On the Pro scene: wow, Liquid moving MATU to the bench before a major is perplexing.....
Wha... why?
They were just starting to play well again...
there are a few articles saying the decision was/is mutual. I can't find it again but on twitter today LiQuid said they were trying a player named N33HAWW?or something for scrims against NaVi or NiP...
In the past month of getting back into DotA I relearned two things:
1) People complain in this game. A lot;.
2) People rarely complain about the offlaner for some reason. Unless you're actively feeding people either don't know what it is that an offlaner really does (me too for that matter) or they just understand that you're a crazy bastard with a tough lane and a penchant for 'creating space' via tactical suicide.
In other words, I love offlane just as much as I used to!
I have, like, a couple hundred games under my belt at this point, and I couldn't really tell you what it meant to safe lane vs off lane. I suspect that it's tied to the location of the shops, the nearby camps, the availability of positioning for good vision/wards/warning of things coming, but aside from 'I don't want to be mid', I just pick a lane that I think compliments what I'm playing and go with that.
Honestly, I suspect that I'm not aggressive enough about getting last hits in when on a carry, but my go to technique is to pressure the opposing team and try to get last hits/denies in where possible, while not stealing them from whomever else is in the lane with me.
But getting a solid game in on Io with (I think) zero previous experience on the hero was suuuuuper fun and rewarding. Tethering to people, energizing them, letting loose whirling balls of death, staying the fuck away from trouble to the best of my ability, it was a surprisingly fun experience. That also had me on the seat of my pants.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
In the past month of getting back into DotA I relearned two things:
1) People complain in this game. A lot;.
2) People rarely complain about the offlaner for some reason. Unless you're actively feeding people either don't know what it is that an offlaner really does (me too for that matter) or they just understand that you're a crazy bastard with a tough lane and a penchant for 'creating space' via tactical suicide.
In other words, I love offlane just as much as I used to!
Off/top is an island. As long as you don't chain feed and get some levels and farm, you did your job. Also, no one wants to be the island.
I have, like, a couple hundred games under my belt at this point, and I couldn't really tell you what it meant to safe lane vs off lane. I suspect that it's tied to the location of the shops, the nearby camps, the availability of positioning for good vision/wards/warning of things coming, but aside from 'I don't want to be mid', I just pick a lane that I think compliments what I'm playing and go with that.
Honestly, I suspect that I'm not aggressive enough about getting last hits in when on a carry, but my go to technique is to pressure the opposing team and try to get last hits/denies in where possible, while not stealing them from whomever else is in the lane with me.
But getting a solid game in on Io with (I think) zero previous experience on the hero was suuuuuper fun and rewarding. Tethering to people, energizing them, letting loose whirling balls of death, staying the fuck away from trouble to the best of my ability, it was a surprisingly fun experience. That also had me on the seat of my pants.
Yeah, thinking too hard about safe v off lane is a big trap for players at your level. Don't think too hard about it now.
I remember when I was first learning the game I absolutely devoured Purge's content, and he spent a lot of time during that era teaching everyone about trilanes and stressing how important trilaning was. I've played thousands of hours and d'ya know how many trilanes I've been in? Two.
Now, safe v off shows up earlier on the skill curve than trilaning, but the point still stands.
So, am I late to the party, or is queueing as a 5 stack for unranked all pick, like, a major chance to just run into a team of bots? Because I happened to get pulled into one on the weekend, and we hit 2 in a row. Wasn't even some weird time or off beat server, we were on US East even.
Boy, that was some solid Jungle progress. Not that I'm looking to cheat the system, but I can't say I was all that unhappy to have some quick games that weren't complete shitshows.
I know some people have abused custom lobbies, or picking exact times to queue on empty servers, but this was afternoon on a Saturday US East. If that's a graveyard for normal matches I don't know where isn't.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
Oh wow, I just realized Tusk has a new E ability to replace his awkward ice ward. Now it's just an aura where every physical attack against an effected enemy does bonus damage and slows.'
