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Speculation: Dota 2 Free 2 Play?
Mar 27 2012 04:15 PM | HevyD in Dota2 News
The internet is about to pop with information leaking out about a new wave (possibly?) of beta invites coming out. What's interesting about these beta invites? They're activating a Steam App called "Dota 2 Retail."
[readmore]
Prior invites have given away "Dota 2" or "Dota 2 beta" which makes this "retail" activation significant. There's no solid data to confirm that Dota 2 is going free 2 play, and in fact everyone should remain calm. This is not a confirmation that Dota 2 is going to be F2P, but it's pretty solid evidence to support it.
It's important information to know not just as consumers but as supporters of the game as well. Nothing will thrust Dota 2 into the waiting arms of the new found MOBA fan like a free to play that gives you access to all of the heroes from the get go. Not to mention a slew of other features that make it better than League of Legends.
Make no mistake, League of Legends will be Dota 2's main competition. If it wants to solidify itself as the best MOBA in the genre, I think free to play is a must. Thoughts?
Read story → 1 comments
The internet is about to pop with information leaking out about a new wave (possibly?) of beta invites coming out. What's interesting about these beta invites? They're activating a Steam App called "Dota 2 Retail."
[readmore]
Prior invites have given away "Dota 2" or "Dota 2 beta" which makes this "retail" activation significant. There's no solid data to confirm that Dota 2 is going free 2 play, and in fact everyone should remain calm. This is not a confirmation that Dota 2 is going to be F2P, but it's pretty solid evidence to support it.
It's important information to know not just as consumers but as supporters of the game as well. Nothing will thrust Dota 2 into the waiting arms of the new found MOBA fan like a free to play that gives you access to all of the heroes from the get go. Not to mention a slew of other features that make it better than League of Legends.
Make no mistake, League of Legends will be Dota 2's main competition. If it wants to solidify itself as the best MOBA in the genre, I think free to play is a must. Thoughts?
Read story → 1 comments
Valve dev speaks out on matchmaking
Mar 22 2012 06:00 PM | HevyD in Dota2 News
Valve occasionally doles out information. Usually, it's like pulling teeth. Today, the information gods are smiling on us for sure. The Dota2 dev forums are always full of small nuggets of information. Valve dev Eric Tamis had some key points to make on the Dota2 matchmaking system currently in place.
[readmore]
Wow, now that's an information dump. Granted, the punctuation and grammar isn't spot on, but you get the jist. This post actually gives us a pretty good insight as to what Valve's philosophy is on matchmaking, as well as a better idea on how it works.
I personally think some of these key points should be listed in the Play tab while you're in queue. Still, all this info reveals that even though matchmaking is far from perfect, it's a work in progress and it looks like Valve is heading in the right direction.
Of course, I feel like we already knew that...
You can read the full post here, where Eric actually asks the OP for his username so they can go over his matches together. Talk about involved.
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Valve occasionally doles out information. Usually, it's like pulling teeth. Today, the information gods are smiling on us for sure. The Dota2 dev forums are always full of small nuggets of information. Valve dev Eric Tamis had some key points to make on the Dota2 matchmaking system currently in place.
[readmore]
Quote
- High skill games are definitely an area that will benefit as we get more players. It's also an area has had issues with match times in the past so I'm sensitive to how long this group needs to wait.
- There can be no guarantee of how a game will play out even with perfect matchmaking. Hopefully someone can help me out with the details of that recent tourney where the winner of the winners bracket was in the finals and got destroyed in one game then destroyed the other team in the next. I think it's actually a good thing that the outcome of a match isn't set from the beginning but depends on the decisions that individuals are making during the course of play.
- Building on the previous point, even with good matchmaking there are plenty of things that can go wrong:
* Being conterpicked or having a bad team comp (overdependence on farm, no heroes that can stop a push, lack of DPS, bad teamfight, etc.)
* Allowing teammates to lose a lane early
* Luck
* Natural variations in individual performance
* People trying a new hero or strategy
- We don't enforce a 50-50 win rate (Maybe we should?) instead we always try to make the best match possible. I'm always happy when I see someone with a win rate close to 50% though since it means that we haven't been skewing one way or the other in giving matches that were too hard or too easy. I totally agree with your desire to have fewer stomps though.
- We don't try to match high skill players with low skill players instead we try to get 10 people that fit together the best. Parties can sometimes create a very big gap in skill on a team though and are generally the reason for anything that seems really wacky. Remember too that people people will always have good games and bad games so that person that seems terrible might just be having an off day instead.
- The outcome of a games is determined more by the best person on a team rather than the worst player. My assumption was originally the same as yours but I had to change my mind once I saw the stats showing otherwise.
