How did MOBA genre come to be? It started out as a custom map for Warcraft III, that became mega popular. All the MOBA stuff, heroes from 2D perspective with 3 basic abilities and ultimate, all of that was actually designed in Warcraft 3 and it’s gameplay.
And of course, cause of all these, most of Warcraft 3 heroes are already present in HotS, their kit wasn’t 100% transferred to HotS (they were designed for an RTS, not a MOBA), but they’re definitely inspired by… uhm… uhm… themselves from Warcraft 3, and have most abilities.
Actually from 43 Warcraft heroes, 19 come straight out of Warcraft III, almost half. Not to mention there are a few units that basically resemble units (or even creeps) in Warcraft 3.
So out of boredom I created a list of all Warcraft 3 heroes, and their representation in Hots in case their already present, or potential candidates and roles if they’re not. So here goes:
HUMANS:
Archmage - Jaina;
Paladin - Uther;
Mountain King - Muradin;
Blood Mage - Kael’thas;
ORCS:
Blademaster - Samuro;
Far Seer - Thrall;
Tauren Chieftain - Tank (Cairne Bloodhoof);
Shadow Hunter - Healer (Rokhan or Vol’Jin, Vol’Jin is better known);
UNDEAD:
Death Knight - Arthas;
Dreadlord - Mal’Ganis;
Lich - Kel’Thuzad;
Crypt Lord - Anub’arak;
NIGHT ELVES:
Demon Hunter - Illidan;
Keeper of the Grove - Malfurion;
Priestess of the Moon - Tyrande;
Warden - Maiev;
NEUTRAL:
Beastmaster - Rexxar;
Naga Sea Witch - Ranged Assassin (Lady Vashj);
Dark Ranger - Sylvanas;
Pandaren Brewmaster - Chen;
Pit Lord - Tank (Mannoroth or Magtheridon);
Firelord - Ragnaros;
Goblin Tinker - Gazlowe;
Goblin Alchemist - Bruiser (don’t know if any of them ever appeared after Warcraft III, none of them had a prominent role in Warcraft III either);
Most of his kit is already available. For example shockwave is an ultimate of Hogger and endurance aura is offered by various character effects like inspire of Raynor and speed track of Lucio. Even reincarnate is already available in the form of Auriel revive, and various level 20 abilities such as from Uther, Mathael and the like.
Chain heal is already park of Rehgar’s kit. Serpent ward is basically a Gazlowe or Probius turret. Hex is already part of Brightwing’s kit in the form of Polymorph and Big Bad Voodoo is already part of Anduin’s kit in the form of Holy Word: Salvation (which literally does the exact same…).
Who cares?
If some hero having a similar ability was an impediment, then Imperius would have needed a different kit because Varian already had the orange-shokwave-piercing-skillshot-that-slows and Orphea had a better version of his Trait (in that she can get more than one stack using the same ability); Stitches, Johanna, and Leoric wouldn’t have basically the same cone/arc-that-slows (that’s on Q by default for all of them); Muradin, Genji, Hanzo, and Maiev wouldn’t all have variations on a jump; and so on, and so forth.
Beyond that, before Maiev’s release, people were saying she couldn’t be added because her kit was already taken by Zeratul, and yet she was tweaked and joined the Nexus. (this is better “proof” that it’s ok, because it was a single hero with all her abilities, rather than being spread over many other heroes).
Actually, Big Bad Voodoo in W3 doesn’t protect the caster, so it’s more similar to Tyrael’s Sanctification than Anduin’s HWS (or at least how Sanctification was the last time I checked )
Both could have their channel interrupted by CCing the caster last I was aware, which is its main weakness and counter.
Tyrael’s Sanctification also makes Tyrael invulnerable (unstoppable) and is cast and forget (cannot be interrupted once cast, will last entire duration).
You know they all work different right?
And Cairne is…oh look, Auriel’s ressurection, Hogger’s Shockwave and…aura?
His abilities should be fully changed to be more than just copies, like they did with Maiev.
How is her kit was taken by Zera tho? Just because of blink of what?
Meh, they all deal moderate damage and slow in a small area in front of the hero (Stitches has the two ranges gimmick now, but on launch it was the same thing).
I find it a little odd that you argue those three abilities “work different”, but claim Cairne’s shockwave is already on Hogger, when the difference would be much greater between W3 Cairne and Hogger.
W3 Cairne’s shockwave is actually more similar to Butcher’s Q IMO: straight line piercing wave that slows (the stun was on stump IIRC).
If you mean the 3 Q’s in my example “work different” because of talents, then the whole argument is kind of moot, innit?
Because in W3 Wardens had Blink, Fan of Knives (which just deals damage in an area around the Warden, similar to Zera’s Cleave), and a posion dagger thingy (I forget the name, but it dealt DoT and slow, so arguably comparable to Gravity Spike).
Mind you, that’s what players were saying in the forums before her release, it wasn’t my argument
But my point is that it’s roughly the same thing you and DrSuperGood are saying about Cairne and others. (again, only in the case of Maiev it was all her basic abilities on the same hero, reather than spread accross multiple kits.)
They are working different. They have different range, radius, arc, effects. Not to mention they were made when the game didn’t have that many heroes.
Okay, then it’s not Hogger. It’s Imperius’ W, but without “center”.
Yes, i know her kit from WC3, i just don’t understand how someone could compare her to Zeratul just because of Blink. Fan of Knives didn’t even work like Zera’s Q.
Yes, her Shadow Orb: Shadow Strike. Doesn’t work like Zeratul’s W at all tho.
I mean, if that’s different enough, then there’s no point saying “X hero won’t make it 'cause their abilities are already in the game”, since the abilities can just be tweaked slightly so that it’s not identical to another one.
It’s not like any of the W3 heroes’ abilities works 100% the same as what it did in W3 anyway (if you don’t agree, maybe we can start another thread to discuss that: you mention one ability, and I list how it’s different from its W3 counterpart and/or simmilar HotS abilities )
To keep with the shockwave example: yeah, you could say it’s like Imperius’ W without the center.
You could also say it’s like Varian’s Q wihtout the heal (and likely wider).
Or Butcher’s Q but longer (and no AA reset, probably).
Or Orphea’s W without the explosion at the end (and faster?).
Or one of those mace swings I mentione, but in a line instead of a cone.
Or… You get the idea.
Comparing abilities from heroes who aren’t even in the game yet, and saying it prevents (or at leasts hinders) the new one from being added, just doesn’t seem to have any basis IMO.
(IDK if you were playing then, but I remember when Lúcio was “Brightwing 2.0” according to the forums, just because both have healing auras, or when Butcher was called “Red Stitches” because of arguably similar visuals and the Q that slows)
Back on the main topic of the thread, I don’t know if you can tell, but I want Cairne in next (or Vashj)
Jaina;
Tank (Cairne Bloodhoof);
)
)