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Heroes of the Storm Technical Alpha Thread: [Artifacts Removed]

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SteveWinwood said:
so blizzard isnt selling any of their other junk on their terrible client by your logic?
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Wow, confrontational much? the answer is not particularly, no.

The Battle.net App has 7 games on it.
Steam has over 8,000.

It's really apples to oranges, Dota 2 is like Walmart making a doorbuster on one product for black friday to get you inside. HotS and League are basically single products that actually have to make their own money.

I'm sorry it offends you so muc hthat the Battle.net store exists, and their other junk. Good thing based Valve is around, a paragon of virtue against this evil company.
 
Nirolak said:
Blizzard notes that the original 18 heroes are all up for potential rework to make them more interesting, and IGN mentions Raynor and ETC in particular: http://m.ign.com/articles/2014/10/17/heroes-of-the-storm-major-changes-for-the-beta-and-beyond

Nova recently got a notable rework toward this end .
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I like the idea of rotating maps in and out so that players a) don't get bored of them and b) limits the amount of maps you have to know how to play.

edit: Sucks to realize that the Variety bundle is what I should've picked up to use my B-Net balance on and it went away a few days ago.
 
Feels good to revisit this.

Working on getting my levels back up. I miss my heroes but it's good to learn someone new every once and awhile.

Feel free to add me guys, BLCKATK#1537. I'm not an amazing player but I learn quick.
 
I hope they announce a beta release date at Blizzcon. I'm really dying to try this out... all my friends on Bnet got invites and they don't even like MOBAs.
 
So far I've just been screwing around in bot matches trying out the different maps/modes and different heroes and I really like it. First blush it looks like Blizzard went in an interesting direction with Heroes of the Storm, matches seems faster, the game is a lot fightier from the get-go and the different modes for each map all seem pretty fun. It would be less interesting if they just tried to remake Defence of the Ancients when League, Dota 2 and so many other games are doing that. I really like the speed of the matches so far. Most have been like twenty minutes or under.

Never really was a big League player, mostly Dota 2, so it was a little weird having the heroes gated off at first but there isn't an overwhelming number of heroes and it seems like unlocking them through the in-game currency wouldn't take too long. I did really like that you could practice with the hero before you bought it, be it in-game or real money. I sepnt a bunch of time screwing around with heroes that aren't in the free rotation through the store. The whole leveling up a hero thing to unlock alternate ultimates, passives, skins and colour palettes is interesting. Gives you a reason to grind with a specific hero or simply rewards you if you play one a lot.

I don't know how long it will hold my interest, if it's got the longevity that Dota 2 has had for me but I'm more than interested in giving it a shot. So far it's been fun.
 
Bit frustrated that after the last wipe despite having told us that we would get all purchases credit back, I only got 1 of the 3 heroes back. They did say this is the last wipe so that's something.. Haha. For me it currently feels like a dumbed down version of the other moba games already out..
 
Finally got my invite. Played 2 matches so far, really enjoy it. Like HS it's very easy to get into, there's a lot of action but still plenty of depth or so it seems. The menus are very slick, and it looks really polished atm. Will absolutely keep playing this one.

Edit: my tag btw is FeD#2651
 
Anyone more experienced in the moba style games care to elaborate or speculate on how the mind of some of the players works in this particular genre ?

Now I've seen a a ton of trolls, dicks and assholes in my time spent gaming online but for some oddball reason its in the f2p mobas where these dna stains are allowed to flourish. I got a fairly thick skin so I just ignore them but in a lot of the games of Dota2, LoL and more recently ( like 10 mins ago ) in HotS you always get that one mouthy bastard who keeps typing about how bad the rest of the team is, calling them/us noobs and all that... yet the team wins the game regardless of all the whining!

Am I the only one who just wants to reach out through the phone lines and curbstomp these sort of people ? :P
 
Unlike many other multiplayer games, your teammates' performance has a direct impact on your own enjoyment of the game. It's quite similar to party mentality in MMOs and how people quickly lose their patience if there is one or two players not doing their "job". Unlike dungeons in MMOs, however, playing MOBAs require a lot of mental investment. You can't really auto pilot your way through it. So when people feel their time is being "wasted" by their teammates, they react much more strongly than they would in a PvE environment. Combine this with the competitive nature of MOBAs (which itself attracts a certain kind of aggressive player), and it's no wonder why people get so upset in games like these.

The Dunning Kruger effect is also in full swing in MOBAs. It's particularly bad in this genre because every player has 4 convenient scapegoats to shift the blame onto.
 
Haly said:
Unlike many other multiplayer games, your teammates' performance has a direct impact on your own enjoyment of the game. It's quite similar to party mentality in MMOs and how people quickly lose their patience if there is one or two players not doing their "job". Unlike dungeons in MMOs, however, playing MOBAs require a lot of mental investment. You can't really auto pilot your way through it. So when people feel their time is being "wasted" by their teammates, they react much more strongly than they would in a PvE environment. Combine this with the competitive nature of MOBAs (which itself attracts a certain kind of aggressive player), and it's no wonder why people get so upset in games like these.

