And the "adds strategy" argument doesn't hold much water because arguably you still have to indentify the rune out of the fog and go get it.
One team communicating against another that isn't adds strategy. Sure its just a tiny advantage to have someone say "invis rune top"... but thats what this type of game is all about, all these tiny advantages that add up over time.
If they do add icons for the runes... then cool, it wont change anything. It will still be smart to tell your team what rune you see if you aren't grabbing it yourself.
I really wished you would stop adding qualifiers to make your opinions seem like some objective truth. Screaming "bad design decision" decision isn't making your opinion into anything but your opinion no matter how many times you do it. It just makes you look like a goose.
But its not like you are ever going to let this one go, if history is any judge.
You still fail to address his point. Why are they the only map objective not marked? And the "adds strategy" argument doesn't hold much water because arguably you still have to indentify the rune out of the fog and go get it.
I have not addressed his point because he has not made a point.
But the simple answer is why add unnecessary and inconsequential bloat that clutter up the mini map? I don't really care if they do to be honest, it won't be a major detriment to the mini map or indeed the game. But I do find the constant repetition of the phrase "bad game design" about matters such as these incredibly annoying and dishonest.
"Outdated mechanics" is another one of those brain dead phrases used by people that can't come up with a reason for their opinions and instead try to use qualifiers that makes their opinion sound like some objective truth that can be measured.
I'd argue that not identifying the runes on the map is an outdated mechanic, or more accurately just a bad one. It strikes me as difficulty for the sake of difficulty instead of prioritizing efficient and fast map information for the entire team. And as I've said before, difficulty does not necessarily equal strategy. In end I don't really care either though, as I've learned to work within the framework of the game and moved on. Nothing wrong with pointing out how things could be better though.
Edit: Actually, as I think about it more, I'm not sure there's a clean way to show what type of rune it is, which leaves you to just seeing a map marker that a rune is there, which really does very little. So I retract my previous statement, as you're right, it would be a lot of clutter for little utility.
A small dot, color-coded for the rune. Easy. Note, I'm not taking sides as to whether or not they should add mini map markers. But it'd be an easy thing to do from an interface design standpoint.
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SenshiBALLING OUT OF CONTROLWavefrontRegistered Userregular
edited March 2012
hey guys why aren't ward spots marked on the minimap
hey guys why aren't counter-ward spots marked on the minimap
hey guys why aren't the respawn boxes for creep pulling on the minimap
hey guys why aren't juking spots on the minimap
also calling HoN's menus good is a fucking travesty
Edit: yeah color coded dots are great until you get to Haste and Regen. You may recall red and green are the two team colors
I use the phrase "bad design decision" when describing what my argument is. I have already laid out valid points to support it. I do not apologize for using accurate terms.
Your point is that they should remove some of the strategy to the game, which is indeed a "design decision" but your opinion is the "bad" part.
That is an inaccurate and insulting summarization of my points. I have repeated them below if you would like to familiarize yourself with them.
I use the phrase "bad design decision" when describing what my argument is. I have already laid out valid points to support it. I do not apologize for using accurate terms.
You have not done this once. Every time you posted about this "bad design decision" has been your entire argument. What you really should say is "I don't like it the way it is" which is fine but I guess that doesn't allow you to feel so righteous when someone disagrees.
The entire point is that you have to click on the map to check for the rune when there is no compelling reason for this requirement.
You still fail to address his point. Why are they the only map objective not marked? And the "adds strategy" argument doesn't hold much water because arguably you still have to indentify the rune out of the fog and go get it.
I have not addressed his point because he has not made a point.
But the simple answer is why add unnecessary and inconsequential bloat that clutter up the mini map? I don't really care if they do to be honest, it won't be a major detriment to the mini map or indeed the game. But I do find the constant repetition of the phrase "bad game design" about matters such as these incredibly annoying and dishonest.
"Outdated mechanics" is another one of those brain dead phrases used by people that can't come up with a reason for their opinions and instead try to use qualifiers that makes their opinion sound like some objective truth that can be measured.
Well, I've said all this before but will sum it up again.
The main positive for the rune icon is quite clear and straightforward: You no longer have to move your view to see if a rune exists in an area with vision, or what type it is. The interface has more efficiently conveyed game state to you. You have a better time because you are spending more time doing fun things.
