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What I learned from playing DotA, and how that's helped my League experience

Flintfall·8/26/2014, 8:41:15 PM·22 votes·2,741 views

http://i.imgur.com/uynETv4.png

Recently, I've been trying really hard to play to play DotA, I keep thinking that if League didn't exist I would be really into it. I quit a few times, only to patch it back up and try again. Last week something clicked when I played Bloodseeker (despite the fact I hate playing Warwick), and I just started playing game after game.

After the initial craze of a new game wore off, I took a break from sating the Flayed Ones to play a few games of League (all of which I promptly lost :P). Here's what I discovered.

I pretty much kicked my locked camera habit

One of the biggest grievances I had with DotA was that I had to fight the camera for the first 15~ some games. I couldn't figure out what to do with it and found it frustrating to use at pretty much all stages of the game.

Once I got the hang of it, DotA got a lot more enjoyable, but it also had some interesting side effects.

When I played League again, I barely had the camera centered on me the entire game. In DotA a gank is almost certain death, so I was always glancing over to see if they were coming at me. With more accessible wards in League, I could see ganks a mile away (assuming we had vision), and I felt much more in control in terms of keeping track of everything.

I love you mana

Most obvious of all of points (imo), but you can't deny that mana is much more of an issue in DotA.

In most cases this doesn't effect me when I play Bloodseeker, another part of why he's fun, but even on Bloodseeker if I use my Q and R I'm at 1/3 of my mana. In League I usually go hyper aggressive and spam my moves, and while I can't say that I've changed that strategy,** it has helped me appreciate how much mana I get in League, and I find myself being more hesitant to use a spell unless I have to.**

The pace of the game

DotA moves a lot slower, and it becomes more of a tactical game than more action packed like League. Not to say teamfights aren't exciting, but it really helps set the mood for me, and I found myself calmer in DotA then in League, however I usually also find myself exhausted after a match.

I've learned to appreciate recall, and I've learned to miss Town Portal scrolls. But it really shows that you need to think on your feet in League, and while in DotA almost all the expertise is in the preparation. DotA makes me think about what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it, and that's an important reminder to have in League.

Now, the following points are not direct improvement, but they've overall helped improve my perspective on League, and the luxuries and differences it offers.

Clarity (not the potion)

http://i.imgur.com/SAkZMOD.png

DotA is interesting in that it gives you all the tools you need, and tells you to win. What it doesn't tell you is that you need to figure everything out before you can safely fight anyone and know you can win. Some examples are:

  • Bloodseeker's Bloodrage increases your damage output, I've seen allies run away when I give them the steroid >_<

  • Bloodseeker's entire kit (why do you think his initials are BS?)

  • Every time you take a hit and realize you have no mana when you just had 400

  • Why is he still alive?

  • Why isn't he taking damage?

  • How did I die?

Some of League's older champions (such as Tryndamere or Kayle) fall victim to some of these, and stuff like Wukong getttng an AS steroid doesn't help either, but overall League is miles ahead in giving the player clarity as opposed to say Omniknight (Now, am I immune to magic, or is it just physical damage? Maybe both, but then if I'm wrong...)

Now, I don't want to rat on DotA, they clearly have a system in place that I am not completely in tune with yet, and if you care to look hard enough you can see exactly what they're doing, so it's mostly just the ineptitude of the user if you mess that up. I can't really learn from that too much as I know League very well,

DotA and League aren't nearly as similar as I thought

Tower differences were really hard for me to grasp, and when played League again guess how many times I died to towers.

This is just one example, the games follow a similar structure, but there are so many differences that I would hardly call one a superior version to another. It's like comparing beer to wine, they both contain alcohol, but they are also different in many distinctive ways. You're mostly like going to have a preference, but you're not right because of it.

League and DotA are both great games, cornerstones of the MOBA market, and sometimes I wish we could all get off our horses and put down our pitchforks. Clearly everyone's going to have a bias, myself included, but I think everyone could stand to learn from each other, if not to better oneself, but to realize we both come from similar roots, and that both of our futures are tied together, whether we like it or not.

If it matters, I had tons of fun playing both games, and probably will continue to for a long time, so at the risk of sounding cliché,

glhf

http://i.imgur.com/ym68LLf.png

21 Comments

ArkenStorm8/27/2014, 2:20:53 AM6 votes

My deal is, I've played DotA, and I think the reason why I like league better is just because I already know about all the champions and items and what they do and how everything works and such. If I started playing DotA more, I would have to keep track of BOTH games, and re-learn everything basically, because of the differences in League and DotA. I have a friend who plays DotA(GASP) and he feels the same way about League. He enjoys it, but he doesn't want to have to learn everything about the game, like he already does in DotA, just because he played that one first.

MrBuffington8/26/2014, 10:42:22 PM4 votes

I voted that I've tried DOTA2 (briefly) and that I prefer League, because, frankly, my toaster can't run DOTA2, while it can run League. Very unfortunate.

Honestly, one reason I got into League was because SMiTE doesn't have an OSX client, and LoL's Mac client came out before DOTA2 (also DOTA2 is kind of intimidating; kind of like why I don't play Starcraft). I also don't think I'll play any other MOBA since I really don't want to go through the pain of re-learning a new one, lol (I was so frustrated once I tried SMiTE on a friend's computer; I sucked so bad).

