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Possible to get unbiased opinions on LoL or Dota?

Blogs > Esoterikk
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Esoterikk
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
Canada1256 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 06:19:14
August 31 2013 06:17 GMT
#1
So due to wrist problems and a general malaise with Sc2 lately I am shifting focus to either LoL or Dota 2 but I can't really decide on one, I am hoping it's possible to get unbiased opinions from people but this is likely a pipe dream, let me preface this by saying if you are here to post "HURF BLURF DOTA IS MORE HARDER" just turn around please.

At the very base level I enjoy Dota more, I find the heroes and spells more discernible and I find the game much more immersive where I actually feel connected to my hero where as LoL kind of feels disconnected where I am aware I am playing a game. However, I also really enjoy laddering, it gives me a reason to get better and since I know I will never be a pro gamer climbing the ladder is my own personal form of achievement.

Honestly the lack of a ladder or competitive matchmaking is really turning me away from Dota right now.

I can't turn around without seeing League these days, all my friends who game play League and aren't interested in Dota so right off the bat I am far more likely to have fun games with friends in League, most of the streamers i watch play League (Destiny, Hafu and some of my favorite Sc2 streamers do LoL in the off time).

So here I am, I have reasons to enjoy both games, I will likely devote the next 2-3 years trying to improve at the game and I enjoy taking other peoples thoughts into account when making personal decisions, so is there any possibility I can get some unbiased thoughts on the 2 games?



***
Thaniri
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
1264 Posts
August 31 2013 06:30 GMT
#2
You enjoy league more, you don't intend to be competitive.

Silly thread.
Esoterikk
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
Canada1256 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 06:34:02
August 31 2013 06:32 GMT
#3
On August 31 2013 15:30 Thaniri wrote:
You enjoy league more, you don't intend to be competitive.

Silly thread.


I would love to be competitive, I just don't have delusions that I might be pro, if it happened it would be amazing but 99.9999999% chance it won't. That doesn't stop me from trying to improve as much as possible.

Also on a complete game to game basis ignoring everything but gameplay I would say I enjoy Dota more but I don't enjoy not being able to ladder.
sickoota
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Canada918 Posts
August 31 2013 06:38 GMT
#4
Play ixmike's inhouse league "ixdl", it has a visible rating and if you do well enough you are admitted into "ixdl invite" where many NA/euro pros play
I could spend a while with that smile
Talin
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Montenegro10532 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 06:43:11
August 31 2013 06:42 GMT
#5
No, it is not possible to get unbiased opinions.

You already seem to have enough information to go with and both games are free and easily accessible to try anyway. Unless the idea of the thread is to get people from two camps to fight over your "allegiance", you already have everything you need to make your own call on what you want to play.
Esoterikk
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
Canada1256 Posts
August 31 2013 07:28 GMT
#6
On August 31 2013 15:42 Talin wrote:
No, it is not possible to get unbiased opinions.

You already seem to have enough information to go with and both games are free and easily accessible to try anyway. Unless the idea of the thread is to get people from two camps to fight over your "allegiance", you already have everything you need to make your own call on what you want to play.


It's more a I can't make this decision, I want to play Dota but I don't like not laddering, it feels like wasted time and I don't really know what to do. Play the game I prefer or play the game that has the systems I enjoy in place.
Shottaz
Profile Joined December 2010
United Kingdom414 Posts
August 31 2013 08:04 GMT
#7
I've played both a bit. I'll sum up what I feel about each one.

LOL
+More interesting lore and characters imo
+Crisper graphics, clearer visuals
+Clearer roles for characters
+Items are more intersting

Dota 2
+Game loads much MUCH better (rarely start with afk or disco players)
+Community is slightly less toxic
+Spells seem to hit harder but cost more mana
+Some good ideas like mules

All in all, I prefer LOL, but I play Dota 2 because I can't stand the LOL community, not sure if it was just my level but I played with the most toxic noobs out there.
Praise the sun! \o/
Chairman Ray
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United States11903 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 08:26:41
August 31 2013 08:19 GMT
#8
You can play them interchangeably. A lot of the skill carries over between the two games. Sure it's a lot more to learn, but might be more enjoyable.
Itsmedudeman
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States19229 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 08:32:06
August 31 2013 08:29 GMT
#9
It sounds like you have more incentive to play league. Unless you are having a BLAST playing dota I don't think it'll last without goals and friends to play with. Valve has said they intend some sort of ladder in the future, but for some reason I highly doubt it's going to be coming this year.

You just have more options with League. The competitive scene is really good and well supported; many regions with Worlds coming up, and lots of teams/personalities you can root for. Then there's the game itself where you can choose between ranked or playing with friends casually to relax.

I hate to say it as Dota was my first game and I'm far better and far more experienced in Dota, but I find Dota 2 to be very casual in its current state. League is casual too but there's options.

