There’s a reason why MOBAs don’t simply have players piloting featureless gray blobs with names like “Shooty Man” and “Punchy Monster” on their chests. The design of a MOBA hero is important, and the latest development entry on Gigantic‘s official site by designer Carter McBree walks fans through the process with Beckett. How did Beckett go from “Generic Shoot-Person” to the distinct personality she is now? It’s a matter of iterative design and refinement to make each character feel unique and recognizable at a glance.
The entry also covers more about the game’s upgrade system and its evolution away from the original version. At first, the game had two completely separate systems, a “talent” system for independent upgrades and a branching upgrade method for character skills. However, over time it became clear that these two leveling systems were competing with one another and combined to create an uncomfortable amount of bookkeeping for players. Instead, the new revision is meant to marry both systems to work together, with plans to potentially allow you to save your favorite character builds and share them with others. Just like the visual design of heroes, it’s an iterative process.
