How To Talk About Dota To Complete Outsiders
Should game mechanics be the first exposure to newcomers?
“It’s like Dota 1, but different.” It’s far easier to teach Dota to someone who has a base idea of how Dota functions. And yet, players who have logged hundreds of hours are still learning something new about the game. It’s completely daunting to newcomers, whether or not they have an understanding about the rhythm and structure of MOBAs.
Because of Dota’s steep learning curve, it’s grown to become more of an insular community, making it difficult for potential players to either learn or grasp why they should bother. The record breaking prize pool may have pulled in pro gamers seeking to move to more lucrative waters, but there’s a wider swath of onlookers who still have very little idea what the game is. Ardent fans of Dota should be ambassadors of the game, to be able to talk about why they love it, and why others should try it out, too. Dota is complicated, but talking about why it’s fun should be simple.
Know Your Audience
Passionate Dota players might be willing to read Purge’s massive starter guide, “Welcome To Dota, You Suck,” but this is about a friend whose first exposure to the game may be the words you say. It starts with trying to think from your friend’s point of view.
What does the person you’re talking to already know about games or the genre? First, forget about the rules. The granular details can be confusing and uninteresting when there’s no context. Don’t talk about how a game starts with teams choosing to pick and ban heroes (what are heroes?), how there are three lanes (lanes?), or how getting gold works (what’s a last hit?). Some of this is useful for teaching Dota, but that’s not the goal here, yet.
Start basic. What does the name “Dota” even mean? What do we we mean when we talk about defending an ancient? Talk briefly about the overall goal of the game—to destroy the opposing team’s building. The next approach should be to root game concepts to real world analogs, depending on who you’re talking to. It’s a five on five war game that takes place in an arena. Each team has its own roles and positions, like players on a basketball team (also a five on five sport). And sometimes its tactics are as calculated as openings in Chess, except the rules completely change every so often. This is an opportunity to appeal to mutual interests and stoke curiosity.
Talk About Why You Love The Game
First you talked about what the game is about, and this part is why you play it. Before we teach Dota we have to be able to talk about it in a way that’s inviting and fun, such that the listener can understand the kind of enthusiasm other players have for the game.
There is something about Dota that ensnares its community to unabashedly commit an inordinate amount of time to it—whether it’s precisely that you can invest thousands of hours in Dota and continue to find it more rewarding each time you play it, or that it’s a game of rules and exceptions you can study and still get screwed by them. Newcomers may be able to see for themselves why the game is fun, but the lasting impression will come from why it’s fun for you. Learning the game is an investment, and wanting to learn the game is the first step.
Your own enthusiasm for the game in part legitimizes why Dota is a worthwhile investment. Another way is to talk about it as how it’s an actual investment for others. Dota’s largest tournament broke its own prize pool record again this year at $24 million dollars, doubling the prize pool of the U.S. Open (golf) this year.
Set Expectations
If your friend seems interested to try the game, be sure to set expectations. Dota can try the patience and anxieties of even the most composed people. They’re going to start off doing everything wrong. Let them know there are many rules, but they don’t have to know all of them. That’s also the fun part, discovering what works and doesn’t work—as it happens.
They will die, a lot. People will get mad, very often. And they won’t win every game, but losing can also be fun on its own. It’s why you can be feeding all game, make just one flashy play at a pivotal moment, and ride that exhilarating high onto the next game, win or lose.
Your role is to say that when they fail, it’s ok. It’s part of the game, and it’s only a game, so why not just have fun with it?
TL, DR: Don't talk about it, or you will die a virgin
but losing can also be fun on its own
it's about flame and burn a newcomers in a game
Great article, actually. Good read.
This is a great article, my dad always wondered why I had such an interest in this game and I had no idea how to explain it to him. This really helps.
AS:LK CK:
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WHAT IS THIS "fun" CRAP ABOUT!!!!!!!! ITS DOTA 2 NOOBZ
Beautifully written article, it's really hard to put all that beauty and thrill of Dota into words, but you did a really great job.
Dota is not hard. Pick PA and rampage or pick Terrorblade and melt down towers. You can also pick Sven and cleave your way to an enemy teamwipe. This is what happens in my SEA 2k pubs anyway xP
And always advice that he will found a ocean of toxicity. First lesson: how to mute your team!
so more people buy staff for valve ? no ty this game is cancer
just tell people it's like street fighter but top-down
just say Tower Defense theyll get it
yea no the best way to learn dota is to play it pretty much like any other game only experience is going to help learn the game s aimple. any new comer should follow the difficulty level set in game...they can play bots first going thru the motions and then play limited heroes thats the way to go
then after they've got an understanding of the items and gameplay they can go for all pick and try out new heroes or atleast understand what every hero is capable of.
will they get rekt by riki bounty and weaver of course, but they'll learn about dust and wards. first time they encounter a new hero they'll have no idea but thru the game they'll understand what that hero does
so the best advice is - just play the game.
advice
all new potential player has been gone playing mobile moba
VIVA LA PERU HIJOS DE TODA SU PUTA MADRE
I actually taught my dad to play Dota 1. Of course he has never played against real people but only bots but still he picks Traxex and rekts easy bots.
I actually taught my dad to play Dota 1. Of course he has never played against real people but only bots but still he picks Traxex and rekts easy bots.
дота - первая моба) спустя год имею 4к ммр )очень быстро учусь
there's no fun in losing.
play for fun? nope, play to win.
Question: "How to talk about Dota to complete outsiders?"
Answer: "Don't".
Easy.
trying to make a parallel between Dota 2 and basketball?
yeah, it's 5v5 in an arena like basketball, but everyone only plays center or forwards; no one wants to play guard
Wait, people play Dota because it's fun? I thought it was just because everyone else was hopelessly addicted like me...