hey there,

as the current version of dota cuts off the best strat for the IL categories (using hod on siege creeps) I am planing to get somehow downpatch dota to play older versions. before I do so I want to ask if that would be okay from a rule standpoint. please let me know.

~Max

There's no real way to downpatch Dota, afaik. I was planning to do a complete wipeout (2nd one, in fact), as there's no way to beat 7.07 runs, while the game keeps changing over time. So, keep running on current patch. RIP HotD strats.

I found tutorials how to run older versions. but I am not sure if they still work or not. it would be a boon for the running this game to have a few patches one could run consistently. I will try it out nevertheless I think and tell you about the results :-).

ps: I hope you will not wipeout the times. I like to see all the old strats on older patches.

You still can do it. I fucked up last time, so the older records got wiped out, but hey, we all gotta learn the things, right? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m0bjfuSuxLjqs9XylkVdPnOj3Hhu2OrKLgjiLdf7lKE/edit?usp=sharing

I found a way to play older versions. This videos describes how:

I tested version 6.84c and it works. I make a testrun once I figured out how to show what version I am using.

I submitted a run a week ago in which I used this method above to play version 6.84c. I showed the date of the .exe file via the console to prove that it is in fact that version. Is there anything preventing that run from being verified? If so I would like to discuss it here :-).

I'm just not sure how i should do the boards now.

From one side, i want the board to hold the runs that can be beaten in the current version of the game, so if 7.07 run can't be beaten, then the board either gets wiped (and stored in Docs). I've done that shortly after 7.00 kicked in, and you couldn't access <6.88 version, and i wasn't really supporting the way you can launch the game by using older .exe files. Same goes for the custom maps that allow you to play older versions.

From the other - you've discovered a way to launch ~any older dota version. After i've wiped off the boards (and there's no real way to recover the original runs at all), i've no clue how i should approach the runners and tell them "hey dud ur runs back ayy". It wasn't the mistake that i've made back then, neither it was a coincidence that the runs are gone forever. Oh, and people would receive notification about their run being added back, which is a huge yikes.

I thought about creating a Misc. category w/ all older categories (pre 7.00) held there, where "version" restriction wouldn't matter, and the runs would be transferred whenever something big happens, or you can upload your run towards legacy cat. right away, and not care bout the version being good, as you can always downpatch.

Again, i'm not a fan of downpatching, i've no clue how do i handle this problem, as the community is extremely slim, but having a way to downgrade the game is a very common thing in speedrunning, and i think that's the way the game should go.

That's the reason the run is still not accepted.

I'd agree with the subcategory split, that way every run can be submitted, and runs can be moved if they're using patched things. nothing gets lost that way.

Okay then, i'll get back to the board in like 2-3 days after i finish my projects.

well for most games any version is allowed. I see that dota is a special case because it gets big updates on a regualr basis but I don't know if I like the "misc category" approach. to my mind it would be best to just allow any version with all positive and negativ side effects. but that's just my opinion.

Misc. category will hold all runs, unsorted by the patch shenanigans, and eventually, should a new update drop in - the runs will be moved there, and the main category will be clean again. I thought it's literally the best solution rn, but because the site is somewhat being reworked, it became a bit harder to create new things w/o messing up the entire board. Also, i'm still busy w/ the projects, sorry that it takes that long.

No worries. RL always takes priority. As I said it is just my opinion. I can live with the misc category solution as well. :-)

Hi there ! First, thanks for the work done ! I was wondering if the Level Leaderboard is still maintained ? Some heros still have lots of old run around 7.20. Probably due to the low activity, which i'd understand :) Thanks !

I don't really watch on IL's that seriously, no activity, and no way to properly manage these boards without fucking up the rest of the runs.