Talk:Obelisk

...

 Q:  Do you know (or could surmise) what is the deal with the Basilisk on the Dungeon's puzzle map?  Or any of other such discrepancies.  I sort of figured out it had to do with beta lineups, and the idea for Dungeon was more "anthro creatures" in the start, that is why it had that badly obscured Gnoll (or whatever it is, it is not a minotaur) on the puzzle, too...and Inferno's puzzle has either winged demon or what used to be Manticore, as Manticore/Scorpicore fit the HOMM3's Inferno troop design approach to a T AND would have served as a nice opposition to Castle's gryphons. But that is just me.
 A: From the beginning, the Basilisk was seated with the Fortress, and it was never part of the Dungeon line-up.  Puzzle Map graphics were rendered by our concept artist George Almond, and he simply screwed up the Basilisk’s affiliation.  He had already finished the work before we caught the error.  It would have taken time to correct, and we were running short on time, so we let it slide. Whatever it is, it is not a minotaur.
 Actually, it’s supposed to be a Minotaur, but I would agree... it’s not a well-drawn Minotaur.
 Inferno's puzzle has either winged demon or what used to be Manticore.
 I can’t decipher it either and I suspect George was simply ‘off the rails’ in this instance.  Again, it would have taken time to correct, so we let it slide.  It was good enough.

Greg Fulton, the lead designer of HoMM3 (RoE and AB)

Fanstratics Newsletter #21 (May 2022)