Over the last few weeks I've done a ton of research (aside from actually sitting in at the BlizzCon panels over the years and playing the game myself) and brushing up on my Blizzard All-Stars knowledge, and finally decided to begin my informational series for the game. I've been playing a lot of DOTA2 recently, which is what sparked my renewed interest in All-Stars. Sure, the game isn't out quite yet, but why should this stop us from hyping it up?
If you want to learn about Blizzard All-Stars, watch my series! I released the first episode today (9/19) and will be following it up with more episodes I've already planned out, covering known gameplay mechanics, heroes, items, and then of course, some speculation and suggestions.
i think All-stars will be a good game to play but I don't think it will have the same appeal as an esport, especially to old school dota fans. Simpler is better to play if ur not hardcore about the game but usually it requires removing depth from the game, hopefully Blizzard can figure out a way to have both.
On September 20 2012 08:42 GizmoPT wrote: sixennnnnnnnnnnn! :p
hehe, hai2u.
On September 20 2012 09:00 emythrel wrote: i think All-stars will be a good game to play but I don't think it will have the same appeal as an esport, especially to old school dota fans. Simpler is better to play if ur not hardcore about the game but usually it requires removing depth from the game, hopefully Blizzard can figure out a way to have both.
It's going to attract a lot of casual gamers for sure, but because it is already in SC2, all of the eSports features and tools already exist and will be available to us from the get go: replays, spectating, etc. The only thing we need to make this an eSports is a community surrounding it and tournament organizers to organize tournaments. They aren't necessarily removing depth entirely, they're just taking it out of one aspect and inserting it elsewhere. There's still strategy involved, for sure (team composition, map control, countering, ganking, etc). It's all about that "easy to learn, difficult to master" approach, .
On September 20 2012 09:00 emythrel wrote: i think All-stars will be a good game to play but I don't think it will have the same appeal as an esport, especially to old school dota fans. Simpler is better to play if ur not hardcore about the game but usually it requires removing depth from the game, hopefully Blizzard can figure out a way to have both.
It's going to attract a lot of casual gamers for sure, but because it is already in SC2, all of the eSports features and tools already exist and will be available to us from the get go: replays, spectating, etc. The only thing we need to make this an eSports is a community surrounding it and tournament organizers to organize tournaments. They aren't necessarily removing depth entirely, they're just taking it out of one aspect and inserting it elsewhere. There's still strategy involved, for sure (team composition, map control, countering, ganking, etc). It's all about that "easy to learn, difficult to master" approach, .
On September 20 2012 09:14 Sixen wrote: but because it is already in SC2, all of the eSports features and tools already exist and will be available to us from the get go: replays, spectating, etc.
On September 20 2012 09:14 Sixen wrote: spectating
StarCraft 2, where spectator lagging hurts the gameplay for players.
B-Allstar will be really good casual game to play after laddering from SC2. One thing Blizzard did better than other ARTS games out there is hero model imo.
On September 20 2012 09:23 chuDr3t4 wrote: StarCraft 2, where spectator lagging hurts the gameplay for players.
It's only getting better, :p.
On September 20 2012 09:25 Wildmoon wrote: B-Allstar will be really good casual game to play after laddering from SC2. One thing Blizzard did better than other ARTS games out there is hero model imo.
Possibly, I'd argue that isn't necessarily true though... Since you'll be laddering on All-Stars as well, .
On September 20 2012 09:25 Wildmoon wrote: B-Allstar will be really good casual game to play after laddering from SC2. One thing Blizzard did better than other ARTS games out there is hero model imo.
Possibly, I'd argue that isn't necessarily true though... Since you'll be laddering on All-Stars as well, .
There are ladders and there are ladders I'm high diamond and working on masters in 1v1 but 4v4 I'm simply silver because i like doing weird stuff (and sometimes my random partners simply suck so hard that I cannot carry them).
I don't think I'll take any ladder beside 1v1 as "serious".
good stuff. I am looking forward to blizzard allstars. I like a lot of the things they want to do differently. Let's hope it turns out great. They took quite some time for developing it (as usual). also looking forward to more episodes from you.
I believe it won't be able to compete with LoL/DotA2. Obviously the following points are opinions, not facts.
1) I believe it will be a bit too simplified with the removal of stuff such as LH. I understand the thought process, I can't agree with it. It makes for a dull way of earning gold, and a bit boring after a while. It might be fun for the first 10 games, afterwards it might get annoying. (When I think about my original DotA Razor, a hero that I spent so much time working on getting good LH )
2) The hero pool is way too small. Sure their hero will be very diverse with no hero similar to another (well with 16 heroes I sure hope so), but in the end, I feel like it can't compete with the 100+ heroes DotA will offer once every DotA 1 hero is ported to DotA 2 (108, 107 if they still plan on not porting techies). You can find hero much more suited to your play style than possible in All-Stars. I don't know how many champions LoL has, but I believe it is also over a 100 right ? This will also make games of All-Stars very similar to one another.
3) The last point and the main one I feel, is the way the game is setup. From what I understand currently, the game is a custom map in SC2 right ? This means you actually have to buy SC2 to play the game. LoL is F2P, DotA 2 is F2P (Tho it currently isn't, the game cost around 5$ if you know where to look), even HoN is F2P. Every ARTS out there is currently F2P, with the exception of DotA 2 (ATM). SC2 cost maybe 30-40 $ ? It's a lot of money for a guy that doesn't own SC, or has no interest in it. It's a big turnoff. Finally the interface SC2 has currently isn't up to par with DotA 2's (don't know about LoL, I don't play it). In DotA 2 you can watch live games, replays of pro players without leaving the client, replays, a learn tab, cosmetic items. You also have the ingame store and the tournament ticket thingy (watch pro game with commentary from inside the client). You can observer on going game and so on.
I like the fact that game are shorter and that there is a multiple number of maps tho But it's not really that important all in all. I also like they are making big changes, despite my point number 1, I just feel like it's the wrong changes In my opinion it's not a good change when you remove instead of add.
P.S. What is the "Siege" hero type you were talking about ?
On September 20 2012 10:12 Tula wrote: Possibly, I'd argue that isn't necessarily true though... Since you'll be laddering on All-Stars as well, .