In addition, having the icon for the rune fits in with how everything else on the minimap works. It makes it a cohesive and consistent interface tool.
Of course there are a variety of negatives people have contrived:
* It discourages teamwork: If you want to make this claim you are faced with an even bigger problem since you have just in essence suggested that every icon can now be removed to foster teamwork. What makes runes special in this regard? Why is it a good idea to hide them while showing everything else? I do not think this "negative" is credible until you have resolved that.
* It clutters up the minimap: For this claim to be plausible, this icon would have to represent comparatively unimportant information getting in the way of important information. I don't buy this. For one, the runes are incredibly powerful: they can drastically change the outcome of a fight, make executing or escaping from ganks possible and can give you a large quantity of healing and mana if you have a bottle (which is quite common). Even if you're not grabbing them it benefits you from knowing if someone else has. Second, if your team has vision of a rune either it's been warded specifically to look for it or because someone is near it and it's about to get picked up. In every case where it might be considered "clutter" it's basically the center of attention.
* It dumbs down the game: This argument is made from a failure to distinguish between what mechanics make DOTA a fun and deep game (scouting, power use, team composition, positioning, juking picking items) and tasks that need to be accomplished in order to participate in these fun mechanics. It is not dumbing down the game to make the core mechanics more accessible.
* It "removes strategy" from the game: It's not clear at all what strategy it would be removing. You've still got to have vision of the rune to see it there. You've still got to leave the lane first to grab it first. The only difference is without the icon you have to move your view over to the rune spot to check it. This added step is not strategy, it's manual labor. It does not create interesting game dynamics.
RandomEngy on
Profile -> Signature Settings -> Hide signatures always. Then you don't have to read this worthless text anymore.
hey guys why aren't ward spots marked on the minimap
Because they don't change and there are a lot of them.
hey guys why aren't counter-ward spots marked on the minimap
Because they don't change and there are even more of them.
hey guys why aren't the respawn boxes for creep pulling on the minimap
Would be nice to have some setting to turn them on as an option for learning. Don't agree with having them as a permanent fixture because it would make the jungle quite a busy place and again, they don't change.
hey guys why aren't juking spots on the minimap
Because there are a zillion of them and it is much more practical to learn them simply by reading the terrain.
Profile -> Signature Settings -> Hide signatures always. Then you don't have to read this worthless text anymore.
Edit: yeah color coded dots are great until you get to Haste and Regen. You may recall red and green are the two team colors
all of a sudden not so clear anymore
I'm sure they could easily find a shades of red and green that are distinct enough so as not to be confusing. Again, not say that they should or shouldn't do this.
have a like a dot or rune shaped mark on the minimap then when you hit alt (similiar to hero faces) it has a little letter or two instead ie. DD for double damage
shruuuugggg
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3cl1ps3I will build a labyrinth to house the cheeseRegistered Userregular
edited March 2012
I have said it before and will say it again: if you are waiting until AFTER a rune has spawned to go towards the spawn point, you are playing wrong anyway and the rune appearing on the minimal will not matter or help you.
It is a change that would have literally 0 impact. I don't care if it's in or not but I wish people would stop acting like its inclusion would make the game SOOOO much easier for newbies. If anything it will just teach you to play wrong.
Edit: also, personally I don't really want it, because I don't want or need MORE dots in my minimap to parse and keep track of. Between creeps, heroes, wards, and whatever else is around, the minimap is crooooowded. It already has bad information glut, I don't think it needs more.
Of course there are a variety of negatives people have contrived:
Ah ok, so anything that doesn't match your opinion is contrived, while anything that you think should be changed/added to the game is due to "bad design decision".
I just wont take your opinion serious anymore, since you can't seem to get that other people are entitled to theirs. BTW your avatar comes from a series that has gone through some of the absolute worst "bad design decisions" ever.
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
I'd rather see hero faces than rune dots, personally. All this "Rabble rabble, communicate" is fine...but this is the god damn internet, and most of us don't play on competitive/organized teams...I don't trust random pub lords to correctly communicate which champ is where. Maybe have an option to turn it off for high level/organized play.
Well, I've said all this before but will sum it up again.
