News Valve confirms 2011 launch for DOTA 2

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2011/08/02/valve-confirms-2011-launch-for-dota-2/1

 

Dat million

 

I am still waiting for HL2- Episode 3...WTF

 

"I am still waiting for HL2- Episode 3...WTF" think that's what everyone is feeling

 

1 million for pre-selected teams that play in a supposedly much different form of the game?
I prefer the way Riot did it...
gave teams a chance to learn and evolve on their own, and the ones that showed up at the finals actually deserved it...
this however, doesn't allow for new teams to be formed, nor for new players to get there...
also... it'll prolly be on Source...
and I hate the engine... slow as hell... (sure it did a lot, but srsly, they need a new one)

 

+1

 

Valve time works in mysterious ways, we'll see what happens.

 

Knew it,
Valve were down to show a 'RTS' at gamescom this year and it was obvious it was going to be DOTA2.
Really wanted to go to gamescom this year after enjoying it soo much last year but it falls on the weekend of our engagement party and i dont think i can get out of that one :s

 

So now that this has been announced I cant wait for DOTA 2 next year. Going to be awesome.

 

I want L4D3! /sarcasm

 

Indeed it does... in 2 months time it will be 4 years since EP2 came out.

 

I really hope Episode 3 doesnt turn out to be the next 'Duke Nukem'...

 

N'ah, it's just Vavle are doing other stuff at the moment.

If DNF was late only because 3D Realms were working on other things, think how many new games would we have?

 

Actually, Source is one of the fastest engines still being used; I can run Portal 2 on my laptop with medium settings (no AA) at roughly 40FPS. That's on an i3 380M with the integrated graphics and 2 gigs on ram.

Source might not look as nice as Unreal Engine 3, but it certainly runs a lot faster. Infact, the only real problems source are the limits such has maximum models and stuff. Overwise Source is pretty much perfect, especially with the new lighting system in Portal 2.

 

ok... I love RTS, they are the reason why Im a PC gamer, tho I play every type of video games.

But this DOTA is something Im really having trouble trying to understand to the point it makes me angry lol.

DOTA its a warcraft III map made in the editor, right? where you fight in teams to destroy the enmies's ancient, right?

why is valve "oficialy" launching DOTA 2?, its there besides the warcraft III map a game called that. does valve a series of video games called "defense of the ancients"?... I think im goin crazy with this!!!

 

They're collaborating with one of the authors of the WC3 map.

 

Episode 3 gawd damn it!

 

BT, why do you take it as read that everybody in the world knows exactly what these acronyms mean? You make a big deal about the seemingly random letters DOTA and it turns out to be just another stupid Dungeons and Dragons ripoff. Big whoop.
I'm with everybody else, Valve. Where's Half-Life 3? Too busy trying to scarf off the World of Warcraft gravy train are we? Why don't you just stick to Science Fiction games that might turn out to be closer to reality than we may realize, and leave the fairy tale games to lesser companies and minds?

 

wut


-Acronym commonly used in the gaming community. Fair enough that professional journalism should explain every acronym, though.

-Dungeons and Dragons, a table top role playing game in which players create characters and parties to play through various dungeon master determined campaigns and quests. How does that relate to a game in which players choose pre-made heroes to battle against each other and destroy the enemy base?

-A free to play, non-massively multiplayer game based off the RTS (Real Time Strategy) game Wacraft 3 which has nothing to do with World of Warcraft's playerbase.

-The game has no storyline, how is it a fairy tale?

EDIT: Since I'm bored, let me give you a run-down of what's going on.

DotA (Defense of the Ancients), is a custom map turned genre which has roots in Starcraft and fully comes to existence in Warcraft 3. The first iteration of DotA under the name Defense of the Ancients came about as a custom map for Warcraft 3, based off of the custom Starcraft map Aion of Strife. The basic gameplay found in DotA (as a genre) is based off of the gameplay of DotA (the custom map) and consists of two teams, typically of five players, competing against each other. Each player selects and controls a "hero". Heroes are character units which can level up, purchase items, and use four abilities. They are very similar to heroes found in traditional Warcraft 3 gameplay, however, players control only their hero (and any units under that hero's control such as pets) and no other units nor buildings. Now that we've got heroes figured out let's get to the map. The basic requirements for a DotA map are these:
-A base. Players cannot construct buildings like they normally would in Warcraft 3, therefore pre-made bases must exist. Each base is positioned on opposing ends of the map.
-An "Ancient". Each team wishes to destroy the enemy Ancient while defending their own. You can see where the title comes from now. Ancients are immobile buildings with no defenses.
-A "Well". An area in each team's base where heroes respawn and heal. Wells typically have some form of powerful defense to keep enemy players out of them.
-A Shop, from which players buy items for their heroes to boost their stats.
-Turrets. Since the Ancient is defenseless turrets are in place to defend it. Turrets, like everything that isn't a hero or hero's pet, are under NPC (Non-Player Character) control, even players on the turret's team cannot control it.
-Lanes. Clear pathways between each base. Turrets defend each lane to prevent enemy advance.
-Creeps. Each team is given periodically spawning NPC controlled units which follow the Lanes towards the enemy base. With help, creeps will eventually destroy the enemy Turrents and, with even more help and time, the enemy Ancient.
-Neutral creeps, similar to those found in typical Warcraft 3 gameplay. These are found in the (often forested) space between the lanes.

So with a map in place, what happens? Players guide their heroes into battle, killing neutral creeps, enemy creeps, and enemy heroes in order to get gold and experience. With that gold players buy items from the Shop. With experience players level up and gain access to higher levels of their four abilities. Again, similar to the behaviour of typical Warcraft 3 gameplay, only with a different objective and more NPC control. This battling can go up to an hour or more until eventually one team has gained enough of an advantage to destroy the enemy's turrets and, eventually, their Ancient.

Seeing as this is DotA (as a genre) gameplay as a whole there is no singleplayer aspect. Gameplay is entirely multiplayer based in a manner not unlike other Valve games such as Counter Strike: Source or Team Fortress 2. In such games setting, visual theme, and background story are largely arbitrary and only exist to either appeal to certain audiences or create a certain atmosphere. One popular DotA (genre) game, Heroes of Newerth, is set in a fictional world of "Newerth" and includes characters ranging from mermaids to robots. The setting is entirely at the developer's whim and has no impact on gameplay.

 

kzinti1, as I remember there were some copyright issues with DotA, even though it started life as a mod. Technically, the game Valve is releasing is just 'DOTA 2' and not 'Defense of the Ancients 2'. As such, BT are somewhat justified in not explaining the acronym because, at least as far as Valve are concerned, it isn't one.