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Difference between revisions of "Heroes of Might and Magic III"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
m
(32 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown)
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{{Infobox game/row/porter|Loki Software|Linux}}
 
{{Infobox game/row/porter|Loki Software|Linux}}
 
|publishers  =  
 
|publishers  =  
−
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|3DO|Retail}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|3DO|1999-2003}}
−
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Ubisoft|Retail re-releases, Digital}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Ubisoft|2003-present}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Sold Out Software|Re-release}}
 
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Loki Software|Linux}}
 
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Loki Software|Linux}}
 
|engines      =  
 
|engines      =  
Line 15: Line 16:
 
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|December 20, 1999}}
 
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|December 20, 1999}}
 
|taxonomy=
 
|taxonomy=
−
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization      | Expansion pack }}
+
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization      | One-time game purchase, Expansion pack, Subscription gaming service }}
 
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | }}
 
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | }}
 
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes            | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }}
 
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes            | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }}
Line 30: Line 31:
 
|gogcom id    = 1207658787
 
|gogcom id    = 1207658787
 
|hltb        = 4425
 
|hltb        = 4425
 +
|lutris      = heroes-of-might-and-magic-iii
 
|strategywiki = Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia
 
|strategywiki = Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia
−
|mobygames    = heroes-of-might-and-magic-iii-the-restoration-of-erathia
+
|mobygames    = 1494
 
|wikipedia    = Heroes of Might and Magic III
 
|wikipedia    = Heroes of Might and Magic III
 
|winehq      = 394
 
|winehq      = 394
 
|license      = commercial
 
|license      = commercial
 +
}}
 +
 +
{{Introduction
 +
|introduction      =
 +
 +
|release history  = In October 1999, the game received the '''''Armageddon's Blade''''' expansion, featuring new creatures, heroes, campaigns and the Conflux town. It was followed by '''''The Shadow of Death''''' in March 2000, with its own set of new creatures, heroes and campaigns. ''The Shadow of Death'' is a standalone release by default and includes ''Armageddon's Blade'' content, but can only access it if that expansion is installed as well. [[#Official patches|Official patches]] maintained feature and balancing parity between all aforementioned releases.
 +
 +
The '''''Complete Edition''''', which contains the base game and both expansions, was released in November 2000 with a custom 4.0 build (compatible online with ''The Shadow of Death'' patched to version 3.2). It is the most widely available version of the game, and is the one which is sold on digital stores.
 +
 +
|current state    = The game requires the [[#GL Wrapper by Verok|GL wrapper by Verok]] to resolve compatibility issues. The [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]] is highly recommended and frequently used by the community, as it includes quality-of-life improvements such as high resolution support, a variety of custom graphics renderers, and an in-built modification manager.
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 44: Line 56:
 
==Availability==
 
==Availability==
 
{{Availability|
 
{{Availability|
−
{{Availability/row| Retail | | disc | DRM depends on release location, usually {{DRM|SafeDisc|v1.50.020}} | | Windows, Mac OS, Linux }}
+
{{Availability/row| Retail | | disc | DRM depends on release location, usually {{DRM|SafeDisc|v1.50.020}}. Disc check only applies for singleplayer and multiplayer hosting. | | Windows, Mac OS, Linux }}
 
{{Availability/row| Epic Games Store | might-and-magic-heroes-3 | Ubisoft Connect | Complete Edition. | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| Epic Games Store | might-and-magic-heroes-3 | Ubisoft Connect | Complete Edition. | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| GOG.com | heroes_of_might_and_magic_3_complete_edition | DRM-free | Complete Edition. | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| GOG.com | heroes_of_might_and_magic_3_complete_edition | DRM-free | Complete Edition. | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| Ubisoft Store | 575ffd9ba3be1633568b4d8c | Ubisoft Connect | Complete Edition. Included with {{Store feature|Ubisoft+}}. | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| Ubisoft Store | 575ffd9ba3be1633568b4d8c | Ubisoft Connect | Complete Edition. Included with {{Store feature|Ubisoft+}}. | | Windows }}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{ii}} A free demo version of Restoration of Erathia is available from GameFront: [https://www.gamefront.com/games/heroes-of-might-magic-iii/file/heroes-of-might-magic-iii-the-restoration-of-erathia-demo-english English], [https://www.gamefront.com/games/heroes-of-might-magic-iii/file/heroes-of-might-magic-iii-the-restoration-of-erathia-demo-german German].
 +
{{ii}} A free demo version of the Complete Edition for Mac OS is available from [https://archive.org/details/heroes_3_complete_demo Archive.org].
  
