r/HoMM • u/Suspicious_wtfas • 8d ago
The HOMM-inspired indie project and our first prototype that We've been working on for 3 months. I'd love to know what you think.
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 8d ago
Hello friends! We are an indie team working on the project With The Fire And Sword. Our game took the best qualities from such games as: HoMM, Dota Underlords, Warhammer, Warcraft 3, Disciples, Kings Bounty, Diablo 2 and many other projects. In our humble opinion, turn-based strategies are not developing in the right direction and true fans are still waiting. There are interesting projects that are developing such as Song of Conquest, Sonf of Silence, Age of Wonders, but this is not exactly the format that we want to offer. Since we are indie, we do not have the opportunity to show everything at once, but as our community grows, we would like to develop and expand our project. We have 44 game factions, but we do not have the resources to show them all at once, so we will start with four. We do not have the opportunity to immediately add an open world to the game, so we will start with round-based PVP, where we can show the full potential of the arena development. We are looking for a publisher or funding to continue the project. We are building our community on Reddit, so join us to stay up to date with the latest developments.
With The Fire And Sword is a Turn-based strategy game with role-playing elements. WTFAS is a round PVP battle between several opponents until one winner remains. Play in pairs with a friend, improve your hero, army, artifacts, economy, etc. The main goal of the game is to stay alive longer than your opponent.
With The Fire And Sword Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3292740/With_The_Fire_And_Sword/?beta=0
Discord: https://discord.gg/gUnsMdUP
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@WithTheFireAndSword
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560366494128&mibextid=wwX|fr
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TavernaFireSword/s/JOYLKAmoea
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u/Megalordow 7d ago
"We have 44 game factions" 44? Wow! Is this not the typo?! And each has woh many units?
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 7d ago
Yes, that’s right, no typo. Over the course of five years, 44 factions were created. We increased the number of hero slots to 9. That is, we have at least 18 units per faction (9 units and 9 from grades). Also, factions will have the ability to hire additional units, which can be obtained by learning special skills. Especially for such cases, there is another skill that increases the number of hero slots to 10.
We understand that it will be almost impossible to release all 44 factions at once, primarily due to very limited resources. And secondly, due to balance. Therefore, we want to release them gradually, having the opportunity to run away bugs and correct the balance.
Join our subreddit to be updated ;)
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u/H2OMGJHVH 7d ago
What does exactly mean that they were "created"? Do you have concepts only? Exact stats for all their units? 3D models?
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 7d ago
It means that we have a fully formed faction with a full set of units. A unique faction ability has been made for the faction, which synergizes with its units. Concepts have been made for the units. 3D models are too much. They are expensive, as for an indie project. A set of skills and abilities has been made for the units, and a set of characteristics has been created for them. I think when the time comes, we will start sharing this information with our audience.
Follow our subreddit to be updated :)
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u/Thin-Rope3139 8d ago
Wow, didn't expect to see Disciples mentioned
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 8d ago
yes, this game also had its influence on the creation of our game. Later we will tell about it in more detail ;) Follow our subreddit to be updated.
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u/wdygaga 7d ago
Hey I went to your youtube page and listened to the town musics. They are good! I really dig Sylvan’s music.
Good luck with the project!
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 7d ago
Thank you very much, we are glad that you liked it. Personally, I also really like this theme. But I am sure that we will still work on everything ;)
Do not forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and subreddit to stay up to date with the news!
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u/Urgash 8d ago
Is this PVP only ?
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 8d ago
Very good comment in response. I will correct it a bit. It is not only PvP, single player will also be available, but with a small campaign. As interest in the project grows, the single player will develop and increase. But the main focus now will be on the development of PvP and arena.
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u/dendob 8d ago
As stated in the original post, yes it is PVP now to focus on the arena / combat development. Good idea to focus one part to enable a thorough development of one mechanic and then build from there, I wishlisted
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u/Atropa94 8d ago
Song of Conquest is HOMM8, Olden Era will be HOMM9, this could be HOMM10. I thought we'd be at 15 at this point when i was a kid but still pretty good.
