Patch 7.28 Wishlist
The next patch should be coming some time soon and now is a great time to think about what changes we would like to see the most. While the current iteration of the game is quite well balanced and doesn’t have any glaring problems, it is still getting stale and some shake up feels slightly overdue.
Neutral Item Tweaking
The addition of neutral items was very controversial in the beginning and remains so among some players, but overall there is nothing inherently wrong with the system. It adds some randomness to the game, sure, but the impact of this randomness is limited, at least until 60+ minutes into the game.
However, there are several items that aren’t simple trinkets, but rather full-on qualitative changes, which can and at some point will turn a hero matchup on its head in a high-level professional game. We believe a preemptive strike towards some of these items is necessary.
Clumsy Net, Spider Legs, Flicker, and Minotaur Horn are all potentially problematic. We are not saying they are the most powerful items in their respective tiers, but their active abilities can, depending on the matchup, do too much. They are also useful in all other matchups.
Minotaur Horn or Flicker against Disruptor or Riki, Clumsy Net as a kill condition on a hero who relies on mobility, and many more other problems arise from the inclusion of these items. And it’s not like they are in any way inferior to other items without their actives: Spider Legs are essentially free boots, Minotaur Horn gives a lot of Strength, while Flicker gives a sizable MS bonus.
Sure, they are going to be truly game-breaking in a very low amount of games, but this amount is definitely non-trivial, and we firmly believe that some adjustments are needed.
Further Laning Stage De-emphasis
A solution three years in the making. Patch 7.07 lowered the deny XP to 25%, but this value has steadily risen and is now 50%, which works decently well on paper, balancing the strategy and execution aspects of the game. We would like to argue that returning it to its original value of 70% or closer to it might be a step in the right direction, however.
Yes, outplaying your opponent in lane and taking control of it is an integral part of the game and the low deny XP is definitely a part of it. However, while it does allow more mechanically-gifted players to excel, it simultaneously lowers the pool of viable heroes. You need to be able to stay in lane and trade hits and creeps, otherwise your hero gets too far behind.
Over the years it resulted in a series of band-aid solutions of simply buffing laning stage for certain heroes. Extra starting armor, more attack damage, free damage block on melee heroes and so on have all aimed at solving the problem that the deny XP change created and it is still not enough in some cases.
We firmly believe that Dota is at its best when all heroes, regardless of their laning capabilities, are viable. There are still going to be good and bad matchups and there will still be a way for a team to take an advantage in lane, but the impact on the midgame isn’t going to be as pronounced. Taking a hit in the early game for a potentially better position later down the road should be an option.
Taming the Armor
Armor is slightly out of control right now. The problem is apparent only on heroes with exceptionally high values, but it is there and it must be dealt with. There is definitely something wrong when the Divine Rapier is getting outclassed by MKB in certain matchups, and while our initial impression was that MKB is overtuned, we now feel that it is not MKB, but rather physical resistance that is to blame.
On the other hand, the last several years were great for magic damage dealers: spell amplification and “Spell Immunity no longer gives 100% Magic Resistance” made sure they stayed relevant damage-wise until later portions of the match and was overall healthy for the game.
Perhaps a very small adjustment is all it will take to tackle the problem, but the adjustment, while not necessary, would certainly be welcome.
Closing Thoughts
We deliberately didn’t discuss any potential hero changes, since most meta shifts in Dota are not a result of the power level of certain heroes in a vacuum, but rather a result of many small things working together.
Most Dota systems are currently in a pretty good place: the economy is working well, both in terms of gold and XP; the Radiant-Dire balance is in a very impressive state and the breadth of viable strategies is undeniably good. Small and accurate adjustments to some systems might be all it takes to make the game even better and we are excited about what changes Valve will come up with.
What are you hoping for the most in the upcoming patch?
I hope for the hero changes, specifically some insane reworks of abilities and talents to make players try out new things, to have some new fun strats + some overall meta tweak from teamfight=win.
nerf sven
buff invoker
Give MKB a cooldown for the proc like basher but just a quicker cooldown.
^why don't just reduce mkb's chance instead? like %75->%65
Buff meepo plz. This hero is literally unplayable right now!
Buff tinker thanks.
7.28
Crystal Maiden movement speed reduced by 50
Patch notes end
I am firmly in the 'remove neutral items entirely' camp. Either they are relevant and therefore imbalanced due to their random nature, or they are a distraction that, while giving free stats, don't have impact worth spending time trying to acquire.
If they are to stay in the game, I'd rather see the items be handed to players upon reaching a target, and they can select which item they get from the tier. Target could be cs, xp, networth, or a combination of some stuff etc. Items can be picked up at the outpost OR the secret shop OR exclusively at the returning side shop.
Make drum of endurance lvl up by buying recipe, like Dagon. Just refreshing charges in not enough. It also should increase stats or bonuses it gives while activated. You have never seen someone buying another recipe because of its useless. And for the love of god make Doom’s infernal blade to have a true strike: how should I break with Aghanim PA passive if I’m not able even to hit her.
Its time now to have 6v6 hero.. 2 hero each lane...
Make Pudge great again!
