Heroes Technical Alpha Patch Notes -- Sept 10, 2014
We've brought the Heroes of the Storm service down for a period of extended maintenance today in order to release a brand new patch for the Technical Alpha. Maintenance is ongoing, but don't worry; we'll let you know as soon as the Nexus is back online! In the meantime, you can check out complete patch notes below.
General
64-Bit Client Now Available
- A 64-bit version of the Technical Alpha Client is now available on 64-bit systems.
- The 64-bit version of the Heroes client allows the game to utilize available RAM beyond 4GB, reducing the risk of Out-of-Memory errors.
- To use the 64-bit client, please follow the steps below:
- Launch the Battle.net App and click the Battle.net icon in the top left corner of the app.
- Click “Settings” from the dropdown list, and then select “Game Settings” from the Settings menu.
- Next, find Heroes of the Storm on the Game Settings menu and uncheck the box labeled “Launch 32-bit client.”
- Finally, click “Done” in the lower right, and then launch Heroes of the Storm to begin using the 64-bit Technical Alpha client.
- To return to using the 32-bit version of the Heroes client, simply re-check the box labeled “Launch 32-bit client” in the Game Settings menu.
- Further improvements for the 64-bit client will be included in future updates.
- Please also note that the 64-bit Heroes client is currently available only for Windows users. A Mac version of the 64-bit client will be available in the future.
- Check out our recent blog post for more details on the 64-bit Heroes client.
Streaming Downloader
- Much like other Blizzard games, Heroes of the Storm now makes use of streaming technology when updating to the latest version of the game. This means that players will be able get in-game and start playing Heroes even if an update has not finished downloading.
- While downloading game data, a progress bar will now appear at the bottom of the Heroes of the Storm page on the Battle.net App.
- The progress bar will change colors to indicate current download status, as well as the earliest possible moment that the game becomes playable.
- The following progress bar colors represent each download state.
- Red: Core game content is being downloaded. The game is not playable during this time.
- Yellow: Heroes is now available for play, though not all game content has been applied.
- Green: Final game content is nearly complete.
- If the Heroes client is launched prior to completing the entire update, the game will continue downloading data in the background during gameplay until the update is finished.
- In some cases, low-resolution textures may be displayed in-game while high-quality assets continue downloading in the background. Often, players will not even notice that this is occurring.
New Hero
Chen Stormstout, Legendary Brewmaster, has been added to Heroes of the Storm and is now available for play! Read on for a brief overview of his Abilities, and check out Chen’s Hero Week blog for much more information on this powerful new Warrior Hero.
- Abilities:
- Flying Kick (Q)
- Kick through target enemy.
- Keg Smash (W)
- Drench enemies in a nearby area with Brew, slowing them.
- Breath of Fire (E)
- Breathe fire in target direction, dealing damage and igniting Brew-soaked enemies.
- Trait:
- Fortifying Brew (D)
- Instead of Mana, power your Abilities by drinking Brew. Gain a Shield while drinking.
- Heroic Abilities:
- Wandering Keg (R)
- Jump in the barrel and knock enemies around, dealing damage.
- Storm, Earth, Fire (R)
- Split into three spirits and gain new Abilities.
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User Interface
General
- The reconnect screen now indicates progress toward rejoining an on-going game.
- Please note that the time required to reconnect to a game depends on several factors, such as computer performance, network conditions, and game length. The reconnect feature is still in development and will receive additional improvements with future updates.
- Date-based XP promotion testing is now complete.
- This was previously implemented in the form of a fixed “Weekend XP Bonus” promotion, which has now been removed from the Technical Alpha.
- However, a variety of additional date-based XP promotions will regularly make their way into Heroes of the Storm in the future.
Menu Navigation
- Menu navigation has been reworked and several UI elements have been moved.
- Players can now freely navigate among game menus while queued for matchmaking.
- The menu navigation bar has been moved to the bottom edge of the screen.
- The Character Portrait has been moved to the lower left corner of the screen.
- Current Gold total is now displayed next to the Character Portrait, and remains visible while navigating through most game menus.
- Home Screen
- Access the Home Screen by clicking the Heroes of the Storm icon found on the menu navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.
- Play Screen
- The Play Screen has received several improvements.
