So, how do you?

Do you save before major battles or events and load if you make the wrong choice...

...or do you save just if you have to continue some other time or to have a backup in case of a crash and maybe restart the map from the beginning if you fail?

Also, do you consider the first option to be a sort of cheating?

Question:
Dow do you use the save/load feature in Heroes games?

Choices:
I save before crucial moments and load if I fail and I DO NOT consider it cheating.
I save before crucial moments and load if I fail and I DO consider it cheating.
I don't save to correct my mistakes, but I DO NOT consider "Option 1" to be cheating.
I don't save to correct my mistakes and I DO consider "Option 1" to be cheating.
Other/Varies/etc. (Please, specify.)

 

Option 1 for me. I consider it trial and error

I go for 1 although I very rarely actually do load since I don't fail

Hear the boaster now!

You, Sir, have 1234 posts!

And it is true! I almost never fail... At least when it comes to playing against the AI And playing against humans I only load if I accidentally attack 12.567 azure dragons or something.

Yea, it's option 1 for me as well, but not when playing against other "human" players, then it's option 3…

quote:

You, Sir, have 1234 posts!

It's not the quantity but the quality of posts that's important. You have a 1/20 quality post ratio.

1234 is a funny number and most of my spam has been deleted when the mods cleaned out the Tavern

I actually did post one heck of a lot of serious stuff even back when the forums really were alive All those flamewars, disagreements on the direction of the game, rapid response to released info... Man, good times.

On topic, why would saving be cheating?

Yeah... Why would saving be considered cheating?

Because it could be used to get virtually the best possible results out of a situation.

If you're in a battle and a gigantic stack of creatures gets luck or morale, you are likely to lose the battle. Replaying it allows you a second chance and, for example, the ability to cast "Implosion" sooner on those sons of...

Similarly, on the adventure map you meet your opponent's main hero who you can defeat, but he manages to escape your army due to a pathing mistake you make and later defeats you with that same hero. By loading you get to undo your mistake and crush him like a bug, along with his hopes of winning.

So, basically, using save/load in order to do this allows you to see things you shouldn't have and always having the odds on your side. To me, it just feels cheap.

Think of it this way - would it be fair for you to get a lotto ticket and, seeing that you didn't get the jackpot, to travel back in time and fill in the numbers to get it?

Yeah, but after playing a scenario for 5 hours straight, and then losing it on a simple mistake because you didn't save, is infuriating

Sure, but it would feel like a hollow victory and, in my opinion, that's worse than defeat.

If that is how it should be understood then I don't load. I only load if I really do something idiotic - like the mouse jumping so I attack the peasants instead of the dragons - or if I want to check if I can beat/how long it is until I can beat an army or stack of monsters.

Besides, playing against the AI he hardly has much of a hope or will to win. Saving and loading allows you to check different strategies, figure out what works best here and there and then master the game quicker and transfer at least some of the battle and build up ideas to PC vs. PC games.

Some years ago I loaded pretty often. Now I don't make mistakes unless the mouse jumps/I get distracted and usually beat the maps before the mapmaker intends you to be able to do so - thus destroying the AI before he is ready I don't think I would have reached that level as quickly if I didn't check the different possibilities of winning this and that battle or map.

Haven't thought of that... It's a valid point, as saving would be used to learn and not solely to win, yeah.

Yep. But I also understand your point. Guess it really comes down to how you like to play and how challenging you want it to be.

Perhaps I should try the Armageddon's Blade campaigns all the way through without saving to see if I rely too much on that function...

Yeah, you do that... but you might want to have your nearest mental fascility on speed-dial .

Hehe, I will do that. And perhaps warn my neighbours so they know not to open when I stand outside their door shouting "Armageddon" and hammering a bat against their door

When I first began to play I saved and reloaded a lot. Replaying battles and exploring different options is a good way to learn how to play better.

Now it is seldom that I reload.

1) during campaigns, since it's about progression into the campaign rather than beating the map.

3) during non-campaigns, as failure should be an option (sure, I play on heroic, but I'm not uber awesome at V =( III, on the other hand...)

4) during multiplayer cause if you make a mistake, why should you be rewarded with a redo?

In campaign mode, the auto-save is doing it for me so I don't technically save myself.

If then I fail, I use the last auto-save to flee before it's too late or change my tactic.

So, I don't consider option 1 as cheating

Xhane