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[xpresstuning]

Replaying the game after a couple of years, 30 hours later I'm reminded of what an incredibly addictive masterpiece this game could possibly be and why it's one of my favorite games ever made.

+ Tons of well put together content to play around with (campaigns, random map generator, map creator, multiplayer)
+ Fantastic lore, music, sound design and atmosphere that is unique to the universe of Might & Magic
+ Polished to near flawless perfection (no bugs, fantastic gameplay, controls/user interface are intuitive and simple)
+ Huge modding community and frequently updated mods
- Engine/Artstyle is technically outdated (not a big deal after 5 minutes)

This game is basically heroine sort of like the Civilization series. Combat/movement is turn based strategy RPG goodness in which you manage your main city/cities and control heroes on the main map, recruit/create armies of your own customization to explore and conquer. It's really simple to start and get a grasp of it, because it's casual enough to not feel too overwhelming yet deep as all Hell to keep one invested for literally decades. You can play around in the many fantastic campaigns or scenarios, but the real star of the show is the random map generator and the multiplayer which is quite amazing. The random map generator has many variables to mess around with like size, rules, how many players, etc., and you can play with friends or against them locally, on the same computer. Then there's the Map Creator, in which you can create whatever the hell of a scenario you want.

Heroes of Might & Magic III (HoMM III) is regarded as the best in the series, and i agree. Heroes 1 started it, Heroes 2 significantly expanded and improved upon that, and Heroes 3 took everything Heroes 2 did and tremendously expanded on that, further polishing things up. The reason why HoMM III is the best entry is because there are very, very few flaws. It's not flawless (for example, balance between factions is not perfect), but what is there is practically polished to a near diamond finish, and that still shows 21 year later which is bat shit insane. Sure, there are certain elements done better in Heroes 5 (which is the 2nd best in the series, by the way) and/or other TBS RPGs, but as a complete package (scope, content, polish and general entertainment) Heroes of Might & Magic III is one timeless video game that has not been surpassed.

Just like Chess or Tetris, Heroes of Might & Magic III is an eternal classic, fun and easy to pick up 'n play 10, 20, 200, 2000 years later.

How to play it in 2020?

Simple, grab the Complete version off GOG.com, install that and then install the QUINTESSENTIAL HD Mod.

The HD mod doesn't change anything related to the mechanics or fundamental workings of the gameplay, but improves everything about the technicalities of the game. Like:

• The ability to play at your monitor's native resolution (or any resolution)
• Adds optional Filters to improve imagine quality (Scale2x + Bilinear, SmoothSalx2 + Bilinear, etc.)
• Significantly improves the User Interface
• Fixes bugs
• Mouse scrolling is smoother
• Improves sound quality
• And ofcourse i'm not gonna list everything, but a hell of a lot more.

That's it, i wouldn't really recommend any other mod (for now), because there's more than enough meat on the original bone to last you. And avoid the HD Steam release, it's shit.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

ive had such a withdrawl from not being able to play HOMM3 ever since i switched to macOS

loved 1-3. such a good series

discovered it when i was like 8 - a neighbor of mine had the HoMM1 demo. at first we were confused what to do and yet enthralled so we replayed it forever teaching ourselves the mechanics and were forever hooked

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Thanks for posting your write-up. This game should be tried by more people. I think folks who liked the recent Fire Emblem games but wanted a bit more complexity should give this game a look.

 

[xpresstuning]

Thanks for posting your write-up. This game should be tried by more people. I think folks who liked the recent Fire Emblem games but wanted a bit more complexity should give this game a look.

Definitely, if you're a fan of Fire Emblem or Shinning Force or any japanese turn based strategy RPG, then you're 95% certain to enjoy Heroes of Might & Magic III, which is an advanced version of that formula.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

I remember trying HOMM2 when I was in middle school and I think I liked it but I sucked at it. It was a long time ago.

