My concerns

[Dorothy]

Is anybody else worried about the direction of the game?
The visuals are not good.
The fact that it's an Ubisoft game is a clear warning sign. Feel free to check their stock price.
Moderators here already react very poorly to criticism. Another giant red flag

[Tuco]

Incidentally, while i have incredibly fond memories of the game itself, I never particularly liked HOMM 3's art style.

That mixture of early, rudimentary 3D render plus some extra hand touch always made most units look like plastic toys.

That's not to say that what this iteration is offering would have been my primary pick if had to be in charge of the project, but I generally more or less like most of what I've seen so far.

...Except the recent reveal of the sylvan faction. That was WAY to garish for my taste and the choice of "loud colors" seem to be picked by someone affected by daltonism.

[Etharil]

hory2005 の投稿を引用：

Etharil の投稿を引用：

We have closed threads where people were posting the same message with the aim of spamming insults. People are free to voice their criticism, however if you're copy-pasting your message looking only to derail conversations, we have to act based on Steam Rules and Guidelines.

To make it clear: all criticism is welcome, but let it be constructive, please. We're here to listen to your feedback, but it's difficult to gather any from a message that wouldn't get accepted anywhere public.

[Sorry for the long post] While graphical/design preferences are something inherently subjective, I think it is fair to say that for this game they are divisive, at least. I have noticed this both online, and while talking to some friends. Probably most people here on Steam or on various online platforms, myself included, are fans of the series, and will play the game regardless of whether we like the graphics or not. Because we are fans and want the game to succeed, we can turn a blind eye to this. The problem as I see it, lies with people outside of the fanbase. From my observations, I think it is fair to say that at least some will view the graphics of Olden Era as something off-putting. Therefore I have two questions for you guys:

1. While a complete overhaul of the graphics is practically impossible and probably unadvised at this point of the development process; would it be possible (considering the budget- and time-constraints) to tweak them somewhat? Maybe in terms of shaders, lighting etc. in order to go towards a more 'realistic' vibe? I myself am an architect- so no direct experience with game design (outside of some 3d modelling and rendering); but I can see how within the chosen graphical engine and artistic style, some tweaks in terms of colors, lighting and especially shadows can add some 'realism' and much-needed layers that can improve the image of the game. Could some resources be devoted to this?


2. Can the game thrive financially IF nothing can be done in this regard and IF the graphics will prevent people outside of the fanbase to buy the game? Do you believe that the gameplay and 'old-school vibe' can be so appealing as to make this game a success, even if it would cater exclusively to the HOMM fanbase?

I am only asking these questions because you guys have been nothing but decent so far and I want this game to succeed and have follow-up DLC's (where Titans and Tower might actually make a comeback :P). Both for the HOMM fanbase and for yourselves as well. It is obvious that you developers are pouring your hearts into this project, so I really hope it will be a hit!

PS: To make it clear, I myself am divided about the graphics: there are bits I like (especially animations and UI), and bits I dislike. But it is obvious that the chosen art style is (for now) and most probably will remain very divisive and contentious. So maybe some targeted improvements will be better long-term for the game and its financial viability.

1. There will be colour profiles to choose from that will allow you to adjust the game a bit on the visual level. The outline feature will also be toggleable.

2. It's one of those questions, where I don't believe anyone can give a truthful answer (the future is completely unpredictable, after all). However, we do believe that we can get some fresh blood into the game.

Mith の投稿を引用：

Etharil の投稿を引用：

We have closed threads where people were posting the same message with the aim of spamming insults. People are free to voice their criticism, however if you're copy-pasting your message looking only to derail conversations, we have to act based on Steam Rules and Guidelines.

To make it clear: all criticism is welcome, but let it be constructive, please. We're here to listen to your feedback, but it's difficult to gather any from a message that wouldn't get accepted anywhere public.

Fair enough, Leaving criticism aside, can you provide some clues about the direction of the game?

From my side I am concerned on pay2win situations, season passm and in game shop.

3. Could you elaborate on what you mean by P2W situations? I'd be happy to answer the question, I just want to be sure I don't misunderstand it.

