5 Reasons Why Dota is Better Than Heroes of the Storm

I'll be honest, I wrote the 5 Reasons Why Heroes of the Storm is Better Than Dota 2 without actually planning to make a list on the other side of the coin. It was only at the end of the post did I realize that having made the first list, another one would have to be made. The reason a list on why Dota is better than Hots would be hard was because I hated some mechanics that made Dota, Dota.

So a disclaimer is in order:

Although I still stand by my thoughts about Dota on my first post here, mechanics like gold and items have such a huge potential to be exploited when the playing field is uneven but become interesting tools for a turnaround in official league games. You will find me contradicting myself a lot as you read on and please keep this in mind while doing so, I find that those mechanics are unfriendly towards newcomers and have the chance to be exploited, hence I find that the game is better off without those mechanics to begin with. However after having played Dota for quite sometime, you see the potential of having those mechanics and I am a huge advocate for games that reward players for their experience, giving experienced players an added edge over less experienced players should they ever compete. Is it fair? I don't think so, but is it exciting to watch? It is when the playing field is fair. And having gotten those things out of the way, now on to the list~

1. Gold and Items

Hahaha, way to start the list, but hear me out. Gold gain plays a huge role in Dota 2, to the point you can never win against an opponent if you do not master the techniques of acquiring gold faster than your opposing team, ultimately giving you an advantage in team fights which will lead to you winning the game. The reason why gold is important because it allows you to purchase items, which can improve your hero is a variety of ways, from increasing their overall stats making them stronger, to even giving them access to a new ability provided by the item itself. The potential this gives you is massive, allowing you to go for an endless amount of combinations. Items also allow players to break the mold of a hero, allowing you to build your hero up to any role in game. Have you ever heard of a carry Crystal Maiden? Nope. But is it possible? Yes, through intense hardship. (Trust me, I've tried it)
Heroes of the Storm allows for different builds but not to the extent of Dota with the help of items. It just shows you know, just like the real world, gold can get you anywhere. (ughhh)

FEAR THIS FACE!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

The opportunities don't stop there, you can use items to make up for what your hero lacks, like I bought a Drum of Endurance and Sange and Yasha for Crystal Maiden when I was attempting to carry with her because of her low speed and low health which those two both provided. Then it was all damage and I got quite far but she still couldn't compete with those agility carries.

The huge array of items makes for some very fun experimentation when you want to switch up your build so it caters for those who want to play long term.

2. Map and Lane Control
Remember when I said I like games that reward experienced players? Well Dota has a bevy of layers for you to master, each giving you more control over the game. From creep farming, to creep stacking to wards, to creep blocking and so on. And that's just scratching the surface, there are denies and last hits, and experience gain. All encourage teamwork and huge coordination from your team, bringing your team closer to victory should you succeed. Creep camps are monsters or mercenaries (otherwise known as creeps) that have no allegiance in the battle, but ones you can slay to obtain gold, stacking those camps allow more creeps to appear, allowing you to amass more gold in a short period of time. The opposing team can counter this by blocking the camp, the game is programmed to spawn a new set of creeps should the existing area not have any, and hence placing an object in the vicinity prevents a new set from spawning.

The camp can be blocked if you place a ward within its area

You can use wards to increase your vision of the map, allowing you to scout enemy movements, you can deny your creeps (an act of delivering the last blow to your friendly creeps, denying them of the gold reward) and last hit (amassing gold faster with the rewarded gold) and the list goes on. Dota has a huge learning curve and that curve rewards experienced players, keeping them hooked on the game as they try to master other mechanics of the game.

TRUTH

I haven't even touched the surface, the list goes deeper from creep timing to even map manipulation, Dota gives its hardcore players plenty of features to delve into and master, justifying the reason why it is such a popular game in the competitive scene and how it got so popular given the fact its still a relatively new game.

