Is this game anything like Heroes of Might and MAgic?

[Imperial Dane]

In the end.. does it really matter ? It's King's Bounty: The legend ! Let's keep it at that, all these comparisons get boring in the long run. I'd rather see it as something unique than something like HoMM or some JRPG.
Not that HoMM is bad though, but i like it where it is

[Hingerson]

No it doesn't matter but its fun to talk about it im excited either way it certainly seems that it will be a unique game

[natasha]

Originally Posted by Hingerson

No it doesn't matter but its fun to talk about it im excited either way it certainly seems that it will be a unique game

It is the not unique game, and rather remake Kings Bounty (1990).
http://www.zone.ee/kingsbounty/index.html
In the best traditions of classic game with a new design

[work4food]

it wud've been a remake if they only changed the appearance of the game..
but its just based on the world and has the common features with the original king's bounty, but anyways this is getting boring, just arguing about nothing really
so yeah in some way it deffinately is a unique game

[WannaLearnEnglish]

I am a big fan of HoMMV and playing the KB game (russian verison) now.

Since I've got some spare time and also desire to both exercise my English skills and talk a little bit about my favorite game of the moment, I would write an elaborate answer on subject.

Comments (and especially grammatical corrections) from native English speakers are highly welcome and certainly would serve as a stimilus to write more.

[WannaLearnEnglish]

1. Similarities between KB and HoMMV.

1.1. First of all, there are genetical ones. KB was here before HoMM series ... bla-bla-bla ... Everyone now knows that.

1.2. Also, "fairy-tale" graphics and design. I consider them superior to HoMMV. But what is more important for me, they're very similar in spirit. Again, everyone saw these screenshots.

1.3. Now to the real stuff you guys do not know that much about. Battles.

Battles are ALMOST identical to HoMMV.

You also have a Hero and 5 stack of units. Hero cast spells, units hit the enemy stacks. Hero has spellbook and various abilities.

It is easier to explain minor differences from HoMMV. Here they are:

1. KB is hex-based.
2. You've got 5 stacks instead of 7 in HoMMV.
3. Number of units in one stack is limited by Hero's "Leadership".
4. However Computer may have any number of stacks/units per stack.
5. Initiative thing works like it was (I believe) in earlier HoMM games. There are Rounds. Every stack acts exactly once per round. Units with higher initiative may choose whether to act now or wait and act later in the round.

That is, if there are units with initiative 3,4,5 then first #5 acts or waits, then #4 acts or waits, then #3 acts. Then waited units act in reverse order. That is, #4 acts if it choosed to wait, and then #5 acts if it choosed to wait.

The system has interesting property, that units with highest initiative can act twice in a row. Very useful, hit and run away

I personally like this "new-old" system more than HoMMV style. It is more predictable. So I can plan my Tactics for two-three rounds ahead !

6. Hero can cast his spells anytime, but only once per round. Or twice per round if he has certain skills. Also certain skills allow Hero to receive a little bit of extra Mana per Round.

7. The RAGE Box thing. Well, it is a MAJOR innovation that I will write about later. Maybe. Shortly, it is a kind of RAGE-based magic, as opposed to Mana-based Magic.

[WannaLearnEnglish]

2. Now the differences.

It is indeed a RPG.

2.1. You've got only ONE hero.

2.2. Your primary objective is to run about the map and do some "Quests". Search and destroy that bunch of bad guys, find these artifacts, help this guy to find his lost stuff and that guy to find a good wife. All kind of those stupid things a good "Knight" should do for living. That is for Money and Experience.

Some people like it and some do not and even find it stupid and boring.

The "strategy" component in KB is here only as long as there are many packs of monsters walking around the map, and all these monsters somehow do not let you pass through. Or own the stuff you need to get. So the solution. Hire a good army and smash them out.

2.3. That means that in fact there are no such thing as "Enemy Hero(s)". Formally, Enemy Heros are here, a lot of them, but they are completely static. It's better to say that there are "heroless" packs of monsters and "herowith" packs of monsters. In the BATTLE these heroes act like in HoMMV, cast spells etc. But they do not move around the map, do not hire units, do not upgrade their level. They're really just a part of monsterpacks, not real heros.

