<s>
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Succession	I-Application
Wars	I-Application
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Jon	O
Van	O
Caneghem	O
through	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
and	O
published	O
in	O
1996	B-Application
by	O
the	O
3DO	O
Company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
the	O
second	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
series	O
and	O
is	O
typically	O
credited	O
as	O
the	O
breakout	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
voted	O
the	O
sixth-best	O
PC	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
by	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
in	O
May	O
1997	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
expansion	O
pack	O
,	O
The	O
Price	O
of	O
Loyalty	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1997	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
3DO	O
bundled	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
its	O
expansion	O
pack	O
in	O
one	O
box	O
,	O
released	O
as	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
Gold	O
in	O
1998	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
most	O
part	O
,	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
largely	O
a	O
graphical	O
overhaul	O
to	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
in	O
both	O
games	O
is	O
along	O
the	O
4X	B-Application
genre	O
of	O
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
in	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
builds	O
their	O
kingdom	O
from	O
the	O
ground	O
up	O
,	O
securing	O
resources	O
,	O
stronger	O
armies	O
,	O
better	O
generals	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
uses	O
those	O
assets	O
to	O
find	O
and	O
defeat	O
opponents	O
through	O
capturing	O
their	O
castles	O
and	O
defeating	O
their	O
armies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aside	O
from	O
the	O
updated	O
look	O
,	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
added	O
many	O
new	O
features	O
that	O
would	O
become	O
staples	O
in	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
added	O
the	O
Necromancer	O
and	O
Wizard	O
factions	O
,	O
joining	O
the	O
original	O
four	O
factions	O
(	O
Knight	O
,	O
Barbarian	O
,	O
Sorceress	O
,	O
and	O
Warlock	O
)	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
hero	O
still	O
retains	O
the	O
'	O
primary	O
skill	O
 '	O
system	O
from	O
Heroes	B-Application
I	I-Application
but	O
now	O
can	O
also	O
learn	O
secondary	O
skills	O
,	O
giving	O
each	O
hero	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
become	O
more	O
distinctive	O
as	O
they	O
gain	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
Wisdom	O
skill	O
allows	O
a	O
hero	O
to	O
learn	O
spells	B-Application
of	O
level	O
3	O
and	O
higher	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
Logistics	O
skill	O
increases	O
the	O
hero	O
's	O
movement	O
ability	O
over	O
land	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Heroes	B-Application
I	I-Application
,	O
heroes	O
had	O
a	O
single	O
,	O
fixed	O
special	O
ability	O
according	O
to	O
their	O
class	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magic	B-Application
system	O
was	O
overhauled	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
I	I-Application
had	O
used	O
a	O
memorization	O
system	O
in	O
which	O
each	O
spell	B-Application
could	O
be	O
cast	O
a	O
certain	O
number	O
of	O
times	O
before	O
being	O
exhausted	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
had	O
to	O
return	O
to	O
a	O
guild	O
to	O
relearn	O
the	O
spell	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
uses	O
a	O
magic	B-Application
point	I-Application
system	O
that	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
apportion	O
spell	B-Application
use	O
as	O
needed	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
varying	O
point	O
cost	O
of	O
different	O
spells	B-Application
maintains	O
balance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
major	O
feature	O
introduced	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
upgrade	O
certain	O
army	O
units	O
,	O
granting	O
them	O
improved	O
statistics	O
and	O
,	O
in	O
some	O
cases	O
,	O
important	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lastly	O
,	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
added	O
more	O
scenarios	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
a	O
proper	O
campaign	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
chooses	O
the	O
good	O
or	O
evil	O
side	O
and	O
plays	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
scenarios	O
using	O
the	O
three	O
factions	O
of	O
that	O
side	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
canonical	O
ending	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
I	I-Application
results	O
in	O
Lord	O
Morglin	O
Ironfist	O
's	O
victory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
event	O
is	O
referenced	O
later	O
in	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VI	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Mandate	I-Application
of	I-Application
Heaven	I-Application
,	O
when	O
Archibald	O
is	O
freed	O
of	O
the	O
spell	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
goes	O
on	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
significant	O
NPC	O
in	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VII	I-Application
:	I-Application
For	I-Application
Blood	I-Application
and	I-Application
Honor	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
core	O
programming	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
carried	O
over	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Heroes	O
,	O
thus	O
the	O
game	O
actually	O
took	O
less	O
time	O
to	O
develop	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
Heroes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
1996	B-Application
,	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
reported	O
that	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
"	O
doing	O
particularly	O
well	O
in	O
retail	O
,	O
with	O
every	O
3DO	O
retailer	O
reordering	O
the	O
product.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Combined	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
series	O
,	O
including	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
surpassed	O
500,000	O
copies	O
by	O
October	O
1997	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
called	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
a	O
"	O
strategy	O
game	O
that	O
amaze[d]	O
everyone	O
with	O
its	O
surprising	O
,	O
addictive	O
qualities	O
and	O
amazing	O
ease	O
of	O
use	O
"	O
and	O
found	O
that	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
"	O
much	O
better	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
Heroes	O
of	O
Might	O
and	O
Magic.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
of	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
named	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
1996	B-Application
's	O
"	O
Best	O
Turn-Based	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
clearly	O
a	O
cut	O
above	O
"	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
its	O
genre	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
1996	B-Application
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
Computer	O
Game	O
Entertainments	O
"	O
Best	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
"	O
prizes	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Pluss	O
award	O
for	O
the	O
top	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
title	O
of	O
1996	B-Application
,	O
but	O
lost	O
in	O
all	O
of	O
these	O
categories	O
to	O
Civilization	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
Computer	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
's	O
1996	B-Application
"	O
Best	O
Strategy/War	O
Game	O
"	O
Spotlight	O
Award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Command	B-Application
&	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
:	I-Application
Red	I-Application
Alert	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
simplicity	O
of	O
King	O
's	O
Bounty-style	O
tactical	O
combat	O
is	O
the	O
perfect	O
counterpoint	O
to	O
the	O
surprising	O
depth	O
of	O
the	O
strategic	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
unlike	O
Heroes	B-Application
I	I-Application
,	O
the	O
campaign	O
is	O
much	O
more	O
satisfying.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
named	O
the	O
25th-best	O
computer	O
game	O
ever	O
by	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
UK	O
in	O
1997	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998	B-Application
,	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
declared	O
it	O
the	O
seventh-best	O
computer	O
game	O
ever	O
released	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
editors	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
most	O
dangerously	O
addictive	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
PC	O
gaming	O
(	O
with	O
the	O
possible	O
exception	O
of	O
Civilization	B-Application
II	I-Application
)	O
.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2003	O
,	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
inducted	O
into	O
GameSpot	O
's	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Price	O
of	O
Loyalty	O
is	O
the	O
expansion	O
pack	O
for	O
Heroes	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
16	O
,	O
1997	B-Application
.	O
</s>