The main positive for the rune icon is quite clear and straightforward: You no longer have to move your view to see if a rune exists in an area with vision, or what type it is. The interface has more efficiently conveyed game state to you. You have a better time because you are spending more time doing fun things.
In addition, having the icon for the rune fits in with how everything else on the minimap works. It makes it a cohesive and consistent interface tool.
Of course there are a variety of negatives people have contrived:
* It dumbs down the game: This argument is made from a failure to distinguish between what mechanics make DOTA a fun and deep game (scouting, power use, team composition, positioning, juking picking items) and tasks that need to be accomplished in order to participate in these fun mechanics. It is not dumbing down the game to make the core mechanics more accessible.
The Game Interfaces intent is to provide enough information not all of it, I think we have gone down this road before with enemy mana bars overhead, etc.
Who told you DotA was a game where you spend time "doing fun things", this isn't a game full of pixie dust and unicorns. When you log into DotA you need to bring a lunch pail and a hard hat son.
The fact that the interface forces you to change your field of view is the only reason it should not be changed, it creates a tense situation around each 2 minute mark. Do I check the rune while walking through their forest. Do I check the rune or go for the 100 gold on this catapult. Do I check the rune or etc... It forces decisions, which are a core feature of DotA and these decisions make up the strategy of the game.
hey guys why aren't ward spots marked on the minimap
Because they don't change and there are a lot of them.
but the rune spots don't change! there are only two spots it could be. you should be moving to a rune spot before a rune even spawns. and if it isn't there at 00, it is at the opposite end.
wouldn't these icons promote bad gameplay? you want to be at the rune before it spawns to check and get it, but with the minimap icons you wouldn't have to do that much and will probably end up giving it up to someone who is more vigilant about it
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
Well, I've said all this before but will sum it up again.
The main positive for the rune icon is quite clear and straightforward: You no longer have to move your view to see if a rune exists in an area with vision, or what type it is. The interface has more efficiently conveyed game state to you. You have a better time because you are spending more time doing fun things.
In addition, having the icon for the rune fits in with how everything else on the minimap works. It makes it a cohesive and consistent interface tool.
Of course there are a variety of negatives people have contrived:
* It dumbs down the game: This argument is made from a failure to distinguish between what mechanics make DOTA a fun and deep game (scouting, power use, team composition, positioning, juking picking items) and tasks that need to be accomplished in order to participate in these fun mechanics. It is not dumbing down the game to make the core mechanics more accessible.
The Game Interfaces intent is to provide enough information not all of it, I think we have gone down this road before with enemy mana bars overhead, etc.
Who told you DotA was a game where you spend time "doing fun things", this isn't a game full of pixie dust and unicorns. When you log into DotA you need to bring a lunch pail and a hard hat son.
The fact that the interface forces you to change your field of view is the only reason it should not be changed, it creates a tense situation around each 2 minute mark. Do I check the rune while walking through their forest. Do I check the rune or go for the 100 gold on this catapult. Do I check the rune or etc... It forces decisions, which are a core feature of DotA and these decisions make up the strategy of the game.
So that's your argument against something, that DotA isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be work? Wut?
I'm not arguing if ruins should or shouldn't be on the minimap, I really don't care...but if your argument against a game feature is "This game is lunch pales and iron rivets, it's work not fun!"....that's a pretty terrible argument.
Well, I've said all this before but will sum it up again.
The main positive for the rune icon is quite clear and straightforward: You no longer have to move your view to see if a rune exists in an area with vision, or what type it is. The interface has more efficiently conveyed game state to you. You have a better time because you are spending more time doing fun things.
In addition, having the icon for the rune fits in with how everything else on the minimap works. It makes it a cohesive and consistent interface tool.
Of course there are a variety of negatives people have contrived:
* It dumbs down the game: This argument is made from a failure to distinguish between what mechanics make DOTA a fun and deep game (scouting, power use, team composition, positioning, juking picking items) and tasks that need to be accomplished in order to participate in these fun mechanics. It is not dumbing down the game to make the core mechanics more accessible.
The Game Interfaces intent is to provide enough information not all of it, I think we have gone down this road before with enemy mana bars overhead, etc.
Who told you DotA was a game where you spend time "doing fun things", this isn't a game full of pixie dust and unicorns. When you log into DotA you need to bring a lunch pail and a hard hat son.
