Heroes of Might and Magic III: In the Wake of the Gods

Here there be dragons!

My brother-in-law mentioned that they apparently was doing a board game of Heroes of Might and Magic III, and as I wrote before, I like that game. So I got a craving to play it again as I put in some cash to get the whole package when it releases in October 2023 (all 11 kilos of it). Couldn't get the old workarounds to boot the game so I had to check around a bit. My MacBook is now so old that they don't support it with updates anymore and I was on the verge to look into getting a new one (and have to choose if I'm getting a PC or Mac and what kind and so on), but I was able to crack it open. First I had to get a Heroes III Complete version from Gog.com. Then get a program called Osu (that they also have discontinued for this computer). And a side program to just update the version to allow it to run. Then pick the files from that installation within the wineskin and then use another program called VCMI to actually be able to run it. And it run fantastic as well with modded content. Some monster have changed appearance and others are new, different heroes appear, you know have a commander unit that levels up with the hero, there's a threat indicator for monsters on the map so that you can gauge if you stand a chance and I think they also added a quick way to see combiner artefacts so you know which to put together. And a lot of new maps.

So I played around a bit and satisfied my cravings for the game. It's been a while as well and this time the computer doesn't sound like it's powering a car while trying to get the game running. Small hassle is that I don't seem to be able to get sound to the intro or voices to the cutscenes (at least for Shadow of Death). But at least all campaigns are open without need to play through them all (some are really tiresome).

Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade

So... who are these people?

Dear god, this expansion is hard. I mean really hard. I started the Gelu campaign and god, it's brutal. Limited resources and an relentless AI just keeps attacking. Like 3-4 weeks and it's game over... again and again. And Gelu is one of the overpowered heroes that in Shadow of Darkness dominated every battle. Here he needs his skill just to fight of a low ranked villain. Never enough gold or resources. At least it forced me to actually use tactics and learn what I need to win the campaign, but after 10 losses I just gave up, "nwctrinity" it was and an army of angels to bash the kreegans back to hell. That strategy worked until I played the Dragon slayer campaign when suddenly there is over 3000 Naga Queens in front of every tent or block your path. So it was F that and "nwcredpill" to run through all the stages. I know I suck at games, but who could manage those insane levels without spending months to learn the stages and do these, often within limited amount of time? I have no patience for that and the computer sounds like it can't take much more with the configurations to just get it running. Damn, I mean, even cheating is a chore. Almost every enemy goes to combat screen even when I'm having 700 Archangels. It's like the campaigns are designed to be tedious.

As the dragon slayer contemplated the emptiness he felt and wonder if it was really worth it, I wonder... was this an anti-cheating campaign?

There isn't any universal story, instead it follows different heroes after the restoration war (in most cases). You have Queen Catherine and King Roland together with the Ranger Captain Gelu trying to stop the half-demon Xerxon from completing the titular Armageddon's Blade and give it to Lucifer Kreegan so he can burn the world. The Erathians are aided by the Conflux, this games new town which are more magic and elementals. Supposedly they were gonna be aliens to tie in with the RPG's that had this advanced alien computer running the worlds, but fan backlash made them change that. Can't say if it's good or bad. Then we have Dragon slayer Dracon proving his worth to defeat the Azure dragon, if he did it without cheating then he truly is the greatest dragon slayer. You follow the barbarian Kilgor ascending the throne of the barbarians. A fire witch chasing after the resurrected Lord Haart to put his corpse back in the grave and then a Nighon overlords struggle to get the dragon fathers blood and turn herself into a dragon. All interesting... but I have no connection to these people and I can't even play them on normal playthroughs, mostly because they are overpowered, but as stated they need to be in order to survive the campaigns. There is one exception and that is the tale of Sir Christian, an aspiring fragrence alchemist  that gets stranded on an island near Enroth and must get his way back home, but ends up leading Queen Catherines invasion force in the restoration war. Yes, this is a prequel campaign for the original game.

Finally, a face to remember... a pity they gave him another portrait in the expansion

The last campaign doesn't take itself seriously where he complains for every fork in the road and the first orcs he meet sounds like the Munchkins from "Wizard of Oz". It was enjoyable and not as damn hard as the other campaigns. And it actually have a character I knew about and will look differently at when replaying Restoration of Erathia in the future. I'm glad I played this expansion last.  Best is to play them in chronological order (with exception of Christians campaign) since it give more personification to certain heroes as well is slow enough in difficulty (only problem is the differences between versions, like combining artefacts). Then again, some of the fun comes from that you know he lead the restoration army. Personally I would have a hard time replaying this expansion, damn fairy dragons.

Heroes of Might and Magic III: Shadow of Death

Crag Hack vs... Sandor?

Shadow of Death is the second expansion pack for Heroes of Might and Magic and the reason I played this first is due to its campaign being a prequel to the core game. You start by playing one of four campaigns in which you take the role of heroes like the barbarian genie Yog, the druid Gem, the ranger Gelu and the barbarian Crag Hack. Crag Hack and Gem are approached by the wizard Sandro and tasked to find these hidden artefacts to aid with the fight against the necromancers. Meanwhile Gelu has just finished his training and been assigned to investigate some necromancers activity at the AvLee-Dejyan border. Lastly Yog are escaping his mother in Bracada and cast of magic to become a barbarian like his father. Sandro is then revealed to be a necromancer and the artefacts he collected are combined into two powerful artefacts which he would use to raise an army of death to overrun all of Antagarich. The four heroes converge and tries to stop him, but Sandro is to strong so they retreat to find a combiner artefact to combat the powers of Sandro. It's an interesting story and fairly simple to play through. Of course the combiner artefacts are overpowered as hell. Sandro's artefacts enables him to cripple most enemy soldiers and afterwards turn them into liches meaning a steady supply of fresh meat. Really that is the most fun mode though, that and Gelu's supper archer abilities. Something that bothers me is that you play the first heroes first, then as Sandro and when we return to the original heroes, the careful created super heroes I put together are more up to chance. Mostly the game can't remember the build or even be a contingency for completely screwing up the build. Yog is a perfect example of that since he can't use magic in his first campaign due to story reason (although that is just a hassle when magic is one of the most important skills in the game) and if you have time you can probably get a better selection of skills.