 
===Mac OS and Linux===
 
===Mac OS and Linux===
−
The Mac OS and Linux versions of the game are no longer sold, and existing copies of those are hard to run on modern systems. The easiest solution for running the game on Linux or OS X is buying the [[#Availability|Windows version]] and running it under [[Wine]]. Further information on how to do that can be found on [https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=394 AppDB]. Alternatively, [[#VCMI|VCMI]] can be used to run the game.
+
The Mac OS and Linux versions of the game are no longer sold, and existing copies of those are hard to run on modern systems. The easiest solution for running the game on Linux or OS X is buying the [[#Availability|Windows version]] and running it under [[Wine]]. Further information on how to do that can be found on [https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=394 AppDB]. Alternatively, [[#Mods|VCMI]] can be used to run the game.
  
 
==Monetization==
 
==Monetization==
 +
{{Monetization
 +
|ad-supported          =
 +
|dlc                    =
 +
|expansion pack        = The expansion packs include a new town, new units, campaigns, maps, and artifacts.
 +
|freeware              =
 +
|free-to-play          =
 +
|one-time game purchase = The game requires an upfront purchase to access.
 +
|sponsored              =
 +
|subscription          =
 +
|subscription gaming service = Available via [[List of Ubisoft+ games|Ubisoft+]].
 +
}}
 +
 
{{DLC|
 
{{DLC|
 
{{DLC/row| Armageddon's Blade | On Mac OS only available in Complete Edition. | Windows, Mac OS }}
 
{{DLC/row| Armageddon's Blade | On Mac OS only available in Complete Edition. | Windows, Mac OS }}
Line 62: Line 88:
 
===Official patches===
 
===Official patches===
 
{{ii}} All official patches include balance changes and bug fixes on par with each other.
 
{{ii}} All official patches include balance changes and bug fixes on par with each other.
−
* The latest official version of Restoration of Erathia is 1.4, with mirrors available [https://www.gamefront.com/games/heroes-of-might-magic-iii/category/1299-restoration-of-erathia here].
+
* The latest official version of Restoration of Erathia is 1.4, with mirrors available [https://www.gamefront.com/games/heroes-of-might-magic-iii/category/restoration-of-erathia here].
−
* The latest official version of Armageddon's Blade is 2.2, with mirrors available [https://www.gamefront.com/games/heroes-of-might-magic-iii/category/1299-armageddon-s-blade here].
+
* The latest official version of Armageddon's Blade is 2.2, with mirrors available [https://www.gamefront.com/games/heroes-of-might-magic-iii/category/armageddon-s-blade here].
−
* The latest official version of The Shadow of Death is 3.2, with mirrors available [https://www.gamefront.com/games/heroes-of-might-magic-iii/category/1299-the-shadow-of-death here]. This version is compatible online with the Complete Edition (v4.0), the HD mod, and other modifications.
+
* The latest official version of The Shadow of Death is 3.2, with mirrors available [https://www.gamefront.com/games/heroes-of-might-magic-iii/category/the-shadow-of-death here]. This version is compatible online with the Complete Edition (v4.0), the HD mod, and other modifications.
 
{{--}} Unfortunately, the Polish version still uses patch 3.2, instead of 3.3 or 4.0, but there is [http://h3.heroes.net.pl/uploaded/download/Heroes33patch.ZIP unofficial patch], that updates it to the newest version.
 
{{--}} Unfortunately, the Polish version still uses patch 3.2, instead of 3.3 or 4.0, but there is [http://h3.heroes.net.pl/uploaded/download/Heroes33patch.ZIP unofficial patch], that updates it to the newest version.
  
Line 70: Line 96:
 
{{Fixbox|description=Modify registry settings|ref=<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Expack3|date=2019-05-28|comment=}}</ref>|fix=
 
{{Fixbox|description=Modify registry settings|ref=<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Expack3|date=2019-05-28|comment=}}</ref>|fix=
 
# Go to the [[#Configuration_file.28s.29_location|configuration file location]].
 
# Go to the [[#Configuration_file.28s.29_location|configuration file location]].
−
# Change the value of <code>Show Intro</code> from <code>0</code> to <code>1</code>.
+
# Change the value of <code>Show Intro</code> from <code>1</code> to <code>0</code>.
 
