@newfound: I'll wait a lot more than a week. Give it a year and they'll fix a bunch of problems and accompany that with a price-drop. Yep, I've learned my lessonS. :P
The clan's aim is to provide a fun, friendly environment to Giant Bomb users in Heroes of Newerth. Simple as that. The game is as tough as they come and this initiative would go a long way not only to help people learn the ropes but also:
Prevent individuals players from being pubstomped
Get enough players together that we can have 10 man in-house practice matches
Bringing together people who like videogames in general
How to join
Join the Giant Bomb channel (/join giantbomb) and click auto-connect on the top right.
Ask for an invite to the Giant Bomb Community clan [GB0].(clan is not active yet, read below)
Forming the clan
So there is no definitive name yet. GB G-B GiB GBo everything is taken, so we'll have to come up with another tag (GB0 is available, but meh) and even a full name, feel free to leave suggestions in your replies. Edit: Turns out we can have a 4 character tag.
For the actual forming of the clan, please simply join the giantbomb channel in-game and as soon as we have 5 people around we can make it a reality. Tag and name can be changed later, I believe.
Who's in it, duder?
I've had the chance to play with D1pstick and myslead and I can tell you that there is some really cool potential here. We've got good people in Giant Bomb and you should definitely give the game (and the clan) a chance. Or "another" chance, if you're not playing anymore!
Changed the "high MMR" in the crossroads section from 1500 to 1700
2011.01.08
Tutorial is no longer a big red apple, fixed text
Remodeled "Your first games" section
Added "Go into Matchmaking right off..." to the "Your first games" section
Removed "Don't play Easy Mode" in the "Dont's" section, since EM is gone from the game
Added "Don't play Public games..." to "Don'ts"
Changed the title of the "PSR" section to "MMR" and everywhere it's mentioned in the whole post. Because up until now Match Making was kind of broken (in my opinion, you can disagree) and now it's working a lot better and is now the "go to" rank and game mode.
Removed "For added relaxation, play public "no-stats" games, these don't count towards your PSR and generally attract a more relaxed crowd." from the "Crossroads" section. Replaced with "Gather enough Goblin Coins to buy that cool skin for your favorite hero or your country's flag. But most importantly, learn to have fun in a competitive environment."
Fixed "Honcast" in "Shoutcasts"
Completely removed "A few of my favorite mods" section
2010.07.03
Added Bang! Lib Chat Parser to mods.
2010.06.21
Shortened the Mods section, instead added a link to my new Mods Guide http://www.giantbomb.com/guides/heroes-of-newerth-mods/1787/ here on Giantbomb.
2010.06.20
Changed my "answer" in the PSR section
Added Mods section
Added "How to", "Hon Mod Manager" and "Mods" to Mods section
2010.06.13
Created "Changelog" to document changes on post
Fixed a bunch of link
Added "don't be a jerk" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS_igF4SUk8 link
Added "losing a lot" http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-heroes-of-newerth/17-1596/ link
Join the Giant Bomb channel (/join giantbomb) and click auto-connect on the top right.
Ask for an invite to the Giant Bomb Community clan [GB0]. (I'm working on actually forming the clan, message me if you want to help / join)
Play the tutorial. It's the open book icon near the center of the screen. Go on, I'll wait.
Your first games
Let everyone in the #Giantbomb channel know that you are new and ask if there's any friendly games you can join.
Listen to the other players' advice and apply it as best as you can, but here's the short version: it's a team game; don't die.
Alternatively:
Go into Matchmaking right off the bat, casual mode is recommended because it is more forgiving. Stay away from public games as it is very likely that you will be stomped by a coordinated 5-man team.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Until you get a feel for the game and a have a few favorite heroes.
Don't be a jerk . Cussing out other players is not ok! But feel free to tell them they suck and why.
Don't play public games, they are a deranged version of what the game is supposed to be and the home of pubstompers. Also, you won't get any Goblin Coins here. Public games are for when you just want to dick around with your friends and also the only option if there's 6 or more people who want to play together.
Don't resort to cheap tricks like Ninja-hosting to bump your PSR, you'll just get pushed back down again, hard!
More to come!
MMR
Why Losing is OK
The thing about Heroes of Newerth is that the learning curve is huge and, while you are still learning to crawl, you will be pitted against some very experienced players. The Match Making Ranking (MMR) system is the game's attempt to balance things out. You start with 1500 MMR, this rating goes higher or lower when you win or lose a match. If you are new, don't be afraid to lose a few matches and drop into the 1200-1300 MMR range, in fact, I recommend it! There you will be among equals, people still new or trying to learn, providing you a fair challenge.
Winning and Losing
You will lose and you will win. There is no middle ground. You must accept this. In fact, winning generates MMR, pitting you against stronger players, which will in turn kick your butt, making you lose MMR, pitting you against weaker players. This never-ending alternation between victory and defeat is to be expected. After a while, you will stabilize in an MMR range that best describes your skill level.
