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HotS teamfights have significantly less damage than League's

Du Ma Mi·9/24/2019, 10:58:55 PM·41 votes·16,694 views

One of my friends suggested we try playing some HotS (Heroes of the Storm, for those who don't know) recently, because it had been so long since we last played. The game felt so surreal - teamfights were lasting like 15-30 seconds because people were constantly healing, and no one was getting blown up. Healers healed, DPS dps'd, and tanks tanked. There was hard cc being thrown everywhere, and no one was instantly nuked because they got hit by a 1 second root. It was so different than the fast-paced "land your skills before they do" mentality league currently has.

I got blown up once while splitting as Jaina (a mage) because the other team had some assassins - GOOD. This is how assassins should play - catch people offguard who are squishy, and too stupid to realize it.

To tie it all together, I was thinking about league somewhere around season 5, when League's teamfights would also last (at least) 10-20 seconds; now they're over 3 seconds after the first hard cc lands.

What has caused the damage creep to escalate so exponentially? New champions having to outdo the previous ones? The need to speed up LCS games to make them more "Entertaining" (they've become far less entertaining by the way - I much preferred the extended teamfight management from LCS players that consisted of more than just landing your skillshots and surprising the enemy team)?

Why is damage so high, and how should Riot go about reducing it? I can't say. But I'm hoping you guys have at least some idea of what I'm talking about, and some kind of suggested solutions.

86 Comments

Darkdemon6539/24/2019, 11:23:43 PM15 votes

As you point out, supports in HotS are actually supports. On top of that, they are ACTUALLY USEFUL. They won't ever be able to keep up with a DPS' damage, but they do ensure that their teammates don't instantly die (unless something goes horribly wrong). Another thing is CC in HotS is less powerful and less abundant. I can't think of a non-ultimate CC that lasts for more than 1.5 seconds at its base (most are less than that) and very few that can be extended to above 1.5 through talents. And, of course, damage in HotS is just a bit lower, though garbage like this still does happen sometimes https://streamable.com/stb1o.

Kai Guy9/24/2019, 11:15:33 PM9 votes

Comps are built from champ picks on hots. You can't itemize for a counter so the tool needs to be in your kits.

Naalith9/25/2019, 4:36:25 AM6 votes

Ahh, HotS. I spammed that game so hard when it first came out and even around a year ago I installed and played it for like a month straight. It's a shame it just FEELS buggy and that they built it in the SC2 engine instead of making a new MOBA engine for it, that game could've been great. I think I always would've preferred League to HotS, but the great thing about HotS is Blizzard didn't release ultra unique champions and then immediately kneecap them. Sure, some trolly champions like Abathur and Murky were legitimately too strong and had to be reworked, but the fact they keep stuff like Ragnaros and Cho'Gall in that game is fucking amazing. I love that they just don't care, they'll release (or did in the past) really weird and unique kits that are an absolute joy to play.

Contrast that with League, where cool and unique kits are kneecapped in favor of damage. An armored car support? Fuck him, he can't move but you do more damage. An untargettable cat? Fuck her, we'll release her for some dumb reason but then refuse to stand by her gameplay which pisses off people who hate her AND love her. An athletic leaping javelin spirit who can stack spears? Uhhhhh pro play called, deleted. An apex predator who can make a network of tunnels to instantly traverse the map and set up spaces to get wall dashes? Too "unhealthy," have a generic damage ult instead omegalul.

Cronofuge9/25/2019, 3:10:45 AM5 votes

Idk I had 3 people try to dive me as jaina and I just threw all my abilities on myself, used the zhonyas ability, and got an instant 3v1 triple kill.

Healers are busted in that game though.

lolipopevelynn9/25/2019, 6:11:44 PM4 votes

HoTS is not doing well as a esport tho and blizz put it in maintenance mode awhile ago. Bad sign for the game.

Jesi Oni9/25/2019, 4:37:50 AM3 votes

In Hots you cant carry a game and one noob can cost you a game.

Jamaree9/25/2019, 1:10:05 AM3 votes

I’m not sure if this is still a thing but I remember playing a few games when the game was new. I was Lili and I had two assassins on me and was able to outheal and cc them to the point they literally couldn’t kill me.

Total Violation9/25/2019, 6:33:56 AM2 votes

Ever since i started playing HOTS i've been preaching that the game is eons ahead of LoL, but, sadly, this addicted community will not listen. Just compare the latest HOTS patch to the latest LOL patch.

HOTS: "We're introducing a new seasonal event which features new skins as well as returning Halloween skins, sprays, mounts and banners. We've also intoduced some healthy changes to two of our heroes, as well as introduce some talent fixes for others. Enjoy the event."

LOL: "We've overbuffed the champions that should be picked in Worlds and you should be watching in Worlds!"

You can clearly see which developers care for the majority and which for the minority that is the pro scene. In times like these i'm glad HOTS does not have a pro scene to ruin and dictate the balance.

Also, one-shotting does exist in HOTS, but it's exclusive to a number of assassins who lack defenses and sustain to compensate. And it also requires them to be very ahead and for you to be very squishy or unguarded. One-shots do happen, but they're not the norm. Beware of Li Ming, Nova, Kael'Thas, Chromie and Kel'Thuzad. And a fed Alarak is exceptionally dangerous.

SummonerMolly9/25/2019, 3:30:45 AM2 votes

Cool story kid go play that dead game with your friends and stop comparing two different games , there is a reason LoL is the most played moba for 10 years now and Hots is dead long time ago

Xedlord9/26/2019, 6:26:55 AM2 votes

I remember watching HotS gameplay and thinking "Nothing does any damage! How do you even kill anyone?!"

ZaFishbone9/26/2019, 8:01:14 AM2 votes

I actually hated this in HotS. Abilities and attack felt like they had SUCH LITTLE impact. Even by the standards of what people want LoL to become, it was too much.

Smyrage9/25/2019, 5:49:20 AM1 votes

In all honesty damage doesn't feel that high in that game, because healers are busted. They are so busted that you actually put your team into a huge disadvantage if you don't pick a healer.

And damage there isn't that high? That's arguable, because Chromie, Jaina, Kael'thas and Li Ming (idk about the new others) were extremely busted at their release. I also saw Genji doing a teamwipe by only using a single ability (whatcha gonna do now Yasuo?). And mobility creep is even worse there than in LoL, beause most champs there don't have flash. They can only get something called Blink at lv20 and that requires them committing to pick that talent. Just for comparison: In LoL Yasuo's mobility is tied to minion waves, now imagine that infinite dash without that limitation and add Nocturne's ult to it and you get Illidan. Replace Nocturne's ult with Talon's wall jump and you get Genji.

HotS champion diversity is only kept alive by more maps. You can argue about whether it is good or not, but some heroes there are actually quite useless on certain maps. HotS is also much more objective oriented game than LoL, which of course had its own balance issues like Battlefield of Eternity's objective is weak early game, but so strong lategame, that if you lose only a single time, the enemy will stomp your intact lane.

Sure LoL has its flaws, maybe the damage is a bit high, but comparing to the older times, when one champion could single handedly massacre the rest if he/she got ahead, it's gotten better now. As a Support main I must say that damage isn't that high, it's just everyone keep building like a glass cannon and they are surprised when they are kept one shot by an assassin or blewn up by a focused attack. Defensive items weren't supposed to completely negate an Assassin or Mage burst, they were made to ensure you have a chance of counterattack. As for the mobility creep: if you want LoL to stick to the less mobile champs, then stop comparing it to HotS, because HotS is mobility creep itself.