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    Dota 2

    Game » consists of 3 releases. Released Jul 09, 2013

    The official free-to-play sequel to the Warcraft III custom scenario that originally popularized the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena sub-genre.

    The International 2015 format?

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    TN04

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    Hey, I'm thinking about writing an article for Goldper10.com (A site dedicated towards creating e-sports content) about the upcoming League of Legends World Championship Format and just wanted a general background on how people feel about The International's format.

    Currently, the League scene is split into regions (NA, EU, Korea, China and Taiwan). All regions have a separate league and the top teams from each region qualify for the World Championship plus two wildcard teams from smaller regions (Oceania, Brazil, Turkey, Japan). The groups are drawn into 4 groups of 4 and top two of each group qualify to the knockstage where it's double elimination Bo5.

    I already know the format of the Interational so I just wanted to know whats the general feeling about it? Is it too much Dota? Do you get to see all the games? and Does the best two teams end up in the final?

    Any information that you guys can give me is appreciated. Thanks!

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    Slag

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    • People seem to like it.
    • No I don't think so.
    • No, but I also don't feel anymore obligated to than I do to watch every heat of the Summer or Winter Olympics. I like to have it on in the background when working.
    • Hard to say as I don't think DotA team skill is as predictable or as stable as say... one's skill at basketball. Whether they are best or not, usually two very deserving teams do end up there.
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    ajamafalous

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    #3  Edited By ajamafalous

    @slag said:
    • People seem to like it.
    • No I don't think so.
    • No, but I also don't feel anymore obligated to than I do to watch every heat of the Summer or Winter Olympics. I like to have it on in the background when working.
    • Hard to say as I don't think DotA team skill is as predictable or as stable as say... one's skill at basketball. Whether they are best or not, usually two very deserving teams do end up there.

    Pretty much the correct answers for all four.

    I watched every game of both the group stage and the main event, though, but that's because I'm both crazy and currently unemployed, so I had the time. You could've missed the entire group stage and not suffered at all.

    EDIT: One thing I will say is that I really hate the Bo2 format for the group stage where 2-0 gets you 3 points, 1-1 gets you 1 point, and 0-2 gets you 0 points; I would rather it just be win/loss record for seeding instead of putting so much emphasis on 2-0ing a series. 2015's format was much better than 2014's, though, where half the teams got eliminated immediately after the group stage was over without even touching the main event.

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    TN04

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    @ajamafalous: Hmm yeah. Honestly people care way more about the lower tier teams in League because Riot funds the NA and EU regional leagues so getting to watch every game in the group stages I guess is more important than in TI I guess. I just like having a loser's and winner's bracket but it's alot of games to get through. Bo1 format can open you up to cheese strats, but Bo2 its better barometers since teams can adapt

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    Maluvin

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    Not sure if you're still looking for some info or not but here goes:

    If you're watching Dota with any sort of regularity the International has overall been the highlight of the year. It's a combination of seeing high level play, good production value from Valve and the invited players, and the investment people feel through things like the Compendium. The options for watching the games have gradually improved over time. There's also been good drama in terms of generating interesting discussion around team roster makeup and post-TI team reshuffles.

    I will say I personally thought TI4 was a bit of a let down when it came to the grand finale. The state of the meta-game was arguably boring at the time along with some unfortunate issues related to language barriers. This last year was FANTASTIC.

    Hard to say if it's "too much Dota". My feeling is it's not. It's two weeks of stuff but really there's no need to watch all of it. The Main Event is the real draw. I think it's important to watch at least from the quarter-finals forward so you can get a feel for the strengths, weaknesses, and style of the teams you'll see in the finale. The other games can be really good and all comes down to your personal investment. I think Valve does a good job of allotting the right amount of time to the earlier stage games vs. the later games.


    I tend to watch maybe 75% of the games. I'll tend to skip some of the earlier games between teams who are unlikely to progress.

    Last question is really hard to answer definitively. My general sentiment is that, yes, the best two teams make it to the end. It's a game of skill and strategy. You don't make it to the end without the right combination of good captaining, good understanding of mechanics, and lots of practice as a team. The individual player skill level has overall been improving over the years. Whereas in previous years you could get away with fast reactions and just being good at group fights and ganking I'd say the larger strategic picture has gotten a lot more intensive. The things that a captain has to keep track of is more in depth these days and individual players have to be more flexible with their item builds if there's an unexpected shift in the progress of a particular game.

    This next year could potentially be very different. While there have been all kinds of tournaments besides the International throughout the year this is the first year we're seeing mechanics in place to try and decrease roster shifts and the introduction of the Majors system could change the interest level of viewers throughout the year. I see it as a good thing personally but we'll have to see the actual results.

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    Christoffer

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    @maluvin: I agree with this. And when it comes to The International, the problem isn't that it's too much Dota, the problem is that we want more of that high-quality high-stakes Dota throughout the year. It's too many half assed tournaments between TI's. In my opinion.

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    Maluvin

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    @christoffer: Yeah, I've definitely tried to watch some of the other tournaments and it's been really hit or miss (mostly miss). While I appreciate the efforts and difficulties faced by tournament organizers it's been hard to get excited when you see major teams skipping particular tournaments because the small prize pool or expenses of attending make it not worth their time. As a result my Dota watching has typically risen and fallen around the time of the International. Hoping the Majors system makes for more interesting year round viewing. It's something I really enjoy watching with my teenage kids.

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    Christoffer

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    @maluvin: I totally forgot about the Majors. Thanks for the reminder. Now I have high hopes about that.

    Didn't mean to bash on the smaller tournaments. They do what they can but the teams seems to have limited energy and interests in the smaller tournaments.

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