Defense of the Ancients
Defense of the Ancients ( DotA short ) is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena ( " MOBA " ) or an action real-time strategy game ( engl. action real - time strategy, " ARTS "). It is developed over time by various hobby programmers card for the real-time strategy game Warcraft 3, its expansion, The Frozen Throne and StarCraft II Since 2005 drives a developer under the pseudonym Icefrog the development of DotA ahead. There are several variants DotA, DotA Allstars but is by far the most developed and most popular. In July 2013, the successor of Dota 2 was released as a standalone game.
The origins of DotA based roughly on the gameplay of StarCraft map Aeon of Strife. The objective of the player is to destroy the opponent's main building, the heavily guarded Ancient. It play two teams against each other, while each player controls a powerful hero unit and is supported by AI-controlled units called creeps in this task. As in role-playing games, the player equips the course of the game from his hero with objects and collect experience points to help his hero gains a level, where you can reach the maximum of level 25.
Defense of the Ancients considered the founder of the MOBA genre, the German print magazine PC Games DotA designated as " probably the most famous [ and ] one of the most popular strategy game mods in the world".
Gameplay
In Defense of the Ancients pits two teams of up to five players with optional two referees or observers against each other: the Sentinel and the Scourge. Player of the Sentinel teams start in the southwest area of the map and players from the Scourge team in the northeastern territory in their respective bases. Each base is defended by towers and waves of units which patrol the main routes. In the center of each base is the Ancient, a main building whose destruction is the goal.
Each player controls a hero, a powerful unit with unique abilities. In Allstars are 112 heroes available, each with different abilities and tactical advantages over other heroes. The gameplay is very team- oriented, so it is very difficult for a single player to bring your own team alone to win. Nevertheless, there are some heroes that are strong enough with enough time to decide the outcome of a battle with the heroes of the opposing team to one's advantage can.
Since the gameplay is the strengthening of individual heroes at the center, it is not necessary to focus as in most traditional real-time strategy games on resource management and base construction. By defeating computer-controlled or neutral units earns the player experience points through which his hero from a certain value gains a level. The upgrade to a higher level improves the characteristics of the hero and the damage he inflicts, also allows players to improve their spells or skills. In addition to the experience gained, the player must also manage another resource: gold. The typical resource gathering of Warcraft III is replaced by a battle- concrete teres resource system; next to a small regular income earn hero gold by defeating enemy and neutral units, structures, and enemy heroes. With gold players can buy items to strengthen their hero and gain new skills. Certain items can be combined with recipes to produce powerful items. The acquisition of suitable objects for his own hero, to adapt to the situation, is an important tactical element of the game.
Allstars is a game manager at the beginning of the game a variety of game modes to choose from. The game modes dictate the difficulty of the scenario, as well as deciding whether players may choose their hero or get a hero randomly assigned. Many game modes can be combined (example: easy Difficulty with random heroes selection), allowing more and more flexible options are available.
Development
In 2002, Blizzard Entertainment released the third part of the Warcraft universe, a real-time strategy game called Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. With the computer game and the map editor world editor has been included. Players could construct with the world editor custom maps ( custom maps ). Ranging from small changes such as a change in landscape or newly added items, you could also make a completely new structure compared to conventional cards. As a result of hobby projects created popular cards such as different variants of the games Tower Defense and DotA.
The first versions of Defense of the Ancients was released in 2003 by a player under the name Eul based on the map Aeon of Strife for StarCraft. However Eul looked after the card only at times of Reign of Chaos and it later due to time constraints the development of a DotA. Parallel to his resignation, he took the modification protection of DotA and made it so other players to create new versions to suit their individual needs. In the meantime further DotA different versions that competed in the period after withdrawal Euls each other over the succession appeared.
Finally, the Allstars variant set by the developer Steve Feak alias Guinsoo. DotA Allstars contained a compilation of the most popular heroes from the most recent DotA versions and sat down with notable innovations from the competition. So Defense of the Ancients Feak owes the introduction of the important recipes and the powerful boss character Roshan. From this point, but you could only play on the expansion, The Frozen Throne DotA because Allstars was created with the new improved world editor of The Frozen Throne, and this is not able to create cards on both Warcraft III parts are playable. Guinsoo DotA Allstars developed until version 6.01, but then gave the job as a developer of Allstars for personal reasons.