}}
 
}}
−
===Mods===
 
−
====[https://sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/ HoMM3 High Resolution Project]====
 
−
{{++}} Higher resolutions along with 32-bit color support and more fixes.
 
−
{{++}} Includes [https://verokster.blogspot.com/2018/10/heroes-of-might-and-magic-i-iv-gl.html Verok's GL Wrapper] as one of the renderer options.
 
−
{{ii}} Use [http://h3mods.heroes.net.pl/uploaded/hdmod/hdmod_pl.zip this patch] for compatibility with Polish version.
 
−
 
−
====[https://heroes3wog.net In the Wake of Gods]====
 
−
An unofficial expansion pack adding further units, resources and easier modding possibilities.
 
−
 
−
====[http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=39830 Horn of the Abyss]====
 
−
Another unofficial expansion pack adding more features, units, resources and another town.
 
−
{{ii}} Use [http://h3.heroes.net.pl/uploaded/download/HotA-161-pl.zip this patch] for compatibility with Polish version.
 
  
−
====[https://vcmi.eu VCMI]====
+
===[https://sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/ HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)]===
−
Not actually a mod, but an attempt at rewriting the whole engine to make it customizable, portable and fully cross-platform.
+
{{ii}} Requires Shadow of Death patched to v3.2 or the Complete Edition.
 +
{{++}} Allows higher resolutions along with 32-bit color support, multiple renderers and upscaling methods, bug fixes, new multiplayer lobby, and other features.
 +
{{++}} Bypasses compatibility issues faced by the unmodified game version.
 +
{{++}} Includes [https://web.archive.org/web/20211009233054/https://verokster.blogspot.com/2018/10/heroes-of-might-and-magic-i-iv-gl.html Verok's GL Wrapper] as one of the renderer options.
 +
{{++}} Compatible with several [[#Mods|mods]], most notably Horn of the Abyss for which it has a special multiplayer lobby and shares some developers.
  
 
==Game data==
 
==Game data==
 
===Configuration file(s) location===
 
===Configuration file(s) location===
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
−
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{P|hklm}}\{{P|wow64}}\New World Computing\Heroes of Might and Magic® III\1.0 }}
+
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{P|hklm}}\Software\{{P|wow64}}\New World Computing\Heroes of Might and Magic® III\1.0}}
 
{{Game data/config|Mac OS|}}
 
{{Game data/config|Mac OS|}}
 
{{Game data/config|Linux|}}
 
{{Game data/config|Linux|}}
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|4k ultra hd wsgf award    =  
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    =  
 
|widescreen resolution      = hackable
 
|widescreen resolution      = hackable
−
|widescreen resolution notes= 800x600 only. Use [https://sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/eng/download Heroes3HD] for resolutions up to 4000x4000.
+
|widescreen resolution notes= 800x600 only. Use the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]] for resolutions up to 4000x4000.
 
|multimonitor              = false
 
|multimonitor              = false
 
|multimonitor notes        =  
 
|multimonitor notes        =  
 
|ultrawidescreen            = hackable
 
|ultrawidescreen            = hackable
−
|ultrawidescreen notes      = Use [https://sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/eng/download Heroes3HD].
+
|ultrawidescreen notes      = Use the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]]
 
|4k ultra hd                = hackable
 
|4k ultra hd                = hackable
−
|4k ultra hd notes          = Use [https://sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/eng/download Heroes3HD].
+
|4k ultra hd notes          = Use the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]].
 
|fov                        = n/a
 
|fov                        = n/a
 
|fov notes                  =  
 
|fov notes                  =  
 
|windowed                  = true
 
|windowed                  = true
−
|windowed notes            = Desktop must be in 16-bit colour mode (press {{key|F4}}) or use the [https://sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/eng/download Heroes3HD] mod.
+
|windowed notes            = Desktop must be in 16-bit colour mode (press {{key|F4}}) or use the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]].
 
|borderless windowed        = hackable
 
|borderless windowed        = hackable
−
|borderless windowed notes  = Use [https://sites.google.com/site/heroes3hd/eng/download Heroes3HD] mod. Fullscreen toggle on launcher = Borderless window.
+
|borderless windowed notes  = Use the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]]. Fullscreen toggle on launcher = Borderless window.
 
