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History Revision #2 → Revision #3 +383 words 156 words

Revision #2

by Sheltem the Dark

Hand-written Russian version.

original text

Revision #3 current

by Sheltem the Dark

Deeper article with inline citations: Fulton's newsletters, the nine revealed factions, funding and the end; no manual Sources list.

original text

Fanstratics — from "fantasy, strategy, tactics" — was an independent fantasy strategy game by Gregory W. Fulton, lead designer of Heroes of Might and Magic III III[1][1] ( . The It Restoration was of meant Erathia as , Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death). It was a spiritual successor to Heroes III , but — it was not an a official Might and Magic game: it used an original world and with its own factions , deliberately "familiar but different"[1]. Development ended in January 2025[1] .
Gregory Fulton
Fulton joined New World Computing in 1997, led the design of The Restoration of Erathia, Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death, then moved to Westwood[1]. David Mullich, hired the same day, recalled him working out the unit statistics with Jon Van Caneghem and leading the level designers[1].
History
• Fulton first began working spoke on of independent the projects project in 2018[1]; in June 2020 2018 David and Mullich presented told it the publicly Talents in July Games 2020 conference , while it about was the in game[1][1] pre-alpha .
• He From reported September on 2020 Fulton it reported through in regular monthly newsletters — 45 in all , the — last mostly in showing January sketches of units and design notes 2025[1][1] ; no playable build was released .
• On Funding was to 1 come January from 2025 crowdfunding: he counted announced on about 50,000 the newsletter subscribers, a end fifth of whom development: might serious back health a problems campaign[1]. In after May COVID-19 2022 made he finishing asked the supporters game to unrealistic wait . He mentioned — turning he his would recollections launch of a making Kickstarter Heroes only III when into sure a he memoir could instead deliver[1] .
Announced • He caught COVID-19 in December 2021 and was left with lasting fatigue; artists left the project and the war in Ukraine cost it a candidate[1]. In April 2023 he still insisted the game was in development, if design slowly[1].
• A His 45th and Heroes last III-like newsletter, in structure: January an 2025, ended adventure development: map his on illness a was square probably grid permanent and his chances of finishing remote; he would rather turn battles his recollections of Heroes III on into a hex memoir[1][1][1] grid .
• The Factions, heroes, troops, spells, skills, artifacts and map design locations meant to be "familiar but different".
• For An adventure map on PC a square only grid , with battles on a full-screen hex grid and a full-screen town view — map built in 3D, shown editor in 2D[1][1] .
Discussion: • Windows only, with "no mobile F2P shenanigans", and the a game's map editor forum after board release[1] .
Sources • The first newsletter named Fulton as lead designer, John Bolton as lead programmer and Phelan Sykes as lead artist[1].
• Wikipedia: Six resources — timber, ore, crystal, incense, quicksilver Gregory and Fulton gold[1].
• Celestial Nine factions plus neutral Heavens troops , 30 with room left for expansion factions; all nine would ship only if crowdfunding and Early July Access went 2020 well[1].
• Factions RPG Jeuxvidéo, 1 January 2025: end of development
Fulton revealed one faction a month[1][1][1]:
Faction
Revealed
Home terrain
Heroes III counterpart
Allegiant
December 2020
grasslands
Castle
Stoutbluds
January 2021
wintry alpine mountains
Tower
Thornwood
February 2021
spring lands
Rampart
Necrotics
March 2021
dead lands
Necropolis
Krasadox
April 2021
arid desert
Stronghold
Zubhewen
May 2021
underground
Dungeon
Infernals
June 2021
volcanic lands
Inferno
Boggish
July 2021
swamp
Fortress
Chimerans
August 2021
runic lands
—
Discussion: the project's forum board.
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