Posts from Might & Magic: Heroes 8 - to wait or not to wait?

Official sources are dead silent, and fan resources are no different—the franchise is experiencing clear stagnation... Practically all projects in the M&M universe have been wound down, some closed before even reaching release, and work on Heroes VII was halted shortly after the expansion's launch, leaving the game in a very raw state.

Is it worth expecting a continuation of the Heroes series in this situation?

What do we have at the moment? - A highly dubious rumor that Ubisoft's German division, Blue Byte, is developing a AAA strategy game in the RTS genre and that this project could be Might & Magic: Heroes VIII; here is the link:

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/57201/ubisoft-developing-new-aaa-pc-strategy-game/index.html

A question immediately arises: why Heroes 8 and RTS, when the latter has always been TBS? The article contains a link to a News item in UbiBlog
dated April 19, 2017,http://blog.ubi.com/ubisoft-expanding-europe-new-studios-opening-bordeaux-berlin/

which says the following:
"The team in Berlin will work closely with the BlueByte teams in both Düsseldorf and Mainz on an unannounced AAA project, and will help Ubisoft establish a presence in the German capital."

I saw no direct mentions of the platform or genre of the unannounced project there, other than: "Germany is home to Blue Byte, one of the most established names in German gaming and an industry leader in PC strategy games.", which can only be considered an indirect indication of the game's strategic genre and PC platform.
I checked what information was available on the Blue Byte website itself in my favorite section—vacancies...
Here, for example, is information from a game engine programmer vacancy:
https://www.bluebyte.com/en/career/vacancies#sr-post-id=743999660914438

"The newly established Ubisoft Berlin studio is set to continue contributing to this impressive line-up and will be working on AAA Co-Development projects together with international Ubisoft teams. The first project will be a big AAA-brand, one of the biggest and most important for Ubisoft."



Undoubtedly, the Might & Magic franchise fits the definition of one of the largest and perhaps most important for Ubisoft, but this is clearly not enough to draw conclusions.

There is also an application form on the Blue Byte website for those wishing to register as testers; in it, unfortunately, in the game preferences section, I saw no division between RTS and TBS, let alone any mention of Heroes. Along with other genres, it simply says: "Strategy (Star Craft, Civilization, XCOM…)", otherwise that would have been a huge spoiler. :)

It is quite possible that ANNO 1800 was hidden behind the unannounced project—which Blue Byte is currently working on and which was announced in August 2017 at Gamescom—but on the other hand, on October 18, 2017, already after the announcement of ANNO 1800, a post appeared on Facebook regarding a vacancy for a Community Strategist:
https://www.facebook.com/UbisoftBlueByteEN/photos/a.1040251262700174.1073741828.995469347178366/1623897734335521/?type=1&theater

The description of this vacancy on the site says the following: "Working with an exciting brand on an unannounced project, the position will be responsible for the strategic management of communities with a global focus."



Meaning that a certain unannounced project belonging to some exciting brand figures again, and they are looking for someone to work with the community... sounds painfully familiar, doesn't it? :D Could this project be Heroes 8? - It is impossible to say for sure yet, but there is potential.

P.S. How serious could all this be? - Time will tell.
For now, we can go back a bit into the past and compare it with the case when everything turned out to be serious:
http://www.might-and-magic.ru/blog/1/entry-3-might-and-magic-heroes-7-razrabatyvaetsya-v-limbic/

in the RTS genre, and this project might turn out to be Might & Magic: Heroes VIII

Heroes cannot become an RTS. Yes, in the world of Might & Magic, they can develop a real-time strategy, but in that case, they will give it a different name – Ubisoft still makes sure that there is no confusion in this regard.

Who knows, maybe they are still working on it in an experimental format and are not ready to make the project public.

With so many factions, it will be difficult to balance the RTS...
But something like WoW might work...
But that requires significant resources to create the game.
Although, if you look at some browser games, they are constantly advertised, and everything is so well done, and it's made by some unknown developers.
It's just unclear who is doing what.

A bit of history: initially, Юби wanted to make Heroes 5 as an RTS, but Nival Interactive convinced them otherwise. Also, it is possible that Settlers 8 will be a new game from Blue Byte.

What would I like to see in Heroes 8?

Atmosphere, plot, beautiful graphics, and everything that was best in the previous installments of the game.

The fifth part has all of this, which is why I want to play it again and again. The replay value comes from many goals: besides increasing the difficulty level, the fifth game has the Grail in the form of a central skill on the skill tree (hidden from view), there are Easter eggs that you only see when you have 100% explored the map, there are single missions that are also woven into the story, and finally, there are interesting individual hero traits that you want to "test" at different levels. Therefore, I can always find a goal for myself in the game, no matter when I sit down to play.

The sixth part had atmosphere and plot (and the budget played a significant role), so there is some desire to return to it. But I often don't find goals in it - everything is too simplified and obvious, and I can't find a reason for myself to replay/explore it.