|anisotropic                = n/a
 
|anisotropic                = n/a
 
|anisotropic notes          =  
 
|anisotropic notes          =  
Line 149: Line 167:
 
|antialiasing notes        =  
 
|antialiasing notes        =  
 
|vsync                      = hackable
 
|vsync                      = hackable
−
|vsync notes                = Use Verok's GL Wrapper (part of newer releases of Heroes3HD Mod).
+
|vsync notes                = Use Verok's GL Wrapper (part of newer releases of the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]]).
 +
|upscaling                  = false
 +
|upscaling tech            =
 +
|upscaling notes            = Use the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]] for better scaling, although it doesn't have FSR or NIS.
 
|60 fps                    = false
 
|60 fps                    = false
 
|60 fps notes              = Framerate is capped at 33 FPS.
 
|60 fps notes              = Framerate is capped at 33 FPS.
Line 235: Line 256:
 
|closed captions notes    =  
 
|closed captions notes    =  
 
|mute on focus lost      = always on
 
|mute on focus lost      = always on
−
|mute on focus lost notes =  
+
|mute on focus lost notes = Not applicable to Simplified Chinese version.
 
|eax support              =  
 
|eax support              =  
 
|eax support notes        =  
 
|eax support notes        =  
 +
|royalty free audio      = always on
 +
|royalty free audio notes =
 
}}
 
}}
  
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  |subtitles = true
 
  |subtitles = true
 
  |notes    =  
 
  |notes    =  
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = Simplified Chinese
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = true
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    = Retail only. Mandarin audio only applies for The Restoration of Erathia and Armageddon's Blade. Installation of The Shadow of Death will overwrite the audio files to English audio.
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{L10n/switch
 
{{L10n/switch
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  |audio    = true
 
  |audio    = true
 
  |subtitles = true
 
  |subtitles = true
−
  |notes    = Retail only. Only Restoration of Erathia and The Shadow of Death were localized.
+
  |notes    = Retail only. Armageddon's Blade wasn't localized.
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = Japanese
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = true
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    = Retail only.
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{L10n/switch
 
{{L10n/switch
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  |audio    = true
 
  |audio    = true
 
  |subtitles = true
 
  |subtitles = true
−
  |notes    = [https://www.polonizacje.pl/heroes-of-might-and-magic-iii-spolszczenie/ Patch.]
+
  |notes    = Retail and GOG.com only. Download for other releases [https://www.polonizacje.pl/heroes-of-might-and-magic-iii-spolszczenie/ here].
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{L10n/switch
 
{{L10n/switch
Line 281: Line 318:
 
  |audio    = true
 
  |audio    = true
 
  |subtitles = true
 
  |subtitles = true
−
  |notes    = Official localization by «[[Company:Buka Entertainment|Buka Entertainment]]». Retail and GOG-version.
+
  |notes    = Retail and GOG.com only. Official localization by [[Company:Buka Entertainment|Buka Entertainment]]. Patch for other digital release [https://www.playground.ru/heroes_of_might_and_magic_3/file/heroes_of_might_and_magic_3_complete_gog_polnyj_rusifikator_teksta_i_zvuka-992736 here].
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{L10n/switch
 
{{L10n/switch
Line 289: Line 326:
 
  |subtitles = hackable
 
  |subtitles = hackable
 
  |fan      = true
 
  |fan      = true
−
  |notes    = Fan translation, [http://academia.clandlan.net/?page=academia/view&id=63 download].
+
  |notes    = Fan translation, [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cEcfddfXE6p-rOc3uf1_yDG5j3fCa3fC/view?usp=drive_link download] (From ''Clan Dlan'' archives).
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==Network==
 
==Network==
 +
{{ii}} Unmodified, the game requires [[DirectPlay]] to be enabled for multiplayer to work. The [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]] bypasses this requirement.
 
