[H3SW 0.8.1] The Ultimate Mug of Ale

Dear H3SW community,
Allow me to present my fifth map - the Heroes of Might & Magic 4 classic: The Ultimate Mug of Ale in the coat of H3SW.

Size: S
Players: 3 (1 playable)
Suggested difficulty: At least hard

Description:
Evil Nigel Butterworth III. has kidnapped George DeGnome's family and locked them in his dungeons. In order to save them George has to bring Nigel a recipe for the Ultimate Mug of Ale, which grants immortality to the one who drinks it.

Preview:


Download link:
https://ulozto.net/!nScFzQMHbKj0/h3sw-the-ultimate-mug-of-ale-h3m#_ga=2.68006481.137209457.1561304552-2020915797.1539888492

or alternatively

http://homm2.free.fr/maps/up/H3SW%20-%20The%20Ultimate%20Mug%20of%20Ale.h3m

Have fun and feel free to comment

Desorienting !
Day 1 of the map, A long bla bla for an artefact, but I see that the mission's objective is to capture a Castle.  

I played in Hard mode, 68 days.
After finishing the map, I think the short story is good.  
But this hero is just born ...i don't want to spoil so i will not write more.  

If there is some trick required for special victory condition, I think we can try something. I'll get back to the map in a few days to check the details.

Orzie wrote:

If there is some trick required for special victory condition, I think we can try something. I'll get back to the map in a few days to check the details.

Nah don't worry, nothing of that kind.
My first line was "at start of the map", i'll edit my message to make it more clear.

Well, this was a try to remake one of my favourite HoMM4 maps, including the story, which goes:

1. good guy has to find artifact to have his family released
2. he gives artifact to the bad guy, yet he runs away and doesn't release anyone
3. good guy finds and kills the bad guy in his castle
4. good guy saves his family

In HoMM4 editor you could dynamically change victory condition text with any event script so you would really know, what would happen in the future - the original win condition text was something like: "Save Daddy DeGnome, Mom DeGnome and Sis DeGnome", since HoMM4 win condition text didn't have to have anything in common with the actual event triggering a victory.

The quest/event script system was the very best thing in history of HoMM map editors, it was simple, yet providing almost endless options for mapmakers.
I so wish that HoMM3:SW would replicate it, but I very much expect it not to, just because of how much coding of the engine would that need...

But thanks for playing and writing your thoughts

H3SW still has its roots in WoG, so we still have access to the ERM script language. So, technically, a lot of things are possible, they are just harder to use for people who are not familiar with the language syntax (such as me, for example).

Yes, HoMM4 plot development and text writing was really awesome. I completely support you on the point. It might seem a bit too much for the fans of other installments of the game, but writing was something that was really charming. In H3SW, the campaign texts will be closer to HoMM4 in approach, with probably less text volume in order to not scare the auditory.

Orzie wrote:

H3SW still has its roots in WoG, so we still have access to the ERM script language. So, technically, a lot of things are possible, they are just harder to use for people who are not familiar with the language syntax (such as me, for example).

I never played nor made maps for WoG, so I cannot pretend to be an expert in that case, but I still have to praise the accessibility and features of HoMM4 event system.
I don't know if you ever made maps in HoMM4, but it had a if-then system of events, where IF was deduced from type of event (timed, placed, hero-death, town-capture, quest, etc.), and ELSE was for all the same consequence menu from which you just chose actions you wanted ranging all from give resource, add exp, change allignement of towns, to destroying obstacles on map. And it was easy enough to use for an 10-year-old who barely spoke english.

Orzie wrote:

Yes, HoMM4 plot development and text writing was really awesome. I completely support you on the point. It might seem a bit too much for the fans of other installments of the game, but writing was something that was really charming. In H3SW, the campaign texts will be closer to HoMM4 in approach, with probably less text volume in order to not scare the auditory.

Price of Peace and Half-Dead rule them all! Suck a big fat D Ubisoft!

