Greatest Mod for Heroes of Might and Magic IV

Notes:
Unmodded maps are compatible with the mod, but because of changes in creature strenght they will not be necessarily balanced.
All maps within the mod are compatible with either unmodded or equilibris (355) game.
Mod is intended to be used as instructed.
Mod requires both expansions to the original game (Gathering Storms and Winds of War) installed to work.

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GREATEST MOD HEROES 4 CHANGELOG
& COMMENTS

By NimoStar
Version: .015

This log isn't complete or exhaustive. Many of the things it lists are changed and/or obsolete.
It is impossible to keep track of all changes and discoveries as they are hundreds of them.

+++ IF YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTION FOR THE MARKED PROBLEMS, PLEASE PROVIDE IT IN A COMMENT

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Special thanks to:
Equi team, Iliveinabox, namerutan, karmakeld, Baronus, and all those that contribute to the Heroes community.

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.15 changes for NimoStar's Greatest Mod:

FIXES:
- Fixed Devil creature-hero crashes.
- Fixed an error which would cause all parchments cost 1500 at lyceums, regardless of level (now they have correct prices)
Bug documented: Gathering Storm campaigns will crash the game in my install. However this is probably unrelated to the mod (It only happens in my Spanish install, not on my English install).

MAP EDITOR
- Changed version of Greatest Campaign Editor from C to the new E.
- Now user modifications to sidebar objects WILL be saved upon normal program exit.
- Map Editor now includes Equi 3.51 objects
Object pallete: Omod->Equi
- Map editor now also includes Equi 355 Objects (including some hidden in original Equi 355)
Object pallete: Omod->355
- Nostradamus Rig Of Health (Ex-Ring of Health) can now be put in misc via the Campaign Editor, not only ingame (so AI heroes can have up to four, or up to six if you add two via normal Campaign Editor)
- Parchments and Scrolls are also added in Miscellaneous items (though Parchments will still not auto-read if not placed manually, as it always was)
- Default heroes will now display their proper Greatest Mod outward appearance for their class, rather than the
- General fixes
Bug: Equilibris 3.51 artifacts are still not placeable on Heroes (Witch Ring, Griffin Helm, Spirit of Opression), though they can now be easily put in maps

ADDITIONS
- Included Magic Lamp treasure and it's funcionality into main package. (Fight Genies and Efreeti for treasure. It looks like Altar of Wishes)

AUDIOVISUAL
- Changed Magic Arrow image so it no longer looks like fire (it's not a fire spell)
- Changed Ice Bolt for better effects
- Changed Fire Bolt for better effects
- Resurrection animation changed (potion and Guardian Angel)
- Changed Female and male former Death Knight animations list for both Melee and Ranged modes (now much more sophisticated feel)

CREATURE BALANCE AND DETAILS
- Rebalanced Magi power, which were otherwise very weak for now level 3 (from 36 to 99 spell power)
- Changed description to show they annul magic resistance
- Tweaked some creatures stats, like Halflings (13 from 10 attack, 7 from 8 hp)
- Dark Knight and Black Guard abilities changed (again), stats tweaked

HEROES
- Documented: Now heroes can have equipped up to 4 scrolls at at a time (they use Misc. slot), so uo to four spells can be used from them at the time.
- Kreegan heroes will no longer turn to Liches, but rather to Warlords (+10 melee attack)
- Previous Warlords will now be Lord Commanders (+2 Morale to army)
- Now Lich hero is Death Magic alone (Necromancers will automatically turn to Liches, fitting to their default image, but lose the "undead" state if they gain other specializations)
- Wizard King now with Chaos and Nobility (inflicts Misfortune)
- Order and Nobility becomes Enchanter (+20% Illusion and Summon)
- The infamously unbalanced Demonologist class is set to require now Nobility as well, so don't bother banning it. Death+Nature will still get the Demon summoning spells, but they are now weaker and you don't auto-get the +50% demonologist bonus for just focusing on those magics.
- Dark Priest now has Magic Mirror
- Other changes

* Improved some maps such as...
- La Verdad y las Interpretaciones (in Brushmaps)
- "1 vs 1 kill" (in Brushmaps)
- BUILD THE WALL! (In Equi maps)
- Conflux scheme
* Started making some maps such as "False Avatar" (1 player adventure) and Gray Square (2 v 2 battle)

- Added and changed special hero combat images, such as Paskovich being a vampire, Darkstorm is minotaur, etc. to better reflect their bios and images ingame.