{{Network/Multiplayer
 
{{Network/Multiplayer
 
|local play          = true
 
|local play          = true
Line 303: Line 341:
 
|lan play modes      =  
 
|lan play modes      =  
 
|lan play notes      =  
 
|lan play notes      =  
−
|online play          = true
+
|online play          = hackable
 
|online play players  = 8
 
|online play players  = 8
 
|online play modes    =  
 
|online play modes    =  
−
|online play notes    = MPlayer servers are offline; Heroes 3 HD mod includes a community lobby.
+
|online play notes    = The official [[MPlayer.com]] service has been shut down; the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]] includes a community lobby.
 
|asynchronous        =  
 
|asynchronous        =  
 
|asynchronous notes  =  
 
|asynchronous notes  =  
Line 313: Line 351:
 
|matchmaking notes  =  
 
|matchmaking notes  =  
 
|p2p                = true
 
|p2p                = true
−
|p2p notes          = Relies on deprecated DirectPlay protocol, use Heroes 3 HD mod for modern multiplayer functionality.
+
|p2p notes          =  
 
|dedicated          = false
 
|dedicated          = false
 
|dedicated notes    =  
 
|dedicated notes    =  
Line 330: Line 368:
 
{{ii}} This is caused by a bug in the game, experienced only on multi-core or hyper-threaded processors. Newer GOG.com versions do not have this issue.
 
{{ii}} This is caused by a bug in the game, experienced only on multi-core or hyper-threaded processors. Newer GOG.com versions do not have this issue.
  
−
{{Fixbox|description=Use [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project|HoMM3 High Resolution Project]]|fix=
+
{{Fixbox|description=Use the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]]|fix=
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 358: Line 396:
 
|direct3d versions      =  
 
|direct3d versions      =  
 
|direct3d notes        =  
 
|direct3d notes        =  
−
|directdraw versions    =  
+
|directdraw versions    = 1
 
|directdraw notes      =  
 
|directdraw notes      =  
−
|opengl versions        =  
+
|opengl versions        = v1, v2 or v3
−
|opengl notes          =  
+
|opengl notes          = User selectable only in the [[#HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)|HD mod]]
 
|glide versions        =  
 
|glide versions        =  
 
|glide notes            =  
 
|glide notes            =  
Line 384: Line 422:
 
|linux 64-bit executable= hackable
 
|linux 64-bit executable= hackable
 
|linux arm app          = hackable
 
|linux arm app          = hackable
−
|linux executable notes = 64-bit and ARM requires VCMI
+
|linux 68k app          = hackable
 +
|linux executable notes = 64-bit and ARM require [[#Mods|VCMI]]
 +
|mac os powerpc app    = true
 +
|mac os 68k app        = unknown
 +
|mac os executable notes=
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 394: Line 436:
 
|audio notes      =  
 
|audio notes      =  
 
|interface        = SDL
 
|interface        = SDL
−
|interface notes  = Linux only
+
|interface notes  = Linux only.
 
|input            =  
 
|input            =  
 
|input notes      =  
 
|input notes      =  
−
|cutscenes        = Smacker Video, Bink Video
+
|cutscenes        = Smacker Video Technology, Bink Video
 
|cutscenes notes  =  
 
|cutscenes notes  =  
 
|multiplayer      =  
 
|multiplayer      =  
 
|multiplayer notes=  
 
|multiplayer notes=  
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
===Mods===
 +
{{ii}} [https://h3hota.com/en/download Horn of the Abyss] - popular unofficial expansion pack adding the Cove and Factory towns, new neutral units, resources, campaign missions and map objects, while maintaining the original gameplay vision. Use [http://h3.heroes.net.pl/uploaded/download/HotA-161-pl.zip this patch] for compatibility with the Polish version.
 +
{{ii}} [https://heroes3wog.net In the Wake of Gods] - an unofficial expansion pack adding new units, mechanics, resources and easier modding possibilities.
 +
{{ii}} [https://vcmi.eu VCMI] - an attempt at rewriting the whole engine to make it customizable, portable and fully cross-platform.
  
 
==System requirements==
 
==System requirements==

Revision as of 11:44, 22 April 2024

This page is for the original game. For the 2015 remake, see Heroes of Might and Magic III HD.

