Большая дата – 20 лет Героям

What are your favorite features in the game?

Honestly, I do not have a favorite feature. When I look at the game, I see everything working in concert: design, art, programming, audio, and music.

Do you have any funny stories related to HOMM III: the development, lore/story writing, PR field, etc.

I’ve told this tale numerous times as an industry ‘war story’. I don’t know if I would consider it ‘funny’. At the very least, most might consider it ‘amusing’. We were crunching on HOMM III. I was already putting in 9 and 10 hour days before crunch began. At some point, I began to wonder exactly how many hours I was working, and with my salary, what I was making per hour. So, I began tracking when I arrived and departed from work. After I had accumulated over 300 hours of overtime... I did the math. In the year 1998, I was making about $5 an hour. With this number in my head, I needed a break, so I left my desk, and drove to McDonalds for a quick dinner. I was waiting in line, looking at the young lady who was about to take my order, when it dawned on me. On a per hour basis, she was probably making more money than I was. Something to think about for anyone wanting to get into video game development.

Could you tell us about your impressions of HoMM III at its development stage, after the release and now, 20 years later. How did your opinions change?

While we were working on HOMM III, I felt we would do well, but had to continually remind myself, “We aren’t a hot 3D game. It won’t light the world on fire.” As was typical, at the time, game magazines and game websites focused more on features, and less on pure gameplay. Specifically, I remember when Starcraft hit the shelves and received a cool reception. Sure, it was a good game, but it was a 2D game in an emerging 3D market. Only later, months after release, did fans and critics discover the excellence in Starcraft. HOMM III traveled a similar road. It did well when it released, and received excellent reviews, but it took months and years before fans and critics understood the game’s depth and breath. It may be just me, but it feels like HOMM III gets infinitely more attention and respect today, compared to its initial release.

In any case we would be grateful to you for a few words of congratulations that we could publish.

To everyone who has played HOMM III, and continues to play it today, know this... there is at least one developer who appreciates your passion. Happy 20th.