HOTS - Changes from 2017 to 2020

[RCA]

So actually a buddy was trying out the game and figure I would play with him since its been awhile and it was fun.

Most games been average and a little rough with people getting over on us (especially my friend) for not playing well. Had an awful experience when I quick played Tassadar and got a ranged assassin instead of that support character I remembered (shielding/phasing), was sucking hard at force wall which was the no go "R" last time I remembered (my fault for not checking but was just cycling through favorites while playing with the friend).

Anyway I was hoping for a quick rundown of what has changed because it does seem the game seems little faster, minions come quicker, bases fall faster and not to mention the catapult troops that happen way sooner. Or at least confirm that the game has changed some, biggest thing I can put my finger on is the games definitely feel quicker. No more than 20 mins most times.

Or any tips overall to anything that would be different during the time period difference?

[Egomaniac]

Or any tips overall to anything that would be different during the time period difference?

If it's been that long you should probably just treat it as though you have never played before. Be easier than trying to figure out all the changes.

[RCA]

If it's been that long you should probably just treat it as though you have never played before. Be easier than trying to figure out all the changes.

Joking aside, it is somewhat different though and I'm not imagining things? Like I've played some random games between the period (Valla barely changed it seems and normally used her) and you notice the maps gone, the new quests during gameplay but playing a game here and there is whatever. Then you play 10+ with a buddy going oh shit that different, oh wait no you need to do this now (seeds map). Eh I can look at the heroespatchesnotes website to get the full list, but man even I felt a little lost went trying to explain to a new player.

[Egomaniac]

Joking aside, it is somewhat different though and I'm not imagining things? Like I've played some random games between the period (Valla barely changed it seems and normally used her) and you notice the maps gone, the new quests during gameplay but playing a game here and there is whatever. Then you play 10+ with a buddy going oh shit that different, oh wait no you need to do this now (seeds map). Eh I can look at the heroespatchesnotes website to get the full list, but man even I felt a little lost went trying to explain to a new player.

Well that's what I mean. Just treat it as if it's a new MOBA. In the last couple of years they've added new mechanics, new and restructured maps, reworked heroes (like tassadar), removed maps, changed the way structures work. To someone returning after a few years...it will be almost like an entirely new game. So don't worry about figuring out everything that's changed...just learn it as though it were a new MOBA.

[Nerraw]

Not knowing exactly when you stopped playing, let's see what has happened since 2017:

Hero releases:
Zul'jin
Valeera
Lucio
Probius
Cassia
Genji
D.Va
Malthael
Stukov
Garrosh
Kel'Thuzad
Ana
Junkrat
Alexstrasza
Hanzo
Blaze
Maiev
Fenix
Deckard
Yrel
Whitemane
Mephisto
Mal'Ganis
Orphea
Imperius
Anduin
Qhira
Deathwing
Mei

That's 29 heroes, out of the 88/89 (Cho'gall) in the game currently. I'm not even going to bother listing the reworks as almost all of them have been changed in some way since you last played. You've already noticed Tassadar's changes, which, to be fair, has been the most extensive rework to date. It took more than a year for it to come out from the first time they mentioned it being in development.

Beyond the hero stuff, Brawl has changed, Ranked has changed, new maps have come out, existing maps have changed, and a ton of minor stuff I've forgotten over the years.

TLDR: Egomaniac is correct, treat it as a brand new game to you and you'll be fine.

[RCA]

snip

My bad dude first read it as like "you should go find another MOBA" then "Oh boy you played enough back then to notice yes it is different." Found like 5 more things different when browsing through the notes some more (ammo towers, more of them, ete). You're right need to just play and role through the punches. Learn the newer characters so I don't get caught. Just got to keep my buddy spirits up lol he was trying out more supports in the beginning of his tenure and yea maybe not his best starting choice...as he has gotten the dude your heals suck a few times.

snip

Cut out around D.Va then back around Junkrat until Blaze. Yea just like Ego said, it is different than you remember just play it out and find those changes. Kind of liked the whole Support role of Tassadar (especially since he was one of the two I used to complete the quest when it showed up) . If I remember right you could zip around with two speed increases via talents on both the shield/phase and just fly across the map supporting lanes, increasing chase speed so the melee guy would fly in with a shield and kill the almost dead hero running away. Anyway that's what I get before looking and started this thread to see if I should focus on something else a little more than 2-3 yrs ago, but just play a bunch and adjust.

[caervek]

Basically the new dev team (Blizzard replaced them all) has gone in a different direction to the previous teams. The specialist hero type has been removed and the heroes mostly reworked in order to make the game much more deathmatch focused and much less PVE focused than it used to be.

You no longer get XP from nearby minion deaths, instead they drop XP orbs which must be collected so passive XP soaking is gone, you can't hide under your tower and hold the lane anymore you have to go out and fight for it.

I don't remember if tower ammunition was removed prior to 2017 but if you don't remember it being removed then, it's been removed lol.

[RCA]

Basically the new dev team (Blizzard replaced them all) has gone in a different direction to the previous teams. The specialist hero type has been removed and the heroes mostly reworked in order to make the game much more deathmatch focused and much less PVE focused than it used to be.

