There is the World Tree on one corner of the map. The Frozen throne is in the other. 3 lanes, all of which lead to the same goal. Crush them, or they'll crush you. Such is the premise of Defense of the Ancients, a mod for Blizzard's WarCraft 3: The Frozen Throne.
This review is based on the latest version of the map as of this writing (6.59 and its variants).
DotA is basically WarCraft 3 but with less micromanagement (more on this later). Groups of creeps will spawn at regular intervals along the aforementioned lanes. There are three towers at each lane and two more guarding the Frozen Throne/World Tree. The object of the game is to destroy the Frozen Throne/World Tree. WarCraft 3 introduced the concept of Hero Units, and this is where DotA went crazy as there is a hero unit for most of the character models in the RTS. There are more than 70 heroes for each of the two rivaling factions, all of which come equipped with skills they must learn as they progress their levels. There are also many items which you must dress your heroes with to help you and your team to crush the opposition. The premise is simple, but it contains the formula for addiction.
There is no resource gathering here. Money is made depending on the units you kill and structures you destroy (kill/destroy means that it must be you who deals the last blow). Progress has been made to the game so that Gold (you need it to buy items) acquisition is more streamlined.
Like most mods, this one does not require you to know the base game, but it will certainly help, since most skills are pulled directly from the game, albeit with minor visual tweaks. However, unlike other mods wherein you are encouraged to copy what the veterans do in order to progress, there is no place for newbies in DotA. Most of the online community don't take kindly to them. This is because you're an automatic liability to your team if you keep getting yourself killed. So, if you want to learn to play, it is highly suggested to play closed games with friends and learn there.
The game is not terribly unbalanced. However, there are instances when certain heroes become nigh-invincible killing machines with the right items. This enforces the fact that teamwork is paramount to success.
Bottom line: If you want to play WarCraft but can't be bothered to learn the complexities of the base game, DotA is a good mod for you. It will bring out your sadistic, ultra-competitive maniac if you give it a chance. Just be warned that there is a brick wall of a barrier to entry.
This review is based on the latest version of the map as of this writing (6.59 and its variants).
DotA is basically WarCraft 3 but with less micromanagement (more on this later). Groups of creeps will spawn at regular intervals along the aforementioned lanes. There are three towers at each lane and two more guarding the Frozen Throne/World Tree. The object of the game is to destroy the Frozen Throne/World Tree. WarCraft 3 introduced the concept of Hero Units, and this is where DotA went crazy as there is a hero unit for most of the character models in the RTS. There are more than 70 heroes for each of the two rivaling factions, all of which come equipped with skills they must learn as they progress their levels. There are also many items which you must dress your heroes with to help you and your team to crush the opposition. The premise is simple, but it contains the formula for addiction.
There is no resource gathering here. Money is made depending on the units you kill and structures you destroy (kill/destroy means that it must be you who deals the last blow). Progress has been made to the game so that Gold (you need it to buy items) acquisition is more streamlined.
Like most mods, this one does not require you to know the base game, but it will certainly help, since most skills are pulled directly from the game, albeit with minor visual tweaks. However, unlike other mods wherein you are encouraged to copy what the veterans do in order to progress, there is no place for newbies in DotA. Most of the online community don't take kindly to them. This is because you're an automatic liability to your team if you keep getting yourself killed. So, if you want to learn to play, it is highly suggested to play closed games with friends and learn there.
The game is not terribly unbalanced. However, there are instances when certain heroes become nigh-invincible killing machines with the right items. This enforces the fact that teamwork is paramount to success.
Bottom line: If you want to play WarCraft but can't be bothered to learn the complexities of the base game, DotA is a good mod for you. It will bring out your sadistic, ultra-competitive maniac if you give it a chance. Just be warned that there is a brick wall of a barrier to entry.
