Posts from Plugin with bug fixes for SoD.

SoD Bug Fixes

Download: Ben_BugFixes

Authors: Ben80, RoseKavalier, igrik

Fixed bugs:

- Damage bug from ranged towers when a secondary skill "Armor" or the "Air Shield" spell is active, or for petrified creatures (RoseKavalier)
- Bug where all players received extra movement points at sea instead of the lighthouse owner (RoseKavalier)
- Bug where luck did not trigger in battle for creatures without a hero
- Game crash when the AI attacked a hero without creatures (RoseKavalier)
- Interface bugs for Fairy Dragons (RoseKavalier, igrik)
- Bug related to Harpies attacking Dryads (igrik)
- Bug with the "Invisibility" spell (the spell lasted for one game day instead of one turn cycle)
- Bug that allowed for infinite movement points using the Admiral's Hat
- Bug with bonus Defense and Attack for the Blood Obelisk and Banners of Fear (Fortress faction)
- Bug where units were not destroyed by the "Earthquake" spell (RoseKavalier)
- Bug where sea movement points were not recalculated into land movement points when a hero fled a sea battle

Additionally, a controversial decision from the HD mod (with the HD+ option) has been reversed, which caused Naga to receive dragon stones as a bonus instead of sulfur.

Compatibility: It is unlikely to be compatible with plugins that also fix bugs in the original game (e.g., SoD_SP) or significantly change the gameplay. However, there should be no compatibility issues with plugins like SuperPack_Rus.

Game versions: The Shadow of Death or Complete Collection with the HD mod installed (version 3.811f is recommended)

Game mode: any - single-player, multiplayer, network, hotseat, campaigns, etc.

Wouldn't it be better to reach an agreement with Baratortch and integrate this functionality into the HD mod (or rather, into the HD+ option)? It wouldn't be ideal if players soon end up playing "Heroes" each with their own plugins, and if it's just a single-player experience for fun, that's one thing, but if someone uses plugins in an offline tournament, it will be difficult to even track. It could end up being a kind of "unintentional cheating."

Wouldn't it be better to negotiate with Baratortch and integrate this functionality into the HD mod (or rather, into the HD+ option)? It wouldn't be good if players soon end up playing "Heroes" each with their own plugins, and if it's just a single playthrough for fun, that's one thing, but if someone uses plugins in an offline tournament, it will be difficult to even track. It could turn into a kind of "unintentional cheating."

I think that the key issue in Heroes is the issue of trust. If a person is a cheater, they will still find a way to cheat. So, if we talk about the positioning of this plugin, I would recommend using it for groups of players who know each other...

Regarding HD+, I think that it is a rather global problem to agree on what, for example, is a bug and what is not, and what is acceptable in the game. The author of the program/plugin has two options here: either give the user the maximum number of options (but then it will be more difficult for players who use the program to agree among themselves), or authoritatively provide everything as is, while promoting their personal views on the game...

How, for example, could I negotiate with Baratortch (even if he rarely responds), if, for example, I believe that Naga banks should give sulfur, and he believes that they should give dragon stones?

So, a certain chaos, or, if you like, a pluralism of opinions/plugins, will continue in Heroes, and I don't think that this can be resolved in any way...

Additionally, the controversial decision regarding the HD mod (with the HD+ option) has been reversed, which previously resulted in receiving drag stones as a bonus in the Naga bank instead of sulfur.

What logic did the author follow?

There's no logic to it. The sulfur from the Nagas was actually a bug, and it was fixed in Heroes of Might and Magic HD+, because originally, they were supposed to drop dragonstones.

What logic did the author follow?

The author's (Baratorcha's) logic was, firstly, that the map editor's tooltip for the Naga Bank states that it provides dragon stones, and secondly, that each resource bank (except the Naga Bank) provides the resource associated with the city whose creatures defend the resource bank.

As for the logic of the author of this plugin (that is, me), it is as follows:
1) It is impossible to prove that sulfur in Naga Banks is a bug - it was not fixed by NWC (although this was obvious, it was impossible not to know about it). That is, this is the original mechanic that the authors of the classic Heroes 3 maps had in mind (and still have).
2) Resource balance in the game. Gems can be obtained on maps in the Enchanted Garden, and not just once, as in the Naga Bank, but every 2 weeks. At the same time, there are probably more Enchanted Garden-type objects on maps on average than Naga Banks.
Another interesting point related to resource balance is that sulfur is significantly in demand by 5 factions in Heroes 3, while gems are in demand by 3 factions. In addition, in terms of the total amount required for buildings, gems are the least in demand among resources.

