Dota 6.xx has been released for about a month. There are about a dozen new heroes in the game... as ever there is a rather steep learning curve to each of them. Most people who've used the new heroes have sucked rather badly, but then the potential for "owning" with them is pretty good because not many people know how to deal with the new threats. The Gambler is an example of this : 90% of the people who play him suck so bad, they are essentially like free food for eating by the enemy team = ) But I met one gambler who had a half decent idea of how to play, and it gave me the essential idea of how to play it. So, for one game, I was the God of Gamblers. =p An almost guaranteed 2700 damage attack is hard to survive, especially since my hero has WindWalk (granted by the Lothar's Edge). The Gambler is one of the more innovating heroes to appear in Dota, adding another dimension to its play : the damage he does to the enemy is dependant on his total cash, and he has to balance the need for buying items (for survivibility) against the need for holding cash in order to do damage. And the "betting" system required quick thinking and reflexes to say the least.
I guess this is how the free flow of information works in online games. Previously in games each player had their own secret tricks and strategies, and a new innovation would take several months or years to catch on in other parts of the world (like a new russian chess opening) whereas nowadays the moment anyone comes across a new tactic, it spreads around the world in literally days. We have slow motion replays from any angle, and internet forums which endlessly discuss and describe what's hot and new.
I would like to think the face of gaming is changing. The winners are not necessarily the ones with the most skill to play the games, the winners are the ones with the greatest adaptability and innovation. The trend has been shifting towards games which are changing dynamically. The moment a game has its rules set in stone, it dies a small death, because it makes it harder for newcomers to compete against more senior players : with their vast knowledge of experience, every trick a newcomer tries will probably have appeared sometime in the past. If a game is constantly evolving, it reduces the overwhelming advantage that the existing players has, and also keeps the game fresh and interesting for them : encouraging old players to keep playing, and encouraging new players to join in.
2 comments:
This may be true....but I think most of the time this "innovation" is actually just hacking/abuse of the system of the game. Something that's not very uncommon in the gaming world.
In the end, innovation becomes "cheesing" and what follows is "game balance patch", something that the developers didn't foresee and thus ban the usage of such cheese. Magic Cards and haxx0rz card combinations is another example.
Besides, as someone discovers the "innovation", all his opponents will realise what a "cheeser" the tactic really is and in their next game immitate said tactic. It doesn't take long to catch on IMHO. The Medusa x Manta Style build as example is another cheese. =.=
Competitive gaming I believe is also about how a team develops "tactics" or "cheeses". The last cheese i came across was, Medusa + Goblin Techies + Misc Farmers. I guess you of all ppl know how cheese medusa is. Couple that with the disruptive nature of the goblin techies at the beginning of the game. Just suicide the heroes....if they try to run away, medusa will purge and they can't do anything...
By mid game, its too late. Medusa is fed and also fed by farmers and pwn all other heroes. Cheese. Don't like AP games.
in the first place all "real" competitions, or rather any half serious one will be in the following format : best out of 3, normal pick, swap sides for first two matches, and then some method of choosing side for tiebreaker. medusa and goblin techies can never be on same team =p
Post a Comment