"We won't implement the ability to play Custom maps in the near feature"

[Slut]

"We won't implement the ability to play Custom maps in the near future because we're busy focusing on designing stuff that affect CORE gameplay so yea, custom maps is not on our high priority list right now"

That's from the podcast, what I'm getting from this is that we wont be able to play any custom maps within the next 6 months from now on at least.

Any if they're saying they're focusing on CORE gameplay like they've done so far I'm guessing what they mean is Premium avatars, 20 new heroes and 20 new hero alt avatars!

S2, I am dissapoint.

[BigPimpinIt]

Well look at the good side allows people to figure out the map maker and start working on maps ^.^

[Slut]

After they said they're focusing on CORE gameplay stuff and custom maps isn't on the priority 5 minutes later he says they're going to implement custom account icons and they'll also have to get people reviewing them if they meet certain standards.

That sure is effort well spent on CORE GAMEPLAY stuff!

[Thysios]

Sigh...
I want custom maps!

[Irysa]

hon 3.0 will fix it

[majkzor]

hon 3.0 will fix it

it better.

[Mysame]

Yeah, listening to it right now as well. ****ing retarded. Sure the custom maps won't be used as much like Caldavar, but getting more people interested in maps/scripting = more maps/modes = bigger HoN = no way others MOBAs can keep up.

But yeah, we NEED more account icons. Jesus!

[PredZ_Minion]

People who came to play Heroes of newerth Came to play Dota yes? At least everyone i know did including me. If you came here to be able to play custom maps, and make your own maps, why not just stick to Warcraft? You really rather have S2 working on balancing and advertising some Custom map rather than improve the gameplay and add new fun heroes to the game we acctauly came here to play?

[Nemesis]

ye this is the only real thing i miss in this game. playing custom maps, In the dota times i mostly played rpg, diablo, hook games etc which consumed more time then dota ever did

[dandylion]

People who came to play Heroes of Newerth Came to play Dota yes? At least everyone i know did including me. If you came here to be able to play custom maps, and make your own maps, why not just stick to Warcraft? You really rather have S2 working on balancing and advertising some Custom map rather than improve the gameplay and add new fun heroes to the game we actually came here to play?

I would say about 90% of the time I spent on WC3 was used playing DotA.

I did certainly enjoy playing other custom games though, and I know a lot of people who played more custom games than they played DotA.

It's an incredibly beneficial aspect for S2 and could easily net them more active users, directly impacting their bank accounts. Ignoring it does nothing to benefit them.

[Heatseeker`]

To be honest, I'd rather them postpone custom maps than add them early and ending up they are full of bugs.

I actually found only one decent custom map (Sanctuary Of Heroes). It's a 4v4 map, so I think it's about time game becomes 4v4 friendly. But, as I said - they should not rush it.

I must admit I'd rather have a new map than a new hero. Don't mistake me, I adore new heroes, but they add them so fast and some of them are overpowered (from my noob perspective).

By the way, when is HoN 3.0 coming out? Was it announced?

----------------------------------------------------------

@PredZ_Minion - I hardly agree with you. Not everybody has DotA experience before playing this game. If you want to play DotA (your words, not mine), why don't you just play it? It's being updated all the time. Let HeroesOfNewerth be itself. Yes, it started out from DotA, but is slowly becoming something different. Why is it so bad?

[PredZ_Minion]

I'm not Saying custom maps like pudge wars and whatever are a bad idea. But you can't hate S2 for not putting it as a priority now. As you can tell DOTA has become its own ne Genre, theres LoL And theres HoN and theres Dota 2 coming out. I do want to play dota. And HoN is dota. An improved one. Its not becoming something different. ITs dota. Its gonna stay dota. But with better items/heroes/Graphics/Gameplay

[BigPimpinIt]

after hon 2.9.9 is finished =D

[Twiggie]

i dont really understand this. surely designing new heroes is almost entirely supported by the existing code base, with the exception of new skill mechanics? and wouldnt that mean that the coders dont really have much to do other than implementing said mechanics? doesnt it follow from there that the coders have the time to work on features like actually integrating mod and map support?

maybe my concept of company structure is screwed up, but arent hero design+art different jobs than engine coding?

[Tafelpoot]

but arent hero design+art different jobs than engine coding?

I think there only 1 or 2 people at S2 who know the engine to it's full potential, since they made it themselves. But don't ask those people to make models and skins for instance, they probably never made any and probably never won't.
There are some severe security issues that need to be taken care of first, and such access interface makeover can be harder then you think.
Furthermore, S2 has a broad agenda so when they say : custom maps are no priority right now, this means that some other features are on their way now. And those might be very awesome as well ...
Custom account icons are going to be a very popular feature afaik.

In the end, you should remember that S2 will never want to release a custom maps environment that allows people to hack your system. This was possible in WC3 before the 1.24 patch ... and otherwise think about Sony and their Playstation Platform ...

[Heatseeker`]

I'm not Saying custom maps like pudge wars and whatever are a bad idea. But you can't hate S2 for not putting it as a priority now. As you can tell DOTA has become its own ne Genre, theres LoL And theres HoN and theres Dota 2 coming out. I do want to play dota. And HoN is dota. An improved one. Its not becoming something different. ITs dota. Its gonna stay dota. But with better items/heroes/Graphics/Gameplay

That type of custom maps you are saying, I can assure you, definitely won't come out. Custom maps = user created maps that are different from already existing ones. For example, find Sanctuary Of Heroes on Dream. It's a great map, works perfectly fine - difference is that it has 4 lanes, which makes it 4v4 friendly. No other game is friendly to 4v4 except maybe Grim's Crossing.

And no, once again - HoN is DotA's genre, similar gameplay, takes heroes from original game.. but it's not the same game. It has its own identity. LoL is also game that has DotA's gameplay, but is not DotA at all.

DotA 2 is coming out this year (I think), so if HoN IS DotA, don't you think it'd be kinda stupid to have 3 games with exactly same gameplay out at the same time? DotA (Warcraft), HoN and DotA 2. There have to be some differences.

[Tafelpoot]

...

I really would like to know how you can assure that real custom maps, like pudge wars, tower defence, tree tag ... are never gonna come out. We have a powerful engine that totally supports it, and I believe there's at least as much interest in these custom maps with totally different gameplay, than interest in HoN with another map layout. I must say, I don't like your close-minded view on custom maps. Did you ever try them in WC3 ?

[[Mkai]ILLBEBACH]

what did you expect from S2?

[MyLilPony]

wow lmao i would rather have 2-3 new maps minimum than have 10 new heroes atm as we are sick of playing the same god dam forest over and over

[[eVa]UrbanFlash]

I actually stopped playing HoN and i'm not sure i'll pick it up without the possibility to play custom maps. They were at least 50% of my reason to buy this game.
Dota gameplay is nice and everything, but i've been playing it since wc3 beta and it gets boring at some time, even without getting really good at it.
I want Hero Defense, Tower Def. and all those stuff, WC3 doesn't cut it anymore, it's pretty much used to it's full extent...