0.12 Changes:

- Re-aligned ships
- Added new maps
- Many new brushes, focused on 3.55 equi objects

x- Change Lich class/ability to Death and Tactics
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Ship re-alignement:

- Pirate Ship now Order [Shipwreck Faction]
- Order Ship now Light [Desert Faction]
- Generic Ship (unused before) now Chaos [Dungeon Faction]

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Modified heroes/hero portraits:

- Tiger Dogwoggle now green

- Ritzil: Big black dragon (Black Dragon)
- Grok: Pirate Anium (Pirate)
- Kalibarr: Death Face (default necro ->)
- Shin: Evil Undersea Pirate
- Lindette: Blackbeard Pirate
- Neska: Skeleton Pirate -> pirateskeleton
- Kamiana: Undead Elvess
- Fynelda: Evil black dragon (Black Dragon -> )
- Hedegraud: Good order black dragon

- Harkenkraz: White-eyed demon
- Rab: Imp-like demon
- Malustar: Super-Heretic-Demon -> [full] Archdevil
- Panur: Muscle devil -> [combat] Archdevil

- Dorine: Babyface archangel
- Nanette: Femiface archangel
- Winifred: Saint angel
- Leslie: Mermaid
- Gail: Red pseudo mermaid/sprite
- Eleece: Oriental siren
- Gem: Mystic wolf
- Nef -> Air Elemental*

- Anium now necromantic
- Blackdog now vampiric -> [Combat] Vampire
- Krellion now death knight --> ¿ogre?
- Bron now Druid
- Trome now Death Knight
- Gramin now golden
- Callis now dark
- Gillion: Evil Gold Golem -> [Full] Gold Golem
- Lord Harke: Pharaoh gold golem/mummy -> Gold Golem -->
- Theritos: Angry wolf face -> [Full] wolf
- Aglion now russian(er) with ushanka
- Straker: Brutal metal guy -> Metal_guy

- Gretchin: Fire Elemental
- Hoogula: Black pirate guy
- Mered: Moai face (earth elem)
- (Jadne seems bugged... now faceless...)
- Waerjak: Earth Elemental Golem

- Shiva now the actual god (can be medusa) -> [Full] Titan for now
- Toadeater: medusa
- Vix: Death dragon green
- Equila: Girl knight
- Tyris: Faith girl knight
- Sigrid: Redhead armorknight
- Winsela: Dark knight girl
- Sorsha: Sexy Knightess
- Lord Lysander: Crusader
- Hastner: Oldie vampireguy
- Moander: Holy Death
- Xerxon: Black Knight

- Merlith: Mummy
- Labetha: Red Monster

- Dallas is Cyclops (temporarily at least) -> CyclopsF
- Gwendymir is Behemoth (temporarily at least) -> BehemothF
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Good premade creature heroes still there:

- Ogre: Drenka, Khorrun, Bofmog... abegga (now demonic), krellion (now death)
- Minotaur: Uvodd, Darkstrom
- Orc: Ajwar, Isa, Norzok
- Dwarf: Segwen, Merrox
- Halfling: Petula... mastero?
- Naga: Corita
- Genie: Fafner, Jubal
- Mage: Fafner
- Efreet: Aidan
- Siren: Jubal
- Water Elemental: Jubal
- Vampire: Rab (nomore), Archilus, Paskovich (also new), Luna
- Skeleton: Moander, Jessika
- Zombie: Yott

.009/.010/0.11 changes:

Mod data files now:
0U- Nim_mod.h4r (new_mod.h4r) ... LEFT EMPTY/UNUSED - FREE FOR NEW TYPE OF MAP REPLACEABLES (community minimods)
1- Grea.h4r (equi.h4r) ... main file
2- extra.h4r (x2_update.h4r) -> Is used for compatibility with other mod content. Includes .355 equilibris stuff normally, but can be changed.

