Heroes of Might and Magic III: Skeletons Only 1v7 FFA (200%) [ft. 50% Necromancy Nerf] {Part 1}

Here it is: the Skeletons Only Challenge! Never count the AI out! [Part 1]
Indeed, this challenge was done on HotA (that is to say, the 50% Necromancy nerf was present to make it even more difficult) and came out to be somewhere around 13 hours, which is much longer than I expected it to be. I tried to have one big upload, but it turns out that KZbin doesn't support video lengths in excess of 12 hours.
Sorry for the delay, and I hope you enjoy the video!
--
HotA: download.h3hota.com/HotA_setup
HD mod: sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/
Twitch: / theknownworld
--
-MeKick

[@TheKnownWorld]

*Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):* 1. What mods do you use for Heroes III? / What version of the game are you using? I usually play Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death with the HD mod (downloadable from sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/). In this video, I'm using Horn of the Abyss (also known as HotA). The HD mod is responsible for most of the features that you see in my videos. Note that the Heroes III HD mod is not compatible with Ubisoft's HD Edition on Steam. 2. How do I get your version of the game? Shadow of Death is functionally the same (e.g. there are no gameplay differences) as the Heroes III Complete Edition, which you can get from www.gog.com/game/heroes_of_might_and_magic_3_complete_edition for relatively cheap. Horn of the Abyss can be obtained from download.h3hota.com/HotA_setup. 3. How do you see how far units can move in combat? This is one feature of the HD mod (see FAQ #1) and can be done by mousing over a unit and holding down the CTRL key. 4. What are the hotkeys that you use? This is one feature of the HD mod (see FAQ #1). The most frequent hotkeys that I use for army management are: - CTRL+Click to create a 1-stack - ALT+Click to group up all units of the same type into one big stack - SHIFT+Click to split a stack into two halves - CTRL+SHIFT+Click to fill up all remaining empty slots with a 1-stack A full list of the hotkeys that the HD mod provides can be found at sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/eng/description/extended-ui. 5. How do you display the extended hero details while setting up a map? This is one feature of the HD mod (see FAQ #1) and can be done simply by right-clicking on a hero's portrait while selecting a hero. Note that Single Scenarios do not support this feature. 6. How do you step through Two-Way Monoliths and Subterranean Gates without moving your hero? Pressing the Space Bar key will cause your hero to step on the same square that they are currently on, allowing them to move through Two-Way Monoliths and Subterranean Gates at will. The Space Bar key can also be used on Water Wheels, Windmills, Mystical Gardens, and other map objects. Note that this feature is only available in versions of Heroes III that come later than Restoration of Erathia, meaning that this cannot be done in Ubisoft's HD Edition on Steam. 7. How can I get my unit animations in combat to be as fast as yours? To get accelerated unit animations, download crAnim.txt from heroesportal.net/getfile.php?file=/files/information/16/Cranim.txt and put it into the Data folder of your Heroes III directory.

[@Rale881]

Did you get a new microphone? There seems to be a lot less background noise, which I greatly appreciate. Makes your video more watchable.

[@TheKnownWorld]

It's the same headset that I've been using in my past videos as well. However, I played around with some audio settings and I even took the time to clean out my computer too (which reduced the computer fan volume considerably). I'm glad that you appreciate the difference in the audio quality!

[@Rale881]

It was immediately noticeable and your fan was legit the only reason I couldn't stand watching your videos. Now, though, I got no excuse (except that they're ridiculously long, how do you even manage to do this yourself, oml)

[@streichemafia7055]

You are twitch live

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, well, just watch as much of it as you can or want to, I suppose. :P As for how I can stand doing these videos all in one sitting, I'll admit that it takes a fair bit of mental fortitude to pull off. However, even though I wanted to, I wasn't quite able to finish this match in a single day.

[@junibismalis]

Honestly, listening to you rambling during play is partially why I enjoy these videos. Don't listen to the haters

[@TheKnownWorld]

That's refreshing to hear! Have a +1, good sir! :)

[@TheGrimReapress]

totally agree

[@TheOriginalElkstone]

​@@TheKnownWorld Do listen to criticism. Don't be an echo chamber KZbinr that shuts out all negative feedback and slowly their content slides into low effort garbage Still, cheers for the video

[@vycka1234]

Let's face it: HotA's Necromancy nerf was necessary for this challenge to be an actual challenge.

[@wyndoellabridge6208]

Thumbs up for no units lost challenge

[@TheKnownWorld]

:|

[@aleksanderstrzyzewski3490]

XDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[@Kapibar]

Hue

[@jondeoliveira8248]

That is impossible.

[@qkhuve]

Ultrona Ignoicia Probably the only possible way would be Thant and undead, but the RNG and time needed is ridiculous >.

[@max94fischer]

in my oppinion hota is absolutly enjoyable to watch!

[@TheKnownWorld]

That's great to hear!

[@theotherperson9928]

And it's better for map makers!

[@NatsumiMichi]

Those two-way portals right next to each other cracked me up :D

[@TheKnownWorld]

:P

[@lachezarzahariev8626]

Wooo Im so damn happy this is out! And I cant wait for the next part and the next challenge! Love your content dude not to mention your comentary! Keep up the amazing work and rock on!