I honestly can’t remember playing much of HOMM3 but I know I owned the CD. I should probably give it a shot now that I’m more into these kind of games

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Possibly my fav PC game ever.

If you like turn-based fantasy strategy games this is it. Don't worry that it's 20 years old.

The Complete Edition comes with all the expansion packs and the best art of all...... Random Map Generator. There aren't a ton of criteria you can choose, but it gets the job done. I never bothered even playing the SP campaigns.

What's great about it too is the detailed artwork. It's sprites and has a gritty kind of feel to it. It's still a little cartoony, but it's not kiddie like it's a game with cute 16-bit retro art art.

There are drawbacks:

- The CPU AI isn't that smart, and it cheats
- It can somehow start with a bit more starting resources and the fog of war doesn't seem to apply to them. Sometimes early in the game you'll bump into a CPU town or battle and there's no way they could have already had monsters like that so early
- Annoyingly, there's a weird perk they get where if you go through a warp door, you must move and move back to back through (let's say you go through and there's enemies and you want to retreat). You just spent move points. But the CPU can go back and forth through wrap doors without needing to first move out and back in spending move points. So what happens is it makes it harder to track them down
- On the plus side there's tons of command console cheat codes, where if you are pissed.... just summon tons of arch angels and wipe the board. lol
- The factions are pretty balanced, but there are few notably worse.... the faction with the Lizardman archer is shit. And the Undead one isnt great either unless you are able to spam Vampire Lord revivals to build a huge army. Conflux faction become OP if you can hurry up and build up Magic Elementals and Phoenixes

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

9.99 on GOG right now

I’ll buy it and install the mod linked in the OP

 

[llien]

I found HoMM3: Shadow of Death the best of them all.
Amazing experience, if you are into that type of games.

 

[Hambulance]

#TeamRampart forever

 

[ThatStupidLion]

#TeamRampart forever

Grand Elves. max archery skill. Angel Feather Arrows. Bowstring of the Unicorn's Mane. Bow of Elven Cherrywood. Golden Bow.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I loved playing the Barbarian faction. It was an early slog but if you can pull off ancient behomeths, it was a beast team.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

 

[Pinktaco]

Download the Hota mod and preparevfor many more hours.
New content will soon be out.

 

[xpresstuning]

I loved playing the Barbarian faction. It was an early slog but if you can pull off ancient behomeths, it was a beast team.

Well, you seem to be a much bigger HoMM aficionado than myself; What is your opinion on the rest of the series?

As for myself, i never played the original Heroes of Might & Magic or Heroes of Might & Magic II, but i did watch extensive playthroughs of them out of curiosity, and i think i'll end up playing them at some point. I first played Heroes of Might & Magic III i think .. about 5 years ago? Yes, relatively recently (last decade), was completely addicted to the hot seat multiplayer. Then the spark reignited a couple of years ago. Surprisingly, i barely bothered with the campaign(s) (which is also a testament to how incredibly vast the content of the game is); I seriously plan to rectify this fundamental problem in my current playthrough. I want to complete all the campaign, regardless of how insanely difficult things might get.

Heroes of Might & Magic IV .. now this is one i am genuinely nostalgic about. I experience this entry about 13 - 14 years ago for the first time, and it's also the first Heroes game i've ever played. I didn't have a means to effortlessly purchase video games online, neither did i have the internet, so whatever video games i could get my hands on i spent serious time with. And i spent an incredibly ridiculous amount of time with Heroes of Might & Magic IV. I haven't touched the game since though, neither do i have any sort of motivation to do so. I acknowledge its flaws and the fact that it's an unfinished product. But that music will forever be ingrained in my brain.

Heroes of Might & Magic V, i played a little bit of the original release wen it came out, but it was on a crappy PC so due to performance issues i didn't bother with it. I am seriously planning to get this + the expansions, play around with it, and install some recommended mods for it. The overwhelming majority of the fanbase is very positive about this entry and is generally regarded as the 2nd best in the series.

