HOMM2 - My Apology!
Carlos
ends much too late for the good of my attitude at work the next day! It
occurred to me again what a good game this is. However, I have not
always felt this way...
I purchased HOMM when it first came out and was impressed only by how
very cheesy it felt. Ugly (to me) graphics, childish game play and
pathetic battles. When HOMM2 came out and people raved about it, I
posted a message that questioned their sanity. Then I got a taste of
the game - HOMM2 is MUCH better than HOMM - the visuals, the sound, the
gameplay. I know that it is all derivative of the earlier title, but it
just reached the point where it was "right."
After playing this game a lot for a long time now, I have to get it off
my chest - this is a great game; I was wrong with my initial
condemnation! Put me on a desert island with this, XCOM and Civ2 and I
will be content! With new games at $50 a pop and not offering much at
all (sorry, I am not an RTSer obviously) it is great to be able to mine
these wonderful titles for continuing entertainment.
I have only bought one new title since Christmas (and have in the past
bought at least 100 games - I have been a computer game junky for 10
years) and have decided to just reuse the good software that I already
own. At this point it will take something special (HOMM3 comes to mind)
to pull my money out of my pocket.
Sorry about the rambling, but after playing HOMM2 all over again, I see
nothing on the shelves in the software stores that comes close to
offering the enjoyment per $ that it does.
Carlos
Rob Simac
little bit more. I'm waiting for some new games to come out, Alpha Centuri,
Civ3, Rail Tycoon 2, etc.
Jonathan K.
>Sorry about the rambling, but after playing HOMM2 all over again, I see
>nothing on the shelves in the software stores that comes close to
>offering the enjoyment per $ that it does.
It was the game that got my fiancee interested in gaming. She's still
playing it. It led to Steel Panthers! Glad you have come to enjoy
this well-done game.
--
Jonathan K.
Jeff Jones
You see a lot of posts in usenet that trash games, but rarely do you see a
"hey, I was wrong!" post. It was refreshing to read. Glad you finally 'saw
the light' ;-)
Gary Figg
(Jonathan K.) wrote:
>>Sorry about the rambling, but after playing HOMM2 all over again, I see
>>nothing on the shelves in the software stores that comes close to
>>offering the enjoyment per $ that it does.
>
>It was the game that got my fiancee interested in gaming. She's still
>playing it. It led to Steel Panthers! Glad you have come to enjoy
>this well-done game.
There must be a HOMM2 revival going on. I just pulled it down from my
shelves last week and have been playing it many hours since. Truley
one of the best games ever. I bought Warlords III last night too. It
looks interesting but quite a bit more complicated than HOMM2. I'm
reading the manual before I dive into that one.
g
Bob Frapples
based! Fantasy! Bad graphics!' -ing. It's great, it kicks ass, and I can't
wait for HOMM3.
-Bob
Carlos wrote:
> I have been playing HOMM2 again in one of those marathon sessions that
> ends much too late for the good of my attitude at work the next day! It
> occurred to me again what a good game this is. However, I have not
> always felt this way...
>
> I purchased HOMM when it first came out and was impressed only by how
> very cheesy it felt. Ugly (to me) graphics, childish game play and
> pathetic battles. When HOMM2 came out and people raved about it, I
> posted a message that questioned their sanity. Then I got a taste of
> the game - HOMM2 is MUCH better than HOMM - the visuals, the sound, the
> gameplay. I know that it is all derivative of the earlier title, but it
> just reached the point where it was "right."
>
> After playing this game a lot for a long time now, I have to get it off
> my chest - this is a great game; I was wrong with my initial
> condemnation! Put me on a desert island with this, XCOM and Civ2 and I
> will be content! With new games at $50 a pop and not offering much at
> all (sorry, I am not an RTSer obviously) it is great to be able to mine
> these wonderful titles for continuing entertainment.
>
> I have only bought one new title since Christmas (and have in the past
> bought at least 100 games - I have been a computer game junky for 10
> years) and have decided to just reuse the good software that I already
> own. At this point it will take something special (HOMM3 comes to mind)
> to pull my money out of my pocket.
>
> Sorry about the rambling, but after playing HOMM2 all over again, I see
> nothing on the shelves in the software stores that comes close to
> offering the enjoyment per $ that it does.
>
> Carlos
newHomm
>
(snip)
> shelves last week and have been playing it many hours since. Truley
> one of the best games ever.
The reason for the revival is that new games are so awful.