The fact that the interface forces you to change your field of view is the only reason it should not be changed, it creates a tense situation around each 2 minute mark. Do I check the rune while walking through their forest. Do I check the rune or go for the 100 gold on this catapult. Do I check the rune or etc... It forces decisions, which are a core feature of DotA and these decisions make up the strategy of the game.
So that's your argument against something, that DotA isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be work? Wut?
I'm not arguing if ruins should or shouldn't be on the minimap, I really don't care...but if your argument against a game feature is "This game is lunch pales and iron rivets, it's work not fun!"....that's a pretty terrible argument.
Yeah I don't know what he means by that either, maybe that the fun of DOTA is in the mastery? That is reaching a little but possible.
EDIT: also not something I would agree with completely
Sparvy on
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Dac VinS-s-screw you! I only listen to DOUBLE MUSIC!Registered Userregular
About the rune indicators or whatnot, may I remind some people here that DOTA 2 is not only a closed, invite only beta, it also has a dev forum you can post your suggestions into.
Of course there are a variety of negatives people have contrived:
Ah ok, so anything that doesn't match your opinion is contrived, while anything that you think should be changed/added to the game is due to "bad design decision".
I just wont take your opinion serious anymore, since you can't seem to get that other people are entitled to theirs. BTW your avatar comes from a series that has gone through some of the absolute worst "bad design decisions" ever.
If you want to focus on wording rather than the meat of the argument, that's your prerogative.
And Zelda? Yeah, it's suffered from some poor design decisions. Just like DOTA, you can point them out, understand why they are bad and then still have an overall fun time with the game.
hey guys why aren't ward spots marked on the minimap
Because they don't change and there are a lot of them.
but the rune spots don't change! there are only two spots it could be. you should be moving to a rune spot before a rune even spawns. and if it isn't there at 00, it is at the opposite end.
wouldn't these icons promote bad gameplay? you want to be at the rune before it spawns to check and get it, but with the minimap icons you wouldn't have to do that much and will probably end up giving it up to someone who is more vigilant about it
The spots don't change but the runes in them do. The point is that after you learn where the ward spots are, you don't need markers for them on the minimap anymore. They just get in the way. Even after you learn where the rune spots are, it would be useful to show the runes themselves on the minimap.
And if you don't start moving before a rune spawns and get beaten to a rune, that is encouragement to pay attention to the clock and get out there ahead of time. Those incentives do not go away just because of an icon.
About the rune indicators or whatnot, may I remind some people here that DOTA 2 is not only a closed, invite only beta, it also has a dev forum you can post your suggestions into.
I'll give you one guess for the number of intelligent posts that showed up in that thread.
RandomEngy on
Profile -> Signature Settings -> Hide signatures always. Then you don't have to read this worthless text anymore.
If you want runes on the mini-map, odds are you're like me and by the time you've remembered that runes should have respawned, you'll (hopefully) hear a hero cry "Double Damage!" (the alternative being gibbed by Riki blinking in or something) :P
I'd rather see hero faces than rune dots, personally. All this "Rabble rabble, communicate" is fine...but this is the god damn internet, and most of us don't play on competitive/organized teams...I don't trust random pub lords to correctly communicate which champ is where. Maybe have an option to turn it off for high level/organized play.
... Hold Alt. I don't understand why people keep suggesting things that are already in-game!
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CreamstoutWhat you think I program for, to push a fuckin' quad-core?Registered Userregular
It was a poor attempt at humor. I was also just needling the comment about making things "fun" which is subjective. What one person finds fun, another may find it to be unneccessary work.
Well, I've said all this before but will sum it up again.
The main positive for the rune icon is quite clear and straightforward: You no longer have to move your view to see if a rune exists in an area with vision, or what type it is. The interface has more efficiently conveyed game state to you. You have a better time because you are spending more time doing fun things.
In addition, having the icon for the rune fits in with how everything else on the minimap works. It makes it a cohesive and consistent interface tool.
Of course there are a variety of negatives people have contrived:
* It dumbs down the game: This argument is made from a failure to distinguish between what mechanics make DOTA a fun and deep game (scouting, power use, team composition, positioning, juking picking items) and tasks that need to be accomplished in order to participate in these fun mechanics. It is not dumbing down the game to make the core mechanics more accessible.
