Recommended Posts

  • 4 months later...
  • 3 months later...

So anyone else in the Heroes of the Storm Tech alpha ? Not sure why I got an invite but I did.

 

I don't play a lot(any) MOBA's but have been given it a try and I guess it's fun enough, and I can pretend to be a proper(Warhammer) Space Marine ;)

 

hit level 5, got some gold and was told to check out the store, even though there's nothing to buy with 2000 gold. and damn, when I saw some cool skins costing 6.5? I was pretty disgusted with the pricing, then I saw one for 8.99? and thought, that's just stupidly ridiculous... then I saw the one for 12,99? ...

 

Seriously... people are buying skins that cost as much as what we would pay for these multiplayer shareware games in the past... granted they're just skins and you don't need them, but...

I've applied for the beta but yet to get in.

 

I've watched some games on Twitch though and it looks kinda fun. Doesn't have a chance in hell at dethroning something like LoL or Dota 2, but I'm sure they already know that.

How do you figure? They're doing some things with HotS that address the issues people have with those other games. As an example in Dota 2 or LoL if one team gains a level advantage there is absolutely no way for the other team to come back, none, never, not gonna happen. In HotS one team can only ever be 2 levels ahead (I believe), so it is always possible for the other team to come back if they just made a stupid mistake in the beginning of the game and they have the skill to do it. This will not only allow for more exciting matches, but it will be more fun for normal people actually playing because they won't want to rage quit as much when some stupid LFG player tries to take on a whole team by himself over and over. That just one example of course, they are doing even more.

 

The other thing is this is a Blizzard game and it's based off of StarCraft II, it's going to be wildly popular because of that alone. I think it most definitely has a chance to dethrone the other two heavyweights, at the very least it will be as popular. Especially once they put in all the maps and characters, it's pretty limited right now in those areas.

  • Like 1

How do you figure? They're doing some things with HotS that address the issues people have with those other games. As an example in Dota 2 or LoL if one team gains a level advantage there is absolutely no way for the other team to come back, none, never, not gonna happen. In HotS one team can only ever be 2 levels ahead (I believe), so it is always possible for the other team to come back if they just made a stupid mistake in the beginning of the game and they have the skill to do it. This will not only allow for more exciting matches, but it will be more fun for normal people actually playing because they won't want to rage quit as much when some stupid LFG player tries to take on a whole team by himself over and over. That just one example of course, they are doing even more.

 

The other thing is this is a Blizzard game and it's based off of StarCraft II, it's going to be wildly popular because of that alone. I think it most definitely has a chance to dethrone the other two heavyweights, at the very least it will be as popular. Especially once they put in all the maps and characters, it's pretty limited right now in those areas.

 

I have no doubts it'll be popular, I mean it's a Blizzard game afterall, but I just don't see it dethroning LoL/Dota 2. The issues with those games are long standing issues and it has yet to stop anyone playing it (not individuals, I'm talking about masses).

 

It's refreshing to see another spin on MOBAs though. They could have so easily gone down the lazy route of recreating DoTA after the lawsuit was settled to get back the playbase they lost. Not to mention how swamped we are in clones as it is.

I have no doubts it'll be popular, I mean it's a Blizzard game afterall, but I just don't see it dethroning LoL/Dota 2. The issues with those games are long standing issues and it has yet to stop anyone playing it (not individuals, I'm talking about masses).

 

It's refreshing to see another spin on MOBAs though. They could have so easily gone down the lazy route of recreating DoTA after the lawsuit was settled to get back the playbase they lost. Not to mention how swamped we are in clones as it is.

We will see I guess. I wonder if people said the same thing about WoW dethroning EverQuest back in 2004?

HotS may not take many hard core players away from DoTA and LoL. But it may very well take  large bite of the casuals and bring in a huge chunk of new players to the MoBA genre, like me. 

 

in this way like with EQ, HoTS may very well become bigger without shrinking the others. or equally big as the other two, especially if Blizzards starts shoving etournament cash down everyones throats. 

I have no doubts it'll be popular, I mean it's a Blizzard game afterall, but I just don't see it dethroning LoL/Dota 2. The issues with those games are long standing issues and it has yet to stop anyone playing it (not individuals, I'm talking about masses).

 

It's refreshing to see another spin on MOBAs though. They could have so easily gone down the lazy route of recreating DoTA after the lawsuit was settled to get back the playbase they lost. Not to mention how swamped we are in clones as it is.

Everyone I know, knows Blizzard - most have no idea what DoTA is. Everyone I ever played WoW with is waiting for HotS.

