A great strength of Blizzard has always been the lasting power of their games. Whether you speak of the Diablo, Starcraft, or Warcraft series, each of these games carries with it an adamant fan-base that will defend the quality of these games to their last breath. I never really got into Starcraft, but Diablo and Warcraft were such great series. World of Warcraft also deserves a mention, as it was a ridiculous solid mmorpg. However, WoW gets old now and then, and one musst search for new games to occupy their time. Unless of course you rediscover an old game you loved. That is what brings about this post, my rediscovery of Warcraft 3, more specifically the Defense of The Ancents custom map made by Icefrog (http://www.icefrog.com/). I can remember a few years ago, when this map first came out, and it was a blast to play! So much has changed, but so much has remained the same. The basic concept of the map is exactly the same; raid the opposing teams base and eventually destroy their main stronghold building to win the game, while defending your own and the three lanes either team can take to push into the opponents base. The game is meant for 5 versus 5, but can also be played with less players. Recently, a solid AI version of the map has also been released, allowing the rusty players (such as myself) the ability to sharpen up before heading into competition again. This map will also allow new-comers to get the feeling of the game, and understand the basic mechanics of it before getting owned for being noobs in the real games. Now that I’m back into playing DOTA (pronounced dah-ta), I remember what made it so interesting. Sure there are always some balance issues, issues with people leaving or feeding, and cheesy moments, but the core game is just plain fun. For anybody who hasn’t had the experience of playing DOTA, I highly recommend it, especially considering the price of the game and it’s expansion is so low now, that it’s a very cheap investment for all the fun you’ll have. Not to mention the thousands of other custom maps, and the regular games that you can also find great enjoyment in. If that isn’t enough incentive, you can add me as a friend, andyv92, and come play in games with me!
Andy Veilleux 