The Game Interfaces intent is to provide enough information not all of it, I think we have gone down this road before with enemy mana bars overhead, etc.
Who told you DotA was a game where you spend time "doing fun things", this isn't a game full of pixie dust and unicorns. When you log into DotA you need to bring a lunch pail and a hard hat son.
The fact that the interface forces you to change your field of view is the only reason it should not be changed, it creates a tense situation around each 2 minute mark. Do I check the rune while walking through their forest. Do I check the rune or go for the 100 gold on this catapult. Do I check the rune or etc... It forces decisions, which are a core feature of DotA and these decisions make up the strategy of the game.
So that's your argument against something, that DotA isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be work? Wut?
I'm not arguing if ruins should or shouldn't be on the minimap, I really don't care...but if your argument against a game feature is "This game is lunch pales and iron rivets, it's work not fun!"....that's a pretty terrible argument.
I had some stuff before and after that comment, it was mostly meant in jest. Also I was needling the comment Engy made that adding a rune to the minimap would give you more time to do the fun things in DotA. I'm not sure what that means as fun and work are subjective terms in the context of playing video game.
I enjoy checking the rune spot every 2 minutes, pushing my lane up so I can safely hide behind the fog and catch a peek. This is a challenge for me and I find it fun, especially when my opponent is also going for rune control. Someone else may be bothered by this and find it to be unnecessary work. If the rune shows up on the minimap I have less incentive to push my lane since I don't have to divert my attention to another portion of the map.
Of course the main reason you push your lane is to pin the other hero back, but if you lane against a good Pudge player, it only takes a split second to get hooked into a tower while your looking at a rune.
hey what items should I get on axe, i think im gonna play him for the 1st time tonight. vanguard, power treads, blademail?
Blink dagger is pretty important. Vanguard and power treads I would consider core items. Beyond that, itemize depending on how the game is going.
As to runes. Identifying them on the map would be a nice change for noobs. Arguably though that problem could be dealt with in tutorials. I just don't even like the runes being there at all. The idea of randomized boosts that play significantly in team fights strike me as secondary to the core mechanics of a moba game. But I can see why people might like them.
I'd rather see hero faces than rune dots, personally. All this "Rabble rabble, communicate" is fine...but this is the god damn internet, and most of us don't play on competitive/organized teams...I don't trust random pub lords to correctly communicate which champ is where. Maybe have an option to turn it off for high level/organized play.
... Hold Alt. I don't understand why people keep suggesting things that are already in-game!
You can even set it to always show the faces in the options. And they recently added a red glow to the enemy hero minimap icons.
I'd rather see hero faces than rune dots, personally. All this "Rabble rabble, communicate" is fine...but this is the god damn internet, and most of us don't play on competitive/organized teams...I don't trust random pub lords to correctly communicate which champ is where. Maybe have an option to turn it off for high level/organized play.
... Hold Alt. I don't understand why people keep suggesting things that are already in-game!
Awesome, thanks for the tip. Not sure why this can't be toggled "always on", but seems like a minor UI thing. Glad to know I can just press alt Diablo style.
e: Oh, Peewi to the rescue. I'll turn that on when I get home tonight. I guess I should actually look in the options screen.
Axe is pretty pointless mid game if he doesn't have his blink. You're done laning, battle hunger is ineffective against most heroes, everyone has boots so you can't just walk up to them and call. So, unless you just enjoy being kited and not initiating properly, get blink.
Ruins are good because they force action. Basically the same way powerups worked in old (good) fps games. The map is static, except that every xx minutes a powerup spawns, which forces players to do something besides camp or farm. And now they're way less random than they used to be.
Axe is pretty pointless mid game if he doesn't have his blink. You're done laning, battle hunger is ineffective against most heroes, everyone has boots so you can't just walk up to them and call. So, unless you just enjoy being kited and not initiating properly, get blink.
Ruins are good because they force action. Basically the same way powerups worked in old (good) fps games. The map is static, except that every xx minutes a powerup spawns, which forces players to do something besides camp or farm. And now they're way less random than they used to be.
I hadn't thought about that, though the bottle item kind of weakens your point.
