Valve Announces DOTA 2

Hectic Glenn

Hectic Glenn

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[br]The reveal for "IceFrog's" New Project is here, Defense of the Ancients has a sequel in DOTA 2. Coming to the PC & Mac in 2011, Dota 2 promises to take the unique blend of online RTS and RPG action that has made DotA popular with tens of millions of gamers and expand upon it in every way. You can check out the full article for the reveal of DotA 2 on the Game Informer website.
Valve's approach to Dota 2 is unusual in that the gameplay itself is remaining almost entirely untouched. "IceFrog is one of the smartest designers we've ever met. He's made so many good decisions over the years in building the product. This approach means that Dota 2 basically is DotA-Allstars with new technology.
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If you are not familiar with DotA, Game Informer summarises it well:
Dota 2 takes its name from the Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients, a drastic change to that stock real-time strategy title, which pits two teams of five players against each other in highly competitive, 40-minute or longer matches. Unlike most RTSes, DotA has each player controlling a single hero who levels up and stockpiles gold to purchase powerful equipment and consumables. As computer-controlled armies continually spawn and rush the enemy's base, players are responsible for using their powerful heroes to turn the tide of the battle in their favor.
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See some of the heroes from the game in the images below, thanks to Game Informer.[br]

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Haha, too bad the setting is the same as always. I, too, was hoping for sci fi or something.
 
DotA really isn't my thing at all. Played a lot with a friend because he made me, and I just don't like it.

Not disappointed though because I really wasn't following this/no idea what's going on.

@tav, maybe they'll make it highly moddable?
 
Massive disappointment. Not only has a "Dota with updated graphics" already been released (Heroes of Newerth) but also a game that has improved on all the mechanics of the first (League of Legends). I think valve might be in for a shock when it finds out people won't want to give up their progress in LoL and switch to something with less features. This is especially true since LoL is going to be much more than a year ahead when Dota 2 comes out.

http://www.google.com/trends?q=heroes+of+newerth,+league+of+legends
 
A fantasy RTS with RPG elements is completely unappealing to me, even if I trust Valve's to develop a quality game in the end. I really can't see myself playing this, but I have no problem waiting for the games that I do want.
 
taviow said:
Haha, too bad the setting is the same as always. I, too, was hoping for sci fi or something.
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Yeah me too. Perhaps Valve wanted to dip their foot into fantasy though. HL is sci-fi, Portal is sci-fi, CS is modern, L4D is modern with zombies and TFC is sort of sci-fi and TF2 is fifties sci-fi. They could be sick of it. DotA/AoS type game modes are fun though so I'll probably buy it anyway :p

Game Informer isn't loading for me (I guess overloaded) but is there any mention of particulars? I assume it's going to be on the Source engine.

Edit: Yeah it's on Source. I don't think this though:
DotA-Allstars' roster of 100+ heroes is being brought over in its entirety. The single map games take place on is functionally identical to the one that you can download for free today in the Warcraft III mod. Items, skills, and upgrade paths are unchanged. Some hero skills work slightly better due to being freed from the now-ancient Warcraft III engine, but Dota 2 will be instantly familiar to any DotA player.
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Oh come on, nothing different? I know DotA is massive but is there no room for expansion or improvement?
 
What the **** is up with Lina Inverse's appearance???

*rages*
 
Oh lol there's already two threads about hats in the Dota 2 section on the Steam Powered User Forums.
 
This game (and the derivatives Hazar mentions above) appears to have grown in some completely obscure corner of gaming I've never looked into. Still not convinced I want to look at all.
 
Hectic Glenn said:
Valve's approach to Dota 2 is unusual in that the gameplay itself is remaining almost entirely untouched. "IceFrog is one of the smartest designers we've ever met. He's made so many good decisions over the years in building the product. This approach means that Dota 2 basically is DotA-Allstars with new technology
Click to expand...

Should it be called DOTA2; Given the lack of major difference and the fact the previous one was a mod, not a full fledged game?
 