It's ridiculously good! Usually aura abilities are leveled last since they're not great until 10 man team fights, but I've been giving his E priority. You get 60 extra damage for each level of his Q, or 40-80 for his W (+.25 second stun), but then +25 per attack by anyone on his E. It's the best damage option for even just two man fights, possibly even solo.
I've just been wrecking with him in any game with a halfway competent lane partner.
I currently need to complete a game on Enigma for the Jungle, which will complete 3 nodes in one shot. That's awesome.
The bad news; while I'm improving substantially on the character, I rarely seem to get teams that capitalize on it. I can land a 3 or 4 person black hole, but not enough damage goes in to make it the decisive overwhelming victory is really needed to be.
The questionable news is that I'm mostly done with the Carry and Support sides, and the Utility side scares me. What am I even doing?!? (answer: mostly making it up as I go)
Thanks for the reminder to catch up on Epicenter.
And for anyone who has been wondering, the next patch will be on Friday, and will include this year's new mode, Immortal Treasure II, and the bonus 10 levels for surpassing 2018's total. Another 10 will be forthcoming if we top 30 million for the prize pool. Oh, and because the battlepass mode was delayed, they'll be extending the BP for another 2 weeks, though the sources I read were uncertain if we could keep buying levels after the finale, but noted that (obviously) additional levels wouldn't go towards the prize pool, so it'd also be kind of a shame if a substantial amount was left on the table (not that Valve would mind getting all of those sales rather than 3/4 of them).
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
I bought the battlepass bundle over the weekend because my friends throw money at valve too
I guess I can rationalize this by saying that I contributed to some dota prize money stat that is set to beat fortnite prize money stat
Apparently there's an exploit; Lifestealer can infest the Mo'rokai, and then throw out all its items, which people can sell for something absurd like 50k.
I know spreading the word on the exploit is counter productive in some ways, but people deserve to know that if they get in a game with a Lifestealer, it might go completely sideways through no fault of their own.
Also, it seems to be eating bonus tokens(?) even on losses, and people with high level battle passes are supposed to be able to get a higher bonus cap, but it doesn't seem to be applying.
I played two games of it last night, and... meh. It was fine, both were losses, but they weren't super drawn out. I like that Jungle progress counts, but dislike that it took so long to come out and seems to be a bit of a buggy mess that mostly just recycles previous content (if what I'm reading is true).
I do hope they manage to get a quick patch in to remove the exploit and sort out all the stuff that's not quite right. Oh, and something that pointed out how to use essence would be nice, that took a while to figure out, surely they could have had something written up about that, there's more detailed information available about the fantasy league we can't use yet than this mode.
Bitching aside, it seems like a neat way to change things up, but it has stumbled at the first hurdle. I might give it another try and just ban LS, but I think I'll stick to normal games while this gets sorted out.
Edit: the bug has allegedly been fixed, but I haven't bothered going back to the mode. If someone drops apparently you have to abandon to get out of the game, so you can be stuck with a 4v5 or worse and no way out that doesn't incur a penalty.
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
On TI9 open Quals:
I'm hoping to go .500 on my Regional Quals picks through the BattlePass if FWD Gaming wins NA grand finals.
I was really surprised Gambit wasn't in the running, I think the 'Rage Quit' hurt them mentally during groups. Happy to say Matumbaman found a home in CHAOS, as he was a 'ringer' and absolutely slammed TfT(my EU pick) in the EU RQ grand final.
Made it through ranked calibration. I placed in Crusader I. My first foray into ranked Dotes, solely as pos 4, pos 5. I know it’s late in the season but I gotta start somewhere:)
For those who have the battle pass, they've made the Player Cards available in the Compendium, and also unlocked the Favourite Team feature to go along with it.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
Huzzah! I play a lot of fantasy sports , I think this going to be a real hoot.
I always had fun, out of all the people in my friends list I always scored the highest and I was always in the top percentage for getting all the battlepass levels. It's probably the only thing I miss from not bothering with the battlepass this year.
Group stage starts in a day and a half! Be sure to lock in your predictions, open your fantasy cards, set up your fantasy teams!
