It's time for some critics.

[eMeM]

Originally Posted by Smash

- Rage spirits are just spells for warrior, i really missed two things with them first some more buff debuff spells, too much not worth damage spells and theirs presence on the battlefield as powerful units.

I couldn't agree more! That's just pathetic idea from game devs. I just wanted to play warrior the only way its meant to be played - brutal force! Yeah, yeah, i can still do that but come on.

Originally Posted by Smash

- < reserve slot for more complaints >

Only reason I played it for so long was because I spent few days (and nights) playing it so I wanted to at least finish it. As time passed it only get more boring and I was more and more annoyed. Dont get me wrong. I like many things about KB: tL. Overall it's a good game.

[onepiece]

Originally Posted by Smash

It is time for some harsh words. Game was charged for full price in Poland and it really give little in back. To make some things clear i am big fan of homm3 and disciples 2 but i hate homm5 for various reasons.

Overall game looks rushed:
- nothing worth calling intro
- pathetic story, beginning looks great especially myth style prolog but more deeper more nonsense.
- first 2 lands look rich but later i got feel of rush, less of everything.
- very small creature poll, especially when most of them are similar (bears) or are blank (zombies, dwarves, miners) or looks very similar orc -> orc veteran what can piss off. To much run skill (run for zombie? wth?) give you feeling of lack of ideas (btw, no lvl 5 human unit? oO).
- not as much random mostly because of small creatures and items poll, plus some plays will always has specific type of creature.
- To much ideas from others place making game funny maybe at first glance but it only show that they didn't have ideas so they borrow. Everyone love easter eggs but this whole game is easter egg. Most irritating thing? turtle and world.
- when you see in dwarves mines magma rock showing that demons are slowing taking land from dwarves plus war mention plus all this defense with cannons you are expecting to see some cool ingame battles between two forces, at least cut scene, nope nothing in other words world is too static, nothing happen, no adrenaline pump until you are running away from beholders
- AI, word pathetic is too weak, most stupid ai i have yet to see, ai casting blind on one of your soldiers just to attack them right away? Omg.
- flat, boring battlefield, common we have, let me check end of 2008? After playing homm3 for over 7 years this will not increase my interest. No treasures or statues make a job. Please more ingenuity.
- fighting with bosses where somehow refresh but only 3? And you meet them in first half of the game? No end game boss? WTH? No time, money or ideas?
- Talent tree very boring and too much useless skills, no game changing skills as much as i hate homm5 in term of hero progression aka skills it beats kb on head.
- Spells lack something, like f.e. not enough mass spells, if there is precision where is bloodlust, shield etc.
- Rage spirits are just spells for warrior, i really missed two things with them first some more buff debuff spells, too much not worth damage spells and theirs presence on the battlefield as powerful units.
- path finding issues, really i would love to click on some long distance and watch as my hero move there not watching as he crash on nearest obstacle or even not move in first place so have to do step by step sometimes.
- < reserve slot for more complaints >

On plus i like environment very much especially this jumping from tree too tree squirrels, battlefield which is not random but bigger version of where you met opponent (impressive), art works and elvish music

But seriously i doubt that they will rid me of money for their expansion if they don't put more effort into it.

I agree with you only in that there aren't many units, and they are kind of the same (gost-cursed ghost, swordmen-guardsmen). In my case, by Elf's land I had already seen all of them so from there on it turned kind of repetitive to not see new ones (I expected new units for the final battle).

3 bosses? yes and they are in the first half of the game. There could be a truly strong one for the final battle!!.

Cut scenes? Yes but only a few (after a characters like Karador or Hass death). Or a cool intro.

Talent skill could be a little bigger, with skills that could only be reached near the end of the game because of rune requierements. And make mind skills more useful, most of them are useless.

Reserve slots? Yes please!! It could disbalance the whole game but it could also lead to new strategies and, come on, some battles where 10 against 5! It could have been a little fairier plus it was a irritant. I mean, I attack a castle with only 5 when he has twice as much as me? Not the best way to win a battle. And about disbalancing the game, give more troops to the enemies, or create a better AI.

The history is not a masterpiece but HELL, other games have far worse and are still entertaining. Sure it could have been better, but it could be worse.

A little balancing could use the chest of rage. There are only a few really useful abilities and the others take space for only 4 precious techniques per summon ( Lina specially, not useful enough)

And money could be more valuable. I had little 4 MM by the end of the game and not a single item sold so it looked like it was just for decoration. Maybe make it more scarce or things more expensive.

But aside from that, what a great gaming experience!! I don’t remember becomming so addicted to a game since I played Titan’s Quest and Inmortal Throne and beat the 3 difficulties one after another. KB:L is a great game, small mistakes are there but still the experience is there: GREAT

P.S: Put more vocalized music in the expansion pleaseeeee ( Shadow of and Oak pleople?)

