I've been playing Dota 2 for 12 years now, off and on throughout my life it is one of the few constants. In high school, my friends and I spent many nights playing when there was only one courier. In college I played once or twice a year on my rented laptop from school. During the pandemic It was a way for my brothers and I to connect when we couldn't actually visit each other. It holds a great place in my life.
The Good
- Gameplay is dynamic, engaging and rewarding once you get the hang of it. There are so many moving parts that when you make your first big play, there is very little that can match the feeling of satisfaction when played just right.
- Flourishing Pro Scene: If you want to get better there are countless new and old pro players that stream or release content on Youtube to help you improve, and often times Discord chats to find players to play with.
- Semi Consistent Updates: They just released one of the biggest updates the game has seen since Talents were released in 2016, or neutral items were released in 2019, or when they DOUBLED the size of the map in 2022. Valve isn't afraid to experiment with this game, and while you can get stuck on a single patch for a long time, you can always know that Valve Devs are working on something truly different to add.
Negatives
- Mental Health: This is a team game. I love it for that, but playing with others can be frustrating and demoralizing. You can also find yourself "chain queuing" which after multiple losses can really effect your mood outside the game. My girlfriend and I have a rule that I cant start a game after 10pm because if i lose badly sometimes I will be too angry to fall asleep or talk before bed. You have to find these ways to look inward yourself, and without barriers it can really negatively impact you.
- The Community: I said it a bit above, but if you're new to online games there is so much racism, sexism, anger etc. I've met really great people playing dota, but the brain tends to remember the bad eggs. Remember there is a mute button.
- Communication from Valve: There can be crickets from valve sometimes. They ARE working on stuff, but if you read reddit to much you can get a bit riled for no reason.
Overall, best game I've ever played by a long margin.
izigame.me
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