Discussion about Schism.

As a devoted fan of Lovecraft and Lovecraftian themes, as well as someone who appreciates new and fresh ideas in franchises, I can confidently say that this race doesn't belong in Heroes. It belongs either in some awful, meme-filled Polish mod or in a turn-based strategy game with an original setting that has nothing to do with Heroes. The Schism, as well as the Sylvans and the Hive, are a clear indication that the developers don't care about the series' legacy. They've latched onto the franchise to get a great marketing campaign and make some money, because the exact same game in an original setting wouldn't get even a fraction of the attention it's getting now. In a vacuum, these are cool and interesting Factions that I would gladly play or even include in Heroes as part of an awful, meme-filled Polish mod, but they are inappropriate for the vanilla game. If the developers had even a rudimentary sense of taste, they could have created a cool and colorful race with the exact same initial ideas that would seamlessly fit into the series. There was a great swamp in Heroes 3, which was fresh, unusual, and unique at the time of its release, with only the Hydra being a recognizable unit. But it fit into the overall atmosphere, the unit roster wasn't overly extravagant, it was simple, clear, in the spirit of other Factions, in the spirit of classic fantasy, and the swamp fit very organically into the overall picture. But here we have complex, tasteless units with complex, tasteless names and a complex, tasteless design. And The Elder Scrolls is a bad example. Bethesda did a great job. They integrated Lovecraftian elements very well, very organically. Hermeus Mora has been present in the franchise since the beginning, and the monsters from the Apocrypha are simply called "The Lurkers" and "The Seekers" (I don't know how it is in the localization) - without the feeling that someone just hit their head on the keyboard. And yes, I myself like to come up with names for my aliens, but a game that is supposed to revive the legacy of a series known primarily for its classic fantasy aesthetic is clearly not the right place to unleash your originality. And a separate pain point is the tentacled witch. She has a fantastic concept, I love such crazy comic book designs and would gladly steal this lady for any of my settings, or even all of them at once. But how bland, ugly, and tasteless she is drawn. Come on, Frozenbyte, couldn't you have hired a sighted person as a designer? =_="