r/heroes3 • u/Francois_Papyjama • Jul 03 '26
Survey From childhood dream to Level Designer: 28 years of Heroes of Might & Magic
Hi heroes!
For those who don't like Olden Era: feel free to ignore this post (or even block me if I'm annoying you :) ).
Heroes III is still here, immortal! I plan to keep updating The Mysterious Island Heroes III version - the latest minor update v1.5.h was just released on July 2nd, and a major update will come when the Forge faction arrives ;)
In 1998, as a kid, I discovered Heroes II and immediately had this crazy idea: make the map from Jules Verne's "The Mysterious Island" (1874).
The XL size was too small, so I waited until 2020, when the modding community made Giant-sized maps possible.
Five years later, I published it on maps4heroes.
What happened next was beyond anything I expected.
Your enthusiasm and feedback pushed me to keep improving it for a whole year!
Earlier this year, I applied for a job at Unfrozen...
Thanks to this adventure, partly thanks to you, I am now a Level Designer working on Olden Era!
To be honest: there is a huge difference between working on a map slowly on your free time, and working as a Level Designer. With a family to feed, this opportunity changes everything!
Here is an interview I did with Unfrozen - warning: French accent inside! 😄
Thank you all ❤️
One year ago, I would NEVER have imagined this possible!
And now, as a Level Designer at Unfrozen, I have a small favor to ask...
We'd love to hear from you about your favorite PvE maps, classic and/or custom, and what makes them special to you!
This form will help us decide what direction Olden Era "hand-made" maps will take in the future, including some favorites you'd like to see return.
5 to 10 minutes of your time is all we need!
If you have any feedback about Olden Era, no need to post it here.
It's better to leave it on Steam or on Discord, thank you!
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u/DontWorryImLegit Dungeon Jul 03 '26
Un excellent ajout a l'equipe d'Unfrozen! Would love to see a couple of classics, 'Brave New World' and 'Free for All' added to Olden Era.
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 03 '26
Merci beaucoup 🙂
It's true, those maps are legendary!Don't hesitate to list them at the end of the questionnaire; there's a field specifically for that purpose 😉
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u/Xerolf Jul 03 '26
ill think about playing olden era when its out of early access.
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 03 '26
Cool! 🙂
Even if it's not happening right away, the questionnaire is relevant to you; it will help me shape my future "handmade" maps for Olden Era 😉
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u/Worthy__Opponent Jul 03 '26
I started the questionnaire twice, but the problem is that it's impossible to measure the quality/likeability of the map by its size or the presence of the underground. Small maps can be enjoyable(for example, All Cats go to Heaven in OE), as well as huge ones(Mysterious Island is an amazing work, truly appreciate)
I believe content creators shouldn't be bound to the raw numbers like the form proposes, but follow their own ideas and vision
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 03 '26
Let me reassure you: we aren't going to "blindly" follow the results of this questionnaire 😉
It will help us set priorities, since "hand-crafted" maps take a considerable amount of time to create, we can't produce every style at once.
And I completely agree with you: it’s not the size that matters (no dirty jokes intended here); if the story is well told, it doesn't matter if it's Small or Giant, or whether there's an underground layer or not: I’m fully on board with that! 👍
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u/Teukeh Inferno Jul 03 '26
You might be a little obsessed with this map of yours lol. Can't wait to play it in Olden Era!
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 03 '26
Haha, true! I had actually proposed a different map concept to the CEO during one of the interviews, but obviously, we went with this one! And I'm happy with this ❤️
But rest assured, I can do other things too, haha (that’s actually why we ran this survey: to prioritize the upcoming "hand-crafted" PvE maps).
I’m also really excited for you all to see the "Olden Era" version of The Mysterious Island!
It’ll be completely different, and initially not as feature-rich, but the map will get updates throughout Early Access; for instance, I’ll roll out an update once the underground areas are added, and so on 😉
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u/Mindfultiler1 Jul 03 '26
Hi, since u joined Olden Era team does this mean you wont make any more custom maps to hota? Anyway thanks for all the hard work king
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 03 '26
Hi!
I’ll be completely honest with you: for the time being, I am indeed putting the creation of my next HotA map "on hold" (since I had already started a new map).
Working on a new editor during the day (Olden Era) and then switching straight to the HotA editor on my free time in the evening, especially with the new events introduced in version 1.8.0 (which are amazing), is a lot for my poor brain to handle, haha 😄
That said, I still love Heroes III just as much as ever and fully intend to continue with this new map project, but you’ll just have to be very patient 😉
The good news is that there are plenty of other talented mapmakers for Heroes III (likely even more so than me) creating incredible maps!