With that said you can always switch back and forth if you get burnt out. Basically what I've been doing.
Nazza
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
Australia1654 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 08:48:11
August 31 2013 08:43 GMT
#10
I played LoL from 2010 on and off whilst taking breaks from BW and it's an alright game by itself. But even so I haven't hit level 30 and can't play the actual competitive ranked LoL. Which kind of works in reverse to most people's situations. Other people have friends and time invested into LoL, and while LoL has a bigger player base, I have friends who play DotA, and I am not limited to hero selection/runes/masteries/etc.

If you feel like you'll have a better time with your friends in LoL vs just soloing in DotA, then it's fine imo. You might as well keep playing since you have to farm runes/champs anyways.

People say that the matchmaking system in Dota is invisible, but I beg to differ. You can kind of gauge your MMR when you gradually shift from an all carry no-one buys courier team to one that actually communicates, runs a trilane with non-pudge mid, smokes and places wards. You kind of have to make goals for yourself, what level of competitive Dota you want to get to. Although I play support, I place the wards, and I buy the smokes, and I'm still playing all-pick so I dunno if what I have to say is anything to go by.

The only thing that irritates me about Dota is queue times. Australian servers is approx 5 min wait time >.>.
No one ever remembers second place, eh? eh? GIVE ME COMMAND
Esoterikk
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
Canada1256 Posts
August 31 2013 09:08 GMT
#11
On August 31 2013 17:29 Itsmedudeman wrote:
It sounds like you have more incentive to play league. Unless you are having a BLAST playing dota I don't think it'll last without goals and friends to play with. Valve has said they intend some sort of ladder in the future, but for some reason I highly doubt it's going to be coming this year.

You just have more options with League. The competitive scene is really good and well supported; many regions with Worlds coming up, and lots of teams/personalities you can root for. Then there's the game itself where you can choose between ranked or playing with friends casually to relax.

I hate to say it as Dota was my first game and I'm far better and far more experienced in Dota, but I find Dota 2 to be very casual in its current state. League is casual too but there's options.

With that said you can always switch back and forth if you get burnt out. Basically what I've been doing.


Yea, this is pretty well said, casual is a good word I think for how Dota makes me feel, Like just now I played a 50 minute game and it might as well have never happened. Makes me sad because as said before I would much prefer play Dota and ladder.
rabidch
Profile Joined January 2010
United States20289 Posts
August 31 2013 09:24 GMT
#12
Try both games I'd say. I feel LoL is a stale game compared to every other DotA/AoS I've played (this includes everything from HoN to DOTX to some obscure wc3 maps) but the game is very smooth, has likeable characters, and the matchmaking system is better than DotAs (much faster) and has ranked. Plus, people tend to specialize in a certain champion more, so pubs are much less chaotic when it comes to laning, whereas in DotA people end up going in very crippling lanes and doing weird things, but this is also a side effect of buying champions, something you may or may not have a distaste for. I don't really care for ranking in DotA since I only solo queue to improve myself and not about winning at all costs.

Overall, you might actually like LoL the more you play it, so give it a try, because even though skills are quite transferable it is a different game.

You can try ixdl too if all you really want is a ranking system.

On August 31 2013 17:43 Nazza wrote:
I played LoL from 2010 on and off whilst taking breaks from BW and it's an alright game by itself. But even so I haven't hit level 30 and can't play the actual competitive ranked LoL. Which kind of works in reverse to most people's situations. Other people have friends and time invested into LoL, and while LoL has a bigger player base, I have friends who play DotA, and I am not limited to hero selection/runes/masteries/etc.

If you feel like you'll have a better time with your friends in LoL vs just soloing in DotA, then it's fine imo. You might as well keep playing since you have to farm runes/champs anyways.

People say that the matchmaking system in Dota is invisible, but I beg to differ. You can kind of gauge your MMR when you gradually shift from an all carry no-one buys courier team to one that actually communicates, runs a trilane with non-pudge mid, smokes and places wards. You kind of have to make goals for yourself, what level of competitive Dota you want to get to. Although I play support, I place the wards, and I buy the smokes, and I'm still playing all-pick so I dunno if what I have to say is anything to go by.

The only thing that irritates me about Dota is queue times. Australian servers is approx 5 min wait time >.>.

dota makes up for it by not taking 5 minutes to load...
LiquidDota StaffOnly a true king can play the King.
3772
Profile Joined May 2010
Czech Republic434 Posts
August 31 2013 09:48 GMT
#13
I'd say Dota, just because you don't have to grind for heroes and everyone has the same conditions.
Bommes
Profile Joined June 2010
Germany1226 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 10:34:48
August 31 2013 10:28 GMT
#14
I'm a firm believer that you should always do the thing which is the most enjoyable for you on the lowest level. You enjoy kicking a ball? Play football/soccer. You enjoy making a musical note? Learn to play an instrument. You enjoy playing a game of Dota? Play Dota.

