I admit that I started watching e-sports when SC2-WoL came out. Watching tournaments (even in Beta) was very fun. So I can say my first real contact with e-sports was in 2010.
Last year in octomber, I started my first full-time job. So my time for watching esports has become limited. And I actually found myself watching more LoL than SC2 (75% LoL and 25% SC2) in my spare time. In the past it was 90% SC2.... and 10% LoL.
I have found myself some arguments to this change. These arguments are purely from a watcher's perspective, as I don't have enough time to play any of the games that much. 1. I got into LoL last year (in august). So you could say that my interest in SC2 became lower because the game has been out longer.
2. Storylines. My interest in SC2 was very big when interesting storylines: - Can the underpowered Zerg defeat Terrans - MMA "the son of Boxer" - DRG vs MMA rivalry - Stephano - the foreign prodigy - Kespa enters SC2 - WCS Europe 2012 (the best tournament ever...enjoyment wise) Most of these storylines are finished or are too old for me to enjoy that much. I am not actually aware of any interesting storylines in SC2 going on right now (except for teams disbanding left and right). The new WCS format increased my interest in SC2 a little again. League right now has some interesting storylines: - TSM slump ant their "reality show" drama (the "reality show" drama is pretty bad, but enjoyable). - Cloud9 mega hype - EG slump - Gambit gaming consistency and their ability to beat even Korean teams. I can get behind these storylines in invest in them, while making me more interested in the matches.
3. Regional matches. This is where Riot hit it big for me. Watching NA regionals, I am watching NA teams develop and battling against eachother. Same for Europe. Imagine 1 korean team came to EU and 1 Korean team came to NA. While we get 90% matches between americans or europeans, there is a very likely chance that the Korean team will win. That decreases my viewer experience.
Look at WCS. While EU WCS was "blessed" with fewer koreans and luck with Stephano reaching the finals, a korean still won. And let's not get even started on the NA WCS.... which was a joke with 80% koreans in the quarterfinals.
If I want korean games I have the GSL/Starleague for SC2 and OGN champions for LoL. But it's easier to get behind a game when Europeans win a Europe regional and not a korean.
That's what I as a VIEWER think right now of these 2 esports. And I admit I tried getting into Dota2, but that just wasn't for me.
On July 18 2013 21:54 CreationSoul wrote: That's what I as a VIEWER think right now of these 2 esports. And I admit I tried getting into Dota2, but that just wasn't for me.
I too watch both LoL and SC2. Whenever I get home from work I usually make some dinner and watch whatever league tournament is going on at the time, whether it be LCS or WCS. I enjoy to watch both games almost equally now. I tend to stop watching a League game once the gold gap gets too large. I will usually watch a SC2 match until the Bo3 is over with.
As far as playing goes. I only really play ARAM in LoL now and rarely do I ladder in SC2.
On July 18 2013 21:54 CreationSoul wrote: That's what I as a VIEWER think right now of these 2 esports. And I admit I tried getting into Dota2, but that just wasn't for me.
Why?
For a lot of people, the random bits that make DotA more complicated just don't make any sense/aren't necessarily fun. Whereas LoL has masteries and runes which make the game more complicated from a building aspect, DotA has things like the bottle, denying, etc. things that make the game mechanically overwhelming for, what some people would argue, most players and that overwhelming bit doesn't feel to them like it pays off. I won't argue LoL vs DotA, because that's just a dumb fight, but DotA just isn't for some people if they feel the way I just described, which is a perfectly fine opinion to have.
I must admit that I don't particularly enjoy LoL however it seems to appeal to many perhaps because it is so accessible (free to play) and the mechanics at the lower levels are rather simple compared to a game like starcraft 2 where there is a lot of things to note and learn as a beginner and also many enjoy team games with friends as opposed to solo games. That's just my 2cents and as for koreans defeating foreigner hopes such as Stephano tbh I think its the koreans insane training regiment that seems to give them the upper hand but perhaps you have simply gotten bored of SC2 and are enjoying LoL more at the current moment? Nice blog!
On July 19 2013 00:25 Nikon wrote: What the fuck is a story line?
He is most likely talking about stories that would be articles in a tabloid if there were tabloids about LoL/SC2.
No, lol.
A storyline is a storyline. It can be about how a team evolves throughout time. It can be how a player goes into a deep slump but then bounces back, etc etc.
Whether a storyline is interesting though is up to you personally.
On July 18 2013 21:54 CreationSoul wrote: That's what I as a VIEWER think right now of these 2 esports. And I admit I tried getting into Dota2, but that just wasn't for me.
Why?
For a lot of people, the random bits that make DotA more complicated just don't make any sense/aren't necessarily fun. Whereas LoL has masteries and runes which make the game more complicated from a building aspect, DotA has things like the bottle, denying, etc. things that make the game mechanically overwhelming for, what some people would argue, most players and that overwhelming bit doesn't feel to them like it pays off. I won't argue LoL vs DotA, because that's just a dumb fight, but DotA just isn't for some people if they feel the way I just described, which is a perfectly fine opinion to have.
