Character and Map Design Vs. League of Legends

[Anna Banana]

Hey all, I'm new to Dota 2. I'm a League of Legends refugee, since Riot made League unplayable on Linux. I likely won't be playing it unless someone asks me to, in which case I can just boot into Windows. I tried Dota 2 back in 2015 but I preferred League. Not that Dota 2 is bad, I just like League's overall design philosophy more. That being said, I do like some of the unique mechanics of Dota 2, like being able to purchase multiple teleports for cheap, and couriers that will bring you items so you don't have to teleport back.

On that note, I'm curious how the community feels about Dota 2's overall theme and character designs. Something I really love about League of Legends is that the characters have very wide design variety. Dota's feel more like generic medieval, which I know a lot of people like. Personally I find it a bit boring.

Many of the heros display generic titles, instead of their actual names, which I find odd. Examples of this are "Crystal Maiden" and "Shadow Shaman." Some heros have no actual names, and are just called by their titles. Examples are "Primal Beast" instead of something like "S'rogar Inth'o", "Shadow Demon" instead of something like "Rael Witari", etc. etc.

It's especially odd to me because the game does have named characters, like Pudge, Muerta, Luna, Hoodwink, etc. I don't quite understand why some characters just have generic names. Laziness? Idk, it detracts from the game's quality for me.

As for the map, I'm not a big fan of the Light Vs. Dark theme in Dota 2; I feel that League's map (the jungle, especially) is easier on the eyes. It's probably just that I haven't gotten used to it yet, but Dota 2's map overwhelms me. There's too much geometry and colorful textures, my brain sometimes struggles to differentiate the gameplay from the level art. Skill issue, I know, lol. At the very least it would be nice to have a tickbox in the settings to simplify the visual appearance of the map somehow, so I can see what's going on better. A solid ground color all the way across would be nice, and doesn't have to be the default. I prefer how League of Legends has the same overall visual style on the map,

So, do the character names bother you, or are they just a vehicle to your gameplay? Does the game's map ever overstimulate your eyes, or am I just new? I'd like to hear your thoughts.

[Alric Do Rei]

Crystal maiden name is Rylai the Crystal Maiden and shadow shaman is Rhasta no need to thank me darling.

[Anna Banana]

Originally posted by Alric Do Rei:

Crystal maiden name is Rylai the Crystal Maiden and shadow shaman is Rhasta no need to thank me darling.

Where is this info? Also, my point is moreso that I'd prefer Crystal Maiden to show up as "Rylai" instead of just "Crystal Maiden," which is more generic.

[ousqa]

Originally posted by Anna Banana:

Originally posted by Alric Do Rei:

Crystal maiden name is Rylai the Crystal Maiden and shadow shaman is Rhasta no need to thank me darling.

Where is this info? Also, my point is moreso that I'd prefer Crystal Maiden to show up as "Rylai" instead of just "Crystal Maiden," which is more generic.

In the about section.

[Alric Do Rei]

Originally posted by Anna Banana:

Originally posted by Alric Do Rei:

Crystal maiden name is Rylai the Crystal Maiden and shadow shaman is Rhasta no need to thank me darling.

Where is this info? Also, my point is moreso that I'd prefer Crystal Maiden to show up as "Rylai" instead of just "Crystal Maiden," which is more generic.

from main menu (something that LOL dosent have LUL xD) click on Heroes section then click on crystal maiden and then click on About and read the story about her and her hot sister Lina 🔥

[Anna Banana]

Originally posted by Alric Do Rei:

Originally posted by Anna Banana:

Where is this info? Also, my point is moreso that I'd prefer Crystal Maiden to show up as "Rylai" instead of just "Crystal Maiden," which is more generic.

from main menu (something that LOL dosent have LUL xD) click on Heroes section then click on crystal maiden and then click on About and read the story about her and her hot sister Lina 🔥

Lol, ty. So I guess I'm still just not vibing with the decision to make generic titles display instead of their actual names. I find that weird. Personal taste ig.

