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== History ==
== History ==
{{See also|Chronology of Dota-based video games}}
{{See also|Chronology of Dota-based video games}}

An early predecessor to ''Dota'' would be the 1989 game ''[[Herzog Zwei]]'' which, though considered to be the progenitor of the modern real-time strategy genre in general, has more in common with the likes ''Dota'' than it does with the likes of ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3|Red Alert 3]]'' or ''[[Tom Clancy's EndWar]]''. The key differences between ''Dota'' and ''Herzog Zwei'' were that the latter has a fully customizable command unit with [[RPG elements]] that the player has full control over, while commanding an army to go into battle with rather than mindless drones that respawn at set intervals.<ref>''GameAxis Unwired'', [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vuoDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=herzog+dota&source=bl&ots=Pvfk8sgcif&sig=ZoFVE4ya2GH1dzSXgrxCbGEEvNw&hl=en&ei=jBEhTYTwMYqzhAeP5f22Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false p. 52], December 2008, [[SPH Magazines]], ISSN 0219-872X</ref>

===Maps and Modifications===
===Maps and Modifications===
Features of ''Dota'' existed in early mods like the "Aeon of Strife" map for ''[[StarCraft]]'' but it was the [[Warcraft III]] custom scenario, [[Defense of the Ancients]] that brought the spotlight to the niche genre.<ref>{{cite web |author=Sharkey, Mike |date=2010-08-11|url = http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/111/1111696p1.html | title = Evidence Mounting for a Valve Defense of the Ancients Game | accessdate = 2010-11-17 | publisher = Gamespy.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Khoo, Nicholas Aaron |date=2010-03-03|url = http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/geekonomics/post.htm?id=63018571 | title = Heroes of Newerth to replace Defense of the Ancients | accessdate = 2010-11-22 | publisher = Cnet.com }}</ref>
Features of ''Dota'' existed in early mods like the "Aeon of Strife" map for ''[[StarCraft]]'' but it was the [[Warcraft III]] custom scenario, [[Defense of the Ancients]] that brought the spotlight to the niche genre.<ref>{{cite web |author=Sharkey, Mike |date=2010-08-11|url = http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/111/1111696p1.html | title = Evidence Mounting for a Valve Defense of the Ancients Game | accessdate = 2010-11-17 | publisher = Gamespy.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Khoo, Nicholas Aaron |date=2010-03-03|url = http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/geekonomics/post.htm?id=63018571 | title = Heroes of Newerth to replace Defense of the Ancients | accessdate = 2010-11-22 | publisher = Cnet.com }}</ref>

Revision as of 00:33, 3 January 2011

For other uses, see DOTA (disambiguation).
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The Dota genre is a sub-genre of real-time strategy video games, characterized by their likeness to Defense of the Ancients, a hybrid of real-time strategy and RPG modded for the Warcraft 3 engine. The objective of such games is for the player's team to destroy the opposing side's main structure with the help of periodically spawned computer-controlled units that march towards the enemy's main structure. The genre traces its roots to the Starcraft map called "Aeon of Strife".[1]

Terminology

Origin

The genre takes its name from DotA, a popular Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Mod.[2]

Alternative Terminologies

Other commonly used terms used to refer to the DotA genre include but are not limited to "Action RTS", "AoS style games", "DotA style games", "DotA based games", "Dota games", "DotA Clones", "DotA-Likes", and various other combinations of words pertaining to a game inspired by DotA. Dota games can also be simply referred to as DOTAs.[3]

History

See also: Chronology of Dota-based video games

An early predecessor to Dota would be the 1989 game Herzog Zwei which, though considered to be the progenitor of the modern real-time strategy genre in general, has more in common with the likes Dota than it does with the likes of Red Alert 3 or Tom Clancy's EndWar. The key differences between Dota and Herzog Zwei were that the latter has a fully customizable command unit with RPG elements that the player has full control over, while commanding an army to go into battle with rather than mindless drones that respawn at set intervals.[4]

Maps and Modifications

Features of Dota existed in early mods like the "Aeon of Strife" map for StarCraft but it was the Warcraft III custom scenario, Defense of the Ancients that brought the spotlight to the niche genre.[5][6]

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty's Galaxy editor has allowed map designers to continue the tradition of creating Dota variants like Storm of the Imperial Sanctum and Star Battle.

The immense popularity of Dota inspired Blizzard Entertainment to create an official Starcraft 2 custom map called Blizzard DOTA.[7] In an interview, Chris Sigaty - Lead Producer of Starcraft II stated that Blizzard DOTA "is a take on the DOTA genre if you will. It gives you the opportunity to see some of the heroes we've made, we've made some heroes that are cross genre. Not just SC2 heroes, we've got some Diablo characters in the works, we've some Warcraft characters and Starcraft characters and they're fighting together." [8]

Stand-alone Dota based games

Demigod, a video game developed by Gas Powered Games was the first released stand-alone title in the Dota genre.[9][10] This was followed by Riot Games' League of Legends.[11][12] In May 2010, S2 Games released Heroes of Newerth.[13][14] On October 13, 2010, Valve Corporation announced it's official entry to the genre with a sequel to DotA entitled Dota 2.[15][16] At Blizzcon 2010, Activision Blizzard officially announced their entry to the Dota genre with Blizzard DOTA.[17][18] Aeria Games will be publishing Tian Online in North America. [19][20]