2.4. Castles.

Yes, you DO hire your units in the castles.

However, you do not OWN any. You do not build or upgrade anything there. Castles are something like 'Tavern' where you can hire some types of units. Artefacts and spells in limited amounts are also on sale there. When you fulfill quests, new Castles with new types of units become available. Sometimes these Quests are about to please Castle's owner, sometimes to kill or conquire him somehow.

2.5. Money ! VERY different from HoMMV.

No castles means no fixed income!

You earn your money very hard way, especially in the beginning. As trophies in the battles. As payment for Quest fulfillment. Money is really an issue in KB, and there are NO easy ways to earn it, like pressing "next" button in HoMMV.

I think that a person without good Battle Tactics skills would not cope with this issue. You see, bad tactics imply big unit losses. And your unit losses should be covered by battle's "reward money" (trophies) If your losses cost more than that trophey's money, you go bankrupt very soon.

A pecular thing is that "reward money" do NOT depend on ABSOLUTE strength of your Enemy, but on his RELATIVE strength to YOU at the moment of the battle!

Absolutely NOT LOGICAL , but forces anyone to consider his unit losses and his Battle Tactics skills very seriously.

If you attack a weak enemy you may suffer no losses, but get little money. If you attack a strong enemy, you get more money, but also suffer unit losses you have to pay for. You're well off only if your trophies are bigger than your unit losses. A thing called "Game Balance" by some.

Although you can get some pocket money by doing more of those stupid side Quests, (There are only several main storyline Quests and a LOT of side Quests) its a good Battle Tactics skills that really helps.

===
All right. I would pause here. Would gladly answer any questions.

[KingImp]

Are there no stacks of gold or treasure that would contain money lying around to pick up either?

[WannaLearnEnglish]

Q: Are there no stacks of gold or treasure that would contain money lying around to pick up either?

A: Money is lying on the roads, but in very small amounts (say, 250gp). Treasure Chests contain a little bit more (say, 1000gp) but they're monster-guarded. Also all of these are only on newly-explored areas (exactly like in HoMMV) and are not renewable.

One pecular "real-time" thing is that you can in fact steal a guarded item without fighting. Just wait till monster who is supposed to guard the item, and does so by walking to and fro, moves somewhere sideways. Or play tease-and-run game: when a monster sees a player, he is eager to pursue him and forgets his guarding business for a while. But this "game designers-approved cheating" is a really time-consuming and boring process. And besides, as I mentioned, Chests are not very rich. You also can get some two grands or even less for doing a Quest. But a decent battle with about equal-strenght Monster would give me (at my current level) about 10 grands in trophies.

So really, to get rich you have to fight well Maybe there are other ways, but I'm not aware of them.

[WannaLearnEnglish]

To give you the idea how much does the local money cost, a Peasant (Human level 1) costs 10gp, and a Bear (level 3) costs about 250gp.

BTW, many units are similar to HoMMV. Peasants are still simplest units, Skeletons are of two kinds: Archers and Fighters, Vampires still suck lifepoints, Fairies are level-one Elves, Elven Archers hit twice, Dragons are Black, Green, Skeleton and Red ones, etc.

However, overall balance is quite different. Low-level units are just as useful as high-levels, or even more useful. Remember that the size of your stack is limited by "Leadership". That is, you walk away with stack of 70 Peasants OR 5 Bears. So the best units in the game are probably low-level Fairies and Skeleton Archers.

Another difference is that you have to fight with the units you've got on sale. And units availability is half-randomly generated when the game starts. People say Giants are cool FAT unit, but I've got no Giants in nearby Castles, and have to cope with Bears as my Fatties.

So, although there is only one map, if you restart the game you would get a slightly different thing to play.

BTW, who said these's 20 hours gameplay time, he is wrong. Show me a man who can do it in 20 hours, a real Hero Genius Probably if you know everything about storyline, unit abilities, spells availiable etc, you can do it in 20 hours. But I've read every spoiler I could find on Internet, and am playing for at least twice as much time now. I think I'm only about halfway through.