[Anna Banana]

Originally posted by ousqa:

Originally posted by Anna Banana:

Where is this info? Also, my point is moreso that I'd prefer Crystal Maiden to show up as "Rylai" instead of just "Crystal Maiden," which is more generic.

In the about section.

Ty

[AIR]

You should consider Heroes of the Storm and Smite - they are much more friendly towards League of Legends players and Smite 2 is just getting out of the oven, in Unreal Engine 5.

Dota has a much more unforgiving gameplay than any other moba, and is much less focused on Skill Spam and Skill Shots - also, the Visuals (from skins variety) in the games mentioned are much more deep, meanwhile Dota is much more mature in both themes and gore.

Also, unlike those Mobas, Dota games don't have a surrender option, and the community is much more vicious in general - not necessarily toxic, but much more demanding. Sure, all heroes in Dota are unlocked from the start, but unlike those other mobas, Dota has a ban system that really doesn't allow people to "Mono" characters.

To start Dota alone, out of the blue, can be very challenging, even in the youtube era. Another thing is that, unlike LOL, Dota US community is weak - you will be playing with spanish speaking and russian speak people most of the time, since Dota isn't popular at all in the US.

I am just being honest with you, since Dota is not just a game you can hop in - it takes real time to start enjoying and to get used to, and since you are changing games, you should really consider all your options before commiting.

[Anna Banana]

Originally posted by Charm:

You should consider Heroes of the Storm and Smite - they are much more friendly towards League of Legends players and Smite 2 is just getting out of the oven, in Unreal Engine 5.

Dota has a much more unforgiving gameplay than any other moba, and is much less focused on Skill Spam and Skill Shots - also, the Visuals (from skins variety) in the games mentioned are much more deep, meanwhile Dota is much more mature in both themes and gore.

Also, unlike those Mobas, Dota games don't have a surrender option, and the community is much more vicious in general - not necessarily toxic, but much more demanding. Sure, all heroes in Dota are unlocked from the start, but unlike those other mobas, Dota has a ban system that really doesn't allow people to "Mono" characters.

To start Dota alone, out of the blue, can be very challenging, even in the youtube era. Another thing is that, unlike LOL, Dota US community is weak - you will be playing with spanish speaking and russian speak people most of the time, since Dota isn't popular at all in the US.

I am just being honest with you, since Dota is not just a game you can hop in - it takes real time to start enjoying and to get used to, and since you are changing games, you should really consider all your options before commiting.

I appreciate the advice/perspective. Dota was my first choice bc it's by Valve and is guaranteed to "just work" on Linux. I get what you mean though, I've heard a lot that Dota's a more complex game with longer match times and more serious players. It's the OG MOBA though, it does interest me because of that.

Heroes of the Storm is by Blizzard so blegh, I don't really want to get into that. I like Overwatch but I'm not Blizzard's #1 fan right now. Smite seems cool, although it won't satisfy the same isometric click-fest gameplay that I enjoyed with League.

I'm still willing to give Dota a stab, even if the game & its players aren't the most beginner friendly. I've already dealt with LoL's nightmare community so I'll survive haha.

[AIR]

Originally posted by Anna Banana:

I appreciate the advice/perspective. Dota was my first choice bc it's by valve and is guaranteed to "just work" on Linux. I get what you mean though, I've heard a lot that Dota's a more complex game with longer games and more serious players. It's the OG though, it does interest me because of that.

Heroes of the Storm is by Blizzard so blegh, I don't really want to get into that. I like Overwatch but I'm not Blizzard's #1 fan right now. Smite seems cool, although it won't satisfy the same isometric click-fest gameplay that I enjoyed with League.

I'm still willing to give Dota a stab, even if people aren't the most friendly. I've already dealt with LoL's nightmare community so I'll survive haha.

Welcome, then!

When you think about Dota and other Mobas, you can just think about "Linux and Other OS": from character customization to how everything in the map interacts, it is much more depth and customizable than any other Moba.

