Key Changes
- Windows ARM and Android x86_64 platforms are now officially supported
- Added support for loading h3m maps and campaigns from HotA 1.7 (also needs support from HotA mod)
- Implemented network lag compensation system for some actions like hero movement and troops rearrangement
- It is now possible to view and configure keybinding in game
- Battle-only mode has been implemented, consisting solely of combat between heroes without an adventure map phase.
- Implemented unit action panel in combat for easy selection of unit’s alternative actions
- Implemented quick save & quick load options in game
- Game will now automatically make save before visiting objects
- Added an improved Nullkiller2 adventure map AI as the default option.
- Added an experimental machine learning-based combat AI, MMAI
- Removed the deprecated VCAI adventure map AI
- Added translation to Romanian and Turkish languages
- Initial support for maps with more than two layers
- It is now possible to import data from Heroes 3: HD Edition into VCMI. Shadow of Death or Complete edition is still required as a base game
- The Launcher now shows the number of GitHub stars as the mod ranking
- Added support for exporting game logs via Launcher
Stability
- Fixed possible crash when player with Chinese localization attack with Vampire Lords, causing one of them to resurrect
- Fixed possible crash on combining Drain Life with area-targeted attack by units from mods
- Fixed multiple possible crashes on game shutdown
- Fixed memory leak on playing video file with embedded audio track
- Fixed small memory leak on playing a video file
- Fixed large number of small memory leaks when restating map or returning to main menu
- Fixed crash on attempting to access map located in .zip archive
- Fixed rare freeze on starting combat with opening spells present, such as from Armor of the Damned
- Fixed a possible crash when opening the stack window in the fort window for units with an ability limited to a specific terrain
- Fixed crash on loading of community-made maps with out-of-bounds towns
- Fixed possible crashes on ending battle in a draw in objects like town, pandora boxes or creature banks
- Fixed a crash when accessing a shipyard placed adjacent to the left border of the map
- Fixed crash when unit with attack-and-return attack is slowed by retaliation and can’t return to origin
- Fixed possible client crash on ending the game when playing through online lobby
- Fixed crash on attempt to import mod preset that contains unknown mod
Interface - General
- Fixed not functioning keybindings when non-lating keyboard layout is in use
- Fixed movement of software cursor when touch input is in use, for example on mobile systems
- “Show FPS” option has been replaced with “Show Performance Overlay” option that also displays time and remaining battery level, if any
- Change scroll direction for horizontal slider when using mouse wheel to match HD mod
- Spell selection in the spellbook now includes haptic feedback
- Fixed possible mid-word wrapping in icon descriptions on items with long names, such as some artifacts
- The length of the slider in all dialogs now depends on the number of available items, rather than always being square
- The creature window and the quest log now use the same background as the rest of the in-game menus for a more native look
Interface - Campaign and Map selection
- Added button to access campaign sets from mods (such as Chronicles) from custom campaigns screen
- Custom map sizes can now be selected for random map generation
- Option to search for a random map template by name has been added.
