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The Unkillable Demon King

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Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#21

Post by moorederodeo »

simonebrunozzi wrote: post #18

I play Dota 2 every once in a while. Fun game. I never played League of Legends (LoL), which seems to be more popular, just because I've read that they look very much alike, and I can't really afford, time-wise, to learn another game at all. Interesting to see if someone plays both and has any comment on how they differ.

Used to play LoL a fair bit, and still watch it every once in a while, but have mostly switched over to Dota.

Major differences:

-No denying in LoL

-The lanes are much more rigid, with 1 top, 1 mid, 2 bottom, and 1 jungle being the standard meta, although in competitive you will sometimes see lane swaps. I can't say I've ever seen anything like an aggressive tri-lane in LoL.

-There's a lot more out of game but game impacting customization of your hero/champ in LoL that is tied into their micro transactions (runes) and account leveling (masteries). In Dota all of these small differences are absent, and the items are generally more impactful and more frequently have actives. The biggest out of game impacts are from your choice of heroes.

-On that same note, in LoL, you only have a small roster of free champions each week, plus a couple of starter champions, to play from initially. You can buy more as you earn more in game currency or pay money to unlock them directly. This is contrasted with DOTA giving you all of the heroes up front as soon as you make your account, with only cosmetics being for sold for real money.

-Spells are generally more costly and less spammable in Dota versus LoL. Champions in LoL are usually centered on one controllable unit, with some having a second unit that's controllable through an alt-click. This contrasts Dota's more RTS controls where heroes are capable of amassing armies of units.

-I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but overall a lot comes down to the different design philosophies of either game. Valve strives with DOTA 2 for "perfect imbalance", with everything having some "overpowered" aspects. I can't really speak to what Riot's current design philosophy with LoL, as I haven't followed it a lot recently, but a lot of the decisions are built around their specific take on the f2p model.

Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#22

Post by hvs »

tomtoise wrote: post #3
hias wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who can not understand the hype about esports? I like playing myself and find watching others boring. It's cool if you like it, but I don't watch soccer either.

Different strokes for different folks. I have never been interested in physical sports (Unless my partner's dad is around, then yay, rugby, best sport in the world), or e-sports that much, but my friend had a spare ticket to watch the LCS Cup finals (League of Legends tournament) in Wembley Arena, London and I've never experienced anything like it. You get so caught up in the hype, the baying crowd and the insane tec…

A lot of the interest in traditional professional sports comes from 1) having played the sport in some capacity so that you understand the intricacies of the game or at least have studied the game enough to have internalized those intricacies, and/or 2) knowing the players and their various strengths and weaknesses. If you are trying to get into a sport and just watch a random game, it will be harder to get into the sport without those things.

Then again, some people just like to watch other people slam into each other.

Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#24

Post by hvs »

unwind wrote: post #5
hias wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who can not understand the hype about esports? I like playing myself and find watching others boring. It's cool if you like it, but I don't watch soccer either.

So basically to you the hype around esports is just as strange as the one around soccer, or any other non-electronic sport? Or do you think the hype around esports is extra strange, for some reason? I'm not into either, but with my background esports certainly is easier to see as interesting since it's something I enjoy doing myself and can relate to more than most physical sports.

Which is what it comes down to: what you are familiar with. I don't thing the hype around either types of sports is strange. They are entertainment that people can relate to.

Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#25

Post by Bockit »

zubspace wrote: post #6

Very interesting article. I must admit, that I never played League of Legends. So could please someone explain, how is it possible to reach top position simply by using this strategy in this game: "My strength is in understanding the flow of the game, when to fight and when not to fight," he explains. "Regardless of which champion I play, that strength is there." Either he's very humble or does not tell the whole sto…

Just a quick comment on the spamfest side of things. Disclaimer that I never got into LoL. I've found over the years playing most of the different MOBAs that when I come into a new one I find it nearly impossible to delineate what is happening in a many-player fight. It only comes after some time playing the game that I'm able to recognise this shade of light in this pattern means this spell is being used, etc. After a point it becomes quite clear what is going on and looks a lot less like a spamfest.

Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#26

Post by baldfat »

Bockit wrote: post #25
zubspace wrote: post #6

Very interesting article. I must admit, that I never played League of Legends. So could please someone explain, how is it possible to reach top position simply by using this strategy in this game: "My strength is in understanding the flow of the game, when to fight and when not to fight," he explains. "Regardless of which champion I play, that strength is there." Either he's very humble or does not tell the whole sto…

Just a quick comment on the spamfest side of things. Disclaimer that I never got into LoL. I've found over the years playing most of the different MOBAs that when I come into a new one I find it nearly impossible to delineate what is happening in a many-player fight. It only comes after some time playing the game that I'm able to recognise this shade of light in this pattern means this spell is being used, etc. After…

And that is the barrier of entry to MOBA eSports. Also the reason why LOL is the number one eSport is because it is the number on game in the world. Not only that but it is the biggest video game the world has seen.

Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#27

Post by baldfat »

simonebrunozzi wrote: post #18

I play Dota 2 every once in a while. Fun game. I never played League of Legends (LoL), which seems to be more popular, just because I've read that they look very much alike, and I can't really afford, time-wise, to learn another game at all. Interesting to see if someone plays both and has any comment on how they differ.

I play League due to

1) eSports. I have to many kids and a wife who agros at anything Video Game related so I play like 2 or 3 games a week on a good week. I really enjoy watching lol eSports. Go TSM

2) League is easier - I have such limited playing time that League is much more approachable. Having played LOL for almsot 5 years now I don't have to learn anything to have a good time in Normals or Ranked.

3) DOTA seems very dark and just rubs me the wrong way. I prefer the League over the top cartoon world.

Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#28

Post by baldfat »

hias wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who can not understand the hype about esports? I like playing myself and find watching others boring. It's cool if you like it, but I don't watch soccer either.

I love League of Legends eSports. I feel like it is the new Basketball.

1) I like how accessible to the games are. I can watch them live or on VODs

2) I find the personalities of the players interesting with their reveries and team drama.

3) How accessible the players are. You can watch them play on Twitch.tv. I am a fan of TSM and they have a weekly show called legends and you really get to see how things actually work in terms of strategy and picks.

4) Great strategy - I find that the meta strategy to be right up there if not higher than football, hockey or basketball. As a fan I can see two different strategies battle it out and see who is better especially when there are international competition.

5) It is truly international and the winning team can honestly say World Champions each and every year. Not many sports get that here in the United States. Other sports only gets that once every 4 years or for US NBA = Worlds Best basketball which is the exception.

Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#29

Post by brock_r »

zubspace wrote: post #6

Very interesting article. I must admit, that I never played League of Legends. So could please someone explain, how is it possible to reach top position simply by using this strategy in this game: "My strength is in understanding the flow of the game, when to fight and when not to fight," he explains. "Regardless of which champion I play, that strength is there." Either he's very humble or does not tell the whole sto…

That's straight out of Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

Re: The Unkillable Demon King

#30

Post by Kurtz79 »

hias wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who can not understand the hype about esports? I like playing myself and find watching others boring. It's cool if you like it, but I don't watch soccer either.

I think that the term esports is a bit prententious and misleading.

That said, I personally love games and game mechanics, and I find that watching people playing competitively a game that you like makes for decent entertainment, especially if commented by decent casters explaining the plays and strategies being used.

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