Posts from Heroes 5.5 WarGame Edition - Tactical Edition. Auto-translated

The difference in approaches is most clearly seen in the combat mechanics:
- in MMH5.5, for each unit difference in attack/defense, the damage increases by 3.33% (in the original, it was 5%)
- in WGE, it increases by 10%
In other words, roughly speaking, the parameters in MMH5.5 have 1.5 times less impact than in the original, while in WGE, they have 2 times more impact.

Added after 2 hours and 17 minutes
Regarding the naming of racial skills, it is currently as follows:

Humans - Preparation
Elves - Avenger (but there is a class called Avenger)
Mages - Craftsmanship
Dwarves - Runes
Demons - Demonology
Dark Elves - Occultism
Undead - Necromancy
Orcs - Blood Fury

Suggest your own options if you have any.

I like the names for the Human and Dungeon factions (perhaps they are even better than the original ones); as for the Demon and Magic factions, I think they can remain unchanged.

Preparation
Hunting/partisan (can also rename the class to "avenger")
Enchanting (creating enchanted items that help troops in battle)
Runes/rune inscription/rune artist
Occultism (seriously, this suits Inferno)
Irresistible magic/witchcraft (similar to Heroes 3 and 4, where witchcraft enhanced the damage of spells)
Necromancy
Blood Fury

I will also list the following questions to resolve them once and for all and not return to them: 1) bandits, beastmasters, defilers (or goblin bandits, goblin beastmasters, goblin defilers) 2) vultures, asps, wyverns 3) stormtroopers, executioners, leaders (or thugs, executioners, leaders) 4) gladiators, punishers, giants (or minotaur gladiators, minotaur punishers, minotaur giants) 5) imps, parasites, devils 6) tans, jarls, thors 7) hunters, scouts, snipers 8) apsaras rakshasa, shivan rakshasa, kshatriya rakshasa 9) engineers, arsonists, saboteurs (or gremlins engineers, gremlins arsonists, gremlins saboteurs) Write what you think about the various options, suggest the best ones. Regarding the removal of the "Living" and "Demons" abilities, I can't remove the dots in the lists instead of the missing names; I can't find which separators are responsible for them.

1. Engineers would be better suited with gremlins in glasses; I would swap some of them out (and mages too).
2. Stormtroopers don't fit with orcs; brigands would be better.
3. Gladiators don't associate with an army; it's better to choose another name, but keep the idea that they fought on the walls.

Bandits, beastmasters, defilers (or goblin bandits, goblin beastmasters, goblin defilers)

I think it would be better to rename Bandits to Raiders. Simply "bandit" is associated with more modern, organized crime, and not with a primitive people who rob caravans. Otherwise, it's fine; "goblin" is an unnecessary clarification.

Vultures, asps, wyverns

I don't understand what this lineup is... Are there really any birds and snakes there, or are they all wyverns? You could use other creatures in the name. Salamanders, for example. Or have they already been assigned to the dwarven dragons? I don't remember.
An echidna is also a mythical creature.
Should vultures be renamed to scavengers?

Stormtroopers, executioners, leaders (or thugs, executioners, leaders)

The second option is better; the first one sounds like something from sci-fi.

Gladiators, punishers, giants (or minotaur gladiators, minotaur punishers, minotaur giants)

The first option is fine.
In general, you can play on the fact that "minotaur" doesn't have to be the name of the entire race. Just like a giant, it's originally a proper name.
That is, make it gladiators, punishers, minotaurs.

Thanes, jarls, thurses

I've said it before, I like Aesir the most, not thurses. In fact, Thor is a specific case of an Aesir.
Scandinavian mythology is popular now, and it's unlikely that many people will misinterpret this name.
You could also call them Jotunn... But then you need a corresponding icy theme for this tier. Jotunn is an ice giant, not just any giant.

Engineers, arsonists, saboteurs (or gremlins-engineers, gremlins-arsonists, gremlins-saboteurs)

The first option is fine.

