Is Heroes VI better than all the KB games?

[Metroplex]

Hi, I am still waiting for my pre-order of the Heroes VI collector's edition to arrive so I haven't played this game yet.
But from what I read in the forums it's a buggy mess, and don't get me started on the need to be online to start the game...
But what I really want to know is, those of you that have played it, is it better than King's Bounty? Or is King's Bounty miles ahead?
Your pros/cons, etc. will be interesting to read.:grin:

[Mandea]

KB is miles ahead. I actually enjoy h6, the maps are big and from an artistic point of view, gorgeous. It has some tehnical problems but are solvable (in future patches probably).
The music is very nice.

You don't have to be online to play the game, you only have to launch the game with "/offline" parameter after heroes6.exe. Of course, no traits and dynasty weapons.

There are no scenarios H5 like, only campaign and skirmish maps. I love scenarios, I just hope they will add some later on.

I won't give in too many details as I don't want to ruin your experience, but the game is not bat at all. But the player isn't presented as much options as KB does and this is a pity.

Sadly I am yet to see the things they made much fuss about some time ago, in particular some unique bosses (I have ony seen one and it wasn't a real boss), battles with arenas and objectives etc. But it isn't a revolution like KB still is. It's a nice game which will get better with DLCs and add-ons but that's about all. It doesn't reinvent neither the turn based games genre nor the HOMM series (well, it never said it would but I would have liked to see this happen).

[Fatt_Shade]

I cant judge HoMM6, havent played it. But it have 1 mayor + to KB series : Multiplayer
No matter how hard AI settings are, you can almost always find some tactics(cheat) that game developers havent thought off and beat game. Real tough play is against other players since almost every pro turn based strategist have some trick of his own. So + for HoMM6 in gameplay department. Also it have campaign and other maps, KB series only campaigns that arent much replayable 2-3 times max, after that it gets a bit boring to play all game through.
Here we get to KB good parts : it`s options and hero/items/skills/army connection. There are so much options and different builds, unit/item dependability skill/tactics builds and that`s what makes KB great, you can plan almost anything with different playthrough. And it`s so easy to mod, so anything that comes to your mind you can try it in game.
I`m not sure they made HoMM6 this easily accessible for players to screw around in game files (there are some really great mod`s made purely by other players)
So all in all HoMM6 will be bigger money maker i think because it`s open for multiplayer(and this day`s any online accessible game is gold mine), and more maps/scenarios. But KB will still hold position for it`s ideas and many imaginable playthroughs with different builds, it`s soloplayer game but it`s gives you freedom to try your ideas in hope they someday make KB multiplayer also and you`ll have chanse to use those ideas to destroy your friend/lovedones :-D
Both games have + from me since i love this all genre, but time will tell which is really better.

[Mandea]

I don't ever play MP games be it turn-based games or other genres (wiht Diablo 3 I am willing to make in exception), so I was strictly referring to single player.

[Metathron]

The two posters above summed it up real nice, so my short answer is "No, it isn't." :) Not half bad, though.

[sdshadow]

I love Heroes 6, but it don´t reach near Kings Bounty.

Heroes 6 is too fast, you always search for new Towns or Unit Buildings. You can´t play slow and really tactical, because it is always the same. Taking all possible Buildings as soon as possible and you win, the KI is not really good.

Kings Bounty instead had no timeline. All neutral monsters had the same strengh from the beginning. And you don´t get greater armies at only sitting in the castle and wait a few turns. Thats a really bad thing that is in my opinion the biggest problem in all Heroes games.

The KI instead always attacks with weak armies and at the end there are not really big battles, because the KI had lost too many units at the weak attacks. No compare to Heroes 3.

The castle Building is also not really good at heroes 6, there are no really choices what to build. The same are the skills, there are a lot more in compare to kings Bounty, but there are not many that are good, the most are useless or too weak.

Heroes 6 had no really good spells, the most are the same thing only stronger with other names, not really spells to think and then play with.

The Boss battles in Heroes 6 are a joke and the races are not really different, the units are not better, the unit design in Kings Bounty (Stats, Different, Skills) is 1000 % better.