Nerf Clinkz make him unable to eat huge zombies in Diretide. Please don't nerf Sven. I love Sven <3
Aside from balancing, I hope there will be more innovations like map changes, new items, or even some new stuff. I'm open to try new innovations added to the game
Nobody is talking about glimmer getting nerfed....good :)
I personally think they should remove neutral items too but they seem to add the talents they have and neutral items to try and be inclusive to the hero pool as much as possible and maybe have found out that it's essentially the same thing its always been.
It truly depends on what their next goal is. Is it to just shake up the meta on the same foundation? or is it to move Dota in the next direction. Because if they want to move dota in the next direction then adding things like Shrines, Outposts, neutral items isn't the way to go. It just causes unnecessary inflation. Something has to be changed or a core mechanic needs a rework. Adding things is just making it harder for newer players to learn and making the game more irrelevant for your mistakes.
Make 5 lanes instead of 3.
We need ranked matchmaking for South Africa. Playing ranked games with 200 ping is really frustrating.
nerf sven's scepter
Make Kotl good again
Nice wishlist. Here is mine: Actual new item.
The game kinda needs a refresh, but that's because I'm bored. Anyhow, I welcome a heroes' update.
Please, i beg you, just rework the current LS, his feast needs to be like before... his rage must reduce BAT, and he doesnt need any passive AS, cause desrroys every lane, his ultimate needs a better aghs or atleast give the aghs to his open wound or his rage...
You should buff Ursa, this is guy is suffring a lot!
Nerf fucking sven, this is mad hero !
Neutral items are good and should stay. The whole point of them is to allow for having a jungler OR 2 heroes in the offlane.
All abilities should be vector based with changed cooldowns. That would really make dota evolve.
Buff Ursa, MK, Troll, Chen, Meepo. Nerf Drow. Rework Talents for Io.
however u guys complain, devs wont notice you haha
sven storm hammer dispel to lvl 20 talent pls
LYCAN BUFF PLS
General winrate and pickrate 43.47% 1.00% WTF osfrog?!
Buff Techies!
Ждём нового героя...
IceFrog: Points taken. CM's movement speed reduced by 15.
trilane meta should come back
Tinker Buffs:
Lvl 20 or 25 Talent 2x Cast Range.
Buff his March of the Machines for the mid game.
Innate Ability, can teleport to allied units. Note: Still consumes TP Scroll so it still needs BoT for the unlimited charges.
BUFF TECHIES!!!
BUFF LYCAN
Here expecting rework visage's agh scepter
NERF SVEN
Despite all the tweaking, neutral items can be made tolerable at best, but take a step back and realize that they do not add any meaningful strategic element to the game. Either remove them, or make them non-random (announcing pre game what items will drop so people can arrange their match-up according to that).
and also please nerf the mobility creep. Mobility creep has gone so bad that it's no wonder hero like sniper is falling off. Haste used to mean something right? Nowadays most heroes just casually walk in the 450+ range. Bounty hunter at level 10 can already move at perma haste, it's so retarded.
Give my real lifestealer back .!.
"nerf all natural items" they must not have much impact on game
"nerf Sven, Am"
these 2 heroes kill illu heroes very ez due to their skill or primary item
Buff kotl this hero is so shit rn can't do much thing in fights
The laning phase feels worthless enough as it is without being made more irrelevant
My main issue with neutral items is that there are several neutral items especially in tier 3 that if you miss out on you're put at a big disadvantage. Tier 1 & 2 items seem fairly balanced, Ocean Heart is pretty garbage and should be reworked/removed but for the most part all the items in these tiers have their uses and they're weak enough that they don't give a huge gameplay advantage.
Tier 3 items are where the big offenders come in, and where the major neutral item imbalance comes into play in my opinion. If your team misses out on Paladin Sword & Titan Sliver and the enemy team gets both of these, you're gonna have a bad time. Titan Sliver especially seems way too good, literally everyone wants this item. Either remove the status res altogether or drastically nerf it down to 5% or something. Greater Faerie Fire, Craggy Coat & Enchanted Quiver seem underwhelming as well.
Tier 4 and onwards feels balanced enough and it's late enough in the game where a neutral item isn't going to make or break the game necessarily, although you could argue a couple of them like Minotaur Horn & Flicker are overpowered.
Balance on how neutral item can be acquired instead of RNG.
All team meelee, you get Ballista late game, or maybe the physical carry just not suitable using that item. Congrats.
Ex-Machina just a dogshit item.
That Necro while your team cant micro/simple macro.
Witless Shako is a hindrance more than not, especially for those strength hero who loves benefit but something like Mars who love his mana wont pick this, even some int hero hesitate to pick this item. Also it is possible to have a team consist of low mana lineup, especially in solo Q.
Magic Lamp on the other hand felt worse than Shako.
There is situation where someone can get fucked over if they get Trident on a losing side and cant simply purchase 6150 item.
Aside from that, every item also wasnt worth the same. Brooch, Arcane Ring, Jelly, Shovel, Mango Tree simply better than any other dogshit item. Then again there's a chance enemy getting those good items and you get PMS, keen optic, Iron Talon, and Ocean Heart.
change the map
Lone druid needs a huge buff, last patch he got so nerfed and useless, they can kill his bear in 2 sec so ez