2. Shock Troopers don't suit Orcs, Ruffians are better.

Shock Troopers is the name of a similar unit for Orcs from Age of Wonders 3.
Ruffians, on the other hand, are associated with Ruffians from Disciples 2, but there they are human bandits.
There is also another option: Butchers (although the associations aren't quite right, as they are from Warcraft).
You could also simply call them Ogres, which is what the entire line is.

You could also call them Jotunn, of course... But then you would need a corresponding ice theme for this upgrade.

Specifically, these units attack with lightning, but in general, the upgrade has a distinct ice theme (priests with cold, ice dragons).

Added 8 minutes later
Regarding Wyverns, since Vultures aren't associated with them, you can go with something simpler:
Wyverns, Aspids, Paoka

Wyverns, Aspids, Paoka

But an asp is a snake. Literally. I don't know any other meaning for this word.
I agree with wyverns and paoka, good choice.

Another option: butchers (although the associations aren't quite right, it's more from Warcraft).

I like it.

Specifically, these units attack with lightning, but in general, the alt-tier has a distinctly icy theme (priests with cold, ice dragons).

Lightning is lightning.
Ice is ice.
Actually, there's a mod somewhere online that reworks the towns into a water/ice theme.

What if we had brutes/thugs/destroyers/grunts/raiders?
And yes, bandits would be better.

No ice-themed Jotunn units are needed; their abilities clearly focus on lightning (air), plus a quote from the wiki:

It was believed that it was the Jotunn who caused storms, mountain landslides, and other natural disasters.

Nothing is said about ice-based abilities. P.S. Although other articles mention ice giants. Therefore, the name "Thor" is, in any case, a better fit. Minotaur was once just a name, not a title. "Thor" is already used as a name in games like Starcraft. And the association is good: divine power and lightning.

Added 10 minutes ago
In the meantime, I will be posting updates on the starting armies: Knights: Ellaine = 16 militia Dugald = 10 archers Rutger = 5 archers + 3 swordsmen Paladins: Nicholas = 6 armored troops Frida = 6 crossbowmen + 1 paladin Godric = 8 recruits + 2 clerics Templars (Inquisitors): Alaric = 2 adepts + 3 crusaders Valeria = 8 fanatics + 3 crusaders Orlando = 8 fanatics + 5 archers Rangers: Faidaen = 5 blade dancers + 2 hunters Ossir = 5 hunters Wingaël = 10 pixies + 4 blade dancers Vindicators: Anwen = 12 nymphs + 2 scouts Talannar = 8 leaf dancers Winraël = 10 nymphs + 2 guardians Druids: Alaron = 4 wind dancers + 2 archons Ilfina = 3 snipers + 1 radiant unicorn Diraël = 20 dryads Alchemists: Razaz = 5 granite golems Hafiz = 16 engineers + wagon Narhiz = 5 marble gargoyles + 2 mages Mystics: Jalib = 4 onyx gargoyles + 1 djinn Maahir = 4 onyx gargoyles + 3 magnetic golems Nura = 12 pests + 2 magnetic golems Archmages: Ora = 2 steel golems + 2 mages Cyrus = 12 incendiaries + 4 obsidian gargoyles Zeheer = 11 obsidian gargoyles Berserkers: Ingvar = 12 guards Karli = 12 javelineers Helmar = 8 berserkers Veterans: Ibba = 3 bear riders Rolf = 5 spearmen + ballista Wulfsten = 6 rock golems + 4 bone golems Priests: Tolgar = 6 shieldbearers + 6 harpooners Erling = 1 elder + 8 shieldbearers Hangvul = 6 harpooners + 4 vikings Lords: Agrail = 1 crimson nightmare + 10 imps Beleth = 4 succubi + 5 rift demons Grol = 5 hellhounds Destroyers: Daleb = 4 sulfur demons + ballista Biara = 7 demonesses Wayer = 7 parasites + 6 sulfur demons Infernos: Grok = 16 devils Nimus = 8 devils + 4 lilims Gward = 11 swift demons Assassins: Waishan = 10 lurkers Sorgall = 3 predators Letos = 3 beasts + 2 gladiators Sovereigns: Iranna = 6 hags Kifra = 3 giants Erin = 6 hunters + 1 shadow witch Warlocks: Railag = 4 assassins + 2 punishers Shadia = 5 assassins + 3 furies Sinithar = 3 furies + 2 raiders Reapers: Naadir = 8 spirits Lucretia = 7 cursed zombies + 1 nosferatu Deidra = 8 skeleton warriors + 5 cursed zombies Cultists: Markel = 5 skeleton archers + 1 plague lich Ornella = 8 skeleton archers + 1 vampire Arantir = 6 plague zombies + 4 lamias Necromancers: Orson = 12 poisonous zombies Kaspar = 8 skeleton servants + tent Vlad = 7 skeleton servants + 4 ghosts Barbarians: Keegan = 24 bandits Haggesh = 3 shamans + 3 steppe centaurs Tilsek = 6 bruisers Chieftains: Kun'yak = 3 nomad centaurs + 1 executioner Gotai = 14 beastmasters + 3 daughters of the sky Garuna = 12 beastmasters + 3 marauders Shamans: Kujin = 7 amazons Shak = 1 paokai + 10 defilers Argat = 4 amazons + 3 provocateurs