Well, that sounds kind of dumb" I hear you say, "what's the point, then? If I can't steadily climb up the ladder? What's the point of winning if it brings with it an inevitable defeat?" If you are indeed getting better, you will very slowly over many weeks start to notice an increase in your MMR. In a way, it reflects your true skill, pushing you back down if you had 4 lucky wins, but letting you hang around if you are deserving. The point is, you get better MMR from learning about the game, reading guides and practicing, not trying to steal a few meaningless wins. The other point is it's not a competition ! It's there to help you identify people's skill and keep your games balanced and that's all, the top 100 don't get any special treatment or recognition, the tournament winners do.
Ambition
Crossroads
"So I have stabilized in the 1300's, I am happy here, this is where I belong. Opponents are hard but not too hard, I win half the time and there's not as many morons here." Now you have to make your most important decision in Heroes of Newerth, here's your 2 choices:
Play. You know the basics of the game. You have a populated friends list and a cool little group with whom you enjoy playing. Gather enough Goblin Coins to buy that cool skin for your favorite hero or your country's flag. But most importantly, learn to have fun in a competitive environment.
Get better. Study the game. Watch the video tutorials. Ask your friends for advice. Strive for a higher MMR where you will find the mediocre players. It might take months, but you will eventually stabilize once more, this time in the 1500's. Suddenly your heart beats faster, your hands move on their own and you are pulling off double-kills against pretty good players!
Crossroads 2.0 (for +1700MMR players)
Of course, the choice will present itself again, but this time the stakes will be higher: play around in the 1700's or join a clan? Look, at this point, you have my permission to relax. You know everything there is to know about the mechanics of the game, you are experienced with a multitude of heroes, familiar with almost all the items and, generally, the only thing holding you back is your natural skill level. If you haven't realized it yet, Heroes of Newerth is a game built specifically for competitive play. Unlike other games, there's never more players in one team than the other, you cannot join a match mid-game and there are pause and remake options. In other games, these conditions only replicate themselves in "tournament mode" or something close to that. In HoN, they are always there.
Shoutcasts
Watching the pros play can really help your game. I'm just going to quote Jayrod here: watching shoutcasts is "especially useful for learning item counters, checking out item builds and learning the macro aspects of the game (when to push, why you should always be ready to teleport somewhere, the importance of towers and map control, etc.)"
The original home of Nigma. In addition to the previously mentioned videos, you'll find many detailed hero guides, also stuff on laning , jungling , hero roles , items , etc.
Nigma moved here, where he hosts "Training Ground Friday" and some kind of "Top 10 Plays of the Week"
Mods
You can install user made UI mods, often customizable, that might even get into the game later (depending on their popularity). It is important to note that these are not cheats, as they will not give you maphack or extra damage or anything like that, they are more similar to World of Warcraft add-ons, helping with keybinds, custom sounds, fonts, UI, etc. For detailed install instructions, check out my Heroes of Newerth Mods Guide .
I get it that a lot of you guys identify more with CitizenJP and are quick imagine me as a negative force. But, if I may bring you closer to understanding my perspective on the whole thing: he bought the game, played a single match, left 13 minutes in and finally logged on to Giant Bomb for no other reason than to denigrate the game and gather support for a non-existent cause.
I watched the full replay of his match and there were no negative comments, no "mean players" to be seen. This is why I am outraged. I did not see someone who was "trying to learn", either. If you've been playing LoL for a few months, you at least know how to buy items.
I'll cut you some slack, CitizenJP, if you ever feel like giving Newerth another shot, feel free to add me, I can give you a few pointers and roll with you in pubs. Edit: My in-game ID is Deklan.
@CitizenJP: Actually, I just checked your profile. 1 match only? In which you ragequit, apparently. This was after:
Not buying any items at the start or during the whole game.
Scoring only 1 last hit in the first 3 minutes, dying soon after.
Having to go heal just from creep damage.
Getting back to your lane 100% only to get killed by the tower, undisturbed.
And "mean players"? Absolutely unjustified, CitizenJP! Your team did not utter a single negative comment until finally asking you to leave. Are you sure you're a LoL player? You are horrible! And as soon as that game finished, you started this topic. Ugh. I am... revolted? I love this game, I can't just stay quiet about this. Before, I thought you were just a guy down on his luck, but now all I see is a effin' evil aura.
I understand what it's like. I think anyone who ever played DotA can relate to the deep frustration the game can make you feel. But this is unjustified. Your words deserve no simpathy.
This is a great review. Already commented on it. No bias, lays it out like it is.
It's a bit outdated, though, since you can now ignore and ban other players, not just mute them. Plus, it fails to mention that the game gets new heroes quite frequently, a real strong point (it's kinda implied, but not stated). And that there's almost monthly tournaments with a minimum of 10,000$ at stake, pumping a lot of life into the game. Also the replay system, honcast.com, I dunno. But overall, recommended. :) Kept it short and readable. Good job.
Log in to comment