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Yes! You can play using wine. If you haven't heard of wine before, I would recommend using wineskin unless you're very computer savvy. http://wineskin.urgesoftware.com/tiki-index.php Just download wineskin, create a new wrapper, and install the game files (you can get a copy of the game from GOG, it goes on sale fairly often). I believe you also need to use the HD mod to get around copy protection, but I don't really remember (you'll probably want to be using the HD mod anyway though). Also you might have to disable rootless if you're on a new-ish operating system... I'm not entirely sure why, something about X11 I think. If you try to get it set up and can't figure something out, I can help.

RMG templates are what revolutionized random maps for me. They are text files that act as descriptors for the RMG. They can provide restrictions for the RMG so it has to generate a random map with those restrictions. It's easier to explain with an example, so here it is:

http://heroesportal.net/files/ontemplates/Jebus_Cross/jebus.GIF

This is a picture explaining the Jebus Cross RMG template. When you generate a random map using this template, the resulting map will be as follow:

• 4 starting zones (the picture is for a 2 players only version, but zones 3 and 4 should be starting zones too) containing 2 gold mines, 4 sawmills and ore pits, and 1 of each other resource mines.

• Each of those 4 zones are linked to a 5th zone containing 4 gold mines, but are not linked to each other directly.

• The way to the 5th zone is blocked by a strong guard (value 45, I don't really know how this is computed but it is linked to the AI value of units).

• The 5th zone is a "treasure" zone (indicated by a black circle instead of white for starting zones in the picture).

Jebus Cross is one of the simplest templates and is included in HD mod IIRC. You can make some more complex templates like 8xm12 (http://clip2net.com/clip/m27958/1376249110-76cb6-198kb.jpg).

Maybe you can't import because the file system on Android is different and the map files are hard-coded or packaged into the .OBB file or whatever. Probably the only way would be to unpackage that file, add your maps and repackage it, but then this could ruin its integrity and the .APK might not recognize it anymore and then all the work is pointless. Even one more reason why this Android version is a scam, because the Android version has been pulled form Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubisoft.mightandmagic.heroesiii and the only way to get it is to side-load it. No wonder they pulled it, because its a blatant scam - costs a lot, lacks content and functionality that was present before, basically it's a joke aimed at people's emotions and nostalgia.

I’m a game developer at Banditos Studio and a huge homm fan myself. We created “Five Heroes: The King’s War” which is heavily inspired by homm. It’s not a ripoff so i think you might appreciate it. If you guys want to check it out (it’s free), I would love to get your feedback, our small team takes it very seriously.

Download here:

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1251847638?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=studio.banditos.banditos5&hl=en

This is what I use for Homm3 on a MBP. (I use HD mod and HotA with it)

The game graphics are a mess when it boots in fullscreen mode, so just press f4 to go windowed and then f4 again to go back to fullscreen. (I find I have to hold f4 for a second longer than usual keystrokes to get it to exit fullscreen) When it goes back to fullscreen it should be normal.

I don't use the "make this a mac application feature" I just tell it to run the .exe as it.

I wonder if Linux has a similar spin on Wine?

What about Battle for Wesnoth?

It's whole gameplay somewhat resembles H3's combat part, but there's more depth to it. It also has a map editor and good mod support.

Looks like it's still in the store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sourceforge.fheroes2&hl=en_US&gl=US

I wonder if I it makes sense to do a changelog now. So people could easily check what's inside the template, and see the changes I make.

I'll do a strawpoll https://www.strawpoll.me/16612920

Why would it take a long time to reinstall? Slow internet / computer? It's like 3x setup installations ( gog.com , H3HD, HoTa) - or perhaps you have some specific settings done? Shouldn't have to take that long

I've tried the following options on Android, with ExaGear being the only one I still have installed:

Free Heroes 2 - A direct port of Heroes 2 to Android. You'll need the original game files to play a full game, but otherwise this is the simplest option. I personally haven't experienced any bugs, but be aware the app hasn't been updated in a long time.

ExaGear Strategies - The best way to play real Heroes 3 on Android, including HotA. However, it's the most complicated to set up. The app is no longer available, so you'll need to find an APK. It's also picky about where the game files are, and how they're named. But, if you set it up right, you can play Heroes 3 using the exact same files as you would on a computer, meaning it's the full experience.

VCMI - The simplest option for Heroes 3 on Android. It also needs the original game files, but is much easier to configure, with a still-available APK and proper instructions. However, I stopped using VCMI because the AI was very poor. VCMI is a new engine for the game, so it's not quite identical to playing on a computer.

I know this is a dumb question, but Heroes was the only PC game I ever really played and I'm not a PC guru. Right now I have a MacBook Air running Catalina. Whats the best way for me to play Heroes? Planning on buying the gog.com version and getting the HoTA mod so my brother and I can play together online. Should I download something like Boot Camp? I know the game can be buggy, so just want to set myself up for success

And please don't buy the Steam version, that's not the same one; that 'HD version' is just vanilla H3 redone without the later 2 expansion packs and some crappy & unnecessary texture updates and less compatible with mods too. Like all the others here advice, buy the 'Complete' edition on gog.com instead and use the free 'HD mod' for the - by far - superior experience.

u/chasam33 and u/caseycoold . Me and my friends just bought HOMM3 from GOG.com. We are not used to the HOTA expansion and we only want to use the HD+ mod. Will it be possible for us to play together on the same network on four different computers without using any other progams? And does Hamachi work well with HOMM3?

EDIT: One of us is using a mac aswell, does that have an impact?

ExaGear Strategies will let you play Heroes 3, including HotA, on an Android device. The app is defunct, so you'll need to sideload an APK of the full (paid) version. However, it's the only real way to play the full game on your phone. I don't fire it up often, but this is what I use.

VCMI is somewhat more straightforward to install (instructions here), but because it's recreating the game engine, the experience isn't yet complete. Last I checked, development of the project has slowed to a crawl, so it likely won't improve for a while. I used to run VCMI, but I'll wait to revisit it until development progresses.

Someone also ported Heroes 2 to Android a long while ago, if you'd like to give that a try. All you need are the game files, but otherwise it runs fine out of the box.

If you're on Android, Heroes II was ported a long while ago. And it's free:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sourceforge.fheroes2

The Google Play page for the game says:

> Pass the tablet around and play with your friends in a thrilling local multiplayer mode

I wonder if that means its tablet-only?

Yeah, there's way more tactics in it. You can also try fheroes2, an open source implementation of HoMM II (not sure about playability and stability though), or VCMI, an open source implementation of HoMM III (it was terribly broken some time ago because the maintainer of this port disappeared somewhere, but now it seems to be fixed).