I just looked through the current issue of CGS+, and not
one game in it really appealed to me. I'll be playing
another game of the Homm2 expansion set tonight.
seeker
> I have been playing HOMM2 again in one of those marathon sessions that
> ends much too late for the good of my attitude at work the next day! It
> occurred to me again what a good game this is. However, I have not
> always felt this way...
>
Just out of curiousity: Why is this game so good? I mean, what makes it so
much better than other games?
Seeker (of insight)
str...@nospam.bigfoot.com
HOMM2 is just plain good... it is one of the best turn-based strategy
games on the market (of course if you HATE turn-based, you "might" not
like HOMM2).
It's hard to describe in words... if you haven't played it, you should
download the demo for this game and check it out... HOMM2 is still one
of the finest games on the market (and HOMM3 promises as big a leap over
HOMM2 as HOMM2 did over HOMM1).
-Steve
--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-
*Steve Strayer*
Undisputed Ruler of the Universe.
(the act of reading this is your acceptance of
all claims made by Steve Strayer, and/or affiliates
of said party speaking on his behalf. )
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
str...@nospam.bigfoot.com
I agree whole-heartedly... HOMM2 is one of the best games ever... can't
wait for HOMM3.
This month's Computer Gaming World magazine has an in-depth preview of
HOMM3... it looks to be very excellent!
Robert Olesen
seeker wrote:
Difficult question. I guess the most descriptive answer is: Choices.
You have to make choices all the time and they are usually good ones. Meaning
that the correct choice isn't obvious or may not even exist. On top of that the
game can be set up to simulate a number of different victory conditions - not
just the "beat everybody" scenario, so there is variety. But the "beat
everybody" scenario is the most common.
For example: A hero opens a treasure chest, which offers a choice between gold
or experience points. Which do you need most? If you take the experience, you
may go up a level, offering you a choice between two different skills. Each hero
can only lean 8 skills - so which one to take? Sometimes the answer is obvious,
at other times it is tough.
Other than that, the tactical combat is quite well done IMO. There is a definite
difference between playing poorly and playing well. And I like the graphics,
though I know not everyone does.
Robert Olesen.
Plissken
<Robert...@dnv.com> wrote:
>
>Other than that, the tactical combat is quite well done IMO. There is a definite
>difference between playing poorly and playing well. And I like the graphics,
>though I know not everyone does.
>
Exactly my sentiments. The tactical combat has been criticized as
"simple", but the strategy lies in unit advantages when the odds would
normally be close to equal in a battle. That, and getting your units
in a good mix against ONE army doesn't necessarily make it a good mix
agains ANOTHER. Exception: black dragons. They're just a bit
overwhelming to make the game completely balanced.
I also love the art! It's really colorful high-fantasy, fairy-tale
stuff. Totally not the kind of art I do personally (I was an artist
on Fallout), but totally enjoyable and a pleasure to look at.
Plissken
Mark Baker
(Jonathan K.) wrote:
>Carlos <ca...@work.today> wrote:
>
>>Sorry about the rambling, but after playing HOMM2 all over again, I see
>>nothing on the shelves in the software stores that comes close to
>>offering the enjoyment per $ that it does.
>
>It was the game that got my fiancee interested in gaming. She's still
>playing it. It led to Steel Panthers! Glad you have come to enjoy
>this well-done game.
I am in the Navy on decided to take one of my computers on board
the ship with me because at the time, all we had were crappy
computers with Dos and Win31. Of course an added benefit of having
my own computer at work was that I could play games in my off time.
Installed HOMM2 one day and played a game or two and one of the
guys got interested in playing it one night when he had duty.
Didn't have the docs and didn't have time to show him how to play
much but when I came in the next day he had been playing it all
night and had it pretty much figured it out. He was hooked!
A few others saw him playing and before long I there was about six
guys playing it whenever someone else wasn't on it. As soon as
someone would quit their game someone else would be on it. Several
times I had to chase them away so I could do some work. This went
on for months.
One guy had never even touched a computer and had never had any
interest in them. One of the most ignorant people that I have ever
met. Had to show him how to use a mouse. He learned to play and
then he was addicted! We went to Fort Lauderdale for a few days of
liberty last Oct and he sat in front of my computer for DAYS
playing HOMM2. I don't think he left the ship! I'd leave in the
morning and he'd be playing. Come in late in the morning and there
he'd be still playing. He wasn't very good (think he lost dozens of
games before he finally won one) but he couldn't stop playing it.
Later on he bought a computer just so he COULD play HOMM2 at home.
The bad part was he asked me a million questions about computers
for the next eight months till he transferred.
I only told this to illustrate how much some people like this game.
