Wikia

Dota 2 is an upcoming fantasy strategy video game being developed by Valve. It is the expansion and successor to the popular custom map Defense of the Ancients. The title was formally announced on October 13. The game currently is scheduled for a full release in 2012, with a public beta scheduled for the fall of 2011. The game will be released through both retail and download by Valve's content delivery platform Steam, which the game has been developed to exclusively run on for both game launch and update delivery. Dota 2 will operate on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Currently, the game is in Closed Beta.

Gameplay Edit

The game is comprised exclusively of session-based online multiplayer activity, with the primary objective of each match being for the teams to destroy their opposing team's fortified stronghold called an Ancient Fortress. Each player assumes the role of a "hero", who is given the responsibility of participating in team combat, which generally takes place along a series of lanes that connect their opposing bases, lined with defensive towers. The gameplay elements are largely incorporated from Defense of the Ancients, with the game's lead designer (known only as "IceFrog") being the longest-serving and current developer of the Warcraft III mod. Dota 2 marks Valve's first fantasy game.

The battlefield is a square shaped arena with bases placed in opposite corners for each team with a river running perpendicular between them. The bases are located in the north-east and south-west corners and the river runs from the opposite corners, north-west to south-east, similar to the Dota 2 logo. The battlefield is further divided into three lanes which connect the bases: two that run via the corners and one directly through the middle.

Before the game starts players are arranged into two teams of five and each pick a hero to fight for them. At the start of the game each team is placed in their base. After a short period creeps spawn in each of the three lanes, in each base, and head towards the opposing base via their lane, continuing to spawn at regular intervals until the game ends.

Three towers are placed in each lane for each team to help defend the base from attacks made by heroes and creeps. Players collect experience to level up their hero and gold to purchase items for their hero to make them stronger. Once a hero is of sufficient strength they can work together or alone with allied heroes and creeps to take out opposing towers. Once sufficient towers are destroyed a team can attempt to destroy the opposing Ancient to win the game.

Dota 2 combines the real-time strategy element of traditional top-down perspective, while also incorporating the levelling and itemization system of a role playing game. Players are pitted against each other into two distinct factions called the Radiant and the Dire. The Radiant is a light, nature-oriented faction based at the southwest corner of the map, while the Dire is a dark, volcanic-themed faction based at the northeast corner. Players assume the role of a "hero" - a strategically-powerful unit, who, through combat experience, may progress to a maximum level of 25. The basic setup of Dota 2 places two strongholds defended by towers and waves of units which guard the main paths leading to their base with critical structures called Ancient Fortresses at opposing ends of an evenly-balanced map with multiple connecting regions identified as "lanes", in which enemy units primarily traverse, while also combating powerful defensive towers along the way. Players are split into two teams, ideally in a five-on-five format, to compete as the primary defenders for each Ancient Fortress.

The overall objective of each match is to rage at the opposing force's defenses, in order to arrive at and destroy the opponents' Ancient Fortress. Because Dota 2 is highly team-oriented, players must coordinate with their teams in order to achieve maximum rage. The towers and stronghold defenses are invulnerable to attacks so long as the towers nearest to the enemy side still stand. Periodically, groups of weaker infantry units commonly called "creeps" are spawned, which move along their lane until they reach an enemy unit or structure, which they will then attack.

The currency of the game is gold, which is granted periodically, but accumulates at a practical level by defeating enemy forces. Defeating forces grants a distributed amount of gold to the offending team, with the greater portion being retained by the player who delivers the killing blow. A common technique utilized to prevent the opposing faction from accumulating gold from a kill is "denying", which constitutes destroying an allied unit or structure, which is best employed when it is close to death. Players also gain experience, which accumulates to gain higher levels. The greatest proportion of gold and experience comes from destroying higher priority forces, such as enemy heroes and towers.

Development Edit

Erik Johnson addressed the confusion over the written form of the brand name, explicitly citing it as "Dota," rather than "DotA," due to its increasing context as a word, rather than an acronym for "Defense of the Ancients".