[Titanoboa]

Only thing I am literally terrified about this is, that the game is BY Ubisoft.

I mean (and this is purely my opinion) they started with HoMM V where the last DLC was just trash, as if it would be put together last minute to rip you off.
Continuing with HoMM VI - have any of you noticed how laid out the game was to add many more DLCs? Not to mention the "upgrade" of your player account and rewarding system with experience?
HoMM VII - I just simply disliked overall..

I love the whole universe of HoMM, I just hope this is not another rip off.

[Tuco]

Titanoboa の投稿を引用：

Only thing I am literally terrified about this is, that the game is BY Ubisoft.

But it's literally not. Not in any meaningful way, at least.

Ubisoft is the IP owner and the publisher, but they have hardly any input on the development.

The devs even hinted in the past that even in case Ubisoft were to suddenly go down entirely (given their recent financial struggle) they'd probably find a way to keep working on this independently.

[Dorothy]

Etharil の投稿を引用：

hory2005 の投稿を引用：

[Sorry for the long post] While graphical/design preferences are something inherently subjective, I think it is fair to say that for this game they are divisive, at least. I have noticed this both online, and while talking to some friends. Probably most people here on Steam or on various online platforms, myself included, are fans of the series, and will play the game regardless of whether we like the graphics or not. Because we are fans and want the game to succeed, we can turn a blind eye to this. The problem as I see it, lies with people outside of the fanbase. From my observations, I think it is fair to say that at least some will view the graphics of Olden Era as something off-putting. Therefore I have two questions for you guys:

1. While a complete overhaul of the graphics is practically impossible and probably unadvised at this point of the development process; would it be possible (considering the budget- and time-constraints) to tweak them somewhat? Maybe in terms of shaders, lighting etc. in order to go towards a more 'realistic' vibe? I myself am an architect- so no direct experience with game design (outside of some 3d modelling and rendering); but I can see how within the chosen graphical engine and artistic style, some tweaks in terms of colors, lighting and especially shadows can add some 'realism' and much-needed layers that can improve the image of the game. Could some resources be devoted to this?


2. Can the game thrive financially IF nothing can be done in this regard and IF the graphics will prevent people outside of the fanbase to buy the game? Do you believe that the gameplay and 'old-school vibe' can be so appealing as to make this game a success, even if it would cater exclusively to the HOMM fanbase?

I am only asking these questions because you guys have been nothing but decent so far and I want this game to succeed and have follow-up DLC's (where Titans and Tower might actually make a comeback :P). Both for the HOMM fanbase and for yourselves as well. It is obvious that you developers are pouring your hearts into this project, so I really hope it will be a hit!

PS: To make it clear, I myself am divided about the graphics: there are bits I like (especially animations and UI), and bits I dislike. But it is obvious that the chosen art style is (for now) and most probably will remain very divisive and contentious. So maybe some targeted improvements will be better long-term for the game and its financial viability.

1. There will be colour profiles to choose from that will allow you to adjust the game a bit on the visual level. The outline feature will also be toggleable.

2. It's one of those questions, where I don't believe anyone can give a truthful answer (the future is completely unpredictable, after all). However, we do believe that we can get some fresh blood into the game.

Mith の投稿を引用：

Fair enough, Leaving criticism aside, can you provide some clues about the direction of the game?

From my side I am concerned on pay2win situations, season passm and in game shop.

3. Could you elaborate on what you mean by P2W situations? I'd be happy to answer the question, I just want to be sure I don't misunderstand it.

Allow me to chime in.

Regarding the first point. Would it be possible to throw an optional pixelation filter over your visuals?

Regarding pay 2 win. An easy example would be units that people can pay to access which are simply stronger. Let's say your human f2p faction has a peasant that generates 1 gold each day. Now your p2w human faction has a peasant that generates 5 gold each day and has thre times the stats of a f2p peasant

[Mith]

Etharil の投稿を引用：

3. Could you elaborate on what you mean by P2W situations? I'd be happy to answer the question, I just want to be sure I don't misunderstand it.

Sure, and first of all, thanks for answering.

