Interview with Jon Van Caneghem

"Interview with Jon Van Caneghem, who had some interesting things to say about the early days of the franchise and the road it has taken to today."

http://www.celestialheavens.com/2908-jvc-interview-on-twitch

Heroes 2 could have been a real-time game. :pale:
We fortunately "escaped" to this. :cheers:

Not Heroes 2 actually, but the latter games like H3-H4 and forth. There was a huge trend for strategies to go that way at those times, because it was fresh. As you know, there weren't many RTS simply because computers were sloppy and turn-based games were in the majority.

The future makes its correctives - IMO the best RTS is Starcraft and there aren't many successful RTS since; HoMM2-3, however, can be included in the list of best TBS games by far. But JVC wouldn't be able to predict that.

I absolutely loved that interview with JVC. It was great to have so many questions about the old times of the franchises. He is very wise in his opinions about the perfect Heroes game and that things like good gameplay, balance and replayability in form of a great map editor is the key to a great HoMM. That is also to me what makes the first three games so great (also the graphics and music in especially HoMM II).

There are some mistakes in the CH resume. It said that "H2 needed about 50 [people working on the game].", but that was for H3. He didn't (unfortunately) say how many people worked on H2, but my guess is a bit more than on H1 (which was about 20 towards the end). It is also not completely true that he said that his favorite game was H3, but also H2 very much, maybe because he spent much time with the editor making maps (wonder what maps he made?). "H2 started out as a strategy game, but went in the direction of RPG with the expansions." It just became more RPG oriented (not entirely RPG) in the PoL campaigns, but JVC actually didn't like that much RPG in HoMM (The NWC/3DO HoMM V would return to almost pure strategy). Also like Orzie said so rightfully the RTS switch was only considered for the later games.

EDIT: JVC actually says about H2 that "...but also Heroes II was a special moment for me because I did so much of the detail work in doing all the maps and scenarios."

That means JVC did all (or almost all) of the HoMM II maps!

Another the same interview.

I am afraid that is the same interview, dear Orzie

lol

Well, let it be here as a direct YouTube video then.

Sure. I wonder if JVC check out fan sites for the old games and if he knows about HotA or H3SW. I could be amazing to know what he thinks of those mods.

He will say "amazing" regardless of his real opinion. Professionals don't behave in a different way.

But still I'd like to know what he thinks. These games were his youth.