Eternity: EX - Arena and Aos hybrid

[Arcsol]

Eternity: EX (Hero arena/Aos)

ETERNITY: EX -Alpha-

I've been since long time a fan of AOSes, and not necesarily DotA, I played many famous Aos like EotA, Tides of Blood, AotZ and always liked all the pushing and their spells and systems. Such was my liking I joined with my friend redscores and even made Eternity of Azjol-Nerub long time ago, but we left it.
About a year or so, I've also tried hero arenas, especially Fight of Characters, a very simple map, but with lots of eye-candy.
After that, I said to myself I should create my own Aos, but not just that, "what if I like to play a hero arena?" I asked, then this project came to birth.
I wanted to keep it simple at first, but then I became more ambicious about adding unique features, and that's why I even add RPG elements to the map.
I took ideas from many games that I know I never get bored of (of course that's just my taste), like Fight of Characters, and RPGs like Dissidia FF, Crisis Core, Persona 3 and 4. So this map may even suit RPG players.
At this point, I decided to upload it here at Map Development, so I can know if this map is taking the good course.

In construction, will update it later

Game Features

The game features a mix of elements from Aos, Arena, and some extra spice from RPG games. I did this so the game has an unique flavor for players, and you actually want to keep playing it over and over.

List of features

• _{Choose your mode: At the start, the host decides which mode play: Aos or Arena (even randomize it). Then you can decide how many towers (aos) or points to win (arena) are going to be.
  [*]Completely triggered and custom spells: Most of (if not all) spells are triggered, meaning they will never deal constant damage, and such damage can be affected by items, for example.
  [*]Stamina: This is what keeps you going. If you're outside your fountain, it means you're going to fight, and you're gonna get tired from it. Stamina is the only way your hero can be slowed in attack and movement, whenever it drops to certain point. It can be restored, and replaces the Food and Upkeep bars.
  [*] Custom Armor/Attack: There are 3 types of attack: Slash, Strike and Pierce. Each deals more or less damage to armors. Some spells can deal these types of damage too.
  [*]Intelligence =/= Cunning: Cunning attribute replaces Intelligence, but it does not necesarilly mean it does the same. A hero that has Cunning as main attribute is meant to be played with more thought, and they are meant for a different kind of strategy. Remember, Cunning does not mean the hero is a mage!
  [*]Luck, Evasion, and Critical: A special attribute inserted is Luck, which affects how many evasion and critical chance you have. This even allows to make Evasion and Critical boosting items stack with it.
  [*]Weapons upgrade: This system involves that a Weapon you have can be upgraded near the shop, as long as you have the required gold mentioned in the tooltip. A weapon can be upgraded up to 2 times, and if the user is the "chosen one" for that weapon, it can upgrade it one more level.
  [*]Events (In development): This is something that adds some randomness to the game. Every certain time, creeps can invade the battlefield or harass your towers. Boxes of rewards can drop around the map, and mini-bosses will appear waiting for you to be killed. Think of all this like side quests.
  [*]The Major Arcana System: If you know about tarot (or played Persona), you should know what Major Arcana means. If you don't, it is a set of 22 cards that are the most important in the deck. This is mainly based in Crisis Core's DMW, and consists in a set of 3 hero icons (cards) that keep shuffling and stop at some point. Clicking one of these cards triggers special effects that can give you the upper hand, or even asure your victory.}

Screenshots

--Coming soon--

Notes to the player/tester/developer

The main reason I am creating this thread, is to recieve as much feedback as possible before the initial release. I will pay attention to every comment as long as it is useful. Please don't only post "it's cool" or "it sucks". I am aware this map still needs work, and if you tell me something without telling how to improve it, I won't know exactly what needs change.
I want to leave some headlines, so you have an idea in what I need extra help, or in what you could help.

• Tooltips are not developed yet completely. This is because I am looking for an attractive yet simple format
• Spells' damage is also completely not balanced. Helping with this is something I will greatly thank.
• I don't really know how much levels should a normal/ultimate spell have. Same goes for the maximum level of the hero.
• Some features are still at initial stage. It means that there is only a sample of how such feature works (For example, the low amount of items)
• I have not finished yet a system I'm making for potions and consumables, so there are no potions for now.
• Heroes don't have their full skillset, and some may even have their ultimate available at level one. Bear in mind this is not how is going to be.
• Terrain is not yet finished, and is at a very initial stage. I'm not expert terrainer but I'm doing my best and following some tutorials.
• The game only is for 4 players since the map has only 7 heroes for now. More slots and heroes will be added in the future.
• Several triggers were taken from SD_Ryoko's Dota template, this is why there may be some disabled unused triggers in the map and a great amount of unused variables. I'm modifying this little by little to suit the game, and clean up later.
• Last but not least, it is most likely the game will have one or another bug, be sure to report them!

That's all I have to say for now. The map is attached at the end. I hope you like and support my work!

 

[WaterKnight]

The game features a mix of elements from Aos, Arena, and even some of RPG games. I did this so the game has an unique flavor for players, and you actually want to keep playing it over and over.

AoS usually contain some RPG elements and hero-only battles known from Arenas.

Choose your mode: At the start, the host decides which mode play: Aos or Arena (even randomize it). Then you can decide how many towers (aos) or points to win (arena) are going to be.

You just said that it is a mix of the different genres. Now you separate it?

Completely triggered and custom spells: Most of (if not all) spells are triggered, meaning they will never deal constant damage, and such damage can be affected by items, for example. Also, spells offer a certain degree of eye-candy, in my opinion

From what I have seen, the eye-candy was more like eye-cancer. Spamming effects and occluding player's sight when the ability does not directly have this purpose, is cheap and bad practice.

