英三重制#单位重设计理念
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/3809850/view/668380030964864687
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake: Our Unit Redesign Philosophy
Today's Dev Blog is the first in a series of continuous discussions addressing factions and art, and covers a Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake topic you've all been eagerly discussing, the redesign of the units.
今天的开发者博客是系列持续讨论的第一篇，围绕阵营与美术展开，涵盖大家一直热切讨论的英雄无敌3重制版话题——单位重设计。
Let's use a before/after of a mighty gorgon as a teaser.
让我们用一只蛮牛的前后对比图作为引子。
Today we are going to talk about how we originally tackled the factions in the Remake. While these initial designs are still evolving based on your feedback, we're excited to share a behind-the-scenes look into their creation. You can also scroll down to the end of the article, to see some of the updated design of units based on your previous feedbacks.
今天我们将谈谈我们最初在重制版中如何处理各阵营。虽然这些初期设计仍在根据大家的反馈不断演进，我们很高兴能分享其创作幕后。你也可以滚动到文章末尾，查看根据大家此前反馈更新的一些单位设计。
Now, let's get started.
现在，让我们开始吧。
To preserve the spirit of the original game within a 3D remake framework, we established a set of core guidelines right from the start to steer our creature design:
为了在 3D 重制框架内保留原版游戏的灵魂，我们从一开始就制定了一套核心准则来指导生物设计：
我们如何保留原版英雄无敌3的灵魂？
How Do We Keep the Spirit of the Original Heroes of Might and Magic III?
Step 1: Gather everything about the original faction design
第一步：收集关于原阵营设计的一切
First, we need to analyze the original designs and gather as much information about each faction as possible, including:
首先，我们需要分析原始设计，并尽可能收集关于每个阵营的信息，包括：
- Visuals
- 视觉外观
- Lore
- 背景设定
- Unit stats
- 单位属性
- Combat effects
- 战斗效果
- The original designers' notes and philosophy
- 原设计师的笔记与理念
Step 2: Identify the design anchors and the art direction
第二步：确定设计锚点与美术方向
Next, we deconstruct these elements to identify the most recognizable design anchors and define the overall art direction for the faction.
接下来，我们解构这些元素，找出最具辨识度的设计锚点，并定义该阵营的整体美术方向。
Let's take Castle as an example: based on lore descriptions of the faction, our analysis of the town, and references to real-world historical architecture, we established a unified shape language and color palette for Castle.
以城堡为例：基于该阵营的背景故事描述、我们对城镇的分析，以及对现实世界历史建筑的参考，我们为城堡建立了统一的形状语言和色彩搭配。
Step 3: Analyze each creature and define its design keywords
第三步：分析每个生物并定义其设计关键词
Next, we analyze individual creatures and their core details such as personality, occupation, physical traits, and attire. From there, we define their primary design keywords and brainstorm how to best reflect their faction's unique identity through their character design.
接下来，我们分析单个生物及其核心细节，如性格、职业、身体特征和服饰。由此，我们定义其主要设计关键词，并构思如何通过角色设计最好地体现其阵营的独特身份。
Let's take the Pikeman / Halberdier as an example: in Heroes of Might and Magic III, they are European Renaissance-style melee infantrymen with a recognized social standing, giving them a proud, determined, and high-spirited disposition. We translated these traits into their silhouette design using our established shape language:
以戟兵/长戟兵为例：在英雄无敌3中，他们是欧洲文艺复兴风格的近战步兵，拥有公认的社会地位，这赋予他们骄傲、坚定、昂扬的气质。我们使用已建立的形状语言，将这些特征转化到他们的剪影设计中：
我们如何确保它在 3D 中成立？
How do we Make Sure it Works in 3D?
Simply stretching original 2D sprites into 3D models would leave them looking flat and sparse on modern screens. We need to dig into the design intent behind the original work and add a wealth of detail to fulfill what a 3D perspective demands.
简单地将原版 2D 精灵拉伸成 3D 模型，会让它们在现代屏幕上显得扁平而稀疏。我们需要深入挖掘原作背后的设计意图，并增添丰富的细节以满足 3D 视角的要求。
Our approach is to gather historical or natural references based on the lore background, build reference boards, abstract concrete objects into design elements, and refine silhouettes.
我们的方法是基于背景故事收集历史或自然参考，建立参考板，将具体物体抽象为设计元素，并精炼剪影。
At the same time, 3D models must adapt to the actual in-game camera angle:
同时，3D 模型必须适应实际的游戏内镜头角度：
- Put extra emphasis on head, shoulder and chest: Because the Remake's camera is built on a top-down view, we concentrate the most important design elements on the upper half of the character's body.
- 额外强调头部、肩部和胸部：因为重制版的镜头建立在俯视视角上，我们将最重要的设计元素集中在角色身体的上半部分。
- Work on making sure that the weapon has a clear and distinct silhouette: To ensure strong readability, we trim away overly cluttered surface details and maintain an overall sense of clarity. Weapon sizes are modestly exaggerated, while high-level detail is focused on joints, mechanical structures, and material layers.
- 确保武器拥有清晰而独特的剪影：为保证良好的可读性，我们裁去过于杂乱的表面细节，保持整体清晰感。武器尺寸适度夸张，而高层次的细节则集中在关节、机械结构和材质层次上。
- In collaboration with the animation team, we created motion reference guides for the characters.