Realistically leagues or unlocks are nothing that will keep you playing a game in the long term, at least for me thats the case.

edit:
On the other hand, if the friends you would play League with are good friends and you would hang around with them either way all the time then I think it's probably smarter to play League as well.
Yurie
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
11865 Posts
August 31 2013 10:38 GMT
#15
On August 31 2013 18:48 3772 wrote:
I'd say Dota, just because you don't have to grind for heroes and everyone has the same conditions.


This was the reason I quit LoL. I got to level 15 in a couple of days and then quit when they did new weekly heroes. So I can't give an unbiased opinion due to liking Dota 2 a lot more (based on the small amount of LoL I played) and not being able to stand LoLs unlock system.

I know a lot of people play both games, so that might be best for you. When you just want to sit back and play a game go Dota, when you want to play with your friends go LoL.
Gorribal
Profile Blog Joined March 2013
Canada186 Posts
August 31 2013 12:36 GMT
#16
Hearthstone is where all the eSports money is nowadays Keepo

User was warned for this post
"PartinG keeps touching us and groping us (laughs)." - Rain
Steveling
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Greece10806 Posts
August 31 2013 12:42 GMT
#17
Dota is so much more fun it's not even funny.
My dick has shrunk to the point where it looks like I have 3 balls.
Tobberoth
Profile Joined August 2010
Sweden6375 Posts
August 31 2013 12:49 GMT
#18
Both games are free and fun. Play both, there's no reason to make a decision since you're not a pro gamer, you have the time to play both and enjoy both. For example, like me who plays dota 2 solo but league with friends.
Zealos
Profile Blog Joined November 2011
United Kingdom3576 Posts
August 31 2013 13:06 GMT
#19
On August 31 2013 17:04 Shottaz wrote:
LOL
+Items are more intersting

hmmm.
On the internet if you disagree with or dislike something you're angry and taking it too seriously. == Join TLMafia !
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
August 31 2013 13:56 GMT
#20
DotA 2 on the Source engine doesn't feel smooth at all compared to Allstars, HoN, or LoL. Movement feels awkward and commands don't feel responsive.

The HUD isn't scalable and it's awful. It takes up the entire width of the screen and is useless for the most part, it feels like I'm playing a game designed in 2000 for 800x600 screens.

The scoreboard is also awful. Why does KDA have its own columns but level, gold, and CS don't? More importantly, why the hell does colour have its own column when the portrait border is already coloured? It also irritates me that the top bar is missing level and KDA when there's plenty of space for this info.

There's no desktop client like LoL so playing full screen is very annoying during the queueing / hero selection if you tend to alt-tab often. Though LoL does have that fucking stupid bug where the game gets stuck in the bottom corner if you're alt-tabbed when the actual game launches after champion selection (requiring you to relaunch the game).

Denying is rewarding yet frustrating at the same time.

With all that said, DotA does have its upsides. Lanes don't snowball nearly as hard as they do in LoL. There's a lot more variety in teams since you aren't forced into specific roles (ADC, Jungle, Top, Mid, Support) like you are in LoL. You don't have to farm for heroes or runes.

Note I don't play either game anymore. DotA for the reasons above, League because I can't stand playing with four randoms who cry over roles and have poor attitudes. I guess it gets better in Platinum but promotion series are seriously frustrating.
SKC
Profile Joined October 2010
Brazil18828 Posts
August 31 2013 13:59 GMT
#21
On August 31 2013 22:56 skyR wrote:
There's no desktop client like LoL so playing full screen is very annoying during the queueing / hero selection if you tend to alt-tab often. Though LoL does have that fucking stupid bug where the game gets stuck in the bottom corner if you're alt-tabbed when the actual game launches after champion selection (requiring you to relaunch the game).

I don't know how "desktop client" works, but what's wrong with borderless windowed mode?
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 14:25:13
August 31 2013 14:22 GMT
#22
That still takes up the whole screen. I guess I should mention that it really only applies to people using one or two monitors.
Steveling
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Greece10806 Posts
August 31 2013 14:25 GMT
#23
Dota2 is the smoothest game of all of them as well.
Plus best client.
My dick has shrunk to the point where it looks like I have 3 balls.
docvoc
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
United States5491 Posts
August 31 2013 14:55 GMT
#24
I'll give you a fairly unbiased opinion. Do what you want to; play what makes you happy. If you enjoy the laddering in LoL, then do that, and if the game experience isn't what you want, just play DotA2. There really isn't too huge of a deal here, this is all on you, not anyone else dude .
User was warned for too many mimes.
Mothra
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
United States1448 Posts
August 31 2013 18:31 GMT
#25
The reason I prefer DotA is because the game has been played and tested for a long time now. LoL is constantly in flux with new champions being added all the time, items being added/removed, not to mention mastery and rune tweaking. If you invest time into learning DotA, you can reasonably expect to know what's going on if you jump into it at a future time after taking a break. I also have more faith in the team and company behind DotA2 not fucking up their game than I do in Riot.
Firebolt145
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Lalalaland34492 Posts
August 31 2013 18:51 GMT
#26
A few of the opinions I read in here just make me go 'wat'.

