indiefinch

@ajamafalous: Yeah that is true, I am always willing to answer questions / show people the ropes. I am now starting to create Hero guides in game, then recording a MP3 companion to it and slapping it up on the Dota Insight podcast stream / website for new players to try new heros.

I wouldn't really consider Dota a "hard" game. It is a game that requires you to be smarter then the average bear because of how deep it is. When comparing it to SC2 and a fighting game, Dota is just different beast. I know in SC2 I have spent thousands of hours training, I know that unless you have committed as much as me...I will crush you 100% of the time. In fighting games, I know I suck. I like to jump in and play with some friends and mess around...but when I play against a player who actually plays seriously...he will crush me 100% of the time. The same can be said for Dota if it was only a 1v1 game, I would beat most newer players 100% of the time. But when it comes to a regular 5v5 match, sure I can be the best player on the team but all it takes is the worst player on the team to die a whole bunch to an enemy carry and we will lose the game. That is where the hostility comes in. The people who have dedicated a lot to Dota, get a loss because of a player who didn't dedicate as much time as them. Rather then trying to coach that person and help them out, it is easier for people to get upset and rage. 45min+ is a long time to sit into a game being focused just to have it go from a win to a loss because one guy stepped out of position at the wrong time.

There is never an excuse for someone to yell at a new player. That being said, new players need to respect what Dota is and what type of game it is. This is a game that has been studied, tuned, perfected, min/maxed, and balanced for a decade. You are not just competing against people who are new to Dota 2 like yourself, you are playing against people who have played only Dota since 2005. Before you dive in, you need to check the guides / systems out there so you can at least get the basics down so you are able to comprehend what is happening and why it is happening.

The easiest thing to do is to start with a hero that is easy to play, but has a big effect on helping your team. Lich, Tidehunter...etc are heros that have massive abilities that change team fights. Since abilities do not scale with items, as long as you get experience...you can use your abilities. By starting here you can begin to see which heros do what, you will learn the dance on laning / phases through the game. Once you get comfortable with a few easier ones then you can branch out to other roles. This thread here: http://www.giantbomb.com/dota-2/3030-32887/forums/the-i-am-new-to-dota-beginners-guide-570903/#54 has a TON of valuable information from a very wide range of players.

I would say just to purchase the game. There is way more content then there was in Tri. If you play offline only, maybe you can do it in 50-100 hours or so. But the online play is the bread and butter of the game. A lot more quests to do and the more difficult ones are there as well.

The online community at the moment is really big. I have not had a problem finding people yet.

I always just wait until I see the monster limping. Then I try to set the trap up in an area where I know they will go sooner or later. The middle of the zone or in the way of his escape route. Once he is in it, just throw a frew Tranq bombs at him and you will get him. The most frustrating part is killing them, it happens a lot more then you would think. Just be patient and when you think you are getting close...hold off the attacks.

Glad that you are enjoying it! The best part is that feeling continues to grow. Soon enough you will be facing monsters that will terrify you. Then when you take those down, you fight ones that are even worse.

@ducksworth: Base classes get skills at level 1 and 10. Advanced classes get skills at 5 and 15. With the DLC and the option to grind, technically you can reclass as much as you want. Since your stats carry over, might as well reclass multiple times to get the skills. If you have the DLC that basically gives free EXP and Free Money, you can spend as much time as you want to build the team you want.

@bwast said:

This is the best place to learn quick basics, in my opinion. Once you know what race you will play, catch up on his videos. You pretty much just need to know the basics and then just grind games. The only way to actually get better is to play a ton of matches then watching the replays after to see where you went wrong. Rinse and repeat. Then just try to have fun, don't worry about your ladder ranking or rank.

I will try to make it on Saturday. Will be a lot of fun!

It is difficult for the first few levels, but once you open up the DLC you are able to grind. Until then, you pretty much rely on Frederick to carry you. I guess it just comes down to how much you put into the strategic elements of the game. Lunatic makes you really study each tiny move and to be constantly aware of the weapon triangle / enemy move space.

Really solid patch. Glad to see the nerf to Tranquil Boots, at first we only saw people like Crystal Maiden or Lich pick them up. Then they became the go to boots for Phantom Lancer, Meepo, and Luna...just seemed like they were not fulfilling the role Icefrog intended.

KotL and Nyx needed the small nerf as well. KotL was annoying but you were able to dodge the illuminate. But Nyx was just super annoying, just when you thought you would kill him...NOPE Spiked Carapace and he escapes.

It would be nice to see this hotfixed in this weekend, but I doubt it. Probably will just come with the test realm patch next Wednesday.

Glad you are giving MH a shot, it is well worth it.

Best tips that I can think of off the top of my head

- Use the new targeting function. Once you spot the Monster, tap the icon on either the Wii U Gamepad or 3DS bottom screen. This will allow you to tap L and it will move the camera towards the monster. This is your main way of moving around and your best bet of dealing with the water fights.

- Use multiple weapons to find what you enjoy the most. Each weapon in MH is pretty much the "class" in other RPGs. Sword and Shield is a good starting weapon, it gives you basic attack and the ability to block. I really love Dual Swords, you can dish out a ton of damage and are extremely mobile. Long Sword is very powerful but isn't as slow as something like a Great Sword. Switch Axe is versatile because you can switch it from Axe mode to Sword mode based on the monster or situation. Hammer gives you decent mobility and a lot of damage, but you can get caught in a big animation swing. Try to avoid Gunning for a bit, it requires a bit more precision and usually excels in multiplayer settings. (TLDR: Start with S&S, then try Dual Swords, Long Sword, or Hammer...)

- Make sure you are prepared for the hunt. Materials are generally easy to obtain, so don't feel bad about blowing potions to top your health off. Also if you bring items to the hunt, it will make fights way easier. Build a few Shock Traps, Pit Traps, Dash Juice...etc. If you can trap the monster or buff yourself, things will be very easy.

- Based on where you hit the monster, different amounts of damage will be applied. Generally if you can hit them in the face you are going to do a bunch of damage. If you have a weapon like a Greatsword and your fighting something like a Royal Ludroth, focus on the tail and you can smash its tail off.

- Monsters do have weaknesses, if you use the correct weapon it can make things easy. Example, in the demo the Plesioth is weak to electric. So using an electric weapon, you can take it down a lot easier.

- Dodge roll is your friend, dodge everything.

- Lastly in the wall of text, try to have a damn good time. Once you get past the initial 2 or 3 hours, it will click on why people love the franchise. All of the controls and game systems are deliberately set up in this specific way for a reason. Once you feel comfortable, you can get right into hunting these giant epic monsters. There are few games that give you such a damn god feeling when you overcome a big hurdle. I know for me, during Tri taking down some of the early hurdles like Raithos and Barroth made me like a total badass after spending hours learning the fights.