[@TheKnownWorld]

Will do! I'll try not to withhold the next part for too long. I hope you enjoy the video :)

[@simasadomaitis7299]

That moment, when mekick uploads at 10pm at your place, and you thought its friday but its actually thursday and youvalso have to go to school tomorrow but there are no lessons and you re like. I ll allow it... For now

[@TheKnownWorld]

LOL, +1 to you!

[@vycka1234]

And then you realize it's 4AM.

[@udozocklein6023]

has to go to school, there are no lessons. is this a meme?

[@SenorKraut]

Thumbs up for the Deus Vult challenge. You're only allowed to capture towns once you've installed the grail in the starting town (largest possible map FFA).

[@SenorKraut]

Forgot to say I enjoy your vids so much. Keep it up please, we love you.

[@TheKnownWorld]

I'm glad that you're enjoying my videos! :) As it turns out, you're not the first one to suggest the "Grail Challenge". Others have requested this challenge as well, but personally, I don't like the sound of it. In my opinion, RNG plays too strong a role in determining whether or not I can successfully complete this challenge. What I mean is that if, for example, the Grail is spawned in the starting zone of an AI player who is halfway across the map from me, then there is little that I can do to stop them from digging up the Grail and building it in their own town. Conversely, if the Grail spawns too close to my starting area (which is the much more unlikely scenario), then the match would become a joke fairly quickly.

[@codyelliott3142]

Hi Mekick. I watch your Heroes videos while I work and I appreciate them so much. They take me back to happy times. Thank you for uploading!

[@AlexTheWise]

HotA is the best !!!! Re-watching all your videos, still a lot to learn even after 21 years xd

[@Broekje]

Found my copy of HoMM3 Complete a couple of weeks ago, been playing it like crazy. Found and subbed to your channel today. Lovely videos. Keep it up man.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the game :)

[@brianforrest1674]

Great videos. I appreciate all the work and effort you put into making these

[@sevenBug]

I think the gameplay is hella intresting but I can sleep so good to your voice xD

[@DonDiabloDNB]

the elixer of life..... what an adventure! I was holding my breath on multiple occasions. Really amazing.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Yeah, that artifact was a journey in itself, I must say. There were some pretty stressful moments on my end too, as I'm sure you could tell, but at least it worked out for the better. It's nice to hear that you felt the tension in those moments!

[@DonDiabloDNB]

You definitely went the extra mile. I would have never thought that to be able to work out the way it did. But yea, you're really good at this game so :D you have great content and would love to see more challenges and I personally liked your playthroughs of custom maps too!

[@TheKnownWorld]

I'm not going to lie, I didn't think so either. I just had faith and #YEAROFTHEYOLO Anyway, I'll take what you said as a compliment, and I'm glad you're enjoying my content! Another random map challenge will be on the way for October, but I don't intend to do another custom map playthrough for a while. Currently, my main focus is on these random map challenges for KZbin and on PvP matches for my Twitch streams. Cheers!

[@DonDiabloDNB]

I respect and appriciate that. keep doing you!

[@RNorthex]

Yeah, that bit was probably the most exciting about this part of the match. Even if it isn't the most efficient way to deal with it, I enjoy the slow plays with elaborate, fun strategies.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thumbs up for the No Might Challenge!

[@TheKnownWorld]

Just to clarify, "No Might" doesn't factor in retaliatory strikes.

[@simasadomaitis7299]

Thumbs down for no magic challenge!

[@mamaamaor]

You could just say "Luna challenge" xD. Easiest challenge ever.

[@jimmyjames6796]

This one just looks more tedious and challenging than the other

[@Klonering]

Ok now a neewbish question. So "no might" means, mekick is not allowed to attack with his creatures? or what does it contain?

[@mattvincent6598]

1:48:06 "Now all I'm doing at this point is crossing my fingers that he doesn't come with some kind of super arm... oh..." hahaha hilarious moment

[@qylees]

When you're talking about "Animate Death" I keep hearing "Anime Death". At long last. Can't wait!

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, good to hear!

[@throl4o]

Thank you for the wonderfull content I found your channel recently and i absolutely love it!

[@TheKnownWorld]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching my videos, and I hope you enjoy the rest of my content! :)

[@dddd51968]

Armor of the Damned : The armor has effect that causes Slow, Curse, Weakness and Misfortune on enemy units at expert level with a duration of 50 rounds at the beginning of hero's first turn during combat.

[@Hynth]

12+ hours. That's pretty long. Thanks for the time you're putting into our entertainment :P

[@TheKnownWorld]

Indeed it is! Thanks for the time that you put into watching my content. :)

[@HoangAnh-dw2rf]

you are one of the best heroes 3 players i ve seen. never regret to see u play !!!

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thank you for your kind words, but you're giving me too much credit! There are so many other players who are more skilled than I am, such as dave_hun (www.twitch.tv/dave_hun) and huanito6803 (kzbin.info) to name a few. I'm just using the strategies that I've seen get used by higher-level players. Either way, it's nice to hear that you enjoy my content!

