For many of you who dont know much about Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (WC3TFT), the map editor makes available anyone to create their own map and game, manipulating common creeps into heros, manipulating combination spells and items. Through this process a game called Defense of the Agents (DOTA) is born. The current DOTA map editors is managed by icefrog at www.dota-allstars.com. The map is updated with new items, creeps, towers, heros...etc. regularly. Sometimes the map is updated weekly and occasionally monthly. This, I believe, is the first of its kind, excluding updates for the main game itself.

The concept of the game is simplistic, however the involvement is complex. The game is based on two teams fighting against each other commonly in a 3v3, 4v4, 5v5 battle. Each side chooses a hero, or a random hero can be generated. You have 74 heros to choose from, each with their own special passive and offensive powers (3) and one ultimate power. There are 3 hero types, inteligence, agility, strength.

Different items are an asset to different heros, benefiting that hero in a different way. There are 11 Level 1 items, 11 Level 2 items, 11 Level 3 ites and 11 Level 4 items. Each level items can be created by a combination of 2 items or a recipe. There are 92 items total, however, that includes a combination of individual items included.

The map includes 3 main paths, which creeps are programed to travel. On each path are 2 towers defending the path, one positoned behind the other, to fight vs one tower at a time. In the middle is a "river" which any allied or enemy hero can travel to another path. Trees, cliffs, rocks etc...surround the entire map. Strategically positioned are 2 "secret shops" for each team, where higher level items are available. Also located in the "river" are two "Rhunes" available in invisibility, speed burst, double image, or double damage which provide its power instantly for a set amount of time.

I believe the draw of the game is that it is simple enough to grasp the idea of the game and intriguing to learn a new hero and its abilities. Then there is the combination of one hero and another, vs other combination enemy heros. The game has dominated the available online games, by approximately 10 to 1. Although there can be discrepencies or errors in the game, the next update regularily fixes these.

Thus, I cant wait for Blizzards next games!