Posts from Balance in HotA. Auto-translated

The current situation, where everyone is obsessed with two spells and the entire game is built around them, doesn't seem favorable to me (and probably not to others either). Many ideas have already been put forward on this topic, including rebalancing the schools of magic and adding new control spells, but all these ideas were limited to changing the magic itself. So, here's what came to my mind: you can create competition for the control spells not only with new spells but also with new objects on the map. (Although the City Portal has been added to the game, the developers have probably already thought about this).

Creating an object that replicates the functionality of the Dimension Door spell would probably not be very reasonable, as there are already objects with similar functionality on the map – portals. If you increase the number of portals so that you can quickly reach any point on the map through some portal, the value of the DD spell will decrease naturally.

Regarding the fly spell, there is a beautiful and atmospheric idea – add a new object called "Pegasus Stables." This object will have quite a high value and will equip the hero's army with flying horses, allowing him to fly around the map for the rest of the week. At the same time, similar to ordinary stables, you can upgrade pegasi for free in the Pegasus Stables.

I also came up with two objects with completely new functionality, but they fit well into the game mechanics:

1) Summoning Portal. Unlike the dungeon summoning portal, which for some reason clones troops instead of summoning them, the external Summoning Portal will allow you to buy troops from all available dwellings and cities. When visiting the object, a list of available cities appears (as when using the Town Portal spell), plus a list of external dwellings.

2) Communication Portal. An object for instant exchange of troops and artifacts between heroes. When visiting the object, a list of all heroes in the kingdom appears. You select the desired hero – an exchange window appears, as with a normal hero contact. The object can be used no more than once a day.

Corresponding spells can be added to the fire and water schools. An option can be added to the template settings – the maximum number of casts on the adventure map. (It's strange why you can only cast one spell per round in battle, but on the adventure map – as many as you want).

All of the above will not only balance but also speed up the Gameplay, which is more of a plus than a minus. Another interesting point is that these objects will significantly reduce the need to build chains, which cause confusion (in some cases, even rejection) in the minds of new players, and in general, they don't look very good from the perspective of game logic and common sense.

Socola, I wasn't suggesting listening to those who don't play online. However, these days, watching streams would be enough for a reasonable assessment of the situation. Regarding the increase in imbalance, I'd like to hear the reasoning, if any.

The argument is that objects like, for example, a stable with wings, are an incredibly overpowered element. Giving one to a player makes it easy to control the game, and they win easily.

And in general, implementing the proposed ideas will only lead to a simplification of the game, which will diminish skill, and the distribution of objects will play an even greater role.

In my opinion, balancing control is easiest achieved by providing "easy control" to both players.

Otherwise, factors such as wings, Chaos Zone, or Knight's Vault in the first Utopia will continue to play a significant role. It is quite possible that in HotA, it will be possible to customize the template so that both players receive the necessary objects.

That's a debatable statement. Again, adjusting the balance of the distribution is a separate issue, but simplifying the game, in my opinion, is a plus for both players and viewers. The fact that these objects can change the established gameplay does not mean that skill will be diminished; it simply means that the concept of "skill" will change, i.e., only the standard technique of the game will change. The introduction of workshops and candies is a prime example of how new objects can refresh the gameplay without causing imbalance or rejection.

In general, the paradigm of today's online games is such that control is one of the most important elements of the game, and to gain it, one must make certain efforts, rather than simply leaving the castle and seeing a stable with a free flyer.

Simplification can only be a plus for a casual audience, but there is practically no such audience among Heroes players.

Naturally, obtaining these stables will require some effort, as they will have high value and will likely only generate in treasure chests.

"Simplification" on a surface level does not at all mean simplification on a deep gameplay level. Even with these objects, the game will become not easier, but perhaps even harder, due to greater variability in decision-making. Moreover, the main advantage of these objects is the acceleration of gameplay, which, in my opinion, is necessary for modern Heroes as an e-sport.

Another interesting point is that these objects will significantly reduce the need to build chains, which cause confusion (and in some cases, even rejection) in the minds of new players, and generally don't look very good from the perspective of game logic and common sense.

The proposed objects don't offer much in this regard – the effect is simple and straightforward, and the only difficulty might be geographical (if they are inconveniently located). Moreover, if the location is convenient, the effect becomes amazing.

And if you make the value of stables 20000+, so that they only generate in treasures and are guarded by strong creatures, what will be the difference between them and wings?

And the Pegasus upgrade will clearly lose its relevance by that time.

While today, the only thing missing is a revamp of the game mechanics in some form (the SOD version is quite acceptable) and fixing Jeremy.

Excellent point! I suggest replacing Jeremy with starting logistics for attack or armor. Or just leave artillery (advanced, of course). Otherwise, it has both strong firepower and good mobility...