You still need to get it and it will only stay in the bottle for a couple of minutes, so you can't hold on to it for as long as you want, and you will need to use it if you actually want to use the bottle. Most of the time a bottled rune gets used within a minute of being picked up, and will only last 2 minutes (when the next rune is supposed to spawn) anyway.
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
I'm not really sure how "forcing action" is mutually exclusive to "shown on mini-map". Again, I don't have a pony in the race, I couldn't care less if ruins are put on the mini-map...but LoL has it's buffs on the mini-map (though you need vision to have the icons be meaningful in the enemies jungle), but they still do exactly what you state...force action. A huge part of LoL is invading the enemies buffs, or stopping yours from being invaded, especially early game.
I don't really think putting an icon on the mini-map stops this. There may well be myriad other reasons it's a bad idea, but I'd have to be convinced that not forcing action is one of them.
CreamstoutWhat you think I program for, to push a fuckin' quad-core?Registered Userregular
Putting the icon on the mini-map will most likely force more action in regular pubs, as players who didn't know/remember about the 2 minute timer would go check it out.
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
That may be true, it may actually do more to force action...but there seems to be this undertone that putting them on the mini-map would actually drain action away, which seems...not correct.
Again, there may actually be myriad reasons it's a bad idea...I just doubt flow of action is one of them.
I'd rather see hero faces than rune dots, personally. All this "Rabble rabble, communicate" is fine...but this is the god damn internet, and most of us don't play on competitive/organized teams...I don't trust random pub lords to correctly communicate which champ is where. Maybe have an option to turn it off for high level/organized play.
... Hold Alt. I don't understand why people keep suggesting things that are already in-game!
You can even set it to always show the faces in the options. And they recently added a red glow to the enemy hero minimap icons.
Ok, I checked the OP and didn't see any waiting list or instructions on how to get into the beta; so I'm just gonna be a bum and ask if anyone has a beta invite. I've never played a MOBA game before and the Steam thread referred me to this as the one I probably want to check out.
I'd rather see hero faces than rune dots, personally. All this "Rabble rabble, communicate" is fine...but this is the god damn internet, and most of us don't play on competitive/organized teams...I don't trust random pub lords to correctly communicate which champ is where. Maybe have an option to turn it off for high level/organized play.
... Hold Alt. I don't understand why people keep suggesting things that are already in-game!
You can even set it to always show the faces in the options. And they recently added a red glow to the enemy hero minimap icons.
Okay so I literally can't stand reading this rune stuff, as it has been gone over a thousand times.
HOW ABOUT THIS SITUATION:
You have a ward over the rune so you can see it on the minimap, you have an observer ward spying on it.
Someone who is either smoked or invisible picks it up. It disappears.
You have now seen an incoming enemy that you shouldn't have been able to see coming in unless you were actually watching the rune.
You've made smoke and invisibility less powerful.
Okay so I literally can't stand reading this rune stuff, as it has been gone over a thousand times.
HOW ABOUT THIS SITUATION:
You have a ward over the rune so you can see it on the minimap, you have an observer ward spying on it.
Someone who is either smoked or invisible picks it up. It disappears.
You have now seen an incoming enemy that you shouldn't have been able to see coming in unless you were actually watching the rune.
You've made smoke and invisibility less powerful.
Ok, I checked the OP and didn't see any waiting list or instructions on how to get into the beta; so I'm just gonna be a bum and ask if anyone has a beta invite. I've never played a MOBA game before and the Steam thread referred me to this as the one I probably want to check out.
If you have a playdota account you can get one by posting in this thread: http://www.playdota.com/forums/showthread.php?t=549077
You will not be eligible for the draw if you haven't signed up by 2/22/2012, but they extend this date as the contest goes on, I believe it has been moved up around a year (started with x/xx/2011).
For what it is worth I recieved 2 beta invites, 1 from each of these methods.
Posts
One team communicating against another that isn't adds strategy. Sure its just a tiny advantage to have someone say "invis rune top"... but thats what this type of game is all about, all these tiny advantages that add up over time.
