Heroes 5 developers answer questions.

1. "When will the first patch finally be released?!"

I won't use general phrases about how work is boiling over in a sweat... etc., and so on. I'll be brief: Patch DJNJUT:E - ..No, it's not Da Vinci's code; we are encrypting while awaiting the official press release. But you've guessed that there's only a little bit left, right? ;-)


2. "When will the editor be released?"

...As for the editor, you'll have to wait a bit longer, as work is currently boiling over to transform it from a professional tool oriented exclusively toward seasoned developers into one that is friendly to the average user.
We will try to release the editor as soon as possible, as we understand its importance for a prosperous heroic future, and we will try to do this no later than August.
By the way, in "Three," which is constantly cited as an example, the editor also didn't appear immediately ;-)

3. "And where is the map generator?"

We plan to release it after the editor. I can't say more precisely yet.

4. "The forum developers don't read..."

They read, they read... Oh, how they read! They even share the best examples of folk creativity with each other. Not to mention that targeted work is being done to collect and systematize comments and suggestions – so you really can help us make the game even better.
It's true that developers write almost nothing on the forum, but I will try to the best of my ability to correct this regrettable omission and answer your most relevant and interesting questions as much as possible.

5. "I started playing and I don't understand why everything is so easy; where are the enemies and castles that you can build up as much as you want?"

You will have enemies, castles, and difficulties. The first campaign is indeed largely tutorial-based, although you'll have to strain yourself toward the end. And it will get even cooler after that, so practice on the weak and defenseless first...

6. "Why are the maps smaller than in Three? Why are there so few single-player and Multiplayer maps?"

Quantity, in fact, rarely turns into quality; more often it's the other way around, which is why we first strove to make good and interesting maps, even if they aren't many or as huge. In any case, once the editor is released, there will be plenty of maps – for every taste and size, including those from the developers.

7. "By the way, about Three – you modeled the game exactly after it, didn't you?"

It's better not to ask such questions so that the fans of Two, Three, Four, and other parts of the heroic epic among the developers don't fight each other while trying to answer.

8. "Are there cheats in the game, or rather, why aren't there any?"

Because cheating is not a heroic thing to do.

9. "In what language was the game developed: Russian or English? Why are there text errors in the Russian version?"

Essentially, all in-game texts were made in English as soon as possible since it's an international language and the Heroic series enjoys fame and love worldwide, so the game was developed from the start with global domination in mind. Well, and our French publisher still understands Russian poorly.
Since for most of the development process the game existed in English and most developers worked specifically with the English version, those regrettable errors crept into the Russian version that we simply didn't have time to catch – but we promise to improve ourselves and fix these errors with patches.

10. "Where is the balance?"

It exists!
Don't rush to draw conclusions about the strength or weakness of certain castles or hero development paths simply by comparing the characteristics of individual units or basing it on the results of a few random battles. In Heroes V, every side has its own strengths and weaknesses and its own special tactics capable of leading to victory.
Of course, balance will still be adjusted and refined, and that's completely normal, as the release of the game and the subsequent involvement of the general playing masses is what allows all weak and vulnerable points of balance to be identified, which no beta test would show.

10. And finally, the most important thing: "What is a tank doing in the game?!"

Everything's fine – it's an elven one!

Quote:
Message from Garlok
Want questions? I have some.
...Will there be, as in Three, a second type of hero oriented toward development in another direction?

No, it's not planned for now.
...In general, the existing system is oriented so that the playstyle for different castles differs significantly: castles are tailored to heroes and vice versa. In principle, if you want, you can hire other heroes; you just have to keep an eye on morale.


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Message from Maximillian
Question: if the release date of the first patch is not being publicized yet, can we find out its approximate size?

The size of the Russian patch is ~ 39mb


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Message from Jonny13
I would like to ask a question: how do you feel about the already quite large number of same-made mods posted on respected resources (such as heroes.ag.ru and celestialheavens.com)? I still don't install them due to fears that the patch will then be installed incorrectly.

We feel good about it, in the sense that if people are making mods, it means the game is of interest. :-)
As for their functionality, naturally, that is on the conscience of their authors, and since the mods are unofficial, no one guarantees their compatibility.
The patch should indeed be installed on a "clean" distribution to avoid possible problems.

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Message from ArtX
Main question for the developers - will the interface be improved? After all, it's not the most convenient right now.

It will be improved, but not fundamentally redesigned.
Accordingly, we are interested in your feedback about it, but not in the style of "everything is bad," but with specific comments and suggestions. (Only, please, not here, but in the wishes and bugs thread)

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Message from ArtX
Second question: why are there so many "Test" folders in the resources - didn't you have time to clean them up before release? And there are untranslated texts...

Cleaning them up during the pre-release period was not our priority, as they do not significantly affect the size of the distribution or the consumer qualities of the product. Moreover, not all resources marked as test are actually so, and any cleaning conducted in a tight timeframe can lead to unpredictable consequences...

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Message from Gryph0n
Oh, could we have the generator earlier? Otherwise, we'll finish all the maps — and then what?

Don't worry about the maps: As I already wrote, we will try to release the editor within the next two months - and when it is released, plenty of maps will appear on the Internet.
A good generator is a labor-intensive thing, so it takes time to make one. For now, our priority is the editor.

