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If you have played the three main MOBAs (LoL, Dota 2, HotS), which do you prefer?

Mattdaddy

Gold Member
I really like HoTS. I felt way too casual for Dota and LOL. I like the objectives on HoTS, I like blizzards heroes, and the games I think might be a little shorter. And I like the talent system over items.

I also felt like HoTS had the least hostile community.... even though people do get pretty salty at times.
 

scoobs

Member
All my friends play LoL and I tried for about a month but just couldn't find the time or will to invest in it. Ended up trying HOTS about two years back and now it's basically the only game I play, really love blizzard universes so it's cool to get to experience them all together in one place.

Plus blizzard updates the game with new heroes every 3 weeks and release new maps and all kinds of content at a ridiculous pace. If you leave the game for a couple months you'll have missed like 3 new heroes, a new map, and about 2-3 complete hero reworks.
 

Syxx

Neo Member
HotS by far. The shorter game length is a big advantage over the others. And for those that say it lacks complexity, they need to dig in further. The game exemplifies easy to learn, but hard to master. Drafting for the map, for your own team's comp, and countering the other team's comp is ever-evolving. Plus, teamwork is critical in HotS, with the shared EXP, objectives, and emphasis on team fights.

Also, the Blizzard universe adds its own value. I have primarily been a Diablo universe fan, but I've grown a greater fondness for many Starcraft and Warcraft characters just from my time with them in HotS.
 

wihio

Member
I started out playing lots of LoL, but after a couple years I went to Dota 2 and never returned. I really enjoyed the greater intensity of character builds and was not sad to see the Rune mechanic go. The whole creep denying mechanic was definitely a draw too. Dota 2 seemed to be so much deeper and more broad in regards to form and function. I do miss Amumu though!

As for HotS, I am still under 10 hours, and I tried it on release. Perhaps I will load it up tonight!

PS I rage quit Dota 2 after 1300hours and havent returned yet!
 
I used to prefer LoL, but I gave up on MOBA games a few months ago. They took up a huge amount of my time. I eventually realized I was kind of addicted, and my enjoyment wasn't always even that great. I love the LoL community on GAF though. Miss 'em all.
 

Lilo_D

Member
Dota2
tried lol before the only thing annoyed me is I can't access all heroes from start which is a huge turned off
 

Mrbob

Member
I love watching Dota 2 but after playing it 500 hours I just don't have the patience anymore to git gud to play with others online.

Surprised at all the HoTS love in this thread. May give it another look.
 

CupONoodos

Neo Member
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Hahaha damn this got me so good!

Dota 2 isn't just my favorite MOBA, but now my favorite game of all time. Didn't start out that way however.

As an avid MOBA player I'll just go ahead and start where it all began: League of Legends.

Started playing League in 2010 where I fell in love with MOBAs. Almost played every day during college even skipped class the day Ahri got released. After 1000 games of League though, I started getting tired of the game. I couldn't find games fun anymore and I just got tired of Riot nerfing my favorite characters into oblivion (Irelia, Jax, Mordekaiser, Vladimir) and the fact that all the new champs released would wreck most of the older cast. I finally left the game I was completely obsessed with.

And then out of nowhere and almost like it was a sign, I got one of the earliest closed beta invites to Dota. My account says I played Dota for the first time in 12/11/2011. It was a struggle at first as even though the structure of Dota is the same as League where you destroy towers and eventually the base, the mechanics and feel were VERY different. My first hero I tried to play was Clockwerk and boy that was not a good decision. I forced myself to play only bot games on the hardest difficulty and win before I would ever get into a real game. Eventually played enough to feel confident, had my first game, and then its been history ever since.

I've played HotS and Smite too for a bit and found it entertaining, but Dota keeps bringing me back. Mostly play Smite when my cousin asks me to play with him. Been really into Paragon though and has been the only MOBA that has taken time away from Dota from me.

Right now my currently playing MOBA list is:
1. Dota 2
2. Paragon
3. Smite
 

jetsetrez

Member
To those judging HotS poorly, I really hope you give the game another chance when 2.0 launches in like a week. It will be launching with a completely overhauled economy (more like LoL now, but seems like it'll be more forgiving), more item types like DotA2 (announcers, sprays, banners, emotes), loot boxes, and a new Nexus Challenge crossover with Overwatch which brings over Genji and Hanamura (and Dva is expected to also be revealed at the launch).

The game has changed so much (much more than any game I've ever actively been invested in). There are almost 70 heroes now, 13 maps (plus a few ARAM maps and brawl modes), there have been probably about a hundred hero reworks at this point, tons of game design and content improvements, tons of UI improvements, etc.
 

frontovik

Banned
DOTA 2 by a landslide. It's simple to get into, but complex to master.

