RANKING the FOUR BIG MOBA's (DOTA 2, LoL, HoTS, Smite)

[JamColour]

I've played all of the big 4 MOBA's (League of Legends, DOTA 2, Heroes of the Storm and Smite) for more than 100 plus hours, with LOL being my first MOBA experience (where I have probably more than 1000 hours) and Heroes of the Storm being my second MOBA experience (started playing two months after launch and I know I am well over 1000 hours most likely). I also tried Smite and DOTA 2 as well. Here is my personal opinion on each - Pro's and con's and a ranking (my personal opinion, don't get triggered) - 4 being the lowest, 1 being the highest:

4. Smite - I had a bittersweet experience with Smite and despite my 300 plus hours in it, I grew more distant from it overtime.

Pro's:
+ The third person perspective provides an interesting and unique perspective and gameplay to the genre, which may challenge MOBA players who are used to the traditional isometric view.
+ Multiple game modes, with different maps, with the three most popular ones (Conquest, Joust, and Arena) are actual fun and are actually played.
+ If you like mythology, this is the one for you - with lore summarized in character spotlights
+ Rewards you for getting one win in each game mode daily
+ Can buy all characters current and future for 30 dollars or even 15 dollars when on sale - seems like a steal to me
+Some characters are fun to play with interesting skills (Hel's ability to change between a damage of healing form, or Rataskour ult which makes you go into the air on tree branches- which works with the game's third person perspective).

Con's:
-Graphics are lacking in comparison to the other three
-Character animations for movement and even for some attacks just look straight up bad
-Punishment system for leaving feels non-existent (leaving a match or getting reported doesn't seem to do much as the "leaver" or "troll" is barely punished).
-Most of the best skins are locked to events and chest
-A lot of unnecessary fan service in skins and for some characters for their default design (Look at Neith for example)
-Character voice actors and lines can sound awful
-Lane phase can feel boring (especially with last hitting not within the game)
-Some characters are clearly stronger than others, resulting in a lack of balance.
-User interface looks bad.
-Some character skills are very similar to one another.

Additional info - Favorite Heroes include: Hel, Aphrodite, Chang'e and Nemesis

3. League of Legends - My first MOBA was honestly fun for a long time, but got boring after awhile. Despite this, I come back and play every once in awhile for certain reasons:

Pro's:
+Probably the best character design and character art (I legit comeback to this game to play my mains)
+Gorgeous art style and very colorful
+Graphics are beautiful on max
+Wonderful skins for the most part
+User interface looks good
+Huge champion roster
+Fun lane phase (with more "poking" and last hitting being important)
+Some abilities and move sets are straight up fun to execute

Con's
-Restrictive lane phase with most characters stuck to certain roles
-Basically one game mode and map as no one plays the others which makes things seem repetitive
-Leaver system has improved (from easily getting banned) but still can be annoying - even if you return and win, you can still get punished (where you have to wait 20 minutes before you can queue up, which is dumb as matches are already long).
-Due to one game mode, matches are always long for the most part.
-The runes and mastery system before you get into a match is unnecessary in my opinion, and you have to purchase the best runes with in-game currency (which can cost a lot)
-Characters cost a lot
-Takes forever to get in-game currency
-One of the most toxic communities overall
-Lacks proper balance


Additional info: Favorite Characters include: Rammus, Lulu, Poppy, and Taric

2. Heroes of the Storm - Was recommended to me from a friend who was an ex League Player, and Heroes of the Storm had just launched. I looked into it and bought the starter pack and is probably the most innovative of the bunch, and I still play it.

