Songs of Conquest - HOMM2-inspired turn-based strategy adventure game

[Johannes]

They balanced all the fun out of the game. It's like, all HoMM 3 needed was a new coat of paint, and then you get dumbfuck devs who think they'll reinvent the wheel and make it better.
Hubris. Pure hubris.

Making just a 1:1 copy would be dumbfucked. If you want to play HoMM 3, it doesn't need a new coat of paint.

Many of the new mechanics in this game are fun, but... Not very well balanced

 

[Sweeper]

Not very well balanced

In comparison to Heroes 3 it's all way too balanced, and therefor boring.
I don't want to shit on the game too hard cause more Heroes clones is a good thing, but until they implement a magic system that allows me to use a spell to zip across the world map Songs is going to remain dogshit.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Tough luck then, since strategic spells is another thing that successfully avoided being in the game. Then again, we learn itt that people don't care for basic features or even don't like them, so maybe they were onto something.

Making just a 1:1 copy would be dumbfucked.

Ehhh... this claim is strongly contested. There are lots of people that still crave for more homm3 content, if you'd add decent modern production values on top, asked Romero to compose a tune or two, made sure it doesn't look like a joke content-wise etc. you'd definitely have a commercially viable product. Generally though, there were way too few actual homm clones to really successfully gauge what would or wouldn't work.

 

[lukaszek]

I for one never liked world map spells, it felt like they are invalidating certain scout skills etc.
My hate probably started due to summon boat spell in homm2

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Scouting brings most value early game, but generally isn't all that good anyways apart from certain multiplyer templates.
Homm2 also had the most fun strategic spell in the series, haunt mine. But its existence was only possible due to utter disregard for muh balance and fun being allowed, obviously.

 

[Fedora Master]

I can see the quality of design in the game but I still can't get comfortable with the art style.

 

[Feyd Rautha]

Luzur

 

[Galdred]

Tough luck then, since strategic spells is another thing that successfully avoided being in the game. Then again, we learn itt that people don't care for basic features or even don't like them, so maybe they were onto something.

Making just a 1:1 copy would be dumbfucked.

Ehhh... this claim is strongly contested. There are lots of people that still crave for more homm3 content, if you'd add decent modern production values on top, asked Romero to compose a tune or two, made sure it doesn't look like a joke content-wise etc. you'd definitely have a commercially viable product. Generally though, there were way too few actual homm clones to really successfully gauge what would or wouldn't work.

That would be madness. You cannot match the content of HoMM3 if you are indie. Making a game and hoping it develops a modding scene big enough to challenge the content made for HoMM 3 would be a fool errand. The only way for it to work would be an HOMM3 "HD edition" or whatever made by whoever holds the licence, that could reuse the same content files directly.

 

[Feyd Rautha]

Steam page for the first DLC.

 

[ADL]

Provided the DLC is fun and worthwhile, I'll buy anything additional they put out for this game. They've earned that goodwill.

 

[ADL]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/867210/view/4266684471793289258
Vote what it should cost https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfasJGSWxMIIwMGpXB3yqC5zsEUmJAO62keZwZc0zsjDkBYdg/viewform

Hello Wielders!

It’s me, your friendly neighborhood CEO, Magnus. Usually, Anders writes these posts, but he is knee-deep in design work with our upcoming DLC – Rise Eternal! So, I’ve decided to help him out with an update on what’s happening behind the scenes. I’m also hoping for your help to find a good price for the upcoming DLC. Find out more below!


Rise Eternal is a story-focused DLC. We call it a “tale” that complements the ordinary songs, or campaigns, of the game. In this first tale, we are visiting the faction of Loth and introducing a new Wielder, Kastus Maal. We are also reworking a few things related to the Risen troop in order to make them pack a bit more punch. The improved Risen troop mechanic will be part of a free update as well.

Say one thing for Kastus Maal. Say he’s a looker.


The tale of Kastus Maal will take you across four story-intensive maps. You’ll literally dig deeper into the earth of Aerbor and uncover untold secrets. Our team is working on perfecting the maps right now, and we are excited to introduce a few new buildings and special effects that we think future map makers will enjoy as well!

This is not a tavern, nor is it a stable. It’s a place where bones slowly wither to dust. You can visit it in Rise Eternal and find out more for yourself!


Now that you know a little bit more about what we are working on, we would like to get your help with figuring out the price for the DLC. We’ve prepared a simple poll where you can give us your opinion. It’s very important for us to get this right, and all replies matter!