I'm usually not a huge Blizzard fanboi or anything.

 

but after hitting level 11 in HoTS now and wondering how much of all this gameplay I will lose after it hits beta and final (takes forever to scrounge up what little gold I have, still gonna be a long time I have the 10k to get the hero I want. 

 

So I decided to try DoTA2, seems the best option since the others have the same stupid rolling heroes setup as HoTS. 

 

Well when I first played HoTS, what I needed to do was obvious. Easy to play and learn, hard to master and all that. 

 

My first game of DoTA2... not a ######ing clue. some guy insisted my useless warrior take the bottom lane, buy drawing like a madman on the map, ok, so for the rest of the game I kept to my bottom lane with little or not support, got a tower to. then I randomly had to buy stuff which seemed a stupidly complicated and slow mechanic. untill I got disconnected after that I could no longer buy or sell anything after reconnecting...

 

Not saying HoTS is perfect. But so far in my experience, it's a lot more fun to play and the gameplay makes a lot more sense. 

Man the second game of DoTA2 I play, now I have a big ass icon from the store either stuck on my screen or on my cursor, and there's a bounty hunter from a disconnected guy on the other team that's permanently invulnerable and just hangs around at random spots on the map only sometimes does he attack....

 

this ###### is real buggy.

 

And then the whole game crashed... seriously, this buggy POS is run as a major esport...

I hope this is better than that Hearthstone thing they put out a while back.

 

Is WoW finally on the decline? I thought they would have a new (real) game out by now.

Wow has declined rather a bit since cataclysm came out. also Project Titan which was their new game to come out was scrapped and they started over so it will be rather sometime before we get a new IP from them.

I hope this is better than that Hearthstone thing they put out a while back.

 

Is WoW finally on the decline? I thought they would have a new (real) game out by now.

Doesn't really compare to hearthstone. Which in itself is a pretty awesome card game, but ... Not my thing really.

This is fun though. If you're the type who needs a game to rotate levels so you never play the same level twice in 6ours of gaming though.. It's not for you. Though it has some variety but they're all the same basic formula but with different level mechanics, some of them require more teamwork than others, so some levels a few good players on an average team can pull through, others three good players teamed with 2 crap ones will be rolled by a team of mediocre players who work together.

Problem is a lot of people ignore the merc camps, and getting the merc camps is probably the most important key to success, they are more powerful than people think, especially if they are followed afterwards by a support player. And then you have all the idiots who chase the other players instead of going for the objectives.

I tried all these MOBA games, except this one from Blizzard, but I can say one thing: I still favor the original DotA. I hate DotA 2, too cartoon-ish, too many effects that distract you from the battle, and the others, like LoL, I don't even want to remember. This type of game is best played when it's simple, without eye-candy & stuff, that's why the original DotA had so much success. Blizzard, look at Counter Strike and learn. After all these years, CS 1.6 is still played a LOT, if not most.

Some range heroes have more range than others, and the range seems fine as it is, I have no problem sniping brawlers and kiting them, any more range and I'd be invincible. The warriors need to be able to resist or grab. As it is they get me either because I'm careless or they're backed up. By ranged. Or the rather deadly Diablo and stitch combo, slap in a ranged or aoe sword spinner in that group and they'll take down anyone.


  • 2 years later...
  • Skiver locked this topic
  • DrunknMunky unlocked this topic
6 hours ago, Mirumir said:

snip

Some more info:

 

Quote

We just unveiled Machines of War at gamescom 2016! This StarCraft-themed event comes to Heroes of the Storm in September, and introduces new Battlegrounds, quests, rewards, Heroes, mounts, skins, and bundles. Catch additional event details on the Machines of War website, or read on for a sneak peek at what’s on the horizon.

http://eu.battle.net/heroes/en/game/events/machines-of-war/

 

Title updated

  • 4 weeks later...
Quote

 

Heroes Brawl

COMING SOON: THE NEW GAME MODE THAT BREAKS ALL THE RULES!

In a nutshell, Heroes Brawl is Heroes of the Storm, seen through the lens of delightful madness. Play on unique maps with surreal twists and with custom rulesets that turn everything you thought you knew about the game on its head. Weekly rewards await. Take a break from the conquest of the Nexus, gather your friends, and check out what this new mode has to offer.

 

Continues...