- There can be no guarantee of how a game will play out even with perfect matchmaking. Hopefully someone can help me out with the details of that recent tourney where the winner of the winners bracket was in the finals and got destroyed in one game then destroyed the other team in the next. I think it's actually a good thing that the outcome of a match isn't set from the beginning but depends on the decisions that individuals are making during the course of play.
- Building on the previous point, even with good matchmaking there are plenty of things that can go wrong:
* Being conterpicked or having a bad team comp (overdependence on farm, no heroes that can stop a push, lack of DPS, bad teamfight, etc.)
* Allowing teammates to lose a lane early
* Luck
* Natural variations in individual performance
* People trying a new hero or strategy
- We don't enforce a 50-50 win rate (Maybe we should?) instead we always try to make the best match possible. I'm always happy when I see someone with a win rate close to 50% though since it means that we haven't been skewing one way or the other in giving matches that were too hard or too easy. I totally agree with your desire to have fewer stomps though.
- We don't try to match high skill players with low skill players instead we try to get 10 people that fit together the best. Parties can sometimes create a very big gap in skill on a team though and are generally the reason for anything that seems really wacky. Remember too that people people will always have good games and bad games so that person that seems terrible might just be having an off day instead.
- The outcome of a games is determined more by the best person on a team rather than the worst player. My assumption was originally the same as yours but I had to change my mind once I saw the stats showing otherwise.
Wow, now that's an information dump. Granted, the punctuation and grammar isn't spot on, but you get the jist. This post actually gives us a pretty good insight as to what Valve's philosophy is on matchmaking, as well as a better idea on how it works.
I personally think some of these key points should be listed in the Play tab while you're in queue. Still, all this info reveals that even though matchmaking is far from perfect, it's a work in progress and it looks like Valve is heading in the right direction.
Of course, I feel like we already knew that...
You can read the full post here, where Eric actually asks the OP for his username so they can go over his matches together. Talk about involved.
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Shadow Deamon Beckons for You!
Mar 16 2012 07:55 AM | Vesca Violette in Dota2 News
First I must make an apology to our readers for not posting any news recently. I have been stuck in bed for the past few days thanks to a rekindled ankle injury. While on the other spectrum, DeamonMachine's computer blew up :< We shall be making updates as best as we can. Until then...!
A day late and a dollar short, but Dota 2 updated yesterday with the release of Shadow Demon (Someone I'm looking forward to playing once I'm better). Along with that is the usual fixes and UI changes.
You can check out all of the updates HERE
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First I must make an apology to our readers for not posting any news recently. I have been stuck in bed for the past few days thanks to a rekindled ankle injury. While on the other spectrum, DeamonMachine's computer blew up :< We shall be making updates as best as we can. Until then...!
A day late and a dollar short, but Dota 2 updated yesterday with the release of Shadow Demon (Someone I'm looking forward to playing once I'm better). Along with that is the usual fixes and UI changes.
You can check out all of the updates HERE
Read story → 0 comments
Dota2 test client now live!
Feb 24 2012 11:30 PM | HevyD in Dota2 News
Dota 2 test client went live today, after they missed yesterday's patch. Don't fault them! However, am I the only one who feels like a test client for the beta client seems... unnecessary?
Ah well, I digress. The test client should be available to all who have a beta key. I imagine they INTEND to keep rolling out weekly patches now that there's a test client, but if Valve has taught us anything, it's that hope is for losers.
Some of the changes seem minor, like Tiny's tree being equipped properly, or the rival death taunts (my personal favorite feature) but along side a plethora of bug fixes are improved bot logic, and co-op matchmaking against bots. I don't want to poop on any other MOBAs, but one of them took 2 years to come out with a co-op vs. AI mode, Valve's got it implemented in beta. Take heart, guys.
You can read the full patch notes here and read the Dota2 blog entry here.
Oh yeah, and also Bane.
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Dota 2 test client went live today, after they missed yesterday's patch. Don't fault them! However, am I the only one who feels like a test client for the beta client seems... unnecessary?
Ah well, I digress. The test client should be available to all who have a beta key. I imagine they INTEND to keep rolling out weekly patches now that there's a test client, but if Valve has taught us anything, it's that hope is for losers.
Some of the changes seem minor, like Tiny's tree being equipped properly, or the rival death taunts (my personal favorite feature) but along side a plethora of bug fixes are improved bot logic, and co-op matchmaking against bots. I don't want to poop on any other MOBAs, but one of them took 2 years to come out with a co-op vs. AI mode, Valve's got it implemented in beta. Take heart, guys.
You can read the full patch notes here and read the Dota2 blog entry here.
Oh yeah, and also Bane.
Read story → 0 comments
Dota2 will have Steam Workshop and an inventory.
Feb 24 2012 02:10 AM | HevyD in Dota2 News
Really, unless you've been living under a rock, you've known that Dota2 is going to have an inventory. However, until you actually see anything, nobody really cares. Today, it's time for you to see something.