[@mrlemon6024]

Finally finished watching after 4 days XD. I don't have the time to watch in one go. But anyway awesome video, keep up the good work, and I can't wait for part 2. :D ps I love u

[@TheKnownWorld]

Wow! Kudos on your tenacity in watching the video all the way to the end, even if it took you four sittings to do. It's nice to hear that you enjoyed it, and you need not worry - Part 2 is on its way. Cheers! ;)

[@janrichter7026]

"Shitty creatures only" challenge - You are allowed to use only the creatures, which are normally avoided. Necro: zombies, wraiths; conflux: magma, maybe energy; rampart: dwarves, dendroids, tower: gargoyles, golems etc. These creatures must feel sad that no one recruits them.

[@brett1908]

Thank you for the video I know I stopped commenting but I didn't stop watching I'm sick rn and it's a long weekend so I have a lot to watch thanks to you keep up the good work:)

[@TheKnownWorld]

Well, you're commenting right now, aren't you? :P Anyway, you're welcome for the video! Thanks for the support!

[@Spokenword]

"Now all i'm doing is crossing my fingers that he doesn't come with some kind of super arm- oh"

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, just Heroes III things.

[@Myownset]

Glad , You're alive

[@TheKnownWorld]

:D

[@michakurowski7206]

Hey MeKick, we need more Heroes videos from you, not only on the Christmas 😆😁

[@TheKnownWorld]

I hear you! More Heroes III will be coming soon :)

[@michakurowski7206]

@@TheKnownWorld Lovely! ☺😁

[@Vincent-fv1ch]

looking foreward to part 2 in 4 weeks! :D

[@TheKnownWorld]

Actually, I've already set the release date of the next part to be October 8. I want to do another challenge for this month to hit my quota, so you can look forward to that one being released sometime in the next 4 weeks. :P

[@PodsusedTermini]

loved the vid! I really love to watch your videos, actually you got me into streaming as well :) keep it up MeKick, greetings from Croatia!

[@TheKnownWorld]

It's nice to hear that you're enjoying my content, and that I got you into streaming! If you don't mind me asking, what's your Twitch channel? Greetings from Canada :)

[@PodsusedTermini]

TheKnownWorld Of course I don't mind :) The name of the channel is Ceks7, the profile picture is a pic of Korbac from Fortress (my older bro always used to make fun of me by saying I look like him haha) and I stream almost every day, sometimes on English and sometimes on my native Croatian and I give away some random steam keys for indie games :) Thanks for taking your time to answer!

[@TheKnownWorld]

You're welcome! Thank you for taking the time to comment :D I dropped you a follow as well on Twitch. Best of luck to you!

[@lubbiz]

Finally! *feels true warm fuzzy happiness and childish excitement*

[@TheKnownWorld]

:) Enjoy!

[@MercenaryZack]

Earned a sub from me for doing these interesting challenges and for being insane enough to upload 12hours of gameplay footage xD

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, I think that the challenges themselves are more a sign of insanity than uploading 12-hour playthroughs, but I appreciate the sub either way!

[@secretsmith813]

When you don’t actually know what all the artifacts actually do, but the KZbinr is exited so you are excited.

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thumbs up for the No Magic Challenge!

[@simasadomaitis7299]

TheKnownWorld Thumbs down for no might challenge!

[@pdmkdz]

Considered you always heavily rely on magic I want to see how you can pull this off :D, but I recall the first time I played H3 I never used magic because I didn't understand it ahahaha (playing on normal though)

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, you'll have to wait and see. I think others share a similar opinion regarding my heavy use of magic, especially in my recent videos where winning without magic would be close to impossible.

[@sunrise_reverie]

Don't be fooled, this one is super easy! It's like Quick Combat challenge only easier - he can position his units and not play like a bot. Upvote the no might one, people! :D Unless this one is spiced up with something like "No magic, 2 stacks only". Any stacks, but just 1 or 2 or 3. Whatever is unreasonable enough to be challenging ]:)

[@BirdLeavesNoEggs]

1:45:40 was such a beautiful moment. I love your commentary style too, subscribed off of this one video.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Yes, it was! What a relief to finally get the components for the Elixir of Life. Too bad the Elixir of Life doesn't actually work on the Undead! Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed my commentary style! Thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@panpanifyoucancan7120]

The longer the better, lol, love your videos, man.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Glad to hear it!

[@snuckyr]

Vampire lords only challenge! Least powerful L4 creature

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, Vampire Lords are definitely the least powerful Tier 4 creature in the game. /s

[@snuckyr]

+TheKnownWorld 😂 Thanks for posting the video. I'll spend the next month watching it!

[@TheKnownWorld]

Sounds good to me!

[@MikeKye200]

lol

[@NieJestemWikingiem]

So~~ I've watched all. 1) Elixir of Life puzzle was fucking amazing! 2) I love how you move your hero in random (for me) direction and then b00m epic chain from nowhere. Love it. 3) The way you move your heroes on map (surrender, flee and move rest of army) is brilliant and i love watching it. 4) I wish you play some water level. Episode: Brave new World is your best work yet ;D I wish we can see more video like that. Thx for your work, let's go to the 2rd part!