If they do add icons for the runes... then cool, it wont change anything. It will still be smart to tell your team what rune you see if you aren't grabbing it yourself.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
A small dot, color-coded for the rune. Easy. Note, I'm not taking sides as to whether or not they should add mini map markers. But it'd be an easy thing to do from an interface design standpoint.
hey guys why aren't counter-ward spots marked on the minimap
hey guys why aren't the respawn boxes for creep pulling on the minimap
hey guys why aren't juking spots on the minimap
also calling HoN's menus good is a fucking travesty
Edit: yeah color coded dots are great until you get to Haste and Regen. You may recall red and green are the two team colors
all of a sudden not so clear anymore
That is an inaccurate and insulting summarization of my points. I have repeated them below if you would like to familiarize yourself with them.
The entire point is that you have to click on the map to check for the rune when there is no compelling reason for this requirement.
Well, I've said all this before but will sum it up again.
The main positive for the rune icon is quite clear and straightforward: You no longer have to move your view to see if a rune exists in an area with vision, or what type it is. The interface has more efficiently conveyed game state to you. You have a better time because you are spending more time doing fun things.
In addition, having the icon for the rune fits in with how everything else on the minimap works. It makes it a cohesive and consistent interface tool.
Of course there are a variety of negatives people have contrived:
* It discourages teamwork: If you want to make this claim you are faced with an even bigger problem since you have just in essence suggested that every icon can now be removed to foster teamwork. What makes runes special in this regard? Why is it a good idea to hide them while showing everything else? I do not think this "negative" is credible until you have resolved that.
* It clutters up the minimap: For this claim to be plausible, this icon would have to represent comparatively unimportant information getting in the way of important information. I don't buy this. For one, the runes are incredibly powerful: they can drastically change the outcome of a fight, make executing or escaping from ganks possible and can give you a large quantity of healing and mana if you have a bottle (which is quite common). Even if you're not grabbing them it benefits you from knowing if someone else has. Second, if your team has vision of a rune either it's been warded specifically to look for it or because someone is near it and it's about to get picked up. In every case where it might be considered "clutter" it's basically the center of attention.
* It dumbs down the game: This argument is made from a failure to distinguish between what mechanics make DOTA a fun and deep game (scouting, power use, team composition, positioning, juking picking items) and tasks that need to be accomplished in order to participate in these fun mechanics. It is not dumbing down the game to make the core mechanics more accessible.
* It "removes strategy" from the game: It's not clear at all what strategy it would be removing. You've still got to have vision of the rune to see it there. You've still got to leave the lane first to grab it first. The only difference is without the icon you have to move your view over to the rune spot to check it. This added step is not strategy, it's manual labor. It does not create interesting game dynamics.
Because they don't change and there are a lot of them.
Because they don't change and there are even more of them.
Would be nice to have some setting to turn them on as an option for learning. Don't agree with having them as a permanent fixture because it would make the jungle quite a busy place and again, they don't change.
Because there are a zillion of them and it is much more practical to learn them simply by reading the terrain.
I'm sure they could easily find a shades of red and green that are distinct enough so as not to be confusing. Again, not say that they should or shouldn't do this.
shruuuugggg
It is a change that would have literally 0 impact. I don't care if it's in or not but I wish people would stop acting like its inclusion would make the game SOOOO much easier for newbies. If anything it will just teach you to play wrong.
Edit: also, personally I don't really want it, because I don't want or need MORE dots in my minimap to parse and keep track of. Between creeps, heroes, wards, and whatever else is around, the minimap is crooooowded. It already has bad information glut, I don't think it needs more.
Ah ok, so anything that doesn't match your opinion is contrived, while anything that you think should be changed/added to the game is due to "bad design decision".
I just wont take your opinion serious anymore, since you can't seem to get that other people are entitled to theirs. BTW your avatar comes from a series that has gone through some of the absolute worst "bad design decisions" ever.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The Game Interfaces intent is to provide enough information not all of it, I think we have gone down this road before with enemy mana bars overhead, etc.
Who told you DotA was a game where you spend time "doing fun things", this isn't a game full of pixie dust and unicorns. When you log into DotA you need to bring a lunch pail and a hard hat son.