- Access the Play screen by clicking the Play button on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.
- The Play Screen remembers the most recently selected Hero and game mode.
- Click the Change Mode button near the bottom center of the Play screen to switch among Practice, Cooperative, and Versus modes.
- Hero Select can be toggled by clicking the Change Hero button that appears underneath the Party Panel at the top of the screen.
- Shop
- The Shop’s top navigation bar has been moved to the left side of the screen. Click each button to sort by each Shop category.
Party Panel
- The Party Panel has been reworked.
- The Party Panel is now displayed along the top edge of the screen, and remains visible while navigating through most game menus.
- Party members’ current Hero selections are now visible in the Party Panel at all times.
- Hover the cursor over the currently selected Hero in the top center of the screen to display player information. Click it to access the Player Profile.
- Click the Invite buttons on the Party Panel to invite others to join the party.
In-Game UI
- Hero Stats (C)
- An in-game Hero Stats panel has been implemented, which displays total Health, Mana (or other resource,) Attack Damage, Ability Power, Movement Speed, and much more.
- Toggle the Hero Stats panel by pressing “C” during gameplay.
- The Camera Follow hotkey has been changed to “L” to account for the new Hero Stats panel hotkey.
- Minimap Icons
- Most Minimap indicators have been updated with brand new icons, including: Battleground-specific objective points, Mercenary Camps, Cores, Towns, and Watchtowers.
- Several Hero Abilities now have unique minimap indicators, including: Tyrande’s Sentinel, Sgt. Hammer’s Blunt Force Gun, Murky’s Egg, and Zagara’s Nydus Worms.
- Tab Screen
- Hero portraits on the in-game Tab screen now display a skull icon when the associated Hero is dead.
- Countdown timers are now displayed on teammates’ Heroic Ability icons in the “Show Talents” portion of the in-game Tab screen whenever their Heroic Abilities are on cooldown.
Daily Quests
- Completion requirements for the following Daily Quests have changed, and their Gold rewards have been increased accordingly:
- “Win 1 Game” is now “Win 3 Games”
- This Quest’s completion reward has been increased from 200 to 600 Gold.
- “Play 2 Games” is now “Play 8 Games”
- This Quest’s completion reward has been increased from 200 to 800 Gold.
- “Play 2 Games with a(n) Assassin/Warrior/Support/Specialist in Any Mode” is now “Play 3 Games with a(n) Assassin/Warrior/Support/Specialist in Any Mode.”
- This Quest’s completion reward has been increased from 200 to 300 Gold.
Earning Gold
- Wins in Versus mode now award 30 Gold each, down from 40.
- Losses in Versus now award 20 Gold each, up from 10.
Hotkeys
- Basic support for hotkey modification has been implemented.
- Open the Main Menu (F10), click Options, and then click the Hotkeys tab at the bottom of the Options menu. Use the Hotkeys menu to:
- Create a custom Hotkey profile.
- Set Hero Ability and Activated Talent hotkeys.
- Set hotkeys for in-game features such as the Tab Screen, Talent Menu, Quick Talent Menu, and Ping Menu.
- Please note that this is a first pass at hotkey support, and work on this feature is not yet complete. Additional art, layout, and functionality improvements will be made with future updates.
Player Levels and Rewards
- Several Player Level Rewards have been changed:
- Player Levels 8 and 10 no longer award a free-to-play Hero rotation slot. Instead, each now grants 2,000 Gold.
- Player Levels 12 and 15 no longer grant 2,000 Gold. Instead, each now awards a free-to-play Hero rotation slot.
- Gold rewards at Player Levels 20, 25, 30, and 35 have been removed.
Tutorial
- Questionnaire
- Upon logging in to Heroes of the Storm for the first time, players will now be asked to estimate their experience level with games like Heroes of the Storm.
- Uther Help Tips
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General
- Holding down a hotkey for a Hero Ability with an instant cast time will now automatically re-cast that Ability once its cooldown expires.
- The cursor will now automatically leave target mode if the Hero is no longer able to cast the Ability.
- Pinging an allied AI-controlled Hero will now cause that Hero to follow the player that issued the ping.
Return to Top Shop
New Hero
- Chen Stormstout has been added to the Heroes of the Storm Shop!
Skins
- Warmaster Chen has been added to the Shop.
