Great, now I'm never gonna win. I have a better chance of winning if everyone else doesn't want me to. The universe loves irony. Honestly though, I've been waiting for the real release date, the 20th. I don't like gambling with my emotions by hoping for a win everytime.
You just jinxed yourself so you are gonna win. Or are you not because I'm saying you are. Which mean you are, no your not. Maybe you are? Yes? No? Maybe so? IM CONFUSED :CONFUSED:
Not sure if trying to jinx me or actually hopes we do I hope we do. I'm going to do a live stream of this game when I've hit 300 subscribers on youtube
Can someone message me if I win? I'm going out until 2:00pm (EST) and I want to know so I can immediately play
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!
To wet yer appetites and get your bug-juices flowing (and to refrain from further metaphors as to not make this post incredibly sexual-innuendo-creepy), Ill post some scattered impressions and hero analyses throughout this last week before iOS gaming enters a new paradigm Ill start with the elephant snail in the room: On IAP, progression and hero acquisition Spoiler BH2 is uncommon in the regard that it actually offers two ways to unlock heroes through gameplay, and only one through IAP. The player earns diamonds through play, and these can be put either towards scrolls (passive modifiers which increase some stats, and lower others, altering the focus of the hero without disrupting balance), or towards unlocking specific heroes. As reported before, heroes go for either 100 or 150 diamonds, while Legendary Heroes will set you back 500 diamonds. At my current level, I can easily earn 5-10 in a mission (plus bonuses for using particular heroes). This is not a multihour run in classic endless mode, but a goal-oriented match that takes perhaps 5-15 minutes. A good run of endless (such as the one that placed me second on the leaderboards whoops just happened to slip that in there not one to put meself forward fingers slipped forget me own head if it wasn't attached), yields 20+ diamonds. Diamonds can also be bought for 150 diamonds/dollar (more per dollar with more expensive packages), and as you can see, each such purchase will net you any non-legendary hero. The player also earns stars. These are put towards global upgrades that affect all heroes. However, at certain set intervals (7, 30, 100, etc), the player also unlocks a random hero (without actually spending any stars). Most of these 5-15 minute missions (possibly less or more) will get you 1-5 stars. But there are random bonuses (such as an extra star for using a specific hero) that can increase this number. End result? From my initial impression, this seems like one of the more generous and fair freemium models in contemporary gaming. Nothing is locked behind paywalls, and the acquisition rate of content seems high. Indeed, the rate of hero unlocks is so well-paced that it is a constant motivation for me to play. Or would have been, had not the actual playing been so durned fun. The game itself Spoiler I might be back later with a detailed comparison of BH1 and 2. But so far, it doesn't seem to me that any elements of player skill has been lost in the transition to fancy next-gen iOS gaming and online competitive play. The action is extremly fast-paced and frantic at higher rounds, and there is no doubt that player skill rules the day. Dodging projectiles (and some melee attacks) is notably harder than in BH1, which I don't mind at all, and the new camera modes force the player to choose between oversight and awareness, or detail and precision. For someone who has launched nearly every MOBA there is, and closed them down shortly thereafter because the lack of twitch skill in combat (Bloodline Champions, I'll never forget ye!), BH2 is the kind of digital dream that I would play with equal passion on a desktop computer as on my smartphone. The game is a near-perfect mesh of the strategy skill of the MOBAs (smart and carefully measured application of abilities, keeping a cool head in roaring and raging battle, hairpin positioning, hyper-effective levelling, correct choice of equipment, etc), and pure twitch combat talent (reflexes, precision, split-second decisions and eyeblink wits). I've been asking for a MOBA with more interesting and twitch-y combat, and lo and behold, my desires fulfilled by a smartphone game. Have at thee, desktop gaming! Strategy is both simplified and deeply expanded, with a emphasis on the latter. Heroes are, as explained by Foursaken, much more focused, and far less flexible. In a way, that means loss of depth and strategy (but not of fun). Base building is actually much the same (except for the creep-spawning turrets, and creep spawns in skirmish, but skirmish is a very different beast), with a nice selection of varied turrets, so neither plus nor minus there. However, overall gameplay is vastly expanded in scope and variety, with strategic locations and chokepoints to seize and hold and build turrets upon, mercenary camps from which to purchase allies, missions that appear even during endless play and must sometimes be finished to end the round, and a gargantuan selection of enemies with even more varied behaviour than in the fist game. This