Hello,
we’re happy to announce release of VCMI 0.86. This build does not bring any revolutionary changes but is a steady progress before upcoming rapid jumps (ie. adding adventure AI). The most noticeable change is probably music support. After long time it’s back and hopefully it’s done right this time. Other new features mainly revolve around battles — many new creature abilities are handled, along with a few spells. Besides, we added support for the last set of missing artifacts. Beginning with this build, all H3:SoD artifacts are handled!

Some engine improvements are promising as well. VCMI should run smoother during battles. Also, some development has been made on scripting modules interfaces and ERM interpreter. It isn’t usable now and won’t be soon, however that hidden effort will certainly come useful in the future.

We have done a number of bugfixes - about 50 issues have been resolved. Please check the changelog below and bugtracker for the list.

Check items implementation status for the full information about which map objects, town structures, skills, spells, artifacts, creature abilities and victory conditions are supported.

Download link: forum.vcmi.eu/dload.php?action=download&id=22 (4.9MB, ZIP Archive)

Installation:
Extract the package into your main Heroes folder.
WoG 3.58f is required. We recommend using English version.
If your game is in another language, you can extract this package into Data/ subfolder - that will make your H3 installation English.
If you have older version of VCMI, you have to overwrite it.

Save format has been changed, savegames from previous versions won’t work with 0.86.

VCMI supports 800x600, 1024x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1366x768, 1680x1080 and 1920x1080 screen resolutions. To use custom resolution, type (before starting the actual game!) in the console “resolution” (or just ‘r’ letter) and pick appropriate one. Alternatively, you can change default resolution by the editing config/settings.txt file.

Since VCMI 0.85 a new creature card is used. If you don’t like it, the old one is still here. The config/settings.txt file has been extended with a new option, for deciding whether to use the new window or the classical one (the “classicCreatureWindow” entry). This setting can also be switched during the game by typing into console “switchCreWin” (case matters!).

Acknowledgements:
Many thanks for all testers and developers who contributed to this build.

For the general information about our project look here. Our project isn’t really playable now, but it gives you an idea of progress we have made so far. We’re hoping that you’ll like it.

Since VCMI 0.74 we have deployed separate bugtracker. Please report bugs using this form. Check this page for list of known bugs and details.

We hope you’ll help us develop the project - details are available here. VCMI is an open source project licensed on GNU GPL 2.0 or higher. Our SVN repository with all the sources is available here.
You can look for help in building and developing VCMI sources in the development board.

CHANGELOG
0.85 -> 0.86 (Sep 01 2011)
GENERAL:

• Reinstated music support
• Bonus system optimizations (caching)
• converted many config files to JSON
• .tga file support
• New artifacts supported

• Admiral’s Hat
• Statue of Legion
• Titan’s Thunder

BATTLES:

• Correct handling of siege obstacles
• Catapult animation
• New combat abilities supported

• Dragon Breath
• Three-headed Attack
• Attack all around
• Death Cloud / Fireball area attack
• Death Blow
• Lightning Strike
• Rebirth

• New WoG abilities supported

• Defense Bonus
• Cast before attack
• Immunity to direct damage spells

• New spells supported

• Magic Mirror
• Titan’s Lightning Bolt

Full changelog is available here.

VCMI Team

For me:
-still present is “you are not allowed to perform this action” bug,
-fight window is not centered (in 1440x900),
-fight should start after music, not with it.

Anyway you all are doing good job .

If I remember well, there was a discussion once about this (here or at Celestial Heavens). Someone was asking for a tweak/mod to actually skip those 3 seconds locked by the music at the start of each battle. When you play for hours, or even days, it can get a bit annoying. Sometimes you’re going around with a very strong army and you stumble on some neutrals that you can kill in 1 hit, so the intro waiting time feels like doubling the time you waste in the battle screen. Other times you may be playing the same battle over and over again, studying strategies… where again, the “introduction” becomes annoying when you want to go immediately through the first 3-4 moves, just because you want to study something about the 2nd round of the battle for example. So I for one welcome the way it works now. I would be fine with a 1 second delay, maximum 2, but the 3 seconds in H3 often felt too much.

But that’s just a personal preference. If eventually it’ll be coded like in H3, I will keep a vote out for an option from the game settings to skip the 3sec battle start freeze.

It does not refer only to battles but also town entering and so on (not sure cause I don’t play with music - mainly because of wasting time with it). So in my opinion this is not bug but good improvement.
In HD mod it is also fixed but ofc you can turn it off

Yes I know, this is annoying, but i think it’s a little unnatural. Maybe begin sound should be simply turned off when we want to start battle immediately.
Or maybe just add third value to “No wait playing sounds” parameter - don’t play beginning sounds.

P.S. Sorry for my english, if i make mistakes

I see you’re doing very well if only I’m not around

In creature abilities spreadsheet, Magic Mirror & Thunderbolt should be marked as handled. “Cast spell while dying” could be replaced with “Rebirth”.

Just thought I’d let you know that the validation image is broken and thus no one can register.

Read carefully…