There are ladders and there are ladders I'm high diamond and working on masters in 1v1 but 4v4 I'm simply silver because i like doing weird stuff (and sometimes my random partners simply suck so hard that I cannot carry them).
I don't think I'll take any ladder beside 1v1 as "serious".[/QUOTE] Sure and that's your prerogative! But keep in mind, this cannot be played "solo," you're always given a team. There will be "grandmaster" level All-Stars players that are playing the game very well (read: competitively).
On September 20 2012 10:24 Chriscras wrote: Have you played the Witch Doctor in All Stars? Is it Diablo-esque? <3
I can't wait for them to release this game feels like foreverrrrr~!
I actually haven't gotten a chance to play the WD, I think I played Kerrigan, ;O.
On September 20 2012 10:27 archonOOid wrote: Where can I play BAS in the HotS client or in a BAS application?
The beta is currently not yet out, when it is out, you'll know, and it will be played on the SC2 client.
On September 20 2012 10:42 SpiZe wrote: I believe it won't be able to compete with LoL/DotA2. Obviously the following points are opinions, not facts.
1) I believe it will be a bit too simplified with the removal of stuff such as LH. I understand the thought process, I can't agree with it. It makes for a dull way of earning gold, and a bit boring after a while. It might be fun for the first 10 games, afterwards it might get annoying. (When I think about my original DotA Razor, a hero that I spent so much time working on getting good LH )
2) The hero pool is way too small. Sure their hero will be very diverse with no hero similar to another (well with 16 heroes I sure hope so), but in the end, I feel like it can't compete with the 100+ heroes DotA will offer once every DotA 1 hero is ported to DotA 2 (108, 107 if they still plan on not porting techies). You can find hero much more suited to your play style than possible in All-Stars. I don't know how many champions LoL has, but I believe it is also over a 100 right ? This will also make games of All-Stars very similar to one another.
3) The last point and the main one I feel, is the way the game is setup. From what I understand currently, the game is a custom map in SC2 right ? This means you actually have to buy SC2 to play the game. LoL is F2P, DotA 2 is F2P (Tho it currently isn't, the game cost around 5$ if you know where to look), even HoN is F2P. Every ARTS out there is currently F2P, with the exception of DotA 2 (ATM). SC2 cost maybe 30-40 $ ? It's a lot of money for a guy that doesn't own SC, or has no interest in it. It's a big turnoff. Finally the interface SC2 has currently isn't up to par with DotA 2's (don't know about LoL, I don't play it). In DotA 2 you can watch live games, replays of pro players without leaving the client, replays, a learn tab, cosmetic items. You also have the ingame store and the tournament ticket thingy (watch pro game with commentary from inside the client). You can observer on going game and so on.
I like the fact that game are shorter and that there is a multiple number of maps tho But it's not really that important all in all. I also like they are making big changes, despite my point number 1, I just feel like it's the wrong changes In my opinion it's not a good change when you remove instead of add.
P.S. What is the "Siege" hero type you were talking about ?
1) This is why I believe the game will compete with LoL, rather than DotA2. My background in ARTS games is primarily DotA 1 and now DOTA 2. LoL, on the other hand, has had denying removed, and simply kept LH'ing. BAS is just taking it one step further.
2) Agreed, the hero pool is really small at the moment. It's launching with 16 heroes, but will expand over time.
3) Correct, as of current, the game is just planned to be an SC2 "mod," with a lot of support, and can be played on the Starter Edition (which means you don't have to own SC2 to play, making it virtually free). However, it will also be tied into the MMS, so you can "queue up" for an All-Stars game and be placed against people of your skill level, similar to Melee. Their long-term plans are to turn it into a stand-alone client though. As far as eSports/Spectator tools go, SC2 has a lot of them already in place, but yes, I definitely think they need to add the ability to spectate within the client. The good news is, a lot of people think this way, so if they do ever add this for ladder/melee, we'll get it automatically for All-Stars, .
The Siege Hero type is a role that is mainly meant for pushing lanes. Additionally, they can outrange towers. I'll get into it more in episode #2, where I'll be showcasing the heroes and their roles, . Great post though!
I dont like this "take down idea" Kill/assist is way better... What i think heroes with AoE skills well be always overfeed , because they hit everyone and take gold for every enemy hero killed..and other heroes.. what.. ? must focus every enemy hero and hit them " once" to get gold.. ? or what ?:D
On September 20 2012 11:34 pallad wrote: I dont like this "take down idea" Kill/assist is way better... What i think heroes with AoE skills well be always overfeed , because they hit everyone and take gold for every enemy hero killed..and other heroes.. what.. ? must focus every enemy hero and hit them " once" to get gold.. ? or what ?:D
I was a bit skeptical at first as well, but think about it a little further. When you're playing in a game of DOTA2, you're all about playing for yourself if you're in a pub. You engage the enemy, someone else runs in and steals your kill by getting the last hit... Now you're angry. If you're on a pre-made team, getting takedowns is almost the same as just getting an assist, so what are we looking at here? Encouraging more teamwork for pubs and keeping the same amount of teamwork for pre-mades. Seems like a pretty solid system imo, .
As far as how they'll determine what should be considered a takedown, I'm not entirely sure. They may require you to simply be in the general vicinity. Another example: if you're playing, say, Omniknight or Dazzle, and you're literally just in the teamfight to heal your team and smoke out if necessary, then you don't be doing much DPS, if any at all. In DOTA2, if you don't get a hit on the enemy, you won't even get an assist, whereas BAS would grant you a TD.
On September 27 2012 11:31 Swish 41 wrote: So its Blizzard DOTA released with HotS? Was announed, but as I know Blizzard it could be released with Heart of the Void -_-
Cool concept and all, but as it is, the game won't be able to compete with other MOBAS with only 16 champions, gimmped spectate (spectators lags, can't join during the game, etc).
I know you said Blizzard can potentially add more champs, and add this and that, but knowing Blizzard, this game itself probably won't be out for another year, let alone have the champ numbers and other features be as polished as the other games.
I think it is never coming out as it is awkwardly silent about this MOBA. THey even removed the page on battle.net long time ago so probably not being released ever
I can understand Blizzard's motives behind removing last hit and denying, since it really doesn't feel fun nor epic as a hero to have to sit behind towers and kill minions for gold. However last hitting and denying required a good degree of skill and attention to pull off, so removing those feels like removing a lot of depth from the game.