[Ish]

I'm a big fan of HOMM and kings bounty.

My take on HOMM for those who havent played it (suprised to be honest.. as I thought most KB fans would have come from a heroes background..)

Heroes 3 was awesome, and it had great expansion packs - Armageddons blade and the shadow of death. It was very fun in single player and multiplayer. I didnt really play wog, so wont comment on that.

Heroes 5 was very fun in multiplayer as there are quite diverse tactical options, far beyond mere fighting, but also in character and kingdom development. However it's single player campaign is rather lacking... as it is more complex than KB and harder to even up the AI without 'cheating'. It also had a terrible story which made you not care about the characters or anything like that.

[it-ogo]

First some very general statements. Usually we don't really know why do we like a game. I can say (suppose) why HOMM V is bad: small number of castles killed the strategy and new battle mechanics killed tactics. But I can not say why HOMM IV is bad. It has many improvements which are very nice by itself. A fraction system, magic system, hero promotion system, battle system in particular were very nice with few minor faults. But overall gameplay was much worse then in HOMM III. I don't really know why.

Second, my position towards Disciples 2: I strongly appreciate its style-atmosphere-art and storyline, but the gameplay for me was slightly too boring. I did not finish expansion campaigns.

Then about KB:L. It has lesser potential and replayability then HOMM III mainly because of absense of random generated games and limited modding possibilities. It's too early to compare campaigns as KB:L expansions are to be made. But the battle system is better then in HOMM III. How do I mark it: a hardcore player have longer way to perfection. Many may have a pleasure of playing but few can make something like "no losses on impossible". So you are always have a way to become better tactician and strategist. It was not so realy in HOMM III IMHO - the cap of perfection was much lower.

And I really like the the concept of rune-sphere system of hero promotions (as well as its concrete implementation). I think it is the first system of that kind in gaming but I know analogies in the area of sensorics. That is what really can provide flexibility and specificity in the same time - that means great variaty of viable pathways and good adaptation mechanism.

It is hard to compare tactics in KB-HOMM with XCOM-Jagged Alliance. The latter have much bigger and diverse arenas while the former have developed magic system and those make different kinds of tactical systems. Now I don't see the way to combine it successfully. Maybe AD&D gives something intermediate.

[Ish]

Originally Posted by it-ogo

First some very general statements. Usually we don't really know why do we like a game. I can say (suppose) why HOMM V is bad: small number of castles killed the strategy and new battle mechanics killed tactics. But I can not say why HOMM IV is bad. It has many improvements which are very nice by itself. A fraction system, magic system, hero promotion system, battle system in particular were very nice with few minor faults. But overall gameplay was much worse then in HOMM III. I don't really know why.

Second, my position towards Disciples 2: I strongly appreciate its style-atmosphere-art and storyline, but the gameplay for me was slightly too boring. I did not finish expansion campaigns.

Then about KB:L. It has lesser potential and replayability then HOMM III mainly because of absense of random generated games and limited modding possibilities. It's too early to compare campaigns as KB:L expansions are to be made. But the battle system is better then in HOMM III. How do I mark it: a hardcore player have longer way to perfection. Many may have a pleasure of playing but few can make something like "no losses on impossible". So you are always have a way to become better tactician and strategist. It was not so realy in HOMM III IMHO - the cap of perfection was much lower.

And I really like the the concept of rune-sphere system of hero promotions (as well as its concrete implementation). I think it is the first system of that kind in gaming but I know analogies in the area of sensorics. That is what really can provide flexibility and specificity in the same time - that means great variaty of viable pathways and good adaptation mechanism.

It is hard to compare tactics in KB-HOMM with XCOM-Jagged Alliance. The latter have much bigger and diverse arenas while the former have developed magic system and those make different kinds of tactical systems. Now I don't see the way to combine it successfully. Maybe AD&D gives something intermediate.

I would argue otherwise based off playing heroes 3 and 5 extensively online.

When you play against the computer you play at a level to achieve what your goal is, whether it's to beat the game on impossible or shortest amount of days.

In HOMM 3 & 5 online you have to play against people with hundreds of games under their belt, with large variation in strategies due to difference races, artifacts and tactical approaches.

HOMM has both tactical and strategic considerations, where as KB is more about exploiting very effective strategies, units and artifacts once you discover them.


I like both games for different things, KB is fun single player, HOMM is great in multiplayer if you have an experienced opponent.

I'm still playing through my first game of KB, and (probably due to my HOMM experience) am not having much difficulty on impossible with a paladin.

Anyway both are great games!

[Dorkus]

I don't agree with most of these criticisms, HOWEVER, the talent tree is sort of a waste of time. THe mage tree is the only one that has any game changing abilities.