- Added option to view game statistics for campaign scenario
- Game will no longer show chat button in campaign selection screen
- It is now possible to skip campaign and main menu video with Esc or Enter keyboard keys, in addition to mouse click
- Added option to toggle video subtitles
- Added missing tooltips for campaign set buttons (RoE/AB/SoD/etc)
- Maps with non-latin names will now be sorted correctly according to selected language
- Fixed corrupted background for Armaggeddon’s Blade campaign selection screen
- Fixed a possible text overflow issue with long skill or spell names in the hero overview window when selecting a starting hero
- It is no longer possible to deselect underground on random map templates that only support maps with underground
Interface - Adventure Map
- Right-clicking on a hero, castle, or garrison will show a window whose color is determined by the owner of the target rather than the current player
- It is now possible for players to access game statistics for themselves and their allies during gameplay
- Heroes on minimaps are now shown as icon, to help with readability on large maps or on small displays
- Right-click tooltip on Refugee Camp will now show preview of available creatures if current player have visited it this week
- Right-click on previously visited University will now show skills available in it
- Implemented “Show Path” setting option from H3
- Engaging into a combat with wandering monster will cause monster to show attack sprite on adventure map
- It is now possible to search for any objects on map, including individual heroes or wandering monsters
- Improved handling of non-latin texts in spell search and adventure map object search
- Fixed text alignment on hero status window popup
- Fixed hero path not updating instantly after using infinite movement cheat
- Game will now show correct visitation text for map dwellings from mods with 2 or 3 available creatures
- Fixed not replaced text placeholders in visitation message for unique dwellings with single available unit
- Fixed positioning of GUI elements when improved hero exchange from vcmi extras mod is in use
- Fixed army transfer during hero exchange sometimes not transferring all possible units
- Swapping two armies on hero exchange window will now maintain unit ordering
- It is now possible to sort the artifacts in the backpack in reverse order by clicking on the same sorting mode again
- A new backpack icon created by Andruids has been added
- Right-clicking on the resource bar will now also show the expected daily income, in addition to the current resource amount
- It is now possible to see the name of the artifact even when the slot is locked
- Combined or fused artifacts now show their list of components as part of their description
- Changed background for right-click popup of on-map garrisons
Interface - Towns
- Equipping or unequipping artifacts that affect unit growth will now instantly update town interface with new growth values
- Fixed quick recruitment dialog failing if there are no free slots in army
- It is now possible to rename a town that the player owns during gameplay
- Conflux with Aurora Borealis build will now correctly display all available spells in the Mages Guild.
- Removed water wheel animation from Fortress town screen in line with H3
Interface - Combat
- Implemented unit action panel in combat for easy selection of unit’s alternative actions
- Battle window now uses thin border and require less screen space. Quick actions side panels are now active on all 900px-wide resolutions
- Hovering over target with spell will now show spell impact (damage, health, raised or summoned unit amount) in status bar
- Units that will be affected by multi-hex attacks like Dragon Breath will now be selected similar to primary target
- It is now possible to permanently open creature window of any unit using “show info” button from unit action panel
- Right-click tooltip on list of spells affecting unit in unit window will now show full spell description
- It is now possible to move double-wide unit one hex backwards
- It is now possible to finish battle with autocombat during tactics phase
- Angel, Devils, and Bone-Dragon battle-wide abilities that change luck and morale now show up in UI with proper description
- Orb of Vulnerability effect now clearly displayed in unit window and only if unit has magic resistance, instead of displaying strange 0% resistance ability on all units
- Fixed bonuses from terrain (such as Holy Grounds) not showing up in unit window
- Fixed possible overflow of unit health bar if unit health is different from max health of unit type
Mechanics - General
- During simultaneous turns, it is no longer possible to interact (for example, start battle) with player that is already engaged into a different combat
- Heroes that are marked as unavailable for specific player will now be correctly blocked from use as starting heroes
- Removed default limit of 16 total heroes per player
- Winning combat with no enemy casualties will no longer result in raising of a single skeleton when victor has Necromancy
- If hero has Necromancy and no available slot, game will now also consider upgrades of upgrades as potentially rised creature
- Fixed incorrect recalculation of stack experience when splitting-off a single unit via shortcut
