[ Thanks to Matt
Matthews for this link. ]
“Having spent most of my free time over the past two weeks with
Loki Entertainment’s Linux port of Heroes of Might and Magic III, I
can’t help but feel that this series of games is the natural
evolution of Defender of the Crown. The basic ideas are all there,
along with a giant bag of new tricks, each adding its own flavor to
the already rich gameplay. And like Defender of the Crown before
it, HOMM3 provides an unforgettable experience, filled with lush
graphics and striking music. Further, the Heroes games stand in
stark contrast to the seemingly endless flow of high-profile 3D
games that grab the headlines in today’s game market. Can a
hardcore gamer, one used to the heated, bloody battles of Quake 3
Arena and the heart-pounding car races of Gran Turismo and the
button-thrashing brawls of Soul Blade, actually be drawn completely
into the world of a game that require neither a Pentium II nor a 3D
accelerator?”
“For those not familiar with the world of Heroes of Might and
Magic, let me convey the view I’ve gained in my brief experience.
You command a group of “heroes”, each of which controls an army of
smaller units. Heroes move about on a world map, from city to city,
gathering resources and artifacts along the way. Each city you
control garners gold, resources, and troops for you; the gold and
resources can, in turn, be turned into city improvements and the
ability to produce more and better troops. Conflict occurs between
AI controlled heroes and your own, between a hero and a city
garrison, or between a hero and groups of creatures scattered about
the world map. All movement and combat is turn-based, so you can
take as much time as you want planning out your strategy.”
“Strategy is really the root of this game. Anyone attempting
to play this game haphazardly will eventually find their cities
overrun and their heroes summarily destroyed by an efficient enemy
AI. Success is dependent upon a player’s ability to manage
simultanteously multiple cities and varied heroes towards an array
of goals….”