FreeHeroes

About

FreeHeroes is a free C++/Qt engine reimplementation aiming to provide Heroes of Might and Magic III functionality equivalent to HotA plus the HD Mod, in the spirit of the similar VCMI project. It ships as a Windows executable that can run without the original game's data, though it also includes a converter for legacy resources for a closer look. The project is explicitly pre-alpha, with battle emulation as its current playable feature.

How it differs from the original

Unlike the original, FreeHeroes can run without any original Heroes III data files at all, though it also provides a one-time converter to import legacy SoD/HotA/HD resources for a more authentic look.

Getting started

Download the 7z release archive, extract it with 7-Zip, run LegacyConverter.exe and press "convert!" if you want to use original game resources, then launch BattleEmulator and press "start battle" to try the currently playable battle simulation.

Known issues & limitations

• compatibility: Pre-alpha version with potential issues; users should attach logs and replays when reporting bugs.

Media

Status & roadmap

• The author describes the project mainly as a way to experiment with C++ features and says they have no intention of ever fully finishing it.

Licensing & legal

• Source code is MIT-licensed, while the project's own images and audio are licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.