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| Thread: Tavern Heroes and Rumors | |
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Syth1984
Adventuring Hero
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posted June 04, 2025 03:14 PM |
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Tavern Heroes and Rumors
I believe a good game should always have good immersion.Stop signs some tavern rumors were very nice in Heroes series. There was always some excuse to visit the tavern and read the rumors in H3.
It has been 25 years since H3.I think taverns and rumors could get a bit more dynamic.
First I must say I love heroes returning for action one more time. Once a hero is in the realm it’s hard to get rid of him or her. He might have abandoned YOUR cause but might show somewhere else.
For low level heroes (1-10th level) I propose this.If you hero gets a humiliating defeat such as no loss steam roll over or turn 1 or turn 2 defeat and he get destroyed, the hero should have high chance of appearing in someone elses tavern for revenge(10x more chance to be recruited in some other players tavern within the next 4 weeks). Because as his king you gave him insufficient troops, you designed a bad plan. On the top of that the hero should get +2 levels (minimum to 5th level maybe?) immediately due to this painful experience  . So what will it do; İt will incentivize to protect your low level heroes better. It would also incentivize to recruit them if they show up on your tavern since they are higher level. It could create a dynamic between players , a passive way of gaining advantage without going into real conflict. “If you loose it we will use it” kind of way 😊.
High level heroes (>18th ) should also have higher chance of getting recruited by everyone even the player who lost the hero (4x).Big generals should return like Napoleon for a second round with a fresh other army under another banner.
Dynamic Rumors: Don’t get me wrong I like “Titan will defeat a dragon in every day of the week” kind of generic rumors as well. However year is 2025 and rumors can be a lot more dynamic. I want to hear rumors from the realm. Within in a like 7day journey distance if something significant happens on the map I would like to hear it.Some conditions are
A Player main army looses more than half of his force (there should be a threshold minimum of one week population so we don’t get flooded when you lose the one goblin of your two goblin army) “ I heard Sandro’s skeletal army lost half of his forces battling X”
A player steam rolls over a castle “I heard castle “ArmsPit”(Name of the castle on map) was captures by the forces of green player where hydras (X is the highest level creature in the heroes army) marched effortlessly through the doors”
A castle gets sieged but defends it’s self “ I heard Hero Falagar defended Castle Armspits against hordes of goblins(most numerous stack of Player Y) of Player Yellow”
A dragon utopia is emptied “Be warned a dragon utopia horde was captured by player Blue”
What else do you want to see as rumors in the tavern.
If %20 percent of the time the rumors were untrue that would be very funny as well  .Or said the opposite instead of the reality.
I think it can be done and it would give nice flavor to the game.
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Galaad
Hero of Order
Li mort as morz, li vif as vis
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posted June 05, 2025 12:57 AM |
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Edited by Galaad at 00:58, 05 Jun 2025.
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This is brilliant, Syth 
One of the most flavorful suggestions I've seen in a while. You really tap into what made the old taverns memorable: personality, mystery, and immersion. A few thoughts and additions below:
Heroes Switching Allegiances
"If you lose it, we use it."
Love this.
The mechanic of fallen or humiliated heroes showing up in other players’ taverns is rich with both gameplay and narrative potential. A few ideas to riff on:
Scorned Heroes
If a hero is lost due to overwhelming odds (e.g., less than 20% enemy army size), there could be a small chance they appear with a "Bitter" trait: increased morale when fighting their former faction.
Hero Bounties
You could even tie rumors into this. "I heard Elvin now serves the Red Banner, and swore vengeance against his former liege..."
That could lead to small morale drops when that hero shows up in your army's vicinity (narrative morale penalties).
- Named Recruits
Instead of always random tavern options, one slot could occasionally be reserved for "renegades" from other players or past games in campaign mode. A memory of the land.
Dynamic Rumors
This is where the immersion really kicks in. Some suggestions and tweaks:
Rumor Categories
- Battle Reports (as you suggested)
- Whispers and Warnings: "Word has it the Necromancer has found a cursed tome buried in the swamps..."
- Marketplace Trends: "Wood prices have doubled in the North due to strange fires..."
- Political Intrigue: "A marriage alliance between Red and Blue? Impossible!"
- Gossip/Nonsense: "They say the Unicorns have turned against the Elves. Poppycock, surely."
- False Rumors Mechanic: 20% inaccuracy is great. Even better if some rumors start true, but by the time they reach your tavern, they’ve morphed. Like the telephone game. You could even have "Rumor Quality" depend on how many taverns are between the event and the listener.
Suggested Additional Rumors
- "A hero of legend was spotted near [Region X], glowing with strange power." => maybe a wandering super-unit or special neutral army spawns?
- "The wells in [area] have turned to blood. Locals fear a powerful magic stirs."
- "A bitter wind sweeps down from the north. Villagers say it whispers in a forgotten tongue." (hint to secret Ice faction?)
- "A lone knight rides day and night, bearing grim tidings. Will he reach his destination?"
Gameplay tie-ins
- Tavern Upgrades: Perhaps you can upgrade the tavern to receive better-quality or more accurate rumors?
- Spy Network Perks: Certain hero skills (e.g., Intelligence, Diplomacy) could increase the frequency or accuracy of rumors.
- Multiplayer Use: Adds delicious paranoia. Did they really take the Utopia? Are they bluffing? Should I reroute my army?
Final Thoughts
It’s a beautiful way to bring the world to life without adding clutter. The data already exists (army size, events, map activity) -it just needs flavor text.
This kind of system would be particularly well-suited to campaign modes or longer multiplayer sessions where you care about the world’s unfolding story. Would love to see this implemented.
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MattII
Legendary Hero
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posted June 05, 2025 03:08 AM |
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Edited by MattII at 03:21, 05 Jun 2025.
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If we want more 'realistic' hero actions, we also ought to look at giving battle a more realistic set of outcomes. Right now, it's win, lose, flee or surrender. Where's the option for an orderly retreat? Heck, where's the option for raiding, ambushing, or really any kind other kind of battle?
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Syth1984
Adventuring Hero
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posted June 05, 2025 08:33 PM |
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Galaad said:
Final Thoughts
It’s a beautiful way to bring the world to life without adding clutter. The data already exists (army size, events, map activity) -it just needs flavor text.
This kind of system would be particularly well-suited to campaign modes or longer multiplayer sessions where you care about the world’s unfolding story. Would love to see this implemented.
I am glad my idea resonated with you. I guess from your ideas (all of them are welcome) what I like the most is strangely "political rumors" because that's what exactly peasants talk about! .Royalty is the soap opera
Upgrading a taven might give more range where rumors get their info from maybe?
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Galaad
Hero of Order
Li mort as morz, li vif as vis
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posted June 05, 2025 10:42 PM |
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Aha yeah, seems like a few of us are still eavesdropping at the tavern. Wonder how many more will join the gossip revolution. 
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