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About this mod
Simply replaces the portraits for the original heroes and includes options for those added by various mods.
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Out of Date - Should work with VCMI 1.2
This mod serves to simply replace the portraits of the original heroes with fresh and alternative options. Most were created using batches of AI images as overlays in GIMP, then I photo-edited the layers to suit my preferences, taking whichever elements of the image seemed to fit the best. I'm aware these portraits are not consistent with Heroes 3's original style which has more of an illustrated old fantasy book feel; though I do prefer that style, I wasn't able to replicate it.
Plans
I'm working on other VCMI content occasionally in my free time, but I'm working on a new version of this mod to include HotA's Factory faction and other updated factions. So far, I've managed to train Stable Diffusion and use Krea.ai to create a few portraits that I feel are improvements and still have the kitsch Heroes'3 fantasy style with options for versions of the characters that are older or younger, and some options that make certain characters more or less expressive. Why only VCMI?
Currently, I haven't produced PCX versions of these portraits for compatibility with other mods. However, creating them through batch image manipulation could be relatively straightforward if there is enough interest—though, being a game from 1999, the community's activity is limited. For my personal use with VCMI, I found the PNG format advantageous since it's natively supported by Windows Explorer. I think VCMI overall has the most potential for the future of this old game with its modularity and separate engine. Eventually, with VCMI it could be possible to have a fully open-source Heroes gaming experience.
Attention Reddit contrarians and similar critics
I've had the social media people give these portraits the ol' "AI BAD" without any constructive criticism despite me spending upwards of 30 minutes on each one in GIMP, not to mention how long it took to find a collection of images and AI-generated portraits for each one that fit. If you have a raging nostalgia boner for how the original characters looked, good for you. You can rub your nipples and comment about how much better the original characters were or whine about how I've "massacred" your favorite characters by creating an optional set of images. I made this entire pack mainly for myself. For me working on this was a small passion project and it took a great deal of time. I like it, and if you don't have anything constructive to offer then I don't care what you think. You don't have to download the mod. Please leave and have a great day!