Heroes of Might and Magic III is one of our childhood’s favorite games, which so often did not have enough time because of studies and other hobbies. We promised ourselves that we would cut into the “Heroes” for whole days, as soon as we retire, but now we start it on the strength a couple of times a year. The coronavirus pandemic and widespread quarantine have limited us in many areas, but at the same time have given us more free time. Cybersport.ru offers to spend part of it on the “Heroes” and compete with other users on the Internet. Moreover, now it is much easier to do than before.
How to play Heroes 3 online
Fans of Heroes of Might and Magic III do not particularly favor the Ubisoft HD remaster – many of them directly state that with this update the company simply wanted to capitalize on the brand. There are now two online lobby options: the classic version of The Shadow of Death with the installed Baratorch HD mod and the addon Horn of the Abyss. The first lobby is paid and will require a subscription for ₽168 per month. The second lobby is free and, as many claim, more comfortable and popular among fans. In Horn of the Abyss, all official Heroes tournaments are held, and top players and streamers sit on this platform. The HotA addon has its own group on VKontakte, and you can download the latest version with the lobby installed via the link. We will talk more about this option later.
To enter the network game, you need to create an account according to a simplified template – you will only need a unique login, password and email. After registration, you will be taken to the main page of the online lobby, which will open directly in the game.
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On the left side of the lobby there is a window with a list of user matches, their description, the name of the templates and the number of players. The rating of the host player in the general ladder is also indicated there. When creating a match, you can set a password on it to restrict access to outsiders.
On the right side of the lobby is the main chat channel with a list of users who are currently online. You can chat with each of them in private correspondence, add a player to your friends list, or block them. In the profile you can see the individual rating of the opponent and the number of “likes”. Usually they are put by opponents if the match was held without delays or any technical problems. These “likes” are a kind of reputation / reliability equivalent. The more there are, the greater the chance that the match with this player will take place without overlays.
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In addition to “likes,” all players in the online lobby have an individual rating. It is awarded based on the results of matches depending on the number of points the opponents have. The calculations are based on the ELO rating, which is used in chess. Thanks to the online lobby, all calculations are done automatically.
The list of the best ladder players can be found here – in the “Rating” tab. It lists the top 100 users, the number of matches played by them, as well as statistics of victories, losses and draws.
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What you need to know before the match
rules
The rules in Heroes 3 are both complex and simple. They are difficult because each card (template) on which matches are played has its own characteristics or limitations. To remember all of them and not to get confused, you will need some time, and maybe clarification from the judge. On the other hand, all these conditions are relevant only during official tournaments, and in simple matches users can set (or ignore) any rules by mutual agreement. Only the rules of fair play and respectful communication between rivals remain unchanged.
Patterns
Usually, all matches in the online lobby are held on templates (there are more than 20 of them), this is a set of formats for random card generation. They contain a certain type and size of territory, the number of participants, the presence of a dungeon or water, the number of castles and resource mines, the strength of monsters, the possibility of using a simultaneous move and other conditions. Some templates have restrictions on the use of certain spells or the order of choosing a castle / heroes has been changed. There are templates for duels (1v1) and team matches (2v2), you can play the kind of “royal battle” with three participants (1v1v1), and some of the templates have computer rivals, which also adds to the game’s interest. You can learn more about them here.
Bargaining
Before the start of the match, participants conduct a series of “biddings” during which they choose a castle from two randomly proposed by the system. This pair of locks can be changed by mutual agreement or for game gold. If the matchup suits the players, then they start bargaining for the castle – place a bet on the amount that they give to the opponent on the first day of the match. When one of the participants selects a lock, the second will have the opportunity to choose a color.
If bargaining is not possible, then the choice of locks by striking out is allowed. Players take turns removing from the complete list, including ten castles, those that do not want to play until there are three left. The player who crossed out the second selects a castle from the three remaining ones, then another player selects the castle from the two remaining ones and announces the color he wants to play.
“Color in heroes is like color in chess. Red is always one step ahead. Participants play with simultaneous progress until the moment of a possible meeting. As a rule, the first week. This significantly speeds up the gameplay. But after the simultaneous moves are completed, the game goes on as it should – first goes red, and then blue.
If the game lasts ten gaming days and red attacks blue, then red made ten moves, and blue only nine – with all the consequences. And if blue attacks red, then they both make ten moves. The shorter the batch duration, the more this factor decides. At some point, it ceases to matter, and then the advantages of blue come into play.
The most important of them is the instant replenishment of mana when transferring progress. Mana in “Heroes” is restored when the game day changes. If the red one left the tenth move and sat in the castle to replenish the mana, then it will recover only after the blue one makes its tenth move – at the beginning of the 11th day. Thus, blue has the ability to attack the red player when he is without mana. Blue also has slight advantages on restarting when creating a map, because it makes a decision after red. ”
Restarts
At the beginning of each match, players have the opportunity to restart and start the match anew. The reasons for this may be different, they are all described in detail in the tournament rules. Sometimes a map may be generated with errors – for example, if the exit from your castle is blocked by a strong neutral detachment or the guard at the artifact does not block access to it. In other cases, players restart the match if they meet each other too early. In addition, there is a rule of subjective restart, when each participant can ask to recreate the card without explaining the reasons to the opponent. In all these cases, there are restrictions on the number of restarts and the time of their use.
Who to play?
There are ten castles in the Horn of the Abyss: Castle, Stronghold, Tower, Fortress, Citadel, Inferno, Necropolis, Dungeon, Conjugation and Pier. Each of them has its pros, cons and unique features, which often change depending on the map template. Last year, HotA developers introduced the concept of a new castle called Factory. New units have already been announced and one of the cut scenes for the campaign has even been shown, but so far only the soil has been added to the game.
Factory Dreadnought | Photo: vk.com/h3hota
Despite the fact that the game was released more than 20 years ago, new tactics and strategies still appear in it, and the fashion for some heroes alternates with their oblivion. Perhaps the best source of information about Heroes of Might and Magic III for you will be streams of professional players and, of course, personal experience! Go for it!
The author of the article thanks Konstantin Dirty_Player Petenev for his help in writing the material
