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Warcraft III: DotA Allstars (Defense of the Ancients)

dota I was one of the many gamers addicted to World of Warcraft a few months ago. I have recently kicked the habit and have headed back to my Blizzard roots (well, more like my Blizzard upper trunk/lower branches) and have dusted off my Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne cds. But its not to play Warcraft III…

DotA Allstars is my draw to those Warcraft III discs. DotA is a home-made mod for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne that has taken Battle.net by storm over the past few years. Here’s the official DotA site’s description:

DotA stands for “Defense of the Ancients”, it’s a free mod for Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne. The purpose of the game is to defend your Ancient and try to destroy the opponents Ancient. The ancients are located deep in both bases, which are located at the top right and bottom left corners of the map. There are over 70 heroes that differ greatly in play style. Each of these heroes have been carefully designed so they are both balanced and unique. The map is updated frequently, sometimes to add new heroes, fix bugs or to make a balance update. The strategies possible with DotA are pretty much endless, choosing the wrong item and hero combination can mean the difference between a win and a loss for your team. The gameplay in DotA Allstars can be classified as relatively fast because as the game progresses any small mistake you make can be fatal to the overall team.

This WCIII mod has picked up enough following that Blizzard – Warcraft III’s creator – hosted a DotA Allstars tournament at their last Blizzcon…thats saying something! :) The mod has been well developed over the years and is currently in the hands of IceFrog (some dude’s alias) and he’s doing some good things. The game seems fairly balanced and new heroes are added every once in a while. I think the real draw to the game is how different each one can be…with 77 heroes and a crap ton of items you can totally suck out one game then turn around and own the next! The key is to find that happy medium and slowly work towards owning every time. Needless to say…I’m not there yet.

The way the game works is this: there are two teams – the Scourge and the Sentinel – consisting of up to 5 players each that start at the top right and the bottom left of the map respectively. Each player chooses a Hero to control, level up, and attack with. The goal is to advance on the opposing team and destroy their Ancient (a large structure in each base). Along the way, players are pitted against a constant barrage of spawned creeps (which originate from the opposing side’s base), enemy towers, other players’ heroes, and world creeps. To aid in the advancement in levels up to 25, players can purchase items from various shops and combine many of them into stronger items.

The game is fast, fun, and addictive…and boy can it piss you off at times. The average game lasts about 45-60 minutes so you play for a couple of hours you can try out a few different heroes in a single sitting.

During the summer, a group of friends – Al, Bude, Keith, Nate, Ryan, Zach, and I – gather together once a week to either LAN it up or play on Battle.net. We stock up on caffeine, chips, and subs, then play until the wee hours of the morning. Good times. Bude and Nate are our best players so are never allowed on the same team…I’m a fairly sucky player so I think I’ll start doing a little strat research and playing more Battle.net games on my own. My goal: To get better so I can start pissing my friends off because I’m good rather than pissing them off because I suck :). We’ll see if I get there…

If you have any interest in trying DotA out, you can get the latest map from here or GetDotA.com. Don’t bother trying to join games without the newest map…you’ll get booted faster than the game prep UI loads.

Posted in Art, Gaming, & Fun, Blog.

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155 Responses

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  1. TOM SAWYER says

    WTF!!!

  2. TOM SAWYER says

    I READ all the comments here!! and all of them are sucks!!! ayy tma na nga tagalog na nga!!! nbasa q mga comment nla 2ngkol s strongest hero here in DOTA!! wg na kaung mgpalakasan ng hero dhil lhat ng hero s dota e mlakas!! problema ung player n gmagmit ng hero… i suggest everyone to try the -ar or -random mode! d2 mla2man kng ganu ka na kgaling mag DOTA! msarap mag ar!! kc laging pntay ang hero dun!! ala pa kontrahan!! at pnu kng d mu alam ung hero mo??!! yari ka dhil mya mya FEEDING SPREE KNA!! and one thing!! kng mag iisip k kng cnu pnka strongest hero s dota!! un ay wlang iba kundi c KARDEL SHARPEYE!! bkit kamo?? kc assassinate???? no idiot!! Bcoz c KARDEL ang hero na alam ng lhat!! mging ng mga noobs out there!! thats all!! cge libre lang mag comment 2ngkol skin sbihan nu na ko ng mga gs2 nung sbhin!!….. coz 22o lhat to!! hehehehehe peace to all!! just enjoy the game!!

  3. Hebrew says

    Hi All, Just start playing dota game. Is anybody can help me and give some idea what’s the item need to buy. My hero is the Viper, soul keeper and the Twin dragon head.

  4. Chin2 says

    Mga dako mo ug biLat… Mga kadula ug dota.. mga banga.. single nLng??? haha… way daganay.. oten ra imong katapat dotz… aw.. ako paLa c “Most Valuable Meal”.

