliance on triggers which could be frustrating if you don't do things in the right order or move to the wrong square and manage to avoid the triggers.

Still it's in my Amazon shopping basket so i'll probably buy it sooner rather than later.

[Standup]

Given in to temptation and bought a 6600GT and the collectors edition of HOMM5. Why did i do that ?

I don't even know what's in the Collector's edition.

Still at least I can play the demo with everything switched on and at high.

Champ Manager looks pretty good as well

[dunk]

The review sounds as if there is nothing at all different from HOMM4 other than the 3D graphics.

So, meh.

[dunk]

Originally posted by Standup
I don't even know what's in the Collector's edition.

Probably a tin and a paper slip saying "Thank you for buying the Collector's Edition".

[DrSpike]

And then a " - Chump "

[Standup]

It has (apart from the thank you note of course)... 3 additional scenarios, extra artifact, a map, booklet on artwork and another booklet with all the units (but not their special abilities) and a CD of HOMM2.

Only played for a few hours but so far...the manual is very poor. Explains the game but nowhere does it list what the special abilities are, skills and their effect, spells, creatures etc. There is an in game help but that's limited because you have to own a building to find out info on the unit. Also I may be able to left click on peasants for info but it then tells me they have the taxpayer skill but not what that does. Most of them you can guess but that's mainly because i've played earlier versions.

Ah yes earlier versions. This is very much HOMM3 but with ninja system requirements. The gameplay is virtually identical. Most of the changes are cosmetic - new creatures, towns and a few new skills. The morale and initiative strip for combat is pretty good though.

So far no major bugs. From reading the forums much of the campaign is unbalanced and Nival have said the first patch will address this along with balance for the factions. The 3D is very pretty but ultimately doesn't add anything other than allowing you to miss objects.

The AI seems to be compensated for by giving the CPU huge numbers of troops (so nothing new there). My main issue is with the game as a whole and that it reaches a point where tactics are often not needed. For many battles you often have enough troops or don't and you can't change that with smart thinking. One of the things i liked about Age of Wonders 2 was that a stack of level one units in a castle could do some serious damage to bigger units. There was less of the stack of doom strategy.

Is it worth it (ignoring fools with too much money who buy the collectors edition) ? Well it's HOMM so on the whole yes but don't expect anything radical.

[DarkCloud]

So... Are there any map editing or scenraio editing programs for the game?

[:) Smiley]

I've mentioned this before elsewhere, so pardon if I repeat.

Strategy games are of a scope for which it is not possible to portray everything purely in realistic 3D. For instance, if Civ tried to be as graphically realistic as possible, it'd be like Google Earth, where 99% of what you see are land formations. As a result, even 3D strategy games use a lot of abstraction and make things out of scale.

Instead, the iconic approach works far better, which offers more aesthetic consistency and easier recognition of units and other information. A good model to work from would be medieval tapestries or Asian landscape painting, where every object across a wide landscape is portrayed in equal detail via abstraction and iconization.

[DarkCloud]

Indeed Smiley, I agree with you, however, it seems that 3d is what we have to deal with. Although the presentation can never look as presentable as HoMM III and it's isometeric 2d- 2d apparently has been determined as unsellable.

I guess you and I are just old dinosaurs who prefer 2d for games like Civ and HoMM... I never really see what people see in 3d RTSes and TBSes... I've never purchased a 3d game in either genre...

Although I will admit, HoMM V seems tempting- if the gameplay is solid I think I'll suffer through the really terrible visuals.

[fed1943]

Sorry, but still unsure if this can be one of "my"good games.
"My good games": deep strategy, a bright idea behind (chess,civ,caesar3) no spoiler shortcut tricks (no sure wining way, think magic the gathering) no need to graduate in engeniery to touch the keyboard/mouse bouttons.
Better sound or images? Never hurts, but don't make a game, much less a good one. (And I shall look at the back of my monitor to check that 3D thing).
No,I am not an old dinosaur, I just guess crossed my way with some of them when they were little kids.
Please, can you kindly tell me of some of "my" good games, for me to buy?
Best regards,

[Standup]

Are there any map editing or scenraio editing programs for the game?

No although this has been promised as a patch/download from the developers. I wonder though if it will end up in the inevitable expansion pack.