Here a few examples

• Buying powerful heroes with better starting stats or unique abilities
  
• Purchasing high-tier creatures directly instead of building them.
  
• Unlocking exclusive artifacts that give big advantages.
  
• Buying extra turns or movement points per day.
  
• Instantly upgrading towns or structures without resource costs.
  
• Paying for vision/map reveals to see enemy positions.
  
• Auto-win battle tokens or “skip combat” with guaranteed victory.
  
• Buying rare resources (like crystal, mercury) to fast-track growth.
  
• Premium-only spells or skills unavailable to free players.
  
• Paying to revive heroes instantly after defeat.

I loved the series since a kid, so want to support the game, (And devs, is not usual friendly devs answering questions, cheers for that) Just would like to know what to expect to see if I will enjoy multiplayer, or will get on day 1.

Thank you.

[DON~ILYA]

It's wild that people seriously think the game might feature any of the above examples of P2W. But I guess that's the response to its artstyle.

[Etharil]

Mith の投稿を引用：

Etharil の投稿を引用：

3. Could you elaborate on what you mean by P2W situations? I'd be happy to answer the question, I just want to be sure I don't misunderstand it.

Sure, and first of all, thanks for answering.

Here a few examples

• Buying powerful heroes with better starting stats or unique abilities
  
• Purchasing high-tier creatures directly instead of building them.
  
• Unlocking exclusive artifacts that give big advantages.
  
• Buying extra turns or movement points per day.
  
• Instantly upgrading towns or structures without resource costs.
  
• Paying for vision/map reveals to see enemy positions.
  
• Auto-win battle tokens or “skip combat” with guaranteed victory.
  
• Buying rare resources (like crystal, mercury) to fast-track growth.
  
• Premium-only spells or skills unavailable to free players.
  
• Paying to revive heroes instantly after defeat.

I loved the series since a kid, so want to support the game, (And devs, is not usual friendly devs answering questions, cheers for that) Just would like to know what to expect to see if I will enjoy multiplayer, or will get on day 1.

Thank you.

None of the pay to win mechanics are planned for Olden Era. There will also be no microtransactions.

Our monetization model is going to be a simple purchase on Steam - you buy the game and you get it.

Dorothy の投稿を引用：

Etharil の投稿を引用：

1. There will be colour profiles to choose from that will allow you to adjust the game a bit on the visual level. The outline feature will also be toggleable.

2. It's one of those questions, where I don't believe anyone can give a truthful answer (the future is completely unpredictable, after all). However, we do believe that we can get some fresh blood into the game.



3. Could you elaborate on what you mean by P2W situations? I'd be happy to answer the question, I just want to be sure I don't misunderstand it.

Allow me to chime in.

Regarding the first point. Would it be possible to throw an optional pixelation filter over your visuals?

Regarding pay 2 win. An easy example would be units that people can pay to access which are simply stronger. Let's say your human f2p faction has a peasant that generates 1 gold each day. Now your p2w human faction has a peasant that generates 5 gold each day and has thre times the stats of a f2p peasant

Regarding the pixellation filter: It's usually fairly difficult to make those filters look good (as far as I know) in many cases. I will make a note that a question like this popped up, but no promises here.

[Mith]

Etharil の投稿を引用：

Mith の投稿を引用：

Sure, and first of all, thanks for answering.

Here a few examples

• Buying powerful heroes with better starting stats or unique abilities
  
• Purchasing high-tier creatures directly instead of building them.
  
• Unlocking exclusive artifacts that give big advantages.
  
• Buying extra turns or movement points per day.
  
• Instantly upgrading towns or structures without resource costs.
  
• Paying for vision/map reveals to see enemy positions.
  
• Auto-win battle tokens or “skip combat” with guaranteed victory.
  
• Buying rare resources (like crystal, mercury) to fast-track growth.
  
• Premium-only spells or skills unavailable to free players.
  
• Paying to revive heroes instantly after defeat.

I loved the series since a kid, so want to support the game, (And devs, is not usual friendly devs answering questions, cheers for that) Just would like to know what to expect to see if I will enjoy multiplayer, or will get on day 1.