Pro's:
+Maps, Maps and more maps - with different objectives, and interesting designs
+User Interface looks good
+Some skins are awesome (for characters and for mounts)
+Leveling up is rewarding
+Mounts are cool and convenient
+Heroes added every three weeks to a month
+Events happen often
+Innovative character abilities (Check Ragnorous, Cho'gall, Abathur and the lost vikings for examples)
+Characters not restricted to lane
+ Kill stealing isn't really a thing
+Talent system is effective
+Fast paced and short matches
+Team fights happen early on
+BEST leaver punishment system (a bot replaces the player who left and the player now plays matches with other leavers until they stop leaving)
+Easy to learn, hard to master
+Best character balance of all four MOBA's
The most friendly MOBA community
+Can get some good skins for free just by playing

Con's:
-Hard to carry due to more emphasis on teamwork, resulting in every one sharing the same level, making it hard to win in certain situations (making ranked matches hard to move up in especially).
-Team can literally hold you back as a result of shared levels
-No last hitting can make the laning phase feel somewhat pointless
-No currency to buy items can also make gameplay less exciting
-Some character design look strange in this game in comparison to where they came from (check out lucio)

Additional info: Favorite Characters include: Anub'arak, The Lost Vikings, Brightwing, Alarak, Lt. Morales and Slyvanas

1. DOTA 2 - Although my most recent MOBA, the complexity and other interesting features make me regret not trying it years ago.

Pro's:
+Very interesting abilities which can be executed in a number of ways for the most part.
+Best graphics on maxed (absolutely beautiful)
+Good character designs (looks stunning on maxed)
+Good user interface
+My favorite out of match home client
+Items have a lot of active abilities, making them rewarding to learn
+Many complex heroes who can take up multiple roles
+DENYING CREEPS, TOWERS AND YOURSELF IS LEGIT ONE OF THE BEST FEATURES and is very rewarding once mastered
+All characters are FREE! (however you only get characters who are difficult after 25 matches)
+Team fights can be unpredictable due to items and talents and even abilities to some extent
+Good item selection and talents (best of both worlds)
+Being able to last hit is again makes the laning phase more interactive and rewarding
+Complexity makes learning the game rewarding
+Turbo mode makes matches shorter and is actually played
+Different gamemodes made by the steam community are also played with short queue times for the most popular ones - some are absolutely fun
+Steam community players sell a lot of the skins - which means some can be super cheap (like 50 cents for some rare ones)
+Chest don't give you duplicate skins
+Some skins are badass
+Courier is useful

Con's:
-Toxic community, especially towards new players
-Most serious atmosphere
-Leaver system is the most harsh (even if u connect back after 5 minutes and win, you still get an abandon which traps you into a certain gamemode where you have to win to get out and team members can't lave or it doesn't count)
-Players sell some skins, meaning some can be super expensive (a legendary one was being sold for 1700 from a player in the steam community)
-Best skins are limited to chest
-Hard to get good skins for some characters (such as IO and Puck)
-Matches in the regular "All Pick" mode can be super long
-Last hitting is challenging and much harder in this game
-Some characters are OP
-Learning this game can be frustrating
-Can't teleport to home base for free
-A lot of the time some team members speak a different language

Additional information: Favorite characters include: Rubick, Puck, Shadow Shamen, Arc Warden, and Undying


------
This is just my opinion and I would like to hear yours.

[JamColour]

引用自 ∞ΣφOne-For-αll-Phoεnix∞：

引用自 JamColour：

what's that exactly?

a replacement for laggy DirectX 11. Download vulkan SDK seperate for steam - Dota 2 DLC: Vulkan -
Once all downlodead and installed Google vulkan RT ['run time'] download and Khronos is your group

Assuming you have more than 2GB Video-RAM _

It communicates directly between GPU &* CPU _ better than dx12; SO :)
Advice; get it, and spectate some games in-game to get the engine successfully calibrated -
In 2-3 days you should have noticed the same games which take frame drops, now becoming constant. It never stutters anymor.e..

Dota 2 Launch options become: -vulkan -vconsole and you can check Settings < Video if it worked- in-game

maybe I should try this. Thanks for letting me know dude.

[JamColour]

引用自 Wholesome Meme Wholesaler：

From the best to the least, in my opinion and this isn't based on the pros and cons of each games but rather what I think of the games themselves.

Dota 2, because it's what most of my friends play and took me 3 years before I was "able to enjoy" the game and that was 3 years ago as well so it's safe to say I started on this game 6 years ago. I picked this to be the best because it's what I'm most familiar with, it took a very long time for me to learn most about this game since I usually play this game alone.