Download the Hota mod and preparevfor many more hours.
New content will soon be out.

Good timing with that post. So i installed HotA and it's a seperate .exe. Are the features from HotA integrated in Heroes of Might & Magic III: Complete Edition as a whole, or do i have to start the HotA .exe?

The reason i'm asking is because the HD Mod Laucher makes me pick between the Heroes3.exe and the h3hota.exe.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

im not into lets plays at all - but theres a guy out there with some great playthroughs. its just scary his expertise at the game. makes it look so easy.

 

[xpresstuning]

im not into lets plays at all - but theres a guy out there with some great playthroughs. its just scary his expertise at the game. makes it look so easy.

Speaking of let's plays, I randomly found one earlier today and watch almost half of his video; It was real nice.



Don't tell me it's that guy, that would be insane.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Well, you seem to be a much bigger HoMM aficionado than myself; What is your opinion on the rest of the series?

As for myself, i never played the original Heroes of Might & Magic or Heroes of Might & Magic II, but i did watch extensive playthroughs of them out of curiosity, and i think i'll end up playing them at some point. I first played Heroes of Might & Magic III i think .. about 5 years ago? Yes, relatively recently (last decade), was completely addicted to the hot seat multiplayer. Then the spark reignited a couple of years ago. Surprisingly, i barely bothered with the campaign(s) (which is also a testament to how incredibly vast the content of the game is); I seriously plan to rectify this fundamental problem in my current playthrough. I want to complete all the campaign, regardless of how insanely difficult things might get.

Heroes of Might & Magic IV .. now this is one i am genuinely nostalgic about. I experience this entry about 13 - 14 years ago for the first time, and it's also the first Heroes game i've ever played. I didn't have a means to effortlessly purchase video games online, neither did i have the internet, so whatever video games i could get my hands on i spent serious time with. And i spent an incredibly ridiculous amount of time with Heroes of Might & Magic IV. I haven't touched the game since though, neither do i have any sort of motivation to do so. I acknowledge its flaws and the fact that it's an unfinished product. But that music will forever be ingrained in my brain.

Heroes of Might & Magic V, i played a little bit of the original release wen it came out, but it was on a crappy PC so due to performance issues i didn't bother with it. I am seriously planning to get this + the expansions, play around with it, and install some recommended mods for it. The overwhelming majority of the fanbase is very positive about this entry and is generally regarded as the 2nd best in the series.



Good timing with that post. So i installed HotA and it's a seperate .exe. Are the features from HotA integrated in Heroes of Might & Magic III: Complete Edition as a whole, or do i have to start the HotA .exe?

The reason i'm asking is because the HD Mod Laucher makes me pick between the Heroes3.exe and the h3hota.exe.

Sorry man. I don't know anything about HoMM beyond #3. I never played IV or later. But I know there's been tons of fan made mods out there. HotA seems to be a fan mod files.

I quit playing PC games after this and saw IV become 3D, which I didn't like.

I played HoMM 1 and 2. And to me, #3 is 10x better. The first two games are really cartoony, smaller maps, smaller battlefields, and I don't think they had random map generators (unless I forgot). If you had to play one of them do #2. It had more content and monster upgrades.

The first game (looking back) is actually pretty cheesy. The factions are totally unbalanced too, where the most powerful one (dragon one) is totally OP assuming you can scrounge for enough resources to to build it up. #2 and #3 have more balanced factions, although some are still a bit better or worse. HoMM #1 had the Knights factions as cheap to build, but weak characters, and the Dragon one being expensive but powerful creatures. The other two (Barbarian and Phoenix ones were in the middle).

However, as the game progressed, whichever side had opportunity to build up a big Dragon-led hero group (10-13 Dragons combined with decoy gargoyles) could sweep the board. Dragons were OP with HP, damage and I think 100% magic resistance. They could also fly to any part of the battlefield.