EDIT: just hit 4k, today is bro.
People are allowed to have any opinions they want, but your reasoning sounds more like ignorance than anything else IMO, which is just a matter of time. I also find that it's not too important for spectators since these things don't impact the viewing experience. For example, how many denies the carry got in bot lane is not going to be something casters talk about, just like casters won't discuss the rune setup on a specific player in LoL. It's just background noise for people who play the game, while the viewers can focus on the overall tactics and progression of the game.
I find it surprising that anyone would love to watch LoL but dislike watching Dota unless they play Lol and never play dota, or they have some team in LoL they just love. Both games are nice spectator sports if you have the minimum knowledge required.
Followed Brood war since 07, switched to SC2 once it released because i knew it would eventually kill SC2.
Followed SC2 proscene religiously until recently.
Have spent literally weeks of my life (i mean weeks of actual in-game playing... not ive been playing them for weeks) playing Dota, LoL, and Dota 2. And honestly ive prob logged a year of my life or more into my combined Moba playing.
Current esport I watch = League of Legends. Because Riot is the only company doing it right imo. And if you have a developer who is so extensively supporting Esports, it is going to succeed.
They have done a better job than Blizzard and Valve increasing the amount of viewers and making the game accessible.
Wont bother arguing about skill comparisons between the games, because none of them are Brood War >=p (jk mostly). LoL just has... The best support from Riot and its fans The most interesting content being produced The most interesting story lines I personally prefer the aesthetics of LoL over Dota2. LoL is a lot more comic-y and cartooney, but if im going to watch a game id rather it be Cartoony and 100% clear and visible, over the dark dreary "realistic" graphics that is hard to discern what is going on.
LoL is the ONLY game being supported and pushed into the future how it should be.
And ive played WAY more Dota and Dota 2 games than LoL, and i still prefer LoL
Mainly because of Riot, they are doing it right imo. There is a reason their Finals are being sold out..at the Staples Center. No other game could fill.. 1/2 of it.
And i know 100% that Dota supporters and fans will insist on Dota being superior, but obviously if you didnt feel that way you wouldnt play Dota either, but it just makes me laugh, because SC2 and Dota2 fans spend just as much of their time, if not more, bashing LoL as they do supporting their game of choice.
I did SC2 for >2 years and hit a platinum wall 3 months in. I tried switching races but I could never get to diamond. Also I found myself raging a lot. Then I started play league with all my friends who had quit SC2. I was fucking awful but I played it to play with my friends. I tried very hard to keep into SC2 because it was a "better game," but then I realized that games are supposed to be fun, and SC2 wasn't fun for me, and League was so this Summer I started just playing mad league and got from level 16 to 30 in like 2 weeks then immediately jumped into ranked. I got Silver V after my provisionals and within 2 days I got Silver IV. I'm just so happy to actually be improving in a game. I'm learning so much and playing with my friends is so great. That's one major advantage LoL has over SC2. Also, the fact that it is 5v5 leads to epic fights because everyone is making mad plays not just one person trying to control everything. Anyways now I really love LoL but I still watch both LoL and SC2.
On July 18 2013 21:54 CreationSoul wrote: That's what I as a VIEWER think right now of these 2 esports. And I admit I tried getting into Dota2, but that just wasn't for me.
Why?
For a lot of people, the random bits that make DotA more complicated just don't make any sense/aren't necessarily fun. Whereas LoL has masteries and runes which make the game more complicated from a building aspect, DotA has things like the bottle, denying, etc. things that make the game mechanically overwhelming for, what some people would argue, most players and that overwhelming bit doesn't feel to them like it pays off. I won't argue LoL vs DotA, because that's just a dumb fight, but DotA just isn't for some people if they feel the way I just described, which is a perfectly fine opinion to have.
EDIT: just hit 4k, today is bro.
People are allowed to have any opinions they want, but your reasoning sounds more like ignorance than anything else IMO, which is just a matter of time. I also find that it's not too important for spectators since these things don't impact the viewing experience. For example, how many denies the carry got in bot lane is not going to be something casters talk about, just like casters won't discuss the rune setup on a specific player in LoL. It's just background noise for people who play the game, while the viewers can focus on the overall tactics and progression of the game.
I find it surprising that anyone would love to watch LoL but dislike watching Dota unless they play Lol and never play dota, or they have some team in LoL they just love. Both games are nice spectator sports if you have the minimum knowledge required.
It's pretty harsh to call something as benign as that ignorance. It isn't a dislike, it's just indifference in most cases.
I recently got into league, but honestly, after watching OGN for a bit, NA/EU's play level are just SO far below that of the Koreans, it's boring. Basically, throws everywhere, fail aggression, and slower matches. Zzzzzzzzzzz. I wish I could catch OGN restreams more often.