[@TheKnownWorld]

You watched it all? Awesome! 1) I'm glad you enjoyed the puzzle for the Elixir of Life! 2/3) Hero chaining and Poor Man's Town Portal can be tricky tactics - I'm just happy that I actually set them up properly from time to time, and that you like watching me do so. ;) 4) I actually wouldn't mind playing more water-based maps, but I just don't know of any good way to set those up. Random maps with the Islands setting are hardly satisfactory, and I'm not familiar enough with the other scenarios to determine which of them contain ample amounts of water and which ones don't. I hope you enjoy Part 2! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Rutep1000]

your videos are the best backround noise, ty very much

[@TheKnownWorld]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@adamkc0]

Your new favourite word is access, huh.Was honestly waiting for your arrow towers to start targeting the enemy catapult in that early siege against the 5 liches.

[@TheKnownWorld]

I guess so? Also, I don't remember which battle you're referring to.

[@iwanromanow6038]

Great content man, really enjoying Your videos :)

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying my content :)

[@lalu1401]

I really love you and your vids lots of love, Ann

[@martii0120]

3:36:40 - risking familiars morale when you have hideous mask on? That's a new one. ;)

[@ratmforthewin]

5:51:25 *recruits Crag Hack, making the slot available for Isra to come into the Tavern* 5:51:32 *disbands Crag Hack, even though there are currently only four adventuring heroes besides Crag Hack* Never thought I'd see the day.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Oops. :D

[@ionicafardefrica]

In addition to the regular bonuses from combined artifacts, the Elixir of Life increases health of all living creatures by +25% and they gain a regeneration ability similar to that of Trolls or Wraiths. *Neither of these abilities apply to Undead or non-living (unliving) units.* So yeah...

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, yeah, other people pointed that out a while back. I totally forgot that the Undead don't get the Regeneration bonus or the extra +25% Health :( At least I still got the additional +4 Health from the effects of Elixir of Life's components!

[@TonyGStarcraft]

heroes 2 and 3 are the best even though i stopped playing after heroes 5. this was my go to video game when i was younger before i discovered starcraft.

[@jakeakamuki4712]

hi man! try getting all lvl7 units on the next challenge.. great tutorial vids btw! keep making more pls!!

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, I don't quite see how getting all Tier 7 units would be a challenge. If there's at least one of every town present on the map, then the game would drag on just for me to collect at least one of every Tier 7 unit. If there isn't one of every town present, then there's no way for me to complete this "challenge". If you want to see a game where I use most of the factions (and some of their Tier 7 units), you might be interested in my Islands! playthrough (kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmLQqIatoNyad5o). Regarding the tutorial videos, I'm glad that you enjoy them, but I haven't had the time or motivation as of recent to continue that series. In the future, I hope to try and complete The More You Know at some point, but I don't know quite when that will be. Cheers!

[@mavinus3644]

Damn... What if I want you to do both "No Might" and "No Magic" Challenge? I'm torn :/ Also, you are awesome in this game. I love your content!

[@TheKnownWorld]

In an ideal world, I would be able to do both at the same time. But for obvious reasons, that won't be happening here. :P Anyway, (bad) jokes aside, I'll eventually do both. As I explained in the video, this vote is for which challenge you would rather see first. Thanks for the support!

[@kciuplys]

Keep up with good work!

[@livedandletdie]

Requiesce in pace, Docent Picolan.

[@MrVadymMykh]

No transformation??? Man, I knew you are crazy (in a good way), but THAT crazy!!!

[@TheKnownWorld]

Haha, no Skeleton Transformer for me! :) Also, yes, perhaps I'm just a wee bit crazy. Enjoy the video!

[@moracomole8090]

You get squat while AI gets two Cursed Temples right next to Town man, this game is always trolling you 😆

[@tyranuxus]

Well, finally. Was this time the movie not too long? Kappa Keep doing great vids man. :)

[@TheKnownWorld]

It was a bit of a rough ride to get this video out, I admit. Thanks for the support!

[@SweetSuga454]

Yyeee new mekick homm3 !

[@TheKnownWorld]

:D

[@Zippo_Squeeze]

Sooooooo a challenge video? I like it!

[@TheKnownWorld]

Enjoy!

[@caboose202ful]

4:14:18 "I really wish that we could view the minimap while [opponent] turns were going [...] I don't know why you're not allowed to see exactly where they're moving on the map - that strikes me as kind of odd" My guess is that there might not be a way to make it so that you can't see where monoliths/portals go to, or if a hero casts DD or TP, where they go. 'Cause you will notice that when a hero teleports in that fashion, if they teleport off-screen, the camera will move to where they end up (and it'll show the fog of war there), so if you could see on the minimap where that was, you'd be able get extra information you shouldn't be able to have.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds to me like you're guessing that the developers didn't display the minimap during enemy turns because you would've been able to see where opponents teleported to on the map? Is that right? It's a reasonable guess, but I find the notion that the game developers weren't able to "make it so that you couldn't see where monoliths/portals go to" a bit unlikely. In reality, I suspect that they overlooked this bug. Even in the case where your theory is correct, from a quality of life perspective of Heroes III, I would argue that the benefits of being able to see these moves (and the amount of time saved overall) vastly outweigh the drawbacks.

[@jacobstephens5482]

Nice Video ! as always ! Can you do another skeletons only but in shadow of death ? We know how strong it can be but i want to see without the nerfs xD (can't play it myself)

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thanks! I was considering doing a Skeletons Only playthrough in Shadow of Death as well. Whether or not I do one will depend on viewer interest as well as how willing I am to play Necropolis again after having just trudged through 13 hours of this faction.