But in the end, everything comes secondary to what you enjoy more. Having friends that play it is a huge bonus towards LoL, although I daresay if you don't have RL friends that play Dota there are still a lot of TLers that you can join on a regular basis.
Moderator
Carnivorous Sheep
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Baa?21243 Posts
August 31 2013 19:02 GMT
#27
play what your friends play
TranslatorBaa!
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
August 31 2013 19:07 GMT
#28
On August 31 2013 22:06 Zealos wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 31 2013 17:04 Shottaz wrote:
LOL
+Items are more intersting

hmmm.

Yeah I love LoL but this is kinda lols.
Kashll
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
United States1117 Posts
August 31 2013 19:10 GMT
#29
Depends on if you enjoy strategy or micro.

DoTA is much more strategically deep.

LoL is more constant micro and micro can get you further in that game.
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
Whole
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States6046 Posts
August 31 2013 19:11 GMT
#30
On August 31 2013 23:55 docvoc wrote:
I'll give you a fairly unbiased opinion. Do what you want to; play what makes you happy. If you enjoy the laddering in LoL, then do that, and if the game experience isn't what you want, just play DotA2. There really isn't too huge of a deal here, this is all on you, not anyone else dude .

this is biased towards fun
ETisME
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
12458 Posts
August 31 2013 19:32 GMT
#31
On August 31 2013 22:56 skyR wrote:
DotA 2 on the Source engine doesn't feel smooth at all compared to Allstars, HoN, or LoL. Movement feels awkward and commands don't feel responsive.

The HUD isn't scalable and it's awful. It takes up the entire width of the screen and is useless for the most part, it feels like I'm playing a game designed in 2000 for 800x600 screens.

The scoreboard is also awful. Why does KDA have its own columns but level, gold, and CS don't? More importantly, why the hell does colour have its own column when the portrait border is already coloured? It also irritates me that the top bar is missing level and KDA when there's plenty of space for this info.

There's no desktop client like LoL so playing full screen is very annoying during the queueing / hero selection if you tend to alt-tab often. Though LoL does have that fucking stupid bug where the game gets stuck in the bottom corner if you're alt-tabbed when the actual game launches after champion selection (requiring you to relaunch the game).

Denying is rewarding yet frustrating at the same time.

With all that said, DotA does have its upsides. Lanes don't snowball nearly as hard as they do in LoL. There's a lot more variety in teams since you aren't forced into specific roles (ADC, Jungle, Top, Mid, Support) like you are in LoL. You don't have to farm for heroes or runes.

Note I don't play either game anymore. DotA for the reasons above, League because I can't stand playing with four randoms who cry over roles and have poor attitudes. I guess it gets better in Platinum but promotion series are seriously frustrating.

Holy shit, you speak my mind out.
I also feel runes are a little random, different runes just have too different effect and although they are all useful for sure, I don't enjoy randomness.
I find support in lol Damn boring, unless you are thresh or blitz. Being such an essential position for the team, your warding is more important than your whole champion presence lol
其疾如风,其徐如林,侵掠如火,不动如山,难知如阴,动如雷震。
Firebolt145
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Lalalaland34492 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 19:44:55
August 31 2013 19:43 GMT
#32
On August 31 2013 22:56 skyR wrote:
DotA 2 on the Source engine doesn't feel smooth at all compared to Allstars, HoN, or LoL. Movement feels awkward and commands don't feel responsive.

The HUD isn't scalable and it's awful. It takes up the entire width of the screen and is useless for the most part, it feels like I'm playing a game designed in 2000 for 800x600 screens.

The scoreboard is also awful. Why does KDA have its own columns but level, gold, and CS don't? More importantly, why the hell does colour have its own column when the portrait border is already coloured? It also irritates me that the top bar is missing level and KDA when there's plenty of space for this info.

There's no desktop client like LoL so playing full screen is very annoying during the queueing / hero selection if you tend to alt-tab often. Though LoL does have that fucking stupid bug where the game gets stuck in the bottom corner if you're alt-tabbed when the actual game launches after champion selection (requiring you to relaunch the game).

Denying is rewarding yet frustrating at the same time.

With all that said, DotA does have its upsides. Lanes don't snowball nearly as hard as they do in LoL. There's a lot more variety in teams since you aren't forced into specific roles (ADC, Jungle, Top, Mid, Support) like you are in LoL. You don't have to farm for heroes or runes.

Note I don't play either game anymore. DotA for the reasons above, League because I can't stand playing with four randoms who cry over roles and have poor attitudes. I guess it gets better in Platinum but promotion series are seriously frustrating.

Rereading this I feel I have to respond.

1) If you're comparing it to LoL/HoN, I agree because turn rates, attack and cast animations are deliberately in Dota for balance reasons, making it feel sluggish to someone unfamiliar with it. On the other hand Dota 2 is so much smoother than WC3 DotA, and I have no idea how you feel otherwise.

2) HUD is not scalable to keep it in line with WC3 Dota. The amount of space you see is actually a big deal.

