Fighting Beside the Heroes of Newerth

by Jeff Haynes - IGN.com | 01 September 2009 12:00
 
We join the field of battle with the upcoming DotA mod.
 
When Blizzard released Warcraft III six years ago, they provided players with the means to build their own maps and variations on the gameplay. One of the most popular ones was Defense of the Ancients, a team based battle environment where players attempted to destroy the opposing side's buildings at their base (known as Ancients). Over time, many players have attempted to make refinements and variations to the formula, placing their own unique spin on the base defense genre. The latest title to take up this mantle is Heroes of Newerth, an upcoming DotA clone from S2 Games. I had a chance to check out a few matches of the game to see what players can expect when the game is finally released.
 
Like Defense of the Ancients, Heroes of Newerth is a base defense styled game set in the world of Newerth, a realm explored in the Savage and Savage 2 games. Players aren't provided with a storyline or any details like that, so even if you've played the previous Savage titles, you're not specifically picking up any plots from there; instead, you and up to four other players on your team will take on similar odds as you try to weaken your enemies and their AI spawned solders by destroying turrets, smashing buildings and eliminating defenders. Before you take the field of battle, however, you select which team you're going to play on: the Legion or the Hellborne. Both factions are neutral in powers and advantages, although the game does calculate the odds of one side winning or losing a battle based off of a player's win/loss percentages and stats. As a result, hosts of a game can attempt to balance games by shuffling teams, kicking out players to provide a larger handicap for stronger players, or other options before players select avatars and prepare to play.
 

Attacking creeps and other players are just part of the strategy.

Once teams are selected, players are provided with two minutes to pick from more than forty separate heroes, each with their own individual strengths and abilities. These heroes are broken up into three separate classifications: Strength, Intelligence and Agility, allowing players to determine their role in battle based on their playing style. This can vary from a tank role that unloads a ton of damage to ranged attackers. Regardless of the selection, each character goes into battle with four specific abilities that are inherent to that hero. All of these abilities are upgradable as you gain a level, and while some are passive skills, others can be boosted in power four times, unleashing stronger attacks on enemies at the cost of higher mana. Furthermore, at least one of these abilities are an ultimate move that takes longer to refresh, but can easily turn the tide during large battles. For some characters, this may involve wielding lightning spells, while others use fire or chains to destroy their opponents. Once heroes are chosen and sides have indicated that they are ready, the game loads up, immediately placing you on one of three different maps.
 
At the start of each match, players are provided with a basic amount of gold which they can immediately spend on items to upgrade their heroes at the store next to their base. Upgrades take the form of various weapons, consumable goods and items that can be purchased at stores that are scattered around, all of which will increase your character's strength, health regeneration or speed. However, if you're looking for more significant boosts in power, you'll want to take advantage on one of the recipes offered by store owners, who combine various items together to forge a stronger artifact. This is a standard element that DotA players are accustomed to, but there do seem to be a few twists. For one, instead of having to worry about couriers to carry your items for you, players can click on a store and instantly purchase equipment they want or need to complete recipes as soon as they have the cash. The next time you approach the store, you can instantly access your gear and get back into the fight faster. The other twist is that there are eleven different kinds of stores, including secret shops and outposts, who only sell rare items. Frequently, if you're looking for a powerful item, you'll have to go searching for the store that hosts this equipment, which could be dangerous, but worth your time and trouble.
 

There's a ton of shops and recipes to take advantage of.

Apart from these elements, players will encounter a large number of creeps scattered across the map that can be used to improve your characters and earn some cash. After a short period of time, creeps spawn in, and progressively get stronger after every five minutes or so. This will give you another chance to strengthen your characters, and while there are easy, moderate and hard creeps, there is one creep called the Kongor that is found near the center of every map. A daunting beast that appears to be made from solid rock, the Kongor packs ten thousand health points and an equally high amount of mana, the Kongor is one of those creatures that would be a challenge for even the best players. Fortunately, you're not required to fight the Kongor to win a match.
 
Heroes of Newerth may be a new title, but it already has an extremely strong following, with many players creating and launching dozens of new games. The beta currently has three separate maps that can be fought across, and players are able to establish a large number of filters to tailor make their game experience, including whether players will be provided a random hero, if veterans are allowed to play with newcomers and if people that quit or disconnect frequently are allowed to join. It's still early in the game's development, but the current visuals on each map are extremely strong, and show off excellent foliage movement as well as dynamic lighting throughout. We'll have more on Heroes of Newerth soon.
 
Supplied by IGN.com