Fanstratics isn’t the only game to call itself a ‘spiritual successor’ to HoMM3. Why should I believe you?
Trust me, I understand. Many different games have called themselves ‘spiritual successors’, while falling far short of their promises. Some of these same games have even claimed to be a ‘spiritual successor’ to HoMM3, in one form or another.
For me, ‘spiritual successor’ is more than a catch phrase or marketing slogan. It’s a game directive.
Few people remember, after Armageddon’s Blade, myself (lead game designer) and John Bolton (lead programmer) left the company, while Phelan Sykes (lead artist) moved onto a different project. David Mullich (production director) was the only lead to carry over from HoMM3 to HoMM4. Fanstratics is the only ‘spiritual successor’ to HoMM3, to actually involve anyone from the original team.
Hopefully, as Two Point Hospital is to Theme Hospital... Fanstratics will be to HoMM3.
Is it really going to be like HoMM3?
Yes.
The Adventure Map will be built on a tile based, square grid.
The Townscape will fill the screen and have interactive structures.
The Battlefield will fill the screen and use a hex gird.
Currently, the game is being built in 3D, but the presentation is entirely 2D. For an example of this approach, I typically point people toward ‘Ori and the Blind Forest’.
Please keep in mind... I cannot ‘rip off’ HoMM3. Gameplay mechanics cannot be copyrighted, but Ubisoft owns the ‘look-and-feel’ of HoMM3.
I mention this because... there will be changes to the creative landscape. Factions, heroes, troops, spells, skills, artifacts, and adventure destinations, will all be ‘familiar but different’. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing... a refreshed approach offers the potential for revision, refinement, and evolution. This is what happened from HoMM2 to HoMM3. This is what I want to happen from HoMM3 to Fanstratics.
Ultimately, what I want, is for a casual observer to mistake Fanstratics for HoMM3. A passing conversation would hopefully go something like this...
“Playing Heroes 3?”
“No. Fanstratics.”
“What’s Fanstratics?”
“The reincarnation of Heroes 3.”
Will Fanstratics deliver on the HoMM3 expectations? Is it even possible?
For the past 20 years, the HoMM community has been clamoring for a true sequel to HoMM3. With Fanstratics, my goal is to give them what they want... and more. Anyone with any knowledge concerning video game development, knows the opportunities for failure are far greater than the chances for success... but I am hopeful.
HoMM3 HotA, while a work in progress, satisfies most of our heroish needs. Why would I want to switch from HoMM3 HotA to Fanstratics? What are you going to provide the team behind HotA cannot?
This is a good question, and a difficult one to answer. It is my job is to give fans every possible reason to willfully move on from HoMM3 HotA to Fanstratics. In many respects, my current situation is very comparable to what I faced when I designed HoMM3. At the time, HoMM fans rightfully asked, “What can HoMM3 offer that HoMM2 hasn’t already delivered?” My response now, is similar to my response then.
My goal is to give fans a careful and respectful evolution; new lore, reinvigorated creativity, revitalized graphics, smart quality of life adjustments, revised and improved gameplay mechanics... while maintaining the spirit of the original.
It’s an incredibly daunting task, and I’m going to give it my best. I know details are scarce, but try to be patient. Features will slowly be revealed over time, and in the end, hopefully, I will have given fans plenty of reasons to look forward and not backward.
HOMM’s storylines have been interesting, but with each sequel, the previous world and characters have been tossed aside and new ones created. Are you planning to do the same, or do you have a grand plan in mind?
Truthfully, at NWC we didn’t have a lot of time to work on story elements, so map and quest makers were given relative freedom to work within quickly established guidelines. This led to each team ‘wanting to do their own thing’, without the restrictions imposed by the lore of a previous team.
With FST, I want to put considerable effort into the lore and lay a strong foundation for future story lines. We’ll see what happens, as there are many hurdles to overcome, but my goal is ‘longevity’. There may be other stories, involving different characters from different continents, but I would prefer to stick with one world and one progression of characters.