I hope they trade of the want to achieve, more active heroes on the map, earlier skirmishes and fights, actually works out well for them, otherwise it won't be worth it and it will feel dumbed down.
On September 27 2012 16:02 Fubi wrote: Cool concept and all, but as it is, the game won't be able to compete with other MOBAS with only 16 champions, gimmped spectate (spectators lags, can't join during the game, etc).
I know you said Blizzard can potentially add more champs, and add this and that, but knowing Blizzard, this game itself probably won't be out for another year, let alone have the champ numbers and other features be as polished as the other games.
It'll compete more closely with LoL imo, which afaik doesn't have the in-game spectating like DOTA, correct?
On September 27 2012 16:09 Flummie wrote: I think it is never coming out as it is awkwardly silent about this MOBA. THey even removed the page on battle.net long time ago so probably not being released ever
On September 27 2012 16:46 Nihilnovi wrote: Wait, so there is no lasthitting...? No denying is the primary reason i hate LoL, this is going to be rubbish :/
Correct, no LH and no denies. It'll be interesting, for sure. The goal is to encourage early aggression, so you'll be focusing down the heroes rather than hanging out behind the creeps. We'll see how it goes. There's also the health-globe system that was put in place instead of LH/D, so it's possible you may still focus creeps... I'll get into that in my 4th video I believe.
On September 28 2012 07:32 Destructicon wrote: I can understand Blizzard's motives behind removing last hit and denying, since it really doesn't feel fun nor epic as a hero to have to sit behind towers and kill minions for gold. However last hitting and denying required a good degree of skill and attention to pull off, so removing those feels like removing a lot of depth from the game.
I hope they trade of the want to achieve, more active heroes on the map, earlier skirmishes and fights, actually works out well for them, otherwise it won't be worth it and it will feel dumbed down.
Very true, however like I said above (and like you've pointed out) they're just taking the depth and moving it elsewhere.
I don't consider Blizzard Allstars at something that will even attempt to rival DotA (2), LoL or HoN - how could it. So in that regard it's pretty good that they actually change up a lot of the design in comparison to those games. That way it's something different and I wouldn't feel like rather playing e.g. DotA 2 because it does most stuff the same way and better.
What's however pretty amazing about this is the art style and the whole cool heroes and units from all their franchises. That's just so effing cool.
I mean having Arthas battle it out with Kerrigan etc.? You can bet your ass I'm gonna play this game here and there at least!
I think from an esports perspective it seems like the design decisions for Blizzard Allstars are good. Lasthitting and Denying gone, but they seem to be trying to add depth to the game in other ways to make up for it, and these ways seem to revolve around teamwork, space control, positioning, coordination. The sorts of things which are much easier to see as a spectator and also understand as a new player or viewer. Also less emphasis on items, more on things like creeps and capturing creeps and the like. It seems like this game will be more terrain-dependent and change with different map structures, which is one thing I really like about Starcraft and miss in moba games, so pushing the game in that direction seems great to me.
I also hope that the lower number of heroes is something people could accept, as it basically just means that they're really making sure it's balanced, and all the heroes feel really good and also really different from each other. Hopefully the fact that it's all these Blizzard characters will get people to play it even if the total number is lower.
I didn't expect an informational video to be a sales pitch. Videos have an odd tone of selling me on all-stars and how great all these changes are going to be. I wasn't sold. I'll login and check it out when it's released but I can't imagine playing it like I do sc2/dota2.
On September 29 2012 04:43 Anta wrote: What is this and why is it on sc2 forums?
Why is he trying to speak like day9?
Day9 actually tweeted out my first video, so big thanks to him. I'm not "trying" to speak like anyone, I'm simply "teaching" what Blizzard All-Stars is all about. If you think I sound like Day9, then I believe that's a compliment, .
On September 29 2012 04:56 Na_Dann_Ma_GoGo wrote: I don't consider Blizzard Allstars at something that will even attempt to rival DotA (2), LoL or HoN - how could it. So in that regard it's pretty good that they actually change up a lot of the design in comparison to those games. That way it's something different and I wouldn't feel like rather playing e.g. DotA 2 because it does most stuff the same way and better.
What's however pretty amazing about this is the art style and the whole cool heroes and units from all their franchises. That's just so effing cool.
I mean having Arthas battle it out with Kerrigan etc.? You can bet your ass I'm gonna play this game here and there at least!
It's got lots of unique/different features and Blizzard knows how to make an eSport (obviously), in addition to what you've just mentioned, epic heroes! These are the three major things that I believe will make this game compete with DOTA2/LoL/HoN.
On September 29 2012 04:56 xHadoken wrote: ehh. I think as an esport it will not go well But as a game I am looking forward to playing it!
Morhaime actually said they'd be pushing it as an eSport, so it's definitely a possibility, especially because all of the features are already in place (spectating, replays, etc).
On September 29 2012 05:14 Gfire wrote: I think from an esports perspective it seems like the design decisions for Blizzard Allstars are good. Lasthitting and Denying gone, but they seem to be trying to add depth to the game in other ways to make up for it, and these ways seem to revolve around teamwork, space control, positioning, coordination. The sorts of things which are much easier to see as a spectator and also understand as a new player or viewer. Also less emphasis on items, more on things like creeps and capturing creeps and the like. It seems like this game will be more terrain-dependent and change with different map structures, which is one thing I really like about Starcraft and miss in moba games, so pushing the game in that direction seems great to me.
I also hope that the lower number of heroes is something people could accept, as it basically just means that they're really making sure it's balanced, and all the heroes feel really good and also really different from each other. Hopefully the fact that it's all these Blizzard characters will get people to play it even if the total number is lower.
Exactly! I couldn't have put it better myself!
On September 29 2012 05:25 crms wrote: I didn't expect an informational video to be a sales pitch. Videos have an odd tone of selling me on all-stars and how great all these changes are going to be. I wasn't sold. I'll login and check it out when it's released but I can't imagine playing it like I do sc2/dota2.
Hahaha, I wasn't exactly going for a sales pitch, but if it hyped you up and you learned something, then I've done my job!