3) This is really nitpicky, I don't even... Pressing one hotkey to quickly check what heroes have what levels is very simple and I don't understand why you have difficulty with it.

4) Wat. Borderless window mode means no problem alt-tabbing. Once again, extremely nitpicky.

5) Er, okay. There's a lot more to be said about denying but meh.
Moderator
rabidch
Profile Joined January 2010
United States20289 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 20:17:18
August 31 2013 20:15 GMT
#33
On September 01 2013 04:43 Firebolt145 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 31 2013 22:56 skyR wrote:
DotA 2 on the Source engine doesn't feel smooth at all compared to Allstars, HoN, or LoL. Movement feels awkward and commands don't feel responsive.

The HUD isn't scalable and it's awful. It takes up the entire width of the screen and is useless for the most part, it feels like I'm playing a game designed in 2000 for 800x600 screens.

The scoreboard is also awful. Why does KDA have its own columns but level, gold, and CS don't? More importantly, why the hell does colour have its own column when the portrait border is already coloured? It also irritates me that the top bar is missing level and KDA when there's plenty of space for this info.

There's no desktop client like LoL so playing full screen is very annoying during the queueing / hero selection if you tend to alt-tab often. Though LoL does have that fucking stupid bug where the game gets stuck in the bottom corner if you're alt-tabbed when the actual game launches after champion selection (requiring you to relaunch the game).

Denying is rewarding yet frustrating at the same time.

With all that said, DotA does have its upsides. Lanes don't snowball nearly as hard as they do in LoL. There's a lot more variety in teams since you aren't forced into specific roles (ADC, Jungle, Top, Mid, Support) like you are in LoL. You don't have to farm for heroes or runes.

Note I don't play either game anymore. DotA for the reasons above, League because I can't stand playing with four randoms who cry over roles and have poor attitudes. I guess it gets better in Platinum but promotion series are seriously frustrating.

Rereading this I feel I have to respond.

1) If you're comparing it to LoL/HoN, I agree because turn rates, attack and cast animations are deliberately in Dota for balance reasons, making it feel sluggish to someone unfamiliar with it. On the other hand Dota 2 is so much smoother than WC3 DotA, and I have no idea how you feel otherwise.

2) HUD is not scalable to keep it in line with WC3 Dota. The amount of space you see is actually a big deal.

3) This is really nitpicky, I don't even... Pressing one hotkey to quickly check what heroes have what levels is very simple and I don't understand why you have difficulty with it.

4) Wat. Borderless window mode means no problem alt-tabbing. Once again, extremely nitpicky.

5) Er, okay. There's a lot more to be said about denying but meh.

turn rates are animated more accurately than in wc3 dota, in wc3 units would begin turn and move when the command was issued, but this is actually false information as the unit would turn first before anything and then move, which is how dota2 does things. this is why you cant "moonwalk" in dota2 with some heroes whereas in wc3 you can

i play both games and i honestly don't see the difference between them when taking into account turn rates and the various attack and casting animations, an example is clinkz, who has a .7 attack animation and .4 base turn rate, if you want to turn around 180 degrees and attack with him it will take about a second tor less o expect the attack to get off. some people have issues with this design but complain about that, not some delay that doesnt exist
LiquidDota StaffOnly a true king can play the King.
Firebolt145
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Lalalaland34492 Posts
August 31 2013 20:40 GMT
#34
On September 01 2013 05:15 rabidch wrote:
Show nested quote +
On September 01 2013 04:43 Firebolt145 wrote:
On August 31 2013 22:56 skyR wrote:
DotA 2 on the Source engine doesn't feel smooth at all compared to Allstars, HoN, or LoL. Movement feels awkward and commands don't feel responsive.

The HUD isn't scalable and it's awful. It takes up the entire width of the screen and is useless for the most part, it feels like I'm playing a game designed in 2000 for 800x600 screens.

The scoreboard is also awful. Why does KDA have its own columns but level, gold, and CS don't? More importantly, why the hell does colour have its own column when the portrait border is already coloured? It also irritates me that the top bar is missing level and KDA when there's plenty of space for this info.

There's no desktop client like LoL so playing full screen is very annoying during the queueing / hero selection if you tend to alt-tab often. Though LoL does have that fucking stupid bug where the game gets stuck in the bottom corner if you're alt-tabbed when the actual game launches after champion selection (requiring you to relaunch the game).

Denying is rewarding yet frustrating at the same time.

With all that said, DotA does have its upsides. Lanes don't snowball nearly as hard as they do in LoL. There's a lot more variety in teams since you aren't forced into specific roles (ADC, Jungle, Top, Mid, Support) like you are in LoL. You don't have to farm for heroes or runes.

Note I don't play either game anymore. DotA for the reasons above, League because I can't stand playing with four randoms who cry over roles and have poor attitudes. I guess it gets better in Platinum but promotion series are seriously frustrating.

Rereading this I feel I have to respond.

