Orange’s Guide to How Pub Games Should Be Played

Few months back, if you were to tell me to do a ‘trilane‘, ward excessively & stack creeps as a support, or to lane instead of nc just because it works better for the team, I’d probably just laugh it off and say ‘chillax la‘!

Because I’m used to gaming to de-stress and have fun with friends, especially in Dota. When everyone would Skype and talk cock, and things like wards placed wrongly, fail ravages, missed hooks etc. become food for entertainment.

Things ranging from your most basic failed hooks…

… to high-level, unintentional suicides

“RELAX, YOU’RE DOING FINE”

My daily gaming stack comprises of my closest friends IRL, and yet even amongst this group of about 10 people there’s a clear-cut division between those who prioritize playing serious / winning games and those who just want to have fun in game and troll each other / opponents whenever possible.

Before I was made aware of the existence of a competitive Dota 2 scene, I was all for the latter – not that it’s in my nature to troll others, but gaming with that mindset makes Dota a highly enjoyable pastime & my daily dose of entertainment. 

Around April this year though I started trying out Captain’s Mode. Before that, I didn’t even know what “drafting” was. But just for the fun of it, I’ve decided to join in. And that’s when I first came across the phrase:

‘ggwp tryhards‘

I didn’t understand that term initially.

But now from what I understand, there are several common defining characteristics of teams/players who’d be called ‘tryhards‘ in general:

1. If you opt for trilanes instead of doing it 2-1-2
2. If you pick Naga + DS + Enigma, SD + Mirana or other combo heroes
3. If you wait for the other team to pick their heroes and then counterpick them
4. If you have roaming supports setting up early smoke ganks
5. If you get lots of sentries / dusts i.e. well-prepared to detect invisible heroes
6. If you keep warding / dewarding around the map

Basically, it’s a summary of things normally done in competitive matches in order to win the game.

See what I don’t understand is, if you were playing in Captain’s Mode or Team Matchmaking, presumably the need and drive to win is already there, and it’s a more serious game mode compared to normal All Pick games.

Thus shattering the logic behind the act of calling others ‘tryhards‘ in Captain’s Mode.

And if we were in an AP game, we usually random or pick heroes we’re comfortable with.

The reason why I end up picking Na’ix so much is because I can slack and just right-click in the NC for a while. Some might have seen me eating bread while farming early game.

So nope, with that mentality there’s no ‘game plan’, no stacking; loads of fighting for farm, KS-ing and casual blaming…

And of course not forgetting denying Aegis, buying a Rapier and delivering it to oppo’s base, etc.

Example: Getting two Mantas and a Refresher on Weaver, just to see if you can get four illusions.

 

Also, a Mjollnir on Zeus so that you get double arcs. And lifesteal so Zeus can solo Roshan.

Because throwing games is part of the fun.

Babyoling’s Step-by-Step Guide: How Pub Games Should Be Played

1. Random a shit hero
2. Play it like a boss
3. Feed or throw
4. Wait in fountain for the other team to end
5. Buy LOTS of couriers / wards
6. Decorate
7. Run around
8. If opponents have a Pudge, get smoke and hide
9. Report everyone on the other team
10. Laugh
11. Type “http://www.babyoling.com” at the end of the game
12. Actually have fun playing the game
13. Rate enjoyment as Very High
14. Get item
15. Find another match

Jokes aside.

 

Course it’s the best if you can win the game WHILE having fun, but it’s just utterly pointless to play a game and let your mood get ruined because you’re trying hard but unable to win, even worse if you actually argued with people over the outcome of teamfights or the entire game.

It’s just not worth it.