Cyborgmatt, Dota2 guru, has posted on his blog that he was able to finally import the store files that were added to the latest update into Dota2. What he was able to find out next is fairly exciting. As the image above shows, Dota2 will incorporate with Steam Workshop. This is exciting news if you like tons of free content for your characters and extremely bad news if you don't.
Another interesting thing is one of the pictures shows several slots for both weapons, abilities, taunts, etc... I won't post the picture here, go check out Matt's blog, it's awesome. I'll leave it open for speculation, but the thought of Windrunner doing a crotch thrust towards a fleeing Slardar (after the powershot of course) makes me all tingly inside.
I assume Valve will add an option to ignore Steam Workshop items and play the game uninhibited by fun items, if not that at least a console command. I however, look forward to the dildo hat I can put on Sand King that I'll invariably get for purchasing some Saint's Row: The Third DLC.
You can find Cyborgmatt's blog here.
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Really, unless you've been living under a rock, you've known that Dota2 is going to have an inventory. However, until you actually see anything, nobody really cares. Today, it's time for you to see something.
Cyborgmatt, Dota2 guru, has posted on his blog that he was able to finally import the store files that were added to the latest update into Dota2. What he was able to find out next is fairly exciting. As the image above shows, Dota2 will incorporate with Steam Workshop. This is exciting news if you like tons of free content for your characters and extremely bad news if you don't.
Another interesting thing is one of the pictures shows several slots for both weapons, abilities, taunts, etc... I won't post the picture here, go check out Matt's blog, it's awesome. I'll leave it open for speculation, but the thought of Windrunner doing a crotch thrust towards a fleeing Slardar (after the powershot of course) makes me all tingly inside.
I assume Valve will add an option to ignore Steam Workshop items and play the game uninhibited by fun items, if not that at least a console command. I however, look forward to the dildo hat I can put on Sand King that I'll invariably get for purchasing some Saint's Row: The Third DLC.
You can find Cyborgmatt's blog here.
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DOTA 2 Patch Released!
Feb 17 2012 04:30 AM | patrickmurder in Dota2 News
Just posted on the DOTA 2 blog are the notes for the patch just released this evening. The update adds a new hero, Outworld Destroyer, and over a dozen new features, including a new game mode, Single Draft, a new interface for finding lobbies, and the ability to jump to any position in a replay.
DOTA 2 beta invitees should be able to receive the update by restarting their game.
You can find the entire patch notes, as well as a link to the complete DOTA 2 changelog at the link below.
DOTA 2 Blog
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DOTA 2 beta invitees should be able to receive the update by restarting their game.
You can find the entire patch notes, as well as a link to the complete DOTA 2 changelog at the link below.
DOTA 2 Blog
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LAN support confirmed for DOTA 2!
Feb 15 2012 11:55 PM | patrickmurder in Dota2 News
In a recent interview by JoinDota.com's Ben "TobiWanKenobi" Dawson, Erik Johnson, Valve's Market Director of Operations confirmed that DOTA 2 will indeed have LAN support.
To quote Johnson directly:
This is great news for the DOTA 2 community as it not only guarantees the quality of LAN tournaments (and perhaps the quantity as well), but also puts DOTA 2 in the forefront of the MOBA (or Action-RTS if you prefer) scene, making it the first game of its type to natively support such a feature.
Johnson goes on to talk about Valve's commitment to the global DOTA 2 community, this years "The International" tournament, and even potential support for modding and custom games.
The whole interview can be found here.
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To quote Johnson directly:
Quote
Dota 2 will have LAN mode. There are some systems that LAN mode requires that we haven't finished yet, mainly because we've been focused on matchmaking. We know how important this feature is for the community.
This is great news for the DOTA 2 community as it not only guarantees the quality of LAN tournaments (and perhaps the quantity as well), but also puts DOTA 2 in the forefront of the MOBA (or Action-RTS if you prefer) scene, making it the first game of its type to natively support such a feature.
Johnson goes on to talk about Valve's commitment to the global DOTA 2 community, this years "The International" tournament, and even potential support for modding and custom games.
The whole interview can be found here.
Read story → 1 comments
New Concept art! Lycan, Lone Druid, and Sh...
Feb 15 2012 08:24 AM | HevyD in Dota2 News
Valve feels really bad about taking down Dota 2 for Valentine's Day. So sad in fact, that they've decided to reveal some concept art for 3 "upcoming heroes." Take a look.
Lone Druid
Lycan
Shadow Demon
Usually released concept art is just a rough design of what the end result actually looks like, but in the case of Dota 2, it's usually spot on. Of course, you could always consider the original Dota model concept art. These are actually final concepts for the characters, so this is what they'll look like in game. This doesn't make up for the downtime, but it's a start.
