Before taking part in a tourney you should register on the portal.
Offline tourneys (tourneys by e-mail) are carried out in the following game's versions:
Tourney saves will not work on previous game's versions (for example, Armageddon's Blade in HMM III or Gathering Storm in HMM IV). It's strongly recommended not to use Wake of Gods (WoG) in Heroes 3 tourneys. It is impossible to use add-on Equilibris in Heroes 4 tourneys.
In order to take part in a tourney, you should download an offered tourney save, play it through on your computer and send in the final save.
Starting save can be downloaded from the section HeroesLands (follow a menu "HeroesLands II", "HeroesLands III" or "HeroesLands IV", tourneys being conducted at the moment are marked with +). Downloaded save must be saved in the folder Games of your version of HoMM as it is shown in the picture:
Inhabitants owning a property (view below) are sent to their e-mail a personal starting save of Common tourney within 7-10 after its opening; Nevertheless, they have a right to play Common tourney with a save downloaded by themselves from corresponding page of the Portal. Inhabitants that have no property are to download themselves Common tourney save. All other tourneys are played with saves downloaded by players themselves.
On going through a tourney you must make a final (victorious) save, i.e. save your game before your last action by which victory is achieved. If victory is achieved by annihilating last enemy army or capturing last castle, you should:
If victory is achieved without fighting (for example, with ending turn, taking an artifact etc.), you must save your game before making a final action.
In tourneys where you don't have to win the map (e.g. "Citadel of Heroes" or "Wild Lands"), the final save must be made AFTER achieving the goals stated in the tourney rules.
Time-limit, of playing a map is 500 days, if it is not specially indicated at tourney page.
The name of save must coincide with your nick indicated in your profile, that means your save must be named with "your nick".
In some tourneys there is an examination of results with two criteria: points and days (so called Common league and Blitz-league, view below). In first case the save name also coincides with a nick. In second case, besides nick, there is also an amount of spent days in the save name. For example, the save name "Your nick_15" means that you have gone through the save for 15 days and want this save to be examined in Blitz-league.
A final save is attached to electronic letter and sent out to a person responsible for this tourney (e-mails of people responsible for tourneys are indicated at tourneys pages where you download starting saves). In the field "Subject" you write you nick and the name of the tourney: "your nick", common tourney, Heroes III, or in abbreviated form "your nick", CT-3. In the field of the letter you write your nick and the name of the tourney again to make sure and besides, you indicate the version of the game (for example, Heroes III Shadow of Death 3.2" or "SoD 3.2"), the map name and describe actions which a magister must do to win the game. Without this information your save will not be examined! Details of actions description depend on their difficulty. For example, if final battle is won automatically, you can only write: attack with a hero and then run autobattle. If there are actions that must be done in strict succession for achieving victory in final battle, you should describe them in detail.
Only one final save can be sent out for a tourney. Deadline of sending out is indicated at tourney page at portal time (GMT+2). For example, if it is written that a tourney is conducted till 7.10.2004, that means the save must be sent not later than 23:59 at portal time (21:59 at Greenwich Time) November 7, 2004.
It is forbidden to modify saves and to use cheats in going through a save fair (their use is only possible for discovering in graft saves).
in Heroes II it's forbidden:
In Heroes III it is forbidden:
In Heroes IV it is forbidden to "crawl" (by splitting/combining armies) into an otherwise unreachable (in given situation) territory. For example, you can't use this method to bypass garrisons guarded by enemy or neutral creatures. Still, you are free to use any obvious mistakes of the mapmaker, such as a "hole" allowing to enter a territory which, according to the common sense, should be reachable only by an explicitly placed teleporter or by defeating a garrison at the entrance. If you have any doubt, ALWAYS ask the tourney manager, if you can use a specific feature of the map.
It is also forbidden to use the following bug: if you cast the Song of Peace several times in a row and then don't take any actions except ending the turn, the enemy will just stand still instead of attacking you.
