DOTA 2

[Joose]

At this rate we might be able to manage a 5punk v 5punk game :D

[Dog Pants]

The other night after our 5punky vs randoms game I got a crate. I don't like the whole crate gambling thing, but since it's probably the only competitive game of Dota I'll ever win I paid £1.50 to open it anyway and got a hat for a fish guy. Well, actually he already wears a hat, this takes it off and gives him more fins on his head. So I got a not hat. The thing is, the more characters you get in the game the less valuable this becomes, because unless you specifically pick him you're less likely to get him.

[Dog Pants]

I've spent some of this morning playing through the tutorials. They're not bad actually, although you spend most of it as Sniper.

[Dog Pants]

I watched a couple of the tournament games today. They're actually pretty interesting to watch, or at least the good ones are. One (Orange Vs DK from yesterday) was a pretty even game with a good, regular supply of team fights which ended pretty quickly after a couple of big ganks to Orange prompted DK to quit out, the other (Invictus vs TongFu) was a long and uneventful game ending in a spectacular comeback and blitz victory. I've never been one for e-sports, but both games had me grinning at the turns of events, and at one point chuckling to the commentators cheering on a courier overburdened with two bottles (which slows his speed right down). As with everything else, actually getting into the games to watch them is not an obvious process, and it would be really useful if they told you which language commentary was in (I went through two Korean sets before I found one in English), but once I got in I was pleasantly surprised. Course the easier option is to watch on Youtube, but I think you probably miss some of the atmosphere.

[friznit]

Like half the known universe, I was given a copy of this. Problem is, I haven't the slightest clue what it is, what to do with it or where to start. The stories of public matches and elitist screaming at each other put me off long before I even knew there was the acronym meant. Your 5punky guide has piqued my interest though.

[Dog Pants]

I think the public nastiness is an over exaggeration, legacy of the older games like HoN. I read the steam forum thread about the praise/report system and it was packed full of trolls complaining about how they'd been muted for days on end. I've played maybe four public games and seen almost no bad behaviour. However, in any game where four randoms are benefiting or suffering from your performance, you can come in for grief from the odd idiot. Usually they're the worst in the team. Playing with 5punkers is a lot of fun, because the only person who cares if you do badly is you. As long as you don't bounce off it, since some of us have been playing for a while now so it can be a bit of a steep learning curve (and we're still only a little better than easy bots).

[Anery]

God damn it Roman, stop one shotting me!

[Dog Pants]

I've made a guild and invited the regular players. Don't know what it does other than give us a bit of identity and let up upload a logo, but maybe if/when people are playing in public games and prove themselves to be 5punky we might get a little attention from like-minded randoms. If anyone wants an invite give me a nudge (or anyone else, assuming I can set rank permissions once people join).

[Dog Pants]

Did that work? Nobody accepted any invites. Did anything happen for you guys?

[HereComesPete]

Did anything happen for you guys?

TWSS

[Mr. Johnson]

I checked earlier today and got nothing.

[Dog Pants]

Huh. Looks like you might have to be online or in game for it to work. Give me pokes or we can sort it out on friday.

[Roman Totale]

I went on briefly last night but couldn't see anything - might have been looking in the wrong place though. We should have practise matches and create the perfect mix of characters!

[Dog Pants]

I've considered setting up a proper team lineup to see how we get on. Well, not pro team, but a proper solo mid, a pair of sidelane carries and a support for each of them. It would be interesting to see how we got on.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

I hope you called it 5perm?

[Dog Pants]

I did not.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to 5punk in motion.

[Dog Pants]

The name has something of an iffy track record, but you make a convincing argument.

[Roman Totale]

I love Shadow Shaman for a disabling support character - would work well with someone like Slark or Axe. Charge across the map man (Spirit Breaker) would be good with someone like Lich, Weaver, Drow or Venomancer. Necrolyte and Death Prophet good for mid.

[Dog Pants]

I did a bit of reading on Slark, and what I saw rang true. He's something of an early game wandering ganker who falls off later. He certainly does do nasty things at low level, and his knack of grabbing people and holding them there from level 1 would suit a pairing with a nuke support who can then splat the unfortunate victim. How's that for taking someone out of lane? Then later on he can go wandering, looking for enemy junglers, people off to the shop, or anyone else who wants to take a stroll on their own. By end game there's enough disable around to cause him problems, since disables are his big weakness, so he sticks to jumping in and out of team fights and picking off straggling supports.

I hate playing supports in 5punky games (or indeed any), but I think I maybe need to persevere with them and play as a support rather than my natural ganking slant. I felt okay playing Sand King as a team initiator, good fun in fact. Saw him used to good effect in the International too.

Maybe on friday we can random as usual until we're down to five, then try choosing a proper setup. I wouldn't like to try it when there's more than five of us because it would be exclusive of whoever was left out.