DotA pits two teams of players against each other. Each team has a base in opposite corners of the map, which is defended by towers. In the heart of each base is the "Ancient", a building which must be destroyed in order to win the game. Thus, teams fight against the enemy team as well as computer controlled units and defensive structures. Each human player controls a single Hero, which is a powerful unit with unique abilities. In Allstars, players choose one of eighty-nine heroes available between the two teams, each which have different spells, strengths, and tactical advantages over other heroes. DotA allows for a maximum of ten players in a five versus five format and an additional two slots for referees or observers, and games are usually played with even numbers of players on each side.

CASH Prizes for state qualifiers:-

* Champion RM 2,000 Cash + Medal (Qualified to National Grand Final)
* 1st Runner up RM 1,000 Cash + Medal ( Qualified to National Grand Final)
* 2nd Runner up RM 600 Cash + Medal (Qualified to National Grand Final)
* 3rd Runner up RM 300 Cash ( Qualified to National Grand Final)

CASH Prizes for National Grand Final:-

* Champion RM 36,000 Cash + Trophy + Sponsors Product
* 1st Runner up RM 18,000 Cash + Trophy + Sponsors Product
* 2nd Runner up RM 13,000 Cash + Trophy + Sponsors Product
* 4th Place RM 5,000 Cash + Sponsors Product
* 5th Place RM 1,500 Cash + Sponsors Product
* 6th Place RM 1,300 Cash + Sponsors Product
* 7th Place RM 1,100 Cash + Sponsors Product
* 8th Place RM 1,000 Cash + Sponsors Product

History and development

The original author of Defense of the Ancients was a mapmaker by the name of "Eul". However, after the Warcraft III expansion The Frozen Throne was released, Eul did not update the map. The original Defense of the Ancients' development was eventually halted, but not before making the source opened for other developers. Numerous variants were created based on the original, but Allstars became the de facto standard of the map.

Based on the original map, Allstars was developed by an author under the alias Guinsoo; with the release of the 6.x version of Allstars another developer named IceFrog took up development. IceFrog is now the main programmer for the map, doing everything from implementation and balancing to debugging. With successive versions, features, heroes, items, abilities, and graphics are added or updated and bugs are fixed. For example, in version 6.48, Icefrog added a feature which automatically changes the terrain from grass to snow; each release is accompanied with a changelog. On the DotA Allstars forum, users can post ideas for new heroes or items, some of which are added to the map; Icefrog recently added a new hero based on submissions for a "model-to-hero" contest on his site.

Gameplay

DotA pits two teams of players against each other. Each team has a base in opposite corners of the map, which is defended by towers. In the heart of each base is the "Ancient", a building which must be destroyed in order to win the game. Thus, teams fight against the enemy team as well as computer controlled units and defensive structures. Each human player controls a single Hero, which is a powerful unit with unique abilities. In Allstars, players choose one of eighty-nine heroes available between the two teams, each which have different spells, strengths, and tactical advantages over other heroes. DotA allows for a maximum of ten players in a five versus five format and an additional two slots for referees or observers, and games are usually played with even numbers of players on each side.

As gameplay revolves around the use of individual heroes, it does not require one to focus on resource management and base-building, which is common in traditional real-time strategy games. Instead players focus on strengthening their heroes. Killing computer-controlled creeps earns the player's experience, and when enough experience is accumulated the player gains a level. Leveling up improves the hero's toughness and the amount of damage it can inflict, as well as allowing players to upgrade their spells. In addition to accruing experience, players also manage a single resource, gold.

The typical resource-gathering of Warcraft III is replaced by a combat-oriented money system; in addition to a small periodic gold income, heroes earn gold by killing creeps, base structures, and enemy heroes. With their gold, players buy items to strengthen their hero and gain additional abilities. Certain items can be combined along with 'recipes' to create more powerful items. Buying items to suit one's hero is an important tactical element of the game. DotA Allstars offers a variety of game modes, which are selected by the game host at the beginning of the match. The game modes dictate whether people can choose their own hero or be assigned one
randomly, as well as the difficulty of the game. Many game modes can be combined (for example, an easy difficulty level and a random pick), allowing for even more flexible game options.

Recognition and popularity

DotA has experienced increasing popularity over time. Blizzard officially recognized DotA Allstars as its first Spotlight Map entry in the Battle.net Hall of Fame, a recognition given to only six other maps in the Hall of Fame's history. The game was later featured by Computer Gaming World in a review of new maps and mods in Warcraft III. Allstars has also become recognized at tournaments, becoming an independent tournament item at the debut of Blizzard's BlizzCon convention in 2005.

Dota Allstars was also featured in the Malaysia and Singapore World Cyber Games 2005, 2006, and the World Cyber Games Asian Championships 2006. DotA is now included in the game lineup for the internationally-recognized Cyberathlete Amateur League, and the CyberEvolution league. The game has become a hit in many parts of the world, especially in the Philippines, where it has in some cases replaced Counter-Strike as the most-played game. It is also popular in Sweden and other Northern European countries, where the DotA-inspired song "Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelar DotA" by Swedish musician Basshunter reached the European 2006 charts at #116 and cracked the top ten Singles Charts in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The popularity of the song led to a rise in coverage of the game, with non-gaming european publications writing stories about the gametype. Fans also created the artwork displayed while the map is loading.

More info: http://www.smm.net.my/dota/