last consideration is a particular selling point for me: every single enemy has some special trait or ability, behavioural peculiarity or quirk. Some, such as the Fungal Druids, have no less than 4 active abilities of their own. I can't think of many games with such a huge and varied selection of enemies. Perhaps none. There is also the scrolls which, as mentioned, change the focus of a hero without unbalancing them against non-scrolled heroes. More damage at a cost of speed, greater survivability at the cost of a handsome face, etc. Oh, and there's also twice the number of heroes over the first game. And I would not be surprised if more will come. There is also skirmish mode, which allows players to spawn creeps and take down an enemy base. Together with all the strategic elements above, this mode creates yet another complex metalayer. The sum is that while there is less customization to each hero, and their scope has been narrowed drastically as compared to the first game, the different new layers and metagame, the new map elements, the hero selection, improved and expanded and even more twitch-y combat, expanded ability mechanics, enemy behaviour, new play modes, even the new camera modes all contribute to an experience which so far seems even more sophisticated and intricate than the original. Add up this diet of bugs, and this is what you get: Bug Heroes 2 will with little doubt be my primary go-to title for quick (and incredibly fun) action for a long, long time. For heavy action with strategic elements, it is unmatched. It will also take the top spot as my long-term grinding investment (next to some of the epic and near-endless massive iOS titles, such as FFT, WHQ and IB3, and Ravenmark: Mercenaries). I will refrain from purchasing heroes through IAP to retain longevity and something to work towards (I imagine unlocking the final legendary heroes months or years from now), and hope there will be other ways to throw money Foursakens way. It will also be the first competitive realtime/non-async multiplayer game Ill invest time and (comparable) effort into, and struggle vainly to actually remain competitive at. I can already feel the bloodthirsty hordes of TAers frothing at the mouth for my leaderboard spot (whoops there we go again frightened yet Gr3nad3 question mark probably not since you have more than double my score etc), and look forward to finding the most unlikely hero, turret and strategy combinations to reach yet another round of endless. In simple terms? One of my favourite games of all times, and one of the most polished and thought-out products of modern gaming. I've already heard it referred to as the culmination of Foursaken's efforts, experience and talent. My sentiment is the opposite. I think it is the product that will make them truly relevant, their true entry product into gamemaking hall of fame, and the first step towards some truly astounding stuff... Some early and quite possibly erroneous suggestions and criticism Spoiler You want some negative feedback as well, to balance my praise and keep my opinions credible? Of course. Do notice the similarities in length of the laudatory and critical passages. That's true journalism. * It would be rewarding to have a small chance to find scrolls in-game, or through some very rare missions. I currently keep all my diamonds as I work towards the next unlock, and purchasing a scrolls feels counter-intuitive. Or at least counter-fun Attaining the occasional, rare scrolls through gameplay alone would be a very nice motivator and surprise reward. * Losing missions and skirmishes reward very little for the time spent (only some progress towards a heros mastery level). Earning one or some very few diamonds for a particularly good but ultimately doomed effort might make that sad defeat screen slightly less down-putting * I also don't find the ability icons very... tapable. Much less so than in BH1. I often miss them in the midst of battle, or activate an ability when I am really trying to add another skill point to that ability by tapping the cross that appears on level up. Perhaps just a matter of accustomization, or perhaps there are some final tweaks to be applied to the UI. I'd really prefer the option to move and resize all UI elements freely. * It would be nice to have access to the Bugopedia in game. Or perhaps this is a conscious decision, to have us study and analyse enemies between matches, and rely on our own knowledge during battles? (If so, I can dig.) * In fact, I'd like a whole hero central accessible directly from the start screen, with heroes, upgrades, scrolls and the Bugopedia, instead of hiding all of this behind mode and map selection. Puts emphasis on the vast selection of abilities, heroes and enemies. * I would really, really like a co-op skirmish mode (currently, co-op is only in endless mode). This would be a splendid way to practice strategies for PvP (since PvP takes place base against base). * And I would really, really, REALLY want a single hero arena mode (and dual hero arena as well), similar in style to BH1. And preferably a duel mode for PvP that takes places on the same maps (but without the creeps). For no particular reason other than that it would just be so durned much fun.