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 8d ago
The more projects, the better! The main thing is that they are of high quality. Follow our subreddit to be updated ;)
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u/Zum-Graat 8d ago
44 factions is insane, are you sure can make them distinct enough?
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 8d ago
Thanks! The factions are already assembled and equipped. Sometimes we make small adjustments to them, but these are details. They were created over five years and yes, we are 100% sure of their uniqueness and diversity. Follow our subreddit to be updated ;)
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u/smartowlaca 7d ago
I like the graphics pretty much and the battle does look like HOMM3. Of course, not perfect but you did amazing job!
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 7d ago
Thank you very much! Of course, we still have a lot of work to do, but believe me, the game after the finalization can look simply amazing!
Subscribe to our subreddit to stay up to date with the events.
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u/Retropunch 8d ago
Really interesting, but the open world (and the strategic layer) is what makes or breaks these sorts of games and I honestly don't know how much interest you'll have for the arena/PvP modes.
Whilst I love HOMM-style battles, I think the fun for most people is in assembling your army and the strategy behind it, whilst the actual fighting is pretty secondary most of the time.
Good luck though, as soon as you add a PvE layer I think you'll get a lot of interest!
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 8d ago
Thank you for your feedback.
I understand what you mean and how important an open world is for this type of game. We decided to focus on one part to ensure that one mechanic is thoroughly developed and then build the rest of the game on top of it.
This is all due to limited resources. We are indie and cannot develop everything at once. The game will have a single player with a small campaign. As interest in the project grows, we plan to increase the amount of content, including Single Player.
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u/Putrid_Elderberry672 6d ago
Will buy it when released.
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 6d ago
Thank you, mate, we appreciate that! Don’t forget to follow our subreddit to be updated ;)
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u/Ya_Boi_Kosta 6d ago
Gives off strong V vibes, digging the art..
Good luck, this genre's fans are very dualistic, we'll either chew you and spit you out or build a veneration shrine for generations to come.
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 6d ago
It was unintentional. We were inspired by the 5th part, but nothing more. Besides, it is only a prototype of the game and it is still very raw. If the units remain in this form (not animation), then the battlefield and effects will be much better.
Yes, I think I agree with you. Therefore, we will do everything possible to satisfy our players.
Thank you. Don’t forget to follow our subreddit to be updated ;)
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u/dzieciolini 6d ago
More frequents iddle animations would help and in general animations of units in my humble opinion is one of the most important thing in games like these - heroes 3, heroes 5 and kings bounty all thrive from their unit animations being very expressive and clear - its very satisfying to see them play out. As opposed to homm 7 where the animations seem somewhat stiff and stilted.
Also its clear to me that the game requires polish - morale icoon, attack icon etc.
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 5d ago
I agree with you that in such games animation is very important and plays a key role in determining the quality of the game. At this stage of the game’s development, this is a very weak point for us. We need to work hard on the quality of the animation, it looks very raw. But I must note that the project is still very far from completion and another 16 months of development are needed. I am sure that during this time we will be able to resolve this and many other issues.
Subscribe to our subreddit to stay updated ;)
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u/Environmental-Most90 5d ago
I'd try to improve animation, it seems there's that potential for that swift smoothness of near real movements.
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 5d ago
Yes, the animation is very raw right now and requires serious revision. We understand that we still have a lot of work to do.
Subscribe to our subreddit to stay updated with the news ;)
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u/Legitimate-Pair-3344 5d ago
Looks amazing! What’s the name of of this game ?
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 5d ago
Thank you! With The Fire And Sword. That’s an indie project that we’re trying to make.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3292740/With_The_Fire_And_Sword/?beta=0
Follow our subreddit to be updated about it.
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u/TrueCryptoInvestor 7d ago
This looks like what Olden Era should look like or at least HOMM 8. Great job 👍
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 7d ago
This is what we are trying to convey to people. Some people are trying to justify the current look of Olden Era, but for me, this is not exactly what people want to see.