Bundle Packs
- The Warmaster Chen Bundle has been made available in the Shop for a limited time.
- The Big Top Gazlowe and Frost Wyrm Arthas Bundles have been removed from the Shop.
- Head here for complete details on Bundles that are currently available for purchase in the Shop.
Master Skins
- Master Skins have been added for the following 6 Heroes, and more will be added in the weeks to come:
- Brightwing
- Nova
- Raynor
- Tychus
- Tyrael
- Zeratul
Price Changes
- Zagara is now 7,000 Gold or ＄8.49 USD.
- The Kandy King Muradin Skin is now ＄9.99 USD.
Return to Top Art
General
- In-game Death screens have been reworked and have received many visual improvements.
- Many visual effects have received updates.
- Visual effects have been added for physics-based terrain impacts.
- Targeting cursors should now appear more visually consistent.
Battlegrounds
- Battleground environments have received several improvements.
- Battleground pathing has been cleaned up to reduce instances of clipping.
Heroes, Mounts, and Skins
- Dance, victory, and taunt animations have been added to a number of Heroes.
- Cloth physics have been added to a number of characters.
- Facial Animations have been added for the following Heroes:
- The “Auto Select” Hero model in Hero Select (a.k.a. the Nexus Champion) has received visual improvements.
- The following Hero Skins and Skin Variations have received visual improvements:
- Blood Elf Tyrande and all variations
- Roller Derby Nova and all variations
- Shan’do Illidan and all variations
- Spectre Nova and all variations
- The following Mounts and Mount Variations have received visual improvements:
- Horse
- Rainbow Unicorn
- Warhorse
- The Warhorse Mount also features new Mount Variation colors.
Return to Top Sound
General
- Voiceover processing has been added for the following Hero Skins:
- Angelic Valla
- Commander Raynor
- Demonic Tyrael
- Grunty Murky
- Medic Uther
- Roller Derby Nova
- Spectre Illidan
- Spectre Nova
Return to Top Design and Gameplay
General
- Improvements have been made to Hero hitboxes, and it should now be easier to left or right-click a Hero.
- Please note that this change does not affect Hero width, interactions with skillshots, or other area-of-effect Abilities.
- Successive Ability casts will now queue automatically, rather than overriding prior button presses.
- This change will be most noticeable for players that cast multiple Abilities in a very short timeframe while using the Quick Cast feature.
Return to Top Battlegrounds
Core
- Health Regeneration has been removed from the Core, but Shield regeneration is unchanged.
Siege Giants
- Health regeneration when Siege Giants are out of combat for 8 or more seconds has been removed.
Garden of Terror
- This Battleground has received significant updates.
- Upon collecting 100 Seeds, the Fertile Soil (located near the Core) will automatically grow into a Garden Terror after 15 seconds.
- Once the Garden Terror has spawned, a 1 minute countdown timer will begin. Right click the Garden Terror to take control of it before the timer expires.
- If no player takes control of the Garden Terror within 1 minute, it will reset to its Fertile Soil state, and the team will lose the ability to unleash the Garden Terror.
- 100 Seeds will be automatically consumed whether or not a player takes control of the Garden Terror.
- Infested Servants
- Experience reward increased from 30 (+1.5 per minute) to 60 (+2 per minute)
- Garden Terror
- Experience reward increased from 175 (+5 per minute) to 350 (+12 per minute)
- This specific change refers to the neutral Garden Terror found in the Gardens during the Night sequence.
- Spore Queen’s Curse (Q)
- Radius increased from 2.5 to 3
- The curse is now a persistent effect which continues to pulse once per second for 3 seconds.
- Garden Terror Overgrowth (W)
- Health increased from 960 (+55 per minute) to 1250 (+80 per minute)
- New Ability: Sprint (E)
- Increases the Garden Terror’s Movement Speed by 30% for 3 seconds
Haunted Mines
- This Battleground has received significant updates.
- The underground mines have been reduced in size and received layout changes, which will allow the mines to be cleared more quickly.
- Skull collection has changed:
- The underground mines now contain 35 Skeletons, each of which drop 2 Skulls upon death.
- The Grave Golem in the underground mines now drops 30 skulls.
- Mercenary Camp count reduced from 5 to 3.
