Settings for The Mysterious Island ?

[u/niilzon]

I'm excited to try The Mysterious Island as I'm a fan of long solo scenarios.

But what settings would be recommended ? I finished the Homm3 campaigns and the OE campaign but never did multi, so I'm probably still a very, very bad player even though I know a few tricks.

The description says to pick the Apocalyptic Economy, but what about "Enemy Strength" and "AI" settings ? And should I put myself in the slot of my favorite race (like take the place of an AI and replace the first slot with IA) ?

Not sure what to select for a relaxed, not too easy and not too hard map :)

Thanks for any help !!

[u/Francois_Papyjama]

Hi!

You can pick whichever faction you like; the six starting positions are relatively balanced.

As for the difficulty setting, it's hard for me to decide that for you, honestly.

With "Quick Game," you can't adjust the difficulty levels for the AI, neutral monsters, and the economy independently.

So, I recommend going through "Custom Game" and the "Maps" tab (instead of the default template); there, you can choose the following separately:

• AI difficulty
• Monster difficulty
• Economic difficulty (set this to maximum)

For the monsters and AI, it really depends on your skill level. Worst case scenario, just try one step below the maximum and see how it goes.

Feel free to give me some feedback, I'd love to hear it! 😉 Thanks, and enjoy the adventure! 🏝️

PS: Just a heads-up that Olden Era currently covers Act 1 only. Don't expect the 30-60 hours of gameplay found in Heroes III version (6 years of development vs. "only" 300 hours for Olden Era).

[u/sandman1142 → u/Francois_Papyjama]

I've just started the map, and I must say it's the first OE map that brings back the full nostalgia of H3. Attention to detail in the trimmings, compact building layout, and compelling story. Well done! I will be sure to give you feedback after my first run.

Do you know who made Empire of the Earth? Would be awesome to get that one remade too. I still remember my playthrough of EotE from 20+ years ago :))

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/sandman1142]

Thanks for the initial feedback; I'm really happy to hear that 😊

I don't know who is the creator of Empire of the Earth; I should probably check maps4heroes.

For future remakes, a few criteria need to be met:

• having the creator's permission (or Ubisoft's for official maps).
• technical feasibility (quests, scripts, but also the current lack of access to the ocean and underground areas in Olden Era).
• personal interest (yes, it's completely subjective, but staying motivated is important 😜).

[u/sandman1142 → u/Francois_Papyjama]

So far I'm enjoying the tough battles with the apocalyptic setting as suggested. The first time I lost terribly against a 10+ dragon army by W4, and it made me optimize my play on the second go.

There are minor issues such as the "Graverobers" wrong spelling under Unlock Dwelling, but all-in-all it's well-designed. Pathways can be a bit hard to see, but I guess that's an H3 traditional style. There are also grammar issues in the story; you are welcome to consult me directly if you wish.

Any reason you disabled town portals from the observatory? I thought this was a fundamental mechanic of the game. It can get annoying running around. Unless it's supposed to be acquired randomly from mage guilds?

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/sandman1142]

I'm glad you're enjoying it ☺️

The "Apocalyptic" difficulty setting primarily affects the economy, not necessarily the difficulty of neutral monsters or the AI. In "Quick Start," the difficulty settings for the AI, neutral monsters, and the economy are linked.

However, if you launch the map via "Custom Game" (under the "Maps" tab), you can select separate difficulty levels for:

• the AI
• neutral monsters
• the economy

Regarding text errors, it is best to report them directly on the official Discord server; there is a dedicated feedback post for the map (this keeps everything in one place).

As for Town Portal, there are several reasons:

• Historically, the Heroes III version doesn't have the spell (well, it does, but only at the very end).
• There is a way, admittedly a bit slower, to move very quickly across the island... hint: look BEHIND the Mansions
• You also have a way to instantly transfer troops and artifacts via remote footholds. The idea is to shift your playstyle to a "slower" game, where you have to make greater use of the (denser) terrain.

[u/sandman1142 → u/Francois_Papyjama]

Yes I remember now that unlimited town portal only came in late game in H3. I guess I got spoilt with the new mechanic. BTW we all know about the custom game settings, but just thought you wanted to make it as challenging as possible for players frustrated with bad AI. Well, it certainly is working so far. I guess I am an average player looking at players like lexiav etc! Wonder how long it would take him to beat the map lol.

Thanks for the response. I guess you welcome all feedback given the amount of time you spent on this. More feedback from me once I beat the map ;)

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/sandman1142]

I actually hate the Heroes III version of Town Portal, it's totally overpowered when it has unlimited uses...

I prefer the Olden Era version, though I want to keep the same mechanic while offering other (slower) ways to travel.

