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An online multiplayer battle arena (MOBA) replicating elements of Dota 2 has been listed on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Called Ancient Stars, it is a 3v3 game developed in Hong Kong by Head Games, having a single mid lane with heroes, objectives, and gameplay components similar to Dota 2, even with matching names like Crystal Maiden and Gyrocopter. Game rounds last about 10 minutes, and the objective is to destroy the enemy base to win. As part of its plans to launch by June 2024 on Steam and mobile, Ancient Stars plans to raise approximately HK$300,000 ($38,410 USD) to improve the game's functionality and develop new heroes.
Kickstarter campaign launched for Ancient Stars: A game embracing Dota 2 elements
On a horizontal map with three players on each side, Ancient Stars will involve pushing and taking down towers to reach and destroy the enemy's base.
For the development of heroes and their animations, the game has taken the artistic direction of the Art Director of Ironhide (a popular character from the Transformers franchise). The game has 22 unique heroes and 8 different hero skins.
There would be hero selection, teamfights, and players would be required to equip different items based on the circumstances, similar to Dota 2. Additionally, there are prizes akin to Treasures and cosmetic items in Dota 2. Ancient Stars will have six game modes: Match mode, Ranked mode, Custom Rooms, AI mode, 1v1 mode, and Training mode.
Meanwhile, some parts of Ancient Stars are even comparable to League of Legends and Kingdom Rush, with the game claiming to have borrowed elements from all three games. The game has already established a presence on Steam.
Ancient Stars also details how the funds it receives from crowdfunding will be allocated, with 46.8% going to art design. In addition, there are components like characters, dubbing, and functional completeness. Furthermore, each major fund number it achieves above the initial funding goal of HK$300,000 is assigned a milestone achievement.
Available across various languages, the game will be available on Steam, Google Play Store, and Apple Store.
Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform whose purpose is to "help bring creative projects to life" and has assisted artists in a variety of fields including films, art, technology, and gaming, among others. The platform operates on an "all or nothing" approach, which implies that the project will only be financed if the initial target is met.
At the time of writing, Ancient Stars had six backers contributing $217 toward its goal. For Ancient Stars, the funding campaign will go on till 6th Jan 2024 which means that the video game developers have around 26 days to reach their goal of HK$300,000 ($38,410).