 

[Wolfgang Jr]

.

 

[xpresstuning]

Sorry man. I don't know anything about HoMM beyond #3. I never played IV or later. But I know there's been tons of fan made mods out there. HotA seems to be a fan mod files.

I quit playing PC games after this and saw IV become 3D, which I didn't like.

I played HoMM 1 and 2. And to me, #3 is 10x better. The first two games are really cartoony, smaller maps, smaller battlefields, and I don't think they had random map generators (unless I forgot). If you had to play one of them do #2. It had more content and monster upgrades.

The first game (looking back) is actually pretty cheesy. The factions are totally unbalanced too, where the most powerful one (dragon one) is totally OP assuming you can scrounge for enough resources to to build it up. #2 and #3 have more balanced factions, although some are still a bit better or worse. HoMM #1 had the Knights factions as cheap to build, but weak characters, and the Dragon one being expensive but powerful creatures. The other two (Barbarian and Phoenix ones were in the middle).

However, as the game progressed, whichever side had opportunity to build up a big Dragon-led hero group (10-13 Dragons combined with decoy gargoyles) could sweep the board. Dragons were OP with HP, damage and I think 100% magic resistance. They could also fly to any part of the battlefield.

No problem, i appreciate the detailed response. I'm going to eventually play the first and the second HoMM for history sake and to fully understand the progressive improvements the series went through.

I don't think i'll ever bother with IV again. I do have nostalgic feelings about it, but today i can't find any appeal in it or in its artstyle. I did play it extensively 14 years ago because i didn't have anything else to play, i am familiar with it. And that's about it. Later down the line, i'm going to immerse myself in HoMM V. Not gonna bother with VI or VII, they just scream 'generic' all around and the community seems to consider them the weakest in the entire series.

HoMM III is going to keep me occupied for a good few weeks though, i'm not going to touch any other entries until i finish the campaign(s).

 

[mcz117chief]

3 and 5 are amazing, 3 slightly more than 5 but 5 has the greatest main menu of all time. The one thing I love the most about 3 is that each faction is fun to play. I never felt like there was a faction I favored.
Also, try out Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Very different game but still very fun. I replayed it last month and I was surprised how well it holds up.

HoMM III is going to keep me occupied for a good few weeks though, i'm not going to touch any other entries until i finish the campaign(s).

The campaigns are very well done. You will love them.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

No problem, i appreciate the detailed response. I'm going to eventually play the first and the second HoMM for history sake and to fully understand the progressive improvements the series went through.

I don't think i'll ever bother with IV again. I do have nostalgic feelings about it, but today i can't find any appeal in it or in its artstyle. I did play it extensively 14 years ago because i didn't have anything else to play, i am familiar with it. And that's about it. Later down the line, i'm going to immerse myself in HoMM V. Not gonna bother with VI or VII, they just scream 'generic' all around and the community seems to consider them the weakest in the entire series.

HoMM III is going to keep me occupied for a good few weeks though, i'm not going to touch any other entries until i finish the campaign(s).

Pretty sure Homm 1 and 2 are abandonware games by now.

As for Homm 3, if you get around to playing against the CPU on random maps, I suggest turning off Underground. Underground areas are more barren than overland and it just makes the game go much slower as the CPU likes to dick around underground playing cat and mouse with you.

I usually did Medium sized maps with not too much water/islands. Small are too clostraphobic and bigger ones can take forever.

 

[InterMusketeer]

I used to watch my brother play HoMM2, so I have some nostalgia for that one. I played it a few years ago (Bought on GoG) and I kinda sucked at it. Still really fun though. I know most people prefer HoMM3, but I much prefer the look and soundtrack of the second game. For those reasons (And lack of nostalgia) I never bothered with HoMM3. I've seen some videos of it though.

