Demigod : Strategy RPG inspired by DOTA

[TrinireturnofGamez]

http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/gas-powered-games-project/854109p1.html


Preview of Demigod , in development under Gas powered games , the makers of Supreme Commander and Dungeon Siege.

 

Demigod's lead designer John Comes points out that RTS creators never responded to popular user-created variants of major games the way that FPS makers did with mods like Counter-Strike. He's trying to do just that with Demigod, a full-featured RTS-hybrid inspired by the popular Warcraft III custom map Defense of the Ancients -- usually "DotA" for short.

Demigod pretty much follows this style to a tee, though it expands on it considerably. At its heart, though, is a kooky high concept: there's a vacancy in the pantheon of gods that rules over the game's world. Every "hero" unit in Demigod is a mortal spawn of one of these deities who's striving to occupy that exalted space. In order to determine which among them is worthiest, they play DotA in real life. The game doesn't appear to take itself too seriously, in other words. The look is pretty whimsical -- think your typical high fantasy setting fast-forwarded about 3,000 years, with ultra-evolved magic in place of high technology. Bestial humanoids comprise the rank-and-file, and creatures that lead designer John Comes refers to as "catapultasaurses" occupy a hazy role somewhere between heavy cavalry and artillery.

Can you say 'baw'?

[TriniXaeno]

looks good,

This is something I'll definitely keep my eye on. Dota is great but it pains me to see all the 3D graphical horse power of today's machines go to waste on it. The game is borderline ugly, running on such an ancient engine.

Would be great if they could redo DOTA with graphics on the lines of WarHammer or Savage2. A serious visual upgrade and it could also use some clever physics as well. Some flexibility with the hero models would be welcome too. Having to reuse the warcraft artwork is a harsh limitation. It's amazing what's been done given that confinement.

Something to take the Team based gem into the future.

The only thing that worries me about this, is that "whimsical" statement. Would have preferred they took the game, the units and the characters seriously. Fighting with trees as your ground troops for the Sentinel was silly enough as is.

[rain_man]

--I think a good dose of humor can really spice up an otherwise boring game. Now that i mentioned it, I think DotA is boring because of a few things lacking in it's concept, but that's for another theme.

--It isn't graphics that make DoW good, it's relics' 3D Modeling, and that has nothing to do with a graphic engine. Warcraft was modeled poorly, and that is mainly why it's rather ugly, and DoW will have amusing graphics even when they "fall out of shape".

--Demigod looks nice and the DotA concept isn't bad at it's core, but this isn't enough to show anything other than that the game will simply look better. I'm also curious though, what's older, DotA, or AoS?

[TriniXaeno]

AOS is older, that was in starcraft days, dota is the same "concept" but for warcraft.

I've always had dreams of a dota mod for DoW. That would be so mc awesome.

Dota is like you say a great idea at the core. The graphics just leave a lot to be desired considering the other multiplayer games on the 2008 landscape.

A graphics and special effects refresh will really help take the counterstrike of the RTS world into the next generation.

[rain_man]

--I don't know if this is going offtopic, but I like DoW better than Warcraft. The main reason is that you don't win a game by being the first guy to build a set army, but that you can use different strategies, and use microcontrol and unit abilities to win even when you're outnumbered.

--Now, that makes more for the strategy in the RTS acronim. As for the DotA concept, it's not the graphics that bother me. Actually, I think DotA has only one good part in it. You control a hero in a massive conflict between fractions and you can gain level and learn abilities. But there are two things that would make it much better: more possible abilities, more room for strategy, rather than just having to know the best item combinations, heroes, and playing the dirtiest to get frags. Another thing is a drive camera and movement controls.
--I think that D-Day was much better, even though it had less balancing attention and some serious flaws, the competition was better because you didn't have to play dirty to win, and getting killed by creeps was a smaller probability.

--I asked about AoS because as it is older, it should hold the origin of the DotA concept, so who ever made it is losing their credit.
--I have a lot, and I really mean a lot of ideas that could be incorporated in a DotA inspired game, but I'm not really willing to share because I might try to use them one day somehow. Not likely, but I would certainly like to try.

--As for Demigod, the announced scale of the maps sounds great, but it might also prove so time consuming that other parts of the game will suffer, not that they spoke of many improvements, which might be because it's "a surprise", or it's a work in progress. Spore however told of it's features and had me drooling, so the only reason why they aren't telling more might be that they aren't sure they'll finish it. Offcourse, this is guess work.

[TriniXaeno]

yes, it is going offtopic, lol

I'll say this though, greater games have earned respect, admiration and longevity on this planet without 1/5th the depth of DOTA. Football, Cricket, Tennis, etc.... Very simple, basic almost and yet people play 'em by the millions and support them. Uniforms might get a little racier or stylish (akin to the graphics of our video games) but the gameplay remains relatively unchanged.

That's all DOTA needs really to "look" deserving of screen time in 2008. It's already playworthy. Just as Starcraft 2 is basically a spit and polish on the original to earn it's keep on our HDs (and our pockets) once again.

That's where DemiGod comes in.

[rain_man]

--It's true, you forgot about tetris. I can't remember if it was the first game made, but I know it is very, very old, and it's still just as popular, which doesen't mean I like it. Too simple for my taste.

--Now as for change, Starcraft should keep to the original concept, but they should always add at least a little something that will make you wanna play it all over again.
--Take RA3 for instance. I'd play RA2 now if I'd have who against, but their server is no longer existing. And still, it seems like RA3 will bring it back with better graphics, but also with even crazier units, and a promise of slower gameplay, which is probably more due to the fact that the standard got faster in the meantime. Not to mention that the accent on areial and naval combat will be evened out with land. That makes for a mind boglling (noit sure about spelling here) game play that should make it worht playing with new fervor.

--Basically, by sticking to the original too much, you will dissapiont people and gradually lose the audience that plays that game, but it's also an easy way to make money. I think they should definetly make DotA at least a bit deeper, and not to forget, one of the main reasons for it's fame is accecibility. If Demigod goes too over the top, as it might, combining the huge maps and really nice graphics, online play will be exclusive untill people catch up with the tehnology, and they will definetly lose audience in the mean time.
--Around here (where I live) that problem is extreme as computers that could support new games offline are too expensive to buy, so we ussualy have to wait for years for the parts costs to drop. Offcourse, we aren't the most rich of countries to be targeted as a market, for that obvious reason, but I'm sure there is a lot of those like us that played DotA.

[Reaper2051]

This game really is good I must have played 5 single player matches in a row I aint bothering to go online cause from the IGN review the connecting to games online is the one downside to this title but overall its worth playing.