Heroes of Newerth, known as HoN for short, is a real time strategy PC game from the developers S2 Gaming[1]. HoN is based of the the Warcraft III map popularly known as DotA (Defense of the Ancients). Originally maintained by IceFrog in 2005, DotA caught on like wildfire and has had multiple variations spanning many years. Seeing the need for a stand-alone client and statistic tracking system, S2 Gaming pressed with their independent creation of Heroes of Newerth. Most of DotA's original 101 heroes have been ported to HoN with some changes, both aesthetic and otherwise. HoN brings new life into the old series by providing match statistic tracking, updated graphics, a more user and new player friendly environment, server-side game hosting, matchmaking system (based off of PSR), ladder rankings, and new maps.
Gameplay[]
- HoN pits two teams of players against each other with the goal of reaching and destroying the opposing team's base. Along the way, teams are faced with the goals of destroying towers, which guard the paths to the enemy base, and defeating enemy heroes, which set out to do the same to you! Heroes and NPCs are split into two factions: the Legion and the Hellbourne. The Legion fight on the side of elemental magic, druidism, justice and purity, whereas the Hellbourne favor dark magic, evil, and sin. At the beginning of each game, players are to pick a hero that they will control for the entirety of the game. The heroes are broken down into three primary category, based on their attributes: Strenght, Intelligence, and Agility. Strength heroes fill the role of heavy melee damage and damage mitigation, taking hits for the less than capable heroes. Intelligence heroes are the 'casters' of the bunch, utilizing mainly ranged abilities to deal massive damage and support the team. Agility heroes are generally high damage, game winning characters whose roll is to destroy enemy support and force the enemy team into submission.
- Team play is vital in HoN, and as such, team tactics should always come into play when choosing heroes and building teams. Because of the nature of HoN and it's player-base, it is seen as best practice to have a good mix of all three hero types to balance your team and give you the best chance of winning. The main goal is to destroy the enemy base, but you can also force a team to surrender if you demoralize them enough in battle.
Gameplay Improvements[2][]
- Matchmaking System
- Get matched with similar players if you are playing yourself or with a team of friends (Team MM Coming Soon).
- Stat Tracking
- Many statistics are tracked automatically by the game. Access an enormous amount of valuable data online or in-game.
- Diverse Heroes
- Play with heroes new to HoN as well as many of the best heroes you are already familiar with.
- Ladder Rankings
- Player and clan ladders are automatically updated by the game. See where you rank against the competition.
- Custom Map Editor
- Create new maps, or even new games with the included map editor. (Coming Soon)
Engine Advantages[3][]
- Game Reconnection
- Games are no longer ruined when a player is disconnected! Players that are disconnected, can rejoin the game.
- Leaver Protection
- Create and play in restricted games that can not be joined by players with a history of leaving games early.
- Client-Server Netcode
- No lag for all players when one player has a connection issue!
- Re-Bindable Hotkeys
- Bind custom hotkeys for almost every command in the game, allowing you to maximize your effectiveness.
- Built in VOIP
- No need for an external voice chat program. Voice chat is incorporated into the HoN engine.