Heroes of Might and Magic 228152 225370791 2008-07-13T09:42:14Z Axl 128897 /* Combat */ Square grid {{otheruses4|the series|the first game|Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest}} '''''Heroes of Might and Magic''''' is a series of [[video game]]s created by [[New World Computing]]. As part of the ''[[Might and Magic]]'' franchise, the series changed ownership when NWC was acquired by [[The 3DO Company|3DO]] and again when 3DO closed down and sold the rights to [[Ubisoft]]. The games feature [[turn-based]], [[fantasy]]-themed conflicts in which players control armies of [[mythical creature]]s. The series began in 1995 with the release of the first title, and has most recently seen a release in 2007 with an expansion to the fifth title. The series is directed primarily at the [[DOS]] and [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] platforms, with sporadic support for [[Mac OS]] over the years. ''Heroes III'' was ported to [[Linux]]. [[GameTap]] has carried the first four games in the series since [[2006]]. Remakes have appeared on the [[Game Boy Color]] and [[PlayStation 2]]. [[Image:HoMM2 screenshot.png|256px|thumb|right|Screenshot from ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic II]]'']] ==Games== ''[[King's Bounty]]'' (1990), an earlier game from [[New World Computing]], largely precipitated the design of ''Heroes'' and is included in some ''Heroes'' anthologies. It was later remade and branded as a ''Heroes'' title for the [[PlayStation 2]] game, ''Quest for the Dragon Bone Staff''. *''[[Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest]]'' (1995) *''[[Heroes of Might and Magic II|Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars]]'' (1996) **''The Price of Loyalty'' (1997) *''[[Heroes of Might and Magic III]]'' (1999) **''[[Armageddon's Blade]]'' (1999) **''[[Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death|The Shadow of Death]]'' (2000) *''[[Heroes of Might and Magic IV]]'' (2002) **''The Gathering Storm'' (2002) **''Winds of War'' (2003) *''[[Heroes of Might and Magic V]]'' (2006) **''[[Hammers of Fate]]'' (2006) **''[[Tribes of the East]]'' (2007) ===Spin-offs=== *''[[Heroes of Might and Magic (Game Boy Color)|Heroes of Might and Magic]]'' (Game Boy Color, 2000) *''[[Heroes Chronicles]]'' (2000) *''[[Heroes of Might and Magic: Quest for the Dragon Bone Staff]]'' (PlayStation 2, 2001) *''[[Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms]]'' (2008) ===Anthologies=== *''Heroes of Might and Magic Compendium'' (1997), includes ''King's Bounty'' and first two ''Heroes'' games including expansion pack *''Heroes of Might and Magic Millennium Edition'' (1999), includes ''King's Bounty'' and first three ''Heroes'' games, but not the ''Heroes III'' expansions *''Heroes of Might and Magic Platinum Edition'' (2002), includes first three ''Heroes'' games and their expansions *''Heroes of Might and Magic Complete Edition'' (2008), includes all five ''Heroes'' games and their expansions ==Gameplay== The ''Heroes'' series is within the genre of [[turn-based strategy]]. The titular heroes are [[player character]]s who can recruit armies, move around the [[level (computer and video games)|map]], capture resources, and engage in combat. The heroes also incorporate some [[role-playing game]] elements; they possess a set of [[statistic (role-playing games)|statistics]] that confer bonuses to an army, [[artifact (fantasy)|artifacts]] that enhance their powers, and knowledge of [[magic (gaming)|magical spells]] that can be used to attack enemies or produce strategic benefits. Also, heroes gain [[experience point|experience level]]s from battle, such that veteran heroes are significantly more powerful than inexperienced ones. Experienced heroes may persist through a campaign, but do not carry over between single scenarios. On a typical map, players begin a game with one town of a chosen alignment. The number of different alignments varies throughout the series, with the lowest count of four appearing initially in ''Heroes I'' and peaking at nine in the ''Heroes III'' expansion ''Armageddon's Blade''. Each town alignment hosts a unique selection of creatures from which the player can build an army. Town alignment also determines other unique traits such as native hero classes, special bonuses or abilities, and leanings toward certain skills or kinds of magic. Towns play a central role in the games since they are the primary source of income and new recruits. A typical objective in each game is to capture all enemy towns. Maps may also start with neutral towns, which do not send out heroes but may still be captured by any player. It is therefore possible, and common, to have more towns than players on a map. When captured, a town retains its alignment type, potentially allowing the new owner to create a mixed army. A player or team is eliminated when no towns or heroes are left under their control. Barring any special conditions, the last player or team remaining is the victor. A side objective commonly appearing in the series is the acquisition of a powerful object called either the [[grail]] or the "ultimate artifact," buried under a random tile on the map. As heroes visit special locations called [[obelisk]]s, pieces are removed from a [[jigsaw puzzle]]-like map, gradually revealing its location to the