You character "Skin" has multiple slots, which allow you to combine multiple set pieces which no other moba really allows you to. Each character has a lore, some have names or just titles. Since Dota 2 evolved directly from Dota All Stars, which was a custom game from WC3 created by the community after many interactions and developers dropping and picking, the heroes are... well, they are Dota. Take "Lina, the Slayer", for instance: all her spell names are based on a manga character named "Lina Inverse". The original Dota was a sandbox, and people would just adapt cool things they wanted into the mod. Juggernaut, for instance, has Omnislash (From Final Fantasy VII Cloud Strife).

Dota also have an "Arcade Mode", in which a lot of Custom Games are available, all community made - as a game developer, I think you are really gonna like that. A lot of the skins from Dota are community made too, by the way.

I recommend you approach Dota not in a competitive way, but as an explorer first: try the custom modes, then go for new player mode, then play some turbo. Dota is a very deep game - you can interact with the lane creeps, much more focused on last hitting and denying and from dragging and pulling them to neutral camps, changing the lane balance, in a way no other moba really does. The neutral camps, at the turn of the minute, if empty, spawn creeps - so, you can drag the neutral camp out of the spawn box, a new set of neutral npcs will appear, so that camp will be "stacked" with two sets of creeps. There are Small, Medium, Large and Ancient neutral camps, which with a set variety of creeps.

When it comes to in game items, you have both items you buy from the shop and items that drops from the neutral creeps. Dota doesn't have a jungler, so it's 2-1-2 most of the time. I recommend you checking the "Learn" tab, there are some tutorials in there that reward some cosmetics, and a very good glossary for you to learn.

About the overall theme, it isn't really "Dark x Light". The lore is much more deeper but, in a very short explanation, you have these two powerful entities that are in a constant struggle, Dire and Radiant and none of them is really good: they manipulate the heroes to fight for them and, in the end, none of them really win, because time resets - all Dota 2 games are cannon, so to speak.

I strongly recommend watching "Dragon's Blood" on Netflix: it goes a little off the theme of the game, you know how it is with video game adaptations to movies, but it gives you a good grasp on whats going on. You can also google the "Dota HQ", there are a bunch - specially the old ones, published by Dark Horse - which are just amazing and available for free in the web.

I also advise you to check a lot of youtube videos about starting at Dota, but make sure you are watching something recent, because the game is in constant update: the map increased in size by 40% in the last year so, yeah, it's a lot to take in.

My last tip would be "Don't try ranked until you have at least 500 hours" and, if you get interested in ranked, make sure you focus on one specific role, and focus on mastering 2-5 heroes, instead of trying to play them all. Dota has different attack animation, attack range and turn rate for all the heroes, also movement speed and the stats.

It is a real long road, but it is rewarding. Just keep in mind it's not a game, but it is a hobby - and a very deep one at that.

I wish you the best, and I hope you get to enjoy this game!

[2D > 3D WEEB 4 LIFE]

Dota 2 is in that weird Valve territory where it's generic in a distinct way while League has gone from a distinct style to a generic anime/mobile aesthetic during the years as a result of the graphic updates and player demographics switching from EU/NA to China and the rest of the world.

[Anna Banana]

Originally posted by 2D > 3D WEEB 4 LIFE:

Dota 2 is in that weird Valve territory where it's generic in a distinct way while League has gone from a distinct style to a generic anime/mobile aesthetic during the years as a result of the graphic updates and player demographics switching from EU/NA to China and the rest of the world.

I personally don't feel like League has a generic look but I can understand people thinking it does. I like the new art style better than the original one, because it accomplished what I touched on in my post, it made the game easier to see. It looks cleaner than it used to, objectives are clear and stand out, etc.

[Over]

Heyo, cool that you are trying dota again.

So a big part of dota is that it was derived from warcraft so the medevil look you spoke off isn't too far off from the mark. In dota 1 (mod of warcraft 3 frozen throne just called Defense Of the Ancients) the characters had both a name and title and I believe that's why some characters have inconsistencies with their characters due to copy right stuff with blizzard (a lot of name changes in it's history). This also added to the light vs dark concept that some heroes had an affiliation to one side (lore wise, heroes could still be played on either side).
I more so wish they kept a lot of that as oppose to dropping it and tucking it away in the lore section of the characters but I did start playing dota in 2013 and I have a purist mindset. When it comes to it, really it doesn't bug me all too much. I actually prefer dota's design of characters for the most part than in League which to me feels more disorganized and all over the place compared to dota IMO of course.