Stamina: You can't keep fighting all day, right? A normal person would get tired. Stamina is the only way your hero can be slowed in attack and movement, whenever it drops to certain point. It can be restored, and replaces the Food and Upkeep bars.

In the attached map, this resource only drops in time intervals. Meaning I get tired the same amount whether idle around or give it all I have.

It's about timing and paying attention: Spells will use a custom mana system (not yet) that will make you actually see if you have enough mana to cast it, or else the cooldown will run and the spell won't have any effect.

The cooldown will be started although the ability is not successfully being cast?

Status Ailments (In development): Like RPGs, you can inflict certain ailments. Mostly based on Persona 3-4, you have a certain chance to inflict the ailment to that unit, and that unit has chance to avoid such ailment. All this is based on Luck attribute.

Events (In development): This is something that adds some randomness to the game. Every certain time, creeps can invade the battlefield or harass your towers. Boxes of rewards can drop around the map, and mini-bosses will appear waiting for you to be killed. Think of all this like side quests.

The Major Arcana System (In development): If you know about tarot (or played Persona), you should know what Major Arcana means. If you don't, it is a set of 22 cards that are the most important in the deck. This is mainly based in Crisis Core's DMW, and consists in a set of 3 hero icons (cards) that keep shuffling and stop at some point. Clicking one of these cards triggers special effects that can give you the upper hand, or even asure your victory.

This lowers the tournamentability by adding too much randomness. So I hope it at least does not have as much influence. I have not quite understood the Major Arcana thingy. What you have written there is clear but how does it fit into the gameplay, how can the player calculate with it when just getting any card without good control? And why would you even include such mechanics?

Teamwork and Gold: Earning gold usually depends only on the unit that gives the last blow, and is most likely players, even in teams, play for themselves and won't help the others. In this game, allied heroes present will get the same amount of gold as the killer. Players win nothing by doing things alone.

By playing for themselves, you probably refer to each player trying to do the last strike. But it is not like this would push a player to face enemies on its own. By granting everyone the same share of loot, you remove/cut back the common possibility in AoS to drag the game into one direction, which would characterize it. Consider that.

 

[Arcsol]

You just said that it is a mix of the different genres. Now you separate it?

It is for now separate, but I plan to add the option to mix both modes. When I say mix it is because I am trying to make the map suitable for Arena and Aos.

From what I have seen, the eye-candy was more like eye-cancer. Spamming effects and occluding player's sight when the ability does not directly have this purpose, is cheap and bad practice.

Maybe you could explain me this more please?

In the attached map, this resource only drops in time intervals. Meaning I get tired the same amount whether idle around or give it all I have.

I know. I forgot to mention you recover it in the fountain, and I don't really think dropping it in intervals is bad. It's like, if you're outside your base, you're not exactly resting, right?

The cooldown will be started although the ability is not successfully being cast?

This is just an idea I haven't developed yet. Spells will mention how mana is required (not like default engine). So, even if you have or not enough mana, you can still "use" it, but if you don't have enough mana, it will do nothing.

This lowers the tournamentability by adding too much randomness. So I hope it at least does not have as much influence. I have not quite understood the Major Arcana thingy. What you have written there is clear but how does it fit into the gameplay, how can the player calculate with it when just getting any card without good control? And why would you even include such mechanics?

In my opinion, randomness is what keeps a game interesting, especially Arena and Aos. I am conscious not everyone would like certain feature (like major arcana and events), so I plan to add votation or options to disable certain features.
Each major arcana give a special effect, like boosts, healing, damaging and luck chances. It is up to the player to use them or not, it always depends. You should test the map and see how arcana works (not all arcana are finished)

By playing for themselves, you probably refer to each player trying to do the last strike. But it is not like this would push a player to face enemies on its own. By granting everyone the same share of loot, you remove/cut back the common possibility in AoS to drag the game into one direction, which would characterize it. Consider that.

It is not only about the last strike, I've seen more experienced players completely not care about their teammates and not give a damn when they are killed, as long as it not him/her, it's fine. I don't really want the player to be punished by playing alone, but rather motivate them with more rewards by playing together.
How could this remove that possibility? Please explain me this

 

[WaterKnight]

From what I have seen, the eye-candy was more like eye-cancer. Spamming effects and occluding player's sight when the ability does not directly have this purpose, is cheap and bad practice.

Maybe you could explain me this more please?

Meltdown, Phoenix Flux, Blast, Meteorfall, Crystal Wake, Cryoprison, Blasting Zone, Slashdrive, Miasma Wave, Drown, Flood, Tidal Hazard all show exaggerated graphical effects and/or cover everything beneath it (e.g. units) or stretch over big parts of the player's screen. Some of them use like ten or more times the same models.

It is not only about the last strike, I've seen more experienced players completely not care about their teammates and not give a damn when they are killed, as long as it not him/her, it's fine. I don't really want the player to be punished by playing alone, but rather motivate them with more rewards by playing together.
How could this remove that possibility? Please explain me this

Completely going alone is normally punished by not being effective, independent from the reward and distributing the loot to everyone not/hardly being the cause for the kill should not really support it.

The game can be modulated into a direction by shifting the resources like gold or experience. One player may be fed, thereby gaining the focus. When everyone gets the same, the weakest link disappears since the stats-wise strength compensates.

 

[Arcsol]

The game does not equal every player, there will be still a weakest player. Only that gold recieved when killing an unit is also given to nearby allies. And since you don't recieve gold every second, it is the way to earn the gold.

P.S.
I'm currently working on the systems and giving the final touches and also fixing the last bugs. Gonna update the map soon!