Heroes of Might and Magic III
Heroes of Might and Magic III cover
Developers
New World Computing
Linux Loki Software
Publishers
1999-2003 3DO
2003-present Ubisoft
Re-release Sold Out Software
Linux Loki Software
Release dates
Windows March 3, 1999
Mac OS (Classic) December 21, 1999
Linux December 20, 1999
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Expansion pack, Subscription gaming service
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Turn-based
Perspectives Bird's-eye view, Isometric
Controls Point and select
Genres TBS
Themes Fantasy
Series Heroes of Might and Magic
Icon overlay.png
Heroes of Might and Magic III on HowLongToBeat
Icon overlay.png
Heroes of Might and Magic III guide on StrategyWiki
Heroes of Might and Magic III on MobyGames
Heroes of Might and Magic III on Wikipedia
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Subseries of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest 1995
Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars 1996
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia 1999
Heroes Chronicles 2000
Heroes of Might and Magic IV 2002
Heroes of Might and Magic V 2006
Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East 2007
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes 2011
Might & Magic Heroes VI 2011
Might & Magic Heroes VI: Shades of Darkness 2013
Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition 2015
Might & Magic Heroes Online 2015
Might & Magic Heroes VII 2015
Might & Magic Heroes VII: Trial by Fire 2016
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes - Definitive Edition 2023

Heroes of Might and Magic III is a singleplayer and multiplayer bird's-eye view and isometric TBS game in the Heroes of Might and Magic series.

In October 1999, the game received the Armageddon's Blade expansion, featuring new creatures, heroes, campaigns and the Conflux town. It was followed by The Shadow of Death in March 2000, with its own set of new creatures, heroes and campaigns. The Shadow of Death is a standalone release by default and includes Armageddon's Blade content, but can only access it if that expansion is installed as well. Official patches maintained feature and balancing parity between all aforementioned releases.

The Complete Edition, which contains the base game and both expansions, was released in November 2000 with a custom 4.0 build (compatible online with The Shadow of Death patched to version 3.2). It is the most widely available version of the game, and is the one which is sold on digital stores.

The game requires the GL wrapper by Verok to resolve compatibility issues. The HD mod is highly recommended and frequently used by the community, as it includes quality-of-life improvements such as high resolution support, a variety of custom graphics renderers, and an in-built modification manager.

General information

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page
HoMM III section on Age of Heroes
Celestial Heavens forums for game series

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
 DRM depends on release location, usually SafeDisc v1.50.020 DRM[Note 1]. Disc check only applies for singleplayer and multiplayer hosting.
Windows
Mac OS
Linux
Epic Games Store
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 Complete Edition.
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
 Complete Edition.
Windows
Ubisoft Store
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 Complete Edition. Included with Ubisoft+.
Windows
SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
A free demo version of Restoration of Erathia is available from GameFront: English, German.
A free demo version of the Complete Edition for Mac OS is available from Archive.org.

Mac OS and Linux

The Mac OS and Linux versions of the game are no longer sold, and existing copies of those are hard to run on modern systems. The easiest solution for running the game on Linux or OS X is buying the Windows version and running it under Wine. Further information on how to do that can be found on AppDB. Alternatively, VCMI can be used to run the game.

Monetization

Type Notes
Expansion pack The expansion packs include a new town, new units, campaigns, maps, and artifacts.
One-time game purchase The game requires an upfront purchase to access.
Subscription gaming service Available via Ubisoft+.

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Armageddon's Blade On Mac OS only available in Complete Edition.
Windows
Mac OS
The Shadow of Death On Mac OS only available in Complete Edition. Stand-alone release, but Conflux town is only available if Armageddon's Blade is found installed, or as part of the Complete Edition.
Windows
Mac OS

Essential improvements

Official patches

All official patches include balance changes and bug fixes on par with each other.
  • The latest official version of Restoration of Erathia is 1.4, with mirrors available here.
  • The latest official version of Armageddon's Blade is 2.2, with mirrors available here.
  • The latest official version of The Shadow of Death is 3.2, with mirrors available here. This version is compatible online with the Complete Edition (v4.0), the HD mod, and other modifications.
Unfortunately, the Polish version still uses patch 3.2, instead of 3.3 or 4.0, but there is unofficial patch, that updates it to the newest version.

Skip intro videos

Modify registry settings[3]
  1. Go to the configuration file location.
  2. Change the value of Show Intro from 1 to 0.