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Lone Druid
Lycan
Shadow Demon
Usually released concept art is just a rough design of what the end result actually looks like, but in the case of Dota 2, it's usually spot on. Of course, you could always consider the original Dota model concept art. These are actually final concepts for the characters, so this is what they'll look like in game. This doesn't make up for the downtime, but it's a start.
Read story → 2 comments
Spend this downtime boning up on your Dota 2 sk...
Feb 14 2012 09:30 PM | HevyD in Dota2 News
Reeling from server downtime? It's only been a few hours man, get a grip! But, I feel your pain, so I thought I'd showcase a member of the Dota 2 community that deserves a little recognition. His name is JohnnySigs and he not only streams Dota 2, but he's interested in helping everyone become a better player. Above is the first of many videos where he teaches the basics, and later on, the finer points of Dota 2.
Along with a playlist of videos aimed at improving your playing ability Johnny also takes some time out of every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to stream. He also plans on taking some time on Saturday to stream some more introductory style gameplay, for those of you who are either unfamiliar or just new. Streaming starts at 6PM EST and goes until question marks, which is a sure sign you're in for a good time.
Vying for his favorite hero slot, he has Shadow Fiend, Invoker, and Enigma. Though if he had to choose, it'd be Enigma. Stumbling across his videos, I thought they were a pretty good starter platform for new to the genre players.
Hope you like him as much as I did. Regardless of whether or not you liked him, Johnny requested that I help him express his gratitude to the Dota 2 community in general, specifically r/Dota2.
If you couldn't find the cleverly hidden links throughout the post, I'll collect them at the bottom here.
Playlist
Stream
r/Dota2
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Reeling from server downtime? It's only been a few hours man, get a grip! But, I feel your pain, so I thought I'd showcase a member of the Dota 2 community that deserves a little recognition. His name is JohnnySigs and he not only streams Dota 2, but he's interested in helping everyone become a better player. Above is the first of many videos where he teaches the basics, and later on, the finer points of Dota 2.
Along with a playlist of videos aimed at improving your playing ability Johnny also takes some time out of every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to stream. He also plans on taking some time on Saturday to stream some more introductory style gameplay, for those of you who are either unfamiliar or just new. Streaming starts at 6PM EST and goes until question marks, which is a sure sign you're in for a good time.
Vying for his favorite hero slot, he has Shadow Fiend, Invoker, and Enigma. Though if he had to choose, it'd be Enigma. Stumbling across his videos, I thought they were a pretty good starter platform for new to the genre players.
Hope you like him as much as I did. Regardless of whether or not you liked him, Johnny requested that I help him express his gratitude to the Dota 2 community in general, specifically r/Dota2.
If you couldn't find the cleverly hidden links throughout the post, I'll collect them at the bottom here.
Playlist
Stream
r/Dota2
Read story → 0 comments
Valentines Day Downtime
Feb 13 2012 08:25 PM | HevyD in Dota2 News
Valve is making it easier to decide between spending Valentine's Day with your significant other or playing Dota 2 easier by providing us with a full 24 hours of downtime. On the official Dota 2 blog a post was made on the 10th giving everyone a 4 day heads up on the 24 hour downtime.
While the thought of going 24 hours without Dota 2 might shred your tiny heart to bits, there is a silver lining. With downtime comes presents. The first bit of news dropped on the blog was a mention of increased server capacity, which bodes well for those of you who still have yet to witness the majesty of Dota 2 first hand. Along with what I can only imagine will be a metric ass load of Dota 2 invites coming out in the next week, the same standard of measurement could be used for the amount of heroes being released.
According to the blog post, the next patch will be a 'packed one.' This is exciting news as I was growing accustom to having at the very least, a new hero each week.
As always, Valve likes to implement a little humor into their blog post by linking to their own wiki's Valve Time entry. Estimations on when the servers will actually be up? How about the next hero release? This month? Let me know in the comments.
Read story → 3 comments
Valve is making it easier to decide between spending Valentine's Day with your significant other or playing Dota 2 easier by providing us with a full 24 hours of downtime. On the official Dota 2 blog a post was made on the 10th giving everyone a 4 day heads up on the 24 hour downtime.
While the thought of going 24 hours without Dota 2 might shred your tiny heart to bits, there is a silver lining. With downtime comes presents. The first bit of news dropped on the blog was a mention of increased server capacity, which bodes well for those of you who still have yet to witness the majesty of Dota 2 first hand. Along with what I can only imagine will be a metric ass load of Dota 2 invites coming out in the next week, the same standard of measurement could be used for the amount of heroes being released.
According to the blog post, the next patch will be a 'packed one.' This is exciting news as I was growing accustom to having at the very least, a new hero each week.
As always, Valve likes to implement a little humor into their blog post by linking to their own wiki's Valve Time entry. Estimations on when the servers will actually be up? How about the next hero release? This month? Let me know in the comments.
Read story → 3 comments