On September 29 2012 05:56 vinsang1000 wrote: interresting content. I'll be looking for next episodes. However it really seems like a promotional video (maybe just so really well made)
Thanks, I think? I suppose it's definitely some form of promotion, but I'm just trying to get everyone on the same level so there aren't any surprises come Beta, .
It's almost as if you couldn't convince yourself all this simplification means it can still have competitive level depth. If you reiterate like 10x in a 10m video that "it's ok it's super simple guys it will have strategy!" Without ever really making a case as to how or why it could be even as deep as LoL, doesn't look so good. I appreciate the inside scoop on the games development but this video confirms it's a flop for my personal taste. It's like the moba genre is feeding for casuals now instead of making an amazing game. I'm not sure we can make fun of LoL anymore once this game is released, LoL seems like Broodwar compared to this mockery.
On October 04 2012 07:28 crms wrote: It's almost as if you couldn't convince yourself all this simplification means it can still have competitive level depth. If you reiterate like 10x in a 10m video that "it's ok it's super simple guys it will have strategy!" Without ever really making a case as to how or why it could be even as deep as LoL, doesn't look so good. I appreciate the inside scoop on the games development but this video confirms it's a flop for my personal taste. It's like the moba genre is feeding for casuals now instead of making an amazing game. I'm not sure we can make fun of LoL anymore once this game is released, LoL seems like Broodwar compared to this mockery.
Well, I was addressing it because of various comments I saw in the first two videos, I finally touched on it toward the end, and it's still all about combinations. With only 4 inventory slots and 16 diverse items, decisions need to be made. Sure, it's not the massive about from DOTA, LoL, HoN, etc, but decisions must still be made was my point.
On September 27 2012 16:09 Flummie wrote: I think it is never coming out as it is awkwardly silent about this MOBA. THey even removed the page on battle.net long time ago so probably not being released ever
I think it's a possibility as well (the page was moved to another adress by the way, it was not completly deleted),it would hurt blizzard reputation too much to launch a moba and fail completly. Games like dota or league of legends are interesting because or their depth and the enormous amount of combinations possibles. Simplifying as much as blizzard is doing it will make it dull in my opinion. It's going to be a game with a low mechanical skill cap (no last hit, deny, one hero to control), low complexity (not a lot of items and they seem straight forward). The only thing that is left is teamwork. So basically it's going to be a casual version of bloodline champion...
On September 20 2012 09:00 emythrel wrote: i think All-stars will be a good game to play but I don't think it will have the same appeal as an esport, especially to old school dota fans. Simpler is better to play if ur not hardcore about the game but usually it requires removing depth from the game, hopefully Blizzard can figure out a way to have both.
In a multiplayer game making it simpler often times doesn't remove depth, take LoL for example everyone was upsett about denying not being possible saying that LoL is so easy etc, this is just straight out bullshit, in most good multiplayer games the games difficulty is determined by your opponent simplicity and depth can come hand in hand, in most games there is always something you can do to play better and aslong as these things are more than one then the game will remain deep.
On September 27 2012 16:09 Flummie wrote: I think it is never coming out as it is awkwardly silent about this MOBA. THey even removed the page on battle.net long time ago so probably not being released ever
I think it's a possibility as well (the page was moved to another adress by the way, it was not completly deleted),it would hurt blizzard reputation too much to launch a moba and fail completly. Games like dota or league of legends are interesting because or their depth and the enormous amount of combinations possibles. Simplifying as much as blizzard is doing it will make it dull in my opinion. It's going to be a game with a low mechanical skill cap (no last hit, deny, one hero to control), low complexity (not a lot of items and they seem straight forward). The only thing that is left is teamwork. So basically it's going to be a casual version of bloodline champion...
I completely agree, it'd look terrible for them to fail completely. In addition, like I've said previously, Morhaime stated they're ready to promote it as an eSport... And regardless, it's Blizzard, they won't horribly fail. Low skill cap and complexity would be correct, but again, it still requires strategy, you're only looking at it from the single character standpoint. As you did mention, there's still teamwork, which is a huge part of any ARTS/MOBA, as well as map control, hero builds, team composition, etc.
On September 20 2012 09:00 emythrel wrote: i think All-stars will be a good game to play but I don't think it will have the same appeal as an esport, especially to old school dota fans. Simpler is better to play if ur not hardcore about the game but usually it requires removing depth from the game, hopefully Blizzard can figure out a way to have both.
In a multiplayer game making it simpler often times doesn't remove depth, take LoL for example everyone was upsett about denying not being possible saying that LoL is so easy etc, this is just straight out bullshit, in most good multiplayer games the games difficulty is determined by your opponent simplicity and depth can come hand in hand, in most games there is always something you can do to play better and aslong as these things are more than one then the game will remain deep.
On September 20 2012 09:00 emythrel wrote: i think All-stars will be a good game to play but I don't think it will have the same appeal as an esport, especially to old school dota fans. Simpler is better to play if ur not hardcore about the game but usually it requires removing depth from the game, hopefully Blizzard can figure out a way to have both.
People said this about LoL aswell because they removed denies, removing superficial things doesn't remove depth.
On September 20 2012 09:00 emythrel wrote: i think All-stars will be a good game to play but I don't think it will have the same appeal as an esport, especially to old school dota fans. Simpler is better to play if ur not hardcore about the game but usually it requires removing depth from the game, hopefully Blizzard can figure out a way to have both.
People said this about LoL aswell because they removed denies, removing superficial things doesn't remove depth.
denying is hardly superficial. it can have game changing outcomes with lanes so it certainly removes depth. whether it's an aspect that's worth removing is debatable but to say it doesn't remove depth is quite dishonest.
Where do you actually have this information from? Are you in direct contact with Blizzard? In which "phase" is All-Stars at the moment? How many people are playing it currently?
Hmm, can't wait until this MOBA-era blows over, if it ever will. Never really given them a chance though but never really felt like I wanted to either except for the fact that everyone I know seems to be playing them. FPS I love, RTS I like, MOBA I have no real interest in at all.
Just re-watched the Blizzard DotA trailer, and it's reminded me about why, despite how much I hate Blizzard's balancing philosophies in both WoW and SC2, that I'm still a paying customer
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
Blizzard probably agrees seeing that LoL beats WoW in number of players/hours played and SC2 in e-sports players/price money/viewers.