  5. Jayson says

    dota is the best game i have ever played

  6. logesh says

    hi,, i m still new in dota game,,, i m using (rexxar the beastmaster),, may i know wat is the best item for my hero and any usefull tips for my hero,,, thanks

  7. pocchollo says

    can anyone tell me the appropriate items for lich,pudge,barathrum and harbringer???plz…i admit im a noob..hehe…

  8. ini says

    4 all of u ppl addicted to DotA: GET A LIFE!! dont spend ur sorry lives playin video games…yes, i know da game is fun but come on… as i said- get a LIFE

    P.S. couple of hours is fine but not anymore dan dat…….

  9. rc says

    walang hiya…… i downloaded the latest version of 6.50AI but theres an error” to large file” can anyone tell me what should i do? thanks

  10. ila says

    wwaaaaaaaaaaa pasal dota ni my boyfen xnk layan i!!!
    i hateeeeeeeeeeee….!!!!!

  11. Jessy says

    jackole

  12. Zmasher says

    can someone teach me how to install dota?

  13. mirc says

    Successful website

  14. mirc says

    thanx a lot

  15. kostas says

    i have never played a game like Dota.it combines everithing i like.it is a strategy game that needs to think fast enough so to win or help your teamates.it is not just a stupid game for teens,but it can also attract the interest of older people, who will be fascinated by it’s beauty.

  16. CriBaL says

    CriXalis is the best…his burrowstrike will stun the enemy then epicenter, surely the enemy’s life will be red, and if the enemy escapes burrowstrike again the enemy cannot escape anymore.CriXaLis also earns fast money with its caustic finale. Just equip him with butterfly and other agility and str.

  17. savb says

    how can i kick a player in GG client or in dota??

  18. jacob says

    Playing in GG client really pisses me off…players who got pawned first…or killed in row always quit…and one thing..the connection with in other i.p frequently got D.C

    I hate it when it happen..
    So i decided to play more on Lan instead of that GG platform..

    Though their are also lots of pro player their that is fun to be with in game..

  19. Joseph says

    can someone help me..!! can you please give me frozen throne key code that is never gonna be used anymore please…!!!!!

  20. razor says

    razor is the best of all when you choose him plzz be careful plzzz make him godlike he is my idol!!!!!buy him 1)sange and yasha 2)bloodstone 3)sacred relic 4)butterfly 5)vanguard its that ok for him plzz reply of u know because i am noob ang id dont know this plzz help me thank you ^^^^^^^6

  21. john says

    i like very much to play dota.Also my favourite hero is razor because is one of the fasters on dota clinkz because he heve very good attack speed and i like sand king too because he have the best finaly attack

  22. G1@Nn1$ says

    if u want to kick some guy(of dota,noob,leaver,cheater,backdoorer)u must to have the program to your PC

  23. G1@Nn1$ says

    hi guys my name is john im 13 years old and i play dota 4 years …
    dota is one wonderfull game(gamatw)because its a strategy game and i like the strategy games.
    2)u can choose one hero but u can random one hero
    3)my favoyrite hero is the storm spirit because :
    1 skill increase your attack speed by 80% 2 skill is too good because when a hero attacks to u with a spell he destroy the spell what items to do to the storm spirit>??
    1st power threads
    2nd shange&yasha
    3rd butterfly
    4th 2nd butterfly
    5th monkey king bar
    6th heart of tarasque

  24. DOTer says

    Написали тут всякой хуйни и радуются. А как скачать 53 доту так и не показали. Сцуки

  25. clark says

    who are the best player

  26. jake says

    hei ang taong magaling sa dota magaling din sa buhay r8???ehehe kya pag godlike na kau mayaman na kau nun.,.,eheheh

  27. jake says

    who is the best hero 4 u???can you help me bec. i dont know if who will i used in game.,.,.plz

  28. putokedward says

    wqwq

  29. rich says

    what is the best heroes in dota? pls give me ty…

  30. rehmanbutt says

    can you submit me acomment how to doanload warcraft

  31. chunky85 says

    where cold i download free dota all star???

  32. headless_superboy says

    what is the best heroes in dota? pls give me ty…

  33. king of dota says

    a say no one can fight ma hahahahahahahaha!!!

  34. Resim says

    can anybody tell me what are the best items for melee str. heroes which are not too costly and can be bought soon after the game begins

  35. adrian says

    what is the best item for mogul khan and for terroblade
    when the game is already starting!!!

  36. amvzy says

    yeah… i want the whole dota game downloadable on internet..

    that will be most convenient than chasing for a dota installer..

    harharhar,,,,,,,,

  37. Striker says

    DotA’s nice, no doubts. A good idea is to start off with a sniper and buy lotar;s edge. You’ll figure out why it’s best to start like that ;)

  38. meynard says

    penge nmn cheat sa dota,,

  39. engdi says

    shut up huh!……………

  40. lord zero says

    can someone teach me how to install dota?