It is simple to learn, somewhat hard to master, and very addictive
if you like it. Of course it is not everyone's cup of tea...but
I'd put it on my top ten list of all time favorite games.
--
Mark Baker ma...@mindspring.com
new Homm
>
> > I have been playing HOMM2 again in one of those
> > marathon sessions that ends much too late for the
> > good of my attitude at work the next day!
> > It occurred to me again what a good game this is.
> > However, I have not always felt this way...
> >
>
> Just out of curiousity: Why is this game so good?
> I mean, what makes it so much better than other games?
> Seeker (of insight)
I think it's because combat is so risky. If you lose,
you can lose big. So you have to make a pretty good
judgement call, before you decide to attack. This
means you have to know all the units in the game very
intimately.
richar...@hotmail.com
see...@silverlink.net wrote:
> > I have been playing HOMM2 again in one of those marathon sessions that
> > ends much too late for the good of my attitude at work the next day! It
> > occurred to me again what a good game this is. However, I have not
> > always felt this way...
> Just out of curiousity: Why is this game so good? I mean, what makes it so
> much better than other games?
> Seeker (of insight)
For me, the appeal of HOMM series is this: 1. Exploring the map and finding
items that help your heroes. 2. The quest for the ultimate artifact. This
should not be overlooked for its funfactor. You are given pieces to a map
that reveal the location. Midway through, you begin to think you know where
the artifact is. Then there is the madness of digging for it. Of course,
balance this quest with the need to tend to your little empire, and you get a
very maddening and fun mix. This quest is an arms race that you need to
enter into. But, can you spare a hero to search? Now that is the question
=). 3. The ability to create new maps/quests or manually create one. This
aspect has given HOMM2 amazing life. 4. The building of MONSTER stacks and
then using these stacks to crush your opponent. Like in HOMM1, with the
fairy/pixie unit. Sure, 5 or 10 are pathetic, but when you had like 200 or
300 in a single stack, it is an utter terror. =). 5. Resource management.
You need to manage what resources you have, and make tough decisions as to
how to use them. 6. The fun aspects of RPGs. You develop characters in the
game, and you become attached to them. You spend hours building up one hero,
and you don't want to see him/her die. There is a whole goal setting aspect
to the game here, with tiny and big goals, and the pleasure of accomplishing
them. 7. The fun aspects of wargames. You command armies and need to decide
how to best expand and defend what you have.
I am sure there are more, but this is what I recall are the fun aspects of the
HOMM series. Now, I await HOMM3, where I finally can effectively defend my
resources.
- Richard Hutnik
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Jeff K.
richar...@hotmail.com wrote:
> In article <35F22686...@silverlink.net>,
> see...@silverlink.net wrote:
> > > I have been playing HOMM2 again in one of those marathon sessions that
> > > ends much too late for the good of my attitude at work the next day! It
> > > occurred to me again what a good game this is. However, I have not
> > > always felt this way...
>
> > Just out of curiousity: Why is this game so good? I mean, what makes it so
> > much better than other games?
> > Seeker (of insight)
Well, for me there are a few things that make this game great. The tactical combat
is very simple, yet definitely has some depth to it. It's no X-Com, but planning
your movements is still important. Second, the role playing aspects are fun, as
you work to get your heroes to high levels, when they become a major factor in
battle. Third, the limitation of only being able to recruit fresh troops once
every seven turns makes your units much more valuable than in most games. I
actually care when even a single unit is lost (especially when it's a dragon or
titan <G>). Only the absolute cheapest troops are "expendable", and even then you
have to be careful because most of them are very powerful in large groups.
Finally, the game is just extremely well balanced and paced, which is always
vital.
Oh, and fantasy games are just plain fun, at least for me. :)
Jeff K.
Marcus Ner
and you don't want to see him/her die. There is a whole goal setting aspect
to the game here, with tiny and big goals, and the pleasure of accomplishing
them. 7. The fun aspects of wargames. You command armies and need to decide<<
IMHO, HoMM2 is the greatest game ever, but something I'd like to see(perhaps
as an option in a scenario) is for the heroes to really die. I've played a
couple Middle Earth scenarios and it's a little unsettling, when as playing as
the forces of good, find Nazgul #6 available for recruitment. Or in other
scenarios, for Lord Kilburn who has been waging war on my behalf earlier, to be
coming at me with an army bent on my demise.
I know the AI does draw from the best of the available heroes to make it more
challenging for us, but it would be interesting as an option.