[@jacobstephens5482]

TheKnownWorld. Do it if you feel for it :) And don't worry for the "bad explanations" i think everyone who understands the game knows where you are going.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Not everyone. A lot of the less-experienced players have pointed out that they find my on the spot explanations to be confusing, to say the least. Either way, I'm glad you're alright with them.

[@jacobstephens5482]

TheKnownWorld. One last question, and thanks for answering ! I know you since like two months, watched almost all of your "let's play" videos, but i'm stuck because the part 4 of the wayfarer series is not working :/ and after like 20 hours of watching it feels sad. KZbin says that the video is unavailable

[@TheKnownWorld]

Oh, sorry about that. In that episode, there was some copyrighted content that I used (I think it was music, if I recall correctly) which caused KZbin to automatically ban my video in some countries. Try checking out www.twitch.tv/videos/100761181 if you want to watch Part 4 of my Wayfarer series. I appreciate your dedication in watching my content!

[@MateuszWawro]

Another masterpiece :3

[@TheKnownWorld]

I would suggest that you wait until after watching the video before saying that. I appreciate the praise, though. :P

[@demianjanssen1932]

Easily voting for no might challenge, no magic challenge is just playing the game regularly :^)

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, I see what you did there. :P

[@rimurutempest3165]

I think there is a feature in the HD mod that allows your heroes to "memories " those artifacts they have equipped, and than switch to the right set. It's like ctrl+1 for the Wizards Well and than ctrl+2 for the battle artifacts. After that you can just press "1" or "2" to reequip. I haven't noticed you ever using this though it's pretty convenient.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thanks for the feedback! You're right in that such a feature exists within the HD mod, and I have used it a few times during my Twitch streams (particularly, when I have to continually switch my setup from turn to turn). I neglected to use it here, but I'll try to remember this for future videos.

[@AITDerceto]

Time to get a good night's slee--- nevermind, mekick uploaded new video

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, priorities. :P I haven't yet played a match where I've set myself up against 7 Conflux AI at once. Admittedly, someone else made a request where they wanted to see me play as Inferno against 7 Conflux AI all on the same team, but I still haven't gotten around to giving that one a try yet.

[@windblownleaf6450]

hey man i was wondering if you ever planned to do homm V stuff. its just as good as 3 imo and i think it would be a nice change of pace. thanks!

[@Yony42]

I found the AI to be far less capable in hommV, as in they wouldn't progress very far and it was often a let down late game. Did you have a different experience? I do really like the game but this problem ruins it for me since I usually play against AI with buddies.

[@erik34SJ]

best channel for listening English skill ever ever

[@TheKnownWorld]

I'm glad you think so!

[@erik34SJ]

you actually helped me increase my IELTS skills senpai _()_

[@TheKnownWorld]

Good to know :)

[@deros1741]

ooooof this man literaly plays 1 game for 12 hours while me playing 100% 2v2 (1-2hours) and still losing xD

[@pianofun1207]

Thumbs up for the No Might nor Magic Challenge, just stare all of them to death.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Now wouldn't this be fun to watch?

[@panpanifyoucancan7120]

Just wondering: what is the minimal arm to defeat a dragon utopia?

[@revenant5]

and this is BALANCED

[@TheKnownWorld]

100% balanced!

[@sandrothenecromancer6810]

what a spooky video!

[@TheKnownWorld]

You know it - Spooky scary Skeletons!

[@vycka1234]

Azure Dragon only challenge? No idea how it'd be possible to pull it off, but it would be both glorious and hilarious.

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, your guess as to how I would pull it off is as good as mine. :P

[@vycka1234]

I imagine you'd have to start with regular units and then disband them once you somehow gained access to Azure Dragons.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Then that wouldn't really be "Azure Dragons only", now would it?

[@Lank891]

Generate map and ask someone to put azure dragon building (dont know what is its name?) and resources for one of them and start with buying one! Would be interesting becouse of the fact, that you can't recruit more heroes before you coud get next dragon I'd like to see it!

[@Vaslof]

I would like to see a slow 1v1 MP match for KZbin where you explain your moves as you go. On Twitch there's really no time for that and it's more back and forth with the chat.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thanks for the feedback! I suppose that it is a bit odd for me not to have an actual (non-Twitch VOD) KZbin video of myself playing PvP despite all of the Twitch streams I've done. I'll keep this request in mind, but I'm not going to guarantee anything given how many other videos I still have yet to do (i.e. future Let's Play Heroes III episodes, the Heroes III Campaign, The More You Know, etc.). While this might be a bit of a stretch, have you checked out Meridian's channel (kzbin.info) by any chance? Meridian has recorded himself playing many games against human opponents on his channel while delivering a commentary where he explains his moves as he plays.