 

[struggler_guts]

I grew up on these games! I loved building up the castles mostly so I was super bummed out to find they got rid of that in later entries

 

[wondermega]

20 years ago I got hired by New World Computing to work as an artist on HOMM IV. My first week or so consisted of coming into the office and just playing this game. My life was pretty awesome back then! (Well, that part of it at least..)

 

[Bakkus]

I have this, but I've never played any game very similar to it, so I'm afraid I might be lost when playing it. Any good 'before i play' tips?

 

[Fuz]

Easily one of the greatest games of all time. It's astonishing how everything is just *perfect*.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Speaking of let's plays, I randomly found one earlier today and watch almost half of his video; It was real nice.



Don't tell me it's that guy, that would be insane.

Hah! I cant recall who it was. It was either that guy or “absolute zero”!

Iirc the dude was asian and i thonk he would play through the game and narrate his decisions after the recording, possibly at like 1.25-1.5x play speed.

 

[Fuz]

 

[ThatStupidLion]

I have this, but I've never played any game very similar to it, so I'm afraid I might be lost when playing it. Any good 'before i play' tips?

- create mulitple heroes at the start to explore and collect unoccupied resources quickly. Also allows you to consolidate units and make a larger army on the “main” hero and start fighting bigger groups of mobs sooner.

- rt click on monsters in overworld to get an estimate of battle difficulty

- autobattle doesnt guarentee the best outcome. U should manually play every battle (unless its a complete wash) because typically although the ai may win theyll lose a few units where as if you played “intelligently” youd be sble to prevent them grom dying.

theres a lot of pointers i could gove but am typing on phone with 1 hand. Just buy the game and experience ig on your own. It legit holds up.

 

[xpresstuning]

The campaigns are very well done. You will love them.

Yeah, i am enjoying them a whole lot.

Pretty sure Homm 1 and 2 are abandonware games by now.

As for Homm 3, if you get around to playing against the CPU on random maps, I suggest turning off Underground. Underground areas are more barren than overland and it just makes the game go much slower as the CPU likes to dick around underground playing cat and mouse with you.

I usually did Medium sized maps with not too much water/islands. Small are too clostraphobic and bigger ones can take forever.

Thanks for the advice, that makes sense actually.

I have this, but I've never played any game very similar to it, so I'm afraid I might be lost when playing it. Any good 'before i play' tips?

If you've played Chess, or video games like Fire Emblem or Shinning Force, then you're already accustomed to games like Heroes of Might & Magic.

First things first, install the HD mod i linked in the OP, it's extraordinarily useful and provides a significant amount of User Interface improvements. Heroes of Might & Magic III is incredibly easy to get into it, but there's an endless amount of layers of depth to peel off over time. I suggest completing the tutorial first and organically learning as you progress through the main campaign(s). It doesn't really matter if you "suck" at it in the beginning. It's a turn based strategy game; Take your time, grab a cup of tea/coffee/a beer/etc. and enjoy.

I suggest keeping some keyboard shortcuts in mind:

E - Ends turn
S - Saves current game
[CTRL] + Mouse click - Splits a single unit from the selected stack into an empty slot

For unit management (the creatures you have on your Hero and/or in your Town), i recommend keeping a few single (1) weaker units in your slots, while stacking up archers and your strongest units.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

I'm a megafan of this game. I love its art and towns and spells so much. The modern entries have lost their way.

 

[Fuz]

theres a lot of pointers i could gove but am typing on phone with 1 hand.

Stop fapping about this game.

 

[Bakkus]

If you've played Chess, or video games like Fire Emblem or Shinning Force, then you're already accustomed to games like Heroes of Might & Magic.

First things first, install the HD mod i linked in the OP, it's extraordinarily useful and provides a significant amount of User Interface improvements. Heroes of Might & Magic III is incredibly easy to get into it, but there's an endless amount of layers of depth to peel off over time. I suggest completing the tutorial first and organically learning as you progress through the main campaign(s). It doesn't really matter if you "suck" at it in the beginning. It's a turn based strategy game; Take your time, grab a cup of tea/coffee/a beer/etc. and enjoy.