Marcus Ner
Thomas B Gross
: IMHO, HoMM2 is the greatest game ever, but something I'd like to see(perhaps
: as an option in a scenario) is for the heroes to really die. I've played a
: couple Middle Earth scenarios and it's a little unsettling, when as playing as
: the forces of good, find Nazgul #6 available for recruitment. Or in other
I dunno. I think that's just one of the rules of the game, which
dictates certain tactical decisions, like, if I go to attack this guy,
I better have enough cash so I can buy my way out of the battle if
things don't look good. There have even been times when I have used
this feature to return a hero to its home base. I really love this
game and continue to play it a lot (it is really ridiculous how
I will find the time to play HOMMII); I never really questioned this
rule. About the only thing I don't like is that the AI is kind of
dumb about how it fights battles - I am too lazy to take control
of the battle myself, relying instead on the AI for autocalc.
I also don't like to use spells for some reason. Still I love
the game!
--
Edward Glamkowski
> Marcus Ner (marc...@aol.com) wrote:
> : IMHO, HoMM2 is the greatest game ever, but something I'd like to
> : see(perhaps as an option in a scenario) is for the heroes to really
> : die.
>
> dictates certain tactical decisions, like, if I go to attack this guy,
> I better have enough cash so I can buy my way out of the battle if
> things don't look good.
But then there are the ambushes, and heroes with movement bonus
artifacts... ;)
> I never really questioned this rule. About the only thing I don't
> like is that the AI is kind of dumb about how it fights battles - I am
> too lazy to take control of the battle myself, relying instead on the
> AI for autocalc. I also don't like to use spells for some reason.
There are only a few spells I use with any frequency - damage causing
spells, teleport, and paralyze/blind (to stop enemy archers!)
All the spells to show resources or heroes or whatever, I don't use.
I don't generally use bless or curse or such spells. Occassionaly I'll
slow an enemy flier - if he is attacking a town and it his last unit
and I want to have the ballista finish him off :p
--
"Have you no sense of decency, sir?
At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
http://www.angelfire.com/nj/eglamkowski/null.html <-- Null webring
http://www.angelfire.com/nj/eglamkowski/eia.html <-- Eia webring
Hibiki Sakuru
music, and i only have the pirated homm1.. Ive been trying to buy it for a
year now, and i dont want to spend 45$ on a compendinum, when i already paid
$40 for homm2, and im not intersted in the expansion right now for 2.
Please reply via email if the message is of importance
*remove x from name*
For all your high quality image compression needs get alchemy here
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Eric M. Johnson
>Can anyone tell me if homm 1 or homm1 for windows has cd music.. i love homm2
>music, and i only have the pirated homm1.. Ive been trying to buy it for a
>year now, and i dont want to spend 45$ on a compendinum, when i already paid
>$40 for homm2, and im not intersted in the expansion right now for 2.
>
are you kidding? go to Fry's and you can buy HOMM 1 for $4.99! and
yes, it has CD music. not sure if it has the "opera" option that HOMM
2 does, but there's definitely CD music.
Eric Johnson - eri...@goodnet.com.REMOVE.THIS
rco...@servicesoft.com
Look in CompUSA, I've seen HOMMI in the bargain bin area...
In article <6udlhn$m...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>,
xhi...@mid-night.com (Hibiki Sakuru) wrote:
> Can anyone tell me if homm 1 or homm1 for windows has cd music.. i love homm2
> music, and i only have the pirated homm1.. Ive been trying to buy it for a
> year now, and i dont want to spend 45$ on a compendinum, when i already paid
> $40 for homm2, and im not intersted in the expansion right now for 2.
>
> Please reply via email if the message is of importance
> *remove x from name*
> For all your high quality image compression needs get alchemy here
> http://www.handmadesw.com/
> (alchemy -jh100 *.bmp) for best results
>
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
Hibiki Sakuru
>>are you kidding? go to Fry's and you can buy HOMM 1 for $4.99! and
>>yes, it has CD music. not sure if it has the "opera" option that HOMM
>>2 does, but there's definitely CD music.
what abd where is frys?
Arkady Zilberberg
> spells, teleport, and paralyze/blind (to stop enemy archers!)
>
> All the spells to show resources or heroes or whatever, I don't use.
> I don't generally use bless or curse or such spells. Occassionaly I'll
> slow an enemy flier - if he is attacking a town and it his last unit
> and I want to have the ballista finish him off :p
>
There are in fact very many useful spells (along with a few totally useless
like hypnotize). Slow isgreat early on, disrupting ray is wonderful when
you attack, say, a castle protected by some 40+ hydras
with some 7-10 dragons and don't want to lose too many, bless is sometimes
the vest way to wipe out
some dangerous stack quickly (try it with Phoenix, Unicorns, Paladins,
Champions or, the best,
with some 100+ halflings), mass haste and mass slow may be more useful than
direct damaging spells
later in the game, bloodlust and steelskin make wonders with Vampire Lords,
etc. Don't underestimate
a power of innocently looking spells - most of them are extremely useful
later in the game when the
quantities of armies make direct damaging spells ineffective.