You no longer get XP from nearby minion deaths, instead they drop XP orbs which must be collected so passive XP soaking is gone, you can't hide under your tower and hold the lane anymore you have to go out and fight for it.

I don't remember if tower ammunition was removed prior to 2017 but if you don't remember it being removed then, it's been removed lol.

Thx dude for the reply. Yea this is the final confirm I needed as wasn’t really mentioned above, less lane focus and more team brawls. This game wasn’t too laney back in the day as it was always the quickest one with hero fights/objectives but lanes were still important. Also that explains the complaints about minion killing we got in some of the games. Funny too, your post again reminded of another handful of things gone I didn’t notice first glance.

[Shaqthefat]

So actually a buddy was trying out the game and figure I would play with him since its been awhile and it was fun.

Most games been average and a little rough with people getting over on us (especially my friend) for not playing well. Had an awful experience when I quick played Tassadar and got a ranged assassin instead of that support character I remembered (shielding/phasing), was sucking hard at force wall which was the no go "R" last time I remembered (my fault for not checking but was just cycling through favorites while playing with the friend).

Anyway I was hoping for a quick rundown of what has changed because it does seem the game seems little faster, minions come quicker, bases fall faster and not to mention the catapult troops that happen way sooner. Or at least confirm that the game has changed some, biggest thing I can put my finger on is the games definitely feel quicker. No more than 20 mins most times.

Or any tips overall to anything that would be different during the time period difference?

Stealth was reworked, the shimmer is gone and now is replaced by an outline. It's a stupid change and was start of poor choices that lead to the game to the state it is in.

[Nerraw]

Stealth was reworked, the shimmer is gone and now is replaced by an outline. It's a stupid change and was start of poor choices that lead to the game to the state it is in.

You forgot to mention that standing still for 1.5 seconds turns you truly invisible. And that this is the case for every stealth ability in the game.

[Shaqthefat]

You forgot to mention that standing still for 1.5 seconds turns you truly invisible. And that this is the case for every stealth ability in the game.

Yeah, I use that mechanic while playing stealth heroes, but forget about it when discussing the stealth changes. However I wouldn't call that a saving grace for the stealth rework.

[ThatsOurEric]

Prior to the 2.0 update, matchmaking was more (that I remembered) balanced in terms of how the Ranked games would go.
The game was a lot more fun and the community a lot less toxic.

After the 2.0 update, the game's MM system is so bad that it will purposely bear trap you into ranks, with it being nothing
short of impossible to ever get out of the rank it has you put on. Although this has always been a problem in Blizzard games
as a whole, it's only gotten significantly worse. This also happened to Overwatch as well. Toxicity has only increased, to the
point where I can actually run out of space to block other players.

Those two points aside, the recommendation to treat this as a new game is absolutely correct.

[Munson85]

If you are good you can climb. Bear traps? Lolwut

[ThatsOurEric]

If you are good you can climb. Bear traps? Lolwut

That statement has been proven to be complete bullshit multiple times. lolwut

[Angelwings]

That statement has been proven to be complete bullshit multiple times. lolwut

Aye, the team mechanic is just too hard to overcome at times.

[ThatsOurEric]

Aye, the team mechanic is just too hard to overcome at times.

Like a lot of posters seem to forget that this isn't like DoTA or LoL, where in those games, individual carries
are 100% possible, because players are independent from one another. HoTS is the complete opposite by
design, it requires the entire team working together.

As a result, you could be playing a hero the other team can't effectively fight against, doing all the insane
plays and kills, etc., but if have a team that doesn't work together, has poor communication, and most of
all, poor skill, you are going to really struggle. Because unless that other team is the same, the difference
between your team and theirs is going to be MASSIVE.

Hence why Munson's statement is bullshit.

[Angelwings]

Like a lot of posters seem to forget that this isn't like DoTA or LoL, where in those games, individual carries
are 100% possible, because players are independent from one another. HoTS is the complete opposite by
design, it requires the entire team working together.

As a result, you could be playing a hero the other team can't effectively fight against, doing all the insane
plays and kills, etc., but if have a team that doesn't work together, has poor communication, and most of
all, poor skill, you are going to really struggle. Because unless that other team is the same, the difference
between your team and theirs is going to be MASSIVE.

Hence why Munson's statement is bullshit.

I agree, completely. Worse is, they wanted the game to be like this.

[ThatsOurEric]

I mean I'm fine with that design change, as I could never really understand the whole itemization/gear design of
LoL or DotA2, and to be honest, I never thought it was much fun. There is also more of a chance (although still
very low) to come back in HotS, whereas in League and Dota2...not so much. If you get the lead in either of
those games, it's next to impossible to come back.

That being said though, it's that teamwork dynamic that is unfortunately, exactly what is this game's biggest
problem, and is the root of all it's other issues. If you are given players of lesser skill, trolls, throwers, leavers,
etc., you are basically fucked. And because there is no "avoid player" feature, you can and will potentially be
paired with the same exact players for SEVERAL games in a row. Which means you'll be losing SR at a
staggering rate.