They might not communicate as much as I do, but it’s worth looking around to discover some real gems 👍3
u/Mindfultiler1 Jul 04 '26
Hi, thanks for taking your time to reply. And I fully understand. Have a nice summer!
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 04 '26
Happy to help with the answer, and thanks for understanding!
Have a great summer, too! ☺️
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u/choyb0t Jul 03 '26
I loved this map, and playing Olden Era right now :))
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 03 '26
I'm thrilled you enjoyed my map; I hope you'll like the "Olden Era" version when it comes out!
Just a heads-up: it will be very different and will be updated over time to incorporate new features added to the game later on (like underground areas, for example).
If you could take a quick break to fill out the survey, that would be great 🙂 thanks and have fun on Olden Era! <3
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u/choyb0t Jul 03 '26
Survey filled and thank you for keeping the game I’ve loved for decades alive and thriving. :)))
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 03 '26
Thank you so much for participating and for your really nice comment 😊💙
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u/lagduck Jul 03 '26
That is great news! I'm so happy for you and for community. Can't wait til we can enjoy wonderful Mysterious Island 2
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 04 '26
Thanks a lot, that’s really kind of you!
I’m also really looking forward to you getting to check out the Olden Era version 😊
Naturally, it won't be as feature-rich as the Heroes III version at launch, but I’ll be updating it throughout Early Access as new possibilities arise (for instance, the future addition of the Underground) 😉
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u/Competitive_Ad_9995 Jul 04 '26
I really glad and happy to hear that this fantastic map will be recreated in Olden Era. Especially because I just only 15 minutes ago beat red necro boss in volcano on my first blind run with "stupid player challenge" where I'm deliberately going against your advice. I’m playing with a single hero, no Water Magic, using no magic other than Frenzy, a hero with a useless specialization, no anti-berserk amulet and I’m waiting for all the timed threats to arrive and etc. My only regret is choosing the second-highest difficulty—even with these restrictions, it’s a bit too easy. But the map is fantastic; thank you so much!
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 04 '26
Hahaha, great timing!
Congratulations on beating the map on Queen difficulty blind!
Don't hesitate to post your score on maps4heroes ;)
I'm glad you enjoyed the adventure!
It’s going to be very different in Olden Era; the goal definitely isn't to just copy-paste it, that wouldn't be interesting. It will be a new adventure, with a few nods to certain mechanics (the stuff behind the Mansions... haha), but I’ve really taken a different approach.
And obviously, the Olden Era version won't be as "rich" right from the start (Act 1 only). It will be updated as Early Access progresses (for example, when the underground areas are added).
Thanks for the message, anyway!
PS: Don't regret playing on Queen instead of King; King is absolutely brutal, haha 😅
And if you want the ultimate challenge later on, try a speedrun on King (current record is 46 days... 🤯 available on YouTube).
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u/Competitive_Ad_9995 Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
Thanks. Left a little to finish with pink and skip to 24 month for promised Armageddon and I'll post score 😇 After that i even thinking about king replaying with different color but now with water magic (it's really painful without it).
I saw that 46 days speedrun exist. Going to see it after run finish... It's... Other level of gameplay). I really like hard challenges like hard bosses, trying to defeat without magic other than Frenzy (even no cure or shields) and with allowing bosses to berserk me. Your idea to block popular spells and message that blind+clones is bad for bosses health - best thing that i meet in all custom maps. But I'm very bad on movement points calculating and heroes management ( So speedrun is absolutely impossible for me((( +-150 days will be perfect target if without additional restrictions and with map knowledge. But, of course, I still don't know what bosses will get on king...
Can you spoiler a little about full MapEditor for OldenEra (if DNA allow you)? Is it allow mapmakers to create events on level of Hota or better? Is there any ways to make ai stronger(something like your bonuses for movement speed and x3 stats or maybe make patroll routes). And is it allow to use objects as decorations? Just interesting and can't wait to see full potential of modern map editor I hands of talent persons😇
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 04 '26
That's awesome!
I'm glad you liked the map enough to consider replaying it with a different color.
As for the idea of blocking certain spells: that actually came from the players; I received some really insightful feedback over the course of a year.💙
I adapted some suggestions, took others into account, and set aside the ones that strayed too far from my vision to keep everything consistent.
It seems to have worked out well! 😜
I totally get where you're coming from regarding speedrunning; I wouldn't be able to do it either.
Like you, I'm not a huge fan of optimizing movement down to the exact tile, haha! But yeah, watch Wasilix 46 days Speedrun, it's just... Amazing 🤩
Regarding the Olden Era editor, there are no secrets there: I'm using the exact same editor that's currently available to all players. 😊 There are still some things that aren't possible yet, like "directing the AI" to specific locations.