These points related to balance were taken into account by NWC. That is, this is generally the elementary thing that some current modders and bug fixers cannot understand.

When this change was first introduced online (like in the Warlords version), I heard a lot of "papal arguments" from several players about why Naga banks should specifically contain sulfur, claiming that there was a deep meaning behind it.

The author's logic was, firstly, that the map editor's tooltip for the Naga Bank states that dragon stones are given, and secondly, that each resource bank (except the Naga Bank) gives the resource associated with the city whose creatures defend the resource bank.

Read carefully

Additionally, the controversial decision of the HD mod (with the HD+ option) has been reversed, which led to receiving dragon stones as a bonus in the Naga Bank instead of sulfur.

Am I the only one reading this and seeing the contradiction between what you are saying now and the quote I highlighted?

According to this quote, the author disagrees with the bug fix in the HD mod, where they fixed the issue of giving sulfur instead of dragon stones, and reverted it back (sulfur in the Naga Bank). And now you are saying that dragon stones should be given instead of sulfur. I don't understand.

Added 2 minutes later
Lol, when I say "author," I mean the author of the plugin in this thread, not the universally respected Baratorch

Now you're saying that stones should be given out instead of sulfur. I don't understand.

Buy two textbooks – one on logic and one on the Russian language. And you will be happy.

Added 1 minute ago

When this change was first introduced in the online version (I think in the BT version), I heard a lot of "papal arguments" from several players about why sulfur should be in the naga banks, and that there was a deep meaning behind it.

The main argument is the game itself.

Buy two textbooks – one on logic and one on the Russian language. And you will be happy.

Correcting a written post (while completely changing its meaning) and then telling me that I'm an idiot – that doesn't take much intelligence from the author.

The bug with the gray resource in the nagabank perfectly illustrates how a single gameplay change can divide players. And the ability to enable/disable individual bug fix options gives us a situation where each player has a slightly "different" version of the game.
Leaving the original bug in place, in the case of the nagabank, is important for those author-created single-player maps where everything is meticulously calculated, including resources and their sources. Replacing the gray resource with dragon stones could either allow the player to bypass the author's restrictions and make the game easier, or, conversely, make it more difficult if the author was counting on the player obtaining the gray resource in the nagabank, and it is scarce or non-existent elsewhere, and there is no market.
So, each bug fix needs to be approached very carefully. And now, players also need to decide, if they are not playing in a tournament, which plugins with which options to use.

For example, I haven't been able to work on all possible aspects of improving the game for a long time. The HD mod has grown so much that its support and development require more than one developer. Or at least, it requires not having any other job besides working on the HD mod. And it's great that there are people who continue to find and fix bugs, and invent all sorts of conveniences for the game. However, I certainly don't like it when my tools, my developments, and my platform are used to fight against the HD mod itself. *** There's also this point... I divide modders into two types. The first are those who advocate for optional and disableable features. Those who want to turn Heroes into a constructor. The second are those who want to create a complete game with unified, fixed rules. Obviously, I and the team consider ourselves to be of the second type. And modders of the first type mostly revolve around WoG and ERA, but there are, of course, exceptions. On the one hand, it seems that the first approach should satisfy most players, because everyone can disable what they don't like and enable what they do like. But reality shows that most players still prefer the results of the work of the second type of creators. The main reason why I advocate for unity and integrity is that only in such a game is competition possible, and generally, any assessment of skill in the game. An example of the opposite: compare the skill of someone playing checkers, someone playing give-away checkers, and someone playing "Chapayev." Who is better at playing? But the board is the same, the pieces are the same; you can consider it the same game. But yes, with the second (integrity, unity) approach, it is not only impossible to fully satisfy all players (there will always be those who categorically dislike something), but also all developers (!) if the project is being developed by a team. When developing HotA, it is often VERY difficult to agree and come to a consensus. But I am convinced that it is necessary to do this (negotiate and come to a single decision). Specifically regarding the reward in the Naga bank. I don't really consider sulfur to be a bug. If you go to the HD mod website, you won't find it in the list of fixed bugs. And this fix in HD+ was made primarily for aesthetic reasons and for consistency. Regarding the impact on balance. The balance in the game is such that it makes sense to talk primarily about the balance of a specific map (RMG generation). And yes, if the map author did not base the Walkthrough on a specific reward in the Naga bank, then it doesn't matter at all what they give there, even if it's wood. A lot of other factors when filling the map make the type of reward in the Naga bank extremely insignificant, so that its impact on the General balance of a specific map can be neglected in 99.9% of cases. *** I would gladly include some of Ben80, RoseKavalier, and igrik's edits in the HD mod in one form or another. And if the authors are not against it, it would be nice for me to get access to their source code. In general, I should have posted this in the SoD_SP thread as well. Hopefully, igrik and (but this is unlikely) RoseKavalier will read this post.

