Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
First expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic III.
In 1999, The 3DO Company released the first of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III. New World Computing developed Armageddon's Blade for Microsoft Windows.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- New World Computing
- Publisher
- The 3DO Company
- Designer
- Jon Van Caneghem; Greg Fulton
- Producer
- Mark Caldwell; Jeff Blattner
- Director
- David Mullich
- Composer
- Paul Romero
- Rob King
- Steve Baca
- Series
- Heroes
- Released
- September 29, 1999 (NA); March 17, 2000 (EU)
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The Conflux town, themed around classical elements, was added, bringing the total alignments to nine. Six new campaigns were included, one continuing the base game's storyline and five revolving around other adventures. Over 35 single scenarios were also added. Creature types from previous Heroes games, such as Peasants, Boars, and Halflings, returned as non-aligned units. New non-aligned creatures included the Azure Dragon. Eleven new campaign heroes and two new artifacts—Armageddon's Blade and the Vial of Dragonblood—were introduced. New map objects included quest towers that only allow passage if the hero meets criteria set by the map's author. A random map generator allowed creation of maps with customizable parameters, and a standalone campaign editor enabled composition of new campaigns from individual scenario maps.
Plot
Only one of the six new campaigns directly concerns the main storyline. The events follow Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor, in which Roland Ironfist is freed from the Kreegan stronghold Colony Zod and the Kreegan king Xenofex is defeated. As Erathia rebuilds after the Restoration Wars, the Kreegans of Eeofol launch a surprise invasion. His general Xeron is tasked with locating the Blade's components. The armies of Erathia and AvLee attack Eeofol, receiving assistance from servants of the Lords of the four Elemental Planes in the form of new Conflux towns. Queen Catherine and King Roland are assisted by the half-elven warrior Gelu. Xeron obtains the Blade but is defeated by Gelu, who claims it and, at Catherine's behest, slays Lucifer Kreegan. The Ironfists return to Enroth, and the Blade is passed to Gelu. The story continues in Heroes Chronicles: The Sword of Frost.
Development
Work on the expansion began in early 1999. Developers originally intended to focus on a new futuristic faction called the Forge alignment, which would continue the evil ending of Might and Magic VII and showcase science fantasy elements. The Forge faction was almost completed, but some fans reacted negatively to its inclusion, believing it destroyed the fantasy atmosphere. Midway through development, New World Computing scrapped the Forge faction and removed all references to it from the storyline, instead building upon Might and Magic VII's good ending. To replace the Forge, they introduced an elemental-based faction, the Conflux, originally meant for a later expansion. Due to the scrapping of the Forge halfway through, developers and artists lacked time when completing the Conflux faction and were forced to implement elemental creatures from the base game; the dwellings of the original four elementals within the Conflux town use the same graphics as on the world map.
Reception
Critics gave the expansion favorable marks, landing just two points below universal acclaim on GameRankings. IGN's Rich Rouse highlighted the upgraded map editor and the wealth of fresh content, while GameSpot's Andrew Seyoon Park noted the new Conflux faction and minor gameplay adjustments. GameRevolution's Duke Ferris found the Conflux town a bit underwhelming because it reused neutral creatures from the original game, but he liked the campaign story, core gameplay, and other additions. Several reviewers pointed out that while the expansion didn't overhaul the base game, the original mechanics were already solid and didn't need major changes. The add-on won Computer Games Strategy Plus 1999 Add-on of the Year, with the staff calling it a model for future expansions. It also came in second for Best Expansion Pack at GameSpot's Best & Worst of 1999 Awards, losing to Half-Life: Opposing Force.
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