The Dunning Kruger effect is also in full swing here. It's particularly bad in this genre because any player looking for an excuse as to why their team is losing, but also why they are not at fault have 4 convenient scapegoats to shift the blame onto.
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I suppose, although I get the feeling said player was being cranky about the fact that I spent more time supporting / healing my other team mates over him and as we all know theres no I in team... but there is 2 in Martini!
 
Repo Man said:
Anyone more experienced in the moba style games care to elaborate or speculate on how the mind of some of the players works in this particular genre ?

Now I've seen a a ton of trolls, dicks and assholes in my time spent gaming online but for some oddball reason its in the f2p mobas where these dna stains are allowed to flourish. I got a fairly thick skin so I just ignore them but in a lot of the games of Dota2, LoL and more recently ( like 10 mins ago ) in HotS you always get that one mouthy bastard who keeps typing about how bad the rest of the team is, calling them/us noobs and all that... yet the team wins the game regardless of all the whining!

Am I the only one who just wants to reach out through the phone lines and curbstomp these sort of people ? :P
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Honestly, I've been playing a buttload of HotS since the relaunch and I can count the number of games where people have flamed eachother on one hand. In my experience people barely talk at all except for the GG at the end. At this point it kind of feels like I'm playing with and against bots. I wish this game had all chat or that people would use the chat wheel more.
 
Marinius said:
Bit frustrated that after the last wipe despite having told us that we would get all purchases credit back, I only got 1 of the 3 heroes back. They did say this is the last wipe so that's something.. Haha. For me it currently feels like a dumbed down version of the other moba games already out..
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You don't get the heroes back, you get the money spent back. Did you check your battle.net balance?
 
What were artifacts? I got in alpha pretty early but I stopped playing after I found the game to be quite boring. I was hoping they would add some kind of inventory management to make the game more dynamic
 
carfo said:
I got in alpha pretty early but I stopped playing after I found the game to be quite boring. I was hoping they would add some kind of inventory management to make the game more dynamic
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I certainly hope not. I despise DOTA2 for all the activated items, can't stand that
 
carfo said:
So I never played a moba besides the custom one made with Warcraft 3. How do runes work in LoL?
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Massive, obnoxious amounts of micromanagement (like SFxT gems) that come under the guise of customization, but are really just a time/money sink that increases barrier to entry.
 
carfo said:
So I never played a moba besides the custom one made with Warcraft 3. How do runes work in LoL?
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Rune set ups confer early game stat bonuses in League. Personally I like them, and think they go a long way towards supplementing specific playstyles. They have a positive impact on League as a game, but they've caught a stigma because of the high cost associated with them. It takes hundreds of games to earn enough out of game currency to properly set up rune pages.
 
Is there anyway to unlock the Warhorse, without purchasing the Starter Bundle?

I don't see it offered standalone for coins or cash, is it unlocked through play anywhere?
 
TheYanger said:
There are a lot of activated talents though
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I must not have played high enough to see many of them yet, haha

If that's true then I would not like it. I much prefer LoL where vast majority of items are passive. I don't want another 5 spells to activate to go along with the 5 abilities that most characters have to begin with.
 
KePoW said:
I must not have played high enough to see many of them yet, haha

If that's true then I would not like it. I much prefer LoL where vast majority of items are passive. I don't want another 5 spells to activate to go along with the 5 abilities that most characters have to begin with.
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Generally there's two max - many heroes you don't take any at all.
 
Any decent reasources out there for Heroes? Places to read up on build ideas and etc.

I realize the games not horribly complicated but it's nice to know all of your options.
 
bakerbakes said:
Any decent reasources out there for Heroes? Places to read up on build ideas and etc.

I realize the games not horribly complicated but it's nice to know all of your options.
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The forums are your best bet, it's not even that there aren't lots of build options, but moreso that they change frequently since it's still Alpha.
 
TheYanger said:
The forums are your best bet, it's not even that there aren't lots of build options, but moreso that they change frequently since it's still Alpha.
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Yea I could only imagine the process of curating a dedicated HotS resource at this stage of the game.

Plus a basic understanding of synergy goes a long way in building your characters, and I like that Blizzard gives you a basic talent set which you have to level up to unlock further builds.

It's like slowly building an understand of why that Trinity Force is awesome instead of rushing it (former League player :D).
 
More Datamining of the new Alpha, courtesy of a Russian forum (via Reddit, google translate here) based primarily on vocals recorded. Not all characters may make it to live, of course. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://glasscannon.ru/2014/10/heroes-of-the-storm-datamajn-i-neanonsirovannye-geroi/

Here's the updated list.

