Dota 2: Valve Have Finally Overhauled The New Player Experience
| Tags: Dota 2
| Author Anuj Gupta
Looks like Valve is finally giving attention to Dota 2’s steep learning curve, improving the new player experience in the game.
Starting today new players can queue in for “New Player Mode”. The latest addition by Valve aims to help Dota 2 newbies. Since the very inception of Dota 2, the community has always complained about the newcomers' experience and how difficult it is for them to enjoy and adapt to the game. The declining player base and reduced number of new players joining the game is an outcome of the same.
Today we're launching a comprehensive update to the new player experience, featuring an extensive suite of tools designed to help anyone interested in learning more about Dota 2. https://t.co/ZumqwNDIaC pic.twitter.com/IX9uwni96D
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) March 25, 2021
Valve has attempted to improve the game for not only the new players but the existing player base. We take a close look at the latest raft of changes.
Contents
Streamlined Shop
The usual Dota 2 in-game shop has a plethora of items on display. While the shop displays plenty of items, it could overwhelm the newer players. Valve has now updated the shop which grants players the option to use the advanced shop or the new streamlined version which makes shopping items easier for new players.
New Player Objectives
A “Welcome” tab which provides players with tier wise objectives now replaced the tutorial option under the “Learn” tab of the main menu. These objectives help new players get better and learn Dota 2 quickly and easily. Objectives focus on concepts like warding, teleporting, or courier control. Advanced objectives run down the concepts of teamfights, lockdown, or initiation. The developers have also added shards as rewards for completing sets of objectives in each tier.
Community Made Guide
After Tier 4 objectives, there is another tab which shows the community created objectives. This is basically a community created and funded guide for new players created. Upon clicking, the guide takes the players into a match, where Sunsfan and Slacks are narrators who help the players understand the game in a more friendly and less technical way.
Glossary
The Glossary tab is a fresh addition to the game. It is like an encyclopedia filled with all essential Dota 2 information for new or existing players in the game. Although there is a lot of information to absorb for newbies, such an important source of knowledge will inevitably help the players.
New Player Mode
The New Player Mode is by far the most interesting part of the update. Valve has introduced a new game mode for the new players to digest the game easily. The game mode will feature a small and stable pool of heroes to choose from. The mode will also let players leave the match anytime, receiving no penalty for the same. A bot will then replace the player to ensure balanced continuity. The game mode also offers players to queue in parties with other players. Party games will place players against bots to ensure a safe and controlled environment.
They have based rules of New Player Mode similar to Turbo Mode modifications, giving space to the players to learn without encountering steep curves.
Updated And Improved Bots
The overhaul includes updated bots which will now support gameplay changes like outposts, neutral items, and new abilities. The developers have now improved the behavior of bots to help players in laning, farming, rune pickup, ability use, and item use. Rebalanced strategy will also help the bot match experience. Custom difficulty level is in place for new players with renames for some bots to add a touch of nostalgia.
In-Game Wizard Tips
The game client can now detect new players and help them with in-game guides through a friendly-looking wizard. The guide will now help the newbies for things like tower damage, crossing the river, ability counters, backdoor protection, vision, wards, dust, and other similar things.
New Player Chat
The New Player Chat channel is available for players after they complete the first set of new player tasks. For providing a welcoming environment to new players, the channel admins comprise trusted community leaders from around the world who will help select moderators who will keep a watch on the chat channels. Valve will also extend the channels to experienced players with high behaviour scores to help the community.
Flexible Coaching
Valve has introduced a coaching system for players. Not limited to new players, the idea behind the new system is helpful for players who want to learn or improve at Dota. Only players with high behaviour scores will get to coach. Once the session is complete, the coach and student will rate each other based on their experiences.
Updated Dota Website
Valve has ended the Dota 2 beta website and has revamped the entire experience. The site now includes Heropedia to help players know about dota 2 heroes and search for the information they want.
The update also contains many other changes apart from the major ones mentioned above. These changes include Hero Briefs, Dashboard Assistance, Banning Smurfs and more. You can find the entire raft of updates on the Dota 2 Blog here.
Feature Images: Dota 2