  • 5 weeks later...
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • ...but you're Johnny, from Australia?    
    • Glow 26.9 by Razvan Serea Glow provides detailed reporting on every hardware component in your computer, saving you valuable time typically spent searching for CPU, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and other stats. With Glow, all the information is conveniently presented in one clean interface, allowing you to easily access and review the comprehensive hardware details of your system. Glow provides detailed information on various system aspects, including OS, motherboard, processor, memory, graphics card, storage, network, battery, drivers, and services. The well-organized format ensures easy access to the required information. You can export all the gathered data to a plain text file, facilitating sharing with others for troubleshooting purposes. No installation needed. Just decompress the archive, launch the executable, and access computer-related information. Glow runs on Windows 11 and Windows 10 64-bit versions. Glow 26.9 changelog: New Features The processor hardware detection engine has been significantly enhanced beyond traditional Intel and AMD architectures. Native support is now available for modern platforms such as Apple Silicon (M-Series) and the newly introduced NVIDIA Spark. In addition, all ARM-based processors can now be accurately distinguished between ARM32 and ARM64 architectures, providing precise hardware reporting. This marks a major milestone for Glow's hardware detection capabilities. The RAM manufacturer identification algorithm has been expanded. JEDEC vendor codes for popular brands such as Patriot, PNY, Team Group, GeIL, Lexar (Longsys), and Asgard/Gloway have been integrated into the database. This significantly reduces the likelihood of incorrect or "Unknown Manufacturer" results and improves overall hardware detection accuracy. New Public IP Address and Internet Service Provider (ISP) features have been added to the Network section. To ensure reliability, this information is retrieved from the trusted service ipwho.is. When Hiding Mode is enabled, no requests are sent and these features remain hidden, as they may expose sensitive information. The search engine used in the Installed Drivers, Installed Services, and Installed Applications sections has been enhanced. You can now perform more flexible and accurate searches using initials, partial matches, and loosely arranged character sequences. The TS Preloader loading bar has been rebuilt using our modern TS Custom Controls graphics library, developed entirely in-house. As a result of this infrastructure upgrade, the loading bar now features smooth rendering and rounded corners that align with the visual style of Windows 11. [TS Updater] A new validation algorithm has been added to check whether the target application is currently running before the update process begins. Bug Fixes Resolved a condition that could prevent TS Preloader from shutting down safely during rare application crash scenarios. Fixed a text alignment issue in the Network section affecting the display of DNS addresses. Alignment is now rendered correctly. [TS Updater] Fixed an issue that could prevent the updated application's executable "*.exe" file from being located after the update process. [TS Updater] Fixed a bug that could leave outdated "*.sha256" files in the application directory after an update. [TS Updater] Fixed a rare issue that could cause subfolders to be moved into the root directory after an update. [TS Updater] Fixed an issue during the first launch that could cause flickering and a temporary white window appearance due to Windows Defender interactions. Changes A small improvement has been made to the internet connectivity detection algorithm. Connectivity checks are now performed in the background with minimal impact on the user interface thread. The keyboard shortcuts in the top menu have been reorganized and simplified to provide a consistent experience across all Türkaysoft applications and to avoid potential conflicts with standard Windows shortcuts. The TS Preloader splash image has been updated with a Türkiye-themed stadium design to celebrate Türkiye's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—its first appearance in 24 years. Congratulations, Türkiye! The TS Custom Controls module has been updated to version 26.6, delivering improved stability and a more polished visual appearance. [TS Updater] The application icon has been redesigned to provide a more modern and refined look. Note: Always unzip the program before using it. Otherwise you may get an error. Download: Glow 26.9 | 1.8 MB (Open Source) Links: Glow Homepage | Screenshot | Github Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • DWARF mini review: the world's smallest smart telescope for night and day sky captures by Steven Parker DWARFLAB reached out to me asking if I was interested in checking out the DWARF mini, which is a portable astronomy telescope designed for amateur astronomers. Why do I say it's for amateurs? Well, for starters, it's not what you'd call "high end"; it's more of a professional-grade starting point for amateurs serious about capturing what's up there in our night and day skies. A typical amateur astronomer is most likely thousands of dollars deep into the hobby, and