Right now I'm replaying Archibald's original campaign. I've found simple
"Dispel Magic" after enemy's
"Steelskin" more effective than any lightning bolts or cold rays with
evercold icicle. And "Disrupting
ray" is incredible against High-level Knight with some 8+ defense skill and
12-16 Crusaders along with
numerous lesser troops (against my 13 Phoenix, 30 Greater Druids and 50
Grand Elves).
Of course, I'm speaking about "Country Lords" scenario.
Regards,
Arkady.
Hibiki Sakuru
I bought Homm1 at the bargain bin at comp and all the disks are broke..
Its the win95 version.. and there are no audio tracks on the disk,..
Is anyone here who bought homm1 for win95's disk black, and say (c) sonoma
multimedia 1998.. I thought they made the remake for 95 a year or 2 ago, i
just wanted to check, for the fria factor
Andy McFadden
Arkady Zilberberg <Arkady.Z...@ecitele.com> wrote:
>Right now I'm replaying Archibald's original campaign. I've found simple
>"Dispel Magic" after enemy's
>"Steelskin" more effective than any lightning bolts or cold rays with
>evercold icicle. And "Disrupting
>ray" is incredible against High-level Knight with some 8+ defense skill and
>12-16 Crusaders along with
>numerous lesser troops (against my 13 Phoenix, 30 Greater Druids and 50
>Grand Elves).
>Of course, I'm speaking about "Country Lords" scenario.
It took me a while to figure out why "disrupting ray" was so expensive
(7 points). Then I realized that it isn't an enchantment; it lowers
the armor for the duration of combat, and can't be dispelled. After
that I got more enthusiastic about it.
I had the value of high attack/defense values driven home yesterday when I
played through the end of the Roland campaign. I went straight there from
the start of the game, hoping to catch him before his army grew in size.
Showing up with a bunch of (carryover) black dragons and titans, I
outnumbered him (he had 5 black and 19 red, I had 20 black and about 12
titans). I promptly got my butt handed to me, and not in a small way.
+10% for attack over defense (max 300%), -5% for defense over attack
(min 30%)... you get a high-level knight, and a bunch of peasants can
be effective.
I was thinking that the Ultimate Artifact route on the original scenarios
may be the better approach than carry-over forces, since you don't really
need to invade anything, and you start out with the full set of
(non-upgraded) buildings. Getting +4 on skills would make the final battle
easier, though of course having 20+ black dragons isn't such a bad thing
either.
Anyway. I've found a use for most of the combat spells, including the
innocuous ones like "bless" and "curse". For some creatures, doing
max or min damage is considerably different from average. The benefits
of "mass haste" are pretty clear when you've got shooters and fliers
who can strike first. There was only one scenario where I used lots
of lightning bolts; I had the 2x lightning damage artifact, and was
otherwise completely outclassed. They kept attacking my under-powered
stack, and I kept zapping them straight to hell. :-)
The outdoorsy spells, like "show mines", I haven't used much. The
dimension door spell is a killer, of course.
Unrelated question: the "Xanadu" building rejects you if you're not
"diplomatic or famous enough". The diplomatic part I get (but dislike...
I don't care for the "diplomacy" skill), but what do I need to be
"famous"?
--
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Jeff K.
Andy McFadden wrote:
> Unrelated question: the "Xanadu" building rejects you if you're not
> "diplomatic or famous enough". The diplomatic part I get (but dislike...
> I don't care for the "diplomacy" skill), but what do I need to be
> "famous"?
I think it's just related to your heroes level. Xanadu is certainly worth a visit
once they let you in. And, yes, I tend to avoid the diplomacy skill like the
plague.
Jeff K.
Andy S.
I have the Sonoma version of HOMM1 for Win 95. It works just fine.
Andy S.
Ryan Mark Vurlicer
>Unrelated question: the "Xanadu" building rejects you if you're not
>"diplomatic or famous enough". The diplomatic part I get (but dislike...
>I don't care for the "diplomacy" skill), but what do I need to be
>"famous"?
IIRC, you need to be level 10 to be famous enough. Diplomacy can
be substituted for levels. (i.e. you can get in at level 9 w/ Diplomacy I;
8 w/ D II, 7 w/ D III).
