
At first glance, I have some issues with this development. The game is basically an exact copy of DOTA. I guess that the success DOTA has achieved on Battle.net has prompted developers to bring the title to its own game, therefore separating it from Warcraft III. The only valid reason to make this move would be if the game had flaws that could be avoided by creating a stand alone game. If that is not the motivation, then it is a money driven cause, and if that is the case, I expect a huge disappointment.
Lets look at what the game will bring to the table above the DOTA experience.
- Summoner - This is just a fancy word for the avatar you create when you make an account in the game. The avatar will be rewarded with gear as you win games, making it fully customized and unique. You can also unlock different maps and modes as you push to higher levels, and I would assume that tournaments and match play would use avatar status to determine fair and competitive opponents. This feature, although cute and colorful, actually does nothing, it is just an avatar (which is basically a face for an account name). The gear your avatars where can not be used, it just makes you look different, which I do not consider an upgrade from DOTA.
- New Heroes and Items - DOTA currently has over 90 heroes to choose from. League of Legends has released nearly 20 heroes for the beta version, and has a feature that lets users send ideas for new heroes. It is fair to assume that this game with eventually have more then 90 heroes to choose from, but it will be a growing process from here forward. I expect they would release the game with around 40 heroes, with hopes of expanding about a hero per week. This feature, although cute and colorful, is basically new faces to old heroes. If you look at the hero ability list on the website, League of Legend heroes mirror all the DOTA heroes. To be honest, what DOTA has done with their hero list is outstanding and original, they actually released two new characters in the past month, and both bring unique abilities to the game. I do not consider giving old heroes new faces upgrading the game. Read this section again and switch the word "hero" with "item", literally.
- Cartoon Graphics - One easy knock on DOTA are the graphics. Warcraft III was released in 2002, and DOTA uses the graphics within that game. It is actually amazing that a game released in 2002 is still being played by millions of users on a daily basis (yes, I said millions). DOTA basically has been making gold out of copper running on the Warcraft III engine. The real question is, how many pro DOTA players really have a problem with it? The graphics in League of Legends look to be extremely cartoon. This means characters appear bubbly instead of pixel bunched. I can remember a few games that got worse as the graphics got better, and the reason is only really understood by gaming pros. The more control you have over each specific movement of your character, the easier it is to "micro" (micromanagement of a unit). This idea has a direct connection to the outcome of many situations in DOTA: escaping death, running through and around fog, last hitting and denying creeps, towers, and heroes, creep blocking, pulling creeps, etc. All of these moves demand a high level of coordination, and rely heavily on timing and precision. When it comes to graphics, the better they are, they harder it is. This is my theory, some will agree, some will disagree. Reviews will tell the true story. Either way, I do not consider better graphics being an upgrade to the game.
- Multiple Maps - DOTA runs off of one map, League of Legends will have many to choose from. This is without a doubt an upgrade that I fully think will enhance the gaming experience, but how hard would it be to make new maps in DOTA? Probably not very hard. Still, advantage League of Legends.
From what I can read, those are the features that make Leauge of Legends different from DOTA. I'm sure there are some details I have overlooked, or have not learned about yet, so please inform me of any info you come across. I would love to hear from anyone beta testing this game. I am glad that DOTA is making steps into making there own game, but I fear that they are doing it completely wrong. The good news is that DOTA has a huge fan base, so reaching even a quarter of the mass will be enough to get the game going. From there, its gonna be a race between pulling people in, and watching people leave. I wish this game the best of luck, but have my doubts. I would also like to note that DOTA remains free to play, and with the release of Battle.net2 coming soon, should expect a huge boost in gaming engine capabilities...
How much will League of Legends cost? What will be the monthly fee? How stable will the gaming engine be? How smooth and often will there be upgrades?
More to come....
-GAME HARD-