I will make no claims that this DWARF mini (at a fraction of the cost) could replace it all, okay? Well, if you read on, it will be clearer what I am trying to convey. Disclosure: DWARFLAB provided a free sample without any editorial input or review pre-approval. I have always been interested in looking up and observing the night sky. I see satellites crossing the sky above my garden most nights, and I am always looking at the moon. Yeah, I have a 200MP camera on my phone, but at 200X zoom, AI takes over and makes the pretty moon pictures that I snap, the DWARF mini does not, you get an actual true picture of what you can barely see with the naked eye. Before we start, let's share the highlights of the DWARF mini in bite-sized format: Pocket-Sized & Ultra-Lightweight Weighing just 1.85 lbs (840g), the DWARF mini easily fits into a backpack or large pocket. Its all-in-one, compact design makes it the ultimate grab-and-go digital telescope for hiking, camping, or traveling to dark-sky locations. Intuitive App Control & Built-in Sky Atlas Go from unboxing to your first shot in just 3 minutes! The DWARFLAB App provides a seamless experience with an interactive star map. Simply select your target and start exploring without the steep learning curve of traditional setups. Auto GOTO & 360° Pivot Freedom Enjoy pinpoint automated tracking with full 360° rotation. Powered by a high-sensitivity Sony IMX662 sensor (1/2.8-inch, 2.9μm pixels), it captures amazing, low-noise astro details, bringing faint nebulas and star clusters to life with stunning clarity. Pro-Level EQ Mode & Long Exposure Unlock advanced deep-space imaging with Equatorial (EQ) Mode. Supporting impressive single-frame exposures up to 90 seconds and featuring built-in light pollution filters, it easily cuts through city glow to reveal intricate celestial structures. Smart Cloud Processing & All-Ages Fun Effortlessly enhance your raw data with integrated cloud processing for professional-grade results. Perfect for beginners, kids, and adults, this telescope makes exploring and sharing the wonders of the universe an exciting, family-friendly adventure. The packaging is a pretty minimal affair with the outer box opening like a flap to reveal the plastic mould of the DWARF mini sitting in it. Below, the Sun filter, charging cable, cleaning cloth, and documentation can be found. DWARFLAB also provided a Mini Hydraulic Tripod ($89.99), and I highly recommend getting it if you plan on purchasing the DWARF mini, as it fully supports the motorized tracking feature of the telescope; plus, at 840g, the weight of the telescope, you will need a tripod that supports more than the weight of a smartphone anyway. What's in the box DWARF Mini Smart Telescope × 1 Sun Filter x 1 Type-C to Type-C Cord x 1 Cleaning Cloth x 1 User Guide With that out of the way, here are the full specs: DWARF mini Dimensions (DWH): 60.70 mm x 100.38 × 183.61 (2.39" x 3.95" x 7.23") Weight: 840g (1.85lbs) Aperture diameter: 30 mm (telephoto), 3.4 mm (wide angle) Image Sensor: SONY IMX662 1/2.8" (Telephoto) OmniVision OS02K10 1/2.8" (Wide-angle) Focal length: 150 mm (telephoto), 6.7 mm (wide-angle) Equivalent focal length: 1016 mm (telephoto), 45 mm (wide-angle) Shutter Speed: Tele - 1/10000-90s, Wide - 1/10000-30s Maximum exposure time: 90s (telephoto & wide-angle), Both in EQ mode Rotation range: Lens: 225°, Base: 360° Effective Pixels: 2.07M Maximum Resolution: 1920 × 1080 (Telephoto & Wide-angle) Built-in filters: Astro, Dark, Duo-Band (Telephoto), Astro (Wide-angle) Output: JPG, FITS, TIFF, MP4 Shooting Mode: Photos, Videos, Astronomy, Burst Shooting, Time-lapse Photography Storage: 64 GB Battery: Built-in 7000 mAh, supports external USB charging Charging Port: Type-C NPU: 1 TOPS Features: WiFi, NFC NFC One-Touch Connection Astronomy Post-Processing/Appointment Shooting/Astronomy Mosaic Wi-Fi Transmission Range: 15m (open environment) Color: Black Compatibility: iOS & Android smartphones/tablets Warranty: 2-years (24-months) MSRP: $399 Design Charge port On/off button Lens On the DWARF mini itself, it is a pretty minimal affair. On one side, there is a Type-C USB port to charge the non-removable 7000 mAh battery, and on the other side, a large button to power on or off the telescope. The button is flanked by an LED that is green when connected via the DWARFLAB app, or lights up red when being powered off. Below the button, there are four LEDs that indicate battery power. The DWARF mini does not have any sharp edges as all sides are rounded off; it has a good heft to it, but the weight of it feels quite balanced in the hand, so it isn't top or bottom-heavy. On the front there is the DWARFLAB logo which is quite small and there are no other markings on it. The tripod offers full 360° rotation of the motorized base, which allows for tracking for the time-lapse mode, but also for the 90-second captures of nearer objects in the sky, such as the Sun or the moon. Usage To get started, simply power on the DWARF mini and open the DWARFLAB app, tap on Connect, and it will scan for the DWARF mini over the Wi-Fi network. The device supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth for discovery, so connection issues were minimal in my experience with it. As previously noted in the specs, the DWARF mini will stay connected with a phone or tablet up to 15 meters