DEATH eVADER said:
Should it be called DOTA2; Given the lack of major difference and the fact the previous one was a mod, not a full fledged game?
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Team Fortress was a mod. But you have a point, it seems to be a remake more than a sequel. After all, they didn't call TF2, TF3 even though they had previously made TFC. They considered TFC just a remake and not a real sequel. And they gave an interview ages ago how they had thrown around ideas for CS2 before it got put down in favour of other projects. They would have called it CS2, not CS3 as they don't consider CSS to be CS2. It would have made sense to call this DotA: Source or DotA: Attack of the Subtitle but maybe they figured DotA 2 had more of a ring to it and make them seem better next to LoL and HoN.
 
kupocake said:
This game (and the derivatives Hazar mentions above) appears to have grown in some completely obscure corner of gaming I've never looked into. Still not convinced I want to look at all.
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Same here. I might have been interested if it had been a spin on the genre (I was kinda hoping for it to be in the TF2 universe), but since it isn't my hype-o-meter is barely registering.
 
So to be honest I've never know nwhat DOTA was. Was it just a mod for Warcraft 3?
 
You guys must live in a cave or something. You can sign up for LoL here which is a better version of DotA for free.
 
So no one noticed the part where they said the source engine now supports realistic cloth physics and that they were cleaning up the lighting engine?
 
comradesean said:
So no one noticed the part where they said the source engine now supports realistic cloth physics and that they were cleaning up the lighting engine?
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I guess no one read the article yet, since the Game Informer site seemed to have died a horrible death. Someone hosted the text of the article here and it makes for interesting reading. Long quote, but this got me excited the most:

Valve believes that the solution to the huge barrier to entry is threefold. The first, obvious solution is to have excellent skill-based matchmaking for both individuals and teams. Valve believes that the work going into Steamworks for Dota 2's release meets that requirement. Second, interactive guides will allow players to do more than just read a guide for their favorite hero that has been deemed helpful by the community at large. Valve plans to allow guide-makers to tie their work back into the game by doing things like highlighting suggested item purchases or displaying useful information during a match.

Finally, a coaching system is being deeply integrated into the game. By logging in as a coach, veteran players can do their part to help out newer folks. Valve hasn't entirely decided on the specifics of how newbies and coaches will be matched up, but once they're together a few things happen. The coach sees the pupil's screen, and gets private voice and chat channels to communicate with them. The coach probably won't be able to take control of anything directly (once again, the details are currently under discussion), but information is power in Dota 2 and having a mentor whispering in your ear can make all the difference in the world.

Of course, the pupil will be able to rate the coach's helpfulness. Being a well-regarded coach will have explicit in-game rewards, just like writing useful guides, posting constructive feedback, or engaging in interesting strategy discussions. If the overwhelming response to Battle.net achievements is any indication, vanity rewards like these will be extremely effective in channeling the community's energies toward positive contributions.
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Hazar said:
Massive disappointment. Not only has a "Dota with updated graphics" already been released (Heroes of Newerth) but also a game that has improved on all the mechanics of the first (League of Legends). I think valve might be in for a shock when it finds out people won't want to give up their progress in LoL and switch to something with less features. This is especially true since LoL is going to be much more than a year ahead when Dota 2 comes out.

http://www.google.com/trends?q=heroes+of+newerth,+league+of+legends
Click to expand...
Hazar said:
You can sign up for LoL here which is a better version of DotA for free.
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No, just no. This is wrong. People will definitely switch over to this. LoL is a casual version of DotA and to say it's a better version is extremely debatable. The competitive teams in DotA/Heroes of Newerth will move over to DotA 2 because there are quite a few things wrong with Heroes of Newerth and with Valve being a bigger company and with them having IceFrog people will definitely trust them more to make a product with more quality than HoN. Also HoN made a lot of changes from DotA so it's not a true "DotA with better graphics" which so many people want and which Valve will give them. I'm sure this will be bigger and better than HoN or LoL, probably bigger than both of them put together. I play HoN and I'll definitely make the switch as soon as it's released.
 
Keep in mind that it might be in other developer's interests to start a spin campaign against Valve... specifically the developers of LoL and HoN. The assertions are nebulous and don't stand on a lot of credible evidence. But, still, interesting.
 
