Dota 2 impassable terrain

Thread: Solution to trapping heroes in impassable terrain?

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Solution to trapping heroes in impassable terrain?

Can we discuss potential solutions to this issue?

Whether you love or hate Dark Seers trapping you on the high ground with Vortex, or Pudge/VS doing the same with Force Staff, it’s obvious this isn’t an intended feature. The Blink Dagger item restriction on Pudge and VS exists because trapping opponents in this manner wasn’t good for gameplay, or at least because it allowed them to pull off the trap too easily.

Item restrictions existed because of mechanical problems in the War3 engine, and one of the the greatest features of DotA 2 was getting away from those engine limitations. Seeing item restrictions still exist is a major disappointment to me, like one of the biggest draws of DotA 2 wasn’t capitalized on. We did get rid of 1 restriction at least (Kunkka Quelling Blade).

It’s also very confusing for new/learning players, as getting a Blink on Pudge would make a great deal of sense (for much the same reasons as you’d get one on Ursa, Naix, or ES), yet there is no documentation or in-game reason why they can’t. To many, it seems like a bug.

HoN came up with a mechanic for this, though it had several major flaws. I don’t see why Valve can’t do better and improve the system.

Basically the game does a pathing check, and if your hero is trapped, you gain terrain walking for x seconds. It also came into play when trying to attack something with no pathing to the target, e. g. a ward on a cliff as a melee hero. This was one of the flaws, as it let heroes get onto the high ground when they shouldn’t be able to.

The second (huge) flaw was that if ES trapped you with a Fissure near a cliff or ramp, you gained terrain walking and could just waltz out.

There are other times we wouldn’t want this system to come into play, for instance if a QOP or Mirana leapt into the trees, even if you have sight you shouldn’t be able to terrain walk to her location. Or if a juking Sand King manages to burrow + sandstorm, trapping you in the trees. You shouldn’t get out.

With these (and I’m sure there’s more I didn’t think of) considerations in mind, I suggest a system like this:

1. If your hero becomes trapped in an x by x area for y seconds, you gain terrain walking for z seconds

2. Does not apply to heroes with natural Blinks/Terrain Walking, e. g. Spectre, Batrider, Antimage, Spirit Breaker, Mirana, QOP etc. Basically if they were capable of getting themselves trapped, they’re capable of getting themselves out. If you misblink you wait out the cooldown.

3. Does not apply to heroes with Blink Dagger or Force Staff in inventory. Same reason.

4. ES Fissure is not considered for purposes of being trapped

5. Other units are not considered for purposes of being trapped, e. g. trapped by other Heroes, trapped by neutrals while juking, trapped by Chen Creeps etc.

I’m worried these may not be possible, but they would definitely need to be. For instance, can the game check pathing and say “If this Fissure wasn’t here, or if this unit wasn’t here, they could get out”

What do you think? Does anything need to be done in the first place? Are there other scenarios I didn’t consider? Do you have a better suggestion?