Thank you.

None of the pay to win mechanics are planned for Olden Era. There will also be no microtransactions.

Our monetization model is going to be a simple purchase on Steam - you buy the game and you get it.

Dorothy の投稿を引用：

Allow me to chime in.

Regarding the first point. Would it be possible to throw an optional pixelation filter over your visuals?

Regarding pay 2 win. An easy example would be units that people can pay to access which are simply stronger. Let's say your human f2p faction has a peasant that generates 1 gold each day. Now your p2w human faction has a peasant that generates 5 gold each day and has thre times the stats of a f2p peasant

Regarding the pixellation filter: It's usually fairly difficult to make those filters look good (as far as I know) in many cases. I will make a note that a question like this popped up, but no promises here.

Man, you can not give me better news.

Way to go guys, way to go!

[GrumpyOldAussie]

Dorothy の投稿を引用：

Is anybody else worried about the direction of the game?
The visuals are not good.
The fact that it's an Ubisoft game is a clear warning sign. Feel free to check their stock price.
Moderators here already react very poorly to criticism. Another giant red flag

I thought it was a dressed up version of an older Heroes game at first. I'm fine with any Heroes game as long as it works and its not a repeat of the Heroes VII fiasco. The fact Ubisoft is involved gives me no confidence at all. Still, I hope it will end up a complete fantastic heroes game. I want the game to do well. I just hope the new developers realise people got burned with heroes vii and they have some work to do to gain back trust in the Ubisoft Heroes brand.

[Dorothy]

Etharil の投稿を引用：

Regarding the pixellation filter: It's usually fairly difficult to make those filters look good (as far as I know) in many cases. I will make a note that a question like this popped up, but no promises here.

Hey man, that's fair.

Also if possible, can you notify the people before launch of this will require the Ubisoft launcher? Having another launch in addition to Steam is often another deciding factor for some people

[BahamutXero]

Elveone の投稿を引用：

Considering that people who dislike the art style are mostly Heroes 3 obsessed fans it is pretty unlikely that the the style would be disliked in general outside of the fandom.

That would be useful information to know. We have heard that it won't be required for Early Access, but will it be required after that? If you cannot answer this not, that's fine, but some sort of timeframe when the answer would be revealed would be appreciated. In case you haven't noticed, most of us are biased against trusting Ubi with anything. We know that Unfrozen has been in charge and funding game development independently. What we are asking if the servers for the multiplayer portion of the game are going to through Ubi or continue through Unfrozen's own servers?

Please give a straightforward answer as anything less will remind us of the vague ones or silent treatment we've received from Ubi in the past, ergo our bias. Even if the answer is "We don't know yet," please respond with as much detail of what's going on as possible.

[Honorable_D]

Heroes has only been Ubisoft for a long, long time now. How do you expect this to be changed?

Graphics are fine, just very stylized, almost 3D comic book. How would you want them changed?

[Kulka46]

schiva の投稿を引用：

The Visuals are horrible IMHO. I’m scared cause people in charge of this said it’s fine. Nice Artstyle. But if the rest of the game is solid I’ll be happy.

art style for map is fine
its castles and units that are ugly AF
literally RGB parody where everything needs to glow even dirty old bones of a dragon must be freaking green purple or whatever colour thhey picked
another one is insects that glow for no appearent reason other than just shut up and dont say anything or we will close your threads.
game also very disgustingly removed 2 hex units that added a lot of tactical oportunities for player and they say cuz its to hard to do or something like that in one of the threads.
if you cant replicate technology from 20 years ago of a simple video game that had less than 1GB of disc space then i suggest you really think hard about your future creative carrear.
i see no future for such people.change my mind if you dissagree with what i say cuz not everything needs to be bright and glowing there is beauty in simplicity

[Friends with Benedicts]

Nah. Ultra realism is tiresome specially given it usually means less ability on the artists side.

Stylized graphics may sound like a fortnite game but its not.

The art style of this game is very unique and while the proportions are not realistic, I dont think it hurts the game at all.

The real problem of thsi game would be on the content. Mechanics and coding, how everything ties together.