Dehaka
Deathwing
Moira Thaurissan
Ragnaros
Gul'Dan
Kil'jaeden
Magni Bronzebeard (likely a skin for Muradin)
Grom Hellscream
Maiev Shadowsong
Queen Azshara
Shandris Feathermoon
Brann Bronzebeard
Horace Warfield
Valerian Mengsk
Samuro the Blademaster
Kael'thas Sunstrider
Sylvanas Windrunner
Rexxar
King Leoric (Skeleton King)
King Varian Wrynn
The Butcher
Gelbin Mekkatorque
Garrosh Hellscream
Gabriel Tosh
Fenix
Cho'Gall
Zul'Jin
Aggra
Lady Vashj
Thrall
Arcturus Mengsk
Cenarius
Goblin Sapper Squad
Lost Vikings
Overmind

Some of the phrases point to other evils (Baal, Mephisto, Belial, etc.) and Angels from the Diablo series coming in, and the Monk/Wizard icons are in the game, as well as icons for an SCV hero.
 
Interfectum said:
Apparently a bunch of invites were just sent out so check your b.net app. :o
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*checks*

...

HRxndej.gif
 
Just received an invite for some reason (EU). Weird that Blizzard keeps sending me early access codes (Hearthstone and now this) when the only thing I ever did with my account was playing the WoW demo.
Don't punch me I'll show myself out.

Skab said:
Why do people still think your account activity has anything to do with you getting alpha/beta invites from Blizzard?

Shits random, guys. They don't care if you play wow contantly and own all of their games or only own one that you played for like a month then stopped.
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Well it's more logical to reward your active users by giving them early access to games instead of wasting alpha test slots on people who will never bother downloading the game.
 
Why do people still think your account activity has anything to do with you getting alpha/beta invites from Blizzard?

Shits random, guys. They don't care if you play wow contantly and own all of their games or only own one that you played for like a month then stopped.
 
You also have to remember that unless they only plan on selling products to their current customer base, they want to try their games out on people who aren't currently playing blizzard games as well. Folks who tried Warcraft and then didn't other playing it have useful input that might enable them to make a better HoTs - just having existing players in the game can lead to an echo chamber of opinions.
 
Xyber said:
Well, just got an invite. My interest in this game died a long time ago..

Edit: That was the easiest first game I have ever played in a moba.
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You realize that's because of your teammates/the other team players, right? Since even deriding the game as 'easy' still means the teams are fairly evenly matched heh. Though looking at it you both got complete dogshit comps.
 
TheYanger said:
You realize that's because of your teammates/the other team players, right? Since even deriding the game as 'easy' still means the teams are fairly evenly matched heh. Though looking at it you both got complete dogshit comps.
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The invisible MMR isn't going to be apparent until you've played a number of games.
 
I've had access for a long time but never bothered to try it until today as my friend was invited and wanted to play it and I really wish I'd played it sooner, it's a total blast, just so fun.

I love how the maps are varied, it's like doing old school AV, farming scraps to summon the Ice Lord. I think my favourite is the pirate map.

I've tried all the free heroes and the Demon Hunter from my RoS bonus and I enjoyed them all which is a good sign, it wasn't until I started levelling that I realised the heroes have some serious depth and customizability.

I feel everything is overpriced though, £7.50 for a hero? Madness. I will most likely never spend any money on this game simply because I would feel ripped off. I don't think any hero should cost more than £4.99, with most around £1.99 - £3.99, I think the cost will put a lot of people off, especially considering gold gain is apparently fairly slow. They should make heroes really cheap, but make skins more expensive to compensate, that way people can enjoy a wider variety of heroes to stop them getting bored, and rich people can pimp their heroes with fancy skins.

Overall my first night with HoS was a lot of fun, the game is a total blast and all about fun, I thought it would be boring with no items, last hitting and some other mechanics removed but it's really not, it's one of the most fun games I've played in a long time.
 
This is pretty fun. I like the different maps and their respective king of the hill gimmicks. Remains to be seen if these can offset the lack of complexity in other areas (no individual leveling, no items, no jungling, no last hitting etc).

Locked heroes being a thing is pretty jarring coming from a Dota 2 background and is the major reason I can't see myself getting super deep into this, though. The biggest draw for this, as silly as it sounds, will be the shorter game time. Playing a match of BAllS is a much easier committment than a match of Dota, similar to the difference between playing a series of Magic vs a couple rounds in Hearthstone.
 
TheYanger said:
You realize that's because of your teammates/the other team players, right? Since even deriding the game as 'easy' still means the teams are fairly evenly matched heh. Though looking at it you both got complete dogshit comps.
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Yes, I know that, but that doesn't change the fact that it was still the easiest first game ever. I have now played 5 games and 4 of them was just as unbalanced as that one. Only 1 game where both teams were about equal and we were both pushing in to the others base at the same time. Won that one too, but that was actually a fun game compared to the stomp in the other 4.

And as for the team comp, can't do shit about that because of the AMAZING system they have. /s

Since it was my first games, they apparently just put me with other players that are just starting out that don't own any of the incredibly expensive heroes. So far I've barely seen any other heroes played.
 
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