In the future, we hope to release one tale for each faction. This will allow us to add more flavor to the Wielders of Aerbor, sometimes introduce a new one, and also expand the overall lore. Some narrative elements might tie into the overarching story of the full Songs of Conquest timeline. If you look closely, you can find clues to certain Wielders' ambitions and motivations.

Rise Eternal will see the addition of more artifacts. Artifact sets will also be added as a new feature to the game as a free update!


A large part of the team is also working on the regular game update that will be released alongside the DLC. We generally intend for game features introduced in upcoming DLCs to also be included for free in the base game. However, additional content such as campaign maps, characters, and map objects will be accessible through the purchase of the DLC.

The release date for Rise Eternal hasn’t been decided yet, but we hope it will be within just a few weeks from now! As always, drop a comment and let us know what you think, and please give us your feedback on the pricing for the DLC. We wouldn’t be where we are without your support. Expect more news and exciting updates during the fall!

Best regards,

Magnus and Team Lavapotion


PS. Remember to follow our developer page to stay updated!

 

[Dr1f7]

$0?

the game needs more factions, an underground level, and sailing. not campaign crap

 

[Dr1f7]

tell magnus to take his "story" and shove it up his ass, where's the demons?

 

[luj1]

Is it as good as HoMM 3? (Without the addons, naturally.) Help a potential customer out.

Nothing will ever be but it's decent

 

[luj1]

They balanced all the fun out of the game. [snip] ... dumbfuck devs who think they'll reinvent the wheel and make it better...

Soyer secretly worked on this game

 

[Tavar]

I really tried to like this but it's just so slow and boring. I can tell that the team worked really hard on this but the end result is still mediocre at best.

 

[Jrpgfan]

A group of normal people and the game is great. Literally no crazy looking person in these photos.

 

[cyborgboy95]

Mixed Factions
Greetings Wielders!

We’re excited to bring you another update. While it has both small and big additions the major news is the completion of one of our Roadmap goals: the introduction of Mixed Factions! Have you ever dreamed of commanding an army with both Dragons and the Undead? Or perhaps you’ve wanted to see Veteran Pikeneers standing guard over your Faey Queens? Well, this update is for you!

A surprise ally for sure, but a welcome one!

So why did we do this update? It’s simply fun. Whether you’re a newcomer to Songs of Conquest or a seasoned player, this new game mode offers fresh and exciting possibilities. Our goal is to give you as much variety as possible, and Mixed Factions is a big step towards that. No matter your playstyle or what mood you’re in, there’s something here for everyone.

Testing a new game mode is just a click away!

What makes Mixed factions special? All troops and settlements from every faction are now yours to command. Instead of razing or converting settlements, you’ll take them over—buildings and all. This allows you to mix and match units, research, and Wielders from different factions, creating the combinations you’ve always wanted.

Make new friends and see new perspectives!

Essence, a core part of our game’s strategy, now takes on a new dimension. Each unit and faction brings its own unique essence, but with Mixed Factions, you can create armies that generate combinations previously unattainable. Imagine an army optimized for Destruction spells with the best Essence-generating units from all factions—or any combination tailored to your favorite strategy.

To complement this game mode, we’re introducing two new free maps specifically designed for Mixed Factions: Unexpected Allies and Under One Banner. These maps will give you quick access to multiple factions and are perfect for testing the update!

Get in there and start mixing things up!

This update includes more than just one big feature. We’ve squashed bugs affecting Sim turns and improved the vision range for Wielders on Adventure maps. We’ve also made several balance adjustments to keep gameplay fresh. Balancing is always a work in progress, and we’d love to hear your thoughts — Join our Discord Server to share your feedback in the discussions!

Who doesn’t love a good changelog, follow the link[www.songsofconquest.com] to read up on it all!

Whether you're a casual player looking for something fresh or a dedicated strategist seeking new tactical opportunities, Mixed Factions offers something for everyone. Test it against our ever-evolving AI or challenge your friends in chaotic multiplayer matches where anything can happen!

And as a last note, there is big news incoming and we’re spilling the pixelated beans on the Coffee Stain livestream The Spill! Join us and other devs in a live-streamed event!

Watch it all over, including here[www.twitch.tv]!

/Anders and Team Lavapotion

 

[cyborgboy95]

New roadmap revealed!

Greetings Wielders,

For years, the most requested feature has been the introduction of more factions! And we get you, we really do. The trouble is that developing new factions is both very costly and time-consuming. So we intended to offset the slow pace of faction releases with smaller DLCs that could include things like new Wielders or mini-campaigns.