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Message from Dracul
Will an option allowing alliance play via hot-seat be included in the patch?

In the current patch - no. Possibly, this will be done in subsequent ones.


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Message from Eilassie
Tell me, honorable sir, why not a word about the new castle??

What castle? (that's already two whole words)


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Message from march_cat
1. Will the informativeness of the interface be improved, specifically how many resources are missing for an upgrade - troop training, and the ability to actually read what buffs/anti-buffs are applied to a creature?

We are working in that direction :-)

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Message from march_cat
2. Regarding Ultimate abilities... At the moment - they are like communism - seemingly on the horizon - but practically impossible to achieve...?

Exactly: That is the party policy!


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Message from KFOSTER
1. Will there be an opportunity in a Duel to build and recruit an army yourself?

A similar idea is being worked on - but not in the near future.

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Message from Neutral Unit
1. In which patch is network play planned to be stabilized?
2. Is the introduction of set artifacts planned, and if so, when - in patches or add-ons?
3. Actually, I'd like to hear something about add-ons (Just don't tell me you aren't planning anything of the sort).
4. Is an expansion of spells planned (not standard, a couple or three, but something more significant)?

1. Game stability, including network play, will increase with each patch.
2. Maybe.
3. Neither Nival nor Ubisoft have officially announced any add-ons.
4. Which specific spells are you missing?
Quantity, as I already said, rarely turns into quality: the more spells there are, the fewer differences between them. It's like those same Dendy cartridges: "1000 games on one cartridge!" ;-)

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Message from Frig
"Bringing the ghost of a question to the appropriate topic form".
What will happen with cheats?
Will they stay, or be eradicated?

They will be eradicated as much as possible.

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Message from Gadji05
1. Will a hero "doll" (character sheet) be added?
2. Will there be an option to exit/load the game in combat mode?
3. Will the ability to view the "kingdom" be added?
4. Will there be mega-monsters in the game, like Azure dragons, fairy tale dragons, etc.?
5. Will it be possible to view hero specialization during scenario creation? Because synonyms don't point very accurately to heroes' special abilities.
6. Will set artifacts and specifically the cloak of the king of same-undead and cursed armor be added?
Thanks in advance for the answers.

1. Doll - Unlikely. What is its functional use?
2. The ability to exit/load the game in combat mode will be added in the near future.
3. Most likely it will be.
4. Not planned for now, although, in principle, it could be.
5. We'll think about it.
6. Sets will probably exist in general. As for which specific ones, it's too early to say.

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Message from LkGhost
I would like to know the fate of the "portal to city" spell; will it have a choice of city or not?

"Portal to city" with a choice of city is a cheat. Everyone will strive to have it, and where is the variety then?

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Message from Alfa-R
I would like to better understand the game mechanics.

A more detailed manual including game mechanics is currently being prepared. It will be posted separately for download in the foreseeable future.

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Message from Fog of War
Could an item fixing the battlefield size be added to Game Options?

Why? What's wrong with the existing system with two sizes: Normal\Siege?

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Message from Gryph0n

Will it be possible to use the spacebar to enter/exit the current building? Will hotkeys be customizable?

Why specifically the spacebar? Now, for example, "Esc" is a universal hotkey for exiting most interfaces.
As for customization, hotkeys are already customizable :-) In the Profile game folder, in your profile, there is an input.cfg file that is easily edited.

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Message from Woodcat
Will the interface be improved/changed to be more friendly:
Adding buttons (for example, wait -- in battle, sleep -- on the map)

Specific things in the interface that cause many complaints will be improved. Also, some new interfaces will be added in the future.

The Wait button will be there.

Why put heroes to sleep - this isn't a Tamagotchi :-) Turn off the reminder about remaining movement points, put the Hero aside and that's it.

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Message from Woodcat
Will the font change?

The existing font was chosen by UBISOFT. You can try asking them :-)

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Message from Stud_NPN
Do you play your own creation? Do you hold Heroes tournaments in your office?

Of course! Though we haven't held any tournaments yet.

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Message from [N
CTAC]Is work being done on the "hero skill wheel" specifically...

Regarding ultimate abilities, I already wrote - that's why they are ultimates.

Regarding balance in general and the balance of perks and abilities in particular - there is no limit to perfection here and it will still be corrected, but carefully.

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Message from Vormis
Will there be a hall of heroes (I think that's what it's called) in the patch as in previous parts?

You mean "Hall of Fame"? - In principle, it is planned to be added.

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Message from razor515
I would like to understand why it wasn't possible in the official Russian release to allow the player to set English text if they wished.

Because this is Russia and Russian is our native language :-) Localized versions of Heroes for other non-English speaking countries also do not contain English - generally, this is standard practice.

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Message from ryran2006
Will there be new maps in the near future (meaning a couple of weeks), as almost all old ones have already been completed on the hardest level?
I'm afraid if new maps don't appear, interest in the game will vanish long before August, when you intend to release the map editor.

New maps will be in the second patch, so quite soon.
Regarding the editor, by the way, I didn't say it would come out specifically in August, but that we would try to release it *by* August, meaning June-July.

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Message from f1driver
Is the possibility of playing via direct IP planned?

With the first patch, you'll be able to play over a segmented network. As for direct IP, we aren't planning it for now. If there are many requests, we'll think about it.