Also, don't underestimate Diplomacy. It is often well worth your
money to spend a fair bit of cash of it to a) get a few troops [and of course,
up to 100% of them...], and b) avoid losses. Of course, the problem is, if
they are truly dangerous, usually they won't be bribable.
Are there any spells the computer does not use at all in combat? I
know that the last patch added blind/paralyze, and maybe a few others to the
spells the computer will use (and often, annoyingly well...). I just got
finished w/ the peasant revolt in the Archibald side of the campaign; teleport
was extraordinarily useful to move 2000+ skeletons right next to 10 titans and
whack them in a round. But I have never seen the computer Teleport stuff;
also, the computer seems a bit too fond of Disrupting Ray; which is a good
(actually excellent) spell, but there are times when a lightning bolt would
be better.
--
Ryan Vurlicer
http://http.tamu.edu/~rmv2498
dar...@my-dejanews.com
jk...@earthlink.net wrote:
> > Unrelated question: the "Xanadu" building rejects you if you're not
> > "diplomatic or famous enough". The diplomatic part I get (but dislike...
> > I don't care for the "diplomacy" skill), but what do I need to be
> > "famous"?
> once they let you in. And, yes, I tend to avoid the diplomacy skill like the
> plague.
Your hero must be level 10 minus Diplomacy level (1=basic, 2=advanced,
3=expert) to get into Xanadu.
Diplomacy is *not* completely useless, although it's definitely a second-rate
skill. In the late game, where out-of-the-way stacks have built up to huge
levels *and* you have a lot of money, Expert Diplomacy can be worthwhile, as
you get the whole enemy stack. Still, at the Basic and Advanced levels
Diplomacy is pretty much useless, like Basic Necromancy :-). Maybe HOMM3
will have Politeness Shrines as well as Evil Shrines?
Darryl.
--
Just my opinion.
This account is a spam-filter; real email d.greensill<AT>sg.qut.edu.au
Andy McFadden
Ryan Mark Vurlicer <rmv...@unix.tamu.edu> wrote:
> Also, don't underestimate Diplomacy. It is often well worth your
>money to spend a fair bit of cash of it to a) get a few troops [and of course,
>up to 100% of them...], and b) avoid losses. Of course, the problem is, if
>they are truly dangerous, usually they won't be bribable.
Usually I'm strapped for cash when trying to buy my own units. I'd
rather get the morale boost of a homogenous group unless the other units
are really solid.
More importantly, the "in awe of your forces" and "looking for greater
glory" response seem to go away with diplomacy. I've scared off large
groups of gargoyles and high elves, which always manage to take out a
couple of units before dying.
> Are there any spells the computer does not use at all in combat? I
>know that the last patch added blind/paralyze, and maybe a few others to the
>spells the computer will use (and often, annoyingly well...). I just got
>finished w/ the peasant revolt in the Archibald side of the campaign; teleport
>was extraordinarily useful to move 2000+ skeletons right next to 10 titans and
>whack them in a round. But I have never seen the computer Teleport stuff;
>also, the computer seems a bit too fond of Disrupting Ray; which is a good
>(actually excellent) spell, but there are times when a lightning bolt would
>be better.
Blind, paralyze, and disrupting ray are the most popular. A tactic I'm
becoming fond of is to wait for him to cast blind/paralyze, then cast
anti-magic on the creature in question. This allows the creature -- usually
an artillery unit like druids or war trolls -- to avoid the first attack
wave, but still get a shot in during the first round.
Of course, with a spell power of 12+ and Chain Lightning, my opening is
occasionally different. :-)
Bless and curse I see occasionally, but I'm trying to remember if I've
seen the computer throw a slow or haste spell. It definitely uses mirror
image, resurrection, and the "screen spells" like armageddon and death
ripple. It has thrown earthquakes when attacking castles.
Single-target attack spells like lightning seem to be most popular against
small stacks of powerful creatures. I'd guess the computer opens with
disrupting ray since it affects all creatures in a large stack, and lasts
the duration of the combat. I've also seen it use the attack spells when
I only have one weak stack (e.g. a scout hero with 1 boar), which in many
cases is silly... they have a stack of gargoyles or some other unit that
can easily kill me, but they use spell power instead.