Only think I know is its Heroes look badass as hell. Better than all ARTS out there imo. I am quite sure Blizzard themself doesn't really expect this game to be a big thing. They don't really put much resource into this too. It is being made by SC2 editor and they said at Blizzcon that the team that is working on this project is really small. It seems like it will be just casual game that you get for free with SC2. I don't play play ARTS anymore because i don't quite like Dota2 as much as original one but I might play this casually just because I want to play as Illidan,Tassadar and many heroes I like that Blizzard could potentially add from Diablo/SC/WC. I am kinda interested in moving depth from L/d9 to health globe system too.
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
Blizzard probably agrees seeing that LoL beats WoW in number of players/hours played and SC2 in e-sports players/price money/viewers.
Youve lost it if you think LoL beats WoW in hours played..
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
Blizzard probably agrees seeing that LoL beats WoW in number of players/hours played and SC2 in e-sports players/price money/viewers.
Youve lost it if you think LoL beats WoW in hours played..
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
I don't want to add too much negativity to this thread... but I also agree. If Blizzard wanted to get into the MOBA scene they should have capitalized on DOTA or had this game rolling 3-4 years ago when LoL was still in it's infancy and DOTA2 was just rumors. I can't help but feel that they disregarded the MOBA scene until they saw how absurdly successful LoL and to a lesser extent DOTA2 are.
At this point I don't see any way for them to compete with those 2 games, which both have solidly established communities. Once again, Blizzard is trying way too hard to innovate and instead will mostly likely end up with a dud. D3 and SC2 have left bad tastes in a lot of people's mouth and greatly diminished Blizzard's reputation as a household name. DOTA2 and LoL both have very active developers who are constantly updating the game and if the past few years are any indication, Blizzard Allstars will have none of that support. With only 16 heroes (?), a tiny range of items and a greatly simplified version of MOBA game play, I just can't find a reason to get hyped for this.
Thanks everyone for the comments, discussion just makes things that much more fun, .
On November 01 2012 09:19 AbideWithMe wrote: Where do you actually have this information from? Are you in direct contact with Blizzard? In which "phase" is All-Stars at the moment? How many people are playing it currently?
Where is the ingame footage you have from?
The information I'm relaying in these videos is from BlizzCon 2010/2011 and some recent interviews. I may or may not have contact with Blizzard, but the information is all publicly available. It's currently still in development, pre-Beta.
On November 01 2012 10:04 FeyFey wrote: I like the way they are changing things up. Can't belief I am interested in trying out a Moba game.
Yeah, Blizzard is radically changing gameplay mechanics for All-Stars, .
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
Why not? Why can't Blizzard "keep up" with these games? All-Stars won't really compete with DOTA2 is my eyes, it'll compete more with LoL.
On November 01 2012 15:52 Leru wrote: So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
You aren't required to purchase Heart of the Swarm to receive Battle.net updates.
On November 01 2012 16:43 Talack wrote: Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
They kind of did capitalize on it, they held the first (to my knowledge) DotA tournament at BlizzCon 2005.
On November 01 2012 17:14 Highways wrote: Is blizzard releasing a beta for this anytime soon?
It will indeed be released as a public beta, although I don't have any ETA. I'm hoping for sometime early next year.
On November 01 2012 18:53 Wildmoon wrote: Only think I know is its Heroes look badass as hell. Better than all ARTS out there imo. I am quite sure Blizzard themself doesn't really expect this game to be a big thing. They don't really put much resource into this too. It is being made by SC2 editor and they said at Blizzcon that the team that is working on this project is really small. It seems like it will be just casual game that you get for free with SC2. I don't play play ARTS anymore because i don't quite like Dota2 as much as original one but I might play this casually just because I want to play as Illidan,Tassadar and many heroes I like that Blizzard could potentially add from Diablo/SC/WC. I am kinda interested in moving depth from L/d9 to health globe system too.
Well, that's actually not true, the game is turning more and more into a legitimate product; Blizzard is ready to support this game as an eSport, with a long-term goal of making this game standalone.
On September 20 2012 08:39 Sixen wrote: Hello everyone,
Over the last few weeks I've done a ton of research (aside from actually sitting in at the BlizzCon panels over the years and playing the game myself) and brushing up on my Blizzard All-Stars knowledge, and finally decided to begin my informational series for the game. I've been playing a lot of DOTA2 recently, which is what sparked my renewed interest in All-Stars. Sure, the game isn't out quite yet, but why should this stop us from hyping it up?
If you want to learn about Blizzard All-Stars, watch my series! I released the first episode today (9/19) and will be following it up with more episodes I've already planned out, covering known gameplay mechanics, heroes, items, and then of course, some speculation and suggestions.
Feel free to leave comments, questions, or concerns below. As always, I appreciate any and all feedback!
They still havn't announced its release. Anyone remember 1+ yrs ago when they said it was coming out soonTM? Any intel on the release date? Awesome post btw, lots of info and im looking forward to it as long as it doesnt take another 5 years to make.
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
I don't want to add too much negativity to this thread... but I also agree. If Blizzard wanted to get into the MOBA scene they should have capitalized on DOTA or had this game rolling 3-4 years ago when LoL was still in it's infancy and DOTA2 was just rumors. I can't help but feel that they disregarded the MOBA scene until they saw how absurdly successful LoL and to a lesser extent DOTA2 are.
At this point I don't see any way for them to compete with those 2 games, which both have solidly established communities. Once again, Blizzard is trying way too hard to innovate and instead will mostly likely end up with a dud. D3 and SC2 have left bad tastes in a lot of people's mouth and greatly diminished Blizzard's reputation as a household name. DOTA2 and LoL both have very active developers who are constantly updating the game and if the past few years are any indication, Blizzard Allstars will have none of that support. With only 16 heroes (?), a tiny range of items and a greatly simplified version of MOBA game play, I just can't find a reason to get hyped for this.
Let's be honest, a lot of the LoL developers came from Blizzard, and league of legends was the exact same kind of innovation for it's time as Blizzard is attempting right now. That's an indication that they can have success.
It's managements fault and the fact that blizzard hasn't kept up with the times in software development methodologies that are at stake. Their game can definitely compete with other mobas, even at this point, if they can adapt.