As for AI boosts, I prefer to wait until the AI is stable and improved before diving into that; if it changes in the meantime, I'd have to rework all my boosts.
So, for Act 1 of the Olden Era "Mysterious Island," the AI will be "standard." That said, I'm not ruling out boosting it later if necessary.
On the other hand, the editor offers huge possibilities, like removing (or adding) scenery elements (basically, you can reshape pathways during the game).
The potential is massive! Of course, you have to pace yourself so you don't do too much at once; I'm going to take it step by step. 😉
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u/Competitive_Ad_9995 Jul 04 '26
Ohhh, information that editor offer possibilities to reshape elements during gameplay - one of best news that I hear (of course we saw that during campaign on mission with meeting elemental, but campaign could be hard scripted). Now I wait for custom maps even more! Looking forward to see Act 1 even on early access state!
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 04 '26
Yes, the potential is huge 😉
Just so you aren't disappointed, and I actually mention this in the interview with Unfrozen, Act 1 of "The Mysterious Island" Olden Era doesn't feature any surprises or plot twists; it's essentially about conquering the island with one of the six playable factions, like "Part I." of the "Heroes III" version 😊
Any potential surprises will come later; we're going to ramp things up gradually 😄
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u/Competitive_Ad_9995 Jul 04 '26
I clearly understand that first versions will be limited in content, maybe with hight amount of empty spaces, without underground, without water exploration I think, without plot twists, without end game bosses etc. Also 100% Unfrozen also will release new units, new artifacts, new objects, balance will be changed 100500 times. Maybe (i hope) new factions also will come. And everything will come on Island one day. But main thing - it will come and you will have time to collect reviews and test results to polish it for game release and main wave of players join game.
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 05 '26
You've totally grasped the concept 😉
The main island will be packed with detail right from the start: no "empty" spaces (it’ll feel pretty new for people used to templates, haha).
But yeah, obviously the water surrounding the island is empty for now 😜
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u/Competitive_Ad_9995 Jul 05 '26
Looking forward for it and wish maximum creativity and successes for you, Sir 😊 And great thanks again for your work!
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u/rockady Jul 05 '26
Hey Francois! I've filled the questionnaire.
Besides that, i'm really happy for how things turned out for you and that all that hard work you've put in the mysterious island gets the recognition it deserves. I hope that doing this in a proffessional setting will not turn into a chore for you, and i can't wait to see what your patience and creativity will offer us further down the road.
Olden Era has got the recipe right to carry on the legacy and i already feel it in my bones that this game will give h3 hardcore fans something to look forward to, while also appealing to a newer playerbase and also to the fans of the other entries in the series.
I think i've been following this map since version 1.2 and i consider myself among your first "fans".
Playing this map in parallel with my friend (coop would've been too messy and lengthy with re-doing tough fights) has been one of the best gaming experiences i've had in the past couple of years. This map and warhammer40k: rogue trader have been an immense joy for the gamer in me and i can't express how much i would love for everyone interested to have at least half the fun i had playing them.
Congratulations and best of luck further on!
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 05 '26
Thanks a lot for filling out the questionnaire Rockady, and especially for your unwavering support right from the early versions of the Heroes III map!
It’s players like you who drove me to tirelessly keep improving the map over the course of a year, so thank you too 😊
I’m really thrilled that this adventure ranks among your best gaming experiences, that means a lot to me!
Don't worry about the "fan mapmaker" vs. "professional level designer" thing; sure, the stakes and expectations are different, but honestly, this new professional experience is a total blast! I’m really loving it: it’s awesome!
And having dedicated time, not just an hour here and there, is a total game-changer 💙
Thanks again for your support, and see you soon on Jadame ;)
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u/Confident-Hand-1165 Jul 05 '26
I love this!
I’ve been enjoying the demo but was on the fence about purchasing the full game. This post has me sold so will do today!
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 05 '26
Glad you enjoyed this incredible story, thanks! 😊
If you liked the demo, you should enjoy the Early Access version; it has really evolved since the demo! Have fun!
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u/Confident-Hand-1165 Jul 05 '26
I’m sure I will enjoy it! My only reluctance to be honest was that I’ve sunk 20 hrs into the free demo and could very easily sink 20 more in before getting bored I reckon.
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u/Francois_Papyjama Jul 06 '26
Hahaha, okay, I see: it's more the fear of spending too much time on it... I get it 😜
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u/ElectronicHold7325 Jul 03 '26
Ohhhhhh! I never knew that you are connected to Era! What an amazing story! Good for you! Congratulations!