Also, In Heroes IV, when you play battles based on generation of the battlefield terrain (e.g. a nook for the sprites, unreachable for other monsters on the battlefield; battlefield obstacles, preventing enemy monsters from reaching your units etc), you must save before attacking, then just after attacking (first round of the battle), and then once more before the last strike in the battle. Also, you must make 3 saves in battles against vastly overwhelming neutral forces, or if the battle lasts for more than 300 rounds - such as 1 sprite vs 1000 behemots (if this battle doesn't match the previous rule). You should have saves at the start of the battle, before end of the battle, and in the very middle of the battle.
If necessary, all of these saves must be sent to the Manager of the tourney on his demand.
A magister responsible for a tourney has a right to ask any player for every day saves with necessary explanations and also to invite other players, experts in a version of the game, for examination of fairness of going through a save. In case of detection of use of cheats and mentioned above bugs and game's particularities forbidden for use a player's profile will be blocked. If a player uses bugs and game's particularities that are not mentioned in the list of forbidden ones, but fallen under definition "any other bugs" in opinion of a magister responsible for a tourney, the final save is not examined, but the player's profile is not blocked. In order to avoid such a situation, a player should turn to the magister responsible for the tourney for advice about possibility of use of one or another method.
The player is obliged to save every day intermediate savegames while playing a tourney except "miner's" playing (i.e. playing to win one or several mines, read about it below). In case of "miner's" playing you should save every day intermediate savegames while developing actively (i.e. when you capture castles and mines, artifacts and resources etc.). After the game consists of a simple accumulation of resources (when the player only ends turn), it is necessary to save every week savegames.
Intermediate savegames must be kept by the player to the end of the next tourney. So if the player participates in a tourney started on January 1 and finished on February 1, and the next tourney begins on February 7 and lasts till March 7, the savegames of the first tourney must be kept till March 7 (to the end of the next tourney). In case if it is asked by the tourney presenter, the savegames are to be kept more time.
Intermediate savegames can be asked by a tourney presenter to check fairness of playing. In case of detection of use of cheats and mentioned above bugs and game's particularities forbidden for use, a player's profile will be blocked. If a player uses bugs and game's particularities that are not mentioned in the list of forbidden ones, but fallen under definition "any other bugs" in opinion of the tourney presenter, the final save is not examined, but the player's profile is not blocked. In order to avoid such a situation, a player should turn to the tourney presenter.
If an unfair player confesses that he cheated before check of fairness of his playing, the presenter cancels all results of this player in current tourneys (including tourneys where the player played fairly), however, the player's profile is not blocked and the player can participate in the following tourneys. "Frank confession" is of no importance after the beginning of investigation. The request made by a tourney presenter to present intermediate savegames and/or description of playing is considered to be the beginning of investigation.
In case of disagreement of a player with blockage or annulment of his save, he has a right to apply to the Council of Knights of the round table. for reconsideration of issue. But as this Council is only a consultative body, the final decision is made by the magister responsible for the tourney.
The list of forbidden methods mentioned above can be replenished. Entry of changes and additions into the list is announced at page of Portal news. Keep in mind that ignorance of law does not relieve of responsibility.
Main tourneys (Landless tourney, Merchant guild tourney, Common tourney) last 4 weeks. The interval between tourneys is one week, within this time results are summed up and rewarding of participants takes place.
Approximately once a year the Magistrate conducts Great Royal Games. They last 8 weeks and Common tourney, Merchant Guild tourney and Landless Tourney are not conducted at this time. Results of Great Royal Games are summed up within a week; after their announcement and rewarding of participants, usual tourney are recommenced.
Only inhabitants that have no feuds (Landless Knights, view the section Ranks) may take part in Landless tourneys. All inhabitants can participate in Merchant Guild tourneys, Common tourneys and Great Royal Games.