LoL, I tried this first before Dota 2. It's a good game too and it's easier to learn than Dota 2. The only thing that bothers me with it is the champions, you need to buy them before you can play them but the free rotational champions helps you learn and play other champions without buying them. I no longer play this and I think I've only played the game for a total of almost 400 hours. The meta is the same all over again though someone might disagree.

HotS, great game too but not very popular compared to the two above, it's something I'd like to spend more time playing but don't have enough time to play it since I'm literally the only one between most people I personally knows, who plays that game. If you play one or both games above that I mentioned, I think this is going to be quite a transition considering that teamplay is very important in this game compared to the two where it's possible for a single good player to carry his 4 teammates alone.

Smite, not interested in this game. I tried it but never got hooked in it but I consider it to be a great game.

To be honest, I'm not really into MOBAs, the only reason why I play Dota 2 is because my friends play them and I'm familiar with the game, the same with LoL. Even though I'm a "wide variety of games" guy, MOBA games is the least of my favorites.

Oh I see. Well, I'm curious to know - who did u like in each game? I'm sure there was one or a few characters you had fun playing :)

[JamColour]

引用自 absche：

引用自 JamColour：

Thanks, man! Who are your favorite characters and have you tried any of the other MOBA's?

I only play Dota2, but I have some insight in the others because my son is very active with friends trying all the other MOBAs.

I tried almost all heroes in Dota2 but because I‘m a mature and slow Dota2 player I prefer the ones which do not ask for a lot of micro management and active items. Mostly I play support or tank at offline.

Which game you prefer is mostly a matter of taste. It‘a a Beatles or The Stones question.

Yeah I get what you mean.

[teeth]

引用自 JamColour：

引用自 ∞ΣφOne-For-αll-Phoεnix∞：

a replacement for laggy DirectX 11. Download vulkan SDK seperate for steam - Dota 2 DLC: Vulkan -
Once all downlodead and installed Google vulkan RT ['run time'] download and Khronos is your group

Assuming you have more than 2GB Video-RAM _

It communicates directly between GPU &* CPU _ better than dx12; SO :)
Advice; get it, and spectate some games in-game to get the engine successfully calibrated -
In 2-3 days you should have noticed the same games which take frame drops, now becoming constant. It never stutters anymor.e..

Dota 2 Launch options become: -vulkan -vconsole and you can check Settings < Video if it worked- in-game

maybe I should try this. Thanks for letting me know dude.

set up guide = https://www.geekcosmos.com/what-is-vulkan-how-to-enable-it-on-dota-2/

[1MantisPhoenix]

引用自 teeth：

引用自 JamColour：

maybe I should try this. Thanks for letting me know dude.

set up guide = https://www.geekcosmos.com/what-is-vulkan-how-to-enable-it-on-dota-2/

Thank you: )
OP Have fun playing in vulkan :) when you get the chance.. I wish more games [PUBG] supported it.. OH and CSGO

[JamColour]

引用自 Unknown：

leaGGue of leGGends is unimaginably the easiest game among the list, probably easiest game ever entirely because of the option "Surrender."

DOTA 2 is ridiculously the most difficult, also not just among the list but among all games as well because, well... let's face it, it's from Valve. Need I say more?
DOTA 2's difficulty makes a difficult franchise like Dark Souls look like a pipsqueak with a water gun.

I would say that Heroes of the Storm is the easiest one. But I do think that DOTA 2 is the most complex and difficult MOBA.

