Please define "dumb". I don't understand half of the rules in the NFL regs so does that mean I should get frustrated when a team I favor loses I should complain about how it is all dumb?

Even though this is a team game, if you are doing random matches then one should focus on playing at the best level they can instead of complaining how everyone can't match because that is how random game work. If you really wanted to be serious, you'd join a team and do strict matches instead of hitting randoms. If one can't ever stand "dumb players" then never ever do random.

Flat out "pants on head retarded" I just don't run into. If you're in the very high bracket you probably have some idea of what you are doing.

Of course there will sometimes be "that player" who just isn't playing very well at the moment. I just try my best to deal with it. Sometimes you can compensate enough to win, sometimes you can't. I don't really stress about it honestly; after all it's just a game.

The biggest thing is I don't just flame them. If I think the mistakes they are making are out of pure ignorance I'll mention something once, if I think it was just a fuck up I won't say anything. No one likes to get ragged on for some shit they know they fucked up on.

Only way I would go near this game is with a boot camp. You must be good in your charactor and be good with your teamates. No time differential, both are concurrent.

The game looks hard and sophisticated. But I can be having fun elsewhere, even with a modicum of true skill and intellligence. Still, it would not be in the arena of real time dependance by other players for my comprehension and actions. Having said that, those that enjoy this game and understand it, my honest best. I do think there are facets of it that cause conflict(hard fking work/low score) but I have not made that my problem or measure of my success.

Maybe Lance Armstrong would like to learn Dota...No, he would already want to know it...whatever it would take.

A properly implemented non-skippable tutorial is needed

The key is to not come across as an asshole to them. Even if you are secretly calling them a million naughty words, only type words of encouragement and give them praise for the small things. The goal:

COMMENDATIONS MUAHAHHAA

Ahem.. and giving them a self esteem boost.

I mean, it's not their fault they suck. Well, maybe it is but shouting at them won't make them listen. It'll just make them feel bad.

How about this, how do you deal with a terrible hero selection? I played a game and EVERYONE apart from me chose support style characters (and not awesome ones like Outworld Destoryer, shit like Warlock)...whilst the other team calmly took all heavy tanks and hard carries.

40 mins of nonsense later we lost 50-23.

@Cheesebob: Complete opposite just happened to me. I pick Undying and buy wards, clarity and other build-up for a support build... and the only lane left is mid. Nobody else will go mid so I have to sell most of the stuff I just bought and end up feeding the enemy mid. And I get bitched at. -.-

I honestly thought this was going to be about all the Russians. Pleasantly surprised it isn't.

@TheFreepie said:

@Cheesebob: Complete opposite just happened to me. I pick Undying and buy wards, clarity and other build-up for a support build... and the only lane left is mid. Nobody else will go mid so I have to sell most of the stuff I just bought and end up feeding the enemy mid. And I get bitched at. -.-

Not trying to be a jerk, but if you know better than to solo a support character mid, why would you do it? If you keep feeding mid, why not change lanes? Explain to your (what sounds like very noobish) team-mates why what their doing is not a viable solution or else they won't learn anything. I'm not saying they'd listen to you, but don't solo a support mid because "oh well, somebody has to go mid" - it's just not an option.

All you can do in Dota is play your role to the best of your ability, not doing so is nobodies fault but your own.

@SharkEthic: I did try to explain to my teammates but I don't think any of them spoke English (joys of EU west). And I didn't want to take the risk of leaving mid to join a lane with already 2 people in it in hopes they'd get the message

@TheFreepie: No, I totally hear you, but I'll bet you lost the game, right? And I bet you had a shitty time playing a support solo mid, right? When playing with people like that, all you can do is do your own thing (especially when you can't communicate with them) and try to get as much out of it as possible - and as a support that means babysitting your teams carry. So what I'm saying is that you don't gain any real experience playing a character wrong.

@SharkEthic: I suppose you've got a point :p

@Cheesebob said:

How about this, how do you deal with a terrible hero selection? I played a game and EVERYONE apart from me chose support style characters (and not awesome ones like Outworld Destoryer, shit like Warlock)...whilst the other team calmly took all heavy tanks and hard carries.

40 mins of nonsense later we lost 50-23.

I hope that was a misstype...OD is one of the strongest carries in the game. His problem is he is a glass cannon who just dies instantly if he is out of position. But mid game before bkbs come out he can just steamroll people with his damage output.

@IndieFinch: Yeah it was, I ment that OD is a intelligent type character...which is what everyone apart from me took

@Cheesebob said:

@IndieFinch: Yeah it was, I ment that OD is a intelligent type character...which is what everyone apart from me took

Well stat attributes have nothing to do with the heros role. OD is an Int based carry. Batrider is a Int based initatior. Vengeful Spirit is an Agility based support. Wisp is a strength based support.