Dmitry Estrin's Question and Answer
Thanks to Heroes Community Member Miru for the translation.
Q. WarLord 88: What are the unexplained flashes with the impacts?
A. Larisa: I will explain: When we took that snapshot, there was a special
effect flash (from an attack), which caused a fountain of blood ... In
connection with this a question it is not possible whether to design impacts
less and to tighten the effects of the blood different for the different
creatures - really this is so advanced, don't you think it's good enough?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Flashes grab the attention of the player, highlighting the
combat taking place. This is already used in RPGs often.
Q. NecroFill: Does the developing company even know what expansions are for?
Will the ideas and wishes of players be taken into account when they are making
an expansion, for example the idea of town creation? (Past races of 'Ashan'?)
A. Dmitry Estrin: The idea of official addition to the game is up in the air,
so, to thus far say anything concrete is hard.
Q. Dak: In the description of the Sylvan town: Forest elves by the very united
nation. Together with the elves (druids, hunters, warriors) live legendary
animals (Direwolves, Unicorns, Treants...) and fairies (Sprites, Pixies...).
So here is the question: what are Direwolves? They weren't hireable in the
Creature Portal of Heroes 4 (or other way in the elf town). And will this town
be generally the portal of summoning?
A. Dmitry Estrin: These are things that we, unfortunately, cannot comment on
thus far.
Q. Sfighrath: Will there be curses, influencing the enemy hero exclusively (like
blinding or reduction in his initiative)?
A. Dmitry Estrin: No, there will not be.
Q. Sfighrath: Will there be in the skill tree, for heroes, a level requirement
for some of the skills (as in Diablo 2) or simply collection like the previous
games?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Yes, it is expected the skill tree will be like the old ones.
Q. Sfighrath: It is planned to let out table game on HoMM motives?
A. Dmitry Estrin: We are thus far also in no way ready to comment on this
question.
Q. nimir: However, what does the gremlin from Academy hold in his hand?
A. Dmitry Estrin: They caught in the word. Perhaps, it holds a gun.
Q. nimir: Can the Djinn cast spells as in the preview or did they take away this
ability after, making it purely a flyer?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Yes, Djinn can still cast spells.
Q. Idot: The presence of the angels of resurrect with druid spellcasting - and
in Lich the call of creatures - the lift of skeletons causes serious fears for
the balance, so from here it the obvious question is: Will the other towns
without resurrections be capable to balance this? Or when Haven builds angels
will the game pretty much be over?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Each race has its strong and weak sides. By balance we deal
with the most serious means.
Q. Idot: Will creatures be capable of breaking walls hand to hand or remotely?
If yes, will that break be hand-to-hand or ranged? (this question is not about
the catapults, ballistae and rams - just about the creatures)
A. Dmitry Estrin: No, they won't be able to.
Q. Langolier: Will there be the possibility of adding in 'in game scripts'?
A. Dmitry Estrin: No, there will not be.
Q. Katrine: I have a question about flying units' placement. How will be they be
placed over the battlefield? Will they fly across the entire battlefield (as in
I, and II) or will they walk by several cells (III, and IV)? Nevertheless since
they have wings that to fly, that they must according to the first version.
A. Dmitry Estrin: Everything will be as in Heroes of Might and Magic III.
Q. Katrine: It is known that not long before the curtailment of its existence
company, NWC began the development of HoMM V. Then in the consequence of known
events all of the materials went away to Ubisoft. Were these materials
transmitted to you, or did you conduct development of HoMM V from scratch?
A. Dmitry Estrin: We thus far cannot comment on this question.
Q. Eilassie: Are towns always attached to the terrain (or vice versa terrain to
the town)? It is said that Dungeon's terrain is subterranean... Does this mean
it can only be placed underground? And again on this topic - could you tell how many maps are made
so far and which victory condition is most prevalent?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Again, still no commentaries.
Q. TheDthMaster: Will HoMM V be published in Russia only in the Russian
language, or will it also be in the English version or combined version. I
assume,there will be a lot of people desiring to play in the English version of
Heroes.
A. Dmitry Estrin: In Russia it is planned only the Russian publication of
Heroes of Might and Magic V.
Q. TheDthMaster: Relating to the magic: Can mages study the spells of strange
towns without the special skill, will a special skill will be required, and will the
study of "strange" magic be generally impossible, or is it only partially possible?
A. Dmitry Estrin: The study of strange magic is completely possible. Another
matter, that this most frequently can not be done profitably.
