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Active: 1265 users

Where is the skill in DotA 2?

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1 2 Next All
GreenGringo
Profile Joined July 2013
349 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-14 06:02:10
July 14 2013 05:57 GMT
#1
I've been playing DotA2 for a week and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. In terms of strategic depth and potential for creativity, it's so superior to LoL as to make the comparison a subject of ridicule. But I have a nagging feeling when I note the almost complete absence of skill shots in DotA2 and think in terms of skill as opposed to knowledge and strategy.

Almost every single hero I've played or seen doesn't have skill shots, but abilities that are akin to the easiest-to-deploy abilities in LoL. This is disturbing, because skill shots are a huge component of skill in LoL or any popular team-based sport of which I'm aware.

So the question is raised: what does skill mean in DotA2 apart from last hitting and denying creeps? Or is there little skill and is it a game of pure strategy and knowledge?
vahgar.r24
Profile Joined October 2010
India465 Posts
July 14 2013 06:03 GMT
#2
1. Counter picking
2. positioning
3. When to engage when to back off
4. Picking right items
Somethings are just worth fighting for
Matoo-
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
Canada1397 Posts
July 14 2013 06:04 GMT
#3
On July 14 2013 15:03 vahgar.r24 wrote:
1. Counter picking
2. positioning
3. When to engage when to back off
4. Picking right items

I have never watched or played Dota 2 in my life but even I can tell you haven't read the OP at all.
Kmatt
Profile Joined July 2011
United States1019 Posts
July 14 2013 06:04 GMT
#4
The reason there are less "skillshots" is because a lot of abilities don't gain anything by having a point target. As much as people like to parrot "more difficult=better", having the chance to completely flunk an ability with a very defined purpose adds punishment without contributing much to gameplay.

For example, Rubick's Fade Bolt is a single unit target ability. If it were made into a "skillshot", all that would do is allow people to hide behind creeps and possibly negate a powerful early game last-hitting tool and nuke, while also nerfing a viable late-game damage debuff. Does turning it to a point target make it more "skill" based? Yes, if by "skill" you mean mouse accuracy, but that's not what DotA is about, so it doesn't actually improve the game, just makes it more difficult.
We CAN have nice things
superstartran
Profile Joined March 2010
United States4013 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-14 06:08:59
July 14 2013 06:05 GMT
#5
On July 14 2013 14:57 GreenGringo wrote:
I've been playing DotA2 for a week and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. In terms of strategic depth and potential for creativity, it's so superior to LoL as to make the comparison a subject of ridicule. But I have a nagging feeling when I note the almost complete absence of skill shots in DotA2 and think in terms of skill as opposed to knowledge and strategy.

Almost every single hero I've played or seen doesn't have skill shots, but abilities that are akin to the easiest-to-deploy abilities in LoL. This is disturbing, because skill shots are a huge component of skill in LoL or any popular team-based sport of which I'm aware.

So the question is raised: what does skill mean in DotA2 apart from last hitting and denying creeps? Or is there little skill and is it a game of pure strategy and knowledge?



Part of the passive laning phase that League has is because of the ridiculous amount of 'skill' shots that they have. Mass skill shots = hide behind creep waves or stay a distance off to dodge, resulting in boring laning phases.


Most skills in DotA work the way because of the WC3 engine; you could technically have a ton of skill shots in WC3, but it wasn't exactly easy to do nor did it play very smooth.
GreenGringo
Profile Joined July 2013
349 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-14 06:09:55
July 14 2013 06:08 GMT
#6
On July 14 2013 15:03 vahgar.r24 wrote:
1. Counter picking
2. positioning
3. When to engage when to back off
4. Picking right items
It might be bad form to respond so soon to answers, but let me just clear this up.

(1) and (4) are indisputably in the camp of "knowledge & strategy", not "skill" . Think of the difference between coaches and players and you'll see that this difference is really meaningful and not just an arbitrary divide I'm inventing to troll DotA2 players.

(2) and (3) are judgement calls made in the heat of the moment and I can easily agree that they're more about skill than knowledge.

But LoL also has positioning and safe engagements, as well as other stuff like skill shots. Does that mean LoL is a more skill-based game than DotA2?
crms
Profile Joined February 2010
United States11933 Posts
July 14 2013 06:08 GMT
#7
The comparison argument to lack of skill shots in dota vs lol has always bothered me because I don't find many of leagues skill shots to be very "skillful" when they're on such a low cooldown and cost very little (if any) mana. I'm not sure if it's very 'skillful' to get 15 tries per mana bar (or literally a try every single spell cooldown) compared to the very intensive mana issues in Dota. Resource management and deciding if your spells are worth using is harder than most LoL skill shots.
http://i.imgur.com/fAUOr2c.png | Fighting games are great
superstartran
Profile Joined March 2010
United States4013 Posts
July 14 2013 06:10 GMT
#8
On July 14 2013 15:08 crms wrote:
The comparison argument to lack of skill shots in dota vs lol has always bothered me because I don't find many of leagues skill shots to be very "skillful" when they're on such a low cooldown and cost very little (if any) mana. I'm not sure if it's very 'skillful' to get 15 tries per mana bar (or literally a try every single spell cooldown) compared to the very intensive mana issues in Dota. Resource management and deciding if your spells are worth using is harder than most LoL skill shots.



My favorite is when both mids get blue. Spamathon of the century.
KgKris
Profile Joined April 2011
United States164 Posts
July 14 2013 06:11 GMT
#9
"The spider comes."
crms
Profile Joined February 2010
United States11933 Posts
July 14 2013 06:13 GMT
#10
I hate that video because it makes me realize my tinker isn't nearly as good as I think it is.
http://i.imgur.com/fAUOr2c.png | Fighting games are great
Frost
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Korea (South)1042 Posts
July 14 2013 06:14 GMT
#11
On July 14 2013 15:13 crms wrote:
I hate that video because it makes me realize my tinker isn't nearly as good as I think it is.