We recently asked you for feedback regarding the Rise Eternal DLC and its price point. Surprisingly, most were willing to pay more than we had thought. It was of course encouraging, but at the same time we saw many comments about “what I really want is more factions!”. That gave us a lot to think about!

Over 10,000 people replied to the Rise Eternal pricing poll, thank you for that! (By the way: There’s a Swedish word in the image above, can you find it?)

Originally, our plan was to release Bleak East next spring, a grand expansion featuring two new factions and a sweeping campaign exploring their role in Aerbor’s story. However, as development progressed, and the addition of Rise Eternal took some of our well-needed focus, we realized that the timeline wouldn’t be realistic. We faced the tough decision of whether to delay or pivot.

We chose to listen to you.

Rather than making you wait for new factions, we’ve postponed the release of Rise Eternal and split Bleak East up into two separate DLCs. This means you will get the first faction released earlier than we had planned for! This winter, you’ll be getting Vanir, our first DLC. It means you won’t have to wait long to experience brand-new units, fresh Wielders, and beautifully harsh winter biomes. Inspired by Viking and Scandinavian folklore, the Vanir raiders will bring some interesting new twists to Songs of Conquest!

Click to enhance the image above!

But the speed of development comes with a trade-off. We had originally envisioned Vanir to be presented in a combined campaign with the Roots. But we have chosen to step down from that ambition and focus on providing new gameplay features and conquest maps. Campaigns are incredibly time-consuming to create for our small studio, and they demand considerable resources—particularly when it comes to level design, cut scenes, writing dialogue (and translating all that dialogue to 13 languages!), rigorous playtesting, and setting the difficulty levels just right. It’s not a decision we took lightly, but we believe this is the best way to continue delivering quality content for you at the pace we think you’ll prefer!
Now, on to the exciting part! We’re thrilled because this shift in development priorities lets us focus on what you’ve been asking for—new factions, new units, and new gameplay—at a faster pace.

So, who exactly are the Vanir? What will this DLC include? It won't include a campaign but, it will have everything that our normal factions have: 8 Unique units, each with their own upgrade. Complete settlements with buildings, research, and tactical choices. A new biome with its own style and blockers that come with it, all designed to be able to merge it with what is already there in the map editor, just like with our “old” ones.

As a Swedish development team, we can appreciate this homage to our mild summers.


A lot of the artwork is done already and we are deep into working on abilities and all those little things that make a faction unique. Like all the VFX that comes with a unit that can turn into a flock of birds and attack you from across the battlefield!

Winter can’t come soon enough and we hope you share our excitement and enthusiasm. In the coming months, we will share blog posts, telling you how the work is progressing.

If you want to be among the first to beta test Vanir, or win an key for the DLC, sign up for our newsletter right here! You’ll also get access to some exclusive giveaways that are only available for email subscribers!

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter!

As always, we’ll try our best to keep a transparent and respectful dialogue going between us as developers and you, our players. We know some will miss the addition of new campaigns, but we intend to offset that with lots of new maps and fun gameplay additions. We are also not ruling out the possibility of creating a final mega campaign when we reach the end goal of eight factions released!

/Team Lavapotion

 

[Dr1f7]

good that they're focusing on adding factions and more conquest maps, that's really what the game needs
snow biome is really cool, nice

personally not interested in soy vikings but i guess it's better than adding a campaign that nobody will ever play

where the fuck are the:

• demon faction
• wizard faction
• space alien faction
• big titty seductress faction

idk come up with something cool, vikings aren't cool

also game still needs underground and sailing

 

[lukaszek]

vikings aren't cool

game still needs [...] sailing

 

[Axel_am]

Song of Conquest is on sale right now until the 27th. Has the dex's opinion on this changed recently or do you guys still consider the game underwhelming?

 

[lukaszek]

Song of Conquest is on sale right now until the 27th. Has the dex's opinion on this changed recently or do you guys still consider the game underwhelming?

i consider it unique and fine take on homm and it should be experienced yes

 

[cvv]

Song of Conquest is on sale right now until the 27th. Has the dex's opinion on this changed recently or do you guys still consider the game underwhelming?

i consider it unique and fine take on homm and it should be experienced yes

After they actually finish the game as promised.

 

[Maxie]

Song of Conquest is on sale right now until the 27th. Has the dex's opinion on this changed recently or do you guys still consider the game underwhelming?

i consider it unique and fine take on homm and it should be experienced yes

After they actually finish the game as promised.

the game's finished since patch 1.0. they're working on expansion packs now