3. Hero Selection
Dota has a wide variety of different heroes to choose from, a list that spans more than 95 individually distinct heroes with their own set of skills and abilities. Not to mention their own weaknesses and combos that go along with other heroes on the list. With such an expansive list, the possibilities of hero matching and team building in game are endless, with different combos and combinations leading to very interesting team fights. And Dota has its fair share of mind blowing gameplay and teamwork, a wonder to witness when you see each spell being followed up with another, ultimately killing all the heroes on the opposing team. The scene is a spectacle to see and the result is a wonderful game with a huge opportunity in the competitive arena due to its entertainment value.

A few examples~

Wait... you know what, I'm just gonna show you some videos, courtesy of DotaCinema, you can check out their channel on YouTube, it's quite cool!

If you're thinking like, wait, Faruq, did you like watch a playlist of all the Symphony of Skills just to make this post? Well, yes. Yes I did (I had fun so can't complain)

Another thing I'd like to add is that Dota's list of heroes are completely unique in the sense that those heroes exist simply because Dota exists, and you get unique and lovable characters with their own backstory and relationship with other heroes in the game. Heroes of the Storm relies on creating a medium for different characters from Blizzard games to come together which I admit has its merits but just as how Overwatch was a huge success because of its new and interesting characters, Dota benefits by doing the same.

The kind of heroes you get are completely varied, some have a sense of humour, others are serious, with many of them sporting even different accents, giving you hints of where the hero might originate from. Their dialogue in game also expresses this, from how they reply to you as you give them commands to how the interact with other heroes, Dota shows the connections between heroes and their personalities vibrantly and it adds to the world of the game.

The List of Heroes in Dota, which could be complete or incomplete, depending on when you read this

4.Tone of the Game

You can tell a lot about what the creators of the game have in mind on what they wish for their game by the tone of the game, which from Dota I'm kinda feeling it's a friendly competitive game. All this from the way the heroes talk in puns based on their backgrounds, abilities and overall nature, the way heroes have their own attitude (some cheerful, others despising humanity completely) to the art direction of the game, which is sort of cartoony but not to the extent that the game looks childish. It shows that the game creators know that it is a competitive game (one that can be overly competitive mind you) and wish to remind its players that it's all for the sake of friendly competition.

Heroes are colourful and decorated, further emphasizing the heroes' background and the game's lighthearted intention.

Windrunner, my favourite hero

Yunero, the Juggernaut

Lanaya, the Templar Assassin

Sven, the Rogue Knight

Axe... the Axe?

Rylai, the Crystal Maiden

Heroes of the Storm tries to be, but the game doesn't seem to compliment the direction they're going for (which is lighthearted friendly competition), most of the heroes come from very serious games, so trying to do so sometimes leads to scary results.

These are all skins available in game *shudders* (I even made the pictures smaller so you don't have to look at them as long)

WHYYYYYYY

Speaking of skins...

5. Open Creation for the Fans from the Fans

Skins are custom items you can equip to the hero you're using in game to somewhat change the appearance of the hero. It might seem very trivial, but giving you the option to customize the hero to your liking, to your own individual taste has a huge impact on keeping a person invested in the game. And it clearly pays cause skins are how Dota is actually making profit, the game being completely free. In fact, most games allow their users some sort of customizability, Dota takes this a step further by allowing fans to create their very own skins for heroes in game, leading to some of the most beautiful skins in game I have ever seen. Most of the best skins aren't even made by the creators of Dota, Valve but are from the community.

Yeay community!

It just goes to show, sometimes you just have to leave it up to the fans, especially in creative stuff, the world is filled with creative people so don't limit it to the people you have in your office, Blizzard!

Here are a few of my favourite skins~

The Aria of the Wild Wind Set for Windrunner (Yes, it's windrunner and that'll never change)

The Deadly Nightshade Set for Templar Assassin (one of my favourite heroes but also one that I play the worst at)

The Acolyte of Vengeance Set for Anti-Mage (Another hero I'm bad at but dat hood though)

As I said earlier, I play both games and I like both of them but that isn't to say that they don't have their own ups and downs. It just comes to show that you can like something and acknowledge its flaws. That being said, I hope you have a wonderful new year and.....