HoMM3 High Resolution Project (HD mod)

Requires Shadow of Death patched to v3.2 or the Complete Edition.
Allows higher resolutions along with 32-bit color support, multiple renderers and upscaling methods, bug fixes, new multiplayer lobby, and other features.
Bypasses compatibility issues faced by the unmodified game version.
Includes Verok's GL Wrapper as one of the renderer options.
Compatible with several mods, most notably Horn of the Abyss for which it has a special multiplayer lobby and shares some developers.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\New World Computing\Heroes of Might and Magic® III\1.0[Note 2]
Mac OS (Classic)
Linux
It's unknown whether this game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux. Please fill in this information.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\Games[Note 3]
Mac OS (Classic)
Linux

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Epic Games Launcher
GOG Galaxy
As of GOG Galaxy version 1.2, and special HoMM III Complete patch 4.0 (CS)
Ubisoft Connect
List of exceptions from Cloud save support on Ubisoft+

Video

In-game settings.
In-game settings.

Graphics feature State Notes
Widescreen resolution
800x600 only. Use the HD mod for resolutions up to 4000x4000.
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
Use the HD mod
4K Ultra HD
Use the HD mod.
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Desktop must be in 16-bit colour mode (press F4) or use the HD mod.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Use the HD mod. Fullscreen toggle on launcher = Borderless window.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)
High-fidelity upscaling
Use the HD mod for better scaling, although it doesn't have FSR or NIS.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
Use Verok's GL Wrapper (part of newer releases of the HD mod).
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
Framerate is capped at 33 FPS.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Input

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Controller types

Audio

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Music, Effects
Surround sound
Subtitles
Cutscenes only.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Not applicable to Simplified Chinese version.
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Simplified Chinese
Retail only. Mandarin audio only applies for The Restoration of Erathia and Armageddon's Blade. Installation of The Shadow of Death will overwrite the audio files to English audio.
Czech
Retail only.
French
German
Retail only. Armageddon's Blade wasn't localized.
Japanese
Retail only.
Polish
Retail and GOG.com only. Download for other releases here.
Russian
Retail and GOG.com only. Official localization by Buka Entertainment. Patch for other digital release here.
Spanish
Fan translation, download (From Clan Dlan archives).

Network

Unmodified, the game requires DirectPlay to be enabled for multiplayer to work. The HD mod bypasses this requirement.

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
8 Hot seat
LAN play
8
Online play
8 The official MPlayer.com service has been shut down; the HD mod includes a community lobby.

Connection types

Type Native Notes
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP

Issues fixed

Game crashes unexpectedly after some time

This is caused by a bug in the game, experienced only on multi-core or hyper-threaded processors. Newer GOG.com versions do not have this issue.
Use the HD mod
Modify exe files[4]
  1. Download ImageCFG.
  2. Go into the installation folder and execute:
imagecfg -u Heroes3.exe
imagecfg -u Heroes3.icd
imagecfg -a 0x1 Heroes3.exe
imagecfg -a 0x1 Heroes3.icd

Notes

Another means of fixing sound can be found here.
Turn off in-game music[citation needed]
Set CPU affinity[4]
  1. Open the task manager.
  2. Set the CPU affinity for the game process to one processor.

Notes

This needs to be repeated every time when running the game.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
DirectDraw 1
OpenGL v1, v2 or v3 User selectable only in the HD mod
ExecutablePPC16-bit 32-bit 64-bitARM Notes
Windows
Linux
64-bit and ARM require VCMI
Mac OS (Classic)

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio Miles Sound System
Interface SDL Linux only.
Cutscenes Smacker Video Technology, Bink Video

Mods

Horn of the Abyss - popular unofficial expansion pack adding the Cove and Factory towns, new neutral units, resources, campaign missions and map objects, while maintaining the original gameplay vision. Use this patch for compatibility with the Polish version.
In the Wake of Gods - an unofficial expansion pack adding new units, mechanics, resources and easier modding possibilities.
VCMI - an attempt at rewriting the whole engine to make it customizable, portable and fully cross-platform.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 95
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium 133 MHz
System memory (RAM) 32 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 425 MB
Video card (GPU) DirectX 7.0a compatible
Mac OS
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 8.1
Processor (CPU) PowerPC 603e 180 MHz
System memory (RAM) 64 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 425 MB
Linux
Minimum
Operating system (OS) Kernel 2.2.x
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium
System memory (RAM) 32 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 425 MB
Sound (audio device) OSS Compatible


Notes

  1. ↑ SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[1] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[2]
  2. ↑ Applications writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE will be redirected to other locations based on various criterias, see the glossary page for more details.
  3. ↑ When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

References