1) If you're comparing it to LoL/HoN, I agree because turn rates, attack and cast animations are deliberately in Dota for balance reasons, making it feel sluggish to someone unfamiliar with it. On the other hand Dota 2 is so much smoother than WC3 DotA, and I have no idea how you feel otherwise.

2) HUD is not scalable to keep it in line with WC3 Dota. The amount of space you see is actually a big deal.

3) This is really nitpicky, I don't even... Pressing one hotkey to quickly check what heroes have what levels is very simple and I don't understand why you have difficulty with it.

4) Wat. Borderless window mode means no problem alt-tabbing. Once again, extremely nitpicky.

5) Er, okay. There's a lot more to be said about denying but meh.

turn rates are animated more accurately than in wc3 dota, in wc3 units would begin turn and move when the command was issued, but this is actually false information as the unit would turn first before anything and then move, which is how dota2 does things. this is why you cant "moonwalk" in dota2 with some heroes whereas in wc3 you can

i play both games and i honestly don't see the difference between them when taking into account turn rates and the various attack and casting animations, an example is clinkz, who has a .7 attack animation and .4 base turn rate, if you want to turn around 180 degrees and attack with him it will take about a second tor less o expect the attack to get off. some people have issues with this design but complain about that, not some delay that doesnt exist

When I say Dota 2 is smoother than DotA I don't mean turn rates and animations (Jakiro in DotA is pretty funny) but the game experience as a whole.
Moderator
Warri
Profile Joined May 2010
Germany3208 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 20:44:16
August 31 2013 20:40 GMT
#35
On August 31 2013 17:04 Shottaz wrote:
I've played both a bit. I'll sum up what I feel about each one.

LOL
+More interesting lore and characters imo
+Crisper graphics, clearer visuals
+Clearer roles for characters
+Items are more intersting

Dota 2
+Game loads much MUCH better (rarely start with afk or disco players)
+Community is slightly less toxic
+Spells seem to hit harder but cost more mana
+Some good ideas like mules

All in all, I prefer LOL, but I play Dota 2 because I can't stand the LOL community, not sure if it was just my level but I played with the most toxic noobs out there.

I have to disagree with like everything here.
LOL
+More interesting lore and characters imo < lore aside, because its completely irrelevant unless you want to rp this shit, what do you mean by more interesting characters? Boobs? Qop has nice boobs i heard. Every hero in LoL is either a male rogueish type or a female boobish type.
+Crisper graphics, clearer visuals < I loled, this is HIGHLY subjective. You perceive whichever youve played more "clearer", but the comic style with black highlighting is so extremly ugly its not even funny. LoL is ugly, the engine is old, get over it.
+Clearer roles for characters < how is that a +, and how does this not contradict "more interesting characters"?
+Items are more intersting < more interesting? there are like 100 items that do almost the same, again highly subjective here.

Dota 2
+Game loads much MUCH better (rarely start with afk or disco players) < i had a better experience playing a lowlvl account in lol for a week than dota. Over 50 games i had not a single disconnect, pause or afk/leaver, whereas in dota EVERY. SINGLE. FUCKING. game there is a pause of at least 1 minute. Sure its a small sample size, but the pauses in dota2 are highly annoying, especially when there isnt even a disconnect. I wish theyd change it so you cant pause..
+Community is slightly less toxic < depends on the level youre playing i think, low queue in dota is shit too.
+Spells seem to hit harder but cost more mana < however, they dont scale with items (except for ultimates with aghanims). spells in dota, especially in lategame are all about crowdcontrol and less about damage.
+Some good ideas like mules < i guess you can count that as a plus, but its just a different system, theres no built in tp to base.
On September 01 2013 04:43 Firebolt145 wrote:
1) If you're comparing it to LoL/HoN, I agree because turn rates, attack and cast animations are deliberately in Dota for balance reasons, making it feel sluggish to someone unfamiliar with it. On the other hand Dota 2 is so much smoother than WC3 DotA, and I have no idea how you feel otherwise.

god yes, i always have to roll eyes when people bring this up.


Edit: to answer ops question: no its not possible to get an unbiased opinion.
Kipsate
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Netherlands45349 Posts
August 31 2013 20:45 GMT
#36
Unbiased opinions in Dota/LoL

ha
WriterXiao8~~
Djzapz
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Canada10681 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-08-31 20:47:32
August 31 2013 20:47 GMT
#37
I haven't read the thread so presumably someone has already said something like this but basically play the games and pick one. If you ask for unbiased thoughts, you'll still just get biased opinions. Play the games, get your own biased opinion and then make your own choice.

I could understand making a blog post to "shop" for a game if you had to pay for it, but they're both free. Just test them out.
"My incompetence with power tools had been increasing exponentially over the course of 20 years spent inhaling experimental oven cleaners"
Firebolt145
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Lalalaland34492 Posts
August 31 2013 20:51 GMT
#38
Hell, play both. Over time you will gravitate more towards the one you enjoy more, and then you can focus on trying to improve in that.
Moderator
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
August 31 2013 21:39 GMT
#39
But above all if you have friends that play either game then play with them all and you'll just naturally gravitate towards the game you enjoy playing more with you friends. For most people the game is far far far far more enjoyable to play with people you know than randoms for various reasons.
ArcticRaven
Profile Joined August 2011
France1406 Posts
August 31 2013 21:44 GMT
#40
Why not play both ?

