IceFrog Starting to Copy S2 (HoN)

DotA is copying from Heroes of Newerth, and not the other way around now. Check a few changes:

Quote :

Priestess of the Moon
- Starfall AoE increased by 50 to fix issues with it not hitting units on the edge of your attack

Quote :

Valkyrie:
- Call of the Valkyrie radius increased to 650 from 600

Interesting...

Quote :

Blademail
- Blademail can no longer reflect blademail sourced damage

This mechanic was in place in HoN for as long as I can remember. BBQ!

That doesn't mean it was copied...

Starfall not working from the edge of attacks was a common complaint - and Blade Mail in general was a very strong item to the point where 6+ heroes would get it in a game and needed the nerf.

Regardless, is there a point?

I think the point he is trying to make (not sure he's getting it) is that HoN is becoming more of the official RTS Arena game than DotA. His evidence being that the changes S2 is makng to HoN are driving the changes IceFrog is doing to DotA.

Ever since I tried HoN, I thought it was better than DotA. I do believe it is better balanced. Still, HoN has the advantage of having an engine designed for this playing style. DotA does not.
Nevertheless, I don't think that people will forget DotA as the first popular game of this specific RTS gameplay. Well, that is until 5 years in the future, when later gamers/generations don't even know what Warcraft is, and only think "WoW" when they hear "Warcraft" . . .

But his evidence is weak at best.

Two changes - one of which was something that should have always been like that and has been an issue for a while, and the second being a balance concern because of a few tournaments that had mass Blade Mails.