I suggest keeping some keyboard shortcuts in mind:

E - Ends turn
S - Saves current game
[CTRL] + Mouse click - Splits a single unit from the selected stack into an empty slot

For unit management (the creatures you have on your Hero and/or in your Town), i recommend keeping a few single (1) weaker units in your slots, while stacking up archers and your strongest units.

- create mulitple heroes at the start to explore and collect unoccupied resources quickly. Also allows you to consolidate units and make a larger army on the “main” hero and start fighting bigger groups of mobs sooner.

- rt click on monsters in overworld to get an estimate of battle difficulty

- autobattle doesnt guarentee the best outcome. U should manually play every battle (unless its a complete wash) because typically although the ai may win theyll lose a few units where as if you played “intelligently” youd be sble to prevent them grom dying.

theres a lot of pointers i could gove but am typing on phone with 1 hand. Just buy the game and experience ig on your own. It legit holds up.

Thank you. I have played Fire Emblem, but I got the impression this was more interactive than it? As for that mod, I did download it when I bought it, it's the one that look like this, right?

 

[xpresstuning]

Thank you. I have played Fire Emblem, but I got the impression this was more interactive than it? As for that mod, I did download it when I bought it, it's the one that look like this, right?

It's easier to get into it if you've played video games with similarities, Fire Emblem and the likes share quite a few similarities since they're relatively the same genre (TBS RPG). Even though it's more advanced, it's not difficult to learn at all. It's very user friendly and designed to be logically and organically explored.

Yeah, that's the mod.

 

[Dargor]

This dude's "reviews" are the best!

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

L O G I S T I C S

It's god mode in this game

 

[Wolfgang Jr]

L O G I S T I C S

It's god mode in this game

Used to be.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Theres so many layers to this game. Its like once you think youve got the mechanics down, just know you dont.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

Used to be.

balance changes?

 

[bronk]

 

[12Goblins]

One of the best games of all time, hands down

 

[Deleted member 17706]

One of the best games of all time, hands down

Came to post this. Wasted so many hundreds of hours on this game over the years.

 

[Slings and Arrows]

Very cool game. I never found it difficult. My brother and I used to play co-op, Me and Him vs a team of six AI computers on the same side.

We would steam roll those fucking cunts.

 

[diffusionx]

Pretty sure Homm 1 and 2 are abandonware games by now.

As for Homm 3, if you get around to playing against the CPU on random maps, I suggest turning off Underground. Underground areas are more barren than overland and it just makes the game go much slower as the CPU likes to dick around underground playing cat and mouse with you.

I usually did Medium sized maps with not too much water/islands. Small are too clostraphobic and bigger ones can take forever.

First two games are available on GOG actually.

I actually had a fan site for this series in the run up and after the release of HOMM3. Back in the Wild West days of the internet. I bought a box set of the first two games and they were just the greatest.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

For people who never played the game and are jumping in, my preference when picking skills is always do basic or higher logistics and pathfinding. It allows you to move farther.

Estates perk is more money per turn. Not worth doing unless some reason you are always broke. Pick the other skill available when you get to choose.

 

[wintersouls]

For me the best in the saga. Countless hours I played this game for years.

 

[Gp1]

#TeamRampart forever

that murderous upgraded archers

 

[Northeastmonk]

I tried getting into Disciples II: Dark Prophecy after really enjoying this game. Disciples II has some awesome art, but HoMM3 takes the medal. Don’t even waste your time with Disciples III, not as good as II.

 

[Pinktaco]

HotA

You play the Hota exe. It opens with its own start menu.

Online play is btw perfectly functional.
I often play with a friend again at AI.
You can play simultanious turns.

 

[Kagey K]

It is among the best. Up there with Super MARIO Bros 3, Doom Starcraft and Halo.

Top of the class and a game all other games should have learned from.