14 DAY TRIAL // TQ Digital, as the developer, and Ubisoft, as the publisher, have announced that a beta for Heroes of Might and Magic Online will be launched in May 2010, allowing fans of the fantasy based and turn based project to be seen for the first time by gamers and for them to offer feedback to the team working on it. Those who are interested in taking part in the beta need to sign up for it at the official site, but there's no information on how many beta spots will be open.
TQ Digital is saying that Heroes of Might and Magic Online will aim to combine the gameplay that players remember from Heroes of Might and Magic III with the graphics seen in the fifth installment of the series. The new MMO will retain the turn based structure and will offer 2.5 D graphics, designed to work on a variety of gaming machines.
Players will be able to choose from 8 factions, with two more named Conflux and Empire still in development at TQ Digital, and will then be tasked with developing their presence in the metropolis of Harmondale. Gamers will be able to develop castles and obtain resources by taking on missions and by fighting other players with a host of creatures. Each faction will have a unique play style, with units that can be used in conjunction with spells to create complex tactics and gambits. There are also neutral zones that can be claimed by any faction as long as it has the military might to hold them.
Heroes of Might and Magic Online will also have the traditional trappings of an MMO, with players able to join together to create guilds and with a clear Player versus Players mechanics in the Challenging Arena. A Town Prestige system will also be used to allow players to develop their realms.
If Heroes of Might and Magic Online really manages to keep the same mechanics as the third installment in the turn based series while successfully integrating MMO mechanics, Ubisoft will have a very interesting product on its hands.