Deadlock: The Polarisation of The Rejuvenator

Summary

In this video, the creator critiques the mid boss mechanics in Deadlock, comparing them to similar mechanics in Dota 2. They argue that the mid boss is too powerful, creating an unbalanced ‘catch-up’ mechanic that can turn the game into a coin flip. The player suggests making the mid boss more challenging and redistributing the benefits of the rejuvenator to prevent games from being decided by a single decisive moment. The main goal is to add depth, balance, and counterplay, promoting strategic decision-making rather than one-sided snowballing in the game.

Takeaways

• 😀 Wum, the speaker, is a non-professional player with over 5,500 hours in Dota 2 and currently an Ascendent 1 in Deadlock, offering an informed opinion on game mechanics.
• 😀 Wum believes the mid boss in Deadlock is too powerful and acts as a comeback mechanic for the losing team, which creates a 'coin-flip' scenario that homogenizes games.
• 😀 The mid boss's impact is compared to *Mario Kart's* item mechanic, where a losing player can suddenly jump to a competitive position, causing imbalance.
• 😀 Drawing comparisons with Dota 2, Wum highlights the strategic value of Roshan, which allows a single team revival and stronger creeps, providing strategic depth.
• 😀 Wum critiques the mid boss in Deadlock for granting too many advantages in one event, such as respawn abilities and Mega creeps, making it an overpowered mechanic.
• 😀 The Rejuvenator item, which adds fire rate, health, and movement speed, is criticized for being overpowered and adding unnecessary buffs to the mid boss.
• 😀 Wum suggests moving the creep buff effect to the last hit of the mid boss or the shrines to prevent the losing team from exploiting the mid boss for a comeback.
• 😀 Games in Deadlock feel 'homogenized' because the outcome hinges too much on the mid boss, with base races and other strategic plays being far less common.
• 😀 Wum advocates for more counterplay and strategic depth in Deadlock, proposing the inclusion of vision tools like wards and smoke of deceit to enable comeback opportunities.
• 😀 Wum recommends separating the effects of the mid boss—Mega creeps and respawn mechanics—into different game events to prevent one single moment from flipping the game entirely.

Q & A

What is the speaker's primary criticism of the mid boss in *Deadlock*?

The speaker believes that the mid boss mechanic in *Deadlock* is too powerful and acts as a catch-up mechanic, allowing the losing team to regain a significant advantage with one action. This makes the game feel homogenized, as the outcome can be determined by a single event rather than by strategic decisions over time.

How does the speaker compare *Deadlock*'s mid boss to *Dota 2*'s mechanics?

The speaker compares *Deadlock*'s mid boss to *Dota 2*'s Roshan, mega creeps, and buybacks. In *Dota 2*, these mechanics create a more gradual shift in the game, allowing the losing team to slowly recover, whereas in *Deadlock*, the mid boss provides a sudden and overwhelming advantage to the team that kills it, which feels unbalanced.

What aspect of *Deadlock*'s current gameplay does the speaker find most frustrating?

The speaker finds the fact that *Deadlock*’s game state can be entirely flipped by a single punch (killing the mid boss) frustrating. They believe this reduces the strategic depth and makes the game feel like it is decided by one event, rather than ongoing tactical play.

What does the speaker propose to make the mid boss more balanced?

The speaker suggests making the mid boss more threatening to the winning team, removing the excessive buffs provided by the rejuvenator (such as fire rate, health, and movement speed), and moving the creep buff effect to the last hit of the mid boss or inside shrines to allow for more balanced gameplay and counterplay opportunities.

Why does the speaker want to remove the bonus stats granted by the rejuvenator?

The speaker believes that the bonuses (fire rate, health, and movement speed) granted by the rejuvenator are overpowered and contribute to an imbalanced game state. They feel that these buffs make the winning team too strong and prevent the losing team from having a viable path to recovery.

What does the speaker mean by 'homogenized' games?

By 'homogenized,' the speaker refers to games that feel predictable or one-dimensional, where the outcome is determined by a single event (such as killing the mid boss) rather than through varied strategies and tactical plays throughout the match.

How does the lack of strategic tools like wards and smoke of deceit impact *Deadlock*'s gameplay, according to the speaker?

The speaker argues that the lack of strategic tools like wards and smoke of deceit makes it difficult for the losing team to create opportunities for counterplay. This lack of vision and deception removes important aspects of strategy, leading to more reliance on the mid boss mechanic, which they feel is unbalanced.

What alternative solution does the speaker's friend suggest regarding the mid boss and rejuvenator effect?

The speaker's friend suggests that if one team kills the mid boss and the other team steals the rejuvenator effect, the effect should be halved (lasting for a minute and a half instead of three minutes). This would reduce the impact of the rejuvenator while still allowing for a comeback mechanic.

Why does the speaker feel that *Deadlock*'s game mechanics should not be decided by a single event?

The speaker believes that *Deadlock* is a MOBA and should focus on strategic, tactical gameplay where multiple events and decisions affect the outcome, rather than having the entire game decided by a single moment (like killing the mid boss). They value counterplay, risk, and reward, which are central to MOBAs.

What does the speaker mean by saying that taking a lane in *Dota 2* is an 'event'?

The speaker is referring to the significance of taking a lane in *Dota 2*, where it requires careful planning and resources to push through and take objectives like barracks. This adds strategic depth, as each lane push influences future decisions. In *Deadlock*, the speaker feels that this complexity is missing, as the outcome can be too easily decided by a single punch in the mid boss fight.