Lazy blogging, it happens to the best of us. I just happen to be rather normal, so I don't keep up very well. Regardless, I decided this was worth writing about, though I'm sure it's a totally beaten-down topic. But, I don't use a blog to create new ideas. I use it to give my input on subjects I deem worthy. I enjoy opening a direct conversation to people who care enough to read my thoughts, though it doesn't necessarily matter to me if no one reads it. If you do read this, just know I love you a little bit more than the rest of the world ;-)

SO, I've been an avid LoL player for the better part of 2 years now. I follow the pro circuit (MakNooN is my favorite, and American teams are absolutely dreadful. "They're getting better!" No they're not, they'll always be second rate. The day they make it to the world finals is the day LoL is dead.). Now, I used to be completely obsessed, but these days I just enjoy the game when I get time. I still believe that it deserves the fanbase it has developed, and that game could stick around for a good while. That said, recently I have been trying out Dota 2. I started playing the week before Brad jumped into it, if you follow the bombcast at all.

Dota 2 definitely has a learning curve. I actually tried to get into it 8 months ago, but found it way too complex. Now, before the Dota 2 released, people were swearing that it would destroy LoL and be this big fantastic game. That is not, and will never be true. The reason for this is because Dota 2's mechanics are far more advanced than those of LoL. This makes for a high barrier of entry and a fair amount of time where you are just getting hammered for your mistakes. For instance, instead of being able to go back to base by just hitting a button, like in LoL, you must use a special item known as the recall scroll. But that's not all. That scroll is a single use, but can also teleport you to ANY friendly building on the field. So, it acts as a teleport and a recall, but it takes up an item slot. Also, there are 3 places to buy 3 different sets of items, and you can have a courier on your team, which is literally another controllable character that runs items from any store to any friendly character.

LoL keeps things simple. It rarely has instances where you must control more than one champ. All items are kept at the storekeeper at base, and most mechanics are very straightforward. Dota 2 seriously has a guy where he transforms into 5 of himself. His name is Meepo, and you can control each of those people as individuals. Only the main one can carry items, but all of them can farm or jungle. If any one of them dies, they all die. That's not a mechanic for a casual player.

LoL has a good learning slope. You start out with 0 of everything, and you only get a handful of champions to play. This may sound boring, but it is actually really helpful since your choices are limited. You aren't overwhelmed with options, and you have a solid week to hone your skills with those champs. It's actually a nice way to learn, and you are never tempted to just jump from champion to champion to champion. When you get Dota 2, you get the whole thing. It's awesome, but it's also very tough to find that one champ that really stick. You're always thinking, "sure, I'm pretty good with this guy, but there 100 others that I may be better with!" This ends with people playing champs that are extremely tough (I'm looking at you, Invoker), and they fail miserably. That's not to say LoL doesn't have its terrible players; in fact, LoL can be more frustrating than playing a fighting game where the other guy just bangs his head on the controller. It's just that there is a lot more room to screw up in Dota 2.

The point of this wall of text is that I've been an avid LoL fan, but it can be pretty boring at times. And it can definitely get frustrating. If you can get over the learning curve, and you want a bit more complexity and excitement, try out some Dota 2. The items have some really fantastic effects, the mechanics are downright insane at times, and the champions vary just as wildly as in LoL. It's not a game for the casual MOBA player, though. In my experience, it can be immensely rewarding, though, once you get the hang of it. LoL is more competitive, but anyone stuck in the ranked cycle knows that it can feel absolutely hopeless at times. Dota 2 doesn't throw the ranked thing in your face, and you are rewarded almost every game with loot and new clothing items for different champs. Even if you lose, you can still win.

Anyways, thanks for reading. If you have any questions about LoL, I know tons. As for Dota 2, I don't know as much, but I can be helpful. I hope you enjoyed it, and maybe you can decide which game to learn. They're both really great, though I know that Giant Bomb isn't known for its massive competitive gaming readers. They're worth the investment.