The beta client is only useable on a special unlocked version of steam, so no sharing.
Valve is doing a lot of creative things with it. They have "classic" mode that is 1 for 1 true to WC3 DotA and a ton of new modes for play as well.
Classic Mode: None of the changes, 100% WC3 Dota
Normal Mode: Orb updates, bug fixes, etc
Easy Mode: No EXP loss from deny, no gold loss on death, etc
All Random All Mid: I give you 1 guess.
Fortress Mode: 1 team is attacking while the other defends, defending team can buy traps, attacking team can buy creeps.
Arena Mode: FFA or teamed death match
Wild Mode: Random heroes with random skills.
Free Mode: No cool downs with no mana cost on skills.
Commander Mode: When you die you are changed into another hero with the same items and same level. The first side to run out of heroes or to lose their base loses.
Really they have done wonderful job porting DotA play over.
The UI aids in last hitting (you can turn it off) where things that you can kill with a melee attack glow a little, Items are pure copies of the DotA items but they reworked the orb system. Also the shop is crazy well designed.
The game is still Str/Agi/Int but most Int heroes have at least 1 spell that scales off their Int at least a little.
Not posting pics or anything as my brother (who got me into the beta) said if I post anything they can sue his ass for all he has ever made working for them.
Looks a little like the HoN shop but you can set up an auto shop where it auto buys items for you based on the gold you have. So you can tell it at X gold when you are in range of the shop have it buy X items.
It is not that bad. Like some of them do it interesting ways even. Like Puck's Illusory Orb costs 10 mana less per 20 int you have.
Classic mode is still as long. Easy Mode goes about 20-30 mins most the time. The other modes are all over the place.
Orb effects are 100% redone with a new system. Not going to go into the meat of it as it is still in flux.
Animation canceling works just like in DotA.
All the heroes are ported tho only about 75% of them are turned on most the time, the other 25% are turned on for testing them and then turned off again if they are not ready.
The models are mostly new, easy to tell what hero is what tho. only about 45% of heroes have VA right now but for the most part it is good.
A lot of the TF2 and Portal VAs are doing Dota 2 work.
Oh also there are 8 maps right now tho some of them only really work for their modes (like the All Random All Mid map).
I don't know really.
Tho the fact that TF2 went free makes me think Dota 2 will not.
Also the in game store only has hero skins and such listed in it so it seems all heroes will be unlocked from the start.
But ya 8 maps right now we have been getting 1 each week for the last 4 weeks tho and they say more is on the way.
They are doing some interesting things to mess with the classic style of play on the map so they have been fun so far. Tho some heroes are a little better on some maps then others.
If they allow all the maps competitive play then events will be crazy fun to watch.
Also our NDA is dated to be lifted the same day as Gamescon.
They are playing to do a huge event with a playable Demo there.
Rumor is public beta starting then too.
All the heroes look cool but the animations are changed but the heroes don't really look the same as they do in Dota.
Their looks are changed around a lot but you get used too it fast, they look like their names.
Well I am not an insider but I know what my brother has been telling me.
More or less Icefrog is worried Guinsoo will steal their new modes or make legal issues.
Gabe is more or less a Icefrog fanboy (they spend a lot of time in the office having one on one meetings and shit) so he has full control of his project.
They agreed the name Dota 2 is all the marketing it needs to get a huge start there is no reason to waste money marketing it.
So ya that is way we are going to only see stuff for the first time this Gamescon.
I am not the best at explaining graphics but I will try.
The game over all looks bright, the map has nice contrast to the heroes and it is east to see units on top of it. The units over all have vary complex models that look great if a little on the dark side.
Techies (who I play the most) is now a cart with 2 goblins in the back holding a bomb and 1 goblin in the front. Their spell effects look really good too.
Phantom Lancer looks much more like a lion man and is a darker blue.
Pit Lord is fully redone and looks like a huge hell dog with two heads and dragon wings.
But ya over all they look great.
My brother is a programer as valve and they give out 4 codes to each person that is working on the project.
We had sign a huge NDA to get in then they mail us a special copy of Steam that we have to use.
For the most part people joke around about leaking shit but know that if we get found out the person who got us in gets fired and has to pay a huge fee.
That is why no images as it will start a head hunt inside valve.
Over all the testing has been great with almost no bugs. Some heroes had wonky shit like Phantom Lancer had a bug that made it so all his attacks made clones and all his clones attacks made clones. Had a game where we all went down to 5 FPS after there was over 2,000 clones on the screen just eating anything that moved.
But once they get the last few heroes rolling it will be fully ready for open testing then releasing
There is a great tutorial for the game over all explaining each little thing about the game with videos and a tutorial for each hero as well.
A great single player training mode to learn how to play in as well.
Oh a few things about the launcher it's self.
Has full support for Clans, Tournaments, etc within the UI it's self.
To set up a Tournament all you have to do is pick the mode you want, the rules being used, if bans are being used or if you want to pre-ban heroes, then if it is open or invite only. Once you have it set up it will show up on the list of open tournaments or the players you invited will get a message.
As teams sign up (as a clan) it will auto make brackets based on their clan ranking (tho the tournament maker can change brackets as needed for seeds and such).
Then when it is time for the games to take place a message goes out to the players and it auto matches people for the game, after each game it updates the bracket and sends out invites for the next game.
There is a full spectator mode for any public game that allows you to see tons of info and also lets you mess around with the UI for it. Like if you want to only see the stats for 1 team then you can make it show that, if you want full info on only one player then you can get a full UI based around that one person, etc.
Makes it great when watching replays of your games to work out what you did right or wrong.
Over all the most professional game interfaces I have ever seen.
Ummm... 1 of the maps has no lanes and is just a huge jungle. Has some real interesting ganking play tho wards kind of ruin the map, I have put in more then one report explaining why they need to be disabled on the map.
There is a 3v3v3 map that makes for some fun play but it is not fully up yet, they have us test it, write reports, then they take it back down till they rework it.
It is not like the 6th version now.
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