[JamColour]

引用自 teeth：

引用自 JamColour：

maybe I should try this. Thanks for letting me know dude.

set up guide = https://www.geekcosmos.com/what-is-vulkan-how-to-enable-it-on-dota-2/

Thanks. I'll try it sometime

[JamColour]

One thing that annoys me about DOTA 2 is the fact that people disconnect sooooo OFTEN despite the harsh leaving system. That is another negative. The number of leavers. Wasted time

[Geralt of Trivia]

To think that someone actually takes his time to do this in-depth analysis of 4 games......OP deserves a clapvery cool opinion

[1MantisPhoenix]

引用自 JamColour：

One thing that annoys me about DOTA 2 is the fact that people disconnect sooooo OFTEN despite the harsh leaving system. That is another negative. The number of leavers. Wasted time

its sad to leave before a game is finished,
out there in the world too though, are people with bad internet..
South Africa can have better mentalities AND internet connections /speed latency etc than the UK:)
BUT at the end of the day, Common courtesy isn't nice: people won't wait even if it's unfair teams. Even pro's wait, but not the mediocre public. None of these plebs want to ever play on a pro standard. So. Life is what it is: you're either fortunate: Make your own trustworthy squad/party/SLAMMA JAMMA _ whatevs, and beat the teams with ^^ Said bad people. You don't even have a chance of DC_
My saddest moments in dota 2:
start_dota1 September 2004- Internet Cafe, Pretoria. Saturday AFternoon. _ . I R WEASEL;
FFWD: 2018_ Battlepass -Levelled up high for first time because of job - get 6 reports against me on my only account with 1900 commends. I played with poor people in South Africa, None on my team had battle passes -so I was starting the game with The NExt Level pLay __ Echoes -It's so good. And maybe some echo SLAMMA JAMMA!! at start, or during, but never abused like I've seen a pro go ape. .. Yeah.. Reported for using the dota tools? _Communication abuse because all in the game experiences it...
And... DC"ing from a match where team didn't wait. My random lane member was earth spirit - I was slardar.. I dc'd and had to check router and reset it, out of desperation, unplugging the wifi antennae and slotting it back, hoping for successful reconnect.. it's new and different since fiber - _
ANYWAY> get back to the game, and we are now 4v5 my earth spirit bad ass silent team mate, quit the game due to not waiting for me, and thus being a tool. I came back and we WON! :) that's great comeback mechanics: ie. One noob, doesn't know their hero> they leave game> their money = extra team money, and we can make items, to A) Counter the enemy B) Become better in the future. We WON, and still I got an abandon on my profile EEK :'(

[Saana]

引用自 JamColour：

I don't consider paying for the battle pass in DOTA 2 a negative as it's a free to play game. You don't really have to purchase the battle pass. All these games are free to play so there will be some inconvenience (for example, characters in the other MOBA's have to be purchased, unfortunately, and yes I know you can buy them with in-game currency but this can take up a lot of time just to get like one).

You have discussed available/free hero pool in every game which insinuates the pay-to-win/play aspect of such games. Then, it is only natural that You must also point at Dota 2's Battle Pass containing seasonal modes that are restricted to payers only. There are not many games out there that do not allow You to participate without paying.
Also, this year's BP contains features such as Role-Based Matchmaking Queue that is needed in any team game with roles, hence pay-to-win, and is available elsewhere for free.
Not having a big event mode or core features available for free is as worth to list as available free characters. When You add to that the fact that You cannot farm anything as a free player, it just makes Dota 2 more pay-to-win/play than any other game in this list. Saying that this is not negative is a mistake.

引用自 JamColour：

What was I suppose to mention about PR? Please explain.

PR - Public Relation.
League of Legends advertise their game a lot, with videos to feature champions etc. What about the others?

[BruT]

a guy in low bracket telling us the pros and cons of the games lol especially dota

[teeth]

引用自 BruTe：

a guy in low bracket telling us the pros and cons of the games lol especially dota

Their skill level is irrelevant, like you.

[1MantisPhoenix]

引用自 Unknown：

引用自 Saana：

League of Legends advertise their game a lot, with videos to feature champions etc. What about the others?

I love how well-detailed their ad videos are regarding that game, featuring those champions & how they actually look like in-game. It's like looking at an enormous burger displayed at a menu. Wait till you see it once it's served.

rofl; classic - advertising always beats the real thing :D hahahaha :D ADVERT:thing

[1MantisPhoenix]

引用自 teeth：

引用自 BruTe：

a guy in low bracket telling us the pros and cons of the games lol especially dota

Their skill level is irrelevant, like you.

Their experience is what counts.