On July 18 2013 21:54 CreationSoul wrote: That's what I as a VIEWER think right now of these 2 esports. And I admit I tried getting into Dota2, but that just wasn't for me.
Why?
For a lot of people, the random bits that make DotA more complicated just don't make any sense/aren't necessarily fun. Whereas LoL has masteries and runes which make the game more complicated from a building aspect, DotA has things like the bottle, denying, etc. things that make the game mechanically overwhelming for, what some people would argue, most players and that overwhelming bit doesn't feel to them like it pays off. I won't argue LoL vs DotA, because that's just a dumb fight, but DotA just isn't for some people if they feel the way I just described, which is a perfectly fine opinion to have.
EDIT: just hit 4k, today is bro.
People are allowed to have any opinions they want, but your reasoning sounds more like ignorance than anything else IMO, which is just a matter of time. I also find that it's not too important for spectators since these things don't impact the viewing experience. For example, how many denies the carry got in bot lane is not going to be something casters talk about, just like casters won't discuss the rune setup on a specific player in LoL. It's just background noise for people who play the game, while the viewers can focus on the overall tactics and progression of the game.
I find it surprising that anyone would love to watch LoL but dislike watching Dota unless they play Lol and never play dota, or they have some team in LoL they just love. Both games are nice spectator sports if you have the minimum knowledge required.
It's pretty harsh to call something as benign as that ignorance. It isn't a dislike, it's just indifference in most cases.
I meant it in a literal sense, not as an insult. If you aren't familiar with the mechanics of Dota 2, you're going to feel that it's overwhelming, but once you get down to it, there's not all that much to it.
This is a lovely Dota 2 vs. LoL vs. SC2 conversation everyone is having but Luepert made a great point, play what you find fun, not what effectively peer pressure teaches you to be the best game. Some of us enjoy the intricacies of DotA others don't, I love the game but my brother can't get into it and spends all his time on Lol. Likewise people enjoy the teamplay of DotA and LoL and people also like the single play of SC2.
Don't base the game you play off what other people think or you'll just end up frustrated and angry the whole time instead of enjoying yourself.
I admit that I started watching e-sports when SC2-WoL came out. Watching tournaments (even in Beta) was very fun. So I can say my first real contact with e-sports was in 2010.
Last year in octomber, I started my first full-time job. So my time for watching esports has become limited. And I actually found myself watching more LoL than SC2 (75% LoL and 25% SC2) in my spare time. In the past it was 90% SC2.... and 10% LoL.
I have found myself some arguments to this change. These arguments are purely from a watcher's perspective, as I don't have enough time to play any of the games that much. 1. I got into LoL last year (in august). So you could say that my interest in SC2 became lower because the game has been out longer.
2. Storylines. My interest in SC2 was very big when interesting storylines: - Can the underpowered Zerg defeat Terrans - MMA "the son of Boxer" - DRG vs MMA rivalry - Stephano - the foreign prodigy - Kespa enters SC2 - WCS Europe 2012 (the best tournament ever...enjoyment wise) Most of these storylines are finished or are too old for me to enjoy that much. I am not actually aware of any interesting storylines in SC2 going on right now (except for teams disbanding left and right). The new WCS format increased my interest in SC2 a little again. League right now has some interesting storylines: - TSM slump ant their "reality show" drama (the "reality show" drama is pretty bad, but enjoyable). - Cloud9 mega hype - EG slump - Gambit gaming consistency and their ability to beat even Korean teams. I can get behind these storylines in invest in them, while making me more interested in the matches.
3. Regional matches. This is where Riot hit it big for me. Watching NA regionals, I am watching NA teams develop and battling against eachother. Same for Europe. Imagine 1 korean team came to EU and 1 Korean team came to NA. While we get 90% matches between americans or europeans, there is a very likely chance that the Korean team will win. That decreases my viewer experience.
Look at WCS. While EU WCS was "blessed" with fewer koreans and luck with Stephano reaching the finals, a korean still won. And let's not get even started on the NA WCS.... which was a joke with 80% koreans in the quarterfinals.
If I want korean games I have the GSL/Starleague for SC2 and OGN champions for LoL. But it's easier to get behind a game when Europeans win a Europe regional and not a korean.
That's what I as a VIEWER think right now of these 2 esports. And I admit I tried getting into Dota2, but that just wasn't for me.
Your looking at the WCS the wrong way like many others have and that has everything to do with how Blizzard branded the prelims. If you were to take out the regions from the title then your left with prelims. I'd say there are still a lot of silly storylines ongoing in SC2 (OGN you certainly didn't help yourself when you decided to drop group selections herpa derp). A lot of it is silly though like the whole Coach Park righting the ship (I wouldn't really call it a slump by the way), or how about the esf versus kespa bullshit? You can basically make anything into an issue really. Heck, Innovation and SoulKey are even facing off again in the Ro8. You can turn anything into a story really.
EPT