HAVE FUN PLAYING GAMES!!! =D))  (geddit, cause it looks like a double chin?)

5 Reasons Why Heroes of the Storm is Better Than Dota 2

MOBAs (Multiplayer online battle arenas) have always been one of the few genres of games that I really enjoy and continue to do so. Be it either playing the game itself or watching other games, I haven't really gotten bored of it. The one I play and know how to play (to a certain degree) would be Defence of the Ancients 2 (DOTA 2).

That game that was a map in Warcraft 3

Then I heard that Blizzard, the company that made Warcraft 3, was making their own version of DOTA (or in this case a MOBA) called Heroes of the Storm (before that is was Blizzard Dota, then Blizzard All-Stars) and I even managed to get into the alpha, which was sooooo cool!!! 

I downloaded the game, played it a few times and I realized I loved it more than DOTA 2. Here's why:

1. Away with Gold and Items

The first thing I realized after playing dota was how imbalanced the gold system can be. Gold gives the player the ability to purchase items, which then strengthens their hero. Imagine this scenario, if a pro player is pitted against weaker players, the sheer skill and understanding that pro player has would definitely amount to better gold gain as compared to the other players. That player then proceeds to killing more (which grants you extra gold for killing an enemy hero) and farming more (killing weaker monsters to obtain gold), which allows him/her to purchase more items and the cycle continues. This "snowball" effect can get out of hand if the game is matched wrongly and can lead a one sided game of bully (which is no fun for the team being bullied).

Cheater!! Cheater I tell you!!! And then she laughs at your frail attempt to get away, and the laughs even more when you die... Ughhhh

I hate to say that the earlier days of my playing dota usually ended up to this. How I overcame that is beyond me but it is an issue with the game. It may not seem so apparent when watching competitions because the players there are all more or less of the same level in terms of skill (experience may differ though).

On top of that the first time I played DOTA, I was confused with all the gold and items and creeps and wards and so on. Not to mention recipes which I didn't know how they worked at first, it was dota 1 anyways and I was one of those people that  bought the recipe thinking I would gain all the stats it listed. Plus I hated the fact that when I played against an enemy, at first they wouldn't even dream of getting into a duel with my hero, but then halfway through the game they would then proceed to kill me with just two hits. Only after that did I know how much items truly impacted the game.

Which leads me to my second point,

2. Sheer Simplicity

Gone are all those gold and items. Away with last hits, denies and warding. Heroes of the Storm (HOTS) also has simpler skills with more straight forward effects. All of which come together to bring you a game that is much friendlier to newcomers but also easier to pickup with a lot of leg room for mastery. Blizzard is one company that upholds one thing for their games, it's that a game should be easy to pick up, but hard to master. DOTA is hard to pick up and hard to master, it has a lot going on in the game all at the same time, HOTS, however, trims all that down to bring you a simpler game you can learn 5 minutes into your first game.

Everything's self explanatory and easy to play with friends

DOTA tries to make each and every hero unique by giving heroes different abilities that also function differently. Heroes in HOTS have abilities that work similar, but ultimately make the hero unique despite all that (more on this later). A good example would be Icarus, the phoenix hero in DOTA, one of the skills it has is Fiery Spirits which conjure up 4 spirits when you first cast the spell, then allowing you to use them as projectiles when you cast the spell again, exploding and dealing damage over time to any enemy cause in the area targeted. The mechanics of the spell is basically a point and click skill shot. In HOTS, you have a number of heroes with the same mechanics but its exactly as it is supposed to be, a point and click skill shot ability. Not a skill you have to cast first giving you 4 shots, of which you have to use within a certain period of time before they expire all together. I get it, you want to make your heroes unique but I'd take simplicity over variety in game mechanics any day. A little bit is fine but most of the new heroes have quite a learning curve to them as opposed to the older heroes in DOTA. The room for mastery I mentioned is due to the fact most of projectile based skills in HOTS are skill shots, meaning you have to anticipate where you opponent would be when the projectile would hit, as opposed to a homing missile mechanic where you simply click on the target and the spell seeks them out.

