I just got the game Thursday and I am having some problems with the interface.
I was playing the Inferno in a one on one game and I could not figure out how to use either the Gating power or the Teleport power of the Arch-Devils.
The Book suggests I use C or S to do this. What am I doing wrong?
What are your likes and dislikes about the games?
How is the Editor? Are their random maps?
What fan sites have good crib notes?
How do you like it compared to HOMM 3 or 4?
Jim
Teleporting is simply how arch-devils move around the map. You use it the same way you’d make any other unit move.
Gating allows you to temporarily summon a stack of creatures that duplicates a stack already on the field, although at greatly reduced numbers. To use it, wait until the creature you want to duplicate gets a turn. Then, click on the spellbook icon in the lower right corner of your screen. This will bring up all of the abilities available to that creature. Select the Gate ability and click anywhere on the battlefield. There is no range limit, IIRC. The point where the creature will appear is now marked by a pentagram. Gating takes a long time to work, usually about two full turns. It’s particularly useful during sieges, when you can gate creatures in on the other side of the wall to tie up archers and casters while your catapult makes an opening for your permanent forces.
I like the game quite a bit, although the camera control is a little frustrating. My main problem is that each scenario takes forever to finish. I don’t think it’s quite as good as three, but it’s much better than four.
I haven’t tried the map editor or the fan sites yet.
Miller: Thank you, I read something about T’port letting the Devils go anywhere, but in the scenario I played they could not get past walls.
I have to try the gating. There does not seem to be very many scenarios for single players non-campaign. I only have 6. Are there more? Do I need to just play the campaigns?
One little trick I like to do is figure out the gating formula so I have enough units to produce just enough to gate one unit. So, if you need just 4 imps to gate in 1 imp, you should split 20 imps into 5 stacks of 4. Hero abilities can affect the gating formula, so it involves some micromanaging. But if, three imps gate in zero creatures, and more than five imps are a waste, it is good to know four is the right number.
I also take advantage of small stacks, because a big damage dealer usually only deals it once, so rather than wiping out 1 stack of 20 imps, it could waste five turns wiping out 5 gated single imps, then waste another five turns wiping out 5 stacks of 4 imps. Meanwhile, I can pound it with spells from my hero.