- Implemented
vcmiteleport x y z cheat that teleports current hero to target position
- Gold Golems and Diamond Golems now have correct level, in line with H3
Mechanics - Heroes and Commanders
- Lord Haart is now available instead of Sir Mullich on random maps, in line with H3
- Implemented stacking of artifacts (e.g. resource-producing artifacts) in line with H3 - multiple such artifacts will all provide their bonuses
- Heroes with neutral units are now always subject to terrain penalties (unless hero has sufficiently advanced Pathfinding skill)
- Artifacts that provide multiple spells, such as Tomes of Spells and Spellbinder Hat will no longer provide spells banned on maps (only for random maps and maps in HotA format)
- Added missing ability for commanders that mastered Defense and Speed skills
- Fixed commanders not receiving levelups once hero fills all his secondary skills
- Commanders will now automatically gain no melee penalty bonus on receiving ranged attack
- Commanders can now hold up to 9 artifacts
- Commanders experience is now capped to map hero level limit, if any exists on map
Mechanics - Quests and Events
- Implemented HotA 1.7 map feature: scrolls can be part of seer hut or pandora box reward
- Implemented HotA 1.7 map feature: seer hut and quest guards can ask for specific scroll
- Added disabled by default option that allows quests that take entire army and leave hero without army to emulate H3 bug
- Quests that take entire army can now be completed if quests give replacement units
- Fixed events that are available for all players not activating on maps in .vmap format
- Fixed bug that caused events that only contain text message to not trigger in premade .vmap’s
- Guardians of owned dwellings no longer count towards “accumulate X creatures” win condition
Mechanics - Adventure Map Objects
- Purchasing map from a cartographer will now correctly mark all cartographers of this type as visited
- Leaving units in cleared creature bank will no longer turn left creatures into guards of an empty bank
- Visiting a configurable town building will now always show popup instead of displaying effect in inactive infobox of an adventure map
- Fixed invalid positioning of Portal of Glory when selected as replacement for random dwelling on premade maps
- It is no longer possible to summon boat on top of another boat with hero in it
- Multi-creature dwellings like Elemental Conflux now correctly provide town growth bonus for every available creature
- Garrisoned hero will no longer receive bonuses from town buildings that give bonuses during siege, and will only receive them for the duration of combat
- Fixed bug that allowed to attack heroes inside Sanctuary
- Assembling an artifact will now correctly trigger victory conditions, if any
- Game will now correctly disassemble combined artifact when its part is needed for Seer Hut quest
- University, Scholar, and Witch Hut will no longer grant special secondary skills from mods
- Fixed bug that could cause battle to start on battlefield from nearby map object, instead of current terrain
Mechanics - Combat
- Luck, morale, and most of combat abilities with chance to trigger now use randomization with memory, preventing long streaks of “bad” rolls.
- Fixed inability of unit to cast spell after receiving morale
- Fixed inability of unit to receive morale if hero casts a spell after unit receives turn
- It is no longer possible for a unit that ends its turn in moat or other obstacle to attack another unit
- Hypnotized units with multi-target attacks such as Cerberi or Hydra will now attack all units that they view as enemy
- Attack skill provided by equipped artifact will now correctly modify damage range of Ballista
- Familiar’s Magic Channel ability will no longer work after Familiars are dead
- Resistance now correctly interacts with Chain Lightning spell, in line with H3
- Units that are unable to act (e.g. Blinded) will no longer be able to use preemptive attack ability
- Fixed functionality of Adela specialty
- Fixed inability to use ranged attack if enemy clone that was blocking unit was killed in this round before
- Fixed inability of creatures to cast spells when controlled by defending player in hotseat mode
- Fixed miss chance for catapult not computed correctly when hero has no ballistics skill
- vcmiistari cheat now also allows casting spell up to 100 times per combat round for ease of testing
- It is now possible to flee the combat while having shackles of war when other side got no hero
- Changed formula of town arrow towers to be more in line with H3
- Fixed large number of issue with Magic Mirror spell. The spell logic should now be in line with H3
- Unit under Berserk effect will now correctly move towards nearest unit if they can’t reach any target
- Ranged unit under Berserk effect will now use ranged attack if able
- Multiple issues where it was possible to select illegal units for the Sacrifice spell have been fixed
- Fixed a possible overlap between the commander and a double-wide creature in the fifth slot of the army
Campaigns
- Fixed selection of starting faction in last scenario in Spoils of War campaign
- Magic heroes without spellbook will no longer receive one on transferring to next scenario (e.g. Yog)