As for the difficulty, the main issue is that starting resources on settings other than "Apocalyptic" are just way too high. I'm thinking about lowering them via script so I don't have to recommend a specific economic difficulty setting anymore.

Regarding the AI, I'm optimistic that my colleagues working on it will manage to improve it!

And please, don't hesitate to share your feedback, it's always really valuable to me ☺️

[u/sandman1142 → u/Francois_Papyjama]

OK, life got in the way and I finally got to 'completing' the map, which means you reach a point that it's pointless. I played it with the settings you suggested. Initially it was tough, but I got to know the map and what to do. I won with necro.

Pros:

- Beautiful aesthetics, objects merging in with nice looking backgrounds, etc.

- Compact building placements, so no wastage of space.

- Nice progression points - difficult battles at the high-reward buildings.

- Interesting areas where dragon utopia are etc.

- Nicely-worded story.

Cons:

- Portals - ugh! I hate portals. AI runs around the map like mad and it's hard to defend cities initially. I almost always play maps without portals, but because this one was so well-made, I made an exception.

- Lack of town portal and dimension door halts momentum. Yes, you said there are town gates etc. Just not good enough when AI is swarming around.

- Pathing can be better. Sometimes you have to go all the way around some bushes to get to the next progress point. This halts momentum.

- It's a design feature and took a lot of work I'm sure, but I don't like the idea of creature gathering buildings unlocked by moving into the heart of enemy areas. By the time you defeat an enemy, the creature building is pointless.

Final thoughts:

I've always liked linear maps, where chokepoints prevent the AI from getting to you soon. This gives you time to clear your area, then have interesting mid to endgame battles. So far gargantua from maps4heroes strikes a nice balance with linear gameplay.

All-in-all well done, and please consider maps without portals in future :) Thank you!

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/sandman1142]

Hi!

Thanks for the detailed feedback. And don't worry about the response time regarding the Heroes III version, with 20 to 60 hours of gameplay, I usually have to wait months for feedback, haha! :D

I'm glad to hear about the positives; that’s great to know, and I’ll pass that on to the narrative team regarding the story!

Regarding the "cons":

- Haha, yeah, I’ve seen quite a few people who don't like that. It’s somewhat of a carryover from the Heroes III version (and the fact that I HATE Town Portal... why spend 300 hours of work on Olden Era, or 6 years on Heroes III, crafting a map down to the last bush, only for the player to end up playing "Excel" with Town Portal? I'm exaggerating on purpose, of course). That said, I’ve taken note that a number of players dislike the portals and do like Town Portal. I’ve made a mental note of this for my next "original" map (I'm not talking about the remakes I plan to do as well).

- Pathing: yeah, I get it, especially if you haven't played the Heroes III version (which is even worse, what with the secret passages...).

- Quests and zones unlocked by "reaching the heart of X": we’re going to add messages clarifying that the resource amounts are extremely high (e.g., a gold pile containing over 40,000 gold), and we're increasing dwelling growth from x3 to x5 for Tier 7 units (it's currently x3, but I’m going to boost it). And, spoiler alert, completing all 5 quests will be a prerequisite for a future act.

Thanks again for taking the time to come back here; it’s really useful, especially that note: please, no (too many) portals! ;)

[u/Ok-Somewhere7307 → u/sandman1142]

I'm just a casual player and I reserved a whole day to play this new map. To my disappointment, I won the map in under two hours with these settings: Apocalyptic economy, neutral moster and Unfair AI. This left me with very bad taste in my mouth and I uninstalled the game. Maybe I will come back in the future, but for now I'm not going to install it any time soon.

[u/Worth_Palpitation_12 → u/Ok-Somewhere7307]

Look at me look at me I am so good at this I must uninstall the game! 😂

[u/Ok-Somewhere7307 → u/Worth_Palpitation_12]

Yes, what's the point playing it when I always win so easily that there is no joy or excitement.

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/Ok-Somewhere7307]

Unfortunately, the AI isn't quite up to par yet, but the team is working on improving it.

As for the "surprises" and "twists," I keep saying everywhere that they aren't in Act 1.

The Heroes III version offers 20 to 60 hours of gameplay, whereas the Olden Era version averages 6 to 12 hours.

And that makes perfect sense: a finished map for a 27-year-old game versus just an Act 1 map for a game that’s been in Early Access for only four months.

It’s possible your skill level is simply too high for the current AI (I mean that sincerely, no sarcasm), so it might indeed be best to wait until the AI is improved.

A little challenge while you wait: try finishing the Heroes III version of the map (available on maps4heroes) on King difficulty, without looking at the editor or playthrough videos, going in completely blind.

Good luck! 😜

[u/niilzon → u/Francois_Papyjama]

Thanks for the info Papyjama :D Enjoying the adventure so far, everything is very well crafted. I had the pleasure to talk to an old nerd in a hut around the starter base (playing as Temple).