And the seventh part failed in all three aspects. There are no complaints about the music, but the graphics, although it doesn't look worse than the sixth in terms of detail, resembles mods more than an AAA game for 2000 rubles; many things are done clumsily, without a common style. Much has been said about the plot - there is no incentive to play for everyone, no desire to know "what happens next and how it all ends?". And finally, the goals are also questionable - the central skill is obtained without much effort, the hero traits are uninteresting, and there is nothing to strive for in the game besides completing the map's tasks. The only plus of this installment is that it returned to the right ideas of what should be in Heroes - but the implementation didn't grab me.

So, the eighth part should have a normal budget, allowing for the creation of a fairy-tale fantasy world with its own style, good writers should be involved, and finally, a system should be added in which completing the campaign is only the tip of the iceberg.

Added 3 minutes ago
By the way, another interesting vacancy has appeared at Blue Byte:
Gameplay / AI Programmer
At first glance, nothing unusual, but familiar terms appear again:
Tasks will cover AI behaviors, fights, strategies and tactics

Added 3 minutes ago
It should be added that Erwan Le Breton (creative director and producer of games in the M&M universe) is also the creative director of the Might & Magic franchise and is also involved in the creative development of other Ubisoft projects, such as, for example: The Settlers, For Honor, Skull and Bones.
And it is interesting that all of the listed games were made at Blue Byte.
Therefore, there is a high probability that the "secret project" currently being developed at Blue Byte belongs to the Might & Magic universe, and most likely, it is a strategy game

I agree with what was written above.
The 7th installment really doesn't grab my attention, even though the graphics are quite elaborate.
I liked the 6th one more in terms of visuals, and the storyline is good there (the 7th one didn't go far from it, I switched to a campaign similar to the 4th one, and then my computer broke down).
The 5th one seems cool, but it seemed too complex in terms of gameplay to me - it's hard to remember all the nuances.
And the most important thing for me is these monsters, they seem too slow - you have to spend so much time completing the game.
In the classic 1, 2, 3 - bam-bam, the hero is already developed, already running around, everything happens quickly. And here, by the time you level up, so much time passes that the evening is already ending, and it's time to go to bed).
So, I don't even know what I want from the 8th installment. In terms of graphics, I don't even know how to go higher than 6 or 7, and in terms of gameplay, I don't understand what to strive for.
Whatever they release, they will release it. We'll see what happens.

And the most important thing for me is that these monsters seem too slow – it takes so much time to get through.

Why not speed up the animations? It seems like this can be adjusted in all the games, definitely in the fifth one.

Why not speed up the animations? It seems like this can be adjusted in all the games, definitely in the fifth one.

Well, I wasn't talking about the monster animations, but rather the games in general.
I don't know, I just have this feeling...

:smile17:

Well, in Heroes of Might and Magic V, there's a point where the city develops slowly. In Heroes of Might and Magic III, a city becomes fully functional in just a couple of weeks, although upgrades aren't always worth it. In Heroes of Might and Magic V, construction is still in full swing at this point. This can slow down movement on the map, of course (although with experience, it's not that noticeable). The hero's development speed is actually faster in Heroes of Might and Magic V – the abilities themselves often work better and have a greater impact on gameplay. However, in certain areas (such as magic for moving around the map), the situation is reversed. It's easier to download Expert Earth, develop Wisdom, and build the fourth level in a guild (Heroes of Might and Magic III) than to reach level 20 and the fifth level of a guild (Heroes of Might and Magic V). But there's another important aspect, especially for online play: balance. In Heroes of Might and Magic III, this magic for moving around the map completely throws the game off balance.

Which company would be best suited to create Heroes 8?
(an opinion from one of the fans)

If Ubisoft decided to make a real-time strategy game based on Heroes, they should give the development to Creative Assembly – and only them!
Creative Assembly is a British subsidiary of Sega specializing in computer game development. It was founded on August 28, 1987, by Tim Ansell. The company is best known for its series of strategic computer games, Total War, and the survival horror game Alien: Isolation.
Company website: https://www.creative-assembly.com/
Even during development, I followed the news and eagerly anticipated the game. My expectations were mixed. I wondered if they would ruin the strategy aspect, but at the same time, I imagined how everything would unfold in battle. I pictured large creatures crashing into crowds of infantry, crushing everyone in their path. And giants turning poor little people into bloody mince with their huge clubs. Heroes using devastating spells, etc. Almost all my expectations came true. I want to note that they not only managed to preserve the strategic spirit of Total War but also convey the entire atmosphere of Warhammer! Players are simply delighted! The developers have attracted a huge audience of different genre fans, and they enjoyed the game. This is a great success for Creative Assembly and happiness for us )) And based on this, it would be logical to give them (or sell the rights) to create a new TotalWar: Might & Magic! Not turn-based Heroes 8, but specifically an RTS. And don't skimp on the budget because there is a very high probability that the game will more than pay for itself. Think about it yourself.

1) They have a proven, suitable engine that gets better and better with each iteration.
2) They already have successful experience in the fantasy genre, like Warhammer.
3) All the gameplay has already been thought out, and it won't differ much from Warhammer. Heroes will fit in seamlessly.

