Exercise 6 Simplicity

[Drasha]

Exercise 6 Simplicity

This exercise focuses on improving your hero design. You should use it to reevaluate your hero design process and look over past hero designs for what you did wrong and ways to improve the hero. Please post a link to your entry in this thread or make a thread in the hero drafts section with [exe6] in the title.

The Challenge

There are 3 options for this challenge. Find some one else's hero and post a simple version of it, take one of your old heroes and make it simple, and/or make a new simple hero. A simple ability is 2-3 sentences long, including the cooldowns, mana costs, ect.

Drasha's Rant

The number one problem with most heroes is over complexity. Complexity is good in some places but most of the time it is used clumsily and harms the hero more then helps it. Simplicity does not mean the ability is one dimensional or flat it just means you are able to convey the idea of the ability quickly and it is easy to grasp.

Making an ability Simple

1. Don't worry about the mechanics. This is a personal demon of mine and the best example i have is from a recent hero i did. His ult essentially allowed him to be in two places at once. At first i was fighting mechanics explaining which version faded after x seconds and how it worked with items or when one died. I ended up with a massive ability which no one would want to read. I simplified it down to "The hero is at target location as well as his current location for 15 seconds." which conveys what the ability does perfectly and i can answer any of the nitty gritty mechanics if any one asks.
2. Can you replace some thing complex with some thing simple? Often times there is a simpler way to get the same effect and you should always review abilities to see if you can stream line or improve them.
3. Toss it if you can't simplify it. While there are some cool complex abilities if you can't find a way to say it in 2-3 sentences you should replace it.

[Drasha]

I did a change to some one elses hero. reduced two posts into under 250 words.

[[msry]Rkey]

Reposting my super simple and super awesome hero that went unnoticed:

http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/sh...php?p=14117476

[[KNO]DrPeckers]

Is this aimed at my habit of writing one paragraph per skill?

[Drasha]

Aimed at every one since most people have the same habit including me.

[MaTz0r]

All your heroes belong to exe6 Drasha xd

[Drasha]

Its a recent change in my design process. My older heroes are pretty complex even to the point where people can't comprehend them.

[BestOfThree]

I had fun trying this!

I present The Juggernaut! [Eventually] Cannot be slowed/Stunned/Pushed/Slid.
Here's the dream page. I appreciate comments!

http://dream.heroesofnewerth.com/her...The Juggernaut

[[DRD]china]

http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/sh...8#post14379128

just to humor you.

[[UTG]LotharsHedge]

I am having so much trouble doing this.....
I've made like 4 rough attempts and they all end up not feeling right or just plain bad.

T_T

[Drasha]

Feel free to post it and I can help you trim it down.

[[UTG]LotharsHedge]

Heres the best I could do, It was as brief as i could be....lol
http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/sh...d.php?t=342505

[ArnoldRimmer]

My hero design is already perfect because I'm a genius.

[Hubaris]

Mah hero for Exe6. Once you strip away the fluffy flavour text and the "skill flavour", each skill is no longer than 2 sentences.

Barren: http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/sh...ghlight=barren

(necroed one of my old unnoticed heroes).

[[UTG]LotharsHedge]

Heres the best I could do, It was as brief as i could be....lol
http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/sh...d.php?t=342505

Revised as Mepers!
Much happier with the simplicity now.
check it out here!

[greenchief]

http://dream.heroesofnewerth.com/her...chief/hercules simple anti mana drain character that can also roam and gank effectively without being op

[Cooties]

I threw my old Iron Maiden into the [EXE6] trimmer.