Unless you’ve been trapped in the basement with a Grue for the past 10 years of PC gaming, you’ve probably heard Dota discussed in your circles at least once. Maybe you played it hardcore back when it was a staple custom map on the WarCraft III client, or maybe you’ve checked out some of the spiritual successors that have gone on to become huge PC gaming powerhouses such as Heroes of Newerth or League of Legends. Maybe you’re a fan of one of the smaller genre titles like Rise of the Immortals or even Demigod.
Whatever the case may be, you’ve likely either been propositioned to play Dota 2 or one of these other games by a friend well versed in the genre. The question today with Dota 2 inching ever closer to what could be a major free-to-play release on Steam is this: Is the burden of knowledge in the “MOBA” genre, specifically Dota 2, becoming just too much for new players?
Have we reached the breaking point where players need to experience tutorials, significant time commitment to practice games with bots, and quite literally learning the complete roster of 100+ heroes inside and out before stepping into a real game? The burden of knowledge placed on a new Dota 2 player is massive. If you’re a longtime player, think about it. Don’t know what Bloodseeker’s ultimate does? You’re probably going to die a lot. How about thinking Invoker looks like a cool mage to try out your first game - This will not end well. You’ve got to know all the items, all the abilities, and how to “lane” and teamfight - and that is just the bare bone basics.
While there is no doubt that there will be some excellent support in this area coming as evidenced by the giant “LEARN” tab seen in the Dota 2 client, the issue remains - No other genre or game has such a monumental learning curve. As old veterans well know, the rich gameplay is well worth the time investment - But talking someone new to the genre or gaming in general into it can be a daunting task, especially since random teammates typically do not appreciate new players “ruining” their games. This backlash can be very vocal, to the point of serious harassment that can cause a new player to put down the game and never come back.
So how can you make things easier on new prospective teammates and friends? There are a plethora of guides out there to get started, but honestly nothing comes close to some real in-game training with an experienced player. Get your friend on voice chat and play practice games in private against bots, and tailor the learning experience to their current proficiency with the genre. If they’ve already played a title or two, the transition can be fairly painless. But what if they haven’t?
Prepare to commit yourself to providing a good learning environment for the new Dota 2 player. Try and take some time out of each day that you would normally be rolling out with your playgroup to “pubstomp” and play one - just one - of those games with your new player(s). Focus on a single aspect of crucial gameplay. Give them some easy to learn heroes and just spend a full game showing them how to last hit. Then another game the next day showing the important of denying and lane equilibrium. And so on and so forth.
With any luck, your novice will begin seeking out games and additional learning materials on his or her own with the step-by-step learning process and avoid being “forced” into learning or demoralizing matches. The way you slowly coax and ease a new player into Dota 2 definitely matters - Think of it as slowly stepping into a hot tub in comparison to tossing a Girl Scout into a sea swarming with sharks and bears.
The burden of knowledge is there, and it’s a tough mountain to climb. The way you introduce prospective players to the genre is up to you, but it’s all about first impressions.
The player that gets shoved right into a match with an opposing team with a “gank-a-jank” squad featuring Night Stalker, Spectre, and Nature’s Prophet may just Alt-F4 and take a sledgehammer to the hard drive. The player that gets a customized walkthrough from an experienced hand is going to become more interested and more invested.
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