(continued from last post) Overwrought and hasty initial hero analysis Spoiler Spider is, as many of you have assumed, monstrous. She is a burst DPSer, a chaser, a stealther, a crowd controller and a debuffer. She works almost as well for base defense as for takedowns and aggressive play (mostly thanks her ability to both debuff armour, slow, and increase damage taken, but also stop enemies from attacking outright. Splendid for setting up enemies for easy turret kills). And most of all, of course, she is VERY sneaky, in a brutally effective manner. But she is also monstrously fun, and can probably be used with a very high level of skill (even compared to some of the other heroes). Her Ninja Smoke ability is very twitch-y, requires precision and speed, and can be used for both chasing/escaping, and debuffing/debilitating. Actually, every single one of her active abilities can be used to both chase down fleeing heroes, and to escape, but each have other purposes and effects as well (stealthing, debuffing armor and movement speed in an area, dealing high damage to multiple enemies, teleports and true invisibility, etc). The end result is a very, very flexible hero, who sacrifices little power for all that amorphous nature. Downside? She is squishy. Very squishy, in the manner of all spiders. This can be alleviated through equipment, but in doing so, the player foregoes knockback, poison, armor piercing and other effects that just go so well together with those large, curved blades. Bumblebee is really kind of awesome. Focused in his abilities (deal extra damage after standing still, deal damage and pierce armour, deal damage to multiple enemies, deal even more damage and take less, and deal EVEN more damage and stun. See the pattern?), his area of application is larger than what is apparent at first. He is a superb base defender, able to toggle his ability to strike many bugs at once, in COMBINATION with his passive charge attack, and another ability that allows him to pierce armour. He becomes extremely vulnerable when doing so, taking extra damage, but when stationed among all those turrets and feeding possibilities, this is less of a drawback. With reasonable speed and multiple equipment for self-healing, he is also adept at roaming far afield, picking of stragglers, collecting resources, and taking down large groups of weak enemies before they can harass base or strategic locations. He can even go up against singular, powerful entities with a combination of his charged attack (possibly the most damaging non-ability attack in the game), armour piercing and damage bonuses, and stunning Breaker Punch. With all that HP (virtually no armour means he needs it to survive), he does extra well when paired with Moth. Together, with dual disruptive area-of-effect-attacks, they can demolish groups of enemies, Moth healing Bumblebee all the while. Also, I just like his animations. His punches really connect, enemies go flying over ledges (though sadly without that AAAAAAA from BH1), and he swings his fists in a very man... bug-gly way. He is power, all power (but with surprising finesse), and you can really tell when you see him in action. Moth is just awesome. Pure, unadulterated awesomeness. Don't believe the anti-hype. I don't even like support roles, but even I can recognize her greatness. She is, perhaps, the perfect second fiddle hero for single player. With a highly disruptive auto-attack (knockbacks and scatters) that also heals the other hero, plus robes that passively heal all allies, she is my absolutely favourite when I want to focus on a single hero (either for fun, or for a particular effect, such as Spider's high damage, Bumblebees crowd attacks, or Roach's extreme durability, the latter going very well with all that healing). For a more active use, she is pretty awesome still, in particular of you just switch to her for active heals, area-of-effect-buffs or shield. And she is really not bad for base defense. Scatters attacking hordes of creeps, three abilities which can all help defend the base (or at least keep herself and other defending heroes alive), and can be visited by a far-ranging hero for some quick healing. Station her at the entrance, have her act as healing bot and turret, and just switch to her to activate defensive abilities. I am really glad I received her as my third random hero (my initial unlock was Spider and Bumblebee), as she has probably made MANY missions considerably easier, and demonstrated to me some of the depths of the mechanics. And then there's the Silence. 10 seconds (at level 1!) of ability lockdown for heroes, no attacks whatsoever for creeps. Good candidate for best ability in the game. ---------------------------------------- Are you slimy with anticipation yet? Next episode: the always contentious and situationally possibly overpowered Bandit Fly, solid and reliable Ant - a true hero of bugs with hidden depths -, and the universally (by a player base of 5-10) under-appreciated Roach Knight...