[@Dobbj]

TLDR: Is Hota good? Is it good on old Maps too? Awesome! I found your Channel through reddit and i'm glad that there's a HOM III Community i can join :) I got a question because of Hota. I downloaded it today and would like some opinions about it. The balance changes look reasonable but is it really that good? For sure i gonna try everything out i mean a whole new race is really interesting but if some of you played it i would like to hear some opinions :)

[@twanhoekman4726]

there aren't really to many downsides, i don't really like the new faction but it's not bad. The new artifacts are kind of cool. It makes playing necromancer more interesting since it nerfs necromancy. And the starting armies of dungeon are a bit smaller. it comes with a bunch of maps, some of which are better than others but they are ok. it's a bit more content without really changing anything fundamental. + with hd mod it prompts you if you want to start hota or hd. which means that it's not a hassle to switch between. there are some quality of life changes. You won't get navigation on a map without water and stuff like that. so tldr: Necro is less op. New artifacts. New maps small campaign. new faction no real fundamental changes. (except maybe how spell specialisations work, but i'm not sure if that is just the new faction or not)

[@TheKnownWorld]

Hello, and welcome to TheKnownWorld! Summing it up very quickly, I would argue that HotA is good overall, despite some misgivings I have concerning the mod that I'll explain below. At the very least, HotA is certainly worth trying if you're a Heroes III fanatic looking for a "fresh" experience that offers some new aspects to the game yet doesn't deviate too far from the original gameplay. As I mentioned in the video, HotA not only introduces balance changes, but offers a brand new roster of scenarios, campaigns, and an online multiplayer lobby system as well. HotA is also compatible with older maps (that is, maps from Restoration of Erathia, Armageddon's Blade, and Shadow of Death). Of course, HotA-specific balance changes will be in effect if you do decide to play those maps on HotA. Now, regarding the balance changes that you asked about, there are some mixed opinions on the rebalancing done by HotA. The majority of the balance changes are (arguably) positive. Factions that were often considered the strongest for competitive play in the original game (namely, Necropolis and Conflux) were nerfed so that they weren't brutally overpowered. On the other hand, "weaker" factions such as Inferno and Tower were tweaked to make them much more viable. In my opinion, not all of the balance changes that got introduced were good. My main two criticisms regarding the balance changes involve the introduction of Cove, a faction that (for various reasons) feels slightly overpowered, and the overnerfing of Conflux (Conflux was nerfed to the point where it feels weaker than the other factions in HotA). I could elaborate a bit more, but these changes aren't the focus of this post. Anyway, regardless of these "drawbacks", I would still recommend trying out HotA. It's a lot of fun, and for all we know, you might even enjoy the nerfed Conflux and the new faction. I hope that this explanation helps!

[@alexandretremblay2628]

Love your videos! Wish u could upload more..

[@TheKnownWorld]

I'm glad that you like my content! It would nice to upload more, but these days, I don't have as much time as I would want to do so. Besides, keeping people in suspense for the release of subsequent videos helps build up hype in itself, so that's one upside for being unable to release videos too often. ;)

[@ameno21]

Elixir of life doesn't work on Undead or mechanical units. The health bonus that you got was the 3 artefacts effect.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Yeah, I realized this after the match was over. Thanks for the heads up!

[@zeta09ehy]

Хороший видос,спасибо,было очень интересно. Успехов тебе,братка.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thanks for watching! (Спасибо за просмотр!)

[@Grizzlywer]

The KZbin guy PogChamp

[@TheKnownWorld]

In the flesh!

[@shwoompLoomps]

Skeletons only is easy... i'll watch this video when i get a craving for cheese Yeahhh well, i was wrong, this is a challenge Great video

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, thanks! I wasn't feeling like having cheese when I made this video, so I tried pushing myself to the limits on this one. ;)

[@rNcs92]

Hey MeKick! Why are you not using Death Ripple in sieges, with small amount of troops? I mean you have expert earth magic + orb. Not a fun of that spell or you other reason? Keep up the great work, waiting for 2nd part! P.S. Im glad GOD gave me a chance to find you on youtube, have watched almost all of your vids! :D

[@TheKnownWorld]

Hello! First of all, it sounds to me like you're enjoying my videos, which is great to hear! :D To answer your question, by my recollection I did use Death Ripple during sieges with small numbers of enemy troops. Whether or not I started doing so in this part or the next is beyond me, but I do recall some sieges where I had my hero cast Death Ripple to try and deal the maximum amount of damage to opposing armies. Of course, part of the problem with Death Ripple is also that with a low amount of Spell Power, Death Ripple does far too little damage to be worth using, which could explain why I avoided using it early on in the match as well. Part 2 will be released on October 8. Thanks for your support!

[@NieJestemWikingiem]

Yeeeeessssss. Why do i have to wait soooo looongg. Hureeyyyy

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol

[@NieJestemWikingiem]

TheKnownWorld i Hope you are doing great, thx for your videoes ^^

[@TheKnownWorld]

Same with you! Thanks for watching! :)

[@Regirs]

2:49:41 could have possibly get that orb of earth magic to boost meteor shower 50% would've actually helped quite a bit Edit: 2:51:38 could've just waited 2min with my comment though lol

[@TheGrimReapress]

BEST PART EVER 1:45:20 ahahahahaha "I could go in and build a mage guild, but instead.... I HAVE ENOUGH! I HAVE ENOUGH!!!" AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I have been sitting by the edge of my seat for those last 10 minutes thinking "Will he get the elixir? WILL HE DO IT????" Oh, man...... so good, just so good

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, what an adrenaline rush that was :D

[@DajKamienia1]

Can you show us what templates are the best/most balanced? I mean I have a lot cases that something is bugged or like on start of the game there are 99 golems blocking my way and I can't say what is the reason of that. I noticed that on some templates it occurs more often.