This last thing means:
NOW THE MOD WILL READ EQUILIBRIS 3.55 as extra content BY DEFAULT
As feedback from equi team is sometimes slow, if they ask I can remove this (separate) content and leave people to rename if they want to fuse the mods.
Note this though: Although graphics have been tested, it is not a guarantee that other Equilibris-specific features will work, like artifacts.
As of the current version, Equilibris 355 artifacts don't work (they display in map, but trying to use them will crash the game), but in future versions this might change (it's only a matter of labor, but this may require fusing the mods in part or whole).
Adventure objects do work.

Critical:
- Fixed blacksmith screen bug that would crash the game.
NOTE: DO NOT use creature's spells in the adventure map, it will crash the game (this was already so)

ñ- Changed factions slightly to lineup version 6
- Added special Mod welcome screen missing from other versions ( Made .bmp and added to file with resedit )

What's new on 0.11 from 0.08:
- Now doesn't overwrite anything (completely modular mod)
- Easy install: Just paste into Heroes IV folder and play
- Many rebalances and fixes
- Countless all-new super-brushes for your maps
- Numerous new maps to play or complete
- List of finished and unfinished maps
- Map editor to use Equilibris objects
- Incorporated hero creatures by default
- New special heroes such as the cursed pirate-skeleton
- Improved and changed heroes and portraits (in progress)

Necromancy:
- Skeletons -> Zombies
- Zombies -> Ghost Sailors
- Mummies -> Skeletons
- Gargoyles -> Medusas
- Ghosts -> Gargoyles
[Vampires stay]
[Bone Dragons stay]

Other:
x- Changed and rebalanced most/all Creature Banks, including Equilibris ones
----> NEW BUG, creature banks work as default instead (trying to fix for next ver)

- Primmo (nature-might) heroes now start with leadership instead of malee to avoid being given ranger class
- Telescopes are now cheaper (250 from 500) but go on the Left Hand instead of "misc". No more stacking 4 telescopes to look further...
- Fixed metal guy unlocked special hero (combat sprites)
- Gave Ghost Sailors life drain (similar to Heroes I!), no longer incorporal (for now), increased defense to compensate
- Black Guards nerfed, were incredibly strong (still are...)
- Black Guards now First Strike and Bind [instead of Negate First Strike and No Retaliation]
- Black Knight now No Retaliation [instead of Bind]
- Gave Behemoth new ability, actually useful and not detrimental like false "Strenght"
- Balanced elves (no longer OP), now called Sindarin (as in Tolkien lore)
v- Fix necromancy, no longer gives ghosts as if level 2 creatures
v-- Change menu to reflect changes
- Fixed Light town hall name/building bug

- Clockwork Dragon now has Unlimited Retaliation instead of Negate First Strike

V?- White tiger, less and stronger, has Devouring
- Sprite now immaterial instead of no retaliate, stats adjusted

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For future releases:
- nussic.h4r

x?- Wolf now Neutral
xx?- Dwellings changed

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Unimplemented ideas:

Nomad (Bedouin) abilities:
v- First Strike
- Negate First Strike
- Regeneration
- Life Guard

Sorceress Abilities:
v- Magic Mirror
v- Teleport
v- Strike and return
- Poison

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PROBLEM - squares where there should be line-breaks, including on the spellbook (line doesn't change)

_

Enabled unused animations and heroes, NEVER seen before for over 15 years.

Most building names and some descriptions changed.

