Published using Google Docs
ITN - 7
Updated automatically every 5 minutes

#7 - Into the Nexus: “Title”

• Garrett • Dills • Robert

Sponsors:

Into the Nexus is proudly sponsored by Doghouse Systems.com.  If you use the code ITN at checkout, you will get double memory on your next Doghouse System!

Into the Nexus is also sponsored by TweakedAudio.com.  The same code, ITN, will get you 30% off and free shipping on your entire order of noise-reducing earbuds from Tweaked Audio!

Intro:  Welcome to Into the Nexus! The Heroes of the Storm podcast!

Opening Talk: How are you liking the new patch?


News

Dustin Browder Talks the Anti-Snowballing system

In short, a discussion started on the official forums with some folks saying that the higher XP gain for the team that is behind is too strong and takes away the reward of playing better. Read the thread, linked below to see exactly what was said.

Browder’s Response:

“Good discussion! Here is our current thinking:

We think that if you are 3 levels up you have, in a sense, won the leveling game. We’re not sure it makes sense to be 6 levels up; that’s not the kind of fun we want for either team and probably represents a failure of our match-maker.

We do not believe the game should get to the point where one team finds the game to be unwinnable. So we are capping how far ahead you can get to 3-4 levels by giving out more “trickle” XP to the team that is behind as well as more XP for killing enemy heroes that are higher level than you. Generally the level split will stop at 3. 3 levels is far enough ahead that you have a definite advantage but you are not in an auto-win situation. We are very aware that this is not how other games in the genre function.

Once you have "won" the leveling game you want to keep that advantage but you want to also focus on winning in other areas of the game as well (objectives, mercenaries, destroying towns).

In general we think this change makes the game more competitive. You can never really relax, you cannot slack off because you got an early lead. You need to always be on top of your game and pushing to win, because now even a team you’ve initially out-leveled can come back as a contender if you get sloppy.

That's our current thinking anyway. But it's Alpha and we could be wrong. We can and will change stuff. Your discussion on this challenging topic is appreciated as always.”

Links


Unofficial: New Datamined Map

Via HeroesNexus:

“References to a new map have been spotted in the game client. This map appears to be much like the Haunted Mines where you need to collect items from minions in order to satisfy the grand objective, only instead of Undead and Skulls, its Zombies and seeds. Zombies come out at night, yes, there is a day and night cycle, and they drop seeds once they've been slain. Once your team has collected 100 seeds, you will plant them to summon yourselves a Plant Horror. The map itself is voiced by an NPC referred to as the Groundskeeper, which makes me feel like theres a zombie on my lawn.”

Over on HeroesNexus.com you can see a ton of datamined voice over strings where this information came from.

Links


Unofficial: Founder’s Pack

“We've found an interesting page on the Battle.net Launcher for Heroes of the Storm which mentions a Heroes Founder's Pack. It is a digital purchase which unlocks beta access for your account in addition to giving you a Wolf mount made out of solid gold. The button links to a page on the European Battle.net shop which currently resolves to a 404 page not found, and we have not yet seen the solid gold wolf in the game files.”

Links


Strategy

Murky

How folks are playing him. How to defend against him.


Emails

Grievous

Hello Heroes!

I finally got into the Alpha last week for HOTS and so far I am loving the game. The variety of maps to play is a nice change of pace and love the new objective game types. But as a long time League of Legends player who likes the classic MOBA map, do you think Blizzard will ever incorporate the  map into the map rotation, or do you think they are going to stay away from it all together? Would the Classic map even work in this game? Love the show and the Angry Chicken, keep up the good work.


Adrian

Hi ITNcast

My question was originally posted in the amove forums. It touches the possibility of a founder's pack coming to Heroes.

As someone who has yet to be invited to the alpha test, I am very eager to play. However knowing the game will be free to play (eventually), and given the recent trend of founder's packs and early access programs included in a large portion of releases in todays PC-gaming market, my "scumbag-cashgrab radar" is definitely going off. Making it difficult to justify a purchase. That being said, I'm all for digital goods. Given the price being adequate relative to my time spent playing the game. Which leads to the core problem in this case. Paying for something you have yet to try out.

So the question, variable as it might be, goes to you guys with alpha access. What price would you see fit for a Heroes beta, and what's your general opinion on early access and founder's packs?

Sincerely dabbowabbo, from Oslo, Norway.

(Weekly listener since starcast episode 21. Been enjoying all your shows since, oh and thanks for introducing me to TMS. Now I'm addicted.)


Outro

iTunes Thanks

Into the Nexus is a production of Amove.tv. You can see more about this and all the other A-move shows at Amove.tv. You can also email the show at ITNcast@gmail.com or continue the conversation over at forum.Amove.tv.

Catch the live show Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern on Twitch.tv/Amovetv. Mobile live stream provided by Alpha Geek Radio. Go to mobile.alphageekradio.com.

Follow the show on Twitter @ITNcast

Follow Garrett on @GarrettArt

Follow Dills @WillieDills

Follow Kyle @KyleFergusson

Thanks to Brian Griffith, the musician responsible for our intro music. He can be found at briangriffithmusic.com or @briangriffith on twitter.

NOMOONart.com for Garrett’s stream designs.

Dill’s where else can everyone find you?

The Instance - The World of Warcraft podcast so you don’t have to

TortureCast - A podcast by and for fans of the San Francisco Giants

MGA MedioCast - A podcast about the Mediocre Golf Association

And Kyle where can you be found?

Biggest Fan

A-move Radio

Don’t forget to check out our sponsors:

Doghouse Systems.com

Our code, ITN, will get you double-memory on your next Doghouse gaming rig.

Tweaked Audio.com

The same code, ITN, will get you 30% off and free shipping on your entire order of noise-reducing earbuds from Tweaked Audio!