1. I don't understand the term "pirate" in this context. The project is unofficial, distributed as an add-on, and from a legal point of view, modding is not piracy. The mission is self-evident: to improve and develop the game, without a final goal.
2. The same answer as with the mission.
3. No. The connection to the second game is limited to a few nods in the graphics. In the same way as with NWC.
4. HotA is a complete product. Optionality is not being considered. At the same time, the user's ability to build exactly the game they want has increased many times over. Templates and maps have received a much wider range of settings.
5. The HotA development team is working on HotA. We could just as easily be asked to start modding the fourth game or organizing foam parties.
I think the point was about the community, representing the approximately 1500 online players, and not the people who leave their comments and opinions on the HW forum.
2. The discussion was about the HW platform, not the online lobby. Of course, users in the online lobby are a significant asset to the project. In fact, it was originally my initiative to develop the lobby as a platform. We first tried with external programmers, but then Baratortch volunteered to work on it as part of the HD mod, and he was successful.
There are no contrived oppositions in the spirit of "online vs. casuals." There is a game and its users.