Q. FathNoMore: Angels disturb me...It was said, that after death they will again
be recruitable from the town, it is said that they are granted this ability to
return to the town by the Dragon of Light... Is this true? If so, will angels
be weak or limited by this ability, as in phoenixes with the the rebirth, or
they will be more expensive?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Angels die, like all normal creatures, and they do not return
anywhere.
Q. FathNoMore: What is the maximum nuber of levels that will appear per
scenario? If so will there be 3,4, or more? If not, is it the appearance of 2x
levels of cave possible? I.e., If there is lowermost cave, it would be possible to go down to
the following cave.
A. Dmitry Estrin: There will be only two levels. [Normal and Underground]
Q. FathNoMore: Will there be a movement grid on the global map and will the
amount of movement points depend on geography (mountains)?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Travel speed depends on the type of terrain - on the swamp one
must travel for a long time, while one can travel more rapidly on the grass. The
movement does not depend on the incline of terrain.
Q. Heroes V: Will there be, as in Heroes 4, classes depending on the skills? For
example, if you choose any three magic skills, the hero would become an 'Archmage'?
A. Dmitry Estrin: No, there won't be such classes.
Q. _ Maximus _: Can these 'mini-artifacts' be used only on Academy creatures? Or
during capture of their city is it possible to equip them onto other races?
A. Dmitry Estrin: 'Mini-artifacts' are created in the War Forge building in the
Academy and only when the Artificer hero is present. You can only obtain
Artificier in this race, and no other.
Q. Lord Ombrok: Will editor support the import of custom objects and textures to
them?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Thus far it is not planned.
Q. Lord Ombrok: Possibly whether it will in the editor assign for the 2nd
command? (for example, I make a scenario - to overtake and to destroy the enemy. Can I
assign a route to enemy hero? )
A. Dmitry Estrin: Natural to see a similar functionality in the editor, but to
what degree it will be supported in its open [in-game] part, it is not thus far solved.
Q. Exiele: Is it possible to break buildings in the town?
A. Dmitry Estrin: No. This is not Heroes-like! [NOTE: In HoMM III WoG you could destroy your opponents' capitols.]
Q. Nike3D: What will the maximum number of possible structures in the town be,
i.e., how many slots of possible buildings are in the window of the building of a
town?
A. Dmitry Estrin: All buildings, what exist, are possible to construct. The
quantity of slots is equal to the quantity of buildings accessible for the race.
Q. Phoenix 1973: It would be greatly desirable to learn according to what
principle heroes will be obtaining the combat experience - is it simply in a
quantity of dealt damage, or does it take into account the special features of
destroyed units?
A. Dmitry Estrin: The system is fairly complicated, and this is the subject of a
separate conversation.
Q. alex-ls: The Fairy from the Sylvan town does not have wings and is large. Is
it not possible decrease her size and return the wings?
A. Dmitry Estrin: No, this is final version.
Q. Great Rash: With the creation of towns do you have projects which it will be
possible to deflect and possibly alter their appearance in expansions?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Thus far we cannot comment on this question.
Q. BOBsoft: Will we see the demo before the new year? Will we see the open beta
before the new year?
A. Dmitry Estrin: Again, no comment.
Q. xamlo: Are bonuses from the composite artifacts given only after the
collection of all "components"(as in HoMM III) or is there the possibility that
I can gather 2 (as in HoMM IV) and obtain a smaller bonus?
A. Dmitry Estrin: There are no bonuses for the collection of specific artifacts.
Q. Airbeat: What video card is needed for the game?
A. Dmitry Estrin: It is unknown thus far.
Q. Noran: The hero trail disappears; is this for a skill that allows you to track
your opponents, or find out what happened, making it possible to obtain
information about the past to different details?
A. Dmitry Estrin: The trails in Heroes of Might and Magic V are simply for the
looks. It disappears several seconds after its appearance. Nothing cannot be
learned from it.
Q. GLUTTON: Will there be a "hot page" (or "chosen" page) in the spellbook, so
that it would be possible "to write down" the frequently utilised spells used by
a player, and thus alleviate the pain of flicking through various pages looking
for the spell?
A. Dmitry Estrin: No, there will not be such a feature.
Q. _ Alexx: There was simply staggering music in HoMM IV, IMHO. It was very
exactly and integrally lay down appropriately, and hardly, IMHO, was it possible
to devise anything better! Thus far, here on the forum, there is only a small
question about the present composers. It is more precise, on the composer. If
you please, describe the procedure behind this. Indeed this is huge and very
important, but, as a rule, an unnoticed layer of work.
A. Dmitry Estrin: The musical tracking Heroes of Might and Magic V will also be
at the high level. Even now it pleases itself by many. The musical composers of
Heroes V are the same as the previous games.
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