I finally had some time to dive back into the game, and instead of trying to finish the jungle, just picked heroes I felt like playing and would best suit the team/my playstyle and experience.
I've been lax about even getting enough games in to spend my tokens and tips, but with the new matchmaking and alleged wave of bans, I've been trying to get a few in here and there.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
10.5 hours until the group stage starts! Be sure to get those fantasy cards locked in, ladies and gents!
Today Group A gets in 3 matches (6 games) today, whereas group B only gets in 2 matches (4 games), so those are more likely to give higher points, by my understanding of the system.
Group A consists of:
Alliance
Chaos
Keen Gaming
Mineski
Newbee
PSG.LGD
Team Liquid
Team Secret
TNC Predator
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
Yeah, it is making me empathize more with EU and Chinese fans (and other areas of the world, of course), but... my selfish desire to not have to stay up until 5am to see many of the games is running right into this all the same.
Oh well. Just gonna have to catch what I can, and keep up to date with VODs from there. I'm working a convention the weekend of the grand finals anyways, so that was bound to happen regardless (and even when they're in NA it's not like I can watch for hours straight at work anyways).
There's a local Pubstomp I'm tempted to swing by and check out, but due to said convention, I imagine I'll probably just wander home and crash on the couch with whatever game is active on the tv.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
Posts
Ps4 : Gigawatt666
Steam I.D. : Gigawatt666
LoL : GiG4W4TT
ya, that guy... we'll see what happens I guess.....
Ps4 : Gigawatt666
Steam I.D. : Gigawatt666
LoL : GiG4W4TT
hAmmONd IsnT A mAin TAnk
I don't suppose I could mooch an Underlords key off someone?
Got one from another friend, thanks anyway. Good luck Arcadia!
Twitch: KoopahTroopah - Steam: Koopah
Due to work stuff I won't be back online until tomorrow evening.
1) People complain in this game. A lot;.
2) People rarely complain about the offlaner for some reason. Unless you're actively feeding people either don't know what it is that an offlaner really does (me too for that matter) or they just understand that you're a crazy bastard with a tough lane and a penchant for 'creating space' via tactical suicide.
In other words, I love offlane just as much as I used to!
hAmmONd IsnT A mAin TAnk
Honestly, I suspect that I'm not aggressive enough about getting last hits in when on a carry, but my go to technique is to pressure the opposing team and try to get last hits/denies in where possible, while not stealing them from whomever else is in the lane with me.
But getting a solid game in on Io with (I think) zero previous experience on the hero was suuuuuper fun and rewarding. Tethering to people, energizing them, letting loose whirling balls of death, staying the fuck away from trouble to the best of my ability, it was a surprisingly fun experience. That also had me on the seat of my pants.
Off/top is an island. As long as you don't chain feed and get some levels and farm, you did your job. Also, no one wants to be the island.
Yeah, thinking too hard about safe v off lane is a big trap for players at your level. Don't think too hard about it now.
I remember when I was first learning the game I absolutely devoured Purge's content, and he spent a lot of time during that era teaching everyone about trilanes and stressing how important trilaning was. I've played thousands of hours and d'ya know how many trilanes I've been in? Two.
Now, safe v off shows up earlier on the skill curve than trilaning, but the point still stands.
hAmmONd IsnT A mAin TAnk
Boy, that was some solid Jungle progress. Not that I'm looking to cheat the system, but I can't say I was all that unhappy to have some quick games that weren't complete shitshows.
I know some people have abused custom lobbies, or picking exact times to queue on empty servers, but this was afternoon on a Saturday US East. If that's a graveyard for normal matches I don't know where isn't.
It's ridiculously good! Usually aura abilities are leveled last since they're not great until 10 man team fights, but I've been giving his E priority. You get 60 extra damage for each level of his Q, or 40-80 for his W (+.25 second stun), but then +25 per attack by anyone on his E. It's the best damage option for even just two man fights, possibly even solo.
I've just been wrecking with him in any game with a halfway competent lane partner.
The bad news; while I'm improving substantially on the character, I rarely seem to get teams that capitalize on it. I can land a 3 or 4 person black hole, but not enough damage goes in to make it the decisive overwhelming victory is really needed to be.