The map situation, I just believe you have gotten use to league and it would closer revolve around your established preference/ change being difficult at first. The map did have a 40% expansion almost exactly a year ago and it is overwhelming for sure but traversing it can become fun once you get use to it.

I have played almost all moba's under the sun since I like the genre and learning but I stick to dota because I respect it's balance and game philosophy the most that I feel comfortable investing and learning it the most. Biggest turn off in league was the forfeit habits of the general player base that prevented me from learning the various points in the game or practicing comeback strategies.

Best of luck learning the ropes, I do think you can find enough enjoyment out of the game once you get the hang of it.

[Anna Banana]

Originally posted by Over:

Heyo, cool that you are trying dota again.

So a big part of dota is that it was derived from warcraft so the medevil look you spoke off isn't too far off from the mark. In dota 1 (mod of warcraft 3 frozen throne just called Defense Of the Ancients) the characters had both a name and title and I believe that's why some characters have inconsistencies with their characters due to copy right stuff with blizzard (a lot of name changes in it's history). This also added to the light vs dark concept that some heroes had an affiliation to one side (lore wise, heroes could still be played on either side).
I more so wish they kept a lot of that as oppose to dropping it and tucking it away in the lore section of the characters but I did start playing dota in 2013 and I have a purist mindset. When it comes to it, really it doesn't bug me all too much. I actually prefer dota's design of characters for the most part than in League which to me feels more disorganized and all over the place compared to dota IMO of course.

The map situation, I just believe you have gotten use to league and it would closer revolve around your established preference/ change being difficult at first. The map did have a 40% expansion almost exactly a year ago and it is overwhelming for sure but traversing it can become fun once you get use to it.

I have played almost all moba's under the sun since I like the genre and learning but I stick to dota because I respect it's balance and game philosophy the most that I feel comfortable investing and learning it the most. Biggest turn off in league was the forfeit habits of the general player base that prevented me from learning the various points in the game or practicing comeback strategies.

Best of luck learning the ropes, I do think you can find enough enjoyment out of the game once you get the hang of it.

Thank you! I finished the learning section and played my first all pick match tonight, it was fun :) My years playing League helped me to a degree but it's going to be a learning experience, just like when I started League haha.

[Legion Main]

Ive been a league player since the end of season 2 and the off season between season 3. I actually started with DotA (and HoN) first before migrating to league because while i more or less enjoyed Dota, league just seemed to be more of my personal fit.

Just for me personally i felt like League cut out a lot of the mechanically intensive "fluff" that is crucial to playing a game of dota, at least in the early days, the map, and jungle being easier to understand and play around while making it more simplistic not detracting from how intense and mechanical a match can still be in league when it boils down to it.

Having my roots in dota and my blossom in league there are definitely are things i think both game do better or worse than each other, and then there are just things that are designed with the identity of either in mind. You really shouldnt play Dota and feel like youre just playing league and vice versa. theyre different games and their unique identities, some small some big, are what set them apart from being unique experiences in their own right. League was made by Ex dota 1 developers if my memory serves me right.

For something like the way each games names their characters, that's just an expression of their personal identity. Calling them heros instead of champions and vice versa, is just a personal preference for each games lore as another example. The map, the theme, theyre meant to be different and feel different because youre playing a different game. There are a lot of similarities for sure, but in they way they are different is what makes people prefer one or the other if it just feels right for them. It's all to express the world youre playing in and the games may be similar, but the worlds are completely different.

Its definitely hard to come from one world and try to assimilate into another but the more you immerse yourself in Dota's world, the more you come to appreciate the things that make it different from the one youre used to. That doesnt mean you have to appreciate the other one less in order to appreciate this one more. Just enjoy what makes it a different experience!