The fact that the interface forces you to change your field of view is the only reason it should not be changed, it creates a tense situation around each 2 minute mark. Do I check the rune while walking through their forest. Do I check the rune or go for the 100 gold on this catapult. Do I check the rune or etc... It forces decisions, which are a core feature of DotA and these decisions make up the strategy of the game.
pretty much this! there already is an indication of a rune being on the map. are the minutes on the timer at the top even? if so, rune has spawned!
every 2 minutes, like clockwork! it literally can't not happen!
but the rune spots don't change! there are only two spots it could be. you should be moving to a rune spot before a rune even spawns. and if it isn't there at 00, it is at the opposite end.
wouldn't these icons promote bad gameplay? you want to be at the rune before it spawns to check and get it, but with the minimap icons you wouldn't have to do that much and will probably end up giving it up to someone who is more vigilant about it
So that's your argument against something, that DotA isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be work? Wut?
I'm not arguing if ruins should or shouldn't be on the minimap, I really don't care...but if your argument against a game feature is "This game is lunch pales and iron rivets, it's work not fun!"....that's a pretty terrible argument.
Yeah I don't know what he means by that either, maybe that the fun of DOTA is in the mastery? That is reaching a little but possible.
EDIT: also not something I would agree with completely
If you want to focus on wording rather than the meat of the argument, that's your prerogative.
And Zelda? Yeah, it's suffered from some poor design decisions. Just like DOTA, you can point them out, understand why they are bad and then still have an overall fun time with the game.
The spots don't change but the runes in them do. The point is that after you learn where the ward spots are, you don't need markers for them on the minimap anymore. They just get in the way. Even after you learn where the rune spots are, it would be useful to show the runes themselves on the minimap.
And if you don't start moving before a rune spawns and get beaten to a rune, that is encouragement to pay attention to the clock and get out there ahead of time. Those incentives do not go away just because of an icon.
I'll give you one guess for the number of intelligent posts that showed up in that thread.
... Hold Alt. I don't understand why people keep suggesting things that are already in-game!
I had some stuff before and after that comment, it was mostly meant in jest. Also I was needling the comment Engy made that adding a rune to the minimap would give you more time to do the fun things in DotA. I'm not sure what that means as fun and work are subjective terms in the context of playing video game.
I enjoy checking the rune spot every 2 minutes, pushing my lane up so I can safely hide behind the fog and catch a peek. This is a challenge for me and I find it fun, especially when my opponent is also going for rune control. Someone else may be bothered by this and find it to be unnecessary work. If the rune shows up on the minimap I have less incentive to push my lane since I don't have to divert my attention to another portion of the map.
Of course the main reason you push your lane is to pin the other hero back, but if you lane against a good Pudge player, it only takes a split second to get hooked into a tower while your looking at a rune.
Blink dagger is pretty important. Vanguard and power treads I would consider core items. Beyond that, itemize depending on how the game is going.
As to runes. Identifying them on the map would be a nice change for noobs. Arguably though that problem could be dealt with in tutorials. I just don't even like the runes being there at all. The idea of randomized boosts that play significantly in team fights strike me as secondary to the core mechanics of a moba game. But I can see why people might like them.
You can even set it to always show the faces in the options. And they recently added a red glow to the enemy hero minimap icons.
Awesome, thanks for the tip. Not sure why this can't be toggled "always on", but seems like a minor UI thing. Glad to know I can just press alt Diablo style.
e: Oh, Peewi to the rescue. I'll turn that on when I get home tonight. I guess I should actually look in the options screen.
Ruins are good because they force action. Basically the same way powerups worked in old (good) fps games. The map is static, except that every xx minutes a powerup spawns, which forces players to do something besides camp or farm. And now they're way less random than they used to be.
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I hadn't thought about that, though the bottle item kind of weakens your point.
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I don't really think putting an icon on the mini-map stops this. There may well be myriad other reasons it's a bad idea, but I'd have to be convinced that not forcing action is one of them.
Again, there may actually be myriad reasons it's a bad idea...I just doubt flow of action is one of them.
I am not seeing the red glow.
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It's pretty subtle, but it's there.
HOW ABOUT THIS SITUATION:
You have a ward over the rune so you can see it on the minimap, you have an observer ward spying on it.
Someone who is either smoked or invisible picks it up. It disappears.
You have now seen an incoming enemy that you shouldn't have been able to see coming in unless you were actually watching the rune.
You've made smoke and invisibility less powerful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDr0mPuyQc
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dis is very astute
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