Lucid said:
Uh, what exactly did I just read...? And how does this affect the game?
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If it is true -and that is a very huge and unlikely if- it could interfere with the development of the game.
 
Some of that info has already been posted months ago (back in July) on the Heroes of Newerth forum. It's nothing new.
 
Does Valve not understand what the word 'surprise' means? It means an unexpected occurrence.
 
Did you know? The Oxford English Dictionary does not contain the word Gullible. Fact. I read it on a website.
 
Sweet. I loved the map in war3 but it will be even better as its own game.
 
Yeah, this is kind of weird.
Wasn't DotA relevant to videogaming like, five years ago? It never seemed particularly great to me, not convinced it needs a graphical overhaul.

  • Valve hire DotA creator
  • He is working on some sort of supersecret project
  • Valve trademarks "DotA"
  • Wild speculation
  • Valve announces DotA2
  • [ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ]
 
kineaesth said:
Yeah, this is kind of weird.
Wasn't DotA relevant to videogaming like, five years ago? It never seemed particularly great to me, not convinced it needs a graphical overhaul.
Click to expand...

Just because you don't play it doesn't mean it isn't relevant.

Do you consider CS 1.6 relevant? Because it is.
 
kineaesth said:
Yeah, this is kind of weird.
Wasn't DotA relevant to videogaming like, five years ago? It never seemed particularly great to me, not convinced it needs a graphical overhaul.

  • Valve hire DotA creator
  • He is working on some sort of supersecret project
  • Valve trademarks "DotA"
  • Wild speculation
  • Valve announces DotA2
  • Valve releases DotA2
  • Valve spends seven years on Episode 3 and it is regarded as the new DN:F
Click to expand...

Fixed that for you.
 
bencanfield said:
Just because you don't play it doesn't mean it isn't relevant.
Click to expand...
Clearly! But actually wait hold on CS 1.6 is relevant to CS 1.6 players and to the general pantheon of "online shooters that used to be a lot of fun but now hurt my eyes", just as DotA seems to be relevant to "kids who were fifteen five years ago and all the asian kids at the internet cafes I went to in high school with my friends because they were the only places you could get high-speed internet"

(I apologise for my overuse of narrative)
comradesean said:
Fixed that for you.
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hey cheers man I knew I'd left that last point out of my post but darn it if I couldn't remember what it was wow
 
So basically, HoN was enough of a failure for IceFrog to jump ship and latch onto Valve?

I'm sorry, but I'm still bitter over HoN. Yes, let's copy Dota and force you to pay to even try it. Meanwhile, there are two completely free games, ONE OF THEM BEING THE ORIGINAL DOTA, that are continually updated, and half as elitist to play.
 
Viperidae said:
So basically, HoN was enough of a failure for IceFrog to jump ship and latch onto Valve?

I'm sorry, but I'm still bitter over HoN. Yes, let's copy Dota and force you to pay to even try it. Meanwhile, there are two completely free games, ONE OF THEM BEING THE ORIGINAL DOTA, that are continually updated, and half as elitist to play.
Click to expand...

First of all DotA isn't free. You have to buy Warcraft 3 + The Frozen Throne and it's graphics are horrendeous compared to HoN not to mention the WC3 engine is a lot more limited than S2's K2 engine. Secondly, you don't expect games to cost money? I mean, it only costs $30 (half of some other PC games) which is nothing compared to the entertainment you get out of it (There have seriously been several threads of people wanting to donate/have S2 raise the price of HoN cause they feel it is too cheap lol). And you pay $30 and get access to everything in the game whereas in LoL if you want to buy everything it'll cost you way more than $30. Some champions cost $7.5 each which means you get 4 of those for the price of HoN whereas in HoN you pay $30 and get access to 60+ heroes. Also there are free weekends (even a free week) for HoN from time to time so you can try it out free of charge if you'd like. And if IceFrog was indeed involved with S2 in developing HoN the rumours say it was only in the early stages like ~2 years before the release.
 
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