Heroes 5.5 WarGame Edition - Tactical Edition.

Here's a version for discussion, from one of the mod's co-authors:
The fastest possible start, implying the ability to capture secondary towns early (on days 3-4).

Another alternative version, from another co-author:
Tie different tiers to fortification levels, i.e., each fortification level represents a certain stage of development.
Tiers 1-2 require nothing, tiers 3-4 require a Fort, tiers 5-6 require a Stronghold, tier 7 requires a Castle.

Option 1: If we compare Heroes 5 to chess, then Heroes 3 is, roughly speaking, a faster version of chess (the game is 2-4 times faster), and I'm all for it if your mod is 2-4 times more dynamic than the original. But I'm against it if it's like a blitz game (5-10 times faster). Not everyone likes the kind of fast-paced gameplay found in Starcraft.
The idea of an initial town setup and blitz gameplay is better left for special maps. For wider accessibility (mass appeal) of the mod, a Heroes 3-style dynamic (2-4 times faster gameplay) would be better.

Option 2: As I wrote before, if it provides more variety in terms of what can be done, allowing players to equally focus on any of the Tiers, thereby creating a dilemma about where to develop and what to focus on (development or tempo), then I'm definitely in favor.