DOTA

[Lyri]

Really, they're just awful. The biggest problem being that interminable 13 second cooldown until they go active again. And now, given the changes to Tangos, the new TranqBoots are made even more pointless.

They're hardly pointless, they allow you to have sustainability in the lane and trade hits more freely. Sure they will go on CD for a while but those 13 seconds can be circumnavigated by using the downtime to stack pull, deny, ward, roam.
They're really not that bad and they are no longer a free salve when you need one.

 

[Fat Hippo]

And that's why you play Dota 2 with friends...

...Dota 2 is also a game where the player adapts to the game, not the other way around.

No. You do not ever play DOTA or DOTA 2 with friends. It will destroy your friendships if you play with those friends competitively. Slowly tearing apart your friendship while you hold back your rage for each other because you mess up.

So far I've been able to keep a friendly relationship with my brother when I play LoL with him, which is almost the only times I do play LoL. Mostly it's achieved by blaming all other players, and never each other, for anything and everything. Not in the chat, obviously, but just to each other. "God that teemo sucks, what the fuck is he doing" etc. It's worked pretty well for us.

 

[Muspelheim]

Whoa, is that a VGA cable? Is she a cave woman or something?

VGA cable is all could find in secret Politbureau dumping ground. Perhaps Erin woman story is like mine? Ground was frozen. Hard to dig. Made noise smashing ice with rock. Had to take what I could.

I still have scars from edges of sharp diskettes, jutting out like glass in darkness...

Such is life.

 

[Something Amyss]

Like I'd said in my previous post, the Dota 2 community is no where near as "toxic" as many claim.

You can claim it as many times as you want, you appear to be a stark minority.

 

[Lyri]

Like I'd said in my previous post, the Dota 2 community is no where near as "toxic" as many claim.

You can claim it as many times as you want, you appear to be a stark minority.

People carry over the claims from the G-Arena and Bnet days, the community now is much better than it once was.

 

[prpshrt]

pfff ern srsly qt dotes2 affer plyin? wut scrub she is. casul fgt. dont evn no hw to uss prper champ sklzz cos she suc a casul fgt. i she were prop pro totes uz legt balanked hro lke faeclss vod ro pantem lanca. bt no she jss a no skil tar so no prise cannt pley gaem. go bk 2 ur legaue of smit crisis noob

Spoiler

Congrats to anyone who can translate that, I'm not sure I can

I got past the first sentence! Where's my cookie x_X

OT: I respectfully disagree. I just take a quick breather, cuss a little and go play GW 2 for like 10 minutes to calm down. My suite mate on the other hand throws his mouse across the room. How it has not broken on him I still do not understand.

 

[Ferisar]

Like I'd said in my previous post, the Dota 2 community is no where near as "toxic" as many claim.

You can claim it as many times as you want, you appear to be a stark minority.

People carry over the claims from the G-Arena and Bnet days, the community now is much better than it once was.

That is true of a lot of online communities that have once been seen as generally terribad.

Well, some. Probably not CoD, but even then, why even have your sound on while playing CoD?

 

[Lyri]

That is true of a lot of online communities that have once been seen as generally terribad.

Well, some. Probably not CoD, but even then, why even have your sound on while playing CoD?

Do you want an honest answer, not based in Xbox live experience?

I didn't play Call of Duty on the Xbox, I played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on the PC. I played in tournies and there is no way you would want to play without headphones.
You can hear the most minute detail that gives you the edge in the game, if you're concentrating on it that is and not on the dude telling you how badly your momma loves to suck cock.

 

[Akisa]

All I got from this comic: DOTA2 is bad?

It's not a bad game.

It's just not very accessible and filled with idiosyncrasies and a breaking in period that lasts awhile even with coaching.

Which wouldn't be a big problem if it didn't also have a community that will absolutely get in your grill for not knowing those idiosyncrasies. Even in bot games.

And don't think it gets better if you make it out of the breaking period. My BF actually knows how to play the game decent and PvP matches will just leave him fuming from the people.

And don't ever mention if you came from/play League of Legends. Just so much animosity with the community on that.

I disagree people were very supportive when I was learning the game. The number of jerks who attempt to grill you I can on one hand after over 200 games.

 

[Vigormortis]

The changing meta has been so cool to experience. It was never stale, but I was getting kind of sick of certain lineups. The various changes they made look so promising. I look forward to seeing a wider range of heroes be much more viable. I thought I was going to dislike such a big change, but overall the game feels better than ever. I love how they handle nerfs and buffs: they don't just nuke a hero like Wisp or Bat into the ground. They slightly alter them to balance out issues.

I think the boots will chance again in upcoming patches. I don't think they'll ever be like they were, but they'll tweak numbers and the such. Who knows. Maybe phase will be the boot of choice for supports in a month lol.