I would gladly include some of Ben80, RoseKavalier, and igrik's edits in the HD mod in one form or another. And if the authors don't mind, it would be great if I could get access to their source code.

Personally, I wouldn't mind sharing my bug fix developments; I'm ready to do so in a private message. There are other fixes, but I'm very reluctant to classify certain game mechanics as bugs (for example, visiting the Naga Bank, the disappearance of a stacked neutral creature, etc.).

Regarding the HD mod, I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to use it and add plugins. I understand that it's impossible to please everyone, but for me, the authenticity of the game is very important, both in terms of gameplay and interface. For example, in the original Naga Bank mechanic, I see a certain aesthetic that lies in its authenticity, even if it seems illogical. For me, the old spellbook, the music at the beginning of the battle, the old backpack, the journal, and other details are important. And, of course, I wouldn't want to lose the possibilities of the HD mod. If I write a plugin for this and someone uses it, it means that this person needs it, and I'm not forcing them to...

As for the people who provided me with their code, igrik, in my opinion, is the person who helps everyone with modding. And RoseKavalier already has a large, huge project, which I think is very important to him. I don't think that fighting against the HD mod is the top priority in this project... And I think that every developer for Heroes would like to convey their vision of the game to some extent. And at the moment, this vision is almost exclusively defined by baratorch. By his work and talent, he certainly deserves it. But nevertheless...

I agree that in terms of gameplay, it's best to come to an agreement so that it's easier for players. But in terms of the interface, I would really like all the options that were in versions 3.x to be returned. Because it's pretty cool to just take and define a new face for Heroes... And for some, different elements may be important for creating the atmosphere. The changes made by HD+ are very important (this is regarding the fight against the HD mod). I think it would be worth giving the user the ability to enable/disable all specific HD+ features through a separate ini file. And in the case of tournaments, the Committee would decide which options to use (perhaps they would leave the most common ones by default).

Specifically regarding the reward in the Naga Bank. I don't really consider sulfur to be a bug. If you go to the HD mod website, you won't find this in the list of fixed bugs. And this fix in HD+ was made primarily for aesthetic reasons and for consistency.
Regarding the impact on balance. The balance in the game is such that it makes sense to talk primarily about the balance of a specific map (RMG generation). And, yes, if the map author didn't base the gameplay on a specific reward in the Naga Bank, then it doesn't matter at all what they give there, even if it's wood. A lot of other factors when creating a map make the type of reward in the Naga Bank extremely insignificant, so that its impact on the overall balance of a specific map can be neglected in 99.9% of cases.

If there is a Naga Bank in the player's zone, the content of the bonus can quite determine whether you will build dragons in 2 weeks, or in 3.

If a Naga Bank is present in the player's zone, the bonus can significantly determine whether you build dragons in 2 weeks, or in 3.

Several other factors can be far more decisive than building dragons in 2 weeks instead of 3. This is a game about heroes; the balance of the map is built from the distribution of a lot of unbalanced stuff. If it were different, Heroes would be boring.

And in terms of the interface, I would really like them to bring back all the options that were in versions 3.x.

Many things are disabled because they are not needed by 99% of players.
I've already been asked to bring back the old book. What other interface tweaks are you missing in the latest versions of the mod?

Many features are disabled because they are not needed by 99% of players.
I have already been asked to restore the old book. What other interface tweaks are you missing in the latest versions of the mod?

I agree that it is not needed by 99% of players. However, I use the HD mod because of the following:
1) Army management. Specifically, only in the hero and city windows, not when heroes meet (due to the presence of non-authentic interface elements).
2) Bug fixes. This is a real treasure. Critical bug fixes and others (HD+).
3) Plugin support.

Therefore, for me, using version 3.811f with almost everything disabled has become a solution. Plus, I wrote a plugin to make the battle results the old way (without the ability to replay) and the inventory the old way.

Added 11 minutes later
I sent you the code in a private message on the VogForum.