On 18 March 2005, the first version was published by the current development Icefrog. With Icefrog more professionalism came in the development and objectives of DotA. He pays special attention on making DotA e-sport - friendly. Under him, the conditions for a fair play was created, reducing the playing time due to changes such as weaker defense building. He thus contributed to the fact that DotA was out of his niche as one of the most popular multiplayer games in the world. October 5, 2009 IceFrog announced the cooperation with the company Valve Corporation.
The advancement of Defense of the Ancients is maintained to this day through the official forums. DotA is characterized by a strong community; Players can propose ideas for new heroes or items, some of which are added to the map. Some have even contributed images and descriptions heroes of the game and created the drawing, which can be seen during the match preparation.
Success and legacy
The popularity of Defense of the Ancients increased over time. So Allstars was slowly World Cyber Games Asian Championships played an important tournament game, starting with his appearance at the premiere of Blizzard's BlizzCon in 2005. DotA is also in Malaysia and Singapore at the World Cyber Games since 2005 and since the 2006 season. Defense of the Ancients is in the squad for the game internationally recognized Cyber Athlete Amateur League and the Cyber Evolution leagues. In addition, the Electronic Sports World Cup ( ESWC ) took the game DotA for 2008 and 2010 in its program; ESWCs contest director Oliver Paradis pointed out that among the high level of support from the community as well as its worldwide recognition to the selection criteria.
The modification is in many parts of the world popular, eg in the Philippines and in Thailand, where it has the same status as Counter- Strike. Allstars is also very popular in Sweden and other Northern European countries, where the DotA -inspired song Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelar DotA the Top Ten singles charts cracked by Swedish musician Basshunter in Sweden, Norway and Finland and in the European charts in 2006 place 116 reached. LAN tournaments are a major part of the international competition, including tournaments in Sweden and Russia, but due to a lack of LAN tournaments and championships in North America already several teams were disbanded. Blizzard called DotA as an example of what dedicated hobby developers can achieve with just a few tools themselves.
Due to his success increasingly similar games have been developed in recent times. The first known reaction was Demigod, what John Comes, lead designer of Gas Powered Games, Defense of the Ancients as one of the sources of inspiration called. The administrator of the former Allstars Forum Steve " Pendragon " MesCon and former developer of Allstars Steve Feak were hired by Riot Games and worked on League of Legends with. Another way, however, proposed a development team S2 Games: Your game Heroes of Newerth took over the complete game mechanics and most of the content in the game of DotA. So, the last few years, a new computer game genre that has become detached from the real-time strategy games and, influenced by DotA, became known to a wider audience.
On 13 October 2010 Valve announced that, together with DotA developer IceFrog on Dota 2, the official sequel to the game to work. In addition to new graphics, sound, and a matchmaking system, there will be a community-based coaching system that is designed to help beginners in mastering the game.
Problems and limitations
Defense of the Ancients is generally regarded as a beginner- unfriendly game. Newcomers need a great deal of time because of the high complexity if only for the basics. However, there are special cards (so-called AI - Maps), where you can compete against computer -controlled bots to learn the game. Another allegation is often the behavior of players in public games. A newcomer is rarely given assistance - and he is on the contrary often vilified because of its weak performance by his own teammates, because it is seen as a burden for the team and is often the cause of defeat.
Also leave in public games players often prematurely the game. This is particularly serious in DotA, as the appropriate team has to get to the end of the game without him with the dropouts. Also, DotA is limited in its technical development. So missing built Rankings and statistics as well as sanctions against the deliberate abandonment of games. These features had to be only externally developed and submitted by the community.
Others use community platforms to bring together players and the user to exclude temporarily or permanently from their own community for breaches of rules. The rules vary in their hardness. Some only punish the abandonment of the game, others punish verbal attacks or establish complicated regulations of game play as they are to be found in some DotA leagues.