in an open environment, such as a backyard. Lighting status Powering on: The green circular light will rotate and breathe in turn Powering off: The red circular light is gradually extinguished Connecting: Green light strip rotating Connected: Green light strip solid/always on 4 lights 1= 0-25%, 2= 25-50%, 3= 50-75%, 4= 75-100% battery power To view the full lighting status, such as tracking mode and connection failure, you can check the user guide on the official DWARFLAB page. DWARFLAB app Above, you can see the steps undertaken to connect the DWARFLAB app to my Galaxy S26 Ultra. Weirdly, I got an alert that a firmware update failed to get uploaded to the DWARF mini the first time, but upon retrying, it worked. Then place the DWARF mini outside, make sure your smartphone or tablet is connected to it, and then head back inside, because you can manage it from the comfort of your home. Simply enter the Atlas tab in the app and search for what you want to capture, and then tap on the camera icon; the DWARF mini will then attempt to track the object and give you a live view right on your connected device. Results I've had the DWARF mini since April, but even though my garden is south-facing, I had a lot of trouble trying to capture a good image of the moon. In the end, it was possible after I took it with me on a trip to my parents in Southend, UK, at the end of May. Here is a capture of the moon, resulting from 20 stacked images over a 90-second exposure. What you are seeing here is not AI-assisted. A good example of what I mean is the latest flagships with their 200MP cameras claiming to capture things like closeups of the moon, and while they are not as good as the above example on the DWARF mini, the resulting image on smartphones is actually AI-assisted above 30X zoom. Here is an example of a similar shot at the moon at 200X zoom using an HONOR Magic8 Pro. The difference is clear. Next, here we have a shot of the daytime moon. Here is a shot of Arcturus, the red giant star, which is the fourth brightest in the night sky. As previously mentioned, it could be a bit clearer, but clouds passing in front of it muddied the shot a bit. The Sun The DWARF mini also ships with a sun filter, meaning you can take great shots of the sun as well. Tracking Sun Resulting (stacked) shot Live zoom The pictures themselves are limited to Full HD, and some of the examples actually came out in HD (1280x720), but this is because the standard telescopic result is in 720p while "Wide" is in 1080p. Above you can see how in the app the Sun is tracked, the resulting capture, and Live zoom. I have only scratched the surface of what is possible with this telescope; I found several examples online of shots of the Milky Way, among others, such as nebulae and galaxies. All of this requires patience and knowledge, although if you know what you are looking for, simply enter it in the Atlas tab in the DWARFLAB app, tap the camera icon, and the telescope will attempt to track it. Conclusion The good The DWARF mini definitely places itself in a price point that makes astrology accessible to anyone looking to get started in the hobby. Say you want to have a closer look at the moon, simply enter it in the Atlas, and the Live view also lets you zoom in and snap pictures. The bad Some issues I came across while operating the DWARF mini were that it sometimes failed to connect unless I held my smartphone right next to it, and finding and tracking sometimes took several attempts to get it calibrated. I discovered that it helped if I sort of positioned and pointed the telescope in the general area it was supposed to detect, but this obviously wouldn't work with objects you can't see with the naked eye; more testing is required for that. Another bit of advice is to ensure that the lens is clean. While making the examples of live zooming on the sun, I discovered that the telescope lens and sun filter were not completely clean, and only after cleaning with a microfiber cloth was I able to get a decent shot of the sun. Where to buy and a coupon Okay, $399 is not cheap for a side hobby, but nor is a $1,500 smartphone flagship that you'll most likely have for a couple of years. This is a one-time entrance into astrology, and it won't become obsolete in one year like a smartphone. It's a thumbs up from me. The DWARF mini is available to buy right now in the U.S. and U.K. at the links below. DWARF mini for $399 on the official site DWARF mini for $399 on Amazon U.S. Use the NEOWIN5OFF coupon code for an additional 5% off at checkout (expires June 21) As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Adobe Acrobat Reader Dis Continued
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      lamborghiniv10 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      lamborghiniv10 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      X-No-file earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      pestcontrol46 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      pestcontrol46 earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      504
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      270
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      75
    4. 4
      +Edouard
      75
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      70
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!