Also if you would like a ladder in dota, just join an inhouse ; ixdl-o is the most open of them.
[Govie] Wierd shit, on a 6 game AP winning streak with KOTL in the trench. I searched gandalf quotes and spammed them all game long, trenchwarfare247, whateva it takes!
Warri
Profile Joined May 2010
Germany3208 Posts
August 31 2013 21:54 GMT
#41
or http://dota2.n-gage.tv/index.php
Doomblaze
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
United States1292 Posts
September 01 2013 00:37 GMT
#42
On August 31 2013 15:17 Esoterikk wrote:
So due to wrist problems and a general malaise with Sc2 lately I am shifting focus to either LoL or Dota 2 but I can't really decide on one, I am hoping it's possible to get unbiased opinions from people but this is likely a pipe dream, let me preface this by saying if you are here to post "HURF BLURF DOTA IS MORE HARDER" just turn around please.

At the very base level I enjoy Dota more, I find the heroes and spells more discernible and I find the game much more immersive where I actually feel connected to my hero where as LoL kind of feels disconnected where I am aware I am playing a game. However, I also really enjoy laddering, it gives me a reason to get better and since I know I will never be a pro gamer climbing the ladder is my own personal form of achievement.

Honestly the lack of a ladder or competitive matchmaking is really turning me away from Dota right now.

I can't turn around without seeing League these days, all my friends who game play League and aren't interested in Dota so right off the bat I am far more likely to have fun games with friends in League, most of the streamers i watch play League (Destiny, Hafu and some of my favorite Sc2 streamers do LoL in the off time).

So here I am, I have reasons to enjoy both games, I will likely devote the next 2-3 years trying to improve at the game and I enjoy taking other peoples thoughts into account when making personal decisions, so is there any possibility I can get some unbiased thoughts on the 2 games?


Ive played dota since it existed and i dont play lol because I find it incredibly boring and easy so obviously im biased but whatever

I wrote a list of pros and cons but since you play both games and people already did that I deleted it and I'll just give you my biased opinion.

If you're just playing to have fun with your friends I would suggest playing LoL. The player base is so huge that im sure there are many people at your level who you can have fun with. Its harder to have fun with my friends when I play dota since im the best player in my uni and theres only 3-4 other competent players, while theres 30 or so bad ones. In comparison there's around 50 fairly good league players and 1000 or so bad ones.

If you want to get better at a game, I would highly recommend you play dota since i feel there's a lot more to get better at. I have no experience with high level league though so what do I know. If you like dota more from the get-go then i suggest you stick with it. If you really need a visible ranking then theres a few ihls which are popular. In the US the most popular one is IXDL. IXDL-Open skill level isnt very high but if you're decent you can get into ixdl-i which is where the good players reside
In Mushi we trust
Yurie
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
11865 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-09-01 06:11:54
September 01 2013 06:07 GMT
#43
On September 01 2013 06:54 Warri wrote:
or http://dota2.n-gage.tv/index.php


That has a 300 game requirement. For a new player that means 3 months before joining.

Wait I read that wrong, 300 wins it is, so 5+ months.
udgnim
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8024 Posts
September 01 2013 06:18 GMT
#44
E-Sports is competitive video gaming with a spectator fan base. Do not take the word "Sports" literally.
deathray797
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
196 Posts
September 02 2013 06:45 GMT
#45
So many people saying to play the game which your friends play.

I want to kill all my friends when I play with them :/
Talin
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Montenegro10532 Posts
September 02 2013 08:15 GMT
#46
On September 02 2013 15:45 deathray797 wrote:
So many people saying to play the game which your friends play.

I want to kill all my friends when I play with them :/


Actually, I do find it more difficult (I guess draining might be a better word) to play with friends. It feels like I just spend more energy on the game due to all the communication going on and being aware of more things than I'm normally aware of.

Every now and then I play solo queue just to chill.
REDBLUEGREEN
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Germany1903 Posts
September 02 2013 08:40 GMT
#47
I really don't like mobas and only played LoL for 5 hours or so but I can comment on sharing a hobby with friends.

It's great if you have similar expectations or are similarly competitive about it otherwise it gets frustrating and old quite fast.
Happened to me in team-oriented PC games before where I was by far the highest skilled out of the group and got frustrated with all the mistakes they made.
Happened to me when I made a band with some buddies but for me it was just about jamming once a week and if I didn't feel like practicing I didn't do it at all, while some other bandmates wanted to play on stages and got frustrated that I didn't practice our songs :D

So I'd say go for LoL if your friends are similarly competitive like you are and otherwise go for dota since it seems you like the game itself more.
dartoo
Profile Joined May 2010
India2889 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-09-02 08:57:54
September 02 2013 08:50 GMT
#48
I had the same issue as you a few months ago..I really liked dota, but got bored a bit.

