Rekindling Soul Update

[GunSlinger]

So Dota 2 is getting a huge update. Really huge. With a reworked map, Bloodseeker, Phantom Lancer and Shadow Fiend, a new item and rune, a butload of balancing junk, new features, etc.
You can view the complete list of changes here.

What do you guys think about this update?

 

[Ezekiel12]

I said this many times in the past, but this is the biggest update so far. Thats going to be a crazy amount of work to recreate these changes in wc3.

I am not in the active scene as in older days, so I can't judge it that well. From what I saw I like most of it though.

Apart from some small things the most relevant point I don't like is the general direction many skills/mechanics go. In my opinion the game should mostly consist of easy mechanics which become complex in interaction. In the past 6 years or so we have a lot of mechanics that belong to one single aspect but are very complex itself. The new 6.82 xp/gold area bounty things are the perfect example. In many cases this does more bad than good, i.e. it might be more balanced and in addition to that it's so complex most players won't bother remembering it, which both contributes to factually removing a gameplay mechanic out of the game as the player does not consider it any more.

Of course you have to draw the line somewhere, DotA was always driven by complexity and the professional play, but in my opinion the line often was too far in the complexity region, at least in terms of single game mechanics..

 

[Kino]

Sounds interesting.
I await the constant screams of people angry over the changes.

 

[GaLaxY_256]

riki:

• permanent invisibility is now a basic ability

omg?

 

[Ezekiel12]

omg?

Well it's like in earlier times. There are many more 'omg's in the change log. Some of them:

• Phantasm Illusion duration increased from 24 to 34
• Aghanim's Scepter now allows Holy Persuasion to target Ancient Creeps (maximum 1 Ancient Creep per level of Hand of God)
• Ogre Base HP regeneration increased from 0.25 to 2.5
• Added Aghanim's Scepter: Allows Phoenix to cast Supernova on an allied hero, bringing both into the Sun to be reborn together. This does not refresh either hero's ultimate. 500 cast range. If the Sun is destroyed, both heroes will die.
• Life Drain can now be targeted on allies, allowing Pugna to drain his own life into them (yay IceFrog finally can use that gameplay constant)
• Charge of Darkness cooldown reduced from 35 to 12
• Charge of Darkness cooldown is now triggered when Charge hits its target or is cancelled, instead of when cast
• Allies can now click in the snowball to jump into it

 

[GaLaxY_256]

But Nevermore got his true form, Firelord. And damn BS. His skills are now noob.(I'd like to have Roshan Courier ^^)

 

[-Grendel]

the only thing i like about this is sf arcana. also, the fact that there will be less tinkers in matches.

 

[jopi]

well so far i really like the changes they made to BS and Lancer, only the riki change feels kinde OP, i guess (perma invis on lvl1 WTF???).

Blood Rite fits quite nice to BS as now you have something to force enemies to run while the have Rupture on them.

The change to PL is also quite nice but doppelwalk to the new skill is kinda 'meh' i just don't like the randomness of positioning.

Only thing I'm not sure of is this new rune spawning, now there will be people who will run to the rune spots to check for runes even more.... yay! there goes the game flow -.-

Aaaand global treant unlti anyone???

 

[-Grendel]

well so far i really like the changes they made to BS and Lancer, only the riki change feels kinde OP, i guess (perma invis on lvl1 WTF???).

Blood Rite fits quite nice to BS as now you have something to force enemies to run while the have Rupture on them.

The change to PL is also quite nice but doppelwalk to the new skill is kinda 'meh' i just don't like the randomness of positioning.

Only thing I'm not sure of is this new rune spawning, now there will be people who will run to the rune spots to check for runes even more.... yay! there goes the game flow -.-

Aaaand global treant unlti anyone???

at least, well..less tinkers.

 

[GunSlinger]

I like most of the new changes(yay for pheonix ult), though not liking a few(why perma-invi on level 1?), and have neutral feelings about the new rune and spawing runes at both the spawn points(I don't know how this'll affect mid lane, it'll probably speed up ganking time).

 

[Kino]

I like most of the new changes(yay for pheonix ult), though not liking a few(why perma-invi on level 1?), and have neutral feelings about the new rune and spawing runes at both the spawn points(I don't know how this'll affect mid lane, it'll probably speed up ganking time).

Perma-invis at level 1 sounds extreme, but its something that's been a long time coming.
Stealth Assassin doesn't function as a mechanically complete hero until 6, this change means that the character plays in his trademark style right off the bat.

EDIT: I really like how they're incorporating back elements of the old treant protector.

 

[Zzonehardy]

And I know perma-invis is ANNOYING but I wouldn't consider it over-powered, given how many counters are incooperated into the game, it just takes a little extra effort to get around, also, with level 1 invis, Riki players will build even less tanky and focus on damage which means with Gem of Truesight or Wards, they can be bursted WAY easier...

 

[edo494]

Perma-invis at level 1 sounds extreme, but its something that's been a long time coming.
Stealth Assassin doesn't function as a mechanically complete hero until 6, this change means that the character plays in his trademark style right off the bat.

EDIT: I really like how they're incorporating back elements of the old treant protector.

it is OP as fuck, but at the same time it has retarded long fade time, like, 8 seconds on lvl 1, for realzis?

 

[Hemske]

it is OP as fuck, but at the same time it has retarded long fade time, like, 8 seconds on lvl 1, for realzis?

I don't believe it is op at all, 8 second fade time makes it impossible to benefit from at the laning phase, and he can't really gank until level 6 now. Those 8 seconds is so long that if Riki want a single creep kill, he will be visible basically all the time, the only thing is that if you gank Riki and don't manage to kill him in 8 seconds, but that is a very long time.

The biggest change I feel sceptical about is the new bounty/exp system for kills. I feel like games are never going to end now. I really don't like the double rune, and gold/exp rune changes either, but I am unsure of how it will affect gameplay. So I shall try it out and see before I judge it.

Though, one change I can already give a "wtf" is why they buffed CK's ultimate with a whole of 10 seconds. That is just.. What? It also very different from the way Icefrog usually tweaks his balance, he used to be so careful, and now he does all these kind of mad buffs. (Global Omni, reducing cds from 40-10 etc) CK is already one of the most powerful heroes in the game, I really can't see the reasoning behind this.

 

[neo_sluf]

Riki is not op in fact it is bad..

First blink strike is the most important ability than invi.. and look too much fade time!..

And poor bloodseeker... goodbye.. your not good anymore....

 

[Rui]

I'm not sure about Riki or PL changes, but to me it still fails to address the trend: more power to already ridiculously strong carries, less power to helpless supports: e.g., Magina does not need more strength, he's already got a 50% mr skill that makes him one of the hardest to kill heroes in the game, CK does not need a buff to his ulti, ogre already multicasts too much, etc. Though I am overjoyed to see they finally stopped buffing Void and gave a long awaited nerf to some ulties like Doom's or DP's.

 

[David]

The map changes are pretty balanced. The roshan distance is pretty equal. What I dont like is the bloody xp and gold rune.