How Deadlock Works and Why It's Awesome

Today, I do my FIRST stream of my current favorite game: DEADLOCK! Here's what it is and how to play!
------------------------------------------------------------

[MyWatermelonz]

"an enemy that hooks people and pulls them in"
Always gotta have a pudge in every single game

[WhenIHitMPH]

The map is also very carefully designed. Special care goes to where the creeps meet. You'll notice in the midlanes where the bridge divides both sides that it's the perfect height to hide souls floating up. Making it harder for your opponenet to deny creeps behind the bridge.

[Rosaslav]

FINALLY somebody explains well, what the hell is so good about this game, so now I have some idea why it is so hyped and also, what the veteran DotA devs did to push the genre further.
THANK YOU Shawn!!! I really hoped you would make a video like this and you delivered big time!

[Ashen_Night]

So, this is to Valve's benefit, but the way they structure their studio means people can actively choose which projects they want to work on, so when something pops up like this and they have most of the development team on it, they go 100% on it because they're passionate about it.

[BulletDarkness]

About the Range and weapon falloff mechanics: there is also projectile speed, so the closer you are to a creep to last hit the soul the more likely you'll hit it. Meaning being closer is better, but exposes you more.

[comfortcove]

This was the first video that sparked my interest in the game—informative and straight to the point.

[birchna]

Just want to say your ability to break down complex mechanics in a way that is accessible, but without dumbing it down, continues to be incredible. Love your work!

[johnr]

This game is so good because it rewards you in so many ways for skill expression. You get rewarded for having skill at shooters and mobas and it has its own unique skill expression. It’s just awesome

[Zenno]

I think one of the brightest spots of the game is in the laning phase, without mobas typical short range for interacting other creeps/players, you just gotta judge the small distance zoning. While in this game, you literally have to ALWAYS be weaving in and out of cover. Between that and everything covered in the video, it blends together in to such a fast paced experience with so much mobility.

[Altras]

Something I'm sure you will talk about in a future clip is the attention to sound design. Valve is top tier when it comes to action and response feel, and that is in large part to the distinct sound queues that convey information passively (passive, as in, over time they are understood instantly/effortlessly). Sounds such as, an ally or enemy dying, killing a minion, and even denying. I think sound design is slept on when we talk about play loops, and how crucial that audible language is to the experience.

[GaussNine]

I didn't realize at first that this is an Alpha build. Valve Alphas look like most other AAA studio games on release day.

[IAmEnormous]

14:20 Also, every gun is projectile rather than hitscan. They're so fast that they might as well be hitscan when it comes to actually hitting your shots, but importantly if your opponent is closer to, say, a creep you last hit, they will _consistently_ be able to deny the soul. And this plays into the rock-paper-scissors of laning, if you play up close you can have an advantage with meleeing and securing denies, but you leave yourself more vulnerable to harass or even overextending and dying.

As a Tekken guy, a few days of laning had me going, "Oh my god, this is just fighting game neutral. Instead of Pre-emptive keepout vs Reactive whiff punishing vs Proactive pressure, it's last hitting vs harass vs pushing." And it's a constant back and forth, constantly jockeying for position, so cool.

[PoliticalyOK]

“1, 2 and then 5 which often times adds up to eight.” This dad joke killed me. 😅😂

[EvilMagnitude]

Visually, this game is such vintage Valve, in all the best ways. Reminds me of early days TF2. Can't wait to play it!

[Shinko]

This breakdown of the different designs elements of Deadlock explains quite well all these mechanics working like a well-oil machine that distinguish it from any other hero-shooter or moba.

[KazeNilrem]

Wanting to add some points that are also important. You do not have to shoot your orb after last-hitting. You will get credit unless someone denies. So if you are solo in a lane and no enemy nearby, you do not have to focus on shooting each orb. Another point, for the first 10 minutes you are getting at a minimum 50% of the soul. So if it gets denied, you still get souls from it. But after the 10 minute mark, you can be denied 100% of the soul. Later in the game denying souls is very helpful especially with more people getting wave clear.

[LaughingThesaurus]

Okay I wasn't onboard until I saw how the upgrades worked

I'd actually say, I REALLY don't like how upgrades work in mobas usually, because if you upgrade an ability, it's just an overall increase to everything it does. I love these discrete, specialized upgrades that are super impactful, but they only affect one stat.
It's so exciting to me when it's like, "Whoa, it DOUBLES the health regeneration, it cuts the cooldown in HALF". It's so much more identifiable. It's so good, and I didn't know I wanted it.

[islandofmelanat]

I had basically zero interest in this upon hearing it was mostly Moba focused, but after getting an invite and trying ot out i can confirm it's unbelievably fun. Last hitting is actually fun, items are interesting and make an impact on your playstyle, the movement and shooting mechanics feel great, and the characters are fun and well designed. It's information overload at first, but watch some guides and play a few matches and you'll catch up pretty fast in my experience

[zedetach]

'For someone like me that's bad at shooters I just can't stop playing I'm having so much fun' - that's all I needed to hear.

[ecyor]

Having sworn off League for like, 6 years at this point, the thing that immediately hit me on trying this game was that the initial laning phase was *actually fun* - 4 minutes in and I realized 'wait... I hadn't realized how agonisingly clunky getting last-hits on mobs was, I'm actually enjoying this.'