Heroes VII

it became clear that the game isn't very focused on multiplayer (development takes too long).

I disagree. In my opinion, development is 1.5-2 times faster than in Heroes of Might and Magic V: on the first day, you buy 1 hero + dwellings, and the units can be of a high level (e.g., a Knight), and quite strong elementals help a lot, and so on. The economy is easier to manage than in Heroes of Might and Magic V: resources are everywhere. Sometimes there are bottlenecks with rare resources, but the guarding is normal. Although, if you're lucky, you can start taking them at the end of the first week...