[@TheKnownWorld]

I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to help you there. Believe it or not, my knowledge of map templates is (somewhat intentionally) pitiful. Furthermore, the definition of how "balanced" a template is can really differ from person to person. The map templates that I've seen played competitively (not necessarily because they're balanced) are: 8mm6a, Spider, 6lm10a, and 8xm12a for XL+U-sized maps, Mini-Nostalgia for L+U-sized maps, and Jebus Cross for XL-sized maps. I would need more information in order to give additional recommendations, especially sincce I still don't know what map size you play on either, or how many AI players you go up against in your matches.

[@wegorz3]

Past two challenges were a bit boring for me, but this one's sweet! Next part pleeeaaase :d

[@TheKnownWorld]

Really? That's surprising. Honestly, I would've expected the Tier One Units Only Challenge to be more exciting than this one to viewers.

[@wegorz3]

TheKnownWorld i guess i will have to revisit it then, i think i dropped it an hour in. What makes this one so fun to watch is seeing you genuinely struggle, even 6 hrs later theres a tension to the match and real risk that you might lose. Your second island video was v. enjoyable for the same reason.

[@TheKnownWorld]

I see. Fair enough - I hope you enjoy Part 2 as well! :)

[@vycka1234]

Speaking of part 2, when's it coming?

[@TheKnownWorld]

October 8.

[@simona911xyz]

5:52:56 😂 "A sWaaArm of Semen!...You know what, imma go clear out the semen first"

[@TheKnownWorld]

;)

[@NieJestemWikingiem]

That elixir of live puzzle was amazing xD

[@TheKnownWorld]

Indeed it was!

[@NieJestemWikingiem]

Can I ask you for something? Can you explain what those crafted items do? I've played Homm3 when I was 10 (2002) and I had no idea you can craft items. I saw it few times in your older videos but every time I need to stop video and search for it in google. And if you can just briefly tell ,,that sword gives you +3 power" would be great. No more, just simple what items do. I see a god damn bronze disk and I have no idea what it is. I can't even google it - I have no idea how it's called even. Thx for all your videos, have a ncie day!

[@TheKnownWorld]

Oh, I see what you're talking about. You want me to explain what the combination artifacts do, as well as giving a summary of the newer artifacts that were introduced into HotA. I'll try my best to do so, but that's as much as I can really say. You're not the first person to request this and I've been trying my best to give a quick summary of artifacts as I pick them up, but I sometimes forget to do this.

[@NieJestemWikingiem]

Ye, would be great! And not only HotA artefacts, just in general. Short ,,Sword +3 attacks" takes like 1 sec in 7h video, and would be awasome! Thx.

[@inSprayy]

Do necromancy amplifiers or treasure buildings in rampart (forgot the actual name for it) stack?

[@TheKnownWorld]

Yes, they do. So if you have three Necromancy Amplifiers for example, the Necromancy skill of your heroes is boosted by 30% (half of this in HotA) in total instead of being capped at 10%.

[@rimurutempest3165]

Just a little language reference :) In official Russian version of the game he (gargoyle specialist) is "Пигедрам" (Pygedram) or sometimes it's "Пигуэдрам" (Pyguadram). He definitely isn't "Пайкедрам" (your variant). Although it sounds alright :)

[@TheKnownWorld]

Thanks for the input! Perhaps my wording was a little bit unclear. By my understanding, some of the Russians who play in competitive leagues (particularly, Heroes World) refer to Piquedram as "Pikedrill", a name which I eventually started using because it feels right to me. To be honest, this statement could just be a figment of my imagination and I could be completely wrong about any Russians actually calling out the name Piquedram as "Pikedrill", but this is what I recall once hearing from someone else and I've stuck with it ever since. Cheers!

[@marteronde]

intresting chalange run, your only allowed to smite the enemies when you have the holy grale? mhmmm

[@TheKnownWorld]

This proposition has already been brought up by several others, but I simply don't like the premise of this challenge given the amount of randomness associated with trying to find the Grail. In particular, if the Grail starts right next to an enemy AI player that has started on the other side of the map from myself, then I would have no way of influencing the match such that I could beat them to it. Conversely, if the Grail happens to be placed in my starting area or a nearby zone, then the match would likely turn into a joke rather quickly.

[@OrbitalDonut]

I, for one, really enjoy HotA

[@TheKnownWorld]

Good to know!

[@TheGrimReapress]

4:14:00 or somewhere around that. I have a question. Yeah, I have also wondered why oh why don't 3DO let us see where exactly on the map the enemy turns are? Old processing power requirements?

[@TheKnownWorld]

lol, I wish I knew. I really do. This will probably forever remain a mystery to those of us that still play the game :P

[@Harwinne]

38:55 no, he didn't attack the experimental shop or else he would have had giants. Not sure how he only ended up with half the imps.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Actually, you're right. I have no clue how he ended up with only half the Imps that he should've had after accessing the Imp Crucible.