I've seen dispell magic used, but haven't seen it use anti-magic recently.
dar...@my-dejanews.com
fad...@netcom.com (Andy McFadden) wrote:
> In article <6urjmu$n5n$1...@news.tamu.edu>,
> Ryan Mark Vurlicer <rmv...@unix.tamu.edu> wrote:
> > Also, don't underestimate Diplomacy. It is often well worth your
> >money to spend a fair bit of cash of it to a) get a few troops [and of course,
> >up to 100% of them...], and b) avoid losses. Of course, the problem is, if
> >they are truly dangerous, usually they won't be bribable.
> Usually I'm strapped for cash when trying to buy my own units. I'd
> rather get the morale boost of a homogenous group unless the other units
> are really solid.
True enough, and they are worth XP to kill. Still, for greater glories, free
is a good price. You can always drop them off in a castle somewhere.
> More importantly, the "in awe of your forces" and "looking for greater
> glory" response seem to go away with diplomacy. I've scared off large
> groups of gargoyles and high elves, which always manage to take out a
> couple of units before dying.
I believe it tests in this order:
Greater Glory (set at the beginning of the game, since save/reload tests show
this is always the same; or maybe it's set at each week) Awe, on a hit point
comparison Diplomacy, if possessed by the hero Attack!
Diplomacy is never a *disadvantage*, ie if they don't join for greater glory
they weren't going to anyway.
> > Are there any spells the computer does not use at all in combat? I
> >know that the last patch added blind/paralyze, and maybe a few others to the
> >spells the computer will use (and often, annoyingly well...). I just got
> >finished w/ the peasant revolt in the Archibald side of the campaign; teleport
> >was extraordinarily useful to move 2000+ skeletons right next to 10 titans and
> >whack them in a round. But I have never seen the computer Teleport stuff;
> >also, the computer seems a bit too fond of Disrupting Ray; which is a good
> >(actually excellent) spell, but there are times when a lightning bolt would
> >be better.
> Blind, paralyze, and disrupting ray are the most popular. A tactic I'm
> becoming fond of is to wait for him to cast blind/paralyze, then cast
> anti-magic on the creature in question. This allows the creature -- usually
> an artillery unit like druids or war trolls -- to avoid the first attack
> wave, but still get a shot in during the first round.
The computer is not particularly bright about such tactics, and is very very
eager to cast spells, usually doing so in the turn of its fastest troop.
> Of course, with a spell power of 12+ and Chain Lightning, my opening is
> occasionally different. :-)
> Bless and curse I see occasionally, but I'm trying to remember if I've
> seen the computer throw a slow or haste spell. It definitely uses mirror
> image, resurrection, and the "screen spells" like armageddon and death
> ripple. It has thrown earthquakes when attacking castles.
Never to my knowledge has it used Slow or Haste, even the Mass variants. It
prefers the other low-level spells.
> Single-target attack spells like lightning seem to be most popular against
> small stacks of powerful creatures. I'd guess the computer opens with
> disrupting ray since it affects all creatures in a large stack, and lasts
> the duration of the combat. I've also seen it use the attack spells when
> I only have one weak stack (e.g. a scout hero with 1 boar), which in many
> cases is silly... they have a stack of gargoyles or some other unit that
> can easily kill me, but they use spell power instead.
This isn't always silly; if the boar gets a turn, you can run away.
> I've seen dispell magic used, but haven't seen it use anti-magic recently.
I've seen it use anti-magic a lot. It does seem to save it to use on
blinded/cursed/paralysed etc troops though, to get "turn advantage".
Andy McFadden
>> Single-target attack spells like lightning seem to be most popular against
>> small stacks of powerful creatures. I'd guess the computer opens with
>> disrupting ray since it affects all creatures in a large stack, and lasts
>> the duration of the combat. I've also seen it use the attack spells when
>> I only have one weak stack (e.g. a scout hero with 1 boar), which in many
>> cases is silly... they have a stack of gargoyles or some other unit that
>> can easily kill me, but they use spell power instead.
>This isn't always silly; if the boar gets a turn, you can run away.
The point is that it's the computer's turn (if it weren't, it couldn't
cast a spell) and the creature in question is a stack of 37 gargoyles
against my 8 skeletons. Based on the attack/defense values, which are
known during combat, it should be easy to see that the minimum damage
done by the gargoyles is less than what the skeletons can take.
Wasting 6 spell points -- which might not grow back before I clobber the
guy -- is an easily avoided mistake in that case.
Spanky
when you have it. They should work it so that you can have diplomacy but
that creatures who might join you for free usually still can without you
having to pay. Then suddenly, diplomacy might become a much better skill.
Ryan Mark Vurlicer wrote in message <6urjmu$n5n$1...@news.tamu.edu>...
