syndereN on the “Dark Carnival” event in Dota 2: “Overall, I really like the style of this event.”

SUNSfan: Yeah, it’s worth mentioning that it’s funny how they’re taking this video clip—which is, I think, from two or three years ago—and keep using it as if everything’s normal: “Yeah, this makes sense, two or three years later. Let’s just keep going.”

syndereN: So far, as far as I understand, things might change in later acts, but that hasn’t happened yet. One of the theories about Ringmaster was that his abilities might be reworked to match the version originally shown, where he has an ultimate that locks people in a box, right?

SUNSfan: Theoretically, that could still happen.

syndereN: I think one of the ideas back then was that they didn’t implement that version because it would have been too complicated from a coding standpoint—due to mechanics like stealing enemy heroes and so on. In the end, they scrapped it because it became too much of a headache—that’s one theory, though it’s not necessarily true. After that, they created the Wheel of Wonder, but it’s clear that the original Ringmaster teaser and his final abilities didn’t match up. And this might still appear in the future. You also mentioned that there might be an event at the end of the map where you can battle a more challenging Ringmaster or something similar. Or maybe he’ll be part of a story event—who knows.

syndereN: I think it’s obvious that “The Fallen Crown” was a 2D map that felt pretty basic. I like the style of this new version, and it seems to better emphasize the feeling of a cohesive journey. Even if the core mechanics remain the same—progressing through acts—the presentation, with different train cars, animations, and the fact that when you enter a specific car, it feels like you’re actually moving inside the train, makes everything feel more real, rather than just moving around a map.

It seems like this is their attempt to say, “Okay, ‘The Fallen Crown’ received a very positive response. How can we make it feel more like a full-fledged journey?” And, in my opinion, this is a good way to achieve that. Overall, I really like the style of this event—it’s truly well-made and beautiful. The only thing is, personally, I don’t think it’s the best fit for hero cosmetics, but as a design for the event itself, it’s a very successful and visually pleasing solution.

SUNSfan: For me, personalities have generally always been a big disappointment. I’d almost always prefer Arcana sets or even just Immortal items, because you can mix and match different things with them, whereas personalities don’t allow for that. To me, it feels like it completely defeats the whole point of customization. Pudge’s skin is, of course, cool. But then I equip it and think, “I’m losing all my Immortal items, my Arcana—basically everything I like about his appearance.” And all of that for something pretty basic. That’s why, personally, I’d prefer not to use personas at all. Honestly, I don’t understand why they exist. But, obviously, I’m probably in the minority.

syndereN: I’m exactly the same, by the way. I have a few personas, but I don’t use them. I don’t use a persona on Crystal Maiden or Pudge. I used one on Crystal Maiden for a while, but in the end I went back to the regular Crystal Maiden anyway because, as you said, you lose the customization and feel like you’re missing out on something when you switch to a skin. When they first came out, we thought they’d get cool sets so they’d be on par with other items in terms of quality and could be customized properly. But that never happened.