[@Bridgeface]

I really like HotA, is the general consensus of the community that it's not an improvement over the base game? , i get that cove is a "bit" over the top but still.

[@TheKnownWorld]

HotA has done a number of things in an effort to update and balance Heroes III, but can this be seen as an overall "improvement" to the base game? It really depends on who you are and what metric that you're using to measure the improvement. For example, some people have pointed out that a few of the balance changes (i.e. starting towns in random maps all having pre-built Tier 2 dwellings) that were added to HotA to make the game "easier" have actually made the game less enjoyable for them since they preferred the difficulties that were present in the original game. Having said that, I would like to think that for a lot of people (myself included), change can also be difficult to adjust to. Mainly for this reason, and also because I don't agree with some of the balancing and content that got introduced into HotA (such as the radical nerfing of Conflux or the Cove faction), I still *prefer* SoD to HotA. But does this mean that HotA isn't an improvement over SoD? Not necessarily.

[@aisart3154]

What does the rode type thing to? What are the differences between the 3 road types?

[@TheKnownWorld]

The different road types make it easier to move on the map at varying levels of speed. Dirt roads (far left on my random map setup) allow your hero to move at 75% of the usual movement cost, Gravel roads (middle on my random map setup) allow your hero to move at 65% of the usual movement cost, and Cobblestone roads (far right on my random map setup) allow your hero to move at 50% of the usual movement cost. I usually play without Dirt roads since I've heard in the past from others that some random maps with Dirt roads are bugged. Besides, I prefer the faster movement provided by the latter two types of roads anyway.

[@PawlysBartys]

*still watching the video* Damn, that undead vs unicorns reference :D

[@TheKnownWorld]

RIP Unicorns.

[@PawlysBartys]

and now we can add Chaos Hydra to the fray :3

[@TheKnownWorld]

Kappa

[@darkmido6087]

You need to come back and make more videos dude. What you gameing now friend? Really love your videos

[@TheKnownWorld]

I'm glad that you're enjoying my content! More videos will be coming soon :) I've been quite busy with real-life obligations and haven't been able to game much as of recent. Previously, I spent a fair bit of time on DotA 2 and Modern Warfare 2.

[@darkmido6087]

@@TheKnownWorld wow. I would love some videos from you playing dota 2 :D i was, a huge dota 2 player :) sadly no more. But yes, im really enjoying your videos off heroes. Got me playing the game aigen :) and now i see i been playing the game wrong, untill now. Lol... I wanted to ask. I see you play shadow. Myself playing the complete edition. Should the be any diffrent? Like with ai?

[@TheKnownWorld]

If that's the case, then perhaps kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmHUm3mGZa-jeKc might be of interest to you! DotA 2 has changed significantly since then and I have no intention of making DotA 2 videos, but I did a stream a while back where I played some DotA 2 for fun. As I mentioned earlier though, I haven't played DotA 2 lately. For the record, there's no real "wrong" way to play Heroes III, but there's certainly strategies that will make winning the game much easier. To answer your question, there is virtually no difference between Shadow of Death and the Complete Edition. Both versions are functionally the same.

[@ratslayer279]

Love your vids! Will you keep making content? Perhaps online matches?

[@TheOrbitalDropShock]

Is it not worth it to upgrade the skeletons in chunks? Say every 100, 250 or 500 and then start building the next chunk. Basically running 2 skeleton stacks (1 upgraded, 1 not) on the main hero.

[@TheKnownWorld]

In my opinion, no. I prefer the idea of having one consistent powerstack that is easy to build up without the hassle of having to go back to town just to upgrade Skeletons into Skeleton Warriors every few turns, especially factoring in the additional Gold cost.

[@TheFizzmo]

Hi, me and a friend want to play Heroes 3 online together what is the best way to do so? Btw keep it up i love your videos :)

[@TheKnownWorld]

Hello, and thank you for the support! There are several ways you can play Heroes III online with others. The first method that I would recommend is using the online multiplayer lobby system offered by HotA (for more details regarding HotA, check FAQ #1). HotA is easy to set up and also offers simultaneous turns, which might be of interest to you and your friend if you're willing to deal with some of HotA's balance tweaks. Another possibility is by using GameRanger, which is downloadable from www.gameranger.com/. With this program, you and your friend need to set up an account and then make a lobby that both of you can join - the overall process is fairly straightforward. GameRanger allows you to play a game with your friend on the Heroes III Complete Edition, but you'll need some additional setup if you want to use the HD mod on GameRanger (www.reddit.com/r/HoMM/comments/3zybvx/playing_heroes_3_with_hd_mod_or_hota_on_gameranger/). Hamachi is a choice as well, but I strongly recommend trying out the previous two options first.

[@Bezijenkins]

I think its only right that someone makes Spooky scary skeletons remix using this video.

[@TheKnownWorld]

Now wouldn't that be fun to listen to? :P

[@trexpl0s1ve]

5:53:01 my god, MeKick just use a tissue pal :P

[@TheKnownWorld]

Sorry, I'm a slob when it comes to dealing with Seamen. ;)

[@trexpl0s1ve]

Haha, you better deal with them and upload part 2 already!

[@TheKnownWorld]

Part 2 is set for release on October 8.

[@TwistyP_EVO]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): 1. Do undeads have genders?