Change is coming...

The changes you describe seem very interesting indeed! Balancing the game will be much easier with reducing the players' possible abilities combinations but always leaving them the possibility to try different companies.

Focusing on the heroes will certainly change the game deeply, allowing also much faster releases (adding single heroes is easier than troops). Eliminating the experience grinding will shift the "end-game" focus only on trying different companies combinations and on unlocking all the heroes and that may be good (personally I like the idea) only with a constant release of new contents (heroes, factions, etc.).

I look forward to see the new game!

About the names for the heroes, you can stick with the Conf ones at the beginning, there are more than a dozen per each main faction so it should not be a problem in the short run.

the first new faction to be released will be the Dwarves of Mid-Nor.

PS: Since the game is going to change almost completely, are you thinking to give some free cyans/heroes to long time players or we'll have all to simply restart from lvl0?
Not a problem for me (I'm lvl20 renown and have almost the maximum number of all units and the 3 legendary ones at lvl4 but I don't see any problem in a total reset), but I can foresee other players whine over it...

[Dr.Ido]

Are you guys moving to a 40k Style list building or the more Warmachine style?

After a quick talk with the designers, I think we're closer to Warmachine style, but with our own specific ideas

So "Mage of Alahan" could become:

"Mage of light spark"
"mage of light explosion"
"Mage of light buffs"

Exactly

are you thinking to give some free cyans/heroes to long time players or we'll have all to simply restart from lvl0?

We will refund everything that you spent up to the change, either Ducats or Cyans, if you're a long time player you'll definitely won't be starting from 0.

We will refund everything that you spent up to the change, either Ducats or Cyans, if you're a long time player you'll definitely won't be starting from 0.

I'll be so rich ;D

We don't want to ruin the balance of the game by over-releasing Heroes. 12 Heroes per year, if you consider that the number of faction will only increase with time, that's not so much.

So 1 per month totall not per faction?
This indeed looks different - so i hope for more than one starting hero... especially when i feel that alachan mage become hero only

So "Mage of Alahan" could become:

"Mage of light spark"
"mage of light explosion"
"Mage of light buffs"

Exactly

So not naming (with option to rename) them at all would be OK enough

Simply give us classis heroes or DoW unnamed heroes called Mage of Light + rename option

Is the VIP the Hero?

I couldn't quite tell from the OP is this was the case. If this is the case, I am kind of the fence, it means protecting the hero is really important, so melee Heroes will be harder to use. I guess it just comes down to balance. If that melee hero is as hard to kill as a Golem, then it will take a bit.

Imagine current game Mage and Knight as a hero units at lev 3-5 ... mage is far easier to kill even if he is ranged unit

Imagine current game Mage and Knight as a hero units at lev 3-5 ... mage is far easier to kill even if he is ranged unit

Even with a Level 5 Knight, I wouldn't want to just send him into the fray if I lost the game when he died. The only reason Knights usually live as long as they do, is because they are ignored because enemies know they are just a barrier or stall and not the objective. But if killing a Knight won the game and he was focused on, he'd go down pretty quick. Make the Knight more like the Golem when it comes to killing him and that's a different story.

[Bousk]

Is the VIP the Hero?

He is
Actual weak VIP will disappear.

The more I find out about this, the more I am liking it. I think this is going to be really fun. Can't wait.

We'll see.

I totally agree with the analysis you conducted about the game and i'm very curious to see the development in june. The only thing that makes me a bit sad is the lack of talent trees but i assume there will be still plenty of customization. I also wonder about the 250 AP limit...how many units do you expect each player to use per match?

EDIT: also please please...try to involve as much as possible the community...send some spoilers or ask relevant questions for your development needs. For example i would be happy to see a post done by Jigoku asking: what hero types would you like to see? or things like that