Although majority of the released games in the Dota genre employ a top-down perspective, Uber Entertainment's Crossfire mode of Monday Night Combat breaks away from the trend by introducing a third person shooter spin to the concept. [21]

Gameplay

There are typically two teams of five, sometimes teams of three or four, and each player controls a single unit called a hero, which can level up and stockpile gold to purchase items which improve that character. Each player constantly receives a small amount of gold per second from their base and moderate amounts of gold are rewarded for killing creeps and large amounts for killing enemy heroes. Teams split up into lanes and fight the enemy heroes and creep waves,which are computer-controlled armies that continually spawn from each team's base.[22] Common Real-time strategy elements such as base management, resource collection and army building are not emphasized. [23]

Game Design

Games classified under the Dota genre possess the following basic elements: a player-controlled hero, periodic spawns of computer-controlled creeps, towers and a main structure which must be destroyed for a game to end.

Hero Concept

A player controls a single powerful in-game unit called a Hero. When a hero kills an enemy unit, it gains experience points which allow the hero to level-up. Heroes have the ability to learn skills and abilities which can be used to turn the tide of battle in your favor. When your hero dies, you have to wait a designated time, which increases as your hero levels up, until you revive at your base. [24]

AI-controlled Creep Waves

Creeps are the computer-controlled units that fight alongside the heroes to "push" a lane. These armies spawn from the base at fixed time intervals and generally follow a pre-programmed path to the opposing base, attacking any enemy it encounters on the way.[25]

Towers

Dota genre games are sometimes erroneously referred to as Tower Defense games by the media because of the presence of in-game defensive tower structures. [26]

Main Structure

Destroying the main structure, located within the enemy base, is the primary objective. The team that is able to destroy the structure wins the game. [27] Destroying other structures located in the enemy base can also give certain benefits. The structures cannot be rebuilt nor repaired.

USPTO - Trademark

On August 6, 2010 - Valve Corporation filed for a trademark for the term "DOTA" with serial number 85102245. [28]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". GetDota.com. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  2. ^ Fahey, Mike (2010-04-01). "Savage Take On Defense Of The Ancients Enters Open Beta". Kotaku. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
  3. ^ Nguyen, Thierry (2009-09-01). "Clash of The DOTAs". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  4. ^ GameAxis Unwired, p. 52, December 2008, SPH Magazines, ISSN 0219-872X
  5. ^ Sharkey, Mike (2010-08-11). "Evidence Mounting for a Valve Defense of the Ancients Game". Gamespy.com. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  6. ^ Khoo, Nicholas Aaron (2010-03-03). "Heroes of Newerth to replace Defense of the Ancients". Cnet.com. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
  7. ^ Varanini, Giancarlo (2010-10-23). "Starcraft II: Blizzard DOTA Hands-On". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  8. ^ Iuliani, Joe (2010-11-05). "Starcraft II: Chris Sigaty Interview". MMORPG.com. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  9. ^ Lopez, Miguel (2008-02-21). "Demigod". Gamespy.com. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  10. ^ Nemikan (2009-09-21). "DOTA reborn: Three games inspired by the legendary WC3 mod". Icrontic.com. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  11. ^ Perez, Daniel (2009-01-16). "League of Legends Interview". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  12. ^ Arirang (2009-10-03). "A Look at the Future of Dota and the AoS Genre". GameRiot.com. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  13. ^ Jackson, Leah (2010-12-23). "Looking Back at 2010: The Year in PC Games". g4tv.com. Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  14. ^ Mark Wedel (2010-06-24). "Kalamazoo-made 'Heroes of Newerth' drawing huge online gaming crowd". Kalamazoo Gazette. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  15. ^ "Valve Announces Dota 2". Valve Corporation. October 19, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  16. ^ Totillo, Stephen (2010-10-13). "Valve's New Game Is Dota 2". Kotaku. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
  17. ^ "All-New Blizzard Custom Maps Featured at Blizzcon 2010". Blizzard Entertainment. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  18. ^ Augustine, Josh (2010-10-23). "The first heroes in SC2's DOTA map". PCGamer. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
  19. ^ "Tian Online joins the North American Dota Genre Market". NeutralCreeps.com. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  20. ^ Wu, Esther (2010-10-29). "Tianyijue Chinese Dota Genre Trailer Released". Wirebot.com. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  21. ^ Simons, Brad (2010-07-30). "Monday Night Combat is not the Team Fortress 2 clone you think it is". 4playerpodcast.com. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
  22. ^ Biessener, Adam (2010-10-13). "Valve's New Game Announced, Detailed: Dota 2". Game Informer. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  23. ^ "Game Overview". Garena. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  24. ^ "Basic Survival - Learn Dota". PlayDota.com. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  25. ^ Leahy, Brian (2010-10-13). "Dota Explained and How You Can Play it Now". Shacknews.com. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  26. ^ Fronczak, Tom (2010-09-24). "Destructoid Interview: Riot Games on DotA trademark & LoL". Destructoid.com. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  27. ^ "Heroes of Newerth - Charge!". Dedoimedo.com. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  28. ^ "Latest Status Info". United States Patent and Trademark Office. 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
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