You must be wondering, no items, similar spell mechanics, where's the fun in that Faruq? For which I say to you,

Patience human, let me finish

3. Talents and Trait System

How Blizzard overcame the lack of items and unique spells is the talents and traits system, which is quite brilliant given how simple the system really is yet it makes a huge difference. In DOTA, items allow heroes to change or enhance their role in the game, a support would buy items that augment the other heroes' stats and attacks, heal or provide resource regeneration or if you want to be a tank, buy items that increase your health and defense. In HOTS, you can do this by selecting talents as you level up in game. In DOTA, as you gain levels, you get to unlock or strengthen you abilities with points, in HOTS though, you have access to all your basic abilities at the start of the game, and you gain talent points every 3 levels. Talents can do many things, it can enhance the ability, give it a new effect or do something else entirely, some talents even give heroes new abilities, passive or active. Each hero has a unique trait that no one else does (duh, unique), and a trait can differ from a simple additional ability you can use in game to allowing you to speed up your resurrection time.

The fact that each hero has its own set of talents plus its unique trait, really differentiate each hero from the rest. It was one of the things I found that DOTA lacked, try as they might to make each hero different from the rest, in the end, a carry always carries the same set of items, which means it doesn't matter what hero they're using, in the end, the heroes all look the same. Take for example a sniper, his late game item would be a manta style, but so would a Luna or an Anti-mage or even a Templar Assassin. Sure the heroes start off completely different, but they follow the same route to get stronger, because they buy the same items. I hated the fact that most abilities in DOTA can be replicated by items, need a cleave? Battlefury for ya, need crits? Here's a Daedalus. This makes the hero feel less unique and once you know the basic formula, you can play most heroes of the same attribute exactly the same.

DOTA addresses weaknesses by using items to cover up those flaws, HOTS expands on a hero's potential by allowing you to concentrate your talents towards how you want to play your hero. (At least that's how it seems to me)

4. Scaling and Team Relevance

DOTA allows you to overcome your hero's weaknesses by buying items, something a support class hero would have difficulty accessing. All MOBA's have support class heroes meant to support the team by means of abilities and early game capabilities. In DOTA, the support classes babysit carry heroes (a hero that starts out weak but with the help of items and levels allow them to dish out a lot of damage, carrying the team to victory, hence the name "carry"). When you play DOTA, it's important to always have a support on your team, or else the carry hero would die too easily without getting the sufficient amount of gold to buy the items needed to start carrying. But as soon as that hero obtains the items needed, your help as a support hero greatly declines. By playing a support, you are expected to give up gold gain and kills to the carry, forfeiting your claim for any yourself, the bad thing about this is that as soon as your carry is strong enough to kill on its own, the enemy's carry would do too, and you are left weak with no items to strengthen yourself. I usually play the support class because normally people wouldn't want to play the support and they like to get kills, so I am very familiar with those situations, you are basically a sitting duck filled with gold for enemies to kill, the only help you can give is by disabling enemies with your spells and items (if you manage to get any) or warding the map. Any damaging spells you have now basically do nothing and so does your basic attacks. You are just a wandering sack of meat, under leveled, penniless and itemless waiting to die.

To represent your value to your team and how the enemy sees you

When I entered HOTS, things were greatly different, your spells scaled as you gained levels and with no gold or items, you could do a lot more than just support, your attacks still packed a punch and your spell can still hit hard no matter what stage of the game. Heroes also leveled up as a team with shared experience instead of individual experience gauges in DOTA, and your abilities greatly mattered because there were no items that could produce the same effects. All heroes can contribute by "soaking" up experience in lane, so the job isn't specifically aimed towards you as the support only. This meant a lot to me, as I felt that support class players are not always given the credit they deserve. It may be personal, but support heroes in HOTS can really make a huge difference as compared to DOTA.

