From the very beginning, DOTA, aka Defense of The Ancient, was a complicated game for all kinds of gamers. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos gave birth to a modded map which became DOTA 1. Considering what DOTA2 has become now, DOTA1 was genuinely unplayable. DOTA 1 was not a broken game; it was just the most complicated MOBA game ever to exist.
When Valve released DOTA 2, they made many changes, but what stayed with the game even in the new version was the steep learning curve. However, over the years, Valve has tried to make the game more playable for newer players. Before, DOTA used to be a game where you learn the basics after a year of playing, and then you start getting better. Valve changed that over the years. It was small changes that made the more significant impacts. Something minimal, such as being able to search for items in the shop, made life easier. However, even after years, it remained the most complicated MOBA game on planet earth.
Recently Valve released a patch named “New Player Experience” update. They added a new game mode in the game for newer players. This new game mode is strictly for new players and focuses on the basics of the game. It will introduce players to the basic idea of a “team” consisting of three core heroes and two support heroes.
DOTA 2 is constantly evolving, and so much so that if you play for 10K hours and take a two-year-long break, you will come back to a game you don’t know anymore. True story? Yeah, I know because it’s mine.
However, with Valve’s newly released patch, it seems like a good time to get back to DOTA2. Even though you will see FPS players crying about how dead DOTA 2 is, it still is one of the most played games on this planet, and with this update, the player pool is only going to grow. Let’s take a look at what the update has to offer, and then we can decide if it’s an excellent time to come back to the game or not.
DOTA 2: New Player Experience Update
New Game Mode: This update added a new game mode to the game, which will allow new players to find a match and play against other new players. This mode will offer only a limited pool of heroes, and teams can only pick three core and two support heroes.
Streamlined Shop: This mode will feature a shop that will guide players through the game. When players build a suggested item, the shop will recommend the following items.
New Player Objectives: The game has added a series of objectives for new players. New players will complete these objectives as they learn the game step-by-step. These objectives focus on various aspects of the game, such as warding, dewarding, team fights, courier control, lockdown, or initiation. Some of these objectives will teach you to demo heroes, spectate games, or play with your friends.
In-Game Wizard Tips: Gabe Newell uses his magical powers to add a wizard to the game. This wizard will pop up on the left side of your screen, disturb your focus, and give you critical random tips, primarily based on your laning situation. If you’re in the lane against an Invoker, it will tell you about BKB or Dust if it is Rikimaru. I don’t know how helpful it is to new players, but it isn’t enjoyable to veterans. Could you give us the turn-off button? Please?
Besides these massive changes, they have added a Glossary, hero briefs, a new reward system for new players, and a bunch of other exciting and non-exciting stuff. And yes, they have improved the matchmaking system and finally banning the smurfs. Now you want to come back, huh?
Why Should You Return to the Game Now?
If you’re a veteran and you want to come back to the game, this is probably the best time to do so. Even if you don’t care about the new player experience, DOTA, in general, is in a perfect place right now. The game was dying a year ago, and now all of a sudden, the matchmaking is quick and clean. Smurfs are gone. Ranks are refreshed, and it’s a new game.
Many players left in the last two years because of the messed-up ranking system; however, Valve gave everyone a reset button that players can use to reset their rank. After the calibration, if you don’t like your rank, you can hit the reset and recalibrate.
So be it your issues with the calibration system or the constant changes, now you can catch up to both. And with this update, the growing player pool will make game-matchmaking easier and faster for you.