- 我们与动画团队合作，为角色制作了动作参考指南。
We noticed that movement, attack, and spellcasting animations in the original game had wide ranges of motion, carrying a slightly exaggerated, almost "theatrical" quality. In the original, this is to help players clearly see the actions at low resolutions, this ended up becoming an essential part of the characters' core identity. As a result, we have faithfully preserved these key conceptual elements and poses.
我们注意到原版游戏中的移动、攻击和施法动画动作幅度很大，带有略微夸张、近乎「戏剧化」的质感。在原版中，这是为了帮助玩家在低分辨率下清晰看到动作，最终却成为角色核心身份的重要部分。因此，我们忠实保留了这些关键的概念元素和姿势。
我们如何创造一个连贯统一的世界？
How do we Create a Consistent, Unified World?
Another important part of our vision is to further strengthen the identity of each faction, making every civilization feel even more distinct and cohesive within the world.
我们愿景的另一重要部分是进一步加强每个阵营的身份，让每个文明在世界中感觉更加鲜明和凝聚。
Heroes of Might and Magic III was born in the 90s, when Western CRPGs favored the "Pandemonium / Bestiary" design approach—cramming every cool monster from fantasy novels, D&D handbooks, and sci-fi stories into the game. Faction color palettes and visual languages were used to reinforce each creature's sense of belonging to its faction.
英雄无敌3诞生于 90 年代，当时西方 CRPG 偏爱「万魔殿/怪物图鉴」式的设计手法——把奇幻小说、D&D 手册和科幻故事里所有酷炫的怪物都塞进游戏。阵营色彩搭配和视觉语言被用来强化每个生物对其阵营的归属感。
To long-time fans of Heroes, this eclectic mix is an important part of the game's charm and unique personality. Preserving that personality was important to us. At the same time, we felt there was room to push each faction's identity a bit further, making what makes them unique stand out more clearly. It helps newcomers quickly grasp the fantasy behind each of them while also giving the Remake its own flavor and perspective on the world of Heroes III.
对英雄系列的长期粉丝来说，这种兼收并蓄的混搭是游戏魅力和独特个性的重要部分。保留这种个性对我们很重要。同时，我们觉得仍有空间把每个阵营的身份再推进一步，让它们的独特之处更清晰地凸显出来。这有助于新玩家快速把握每个阵营背后的幻想，同时也赋予重制版自己对英雄无敌3世界的风味与视角。
We've tried to enrich faction backgrounds and enhance internal consistency from both narrative and design perspectives:
我们尝试从叙事和设计两个角度丰富阵营背景并增强内部一致性：
Enriching Faction Lore:
丰富阵营背景故事：
Based on original lore, we imagined and designed their social structure and habits, taking a more realistic approach to refine their skeletal and movement logic for greater credibility.
基于原版背景故事，我们想象并设计了它们的社会结构与习性，以更写实的方式精炼其骨骼和运动逻辑，以增强可信度。
We care about the life of an ordinary Troglodyte:
我们关心一个普通洞穴人的生活：
Enhancing Faction Consistency (Danger Zone!)
增强阵营一致性（危险区！）
In the original game, the Gorgon was a bull with colorful snake-like skin. But during our discussions, we wondered: In a swamp full of slimy, scaly, winged, and venomous amphibious creatures, why is there a bull in the mix?
在原版游戏中，（戈尔贡）野牛是一头有着彩色蛇样皮肤的公牛。但在讨论中我们不禁想问：在一个充满黏滑、有鳞、有翼、有毒的两栖生物的沼泽里，为什么会混进一头公牛？
So during design, we gave it more lizard and amphibian features to make it look like a monster native to the swamp ecosystem. Looking back, it seems like for many of you, we pushed that idea too far and lost some of the elements that made the original design so iconic, and that's why we are currently reworking it.
因此在设计中，我们赋予了它更多蜥蜴和两栖动物的特征，使其看起来像是沼泽生态系统的原生怪物。回头看，对你们中的许多人来说，我们似乎把这个想法推得太远，丢失了一些让原设计如此标志性的元素，这就是我们目前正在重做它的原因。
反馈与迭代 - Feedback and Iteration
This brings us to the final step: feedback and revisions.
这就来到了最后一步：反馈与修订。
In the past, we worked with our Insider Group and changed some creature designs based on their suggestions, such as the Efreet Sultan:
过去，我们与内部测试组合作，根据他们的建议更改了一些生物设计，例如火怪苏丹：
Now, we want to expand the feedback loop to everyone. Moving forward, we'll regularly share concept designs for various factions, hear your thoughts, and release videos demonstrating the updated in-game results.
现在，我们希望将反馈循环扩展到所有人。今后，我们将定期分享各阵营的概念设计，听取大家的想法，并发布展示更新后游戏内成果的视频。
Some updated unit designs
一些更新后的单位设计
Based on previous feedback, we've already made some tweaks to several creatures,
基于此前的反馈，我们已经对几个生物做了一些调整，
We will release a video to show the updated version of Castle very soon.
我们很快将发布一段视频，展示更新后的城堡版本。
Other heavily discussed units, including the Black Dragon, Wight/Wraith, Lich, and Zealot, etc, are actively being adjusted and will be showcased in future Factions & Art discussions.
其他讨论热烈的单位，包括黑龙、阴魂/幽灵、尸巫和祭司等，正在积极调整中，并将在未来的阵营与美术讨论中展示。