I wish they'd give Skele King some love though. He's still not viable in almost any team. He's just too easy to kite

Oh, I absolutely agree. It's actually quite exciting to see the new meta taking shape after such a drastic alteration to so many heroes and items.

I'm actually curious if some teams will adopt a "caster" Riki, given he can use items without decloaking. Or if some will attempt a jungle Meepo, since he can now ult at level 4.

As for the boots...I gotta admit...I'd LOVE to see Phase Boots as a main for supports. Something about it just seems...hilariously improbable.

SK can be alright, if he has a decent support helping him get farmed. But I agree, he needs more love.

In fact, I'm still not entirely sure why Valve removed the active from his crit passive. I actually found it to be a fairly useful skill.

But maybe that's just me. I don't know.

 

[Vigormortis]

Well I've no way to prove my good sportsmanship, all I can do is offer my word that I am enthusiastically friendly, especially when people are new and have trouble, and this is with all the games I play. Not that I expect you'll take my word on it.

I'm willing to take your word on it predicated on the idea that I can't think of a reason you'd willingly lie just to prove a point in such a inconsequential conversation as you and I are having. It would be as pointless as me lying to prove my point.

It would achieve nothing. As such, I'm willing to take your word.

I have no friends who play DOTA2 much so I am always solo. I've had matches with good players as well of course, those who are understanding and helpful. I am speaking in mere generalities when it comes to my experiences as a whole, which I would never claim trump your own. I would say though that I am not the only person to have found quite a lot of vitriol and hate in the MOBA community though, and I don't think its rather bad reputation is an unearned one. I am glad you've got friends to play with though, as I do find the actual game itself quite fun and engaging!

Oh, I don't deny that the community is inundated with it's fair share of ill-tempered players. I've come across plenty in my 1,000+ hours of play time. Even so I still say that, as a whole, the community is more accepting, or just simply apathetic, than it is vitriolic.

Just as it is with most online gaming communities out there.

Really, it speaks more of how awful people are in general when given a forum in which to express themselves but hidden behind a veil of anonymity.

 

[Vigormortis]

Really, they're just awful. The biggest problem being that interminable 13 second cooldown until they go active again. And now, given the changes to Tangos, the new TranqBoots are made even more pointless.

They're hardly pointless, they allow you to have sustainability in the lane and trade hits more freely. Sure they will go on CD for a while but those 13 seconds can be circumnavigated by using the downtime to stack pull, deny, ward, roam.
They're really not that bad and they are no longer a free salve when you need one.

I don't deny they still have uses, but compared to their prior form they've been virtually nerfed to near uselessness; save for a few niche situations.

Since the change, most of my support builds have favored just some tangos and a rush Arcane Boots. Building the current TranqBoots just seems slower and less optimal on most supports.

But again, I'm not saying they can't be used at all. I've actually found them to be very handy on Bounty Hunter until around mid game. (when I'll either have a Vlad or a teammate has an Urn or Mek)

I think it might've been better to have just removed the ability to disassemble them or perhaps to have increased the build cost or the cooldown on the active. That way they would have been far less exploitable on heroes like Axe and Ursa while still retaining their full utility on a wider range of supports.

 

[Vigormortis]

You can claim it as many times as you want, you appear to be a stark minority.

If we were to go by so called "popular opinion" for our views on a given community, than we'd have to conclude that most or all atheists are ego-maniacal psychopaths who're determined to destroy society.[footnote]Which, of course, they're not.[/footnote] Or, in a more apropos example, that most or all Mass Effect players are whiny, entitled, keyboard warriors who consider bad writing a worse atrocity towards humanity than all mass genocides in history combined.[footnote]Again: which they're not.[/footnote]

I've never denied that the Dota 2 community has it's fair share of ill-mannered players. However, anyone that claims it's worse than most other online gaming communities is either exaggerating or has a distinct lack of experience with most online communities.

Like I said in another post: If anything, the Dota 2 community is more apathetic than it is vitriolic. Most of the time you'll see people that just don't care who you are or what you're doing.

 

[Supdupadog]

I disagree people were very supportive when I was learning the game. The number of jerks who attempt to grill you I can on one hand after over 200 games.

I'll admit that most games I've played, other players have been mostly toothless. But you don't need a lot of jerks to make a series of unpleasant games.

Also, when it's come to DOTA and LOL, as I've gotten better I've noticed less out bursts from other players. Since an increased performance on my part means better games over all. Which makes me think the less jerks I've ran into is because they'd have nothing to complain about.

And how your player base acts in games that go well or well-ish means the least.