Sandor, you look a bit pale

Really, this improves a lot. The combiner artefacts most obvious and the campaigns actually teach you how to use them and which to connect. Although there is some problems here and there. For example when you get Gem back for her second campaign you get the wrong character and the next episode Gem is back, but back to level 0. Also something that irritates me, and that was already in the original is that the necropolis wraith portrait seemed to be switched between the upgrade. Best part is that you actually play as the heroes... or villains in Sandro's case since it actually makes it fun to play barbarians like Crag Hack to Yog which I hate since the barbarians are one of the most boring setting.  Also nice that they explained Sandro since in the original game he's just a prisoner in the necromancer campaign, glad they explained it here... what do you mean it was shown in the bonus campaign in this campaign? What bonus campaign? Specter of Power? How do you access that? Loading the save after clearing the game? B-b-but I already overwritten it with the next campaign! Dammit!

Heroes of Might and Magic III: Restoration of Erathia

CHARGE!!!

Back in the 90's when I was in middle school or something like that me and my then best friend used to be over at his place and play the demo he had for Heroes of Might and Magic II. To me it was the best game ever with fantasy characters and very slow gameplay meaning I could take my time since I never was very good with real-time games. So I wanted it for my birthday or Christmas (since they are fairly close to each other). I guess it was in 1999 cause I got a Heroes games... it just was III, not II. As a kid you know how it is, it wasn't the right thing and playing through the first campaign ended in my defeat and I felt a short burst of resentment. I wanted II, what more can I say? This year I was able to play II again and boy, everything they did in III was miles ahead of II. Even the graphics still locks nice today. The music is enjoyable and when I finally grasped how to play the game III became so much better with its heroes system. So it grew on me over the years, but to break the ice I had to break the game. So I cheated as a kid... for most of the game. Didn't help that the cheats was based on Monty Python quotes so they got stuck really fast. Good for me.

So the continents name is Antagarich? Where is Enroth?

There is a campaign although, explaining how to play the game isn't its strongest suit. Interesting story though. It begins when Catherine Ironist returns to Erathia to find it overrun by its enemies and her father slain and resurrected  as a lich-king by the Necromancer. So she sends you, the greatest commander to help drive the invaders out of Erathia by unite with Erathias allies the elves of AvLee and wizards of Bracada. You also get to play out how the invaders performed this feat and took advantage of this instability in Erathia. It culminates as Erathia invades Deya, the home of the Necromancers to free their king and find the culprit behind the events and it appears one of them is Lord Haart, one of the most distinguished knights of Erathia through many of the game (as well as the starting hero of the tutorial). You let the king kill of his murderer and Catherine performs the ritual to release her father from his lich form. There is a follow up scenario which continues the story with a renegade nation established in the contested lands after the war of restoration due to the chaotic conflict around them. To secure their haven from the surrounding nations they set out to find the grail (yes, the holy grail itself) and as the campaign ends they have established themselves as an independent nation. Really interesting story and cheating actually takes away much of it since certain events only happens after some time passed and so on which builds up the struggle and the leading characters mentioned in the campaigns. The bad part is that you hardly play as the leader, you are the commander that do their bidding. Only at the end do you take control of Catherine and Lord Haart, but your only objective is to keep them safe until victory has been reached. They should have made the starting hero for the different campaign the commander with some back-story. 

The face of a traitor... sadly he's one of the best starting heroes with his extra gold bonus

So I cheated my way though the game as young, both the campaigns and standalone maps. Now, legit since it is more fun to try out different tactics, to legitimate level up your heroes and see them turn a battle around instead of typing "nwcingoureyes" and spam archangels on your enemies.  Although if I have to restart a 4 hour map I might be inclined to pass through it if it's in the Campaign mode. Mostly I've studied the faults I made as a child and clearly an all to defensive gameplay is the culprit in my play style. When I finally get my resources in the nearby area the computer usually have so big of an army with an overpowered hero crushing my army without fail... and that was on easy. Today I can actually finish a map on easy as well holding my own during normal by speeding up my strategy by actually dare attack moderately stronger enemies, especially since I've got a hero with magic spells to save me. Which even means if I loose against the computer it usually turns to a pyrrhic victory for him (if there is only one computer AI) as if he attacks the small garrison can stand on its own with towers, wall and archers either beating him or make another pyrrhic victory since a second town sends reinforcements to drive the enemy out and continue toward his town, while well guarded often doesn't survive the special creatures like archangels. That is if the computer somehow don't beat me back to the capitol, but even the last stand can feel so damn good, especially if you win and the winning siege fanfare plays.

Well I'm f***ed

Awesome game and now they apparently they've released a HD version on steam or something like that so it's easy to check out and is a really fun game... but looking around people points to the old complete collection including the two expansion which I haven't fully explored before and it might be time for that. I mean, how hard can they be?