Common tourney is an only tourney where inhabitants' property can be used. If an inhabitant has no property, he can participate in this tourney downloading common starting save from corresponding page. If the inhabitant has some property, he'll get a personal starting save within 7-10 days, but as it was mentioned above, he has also a right to play this tourney with common save.
Artifacts that a player owns are always inserted into his personal starting save. Player's mines add corresponding resources (view paragraph "Mines") to the save only in case if their owner has one feud at the least. Monsters are inserted into the save provided the player's rank allows it. In particular, landless knights can't use their monsters in Common tourney.
Citadel of Heroes (CH) is a tourney of English part of the Portal. It is carried out independently of other tourneys.
Sometimes the Magistrate conducts special tourneys. They are written at home page of the Portal.
Tourneys summing-up. Players taking part in Common tourney are divided into three leagues, those who have five feuds and more (view below) play in High league, the others can play of their own choice in Common league (victorious save is named with the player's nick) or in Blitz-league (the name of victorious save consists of the player's nick and amount of spent days).
Players results in Common league are examined with obtained points (more points, higher the result). If points are equal, the number of spent days is examined (less days, higher the result). If several players get the same amount of points and days, they take the same place and are equally rewarded.
Players results in Blitz-league are examined with spent days (less days, higher the result). If the number of days is equal, the amount of obtained points is examined (more days, higher the result). If several players get the same number of days and points, they take the same place and are equally rewarded.
Examination of players' results in High league depends on the game's version. In Heroes 3 results are examined, like in Common league, with points, if they are equal, the number of days is taken into consideration. In Heroes 4 results are examined, like in Blitz-league, with days, if their number is equal, amount of points is taken into consideration.
In Landless tourney there are two leagues: Common and Blitz. The results in them are examined as it's described above.
In Merchant Guild tourney there are no leagues, all players results are examined with amount of obtained points, if the amount is equal, the number of spent days is taken into account (like in common league of Landless tourney and Common tourney).
In Royal Games players are divided by groups in 5 persons depending on date of victory save receiving (i.e. the first five saves take part in the first group, next five saves are in another and so on; the last group can be incomplete and even include one save). Every group results are examined like in Blitz-league, i.e. with the number of spent days, if it is equal, amount of obtained points is taken into account.
Tourneys participants depending on their results are rewarded with feuds, special artifacts, portal currency, called arroba (@), and mines. Other rewards are possible in special tourneys.
ATTENTION! Claims connected with examination of tourneys results are accepted by magisters responsible for tourneys within a week after the date of official announcement of these results (their posting in Hall of glory). At correcting admitted errors, the results are not reconsidered on the whole, the corrections concern only those players who has applied with well grounded claims in time.
Feud is the main and most prestigious reward of the participant of Landless, Common tourney and Royal games. The number of feuds that are owned by an inhabitant is the basic criterion for his giving a rank. The inhabitants that have no any feud are called Landless knights, their privilege is a possibility to participate in Landless tourney, closed for the other inhabitants. If the inhabitant has 5 feuds and more, he always plays in High league of Common tourney.
Feuds are played off in each league of Landless tourney and Common tourney separately, the number of feuds in each league is determined by total inhabitants who have sent their saves in this league (one feud for 10 saves in Common league and in Blitz-league and one feud for five saves in High league). If less than 10 feuds in Common league and in Blitz-league and less than 5 feuds in High leagues were sent in, feuds are not played off.
The inhabitants, taking the first places, are rewarded with feuds, but two rules are observed:
For example, 40-49 inhabitants have taken part in Common or Blitz leagues. In that case four feuds are played off (one feud for each ten players). If the first place is taken by one participant, the second by three participants, four of them get a feud; if the first place is taken by two participants, the second by five participants, all of them also get a feud, despite only four feuds were played off. But in the first and in the second case the third place and other ones don't get feuds, as all feuds were spent for rewarding the first two places.
Though a feud is a property of the inhabitant, he cannot dispose of it without any control. Feuds operations are imposed the following restrictions:
In all these cases the main rule stated in the first point must not be broken.
