HoMM3 HD is a mod (add-on) for the game Heroes of Might and Magic 3.

Okay, I agree. There won't be options. Or rather, there will be one: SOD gameplay/no SOD gameplay. It's simpler for me.

The inability to peek and cheat with artifacts = no SOD gameplay.
The inability to view the map and saves (when implementing password-protected saves) = no SOD gameplay.
Changing the timer's operation = no SOD gameplay.
Displaying move points = no SOD gameplay.

Inviting a hero in single-player, healing the map, choosing alliances - let's consider these as SOD.

Regarding roads - I don't know. Level 2 - probably not SOD after all.

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I came up with something regarding the chat log. It can be written to the save file (while maintaining compatibility with SOD) - it should be easy to implement. It's convenient, and it will be quite difficult to fake the chat. Especially if it's written to the save file in an encrypted form (even with the most basic encryption).

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HD+AdvancedSOD won't disappear, don't worry.
However, everyone understands that pure SOD is not perfect. Those who only support SOD don't accept TE/VT because they don't want to replace one traditional, albeit imperfect, feature with another, controversial, imperfect feature.

Why not create a separate mod with very balanced, cautious, and subtle changes, even if there are only a few?

Someone might ask, why shouldn't I focus my efforts on developing and improving, say, VT, why should I create my own mod with blackjack and hookers? I'll answer: I don't like everything based on the WoG base, not only because of its radicalism, tastelessness, and mishmash (even if it's minimized in VT, it's still there), but also as a programmer, I don't like WoG solutions; I just don't like this platform and its implementation in general. And I want to make an even better game.

Alexander, don't get worked up. I'm not blaming you. You yourself understand that whether or not SOD is used, whether or not something should be changed, is a delicate and nuanced issue that requires a decision. I just want to say that it would be objectively good to somehow come to common standards. Because you will also do this all your life, but you won't be able to finish it, because there are still a million things that you can be asked to do. For example, each suggestion is considered separately. If we reason like this:
1. Chess clocks. Why are they needed at all? You can set 1, 2, or 3, 4 minutes, but in battles, the time should be stopped. Because everyone knows that in battles, it's better not to make a mistake and think through the battle; the quality of the game increases, rather than just letting the battle go on.
2. Roads. When creating templates, the creator puts recommended roads in the manual based on their own considerations. Then we change them, where there are no recommended roads - random, so roads can still be changed due to the specifics of the template creators. And here, as it were, by agreement, and often they specifically generated fast roads when making an agreement, so they can be changed.

3. Level 2 cannot be set by default (because it's still SOD), but with mutual agreement, it can be done purely out of consideration for VT lovers. Perhaps a few more concessions can be made.

In my opinion, and you confirmed this yourself before - the HD mod is something like a utility that makes SOD gameplay convenient, easy, informative, and enjoyable, but does not affect its essence; it simplifies the process, reduces the duration of turns, but not by limiting the time, but by making it more convenient (separating units, a DD window, displaying moves, mana, the number of units, transferring troops, creating armor) - all of this in no way changes the essence of the gameplay, i.e., we still do all these manipulations, but now it's easier, but it hasn't become something else! But if there are chess clocks, then the essence changes; if there are no artifacts, no spells, then the set of game processes changes, but not their essence.