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Heroes of Newerth Blog

S2Diva Dev Blog : Realignment Patch

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 03:24 PM PST



Hello my HoNeys! As we approach Valentine's day and bask in the glory of pink stuff and chocolates, we here at S2 figured we'd share some love with you guys and give you some insight into the upcoming "realignment" patch. As we've stated previously, the realignment patch will be a large list of minor adjustments aimed to bring everything in the game more in line with each other in terms of balance. This dev blog will reveal how it is we're going about this process, as well as some hints as to what realignment entails.


Step 1: Houston, we have a problem
As with alcoholics and chocolate addicts, the first step of correction is always the acknowledgment that a problem exists. We've always known that a game as deep and expansive as HoN would be extremely difficult to balance, and the realignment process is the result of us listening to the community's input regarding the current state of balance and prioritizing its improvement.

Step 2: Finding the problem child(s)
We realized that if we are to "realign" the game, we needed something to realign to. That is, there needs to be a baseline to which we can bring up the underpowered and nerf down the overpowered. To ascertain the baseline and what lies above and below it, we quizzed our competitive players on the relative power and pick priority of each and every hero. After normalizing and pooling the data we gathered, we were able to come out with a neat little list ordering heroes by power and priority- and establish a baseline with which to proceed.

Step 3: I'm all about solving problems, baby
Having identified the problem areas, we needed to come up with solutions. Once again, we heavily involved our competitive players as we gathered suggestions on how to patch up the problem areas. These suggestions sparked a dialectic process in which we the developers and the competitive players went back and forth until we came up with a list of realignment changes that we're all happy with.

Step 4: Testing, 1 2 3
What looks good on paper doesn't always look good fully fleshed out. Just ask any catalog shopaholic. As with everything else we put into the game, we've immersed our realignment changes in extensive testing by both our beta testers and competitive players. With these tests, we hope to analyze whether our specific changes have had their desired effects and also if said effects do indeed "realign" the game.


We are currently in the testing step, and hope to be ready to release the realignment patch into retail soon- but not before we and the competitors are totally happy with it! To tide you over, though, here are some hints as to what's included in realignment- obviously these are subject to change and not anywhere near comprehensive .

- Plague Rider's ride is getting an upgrade so that it zooms faster
- Hammerstorm will no longer cry every time an enemy buys a Nullfire Blade
- Pandamonium will no longer be a masochist
- Sand Wraith is getting the nerf bat
- Booboo's leash is being extended so he may run more freely in Wildsoul's yard
- Rampage will be more rampant
- Ophelia buffed to Prophelia status

Stay tuned for the big realignment patch, coming soon™. Special thanks to all of our competitive players who have dedicated so much time and effort toward making this possible.

[S2]DivA
S2 Staff Member

25% Off All Announcer Packs and Bonus Coins with $30 Coin Package

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 05:59 AM PST

From now until 3 PM EST on Thursday, February 10th, all Announcer Packs will be 25% off. In addition, all $30 coin packages will come with 250 extra coins. This is the perfect chance to get the announcer pack you've been hoping for and to get a bigger bang for your buck at the same time!

You can purchase coins via credit card and PayPal at http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/purchase.php. Don't miss out!

[S2]Konran
S2 Staff Member

GDN : Empath Hero Guide

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 05:59 AM PST


Gamers Daily News has teamed up with S2 Games to bring you a series of Heroes of Newerth strategy guides in the past and now, we are proud to bring you new hero guides. Each time S2 Games adds a hero to Heroes of Newerth we will have a quick guide to get you up to speed on the hero's powers, skills and play tips.

Introduction:

Heroes of Newerth's newest hero, the Empath, is a dedicated support hero. While she is weak in one-on-one situations with enemy heroes, her ability to influence a battle in a supporting role is unparalleled. She can excel with minimal items, making her an ideal primary support for any team.


Empath Skill Set:

  1. Essence Link: Creates a link between self and target enemy unit, stealing (30/45/60/75) health per second for 5 seconds. If the maximum distance is reached on the link, the life steal stops but the linked enemy is stunned (1/1.5/2/2.5) seconds.
  • Gives Empath some staying power with health swings early on.
  • If you want the stun, cast it then immediately start running away from the target, forcing the target to follow you or be stunned.
  • If you're low on health, use this ability on a creep to get yourself back up to fighting shape
  • When you're bonded with an ally with As One, the health stolen is given to the host hero instead. This can prove invaluable as you try to keep your host alive.
  1. Illusory Veil: Creates a wall that is impassable for enemies and radiates 50 magic damage per second to nearby enemy units.
  • Can be used offensively or defensively; use its long cast range to cut off enemy escape paths and its generous width to block off enemy approaches and chases.
  • This is Empath's best farming ability, as it can deal up to 250 total magic damage in a line over time.
  • The wall gives vision! Use it in some fog covered sections of trees to reveal enemies there.
  1. Synergy: Grants all allied heroes (0.75/1.5/2.25/3) + (0.05/0.1/0.15/0.2)% of Max health in Health Regeneration.
  • Very powerful in the early phases of the game as it grants all of your team's heroes map-wide health regeneration, allowing them to farm and harass more aggressively.
  • Maxing out this skill first can make melee farmers more viable as they can risk taking more harassment.
  1. As One: Bonds Empath with target allied hero, buffing the host's Attack Damage and Attack Speed by (40/60/80). While inside, Empath may cast spells and use items as normal. Grants a sub-skill, "Faster!" which grants her host a large but short speed burst.
  • Unlike most support heroes who remain vulnerable throughout the game, Empath can safely support her team in the relative safety of a teammate's innards.
  • The buff is very powerful and can massively increase your carry's damage output.
  • Waiting to use As One until you're in trouble can waste enemy damage output on you with no reward. Keep in mind it disjoints incoming projectiles too!

Empath Recommended Items:

  • Blood Chalice: Combined with Essence Link, Blood Chalice will make sure you're never depleted on Health or Mana. Since you can not be harmed while bonded with As One, this item may be used more liberally.
  • Stormspirit: This item is a very cost effective choice for Empath as she can use it while bonded to an ally. If an enemy begins channeling on your host or if your host is stunned, you can just cyclone the appropriate target.
  • Astrolabe: The auras and healing effect will be extremely effective since you can position yourself in the middle of a fight safely inside of an ally.

Empath General Play Tips:

  • Try to cast Illusory Veil at an angle if you can't block an entire passage way. If you can successfully create a narrow "V" with the Veil and a treeline, you can force the enemy to move back toward you before they can escape.
  • Damage over time sources can not kill you while you're bonded with an ally, so if you're going to die to a DoT like Cursed Ground, find a friend and utilize the buddy system.
  • Don't be so afraid to be in the middle of a fight. Other support heroes must stay in relative safety and pick their entry points, but as Empath, stay near your carry so that you can assist him at all times.
  • Empath has 600 attack range and can steal life back from creeps and enemy heroes, so be aggressive with harassment!
      
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