Spell anim, buildings and graphical changes have their own .txts

Hero ability changes has own .txt
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FACTION CHANGES

WORKING - DONE
Done: Might > Inferno
Done: Chaos > Dungeon
Done: Life > Desert
Done: Order > Shipwreck
Done: Death > Necropolis
Done: Nature > Savage

DWELLINGS Changed:
MIGHT-INFERNO
1] "Longhouse" - Now recruits Imps
1.5] "Centaur Stables" - Now recruits Cerberi
2A]"Nomad Tents" - Now recruits "Ogre Magi" (Changed name: King Oni)
2B]"Harpy Peak" - Now recruits "Frenzied Gnashers" (Changed name: Infernal Beast)
3A]"Cyclops Cave" - Now recruits Nightmare
3B]"Ogre fort" - Now recruits Efreet
4A]"Cliff Nest" - Now recruits Phoenix (Changed name: Hellbird)
4B]"Behemoth Crag" - Now recruits Devils

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HERO TYPES RESHUFFLE:

HERO STRINGS:
- Some barbarians made "archers" (Now: "primitives")
- Demons no longer necromancers or death knights.
- Now they are "barbarians" (Now named Kreeganists, as they are for Inferno)

ALL HEROES NOW HAVE THREE STARTING SKILLS

DES - Alchemist : Resurrection Enchantment Mining
DES - Warrior : Combat Tactics Scouting

SEA - Pirate : Navigation Stealth Leadership
SEA - Corsair : Defense Nobility Estates

NEC - Lich : Necromancy Occultism Stealth
NEC - Devourer : Combat Melee Offense

DUN - Warlock : Nobility Chaos Magic Wizardry
DUN - Rogue : Stealth Scouting Melee

SAV - Druid : Nature Magic Summoning Pathfinding
SAV - Savage : Melee Magic Resist Archery

INF - Demonist : Pyromancy Demonology Magic Resist

---- CREATURE ABILITIES AND POWER:

- Skeleton will be faster, lighter

-- Megadragon: Less HP, is now Berserker
(Both stronger as a single creature because mind immunity, and weaker in an army because of side effects of attacks; it is now buildable by nature)

-- Crusaders now Blind enemies with their bling

-- Angels have Death Ward

-- First Strike to Nomad, not just negate

-- Vampires to teleport instead of flying (their fly as a bat looks dumb)
YY---- Add vampire spellbook, copy attack animations for spellcast and change combat sequence

--- Devils now summon Efreet, not Ice Demons

- Pirates more powerful, less in quantity, give more XP

- Black dragon now costs 8000 gold + 2 sulfur + 2 gems

-- Beholder now Curses instead of Random Spell
(otherwise too powerful for now common dungeon-aligned lvl 2 creature)
Y- Stats slightly stronger

-- Hydra: No Retaliation changed for Regeneration

-- Efreet: Now Teleports (instead of flying)
-- Is a berserker instead of fire attack

-- Titan now has lightning attack [no chaos ward]
-- Instead of normal melee, two melee attacks
---> With Wolves ability, got Total Spell Immune, and double attack, (!) but no lightning... confirming it was strange.

-- Dwarf now Chaos Ward [instead of Magic Resistance]

-- Gold Golems now Magic Mirror [instead of Magic Resistance or immune to magic]

-- Orc has Strenght instead of Ranged Stun

V- Air Elemental Changed

V- Earth Elemental changed:
-- Magic Immunity, not magic resist
-- Has Stone Skin, not Teleport

V- Gargoyles became the ultimate Tower infiltration unit
-- Not elementals, but stunning
-- Now Teleports instead of flying
-- They are also Stealth instead of stone skin
- Stats adjusted (def increased)
- Now Order instead of Death (more like H3)

V- Modified dark knight abilities (not undead, regeneration, etc.)
-- Changed Undead by Curse [change for Bind?]
-- Changed Regeneration for No Retaliation
- Stats adjusted (+50 HP)

V- Modified goblin knight abilities (not stone skin, etc.)
-- Changed Stone Skin by Stealth
- Stats adjusted (def increased)

-- Nagas now Block instead of No Retaliation

-- Mantis now Blocks instead of Binds
- HP reduced, XP augmented, stats adjusted

- ALPHA FEATURES:
- Cheat manu always enabled (on window mode)
THis is for testing all creatures and spells easily.
If you don't want it, just ignore, or put the game on fullscreen.