Here is a glimpse of some upcoming VCMI features:
Interactive Town Screen and Battles.
They should be coming up in the next few weeks. 
Best regards,
Steven.
Very good!
Do you keep the font for the name of building? Is it a default font?
As for now we don’t have support for original H3 fonts, it’s planned to be added in unspecified future.
I have also one more screenshot:
img404.imageshack.us/img404/6875/hb3fk3.th.jpg
wow thats great news, this mod is coming along a lot faster than i expected it 2, it looks awesome. i can’t wait to test out the next release. keep up the good work and good luck
Firstly, VCMI is not a mod. It’s and engine
Secondly, next version is expected to be released in the next month ;]. And thank you for your intrest.
Here’s a new screenshot…
img247.imageshack.us/img247/9586/towncreaturerecruitmenteb4.th.jpg
Best regards,
Steven.
Hello again
I recently had a chance to test the engine 0.55 on a PC running windows. You have done great work, as it could load any map I threw at it The pathfinding is also great.
Any plans of releasing a new version soon? Or is it still that month away?
P.S. I also can’t wait for the Linux version, as wine could not run it now.
P.P.S. I would be glad to help in any way possible. I know basic c++, but nothing AI or game related.
Actually it only appears to be great. The code needs to be rewritten.
New version could be released even now but we don’t have enough time to take care of everything. Fortunately we will have more time very soon.
If Tow agrees, I could send you newest version of VCMI to test ;]. ATM it’s the only way to help if you can’t write code.
I’d be glad to test
I’ll test everything you give me
I wish I could be able to help more 
I agreee
As Tow Dragon said, it would have been released if we had had more time. We have still to make more testing and fix minor problems. Unfortunately, we have our exams on May and because of them the upcoming release of VCMI had to be postponed. It should finally be ready at the end of this month or at the beginning of June.
And to make waiting pleasant:
img204.imageshack.us/img204/8994/town10ld6.th.jpg
Thanks for agreeing
Good luck on the exams 
(mine will be on june)
One more question: Artifacts:
In 0.55 version I noticed that you have already done the graphics mechanism of equipping artifacts. The description was working also, the stats didn’t change however(for example Shield of courage +4 all stats). My question is: do you have to code the stats of every single artifact by hand?
Thanks
Artifacts effects must be hardcoded. Only their costs, slots they use, class and descriptions are stored in config file (ARTRAITS.TXT). I don’t expect that it’ll be done soon.
Hey, sounds like I could help here. If you already have a pattern of what variables change when the artifacts get equipped , i might be able to help here.
by a pattern i mean something like this :
if(art0005 -> equipped)
{
Hero002 -> Attack += 4;
Hero002 -> Defense += 4;
Hero002 -> SPower += 4;
Hero002 -> Knowlage += 4;
}
that is assuming you do something like this 
just checking in… been following the progress of this cus I can’t stand homm3 not being able to run windowed at 32bit and using VM to run it ain’t exactly the quickest way of starting up a game… but still good for playing the game on 32bit desktop and being able minimize the VM.
so how far off is this program from being able to fully run homm3 with all working features of the original? is this upcoming release going to be more playable?
keep it up
I don’t think that playable version would be released in this year, but if everything goes well it will be in 2009. Of course every new version will be more playable than previous one ;].