Anyways, just throwing that out there -- I still agree with you, if I were at part of Blizzard I wouldn't be spending time on this trying to vie for Dota space either.
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
Blizzard probably agrees seeing that LoL beats WoW in number of players/hours played and SC2 in e-sports players/price money/viewers.
Youve lost it if you think LoL beats WoW in hours played..
On November 02 2012 05:33 ChuCky.Ca wrote:
2nd of course WoW takes that
No, he hasn't lost it. It all depends on your time frame. If you use data from the last year it shows LoL has twice as many hours played as WoW does, of course I doubt he was talking about overall because that would mean factoring in the 5 years were WoW was already out before LoL and thats not counting the years were WoW was beating LoL. However, he is true if his statement applies to a recent time frame.
No last hitting... I was really excited for this until I heard that. And their solution is so terrible, the regen globes should not replace lasthitting x.x
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
Blizzard probably agrees seeing that LoL beats WoW in number of players/hours played and SC2 in e-sports players/price money/viewers.
Youve lost it if you think LoL beats WoW in hours played..
The last year LoL has passed WoW as the most played game. There have been numerous articles on that, here is one of them from forbes:
On November 08 2012 11:56 NonameAI wrote: They still havn't announced its release. Anyone remember 1+ yrs ago when they said it was coming out soonTM? Any intel on the release date? Awesome post btw, lots of info and im looking forward to it as long as it doesnt take another 5 years to make.
Unfortunately, I don't have any information about the release date. At their investor call the other day said they were still working on development and testing the game internally. I'm hoping to see a beta by Q1-Q2 of next year, but take that with a grain of salt, .
On November 08 2012 12:39 McKTenor13 wrote: Wow I didn't know so much info was out for this. Thanks a lot for this Sixen! Can't wait to play it. Hopefully i'll get in on the beta
For sure! I'm excited for beta as well, hopefully it comes as soon as I think it should!
On November 08 2012 13:37 GhandiEAGLE wrote: No last hitting... I was really excited for this until I heard that. And their solution is so terrible, the regen globes should not replace lasthitting x.x
Well... Sorta, kinda? They wanted to get rid of last hitting because it created a huge learning curve, they simply moved elsewhere making it less complex. It still requires strategy, but it's easier to understand at first, in my opinion.
On November 08 2012 15:58 archonOOid wrote: I'm really excited about BAS but I wonder how what kind of platform it will use?
BAS will be rolled into StarCraft II (and rolled into the ladder), so it'll require SC2 to play. However, they'll allow it to be played through the Starter Edition of SC2, so it will be completely free to play. In the long-run, though, their plan is to make it a standalone product.
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
Blizzard probably agrees seeing that LoL beats WoW in number of players/hours played and SC2 in e-sports players/price money/viewers.
Youve lost it if you think LoL beats WoW in hours played..
The last year LoL has passed WoW as the most played game. There have been numerous articles on that, here is one of them from forbes:
Of course I didn't mean overall since WoW has been out since 2004?!
I mean that LoL has passed WoW in the last year.
But these numbers are only based on Xfire's stats. Sure, LoL might still pass WoW, but still, it is Xfire. I haven't used it for a long time, and when I did I still did not use it everytime I played a game.
Ever since I saw the blizzcon '11 video for this I actually got pretty excited for this. Most mobas feel kind of stale after a while, but I really like a lot of the innovation that they were bringing to the genre(takedowns, tower ammo, mounts, and especially multiple maps) and it made it look very interesting and a lot more engaging and fun. I wish there was more new info from blizzard about this coming out faster. Nice to see a thread for hyping up this really interesting take on the genre, really good work on the series Sixen. Looking forward to seeing more of this series.
Just released episode 9, covering the lore and map design:
On November 14 2012 14:57 Fyrewolf wrote: Ever since I saw the blizzcon '11 video for this I actually got pretty excited for this. Most mobas feel kind of stale after a while, but I really like a lot of the innovation that they were bringing to the genre(takedowns, tower ammo, mounts, and especially multiple maps) and it made it look very interesting and a lot more engaging and fun. I wish there was more new info from blizzard about this coming out faster. Nice to see a thread for hyping up this really interesting take on the genre, really good work on the series Sixen. Looking forward to seeing more of this series.
Yeah, I'm pretty stoked for a lot of these changes. Most of them are clearly pretty drastic, which will make for a really interesting new take on the genre, that's what I'm mostly excited about.
On November 14 2012 15:11 GhandiEAGLE wrote: Argh, the lore is going to need to be really sick for Blizzard to ship this game to all of their WoW players.
I'm curious as to what direction they'll take exactly, but I did outline what we know in episode 9 (above) as well as throw out a potential prediction!
On November 01 2012 10:39 Talack wrote: I kinda wish they'd stop wasting so much developer time on this
We already got HoN, LoL and Dota2 being worked on full-time and blizzard cannot devote an entire team to managing this to keep up with them.
I kind of agree, I don't see this going very far either.. It seems strange how they pick their priorities and it is once again too little too late. I remember when playing Dota , especially in the beginning (I started ~ 2005 ) , that most of the players expected Blizzard to acknowledge Dota's existence and maybe make some patches that will improve some mechanics or stuff like that.. They could have bought it for a small price for many years if they didn't have their had stuck into the WoW money pot . But I guess this is Blizzard's MO - irrational .
So , yes, stop the development on this pipe-dream get that workforce on SC2 and deliver a full featured game as you should , instead of making people buy expansions for basic functionalities ( i.e. multiplayer replays).
Honestly I think blizzards biggest fuck up in the entire history of their company...is not capitalizing on dota, and now it's way too late.
Blizzard probably agrees seeing that LoL beats WoW in number of players/hours played and SC2 in e-sports players/price money/viewers.
Youve lost it if you think LoL beats WoW in hours played..
The last year LoL has passed WoW as the most played game. There have been numerous articles on that, here is one of them from forbes:
Of course I didn't mean overall since WoW has been out since 2004?!
I mean that LoL has passed WoW in the last year.
But these numbers are only based on Xfire's stats. Sure, LoL might still pass WoW, but still, it is Xfire. I haven't used it for a long time, and when I did I still did not use it everytime I played a game.