 

[Reveras]

The game is hard if you don't play the tutorials and some bot games to get you through the basics. But the community is toxic, which is interesting because the LoL ranked community is toxic and keeps getting worse the higher up you go. That's literally the only community I've found worse so far. MOBA games are not for the thin of skin.

 

[Scorpid]

The only piece of advice I can give to someone is don't start out actually playing the game. I know, I know, sounds stupid. Yet if you spend a little time either reading guides like Purge's "Welcome to Dota, You Suck," watching youtube tutorials, or watching some pro games it will be way more fun the first time you pick up the game (you should also play against bots the first few times instead of just jumping into a game). Either that or make sure you only play with friends when you first start. If you just jump into a game without knowing much about it, well, you are gonna have a bad time. There are some minor tutorials now in game, but they only help a little.

It can be one of the best games you have ever played, but the learning curve is massive and yes, the community can be toxic. If you are not patient and have a thick skin or lots of friends that also play, then the game is not for you.

That's the same advice that I've heard others say about learning DOTA. I play LoL, myself, and that community is toxic enough, even with the whole Tribunal thing going (though it has gotten a little better, at least to me). I will say one of the best pieces of advice I read in one of those very guides you mention, which I instantly applied to my playing in LoL, is that the very first time someone starts insulting you, calling you "noob" and whatever else, don't bother arguing back with them; just put them immediately on ignore and get on with enjoying the game. Following this advice has made my game experience in LoL much, much more relaxing and enjoyable (even though I still accumulate losses).

Lol I've found that the best response to these people isn't ignoring them (where is the fun in that) but keep poking them with the exact same sentence over and over again something even handed and never losing your shit. Like "Be nice", they'll then say something rude, then you say the same phrase again and again and again till they just stop responding, because while they are thinking of "clever" responses you're winning and having a good laugh. Then when they stop responding you ask them to apologize over and over again with the exact same phrase. It drives ragers nuts, because they know they're wrong and you're not sinking to their level to prove it (which when you do that it justifies their attitude to themselves in their twisted little minds).

The winner in a internet argument isn't the one that gets the best zinger or shoves the most insults into one sentence but the one that doesn't get angry. The second you get mad you lose.

 

[Adultism]

I don't play MOBAs because they are repetitive full of dishonorable very selfish and mean spirited players. I basically consider it on a FPS level like COD.

More OT: When I installed DOTA2 and never played it I had no installation problems.

 

[Requia]

Whoa, is that a VGA cable? Is she a cave woman or something?

I was about to say the same thing - I mean, she even went and got this [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/critical-miss/10233-PC-Gamer-Master-Card], and she's still using that old port?

Older monitors are actually smart. A game will look its best not at the highest resolution you can buy but at the native resolution of the monitor. It's much easier to turn on *all* the graphics options with a lower resolution.

Exception: very large monitors will benefit from a higher native resolution.

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

I've never understood how anyone can have trouble with Dota. The game is exceptionally straight forward. Read the description of the roles. Have a look at all the heroes. Play the extensive tutorial that teaches you ever phase of the game. Play against bots. Play against bots with people. Play a real game. Work out if it's best to 2 1 2, 3 1 1 or 0 1 3 + jungle. Communicate. Press buttons.

• 1 Hard Carry
  1 Semi-Carry
  1 Utility (varies depending on team makeups)
  1 Support
  1 Hard Support

Where do people have problems? Do they just dive into a game with no idea what anything is? You can't be having shit teams more than the enemy - rule of averages. The low skill brackets are also super easy to tear up; just pick Riki, SB, Husk or Drow, etc., and roll the enemy until it stops working. Welcome to mid tier bracket. Don't be an idiot. Understand the roles. Welcome to high tier bracket. Now it's challenging.

I think people must assume they can just pick any hero they like the look of and do anything they want. Rambo, one man army, "I do whatever I want" tactics don't work in multiplayer strategy games.

The problem comes with the sheer depth of the game, you simply cannot intuit that stuff.
If you've never played/watched a moba before then Last hitting, pulling, stacking camps, denying. These things don't come naturally.

Then you've got the heroes you mention, it's easy to dominate with heroes like Riki or Bloodseeker because it's not immediately obvious how to deal with them. If you don't understand how the enemy heroes work, you're don't know to buy dust or sentries, or to stop moving if you're ruptured etc and you'll keep loosing to them.

Then you've got complexity in the item builds that isn't immediately obvious. Like someone buying boots first with no healing items, noone buying courier or wards, buying items with effects that don't stack.

You've also got the COD mentality where people think K/D ratio actually matters, so you'll have supports going 1/10/18 and being called a noob, or supports stealing kills, or carries diving towers to get kills instead of taking the tower and raxing.

TLDR: So much of the game isn't immediately obvious, you really have to have someone tell you how to play.