1 2 3

Continuing the Discussion

  1. BorkWeb » DotA Game Modes linked to this post on June 12, 2006

    [...] « Warcraft III: DotA Allstars (Defense of the Ancients) DotA Game Modes June 12th, 2006 | Digg it | Blink it | Post to del.icio.us [...]

  2. Uber-Geeks » Blog Archive » Warcraft III: DotA Allstars (Defense of the Ancients) linked to this post on June 12, 2006

    [...] I recently posted about DotA over at BorkWeb and figured it’d be relevent here as well. If you haven’t been enlightened: The way the game works is this: there are two teams – the Scourge and the Sentinel – consisting of up to 5 players each that start at the top right and the bottom left of the map respectively. Each player chooses a Hero to control, level up, and attack with. The goal is to advance on the opposing team and destroy their Ancient (a large structure in each base). Along the way, players are pitted against a constant barrage of spawned creeps (which originate from the opposing side’s base), enemy towers, other players’ heroes, and world creeps. To aid in the advancement in levels up to 25, players can purchase items from various shops and combine many of them into stronger items. [...]

  3. Uber-Geeks » Blog Archive » DotA v6.34 Released! linked to this post on June 22, 2006

    [...] I am happy to announce that Icefrog over at DotA Allstars has released the next version of Defense of the Ancients (DotA), version 6.34! You can download it at GetDotA.com. [...]

  4. BorkWeb » DotA v6.34 Released! linked to this post on June 22, 2006

    [...] An article from Uber-Geeks says that DotA Allstars has released the next version of Defense of the Ancients (DotA), version 6.34! You can download it at GetDotA.com. [...]

  5. BorkWeb » Defense of the Ancients (DotA) AI linked to this post on July 19, 2006

    [...] DotA is a great game with many game options. If you are new to this blessed game and wish to expand your knowledge and/or practice, your only real option is to play on Battle.net with human teammates and opponents due to the lack of Artificial Intelligence built in. If you suck, you’re bound to face ridicule for the entirety of a game…which is enough to drive potentially good players from ever playing again. [...]

  6. No Sheep » Defense of the Ancients (DotA) Allstars Items and Recipes linked to this post on July 23, 2006

    [...] Defense of the Ancients (DotA) Allstars is a Warcraft III mod that is insanely popular and equally fun. Currently this happens to be the only online game I play. DotA Allstars, or just DotA, is a mod so popular and well put together that Blizzard has recognized it and even hosted tournaments at BlizzCon! [...]

  7. BorkWeb » Warcraft III: Tech Wars linked to this post on July 23, 2006

    [...] Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is a sweet two-team game for up to 10 players where each player controls a hero and fights off creeps and pushes to destroy their opponent’s base. Well, recently a few of my friends and I have found a different game that can be just as exciting but games last about 15 to 20 minutes rather than the 1 to 1.5 hour games of DotA. The game? [...]

  8. BorkWeb » DotA Allstars v6.35 Released! linked to this post on August 2, 2006

    [...] w00t! DotA Allstars v6.35 was released! You can download it here or here. [...]

  9. Uber-Geeks » Blog Archive » DotA Allstars v6.35 Released! linked to this post on August 2, 2006

    [...] w00t! DotA Allstars v6.35 was released! You can download it here or here. [...]

  10. BorkWeb » DotA Allstars v6.36 Released! linked to this post on August 24, 2006

    [...] DotA Allstars v6.36 has been released! w00t! You can download it here or here. Here’s the changelog: 6.36 ==== [...]

  11. BorkWeb » Bude’s Rip-Out Tunage linked to this post on August 29, 2006

    [...] Bude tells me that he’s been ripping out in DotA and WoW to this song. In fact, here’s a quote from Bude himself: This song is f’n dangerous – it gets you pumped so bad you might actually break shit. When the drum beats hit before the solo – watch the FUCK OUT! So if you want something to listen to while you “Flip out and kill stuff” this is it. [...]

  12. BorkWeb » Warcraft III: Age of Myths linked to this post on September 2, 2006

    [...] I’m a huge fan of DotA…Warcraft III tower defense maps are excellent LAN/Battle.net games. Recently the group of guys that I play DotA on a periodic basis with decided to try out a new tower defense map. (which I have available for download here) [...]

  13. BorkWeb » DotA 6.39 Released! linked to this post on January 2, 2007

    [...] Its been a long time coming, but Defense of the Ancients version 6.39 has been released! Download it here or here. [...]

  14. BorkWeb » April Fools Day DotA 6.50 Release linked to this post on April 2, 2007

    [...] DotA guys have a sense of humor and released an April Fools release of DotA. Awesome. You can download it at the DotA forums. 6.50 Changelog: =============== * Added new item [...]

  15. DotA 6.45 Released! : BorkWeb linked to this post on November 17, 2007

    [...] DotA v6.45 has been released! Download it here or here. Check out the changelog below: [...]



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