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Valve have announced a massive 7.00 update for Dota 2 [Steam] which changes the entire way the game works, and it sounds very interesting.

The test client has the new version available right now, with the stable client update expected tomorrow.

Here's a little look at the new version of the game.

First of all, you get a new startup:
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- Monkey King has been added to the game as a playable hero

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- The pre-game menu has been totally re-worked, and will load the game in the background so it's ready as soon as you need it. It does feels massively smoother as a results of this change, as I tested out a game tonight. You can also purchase your starting items before you enter the actual game.

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- A brand new HUD: The new HUD is sleeker and more minimal than the old one, and finally lets you change game-options without essentially hiding the game.

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- Each hero now has a backpack, which gives you three additional slots to carry items with you. They can be switched with your active items with a cool-down, but you cannot use items in the backpack directly.

- The map has been massively re-worked, including a new building type called a 'Shrine'. They can be activated every 5 minutes to give an aura that provides 120/40 HP/MP regeneration per second. Those values increase during the game at 2HP/1MP per minute.

- At levels 10/15/20/25 you get to pick additional talents in-game for your hero. Examples include +50 damage, +25 attack speed and so on. Each hero has a different list available.

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These talents seem to replace the ability to level up your attributes.

- You can create your own bots using the lua scripting API. They are able to get all the information a normal player would expect to, and are not able to cheat. They can be downloaded from the Workshop. More on that available here.

- Slardar, Viper, and Enigma who are three of the oldest heroes in the game have new models.

There's a lot more, but those are some highlights for you while the official Dota 2 site is up and down due to immense traffic. You can see all the info on the official Dota 2 site right here.

Overall, it feels like a rather different beast and the changes all seem pretty damn good. It's certainly made me consider picking up the game properly again. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: MOBA
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MayeulC Dec 12, 2016
Quoting: WorMzy
Quoting: subValve still develops games? Cool.

Mostly they just add hats.

More like the community makes them, and valve sells them :D

This looks like a very nice update, which of course doesn't address my fundamental problem in the MOBA category: I think that there is usually too many classes/heroes. TF2 with its 9 classes was really fine by me (and the new items completely broke the balance).
That's a matter of taste, of course, but I usually don't like games where there are simply too many parameters to be able so get a nice overview of the situation, and plan your strategy accordingly. More isn't always better, in my opinion :)
kalin Dec 12, 2016
when this update will be alive ?
Quoting: GuestIs Vulkan default?
Probably not. Many of the hardware is unable to run vulkan including my own (gtx 560 ti)


Last edited by kalin on 12 December 2016 at 10:11 am UTC
Xzyl Dec 12, 2016
Quoting: KeyrockOnly time and plenty of gameplay will tell, but it seems like the backpack would be a giant boost for Alchemist, not that Alch needed it. I mean, what other hero regularly gets to the point where they run out of item slots (and start handing out Aghs to their teammates)?

I'm happy about the illusion nerf, if for no other reason then so I don't have to see SD/Luna every game any more.

I get six slotted on Luna/LC once in a while if the game lasts long enough but you're right that he is easily able to be 6 slotted before most games end.

Actually I play luna often without SD, but the thing of it is this... Starting items that aren't valuable enough even mid game like say an iron talon maybe kept in any game with profit just to cut out of ... nm I am sure you can imagine the situations, lucky for me I play without illusion spamming but the skill trees and their life steal on certain carries is going to be very problematic, have fun killing a PA after this. I really think this is bad as it eliminates all pushing strats (except PL, God I don't want to play through another phantom cancer era) from being viable... or at least meta.
DamonLinuxPL Dec 12, 2016
When? From Yesterday is on Test client and today should be push to main client.

Quoting: kalinwhen this update will be alive ?
Quoting: GuestIs Vulkan default?
Probably not. Many of the hardware is unable to run vulkan including my own (gtx 560 ti)

For now on most hardware Vulkan on Dota2 working worse than in OpenGL or DirectX. I hope to see OpenGL or Vulkan enabled for Windows users default in future but not too soon.

Also new Patch in test client gives much worse FPS on all platform, maybe when hit today to stable branch Valve fix it - i hope so.

Also new HUD is not more thrid party middleware from Autodesk Scaleform but now is Valve Panorama!

But for now Im sceptic to this new patch, maybe I change my mind after some games but for NO.

Going back to HON for now.

PS. 13th Heroes of Newerth gets patch 4.0!


Last edited by DamonLinuxPL on 12 December 2016 at 11:29 am UTC
Purple Library Guy Dec 12, 2016
Quoting: GuestAnyway, have fun Dota players with your 40+ minute games and overhyped tournaments! ;)

You know, you can buy sweet grapes for pretty cheap; they grow 'em by the megaton in California, Chile and so on.
dmacofalltrades Dec 12, 2016
DOTA 2's one of those games I've always wanted to like, but had a hard time getting into. Maybe this update will be the perfect opportunity for me to give it another chance.
micaelbergeron Dec 13, 2016
Just a quick reminder that items in the backpack are muted (disabled) and cooldown at half the normal rate. So this is mostly a change to support/roamers that carry smokes and wards.
kalin Dec 13, 2016
patch is pretty good. I was bored from dota before it
Kuduzkehpan Dec 13, 2016
backpack is to make item completing building more easy for players. many times we had to drop our items front of secret shops etc. and loot back. wait for courrier to come bla bla
now its all rest in peace. New map has more opportunities games are shortens to 30-40 minute.
but best part is HUD designe its more briliant and smaller so we can see more of game itself instead of HUD.
Talent tree gives more choises of gameplay. And Roaming Team has more opportunities now instead of before. jungle shrines gives better levelling to junglers. well good job Valve. And performans is better than before for me.
newest nvidia drivers installed. Vulkan renderer works like charm.
Xzyl Dec 18, 2016
Quoting: Kuduzkehpanbackpack is to make item completing building more easy for players. many times we had to drop our items front of secret shops etc. and loot back. wait for courrier to come bla bla
now its all rest in peace. New map has more opportunities games are shortens to 30-40 minute.
but best part is HUD designe its more briliant and smaller so we can see more of game itself instead of HUD.
Talent tree gives more choises of gameplay. And Roaming Team has more opportunities now instead of before. jungle shrines gives better levelling to junglers. well good job Valve. And performans is better than before for me.
newest nvidia drivers installed. Vulkan renderer works like charm.


performance is slightly worse for me, with certain things turned on. however on the good side, connections are better it seems! on the bad side, the inventory crunch was there for a reason, it makes things challenging, yes I find it convenient but so don't my opponents. the runes used to be fun for first blood and a team to flex it's muscle, now it's tame. games have turned into one sided affairs these days. much much more so than anything before.

other than that, i suppose it's all moot. the new map is whatever, doesn't change much except I keep walking to the wrong spots for secret shops, the ancients are again a wash really. The HotD is now trash, and MoM cost too much making toons reliant on self sufficiency early less viable as a whole.

having trouble with MK? I find faceless void does a good job of catching him and Storm Spirit really can mess him up. happy hunting.
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