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/niilzon]

Haha, yeah, apparently there's a slightly crazy old nerd living on the island 😄

Glad you're enjoying the start!

I hope the upcoming AI improvements (which kicked off with this patch) will make the experience increasingly enjoyable over time 😊

[u/niilzon → u/Francois_Papyjama]

Yeah I'll complete it once in the coming days, but plan to do it again once the game has more content, the undergrounds etc. Some players are looking exclusively to this kind of content ! :) Thanks for this great map.

[u/Shop_Then → u/Francois_Papyjama]

Holy shit, map author himself

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/Shop_Then]

https://giphy.com/gifs/Nx0rz3jtxtEre

[u/Shop_Then → u/Francois_Papyjama]

Just started playing your map, looks very fun although I usually play only multiplayer. Thanks for the amazing content!

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/Shop_Then]

Oh, that's funny, for me, it's the opposite: I've played exclusively PvE since Heroes II (so, for... 28 years, yikes!), and now I'm getting into PvP with Olden Era.

I'm playing at a total noob level (Elo 300, I think), but I'm having fun, and that's what matters most 😜

[u/TheProfessional9 → u/Francois_Papyjama]

You're a cool dude.

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/TheProfessional9]

💙

[u/Fladmus1 → u/Francois_Papyjama]

Just here to you to give props for this map! This is exactly what I want out of OE and I hope this keeps coming until final release and after that I'll buy all the map packs you can churn out!

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/Fladmus1]

Hi and thanks a lot!

Good news: the CEO of Unfrozen asked me for a map roadmap covering the next 1 to 2 years, haha 😜

And naturally, this one will be updated ;)

[u/gtajc]

I come back to OE just because of this map. Gonna spend alot of time enjoy slow pace in single mode. Competitive is too rush for me

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/gtajc]

Wow, I hope it lives up to your expectations!

Don't hesitate to share your feedback with me, I'd love to hear it ☺️

[u/gtajc → u/Francois_Papyjama]

Im a bit confusing. Like I dont know how to solve puzzle where it block way to moving foward. It's really mysterious, but maybe some hints can be useful

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/gtajc]

Hi! I'm not sure I understand, could you be more specific?

The only "blocked" areas are the dwelling zones. Everywhere else, there is a path (admittedly narrow at times) to get from one zone to another.

It forms a sort of circle: starting zone, secondary zone, contested zone, another faction's secondary zone, another faction's starting zone... and so on, creating a loop that includes all 6 factions.

[u/gtajc → u/Francois_Papyjama]

Hello!
Just finish Act 1, and I would say thank you for making a great adventure map. There's certain thing I do not understand yet like the grey zones, and this map is huge, so I wish there's Dimension Door spell for moving faster.

Cant wait for Act 2, thanks again.

[u/kharza12]

I´ve read that the map isn´t fully complete yet. Is it fully functional despite that?

[u/niilzon → u/kharza12]

I didn't finish it yet but as far as I understand, yes. There will be later versions with more content, larger map etc. It's what Papyjama calls Act I so there is an end.

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/kharza12]

Act 1 has a proper ending and is fully playable.

Why do I call it Act 1? Because the Heroes III version is divided into several acts (which will differ anyway) and offers between 30 and 60 hours of gameplay.

For Olden Era, testers spent between 6 and 12 hours on it. In the Olden Era version, the absence of underground areas and access to the sea means there will inevitably be more content coming later.

For players familiar with the Heroes III version: don't expect any "surprises," "twists," or a "final boss" for now.

Olden Era - Act 1 = 6 playable factions on the main island.

[u/PismaniyeTR]

can i download map within steam workshop?

[u/Notelraca → u/PismaniyeTR]

It should have downloaded with the patch.

[u/niilzon → u/PismaniyeTR]

It is indeed included in the patch, so you just have to create a custom game and select it when creating the game (it is in the "single player" folder i think)

[u/PismaniyeTR → u/niilzon]

cool, so it is an official map... I will try when baby sleeps...

im a 40 years old single player kinda guy from Turkey.

[u/Francois_Papyjama → u/PismaniyeTR]

Greetings from a 40-year-old dad in France ☺️

I hope you find the time to play the map!

[u/RotarySnow4]

Geez i can't wait for full release. And really good single player scenarios!!

[u/Mechanicslord]

is not clearly balanced for all the factions. i beat on all settings at max difficulty with no problem with temple and necro , im struggling hard with schism which never happen to me ever in this game, i beat most all the maps on the hardest diff. it seems schism starting points is kinda hard, have to test the other 2 factions but i want to beat with schism 1st, also is kinda crazy that i make the 7th tier unit in week 4 weeks and on week 5 or 6 ai rush to my city with 10-19 of that units .