I couldn't move through water gate, cause opponent stole ankh and run away : (

YhyJasne wrote:

I couldn't move through water gate, cause opponent stole ankh and run away : (

Yeah, I didn't really thought about that happening. Not really sure about how to fix that, though :/
I could just put there coloured gates and tents, but I do not really want to. I guess losing one of the key artifacts counts itself as a lose condition

But thanks for playing and providing that ever so welcome feedback

How the situation would be resolved in the original H4 map, then? I suppose, similar conditions should be replicated here.

Orzie wrote:

How the situation would be resolved in the original H4 map, then? I suppose, similar conditions should be replicated here.

In original version of the map you collect 3 artifacts, give them to quest giver, recieve another artifact, which you bring to a quest tower. Then you lose artifacts and an event deletes barrier allowing you to go underground.

In my version there is no such event, you just go to a quest hut just after the quest tower, you get Ankh (only human player can get it), then you give it to another quest tower in water allowing you to go underground.

Only way of losing the Ankh is sending a weak hero for it, and while he is on the way back, enemy catches him, and either returns back behind his gate, for which you don't have a key, or retreats from the battle.

Well, in this case, everything seems legit. The player can still catch a computer hero someday, they will just lose more time in doing so.

Just wrapped up a game of this map today, very inventive!  I never played Heroes 4, so I don't get the origin reference.  I did Impossible and it took me 39 days (394 points).  Those Devils you gift us with are quite effective .

The design was very good and I did not run into any problems.  It took me a few starts to get going, as I was pretty surprised when my first town was taken away from me on day three by red!   I realized that on impossible I had to get a seed that started me with a woodpile nearby my hero or I couldn't get the tavern in the town to hire defensive heroes.  If I had played anything easier than Impossible I probably would not have had that issue.

I did manage to get up to a level 5 mages guild in my primary town, but was not gifted with any game breaking spells (dimension door, town portal, fly, or water walking), luckily  .  More fun on this map without those!

Thanks again for the work you put into it, very enjoyable.

Just~Another~Lemming wrote:

Just wrapped up a game of this map today, very inventive!  I never played Heroes 4, so I don't get the origin reference.  I did Impossible and it took me 39 days (394 points).  Those Devils you gift us with are quite effective .

The design was very good and I did not run into any problems.  It took me a few starts to get going, as I was pretty surprised when my first town was taken away from me on day three by red!   I realized that on impossible I had to get a seed that started me with a woodpile nearby my hero or I couldn't get the tavern in the town to hire defensive heroes.  If I had played anything easier than Impossible I probably would not have had that issue.

I did manage to get up to a level 5 mages guild in my primary town, but was not gifted with any game breaking spells (dimension door, town portal, fly, or water walking), luckily  .  More fun on this map without those!

Thanks again for the work you put into it, very enjoyable.

Thanks again for playing and for providing feedback. I am glad you like the little map

The wood pile part catched me out of guard a bit, didn't you miss the Pandora's Box, which gives you 20 wood? Or did you want to build either fort and tavern? Why would you want to do that? The wizard town is there just for giving you a few days to breathe, I didn't really expect anyone to try to build anything in it (except town hall).

And yes, in some of my maps are those spells impossible to obtain

That is true, but I can't wait that long if I want to take that red town on the left.  He gets too powerful too fast and I am always looking for the very best play.  I couldn't get the devils and the pandoras box on that first turn.  I could however get enough gold piles and that one wood pile to purchase a tavern on turn 1 and had enough gold to hire two heroes right off the bat and take the down the creature stack along the road with one hero and then my 2nd hero had just enough movement to take red town on the on turn one.  You placed the enemy hero just out of town, so I snuck in there right away!  

Just~Another~Lemming wrote:

That is true, but I can't wait that long if I want to take that red town on the left.  He gets too powerful too fast and I am always looking for the very best play.  I couldn't get the devils and the pandoras box on that first turn.  I could however get enough gold piles and that one wood pile to purchase a tavern on turn 1 and had enough gold to hire two heroes right off the bat and take the down the creature stack along the road with one hero and then my 2nd hero had just enough movement to take red town on the on turn one.  You placed the enemy hero just out of town, so I snuck in there right away!  

I didn't even think about such outrageous tactics... Well, kudos to you!