Hi folks, I am acutely aware that I haven't been able to update lpg in a while (due to the demands of another project). Rest assured that my work here won't be left unfinished; I will get back to writing articles as soon as time permits.
Overdrive is one of those AoS maps which delivers a surprising amount of emergent gameplay by introducing a single twist.
The twist in question is using the Overdrive mechanic from Final Fantasy X to give heroes their ultimates, rather than the usual method of granting them at level 6 and having lengthy cooldowns.
In this map's implementation, a hero's ultimate becomes available once they have taken a certain threshold of damage. Once cast, the ultimate vanishes and the hero must again take damage up to the threshold to re-enable it.
A hero with their ultimate available displays a
Scars of War (Skar, 2009-2011) is an unusual combination of a relatively recent map using 2005-era scripting. It draws loose inspiration from DotA, and is mostly comprised of minor to moderate twists on familiar ideas. The map includes more features than it needs, and many of them aren't integrated well, but among the clutter lie a few interesting concepts.
It's been a while since the last update; just writing to say there'll be a new post up later this month.
Comfortably one of the most refined AoS experiences in the genre, Desert of Exile is 6v6 map built on the premise that simple, elegant systems can produce complex and engaging gameplay when their parts are allowed to interact.
It is the first AoS to adopt this philosophy seriously, and it is executed with confidence and discipline. There are no half-baked systems, nor any peripheral mechanics that don't quite tie in with the rest.
The game features a fresh approach to hero design, clear and satisfying objectives, and a unique flavour of teamwork and synergy that distinguishes it from its
In a world of mobas which are aiming for the skies, it's nice to see a project that executes well with a smaller scope. I was recently introduced to AoS Sunken Ruins (Quillraven, 2008-2010), which manages to provide a surprisingly complete AoS experience despite having less heroes, items, and supplementary mechanics than its peers.
The simplicity of the map objectives, and transparency of gold-spending options make Sunken Ruins a game to be played, rather than solved.
The Age of Myths review has been revisited, and now hopefully does the map justice. I've also made substantial updates to the MTQ article to improve clarity and flesh out some of the ideas.
