Originally announced as “Project-V” at the end of 2020, Vela Games has finally lifted the veil of mystery for its upcoming debut, Evercore Heroes. The team of veteran developers discusses how their multiplayer online co-op game (“MOCO”) combines the depth and strategy of MOBAs with his cooperative PvE challenges of MMO raids. I will explain.
So why this particular combination? Rather than working in a specific genre, the team focused on the player experience they wanted to create. Of course, in regular his MMOs, access to the most rewarding challenges often requires a significant effort and investment of time. You must earn your own place in the raid party, and the dungeon his door policy is strict. You will not be able to enter unless your shoes are sufficiently cold-resistant.
But you don’t have to spend hours sewing a magic cloak made out of salamander guts before playing a MOBA. Everyone starts each match at level 1 and gradually gets stronger by gaining resources throughout the game. Rather than spending time trying to acquire better gear, you’ll be rewarded for increasing your skills and knowledge of the game, mastering notoriously complex characters.
“
A team of MOBA heroes fighting in a raid-like PvE environment seems like a promising combination. But Vela Games CEO and co-founder Travis George explained that something was still missing officially.
“When we started testing Project V with the community, the game was developing really well.
The team revisited early development experiments and repeatedly returned to the idea they prototyped: a competitive PvE experience. The competitive element turned out to be the missing link and the key to getting Evercore Heroes to play thousands of hours.
As a team of four heroes explores the map, secures objectives, confronts dangerous mobs, and powers up to face the final boss, three other teams tackle the exact same challenge in real-time, taking on the first Compete with the aim of completing
“
While you can’t directly interact with these rival teams, players will appear as glowing color-coded orbs in-game so you can see how they move between instances of the map. When one of his teams completes map objectives and earns rewards, the other teams are locked. That’s why it’s important to monitor your competitors’ movements and change your strategy accordingly.
In the quintessential PvP MOBA experience, you ruthlessly slay enemies and dominate the map until you’re dead like a python. As my fellow her MOBA players can attest, Acceptance The end of that punishment doesn’t feel great, but Travis explains how Evercore Heroes deliberately tries to avoid this experience.
“[Evercore Heroes] It’s a tough game and a skill-based game. For example, back in lane, someone had your number and killed you five times in a row. Negative emotions are complicated, but we don’t have that experience. Because it doesn’t end the fun for other players. ”
“
“Our game is still competitive,” he continues. But in the end, we can do it by working together better. ”
It seems like you’re trying to beat the enemy in a race instead of destroying it. Losing a race doesn’t feel bad enough to wipe you out. The other guy is playing against three teams, so it’s the same. In a traditional PvP game of his, where two teams play against each other, you can expect a win rate of around 50% of the game if the matchmaking system works. But with four teams involved, does that mean that at most he can only win a quarter of the time?
“If you win 50% of the time, you also have a 50% chance of losing, right?” explains Travis. “If you have four teams, you only have a 25% chance of losing. I think there is an advantage in losing less.”
“
If you don’t have time to experience the game in person, you can sign up at Evercore Heroes for community playtesting this weekend, October 13-16. website ――With a certain amount of mechanical skill, wouldn’t it be possible to sortie mobs and carry out plans, effectively making it a battle of efficiency?
“Every game you should feel like you can improve, and we want it to last forever,” Travis assures. “Some of our best teams are nearly even, and they don’t necessarily lose the game itself. can steal a lot of your power.
He explains that players should change strategies on the fly as circumstances change. “Even though you are playing the same map, objectives, enemies, rewards and shards are all shuffled. We have a design pillar: adaptation leads to true mastery.”
“
The characters themselves are also designed to reward proficiency. Across the hero roster, Travis points out, some are mechanically simpler than others. Beko is a “pure healer”, while Lotus is a “hybrid healer” with a more complex kit that can also deal damage. The best Zari players in the office, just watching them play is just magic orb walking.”
Seeing skilled players perform at their best is a big factor in making gaming a successful esports. Did that influence some of their decisions in development?
Travis nods. “Our stance on esports is if the community really wants it, we’re happy to develop it. One of the reasons I chose it was not just to facilitate advanced skills. [plays] Skill shots and different positioning make it easy to see what’s going on in the match. ”
Ask if their highly skilled playtesters have come up with ridiculously powerful combos. “Forever!” the team laughs. “That’s why I think we can confidently talk about Evercore Heroes for the first time. [balancing] As long as players want to play the game, it goes on forever. ”
Early signs look promising, but personally I’m most interested in knowing how the match actually feels. Urgent and dangerous stages are set. It allows individuals to use their reactions, perceptions, and skills to make game-changing plays in the blink of an eye. Will the race to the finish line feel suspenseful? I look forward to finding out.
Jen Rothery is Senior Editor on the IGN Guides team. She’s typically found guarding the Dota 2 jungle, relaxing in the Chao Gardens, or getting stuck in the Peragus Mining Facility.Or you can find her on Twitter @sylfGG.
