hero arena without domino effect scaling

[Cheshire]

Hey there,

I want to create a hero arena-like map, where basically each player just controls one hero for a long time like dota (gameplay is very different then aos genre though..). I want there to be high levels available etc' so the longer the gameplay the more powerful heroes get, but at the same time - even if you don't have a great start - still be able to make a comeback.

I was thinking about only having pretty basic items so that no one can go into god mode, or not having stat items and only having "charged" items. but that sounds like it will kind of kill the fun.

I would be happy to hear creative solutions of how to still have fun gameplay where you feel how gameplay powers up your hero and you feel invested in your build, but at the same time without unbeatable domino effect scaling into god mode and despair for all other players...


thanks!

 

[Tickles]

I used to love hero arenas until I realized everyone was just repeating the same patterns over and over again. I think throwing in RNG and your idea with limited charges would be the best way to go.

Now instead of giving an item a set amount of charges, maybe items gain charges when you kill another player. Maybe they gain additional stats as the game progresses if you don't use them. That makes it more of a decision to gain an early advantage, or save your items and pull ahead later. Players may have to change their approach each game depending on what the other players do.

Something that might be fun is having inactive shrines littered around the map. They randomly activate once in a while, and they'll give a powerful buff to whoever goes up to them first. Even if the other team has better items, maybe this buff will be strong enough to temporarily level the playing field. And even if someone who is already ahead manages to get the buff, they still feel rushed to use it before it runs out.

What if more powerful items had negative effects? Let's say you want to equip an item that greatly increases your attack damage. It also significantly decreases your armor, so you become more of a glass cannon. An item that allows you to move at max speed might decrease your attack speed. This could lead to interesting builds, and even more so if you have a large variety of items drop or appear in shops randomly instead of having fixed ways of obtaining specific items.