ObsidianOtter8/27/2014, 1:16:52 PM3 votes

For me, I've tried both, & I enjoy both. However, I prefer League for more organizational reasons. For me, the fact that you can't sort items in DotA based on stats like you can in League & Smite (I really enjoy Smite as well) makes DotA a major turn off for me. I spend so much time trying to sort through the many (IMO, unnecessary) columns of items that they use to organize, that I end up losing out on CS or was too distracted & didn't notice a team fight. Additionally, DotA's ward system is incredibly alien to me, and it's probably because I haven't spent too much time trying to figure it out, but it's enough to make me not want to even bother with them. On top of that, I honestly do not grasp the meta for it either. For myself, I love Broodmother, Sniper, & Riki. However, I've been told that (at least for Broodmother & Sniper) that I play them wrong. =/ For me, I do really well with Broodmother in the mid lane. It's a short lane, & I can afford to cover the entire lane with webs, not to mention harass the enemy for days. However, I've been told that I need to go to the bottom lane (if I remember correctly) & play her as a 2v1 hero, & on top of that, I need to be using her spiderlings to do EVERYTHING as opposed to using them as back up damage. Then, with Sniper, I prefer to go to a duo lane, but I've been told that he's better in the mid lane. I don't understand, & it's kind of confusing. Not to mention disheartening when people saying I'm playing them wrong.

Now, if I were to look at League, I've done crazy stuff that works out really well like Xerath top lane (still going APC), and I absolutely decimate the lane by being an artillery mage. That being said, I do tend to stick to the established meta, while still bringing a few junglers into the top lane. AD Bruiser Top Lane Tiger Udyr is beastly, albeit a bit of a mouthful. xD

hachiman8/27/2014, 1:58:59 AM3 votes

Something Dota taught me...

-Buying wards for Riki, Clinkz, etc This allowed me to buy wards more often in LoL.

-I learned not to go yolo all the time as death can be very unrewarding. Now I don't tend to die pathetically.

I also gained map awareness cuz anything can come flying at you in Dota(Like a Mirana arrow).

InvalidGuest8/26/2014, 10:34:36 PM2 votes

Haven't played DOTA, but people say the games snowball and progress super slowly and I personally prefer something a bit more fast-paced.

Interesting thread though.

BigfootNamedYeti8/27/2014, 4:47:34 AM2 votes

Number one thing i learned while playing dota is to micro manage a lane and how to use a clone or another character at the same time Shaco and Scylla the mighty Druid

Tsunday8/27/2014, 1:01:08 PM2 votes

My friends always told me to play with an unlocked screen and I couldn't get used to it, which is why one weekend I spam played Dota. Now I thought all the characters looked the same, and I could never find myself among the crowd of other similar looking, but much more deadly, champions but it really did help me learn to unlock my screen in league, and for that I'm pretty grateful.

KairosCrow8/27/2014, 2:32:14 AM1 votes

I'll have to give DotA a try sometime, I suppose.

TrueWest8/27/2014, 7:36:22 PM1 votes

I came from very early DotA, pre-IceFrog DotA; I also played League in the Beta. I'll just choose one very distinct part of your argument to weigh-in on: clarity. DotA has never been clear. EVER. Especially when abilities changed as a mod, but looked the same (Kunkka's ship, wut?). League has much more appreciable clarity. It is there in item's and abilities (for the most part.)

Small note: Pace has always been slow, but carries haven't changed in DotA.... why do games go to an hour and a half? Because CK beating everyone 1v5 happens. #carries

Caoil8/28/2014, 3:24:19 PM1 votes

I think League is more player-friendly. I feel like it has more opportunities for counter-play, but DOTA 2 is much more reliant on teamwork, strategy, and decision making. League has a more clear meta that works better than most other strategies for a reason. In DOTA 2 there are much more diverse approaches to team comp and strategy.

I think the reason I prefer LoL over DOTA 2 is because Im a more casual gamer, and theres a lot more to pay attention to in DOTA. I like how in LoL Im not punished as hard for a failed play. It also might be just that I understand LoL better since Ive been playing it longer. I will say one thing though: a common criticism about LoL vs. DOTA2 is that Dotas heroes are all unlocked and free to play at all times, while LoLs are not. I feel like for a new player to LoL its nice to have a smaller pool of champions to choose from. Its less overwhelming. When I first played Dota I had no idea who to play since there were so many heroes to choose from. As a new player in league you often pick 1 or 2 champions each week and learn to play them. You also learn how to play against those other free-to-play champs each week. Then, when you find a champ you particularly enjoy you have to grind IP to save up for them. It's much more rewarding that way I find. Overall, I just find the grind for IP and XP in LoL much more rewarding than it is in Dota.

Meowmix868/31/2014, 2:55:27 AM1 votes

I wish jakiro was in league... I love playing him supp in Dota ^^

AntiSkillshot8/31/2014, 3:21:39 AM1 votes

I've played the tutorials of DotA, and only one PvP match. I ready knew the game is different enough from League that both can live in the same space. I know mana in DotA 2 is a much more precious resource.

However, I came into League with basic RTS knowledge. I can't stand locked screen. DotA 2 didn't change my view on it.

If there's one thing I miss in games in general, not just in MOBAs. Is positivity and sportsmanlike attitude.