Mine's only good enough up to the void ult dodge.
vndestiny
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
Singapore3440 Posts
July 14 2013 06:15 GMT
#12
That probably because you have yet to try all the heroes. On top of my head heroes with skill shots (I assume that means skills which require prediction of enemy movement in order for it to land) include these but not all : pudge, potm, clockwerk, meepo, kunka, AA, SF, leshrac, lina, windrunner, invoker, jakiro, disruptor, ... In addition to any hero which has a long cast time basically.
GreenGringo
Profile Joined July 2013
349 Posts
July 14 2013 06:19 GMT
#13
On July 14 2013 15:15 vndestiny wrote:
That probably because you have yet to try all the heroes. On top of my head heroes with skill shots (I assume that means skills which require prediction of enemy movement in order for it to land) include these but not all : pudge, potm, clockwerk, meepo, kunka, AA, SF, leshrac, lina, windrunner, invoker, jakiro, disruptor, ... In addition to any hero which has a long cast time basically.
Some exceptions, but there's definitely less overall emphasis on skill shots than in LoL. Veteran DotA2 players aren't denying this point..
GGTeMpLaR
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United States7226 Posts
July 14 2013 06:23 GMT
#14
On July 14 2013 15:11 KgKris wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIyNo9Pu9QI


That's just amazing.
Kmatt
Profile Joined July 2011
United States1019 Posts
July 14 2013 06:23 GMT
#15
On July 14 2013 15:19 GreenGringo wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 14 2013 15:15 vndestiny wrote:
That probably because you have yet to try all the heroes. On top of my head heroes with skill shots (I assume that means skills which require prediction of enemy movement in order for it to land) include these but not all : pudge, potm, clockwerk, meepo, kunka, AA, SF, leshrac, lina, windrunner, invoker, jakiro, disruptor, ... In addition to any hero which has a long cast time basically.
Some exceptions, but there's definitely less overall emphasis on skill shots than in LoL. Veteran DotA2 players aren't denying this point..


We can agree there are less point target abilities, the question is, what makes them so significant that they worsen the game in their absence? Is point-and-click reflexes the "make or break" factor for being a good game?
We CAN have nice things
vndestiny
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
Singapore3440 Posts
July 14 2013 06:26 GMT
#16
On July 14 2013 15:19 GreenGringo wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 14 2013 15:15 vndestiny wrote:
That probably because you have yet to try all the heroes. On top of my head heroes with skill shots (I assume that means skills which require prediction of enemy movement in order for it to land) include these but not all : pudge, potm, clockwerk, meepo, kunka, AA, SF, leshrac, lina, windrunner, invoker, jakiro, disruptor, ... In addition to any hero which has a long cast time basically.
Some exceptions, but there's definitely less overall emphasis on skill shots than in LoL. Veteran DotA2 players aren't denying this point..

Er I'm not denying. However I might have misunderstood slightly what you were trying to say.
So skills in dota are generally easier to land. Thus the skill now is to not get hit by those skills, since you know, they're harder to dodge now. This varies from quick finger - using your own skill to dodge sth that's almost instantaneously casted, to better positioning in a teamfight, or better map-awareness to dodge ganks and so on.
shadymmj
Profile Joined June 2010
1906 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-14 06:27:23
July 14 2013 06:27 GMT
#17
this is incredibly silly. it goes without saying that in any strategy game (or game with a large element of strategy *cough semantics*), a superior strategy is in fact superior skill.
There is no such thing is "e-sports". There is Brood War, and then there is crap for nerds.
Frozenhelfire
Profile Joined May 2010
United States420 Posts
July 14 2013 06:27 GMT
#18
Like sc2, the skill in dota is mostly found in the macro elements. sc2's battle micro (dota's skill shots) is the least important part of the game. You can have the best micro in the world, but if you're struggling to get your first zealot at the 10 minute mark you're still going to be in bronze. Skill shots aren't very skillful anyway. If you're intelligent you'll use them in ways that they can't be avoided such as chaining off another ability, or cutting off an angle of escape.
polar bears are fluffy
GreenGringo
Profile Joined July 2013
349 Posts
July 14 2013 06:34 GMT
#19
On July 14 2013 15:23 Kmatt wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 14 2013 15:19 GreenGringo wrote:
On July 14 2013 15:15 vndestiny wrote:
That probably because you have yet to try all the heroes. On top of my head heroes with skill shots (I assume that means skills which require prediction of enemy movement in order for it to land) include these but not all : pudge, potm, clockwerk, meepo, kunka, AA, SF, leshrac, lina, windrunner, invoker, jakiro, disruptor, ... In addition to any hero which has a long cast time basically.
Some exceptions, but there's definitely less overall emphasis on skill shots than in LoL. Veteran DotA2 players aren't denying this point..


We can agree there are less point target abilities, the question is, what makes them so significant that they worsen the game in their absence? Is point-and-click reflexes the "make or break" factor for being a good game?
I never said it worsens the game; I actually said I'm enjoying the hell out of DotA. I don't really enjoy LoL these days.

Nevertheless, I can easily imagine the comparatively low skill cap being a problem for DotA if it intends to become a big e-sport.
RolleMcKnolle
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Germany1054 Posts
July 14 2013 06:43 GMT
#20
On July 14 2013 15:34 GreenGringo wrote:
[
Nevertheless, I can easily imagine the comparatively low skill cap being a problem for DotA if it intends to become a big e-sport.

uhhh dat flame bait. i don't see in any way how there's a low skill cap in dota 2 besides not a lot of "skill shots". You even said yourself that strategy and creativity are huge in dota.
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