But i play Heroes 6 - it is a really good game, but if tomorrow comes a new Kings Bounty i would never play Heroes 6 before i played the new Kings Bounty 6 times from beginning to the end. :)

Heroes 6 make many things better than the previous Heroes games, but Kings bounty is the King of all turn based strategie.

[Kathos]

Heroes 6 was designed with multiplayer in mind because they really wanted H6 to be more competitive than the previous games (hence the resource change, towns/armies being so boringly similar, 100% hero customization). I personally found it extremely boring, the dynasty was no incentive for me to keep playing such a bland game, the campaign wasn't at all captivating. I don't like H6 very much, nor do I like 5 much either. H3 will forever be the best in the series with 4 having had a chance but was rushed and I feel somewhat incomplete, but it still has its charm!
Keep in mind that this game is designed to be very much so SINGLE PLAYER. It is balanced as such and you have to accept that you'll only be playing against AI and never a person. Provided that doesn't bother you, then this game is absolutely fantastic. There's a few minor bugs here and there but nothing serious and playing on impossible with each of the 3 classes working towards that 'no loss' ending is definitely something to make the game more difficult, just keep in mind you'll be wearing out your F5/F8 keys within the week ;)
I love this game and am looking forward to the sequel and hopefully more sequels after that!

[Mandea]

Competitive and yet no simultaneous turns. This strikes me as very odd. Somehow it doesn't fit in my mind. Competitive and waiting for the other players to move :(

There are quite some serious bugs as far as I am concerned and the lack of patches bothers me. in skirmish the AI is so week that it makes the game useless. Not to mention no scenarios. I don't play MP so after finishing the campaign I'm basically done with the game.

[Darkeonz]

Personally I prefer King's bounty. I just find more joy in it. But then again I've played the OG King's bounty for the last 20 years, and still play it now and then lol. It's just more fun, even though combat can get repetitive unfortunately.

[JJDrv]

Use to love HOMM series.. no longer

KB is much much better

[Csimbi]

Is Heroes VI better than all the KB games?
No.
HMM > v3: sucks
KB: great

[Metathron]

What is v3?

[Csimbi]

version 3
HMM > v3 - all Heroes titles over version 3
HMM3 was the last decent heroes game; still playing it to date with WOG and custom maps. HMM4-HMM6 just sucks.
King's Bounty delivers in every sense. Its only drawback is the replay value - but I can live with that because I do not replay games more than once a year.

[Elwin]

HOMM VI didnt keep me for long, played few campaings thats all. Thats far behind KB

[Metathron]

version 3
HMM > v3 - all Heroes titles over version 3
HMM3 was the last decent heroes game; still playing it to date with WOG and custom maps. HMM4-HMM6 just sucks.
King's Bounty delivers in every sense. Its only drawback is the replay value - but I can live with that because I do not replay games more than once a year.

Ah well, different tastes. For me, HoMM V has surpassed HoMM III in single-player, the factions were far more diverse and the skill system with its perks the best of any HoMM game.

HoMM IV (with Equilibris) is for me the best Heroes game, but it capitalized on the series RPG elements so it's not for everyone.

HoMM VI has not managed to hold my attention either.

[Csimbi]

Yes, it's all about personal preferences.
HMM4 would have been all right, but the skill system was terrible (IMHO).

[Shield]

I have played all of these games; here's my quick take.

First of all Heroes II/III/WOG were the best games in the series; like King's Bounty I would just want to play "one more turn". For HOMM VI, I almost feel like I'm forcing myself to play it. I enjoyed the first Necro Campaign but find myself losing interest in the 2nd one. All of the modern King's bounty games I couldn't wait to keep playing, and have done most of them multiple times.

My 5 year old son always sat next to me playing "the horse game" (his words) but lost interest quickly watching me play HOMM.

[Mygaffer]

I am a long time HOMM fan, played the very first one, loved the second one, third is probably my favorite. Then 4 came out and it was an abomination.

So Ubisoft, whom I hate, is the new publisher of course and they are having their developers churn out shit. HoMM VI looks a little better than the V and definitely better than IV but still KB is waaay better. IMO of course, YMMV, etc.

[katsukilove]

"Just one more turn" is exactly how I feel while playing Heroes III, King's Bounty TL/AP/Cross Worlds.