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

The ability to cheat extensively, obvious bugs, and interface flaws are the main "element of randomness" that "should" be present?

Are you suggesting that I, a programmer, should design a tournament, create a set of templates, and a map? Things I've never done and don't want to do?
Instead of writing such posts, it would be much better to actually do the above.

No, not specifically to you. Many people leave messages here. Unfortunately, I'm not a programmer, and I can't do many things, so I don't give programming advice. Regarding doing it myself, I have some groundwork and templates for a 1v1 tournament. As for creating an RTA map similar to the one in HoMM5, a programmer is needed (this idea occurred to me recently; in mid-October, I tried RTA in the fifth game and liked it. I just kept fiddling with the map editor and the campaign editor :confused: - it's beyond my understanding :smile32:).
It's silly to give advice to a programmer, but still: couldn't the text files be duplicated in the libraries, and a logical check be performed programmatically to match them? And I repeat, to prevent saves from being opened before the end of the game, either disable it or include an auto-check within the save file for the number of openings and the time, or a controlling file that acts as an autosave counter. Even to the point of making them password-protected with two passwords, one for each participant, and after the game, or only after it's confirmed, exchange the passwords. That's just one idea; I have many, but many of them are lost forever, and I deeply regret that I can only generate them, not bring them to life. With respect, leosnow.