>In article <faddenF0...@netcom.com>,
>Andy McFadden <fad...@netcom.com> wrote:
>>In article <360E76BA...@ecitele.com>,
>>Arkady Zilberberg <Arkady.Z...@ecitele.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Unrelated question: the "Xanadu" building rejects you if you're not
>>"diplomatic or famous enough". The diplomatic part I get (but dislike...
>>I don't care for the "diplomacy" skill), but what do I need to be
>>"famous"?
>
>
> IIRC, you need to be level 10 to be famous enough. Diplomacy can
>be substituted for levels. (i.e. you can get in at level 9 w/ Diplomacy I;
>8 w/ D II, 7 w/ D III).
>
> Also, don't underestimate Diplomacy. It is often well worth your
>money to spend a fair bit of cash of it to a) get a few troops [and of
course,
>up to 100% of them...], and b) avoid losses. Of course, the problem is, if
>they are truly dangerous, usually they won't be bribable.
>
>
>
> Are there any spells the computer does not use at all in combat? I
>know that the last patch added blind/paralyze, and maybe a few others to
the
>spells the computer will use (and often, annoyingly well...). I just got
>finished w/ the peasant revolt in the Archibald side of the campaign;
teleport
>was extraordinarily useful to move 2000+ skeletons right next to 10 titans
and
>whack them in a round. But I have never seen the computer Teleport stuff;
>also, the computer seems a bit too fond of Disrupting Ray; which is a good
>(actually excellent) spell, but there are times when a lightning bolt would
>be better.
>
>
>
>
dar...@my-dejanews.com
"Spanky" <mha...@ucdavis.edu> wrote:
> The main problem with diplomacy is that creatures never join you for free
> when you have it. They should work it so that you can have diplomacy but
> that creatures who might join you for free usually still can without you
> having to pay. Then suddenly, diplomacy might become a much better skill.
Au contraire; creatures *will* still join a diplomat for greater glory. All
diplomacy does is adds in a second chance, to join for money instead.
Now, if diplomacy added to the greater glory chance instead, or started off
with 100% of the enemy joining for a reducing price as diplomacy improves,
that would be more useful.
Darryl.
--
Just my opinion.
This account is a spam-filter; real email d.greensill<AT>sg.qut.edu.au
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
Arkady Zilberberg
> In article <6ve6mr$goi$1...@mark.ucdavis.edu>,
> "Spanky" <mha...@ucdavis.edu> wrote:
> > The main problem with diplomacy is that creatures never join you for free
> > when you have it. They should work it so that you can have diplomacy but
> > that creatures who might join you for free usually still can without you
> > having to pay. Then suddenly, diplomacy might become a much better skill.
>
> Au contraire; creatures *will* still join a diplomat for greater glory. All
> diplomacy does is adds in a second chance, to join for money instead.
>
> Now, if diplomacy added to the greater glory chance instead, or started off
> with 100% of the enemy joining for a reducing price as diplomacy improves,
> that would be more useful.
>
> Darryl.
In fact, the only drawback I noticed with diplomacy is that sometimes monsters
who would
otherwise flee, might offer a deal and attack if you refuse. I once had such
situation and
didn't want to fight some Throng of Halflings with my Knight forces. I
reloaded, bought off
all troops in my castles I could afford, and halfling fled since now I didn't
have enough money
to buy them. I did have creatures join for free quite a few times even when I
had Diplomacy
with that hero.
I remember seeing some nice article about Diplomacy in Xanadu on
www.astralwizard.com -
you might want to go there and check by yourself. For me, Diplomacy is good
because:
1) You get troops where you need them - with your main hero and not in some
remote castle
which you can reach in a "mere" two weeks or so.
2) You might avoid an unwanted fight - helps against hordes of wolves, Grand
Elves or Greater
Druids, several Genies, etc.
3) Even if you pay double price (with Advanced Diplomacy, for example) you
avoid losses at
the same time thus often making the deal worthwhile.
4) If you have a squire following the main hero you can create some strong
secondary army this
way and start picking off lesser monster stacks and building a good secondary
hero.
5) Unless you are very lucky with double and +5 population increases you can't
have much more
troops than your opponent (especially if recruiting sites and neutral towns are
rare and resources
are evenly distributed). Diplomacy is very useful for changing this balance.
Regards,
Arkady.
Erik Areschoug
Playing HOMM 2 right now, its a version played out of something called Dosbox, basically Dos-in-a-box, a program that emulates dos games in Windows, Windows 10 in this case, not 98!
Homm 2 was sold on a site called Good old Games, GOG.com, its gonna be another 10 years before its launch.
Cheers!
/ Erik