A storm is not lightning. It refers, roughly speaking, to blizzards. The confusion here is that in Heroes, lightning is somehow associated with air (and storms with lightning), while Scandinavians understandably associate storms and squalls with cold. If we are naming a unit, this confusion, in my opinion, is critical.

The Minotaur was once just a name, not a title.

It is difficult to find a replacement for "Minotaur," although it is possible if you try. In fact, you could call them "Tavrs," which would be more logical (King Minos is irrelevant here, and a "Tavr" is a bull). The problem here is also that "Minotaur" is a name that the developers have already incorporated into the lore, whether we like it or not. That is, it would be good to make a replacement, but it is too late. I don't quite understand why we should cling to "Tors." In my opinion, it sounds clumsy, and I would personally not want to repeat the mistakes of others by filling the universe with non-lore IRL names. But, whatever the case, the last word is up to the mod author

5) demons, parasites, imps

Perhaps, instead of parasites, they should be called lemurs?

9) engineers, arsonists, saboteurs

I think it would be better to make saboteurs out of the saboteurs, and sappers out of the arsonists. In addition, I think it would be better to swap the names of the overlords and the devils. After all, it would be more logical if the latter summoned ifrits, and not the former.

Added 2 minutes later

I don't quite understand why cling to the idea of Thors. And, in my opinion, it sounds clumsy, and I personally wouldn't want to repeat the mistakes of others by filling the universe with awkward real-world names. But, whatever the case, the last word is up to the mod author.

I agree. By the way, if the Aesir don't work, what's wrong with the Thurses? Unlike the Jotunn, they are not tied to cold, and they can be adapted to any element. There are also fire giants. And even sea giants. And, as a meaningful replacement for Thor, they are very good for this reason as well:

Thurses (Old Norse: þursar, English: thurs) are giants in Germanic and Norse mythology, most often humanoid. The rune Thurisaz is associated with Thor and his Hammer, because Thor is the protector against the Thurses. Thurisaz is a crushing weapon.

Yes, it’s possible that the Turs could work. Although, it’s not ideal that there aren’t any direct associations with storms and lightning.

Lemurs are unlikely to work, especially since they criticized even the vultures.
We need to think about the saboteurs; arsonists are definitely not sappers, they use incendiary projectiles.
Shaitans + ifrits, yes, that’s a suitable combination (if summoning ifrits is kept, this needs to be checked for various bugs related to sworn enemies, for example).

Replacing bandits with brigands, we need to consider this.

Lemurs are unlikely to be suitable, especially considering they even complained about vultures.

Lemurs are evil spirits. It's the same situation as with hippos, jellyfish, or hydras.

Logically, Peasants, Mountain Men, and Bandits should have the Tax Collector ability.