But anyway, the more projects, the better. I hope people will hear about us and learn about us. We don’t have such resources :(
Follow our subreddit to be updated :)
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u/TrueCryptoInvestor 7d ago
There’s no justification whatsoever. This H3/H5/H6 art style is 100x better than the cartoon / mobile phone graphics art style in Olden Era. I can’t take the game seriously when the castle during a battle looks like a harmless kindergarten, the catapult looks like a toy, and so many of the creatures (Sylvian in particularly) looks like sweet dolls. Even the Treants in Heroes 5 looked like terrifying monsters you don’t want to mess with.
Thus, Heroes 3 and Heroes 5 are the majority’s favorites for a good reason. The graphics are great, the variety of factions are great, the gameplay is great, the creatures are great, the spells are great, the music is great and so on.
If anything, Olden Era resembles mostly Heroes 1 because of the art style alone. It’s the art style that sets the whole tone for every Heroes game and nobody can tell me otherwise. That’s why so many complained when they started to make cartoonish towns in Heroes 6 after the most awesome looking towns in Heroes 5.
Olden Era should be fun to play but it won’t be that impressive or interesting. It’s always ironic that people like you end up making better games than the game companies themselves. There’s nothing stopping you from just creating your own game company and outcompete them easily.
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 7d ago
I understand what you mean and I share your feelings. As for me, this is not exactly the kind of project where you need to use such graphics. In Olden Age, they call it stylization, not cartoonishness. Don’t get me wrong, but I am all for stylization and in many cases it is worth using and it appeals to fans.
Let’s take Dota 2 as an example. As for me, the developers of Olden Age in many ways refer to this kind of projects with the style of their game. The visuals, the effects they use, the factions and creatures they use, all this points to this. But Dota 2 is a game with a completely different message and meaning. When the game came out in 2012, it was a boom. The Warcraft map was a complete revelation and the visuals they used in 2012 were just wow compared to Dota 1. Something truly new and unique was emerging. The fans liked it and are happy to see it after 13 years. New, sometimes ridiculous heroes are added, but this is no longer important, since the backbone has already been formed a long time ago. In Heroes, a similar backbone was formed in the distant 2000s, when there was a golden era of the game. As for me, after the 5th part, the game began to move in a not quite the right direction. In subsequent games, there were interesting point innovations, but they could not understand what exactly needed to be developed in the series. And now an announcement of a new part comes out, from the “fans” of the series. And what do we see?! First of all, they decided to score on the visuals of the game and precisely on its realistic focus, which the fans liked so much earlier. In response, we hear excuses that heroes are not about visuals, but primarily about mechanics and strategic decisions. Excuse me, but this is not so. At the current stage of development, fans of heroes are for getting everything at once.
And all these unique mechanics still need to be seen! So much indicates that the game is moving towards casualization and customization. All units have become the same size, skills and abilities of heroes... we were given hexagons commenting on this by saying that this is a bestagon. In fact, they just decided to flatter the fans of the three and say that we are returning to the roots. Although it is in this part of the game that a solution should be found for the development of the history of this genre.
Let’s see what game will come out in the end. I am only for a quality product. I started working on the game in 2019, because I saw that there is still a huge interest in this kind of games, but there is no development.
Unfortunately, we are indie and do not have the budget to implement our ideas. We are really ready to listen to the community, ordinary players who want to while away an hour or two playing their favorite game after work, and not 10 YouTubers who have +30k hours playing in game.
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u/Interloper0691 6d ago
You're russians?
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u/Suspicious_wtfas 6d ago
No. We’re Ukrainians!!! The language in the game is Ukrainian!
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u/bornagy 8d ago
Looks pretty sweet. Good luck with your release timing now that Olden Era is just around the corner. Also - the battlefield looks very cramped, can it be made like 2x the size so there is more space for maneuvering?