player. Once found, it confers immense bonuses to the player capable of breaking stalemates: the grail can be taken back to a town and used to build a special structure, while the ultimate artifact provides the bonuses directly through possession. ===Time and resource model=== Each turn (consisting of all players' moves) is represented as a single [[day]], and days are organized into cycles of [[week]]s and [[month]]s (measured as four weeks). The primary resource is [[gold]], which is generated by towns on a daily basis. Gold alone is sufficient for obtaining basic buildings and most creatures. As construction progresses, increasing amounts of secondary resources such as [[wood]] and [[ore]] are required. These resources, as well as gold, are produced at [[mining|mines]], which are located on the map and require heroes to capture them. As with towns, mines can also be captured by enemy heroes, presenting an additional avenue for conflict. At the start of each week, creature dwellings produce new recruits. In some of the games, the start of a new month causes neutral armies to spawn all over the map, providing fresh challenges and opportunities. ===Combat=== Whenever a player engages in battle, the game changes from the adventure map display to a combat screen, which is based on either a [[hex map|hexagonal]] or square grid. In this mode, the game mimics the [[turn-based tactics]] genre, as the engaged armies must carry through the battle without the opportunity to reinforce or gracefully retreat. With few exceptions, combat must end with the losing army [[desertion|deserting]] or being destroyed, or paying a heavy price in gold to surrender. Surrendering allows the player to keep the remaining units intact. Creatures in an army are represented by unit stacks, each of which consists of a single type of creature, in any quantity. A limited number of stacks are available to each army, varying by game. Players generally maneuver their stacks attempting to achieve the most favorable rate of [[attrition warfare|attrition]] for themselves. The games also have an automatic combat option that allows the computer to make tactical choices for a player. Heroes participate in battle as well: passively by granting bonuses to their army, and actively by casting spells. In most of the games, heroes do not act as units, and cannot be harmed. However, in ''Heroes IV'' they do act as regular units and can be killed. Combat is affected by several random factors. In addition to simulating [[dice]] rolls to determine damage, a variety of influences including hero abilities and special bonuses determine a unit's luck and morale ratings, which affect the likelihood of those units triggering a bonus during combat. A unit that triggers good luck deals more (or receives less) damage, and a unit that triggers high morale receives an extra turn. In some of the games, luck and morale can also be negative, with opposite corresponding effects. ===History of changes=== Knowledge allows heroes to cast more spells, either through a spell memorization (HoMM I) or spell point (II-V) system. Heroes II introduced secondary skills. Heroes can learn a limited variety of secondary skills with several levels of proficiency. Secondary skills give specific, miscellaneous bonuses to heroes and their armies. For example, skill in [[logistics]] increases the distance a hero's army can travel, while skill in leadership gives their army a [[morale]] bonus. ===Replay value=== Games in the series often include a map editor or random map generator. ==Reception== Critical reception for the series has been generally positive, with [[Game Rankings]] scores averaging from the high 70s to high 80s. [[New World Computing]] closed after the production of [[Heroes of Might and Magic IV]], and since then the rights to the franchise have been owned by [[Ubisoft]]. [[Nival Interactive]] developed the first game in the series since the changeover, ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic V]]''. ==External links== *[http://www.mightandmagic.com ''Might and Magic'' official franchise website] *{{dmoz|Games/Video_Games/Strategy/Turn-Based/Heroes_of_Might_and_Magic_Series|''Heroes of Might and Magic'' series}} {{Might and Magic series}} [[Category:Heroes of Might and Magic| ]] [[Category:Video game franchises]] [[bg:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[cv:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[cs:Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest]] [[da:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[de:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[es:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[fr:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[ko:히어로즈 오브 마이트 앤 매직]] [[it:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[he:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[hu:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[lt:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[nl:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[no:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[pl:Heroes of Might and Magic (seria)]] [[ru:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[sl:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[fi:Heroes of Might and Magic]] [[sv:Heroes of Might and Magic (spelserie)]] [[zh:魔法门之英雄无敌]]