5. Focused Objectives and Pacing

DOTA fails at highlighting the true intention of playing the game in the first place, to destroy the enemy's ancient. Destroy the ancient, finish the game. But ask your friends the point of playing DOTA and they might have a hard time coming to that conclusion. You see, DOTA highlights and rewards killing other enemy heroes, a task at which you are not first needed to do, but allowed to do so because it would make piercing through the defenses easier. The whole point of the game is lost because most play the game for the kills, true enough, if you kill the enemy heroes a number of times, you will have nothing left to stop you from destroying the ancient, allowing you to win the game. The reason I say it's lost is because most just play it to get kills, which if you kill a large number of enemy heroes, you and your killing streak will be announced for all the players to witness, earning you that GODLIKE STREAK, proving your mastery of the game and how excellent you are. It's like you've just bought a Lamborghini and the news network just decided to announce it for the whole world to hear. OF COURSE YOU'LL GLEAM WITH PRIDE. And that's why there's an emphasis on killing more than objectives. (it is a fan started game after all so you can't really complain)

Rampage is a greater honour, meaning you've managed to kill 5 heroes within a short period of time

But HOTS isn't, they've had time to plan and troubleshoot before releasing the game. And the result is a game that still rewards you for a kill streak, but awards your whole team for having done so with the coveted HERO OF THE STORM after 20 consecutive kills. It's simply amazing that by omission of just the player's name, a game is more team motivated than individually motivated. Less of a "I want to get the most kills!" and more of a "let's beat the other guys!"

From this,

To this!

Another problem DOTA has is its pacing. DOTA starts off really slow (unless you're playing pro matches) with the laning phase or early game, mid game is where fights start to happen a lot and late game is mostly a battle of the carries. DOTA's laning phase is about 6-12 minutes long depending on how good the players are, and most of the time you'll be just killing creeps for gold and experience. Do you need to engage the enemy heroes? Not at all. Actually you can win the whole game without needing to engage the enemy. The reason why people engage other enemy heroes is to gain a gold and experience advantage or cripple the enemies' advance, like I said killing enemy heroes awards you with bonus experience and gold. Which brings me to an excellent example, in the 2014 DOTA Internationals, the chinese team Newbie, played one of the longest games of DOTA in the history of TI finals. The reason, simple, being, they never needed to engage the opposing team, most of their time was spent farming gold and experience in the jungle. The only time they would risk getting into battle was to get the Aegis of Immortality to win team fights, if the attempt fails, they would go back to farming, wait out the Aegis and rinse and repeat.

HOTS has map objectives that can influence an enemy's push into the your defenses. These objectives force engagements and at the same time, indirectly remind you of the point of the game. The ancient (or core in HOTS) is protected by 3 lines of defenses, which are towers that deal heavy damage should a hero come under fire. The objectives either disable these towers or weaken them sometimes destroying them all together, forcing you to contest and forcing engagements. This, combined with your heroes having all their basic abilities from level 1, shortens your laning phase to around a minute and making the game move much faster. For comparison, a game of DOTA usually takes 30-60 mins and a game of HOTS takes an average of 15-20 mins. This makes it more exciting as there's always action somewhere on the map and you can play more. One of the things I didn't like about DOTA was how much time it took. So HOTS was a welcome change especially if you can risk spending a whole afternoon playing DOTA.

Now before I end this post, I'm not saying I no longer like DOTA, I'm just listing 5 reasons why HOTS is better than DOTA, I'll write about the counter argument in a later post.

Have a good one and keep playing DOTA or HOTS! (Or LOL, or HONS or SMITE)