4) They don't need to rack their brains coming up with a new universe. Everything is ready long ago. The world of Ashan exists and awaits its time. All that remains is to bring it to life by copying the world of Heroes into Total War.

5) In terms of quantity and variety of races, not factions, Ashan will completely overshadow Warhammer! Yes, you heard right. Those who have played both Warhammer and Heroes will confirm this. The main list of creatures consists of humans or humanoids holding swords/axes, spears, sword/axe and shield, spear and shield, halberds, two-handed swords/axes, bows/crossbows, darts/spears, staves, etc. Plus, they are copied and placed on horses and other mounts. There is a very limited selection of actual monsters and unique creatures. Moreover, the same giant or dragon appears in almost all factions. And in this regard, Heroes surpasses Warhammer many times over! Take gnomes as an example. Warhammer - a gnome with all kinds of melee and ranged weapons + explosives + flamethrower. Only 5 types of artillery and several types of aircraft are unique. And that’s IT! Now Heroes – gnomes with melee and ranged attacks + mage + rider on bears. Unique ones include: than, fire dragon, valkyrie, fire giant, lava elemental, kobold, and support units. Impressive. And if we vary them as in the game – a gnome with a spear/axe/halberd/crossbow, a mage on a bear, a fire giant riding a lava elemental, etc., then the number of units will increase even more. And I am sure that this is not the entire roster of gnome faction creatures in Ashan. There will be another couple dozen somewhere deep within mountain caves or on their peaks. I won't list the rest of the races; you can find them yourself online and compare.

6) Regarding the number of factions. An important point. In the game, they differ only by their emblem, initial location, and the presence/absence of a legendary hero!!! That's it! It turns out that we were simply ripped off! But if they make an Ashan Total War, then, based on the above points, they can create truly different sub-factions with different unit compositions. This would be amazing! For example, for the League of Shadows, it would look something like this. Fragments of Night: basic composition + improved furries and soulless, hydras, dark knights. Marked by Shadow: basic composition + improved witches and assassins, faceless ones, dark knights. Grim Hearts: basic composition + improved lizard riders and manticores, hydras, a few creatures from Shio (why not?), no dark knights or faceless ones. Orcs and nagas have an even greater variety of factions.

7) There is also such a thing as "legendary lords." And believe me, there are many in Ashan. Compared to them, Warhammer’s are just pathetic, both in terms of strength and quantity.

8) Warhammer heroes cannot really cast spells. To cast spells, they need the presence of "winds of magic" nearby, which "roam" around the world in very small quantities. And don't think about taking several mage heroes into your army because mana is shared among all!
They can hardly be called mages. In Ashan, every little brat will cast spells better than any of the great lords of Warhammer, ha-ha-ha )) Here, we have magic that is not only normal but even abundant. Everything is permeated with magic. In general, the gameplay will be much more extensive and interesting than in Warhammer.

9) And finally, Creative Assembly definitely won't let us down!

So, here's how it turns out. Now, the world of Warhammer and all its fans think that they are enjoying the best fantasy universe (even if it's harsh), with the most beautiful flora and fauna, Gothic architecture, and where the heroes and creatures are the greatest. They have no idea that they simply pale in comparison to the universe of Ashan ))) It's unfair... We need to fix this quickly. And as long as there is demand for a fantasy Total War, we need to create TotalWar: Might & Magic as soon as possible!!!
https://www.creative-assembly.com/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkgpsHun1sY

I think I would agree with that; it would be nice.
I haven't played Total War: Warhammer. I wanted to, but the small number of factions stopped me. The TW series has always been good because of its huge map, diplomacy, and a crazy number of conflicts and key locations. Perhaps Ashan is better suited for this than the Warhammer world.

6

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Might & Magic: Heroes 8 - should we wait for it or not?

A wish from a seasoned Veteran:

I am really looking forward to the release of the eighth installment, because I only like two strategy games: Heroes and Starcraft. But I love Heroes more.
I didn't like the 6th installment at all, although the ideas were interesting. For example, I liked the aquatic faction with the Kirin.
In the 7th installment, I liked all the factions in general, except for the Champion Knights of the Humans. And my favorite faction, the Dark Elves, included everyone I liked before: I wanted Minotaurs, which were not in the Dark Elves in the third game, because they weren't even a faction there – here you go, I wanted dragons and hydras – you're welcome! (although the dragons were unfairly weakened, especially the black ones).
Of everything I know, Ubisoft is primarily to blame for the failure of the franchise. I don't know what managers were in charge of this project, but you have to look hard to find more incompetent people.
I expect the 8th installment to have all the same factions as the 7th, but with Demon and Elemental factions, I really missed them, even though I probably wouldn't play as them anyway.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the license for the project will be sold to someone who has strategic thinking and a budget for advertising, and, last but not least, good game designers, because filling the map with objects of various types is important. As is the harmony of the factions, as is the graphics, which should be normal, and not like in the 7th installment. Graphics that match the year, even without cutscenes, I don't need them.

A true fan of the series will always wait for Heroes VIII. I won't wait, as I already have many favorite game series. But, in general, I would like the next installment to be no worse than the disappointing seventh game.