My Experience:
I have played about a dozen games of beta 2.
3 games vs human opponents and the rest in cooperation with 1 friend against AI teams.
Here are some of my observations:
1) Normal AI is too weak to be a challenge.
Normal AI opponents are pretty weak, after playing just 2 games they no longer posed a threat UNLESS I was a low level melee hero.
Just as in DoTA, low level melee heroes are quite vulnerable and can be easily sniped (esp by regulus).
During the early game, one well aimed stun and its pretty much 'adios'.
2) Balance: Torchbearer vs Regulus is close!
Two well matched players in skill = VERY long game even on small map (more than 1 hour)
The amount of back and forth in the game was tremendous, my shrine died when his had but a sliver of life left.
The long range snipe of Regulus along with his detection power leads to an early game where no hero (other than maybe rook) can afford to EVER be low on health near the front line as a single snipe can waste you.
The torchbearers creep elimination abilities are marvelous, but its dificult for him in a straight up shoot out with the archer.
3) Gold overflow makes things feel a bit boring.
Multiple games ended only once I had a fully upgraded keep and all a full set of special 10k+ per piece gear.
Perhaps increase the prices on high end stuff as already games feel a bit too similar.
4) The chaos of battle can make targeting difficult.
This is especially a problem when Regulus is in with a bunch of creeps.
He seems MUCH harder to target than other demigods, perhpas this is intended.
5) Little interaction with between citadel, creeps and shops.
This may be a limitation of my understanding of the game.
Some interaction between the shop items and creeps would be nice.
6) Limited shopping options.
Once the game was over, my opponent and I debriefed regarding our gear choices.
We had much of the same stuff, elven cloak, both high HP items, silencing axe.
It would be nice if two long range hero killers might end up with different rather than the same gear.
7) Late game hero toughness >> hero damage.
Once we had some high HP gear, we coudl sit and fireball/snipe one another and still no one died.
Torchbearer on Regulus I could sneak up, put the ring of fire, slow him, fireball him etc. and he still got away.
It felt a bit like 4th edition DnD where you just swing forever at the monsters with d6+4 against 99 HP.
For me this is not a satisfying experience, I want more death.
8) On the Torchbearer
He is by far my favorite hero so far.
He is very strong, but not overpowering.
Switching betwen fire and ice seem slow and ponderous sometimes.
The diversity of ability builds for him seems sufficient.
Those who say "fire or ice or mixed" do not yet understand the different ways to use him.
9) On Oak
The diversity of minions is boring.
Having 4 attack ratings of the same troops type is less interesting that a situation where you MIGHT keep level 2 archers instead of level 3 vs such and such a situation.
The immortal after death power is extremely powerful, perhaps the closest to an unbalanced power so far.
Could be nerfed such that he cannot hurt buildings in this form.
10) On Regulus
Early game snipe plus sight leads him to a situation where he can safely kill other demigods.
Late game his attack scales poorly.
A clever human can eat AI demigods for lunch.
Already seems like the predominant choice among PvP people who kow what they are doing
He sometimes generates an error 'Inaccesible target' when you try and shoot him.
I kind of hate him.