- Merc Camps include two Siege Giant Camps and one Knight Camp.
- Mercenaries captured by a team now only attack down the lane opposite from that team's Grave Golem.
- The Haunted Mines Battleground page has been updated to reflect all of the layout changes included in today's patch.
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Talents
Cleanse
- Cast range increased from 7 to 10
Healing Ward
- Heal amount increased from 2% to 3% per tick
Promote
- Health gain increased from 200% to 300%
Seasoned Marksman
- No longer requires last hits to gain stacks
- Now only requires the player be in proximity when enemy Minions or Heroes are killed
- One stack is earned per Minion kill, and two stacks per enemy Hero kill
- Six stacks permanently add +1 to Basic Attack damage
Storm Shield
- Target search radius increased from 5 to 8
Return to Top Heroes
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- Soothing Mist (Trait)
- Cooldown increased from 4 to 5 seconds
- Initial heal amount increased from 32 to 36
- Scaling per level increased from 8 to 9
- Regenerative Rains (Talent)
- Healing amount reduced from 100% to 50% of that offered by Soothing Mist
- Blink Heal (R)
- Cooldown increased from 8 to 10 seconds
- Scaling per level increased from 15 to 17
Return
- Gravity Bomb (R)
- Scaling damage decreased from +26 per level to +20 per level
- Miniature Black Hole (Talent)
- Scaling damage decreased from +39 per level to +30 per level
Return
- Impale (W)
- Blade Torrent (Talent)
- Radius increase has been reduced from 50% to 30%
- Primal Grasp (E)
- Search arc decreased from 70 to 35 degrees
Return
- Basic Attacks per second decreased from 1.2 to 1.11
- Regrowth (Q)
- Immediate heal scaling reduced from +14 per level to +12 per level
- Heal-over-time scaling reduced from 35 to 30 over 10 seconds
- Tranquility (R)
- Base heal amount decreased from 400 to 200
Return
- Promote (Talent)
- Has been removed from Murky
- Spawn Egg (D)
- Assault Egg (Talent)
- Moved from Level 4 to Level 1
- Now also increases Egg Health by 200%, and provides a large vision radius around the Egg
- Hidden Assault (Talent)
- Vision radius around Egg has been removed
- Now provides a 20% Movement Speed bonus for 5 seconds after Murky respawns from his Egg
- Slime (Q)
- The damage-over-time component of Slime has been removed, and Slime now only deals damage on impact.
- Targets hit by Slime now have a “Slimed” debuff applied for 8 seconds.
- Targets with the Slimed debuff will take 250% damage from successive Slimes.
- Damage is now 55 (+6 per level)
- New Talent (Level 7): Hindering Slime
- Slow amount applied by Slime increased from 20% to 30%
- New Talent (Level 13): Continuous Slime
- Slime cooldown decreased from 4 to 3 seconds
- Slime Advantage (Talent)
- Basic Attack damage bonus increased from 50% to 100%
- Pufferfish (W)
- Damage increased from 100 (+25 per level) to 130 (+35 per level)
- Explosion timer reduced from 4 to 3 seconds
- New Talent (Level 7): Slimy Pufferfish
- Pufferfish now Slimes the location in which it lands.
- Wrath of Cod (Talent)
- Now deals double damage to Slimed targets
- Safety Bubble (E)
- New Talent (Level 16): Rejuvenating Bubble
- Safety Bubble restores all of Murky’s Health throughout its duration.
- Octo-Grab (R)
- Cooldown increased from 40 to 50 seconds
- March of the Murlocs (R)
- Movement Speed of Murlocs spawned by March of the Murlocs has been increased from 2.5 to 3.25.
Return
- Pinning Shot (W)
- Tazer Rounds (Talent)
- Slow duration increased from 0.75 to 1.75 seconds
- Holo Decoy (E)
- Cost reduced from 60 to 50 Mana
- Digital Shrapnel (Talent)
- Decoy explosion damage increased from 50 (+18 per level) to 60 (+20 per level)
Return
- Ancestral Healing (R)
- Farseer’s Blessing (Talent)
- No longer restores the target to full Health
- Now doubles the healing amount of Ancestral Healing, and 25% of the amount healed is splashed to nearby allies
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Crimsonfish
Crimsonfish
