I first came to play DotA at the back end of 2012, when a gaming friend of mine gave me a spare key for the beta. While I was no stranger to competitive PC gaming (I had played Counter-Strike:Source for a team sponsored by Ebuyer, and travelled to various tournaments – with varied results), I had never played a multi-player online battle arena (commonly known as a MOBA) game before. The concept of a MOBA is quite insane to the uninitiated, and incredibly difficult to explain to newcomers, when the friend who provided me with the key first starting blathering on about last-hits, jungling, hard carry, support players and Roshans I must admit I began to lapse into a jargon-induced coma. I will refrain from going to deep into the rules, roles and strategies of DotA 2, I am not qualified to do so, and that is not the intention of this piece. My aim is to spread the word of DotA 2 to the masses, to testify to the beauty of this expertly honed masterpiece of multiplayer game design and balance. At its very highest level players show a deftness of touch, timing and audacious skill that is a wonder to behold. But even at its lowest levels, this game can be great fun and provide endless entertainment. Yes, DotA 2 has a learning curve so steep that a few poor souls will risk falling away before they reach true enlightenment, I can only offer one piece of advice to you – persist!
Part of the enjoyment of any game comes from learning how to play, and seeing marked improvement from day-to-day, DotA 2 can provide this experience in absolute spades. The match-making system is incredibly robust and should generally place you with players of an equivalent skill level, rarely have I played a game where the opposition have felt unbeatable, and usually if I do lose It is immediately obvious why (usually my own incompetence). Players may queue to play solo, but the true fun comes when playing with friends, it is obviously possible to make new buddies in the match-making system, but learning together with people you know and picking up the intricacies of the game together is a far more enjoyable way to play. It is far easier to play with people you are comfortable with than brave the angry hate-filled realms of the internet alone. It is true that competitive games have a habit of bringing out the worst in people, I have no doubt at some point you will be told via the in-game chat to delete DotA 2 by an anonymous seething ball of teenage angst – don’t be put off. The abuse behaviour of an internet stranger should not stop anyone enjoying a game of this quality. DotA 2 is like any great gaming experience, it should be open to all, regardless of whether they are any good at it, and to miss out on an title such as this this because of a few abusive fools would be a desperate shame.
The full release is now much more user friendly, with tutorials and videos explaining the ins and outs of every character, and the gold-mine that is Youtube absolutely filled to the brim with videos that will get anyone landing their ice-paths and black holes in double quick time. The first thing new players will notice is the sense of humour this game has, considering that the game player is incredibly deep and tactical, wonderful voices and sound effects are provided for all the ninety-plus characters, some of which had me chuckling at my screen like a maniac when I first heard them. Certain characters, for example Tide-hunter and Kunkka, will begin belittling one-another due to a shared back-story. Little touches like this really bring a new player in to the world, you quickly pick up favourite characters just as much for their personality as for their abilities. Re-playability is ensured with regular updates, fixes and balancing patches, as well as the constant addition of new heroes. Even at the professional level, new combinations of heroes are always on show as old favourites are nerfed and lesser used heroes buffed.
An intimidating amount of heroes to master.
The popularity of DotA 2 in the Asian market is staggering, crowds can fill entire arenas and particularly in China – where the following is gigantic – professional players are often mobbed by their fans. To understand why this game is so popular, play it. Whether you aspire to compete at The International, or just want a few hours of fun with four friends, this is essential gaming. Whatever time you invest I virtually guarantee you will not regret it.
Anyway, I haven’t played for a few months, no doubt there a plethora of new heroes to play, I’m off to punch Roshan in the face.
RPDjinni 