The questionable news is that I'm mostly done with the Carry and Support sides, and the Utility side scares me. What am I even doing?!? (answer: mostly making it up as I go)
Thanks for the reminder to catch up on Epicenter.
And for anyone who has been wondering, the next patch will be on Friday, and will include this year's new mode, Immortal Treasure II, and the bonus 10 levels for surpassing 2018's total. Another 10 will be forthcoming if we top 30 million for the prize pool. Oh, and because the battlepass mode was delayed, they'll be extending the BP for another 2 weeks, though the sources I read were uncertain if we could keep buying levels after the finale, but noted that (obviously) additional levels wouldn't go towards the prize pool, so it'd also be kind of a shame if a substantial amount was left on the table (not that Valve would mind getting all of those sales rather than 3/4 of them).
I guess I can rationalize this by saying that I contributed to some dota prize money stat that is set to beat fortnite prize money stat
Streaming 8PST on weeknights
Streaming 8PST on weeknights
I know spreading the word on the exploit is counter productive in some ways, but people deserve to know that if they get in a game with a Lifestealer, it might go completely sideways through no fault of their own.
Also, it seems to be eating bonus tokens(?) even on losses, and people with high level battle passes are supposed to be able to get a higher bonus cap, but it doesn't seem to be applying.
I played two games of it last night, and... meh. It was fine, both were losses, but they weren't super drawn out. I like that Jungle progress counts, but dislike that it took so long to come out and seems to be a bit of a buggy mess that mostly just recycles previous content (if what I'm reading is true).
I do hope they manage to get a quick patch in to remove the exploit and sort out all the stuff that's not quite right. Oh, and something that pointed out how to use essence would be nice, that took a while to figure out, surely they could have had something written up about that, there's more detailed information available about the fantasy league we can't use yet than this mode.
Bitching aside, it seems like a neat way to change things up, but it has stumbled at the first hurdle. I might give it another try and just ban LS, but I think I'll stick to normal games while this gets sorted out.
Edit: the bug has allegedly been fixed, but I haven't bothered going back to the mode. If someone drops apparently you have to abandon to get out of the game, so you can be stuck with a 4v5 or worse and no way out that doesn't incur a penalty.
I'm hoping to go .500 on my Regional Quals picks through the BattlePass if FWD Gaming wins NA grand finals.
Ps4 : Gigawatt666
Steam I.D. : Gigawatt666
LoL : GiG4W4TT
Ps4 : Gigawatt666
Steam I.D. : Gigawatt666
LoL : GiG4W4TT
Ps4 : Gigawatt666
Steam I.D. : Gigawatt666
LoL : GiG4W4TT
I always had fun, out of all the people in my friends list I always scored the highest and I was always in the top percentage for getting all the battlepass levels. It's probably the only thing I miss from not bothering with the battlepass this year.
I finally had some time to dive back into the game, and instead of trying to finish the jungle, just picked heroes I felt like playing and would best suit the team/my playstyle and experience.
I've been lax about even getting enough games in to spend my tokens and tips, but with the new matchmaking and alleged wave of bans, I've been trying to get a few in here and there.
Today Group A gets in 3 matches (6 games) today, whereas group B only gets in 2 matches (4 games), so those are more likely to give higher points, by my understanding of the system.
Group A consists of:
Alliance
Chaos
Keen Gaming
Mineski
Newbee
PSG.LGD
Team Liquid
Team Secret
TNC Predator
Oh well. Just gonna have to catch what I can, and keep up to date with VODs from there. I'm working a convention the weekend of the grand finals anyways, so that was bound to happen regardless (and even when they're in NA it's not like I can watch for hours straight at work anyways).
There's a local Pubstomp I'm tempted to swing by and check out, but due to said convention, I imagine I'll probably just wander home and crash on the couch with whatever game is active on the tv.
Same. Unfortunately(?) the finals is on or near my birthday every year, so it falls squarely in the middle of whatever trip I've planned for that.
Well this is fun I guess