Also most of these people doing this research tend to forget China, and how many people play there.
I'll try to find the source, but I believe it was that 10 million dota games are played yearly, while only 3 million lol games have been played in its lifetime.
If this is any good they'll be really late to the market to get any kind of share. Hell, DotA 2 is already really freaking late to capitalize on the MOBA genre that League of Legends has already accumulated.
This game will have to be over-the-top amazing for it to even get off the ground.
On December 04 2012 05:01 Bashnek wrote: is this still just stuff you're garnered from blizzcons/etc?
Cant wait for blizzdota ^_^
Indeed! It's a combination of the BlizzCon 2010/2011 panels, the behind-the-scenes press panel I was able to sit in, and some recent articles, .
On December 04 2012 05:13 Butterednuts wrote: If this is any good they'll be really late to the market to get any kind of share. Hell, DotA 2 is already really freaking late to capitalize on the MOBA genre that League of Legends has already accumulated.
This game will have to be over-the-top amazing for it to even get off the ground.
I would disagree with this sentiment. Sure, being first is a good thing, but LoL took the market from DotA1, which took the market from AoS. As long as the game is good, people will play it, and when people are playing it, tournaments will run it, and with tournaments, comes commentators! :D.
On December 04 2012 05:24 Foxxan wrote: omg this game looks cool had no idea it looked like this
So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Watch all the previous episodes, All-Stars core gameplay mechanics and learning curve differ from DOTA2. Also, as said above, the Starter Edition is free, and if they release it as a stand-alone instead, it will also be free to play with microtransactions (afaik).
On January 21 2013 07:46 MarkCJ wrote: Oh man totally forgot about this project. kinda looking forward to see how this pans out..
Sixen I've been watching your Blizzard allstar series since the beginning and what you've done is awesome, you really give out allot of great content regarding the topic. It might not be one of the hottest topics of the community but it's still fucking awesome!
On January 21 2013 08:41 Integra wrote: Sixen I've been watching your Blizzard allstar series since the beginning and what you've done is awesome, you really give out allot of great content regarding the topic. It might not be one of the hottest topics of the community but it's still fucking awesome!
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Starter edition is free.
Dota2's free on release, and keys are abundant enough that the game is virtually free. I have 9 keys left after giving some to my friends, and I haven't gotten half as many keys as some people.
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Starter edition is free.
Dota2's free on release, and keys are abundant enough that the game is virtually free. I have 9 keys left after giving some to my friends, and I haven't gotten half as many keys as some people.
I don't understand this. If there are so many keys available, why not just make it available to eveyone for download on the site?
I really want to watch all of this... it would interest me greatly. I love blizzard lore, and if they're adding it in to the game that would be crazy. Does anybody want to sum up what is known or should I just take 1.5 hours to watch the movie? Either way I just glanced at one of the videos and thank you very much sixen!
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Starter edition is free.
Dota2's free on release, and keys are abundant enough that the game is virtually free. I have 9 keys left after giving some to my friends, and I haven't gotten half as many keys as some people.
I don't understand this. If there are so many keys available, why not just make it available to eveyone for download on the site?
I think mostly because the game is not done. They still want to add things like guides, China as a region is not really in yet, and they are missing ~15 heroes still. I think once all the heroes are ported they will release it.
The second reason is that it puts a cap on how many people they know will join their servers at any one time. There are still a few bugs and some downtime. Consider if they released tomorrow and over a million people tried to log on. The servers might die like some other hot releases last year. If they can slowly ramp up that makes it a lot easier to get the servers in place.
Personally, I hope this isn't a stand alone title... Mainly because I don't see myself buying many titles (does depend a lot on pricing). I like the idea of having it as a sc2 mod (arcade map) to play when I'm not doing WoL/HotS ladder.
On January 23 2013 14:53 Alryk wrote: I really want to watch all of this... it would interest me greatly. I love blizzard lore, and if they're adding it in to the game that would be crazy. Does anybody want to sum up what is known or should I just take 1.5 hours to watch the movie? Either way I just glanced at one of the videos and thank you very much sixen!
Sorry it's so long in total, ;(. I figured giving each episode 10 minutes or so would make them easy enough for people to catch up on if that were the case. Could watch one or two episodes a day for a week and catch up! :D.
On January 23 2013 16:09 DusTerr wrote: Personally, I hope this isn't a stand alone title... Mainly because I don't see myself buying many titles (does depend a lot on pricing). I like the idea of having it as a sc2 mod (arcade map) to play when I'm not doing WoL/HotS ladder.
Thanks for the video updates Sixen!
As per the Eurogamer interview linked above, Sigaty confirmed the game will be both free to play (with microtransactions), in addition to being a stand-alone client (without requiring SC2).
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Starter edition is free.
Dota2's free on release, and keys are abundant enough that the game is virtually free. I have 9 keys left after giving some to my friends, and I haven't gotten half as many keys as some people.
I don't understand this. If there are so many keys available, why not just make it available to eveyone for download on the site?
Because technically, the games still beta. You're buying early access, much like what happened with Tribes; Ascend. In addition to that early access comes with the game, you get several sets of aesthetics, which can be traded at any time. Also, with the early access comes more time to practice and be good, before it goes live.
Myself, I don't really understand why they're charging (apart from the aesthetics and early access), but it's up to them and going to be free later on. In my opinion, the games easily worth 100$. Obviously no one would charge that much, but I never played a DOTA style game before League 2 summers ago, and since the International 1 i've tried HoN, but got bored and since getting a key that November, haven't looked back.
Oh, also, as delta said, they don't have all the servers out too, so it helps with the costs of setting those up.
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Starter edition is free.
Dota2's free on release, and keys are abundant enough that the game is virtually free. I have 9 keys left after giving some to my friends, and I haven't gotten half as many keys as some people.
I don't understand this. If there are so many keys available, why not just make it available to eveyone for download on the site?
Because technically, the games still beta. You're buying early access, much like what happened with Tribes; Ascend. In addition to that early access comes with the game, you get several sets of aesthetics, which can be traded at any time. Also, with the early access comes more time to practice and be good, before it goes live.
Myself, I don't really understand why they're charging (apart from the aesthetics and early access), but it's up to them and going to be free later on. In my opinion, the games easily worth 100$. Obviously no one would charge that much, but I never played a DOTA style game before League 2 summers ago, and since the International 1 i've tried HoN, but got bored and since getting a key that November, haven't looked back.