I felt like there was nothing to play for, lack of a ladder/structure, and a matchmaking system where there are some people who do not even know the basics of a moba game ruin the entire game for 9 others.

Decided to try LoL, and some of the above problems were rectified (ladder, better matchmaking...for most part). But the game itself didnt feel as great, I really liked dota better: itemization, heroes, graphics etc. Got back to playing dota again after the international..but the same issues are back.

And the sad part is there is nothing like ixdl or whatever for sea.. So until valve fixes something, it's going to be like this.

Edit: Actually thinking about it..there is a team match making ladder, but I dont know anyone else that plays dota or other PC games :/ It's understandable that team matchmaking is *the* ladder, because a ladder is meant for serious players...and a serious game in dota is an arranged team. Besides solo matchmaking is probably not a very measure of skill in a dota game. So I understand valves issue with a solo ladder, but it would still be kinda fun to have one in there.
Gendo
Profile Joined June 2012
United Kingdom216 Posts
September 02 2013 20:38 GMT
#49
I play Dota 2 on occasion and i like it but playing it alone with team mates who don't speak your language and don't take it seriously ( as in at least click something and not d/c...) can be infuriating and a huge waste of time.
Assuming that both games have similar issues i would go for LoL since your friends already play it, simple as that.
guN-viCe
Profile Joined March 2010
United States687 Posts
September 02 2013 20:50 GMT
#50
On August 31 2013 16:28 Esoterikk wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 31 2013 15:42 Talin wrote:
No, it is not possible to get unbiased opinions.

You already seem to have enough information to go with and both games are free and easily accessible to try anyway. Unless the idea of the thread is to get people from two camps to fight over your "allegiance", you already have everything you need to make your own call on what you want to play.


It's more a I can't make this decision, I want to play Dota but I don't like not laddering, it feels like wasted time and I don't really know what to do. Play the game I prefer or play the game that has the systems I enjoy in place.


If it's 50/50, flip a coin.
Never give up, never surrender!!! ~~ Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence -Sagan
Sejanus
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
Lithuania550 Posts
September 03 2013 05:25 GMT
#51
If you'd ask more particular questions, people might be able to help. But it seems that...
On August 31 2013 15:42 Talin wrote:
No, it is not possible to get unbiased opinions.

You already seem to have enough information to go with and both games are free and easily accessible to try anyway. Unless the idea of the thread is to get people from two camps to fight over your "allegiance", you already have everything you need to make your own call on what you want to play.


Amen
Friends don't let friends massacre civilians
Esoterikk
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
Canada1256 Posts
September 03 2013 06:42 GMT
#52
On September 03 2013 14:25 Sejanus wrote:
If you'd ask more particular questions, people might be able to help. But it seems that...
Show nested quote +
On August 31 2013 15:42 Talin wrote:
No, it is not possible to get unbiased opinions.

You already seem to have enough information to go with and both games are free and easily accessible to try anyway. Unless the idea of the thread is to get people from two camps to fight over your "allegiance", you already have everything you need to make your own call on what you want to play.


Amen


Is it worth playing a game I don't like as much for something I enjoy like a ladder, I prefer Dota but can stand LoL, I look forward to playing dota but I also look forward to laddering.

Hopefully that is a little more specific.
Chezus
Profile Joined January 2011
Netherlands427 Posts
September 03 2013 09:15 GMT
#53
Just play the game your friends play. It's not a hard choice to make. You can attempt to play dota at a competitive level for fun (like, make a team and sign for some tourney or play team match making), but that requires a lot more effort on your part. There are some slight measurements of skill in Dota (normal/high/vhigh brackets), but that's not as clear as in LoL (with divisions and stuff)

In my honest opinion solo queues are crooked as fuck anyway. There's always that one player that messes up for everyone, and you're never going to see that player again. In a team it doesn't matter if someone messes up, because the player will learn from it and do better next time (well, hopefully).

Both games are so different from StarCraft because of the team aspect. For the best experience you probably want to pick up one game as five people, and just start learning the game as five. That way you have full control over your skill measurement
Shottaz
Profile Joined December 2010
United Kingdom414 Posts
September 03 2013 11:50 GMT
#54
On September 01 2013 04:07 koreasilver wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 31 2013 22:06 Zealos wrote:
On August 31 2013 17:04 Shottaz wrote:
LOL
+Items are more intersting

hmmm.

Yeah I love LoL but this is kinda lols.


I was speaking from a name/picture perspective. Evidently you both disagree, which is cool.
Praise the sun! \o/
mizU
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States12125 Posts
September 03 2013 13:14 GMT
#55
just play whatever your friends play
no one actually gives a shit which game is better
just which game is more fun
if happy ever afters did exist <3 @watamizu_
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