Valve has given Game Informer a first look at Defense of the Ancients 2. This is probably the best name you can use if you're going to make a Defense of the Ancients clone (the names "Demigod", "League of Legends", and "Heroes of Newirth" are already taken).
So what will be changed in the updated Valve version of the complex and daunting Warcraft III mod? Not much, it seems.
[DOTA's] 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.Bringing this sort of fiercely competitive multiplayer game to a wider audience is a significant challenge, particularly if you're not going to take Demigod's approach of rebuilding it from the ground up to be more accessible. Valve is banking on three things: skill-based matchmaking (duh), better documentation, and a coaching system based on experienced players logging in specifically to help new players. Of course, thorough Steam integration counts for a lot. Toss a few achievements in there and many of us will gladly climb a long shallow learning curve.
Also, it's worth noting that this is yet another example of Valve outright buying the developer of a game and not just the game. To their credit, they're clearly just as interested in talent as they are in product. For Defense of the Ancients 2, they've hired Ice "Icefrog" Frog, one of the co-creators of the originalDefense of the Ancients (the other co-creator, Steve "Guinsoo" Feak, is working on League of Legends). But it seems odd to me that Mr. Frog refuses to come out from behind his goofy internet name now that he's a professional designer working for Valve. Do they call him "Icefrog" in the break room? What about during meetings? Or just "Ice"? I guess if it works for Cher, Charo, and Madonna, there's no reason game designers can't do it, too. LINK
Posts
