Chapter 341: A Newbie's Paradise
The promotional campaign for "Ancient Calamity" came in like a tidal wave, and even ordinary players could clearly sense the importance Dychao Interactive placed on this game.
Among the player base, especially within the "League of Legends" community, many were discussing this fully simplified MOBA game.
"Ancient Calamity has started testing. Anyone going to play?"
"Dychao, the copycat giant, is ripping off League of Legends again. What's fun about that?"
"Yeah, always imitating, never surpassing."
"But still, standing on the shoulders of giants, Ancient Calamity probably won't be too bad, right? With League of Legends as a reference, plus some improvements and Dychao's promotion, it'll likely be a hit."
"I think so too. I heard Ancient Calamity simplifies the controls, making it more beginner-friendly. No need for last-hitting minions or buying items, and the map mechanics are rich. Unlike League of Legends, where stealing a jungle camp doesn't do much, in Ancient Calamity, stealing camps triggers game mechanics."
"Let's give it a try. I'm a League of Legends scrub, stuck in Bronze forever. Hope Ancient Calamity can keep me going..."
"Come on, no need to get so hostile. We can still play League of Legends. Trying Ancient Calamity is just for something fresh. It's not like we're quitting League."
"Right, anyone want to go explore Ancient Calamity together? Count me in, add me as a friend!"
...
The testing of Ancient Calamity still attracted many players, including some core League of Legends players.
This was normal. Just like how many MMORPG players don't stick to just one RPG, or fantasy novel readers don't read only one series, these players weren't that loyal. Especially when a new game starts testing, it's common for many to try it out for novelty.
Whether the game could retain players was the key to a MOBA's survival.
The first batch of players' gameplay videos and experiences quickly came out, and they were quite positive. Especially for casual players, Ancient Calamity was easier to pick up and more welcoming than League of Legends.
The positive feedback mainly focused on three aspects.
First was ease of learning.
After removing last-hitting and the equipment system, Ancient Calamity's learning curve was significantly lowered. Players no longer had to suffer being crushed due to economic or gear disadvantages.
A new player entering the game only needed to familiarize themselves with hero skills, engage in intense fights with enemy heroes, and timely contest map mechanics to basically complete their tasks.
Situations like being out-farmed by a hundred minions or getting solo-killed in lane, common in League of Legends, were hard to replicate. Kills mostly happened in small-scale team fights.
So, new players transitioning from League of Legends found the game incredibly easy to pick up, happily playing within five minutes.
Second was clear objectives.
In League of Legends, the laning phase was okay, but after it ended, many low-skill players felt lost. What should I do? Farm jungle? Push towers? Team fight? Split push?
Oh, so many choices!
Thus, some low-skill players would just mindlessly group mid after laning, pushing if they won and surrendering if they lost.
But in Ancient Calamity, players had very clear goals because map mechanics refreshed frequently. The map was also square, with a layout similar to League of Legends, but all jungle monsters were replaced with special creatures possessing certain abilities.
For example, some jungle monsters were replaced by the Four Sacred Beasts. After defeating them, these beasts would march toward the enemy towers, helping you kill and push. Defeating them also yielded coins, which could be donated at field altars for blessings or to debuff the enemy.
Moreover, the map mechanics were randomly enhanced, adding a lot of randomness and uncertainty to the battle. Players had a very clear objective: see a mechanic refresh, rush to contest it. If they got it, great; if not, they moved on to the next.
Newbies no longer felt lost after the laning phase ended.
Third was impressive stats.
Ancient Calamity would never see a situation like League of Legends where a player ends a match with a 0-10-0 score. In Ancient Calamity, all assists counted as kills, viewed as team-effort takedowns. Who landed the final blow didn't matter.
So, there was no malicious kill-stealing in Ancient Calamity. Players made more rational choices during team fights.
Ancient Calamity hid player death data, and the frequent team fights meant everyone died a lot, so no one really remembered how many times they died.
Of course, damage and healing stats were visible, but since hero roles in Ancient Calamity weren't as defined as in League of Legends—only categorized as tanks, assassins, mages, shooters, etc.—and damage alone couldn't determine how well someone played, this didn't harm new players' experience.
In fact, everyone's damage was pretty similar. Without equipment, the snowball effect was greatly reduced. At worst, you lost team fights, but you could still rack up decent damage by spamming skills randomly, unlike League of Legends where a shooter could be one-shot by an assassin before even raising their gun.
Newbie players' gaming experience was unprecedentedly improved. They only needed to learn hero skills to have fun in Ancient Calamity, constantly watch map mechanics and follow the team. Dying didn't matter; just tagging an enemy gave you a kill. If you lost, start a new match. If you won, everyone's stats looked great—perfect for screenshots and bragging, feeling satisfied.
Plus, during the initial testing phase, players were still learning, with immature understandings of heroes and map mechanics. They communicated via text, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
All these factors made the first batch of Ancient Calamity players feel the game was fun and distinctly different from League of Legends.
Many were surprised: had Dychao Interactive truly improved the MOBA genre?
Soon, Ancient Calamity's player rating came out: 9.2 points!
Admittedly, the game's quality was good. MOBAs didn't rely on high production values to succeed; they weren't technically demanding to develop.
Moreover, Dychao Interactive's artists were highly skilled, and the game's visuals were exquisite. At first glance, it was eye-catching and impressive.
After fully improving the game mechanics and newbie experience, many veteran League of Legends players could jump in and show off, while newbies also had a blast.
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