Oh, also, as delta said, they don't have all the servers out too, so it helps with the costs of setting those up.
They charge so the ammount of players with no idea of what they are getting into leave with a bad first impression.
They're making the tutorials and nailing the game modes/populating the store/fixing the bugs with a player base already loyal to DOTA.
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Starter edition is free.
Dota2's free on release, and keys are abundant enough that the game is virtually free. I have 9 keys left after giving some to my friends, and I haven't gotten half as many keys as some people.
I don't understand this. If there are so many keys available, why not just make it available to eveyone for download on the site?
The percieved exclusivity makes it attractive and makes keys seem valuable. It's pure marketing.
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Starter edition is free.
Dota2's free on release, and keys are abundant enough that the game is virtually free. I have 9 keys left after giving some to my friends, and I haven't gotten half as many keys as some people.
I don't understand this. If there are so many keys available, why not just make it available to eveyone for download on the site?
The percieved exclusivity makes it attractive and makes keys seem valuable. It's pure marketing.
Not really. Sure, marketing plays a part, but they do this for several reasons:
1. They want to make a full-fledged tutorial/training mode for new players. Dota has a huge learning curve and if everyone can play now, a lot of noobs are gonna have a negative experience and not come back. So at the moment what they're doing is quite clever. They let in people who are already fans of Dota or who are genuinely curious enough to get keys for it. 2. They also have to have time to set up all the servers. For example, Australian servers just went up in the past month. 3. They don't have all the heroes and content they want to put in the game yet.
I believe once all these things have been done to Valve's satisfaction the game will be released. The thing that probably takes the most time is porting the heroes and tutorial, since valve handing out so many keys probably mean they have the server capacity.
On January 21 2013 07:19 []Phase[] wrote: So what will blizzard all-stars do for me that dota 2 doesnt do? If they are indeed releasing it apart from starcraft aka not for free, I am not sure I would want to buy it, especially after the rather disappointing diablo 3. I definatly am going to play hots since there is no real alternative. But all-starts already has plenty of alternatives.
Starter edition is free.
Dota2's free on release, and keys are abundant enough that the game is virtually free. I have 9 keys left after giving some to my friends, and I haven't gotten half as many keys as some people.
I don't understand this. If there are so many keys available, why not just make it available to eveyone for download on the site?
The percieved exclusivity makes it attractive and makes keys seem valuable. It's pure marketing.
Not really. Sure, marketing plays a part, but they do this for several reasons:
1. They want to make a full-fledged tutorial/training mode for new players. Dota has a huge learning curve and if everyone can play now, a lot of noobs are gonna have a negative experience and not come back. So at the moment what they're doing is quite clever. They let in people who are already fans of Dota or who are genuinely curious enough to get keys for it. 2. They also have to have time to set up all the servers. For example, Australian servers just went up in the past month. 3. They don't have all the heroes and content they want to put in the game yet.
I believe once all these things have been done to Valve's satisfaction the game will be released. The thing that probably takes the most time is porting the heroes and tutorial, since valve handing out so many keys probably mean they have the server capacity.
It does have a bit to do with perception though, hence why they aren't calling it "Beta" anymore. Now it's "early access."
On March 03 2013 20:28 Kakaru2 wrote: Any news linking it to whatever Blizzard will announce at PAX?
I don't believe it'll be BAS at PAXEast; Blizzard sent the teaser image to WoW fansites only, SC/Diablo fansites did not receive them. This in mind, it leads me to believe it'll have to do with WC.
On March 03 2013 20:28 Kakaru2 wrote: Any news linking it to whatever Blizzard will announce at PAX?
I don't believe it'll be BAS at PAXEast; Blizzard sent the teaser image to WoW fansites only, SC/Diablo fansites did not receive them. This in mind, it leads me to believe it'll have to do with WC.
On May 31 2013 07:00 digmouse wrote: With the recent restart of Titan and redistribution of staff and resources to BAS maybe we'll see it at BlizzCon this year.
Wouldn't surprise me if they postponed it till next year, Blizzard has always delayed games if they believed it could be produced better, or enhanced or if they it wouldn't be up to their standards. And quite frankly if they want to get into the MoBA scene (which they really do), then its best they go down this path, as releasing anything short of a revolutionary fun, action packed, and totally different MoBA, will most certainly not help them to catch up with the titans that are DoTA 2 and LoL.
I have faith in them, I'm sure this is doable, with the bright minds they have on their team, lets just wait and see, perhaps we will have an announcement at the next BlizzCon.
On May 31 2013 07:00 digmouse wrote: With the recent restart of Titan and redistribution of staff and resources to BAS maybe we'll see it at BlizzCon this year.
On May 31 2013 07:00 digmouse wrote: With the recent restart of Titan and redistribution of staff and resources to BAS maybe we'll see it at BlizzCon this year.
Source?
It's also in the video description, .
On May 31 2013 07:05 Destructicon wrote: Wouldn't surprise me if they postponed it till next year, Blizzard has always delayed games if they believed it could be produced better, or enhanced or if they it wouldn't be up to their standards. And quite frankly if they want to get into the MoBA scene (which they really do), then its best they go down this path, as releasing anything short of a revolutionary fun, action packed, and totally different MoBA, will most certainly not help them to catch up with the titans that are DoTA 2 and LoL.
I have faith in them, I'm sure this is doable, with the bright minds they have on their team, lets just wait and see, perhaps we will have an announcement at the next BlizzCon.
The game will follow the D3 standard, every hero will have a unique "mana"-resource ;} Scheduled for early 2030 release.
Sad to hear that Titan is rebooted, like I have not waited long enough to see atleast a screenshot from it However I wonder if this will lead to more devs devoted to improving battlenet.
On June 01 2013 04:36 Nausea wrote: The game will follow the D3 standard, every hero will have a unique "mana"-resource ;} Scheduled for early 2030 release.
Sad to hear that Titan is rebooted, like I have not waited long enough to see atleast a screenshot from it However I wonder if this will lead to more devs devoted to improving battlenet.
Hahaha, that'd certainly make for an interesting aspect, but I don't see that happening, .