I also re-downloaded HoMM III: Complete for my new computer as it is one of my favorite games, although I still have never beaten it.

My question is for storyline, what is the best way to play these games? And do you recommend I play Might & Magic I-V? My first MM is VI.

But if I only stayed with 6-8 and played HoMM III: Complete, what would be the best order to play all of them for story, or to do so chronologically?

The MM6-8 games are so unrelated as to be irrelevant to each other. They're story is basically in 6 -> 7 -> 8 order, for what it is worth.

HoMM3 fits a little oddly with the MM games. I'd say interweave them based on how you get tired of the game play of one or the other, more than for story.

Well, that's the thing, I do kind of want to try playing the games in story order. If there is no story linked for 6, 7 & 8, I know there is one linked between HoMM III and at least with 6. But what is the best way to play them? Mainly, what order should I play the expansions in HoMM III: Complete related to MM6?

And MM7 is not related to either 6 or HoMM III: Complete at all?

Be advised that I'm pulling this timeline from a combination of memory and piecing together certain events from the games. I may have some things wrong at the moment.

HoMM3 jumps around some in time. Iirc, the events of Shadow of Death are set before Restoration of Erathia (the base game). Armageddon's Blade definitely occurs after RoE. Be aware that both expansions are more difficult than the base game, especially SoD. I suggest you play them in RoE -> AB -> SoD order, and think of SoD as a flashback or something.

MM6 is primarily concerned with the rising demon (aka Kreegan) threat in the country of Enroth and stopping it. This game occurs after HoMM2, and I think shortly before HoMM3 (or maybe somewhat overlapping?).

MM7 is concerned with the adventurers that take control of the tiny land of Harmondale, and how they go about navigating the politics between Erathia and Avlee, then the politics between Bracada and Deyja. It occurs after HoMM3 RoE and before AB.

MM8 is concerned with preventing the cataclysm that has erupted on the continent of Jadame. It occurs after MM7 and Armageddon's Blade.

You will see a few characters, namely Roland, Archibald, and Katherine in most of these games in some fashion or another.

Best order to enjoy the story is release order

• MM1-5: not necessary. There is a very tiny reference to MM3 ending in the game of MM7
• HoMM1: not necessary. Very little stroy. Gameplay didn't age well.
• HoMM2: More story. Gameplay aged quite well. But not strictly necessary.
• HoMM2 Price of Loyalty. Story not related, just 4 small campaigns.
• MM6
• HoMM3 Restoration of Erathia
• MM7
• HoMM3 Armageddon's Blade (This in particular should be played after MM7; it has quite a few references that I didn't get when I played it first). Not all other mini campaigns in AB expansion are importnant, though some, like the story of Gelu, do play important role later.
• MM8: story not particularly related.
• HoMM 3: Shadow of Death.
• Chronicles
• HoMM4
• MM9: story not particularly related

HoMM5 onwards: reboot.

If you want to play just the MM6 engine games and HoMM 3 I suggest you go: MM6, Restoration of Erathia, MM7, Armageddon's Blade, MM8, Shadow of Death. It gets referenced A LOT in Armageddon's Blade.

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I think this is exactly what I will do. Thank you!

It did? Maybe I didn't pay as much attention as I thought, then. Or else it has just been a number of years and I simply have forgotten.

(When I say A LOT I mean the event messages that pop up at the start of each level and then at predetermined days during the level itself).

In the AB campaign, Roland and Catherine discuss a lot about how the devils came, Night of Shooting Stars, about how he was imprisoned, rescued, about Nicolai... etc. all events that have taken place in MM6 and MM7.

For someone like me, who played only played Restoration of Erathia (and HoMM1 and 2) before, and never touched MM6 or 7, it was like "What the heck is this guy talking about?" all the time. All I knew is that Roland was the good guy who triumphed over Archibald in HoMM2, and Catherine was his wife who came back to restore the throne of her father, and that's pretty much all.

Actually, these games are worth playing on their own, and they are somewhat connected to each other. MM2 allows transferring characters who've completed MM1, and MM4 and MM5 are connected into one massive game.

If you play World of Xeen, I recommend completing Clouds before going to the Darkside or else combat in Clouds will become too easy. (In other words, until you've defeated Lord Xeen and seen the MM4 ending, don't use any of the pyramids, as they take you to the Darkside.)

Swords of Xeen can be skipped, however; it does do some interesting things, but there are bugs in event scripts (including a couple of the fountains), and the difficulty is not balanced at all. (Word of advice: if you do play SoX, do so on Adventurer mode; while I prefer Warrior (the harder setting) for WoX, I do not recommend it for SoX because of difficulty balance issues.)

In other words, MM1 through MM5 are worth playing, even if they're not connected to the later games in the series. (If the first two games are too archaic, you can still start with MM3 or World of Xeen if you prefer.)

Yes of course. They are a separate story arc. I was referring to their connection to MM6-8/HoMM story arc.

Ah. Then I've forgotten over time.

Mostly I remember that particular campaign being very long, me getting ridiculous levels and stats (like, Chronicles level of stats), and how I slipped right past the Devil hero I'd been raising and taking his castle without ever actually fighting him. He left the castle briefly for some reason (kill another hero of mine? flag a mine?) and I was all "Yoink! Got your castle, killed your king, won the campaign!").

You collected all the permanent bonuses before ending each level, right? Even if you had the win you waited with finishing the level till you get everything?

I did that and remember the last levels being fairly easy (though far from Chronicles pushovers). On the other hand, I read that many people found the later levels very hard, probably because they didn't get the bonuses in previous levels.

Oh yeah, I totally farmed each map for those sweet, sweet stat bonuses. Like, its free power to take into later unknowns, so why wouldn't I?

Iirc, most stats were in the 30s for the carry-over heroes by the end. That said, toward the end I may have gotten fatigued and just started pushing for the final victory after having done a dozen or more maps. There's only so much Armageddon bombing you can do with a couple Efreet/Fire Elementals/Magic Elementals/etc before even that starts to get old.

Yes.

2 onward has automap feature. 3 is my favourite of the first generation.

As dtgreene said, do not start 5 until you completed 4 (they both share the same world and you can go back and forth between them). The problem is that 5 can give you tons of XP at the beginning for simple fedex quests, and if you do it, then 4 becomes way way too easy.

If you're going the whole way, maybe you could consider HoMM2 too. It's an excellent game, and though it uses an older engine than 3 it has aged pretty well (and you yourself mentioned you don't mind older games). Its story also introduces you to the characters you'll later meet in MM6-HoMM3.

HoMM1 I generally don't recommend. I finished it because I'm a completionist, but it can get frustratingly hard (not fun hard), and it hasn't aged well. It's missing some Quality of Life improvements. Storywise it brings very little; you just play as ancestor (father?) of Roland in a generic practically-storyless campaign. But hey, if you want to give it a try too...