# Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

## Q: What is fheroes2?

**fheroes2** is a recreation of Heroes of Might and Magic II game engine.

This open source multi-platform project, written from scratch, is designed to reproduce the original game with significant improvements in the gameplay, graphics and
logic (including support for high-resolution graphics, improved AI, numerous fixes and UI improvements), breathing new life into one of the most addictive turn-based
strategies.

## Q: Is fheroes2 a mod?

No. fheroes2 project is **not** a mod. Mods are reverse-engineered modifications of existing games. fheroes2 project is written from scratch and does not modify any
files from the original game.

## Q: Is fheroes2 project free?

Yes, absolutely. It is a free open source project.

## Q: Where can I download fheroes2?

Please use the [Installation Guide](https://ihhub.github.io/fheroes2/INSTALL.html) to download the latest stable release for your platform.
Precompiled packages are available for several platforms.

## Q: Which platforms are supported?

fheroes2 provides release builds or installation instructions for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch.
Availability and installation steps may differ between platforms, so please check the [Installation Guide](https://ihhub.github.io/fheroes2/INSTALL.html)
for details.

## Q: How is fheroes2 different from the original Heroes of Might and Magic II?

fheroes2 recreates the Heroes of Might and Magic II game engine from scratch while preserving the spirit of the original game. It also includes many fixes,
user interface improvements, higher resolution support, improved AI behavior and other enhancements. A more detailed list of changes can be found on the
project's features and enhancements page.

## Q: Are there any rebalancing in fheroes2?

No. fheroes2 does not aim to change the balance of Heroes of Might and Magic II or redesign its factions, creatures, spells or core gameplay.
The project focuses on recreating the original game engine while fixing bugs and adding quality-of-life improvements.

## Q: Are AI opponents improved in fheroes2?

AI opponents in fheroes2 were written from scratch and are designed to make smarter and more reactive decisions than in the original game.
Unlike the original AI, the fheroes2 AI does not have artificial advantages such as seeing the whole map without vision or receiving increased
weekly creature growth. The main improvement comes from better decision-making rather than from reproducing these hidden advantages.

## Q: Can I create and share maps for fheroes2?

Yes. fheroes2 includes an improved map editor which can be used to create new maps and scenarios. The community also shares, downloads and
discusses maps on the fheroes2 [Discord server](https://discord.gg/xF85vbZ), where players can give feedback and discover new user-made content.

## Q: Where can I ask questions or suggest ideas?

General questions, feedback and feature ideas can be discussed on the project's GitHub [Discussions page](https://github.com/ihhub/fheroes2/discussions)
or on the fheroes2 [Discord server](https://discord.gg/xF85vbZ). GitHub Issues should usually be used for confirmed bugs or clearly defined tasks.

## Q: Where should I report a bug?

Please report bugs on the project's GitHub [Issues page](https://github.com/ihhub/fheroes2/issues). When opening a bug report,
include your fheroes2 version, operating system, a clear description of the problem, steps to reproduce it and, if possible, screenshots or a save file.

## Q: How can I contribute to the project?

**fheroes2** is a collaboration project of a team of people from many areas. The team includes developers, QA engineers (testers), music/audio composers, 2D artists
and most importantly - players. Here are many areas which you can contribute to the project:

* **development**. The biggest area. Basic programming skills are required (even if it's not C++ language) to solve some issues. We have a huge variety of bugs to be
fixed and features to be implemented. You can try your skills by picking issues which have **Good first issue** label on them. The project has automated CI/CD pipeline
which helps any developer to find some weak places in their code. Also every pull request goes through proper code review to keep the quality of the source code.
* **testing**. Since we have a lot of changes being committed we sometimes struggle in time to test all of them. First of all, not all bugs or missing features have
been discovered. Secondly, each pull request from a developer ideally should go through testing stage before being merged. It could look like an easy area but it's
very tedious as it requires a lot of patience.
* **design/art**. We're going to expand the game by introducing a brand new add-on. Our team is lacking of very good pixel art designers who can help us adding new
content. So a person who is willing to help with pixel art would receive a bunch of tasks to work with starting from a simple one image design. You can ask more
information in our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/xF85vbZ).
* **sound and music**. The original game is missing sounds for certain objects on the map. Also we require new sound and music content to be added in the aforementioned
add-on. You can ask more information in our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/xF85vbZ).
* **translation**. The main language in the game is English but our players come from many countries. We have support of Polish, Russian, French and German languages
which still require help to finish all translations. In the near future we're going to expand the list of supported languages to cover ever wider audience.
* **story writing** or narrative writing. The campaign in the upcoming add-on needs an extensive story as the main driver. The team has sketches about the campaign
story line but we need impressively expand it with details and side quests. You can ask more information in our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/xF85vbZ).
* **voice acting**. The campaign in the upcoming add-on will require voice actors to make a rich experience of a story-line. You can ask more information in our
[Discord server](https://discord.gg/xF85vbZ).
* **video**. The campaign in the upcoming add-on will require (most likely 3D based) video entries to explain the story-line. You can ask more information in our
[Discord server](https://discord.gg/xF85vbZ).
* **support**. Anyone can support the project either by spreading the word about it or making a donation (via [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/fheroes2)) which will
be used for the future improvements of the project.

## Q: I have save files from the original Heroes of Might and Magic II. Does fheroes2 support them?

Unfortunately, no. fheroes2 does not support saves from the original game.