The main rewards of Merchant Guild tourney are special artifacts. The number and kinds of artifacts being played off in this tourney are indicated at tourney page.
A universal reward is arroba (@), HeroesLands currency. Inhabitants get arroba for participating tourneys, making maps and campaigns, located on the Portal and also by decision of the magistrate for special services for the Portal. Besides, arroba is added to those who give pecuniary aid to the Portal, at a rate of 100 @ one US dollar.
Arroba can be spent in the market (view below) where inhabitants can buy artifacts, mines and monsters for their use in Common tourneys. Besides, some inhabitants can buy feuds in the Magistrate (view above).
Inhabitants can freely transfer any sums to each other. In particular, thanks to this you may order attributes (coat of arms, avatar, a portrait) to another inhabitant and then pay for it yourself.
The main source of getting arroba for most inhabitants is a reward for participation in tourneys. The amount of a prize depends on the place taken by an inhabitant. For the first place the amount of arroba is equal to amount of obtained points (for example, if the inhabitant being in the lead obtains 472 points, he will receive 472@). Last places also get a fixed sum equal to 20 @ in Heroes II and Heroes III tourneys and 40@ in Heroes IV tourneys. Players gaining from the second till next to last places get sums smoothly decreasing in this range. In Royal Games arrobas are added by dividing obtained points by the taken place, for example, if a player is second with 1620 points, he'll get 810 @.
Mines are played off in main tourneys (Landless, Common, Merchant Guild and CH tourneys). Mines can be used only in Common tourneys by players having one feud at the least (otherwise, they aren't used). Each mine except gold one brings to a player 10 units of a corresponding resource in starting saves. Each gold mine gives to starting save 500 units of gold in Heroes 3 and 1500 units of gold in Heroes 4.
The number of the mines being played off in mentioned tourneys is determined by the total number of sent saves without taking into account leagues. One mine of a resource is played off for each 50 saves. Unlike feuds the last incomplete fifteen of sent saves is also taken into account while determining the number of feuds. For example, the number of participants is from 1 to 50, it means one complete set of mines is played off; from 51 to 100, two complete sets of mines are played off and so on.
The main criterion of mines distribution is the amount of an accumulated resource. In case of equality, quantity of spent days is taken into consideration (less days, better the result). Rewarding is carried out like while distributing feuds, i.e. all players who have obtained the same result (the same total of resources and spent gaming time) receive the same reward and all mines being played off must be distributed; if it's necessary their number can be increased. For example, two players have accumulated 40000 units of a resource for 500 days, and other two players have also accumulated 40000 units of this resource but for 490 days; the others have accumulated less. If one or two complete sets of mines are played off in the tourney , only two best players get a mine (the players who accumulated 40000 for 490 days), if three or four complete sets of mines are played off, four best players get mines (the players who accumulated 40000 for 490 and 500 days).
In HeroesLands there is a market where inhabitants can buy with their arroba so-called bonuses, i.e. -mines, artifacts and monsters used in Common tourneys. Cost of bonuses is fixed by the Magistrate. Besides arroba, some kinds of mines are needed for purchasing some artifacts and monsters.
An inhabitant can also sell bonuses for half-price in the market.
Some inhabitants can buy or sell feuds in the market. The rules of purchasing and selling feuds are mentioned above.
Some special artifacts cannot be bought or sold in the market, they can be only won in tourneys. Some game's artifacts are also unavailable (for example, spell book), as their availability disbalances the game. Nevertheless, if such artifacts are available in starting save, they can be freely used by players.
An inhabitant can sell any monster belonging to him in the market, however, the possibility of purchasing monsters is limited by the rank of this inhabitant. So, landless can buy only monsters of the first level and kings can buy any monsters without any restrictions.
Besides sale and purchase in the market, inhabitants can exchange artifacts, monsters and mines with each other. Among special artifacts only those which were bought and sold in the market are available for exchange.