The same can't really be said for LoL and HotS. Both are 'cheap' imitations with flimsy gameplay and lousy aesthetics.
 
I keep telling myself to try and play Dota, but I've never gotten around to it.

I'm probably not gonna play HotS because the heroes are specifically from Blizzard franchises, and since the only game of theirs I've played is Overwatch, there's really no point. Yes I know there's Overwatch heroes in it now, but it's not really enough for me. I also know Dota used to have links to Warcraft characterwise, but if I'm not mistaken that's not the case with Dota 2.
 

liezryou

Member
WC3->DotA->LoL->DotA2->Casual HotS->DotA2->LoL->DotA2
Thousands upon thousands of hours of MOBAs played here.

If you are casual and you like collecting cosmetics spending hundreds of dollars on hero unlocking and cosmetics -> LoL

If you are super casual and can't be bothered even learning items ->HotS

For everyone else ->DotA2
 

Onivulk

Banned
Both LoL and DotA have laning phases that literally exist only to waste your time.

So HotS. The only actual game.

Also Smite is better than the other two as well.
 

eggandI

Banned
I like LoL the best, by far. I think it strikes the best balance of all the mobas ive played. The matches are long enough where you can really enjoy the sense of progression in each match but not so long that it becomes boring. Dota 2 matches are WAY too long and HotS just feels like a mess with no progression.

LoL has some big downsides though. Lots of boring champions and stale meta because riot is obsessed with esports shit. Dota 2 has waaaay more interesting heroes and moment to moment gameplay/meta.

LoL's art feels like some insanely generic deviantart piece.

And of course the grind. Dota 2 has free heroes no runes bs.

If i took mobas seriously then id definitely play dota 2. But since i just play mobas casually i feel LoL is the best one for that.
 

jetsetrez

Member
DOTA 2 by a landslide. It's simple to get into, but complex to master.

The same can't really be said for LoL and HotS. Both are 'cheap' imitations with flimsy gameplay and lousy aesthetics.
By that logic, DotA2 is a "cheap" imitation of DotA1, which literally used every single hero, ability, and mechanic directly from its source game in WarCraft 3 (and I know Aeon of Strife in StarCraft was technically the progenitor of both, but DotA and by extension DotA2 was entirely about the WC3 units). Which is to say, nearly everything in DotA2 is a "cheap" imitation of something that Blizzard created. I say that in quotations because I certainly don't think DotA2's imitation is cheap at all, I'm simply using your logic. I think DotA2 is a magnificent game, and has amazing art. But please, nearly everything in it was literally a Blizzard unit, and nearly every ability and item came directly from Blizzard. They've done a lot to change a lot of the similarities, but come now, it is still blatantly obvious which heroes in DotA2 are the direct descendants of Blizzard's. I guess you can claim the gameplay is flimsy in HotS or League if you like, but to chide them for their aesthetics is the height of irony, considering all three games essentially share the same lineage (with DotA2 and HotS literally sharing much of the same cast).
 

F!ReW!Re

Member
Haven't touched Dota2 in 1,5-2 years.
But it always felt as it was the superior of the three:
Graphics wise and gameplay wise. I feel Dota2 is way deeper in terms of mechanics, strategy and builds.

LoL and especially HoTs feel like shallower versions of the same game and not having all the heroes available from the start (+ that horrible rune mechanic in LoL) really help to propel DotA2 to the top of the Moba genre.

I guess you can claim the gameplay is flimsy in HotS or League if you like, but to chide them for their aesthetics is the height of irony, considering all three games essentially share the same lineage (with DotA2 and HotS literally sharing much of the same cast).

Personally I find Dota2's character design (even if it's a rip-off of Dota1 and Warcraft3) miles above what LoL and HotS have done.
 
Old school HoN>DotA 2>DotA

I really with DotA 2 had concede option for all matches, much more unique model options rather than item pieces (they have improved much on this to be fair) and more new heroes.

LoL and HOTS are just not my stuff, got too used to the DotA formula.
 

Berordn

Member
I like HOTS for its accessibility and variety.

Playing Dota 2 always makes me feel like any victory is achieved through attrition and for whatever reason I can't get into LoL despite having quite a few friends that play it.
 

Aaron

Member
Smite is the best to play, especially outside of Conquest, and Dota 2 is the best to watch. Found League pretty dull, and Heroes of the Storm the whole game feels just too sluggish in pacing until right near the end.
 

TDLink

Member
HotS (and I'm glad to see other people saying the same).

  • Shorter game times
  • Varied maps with different objectives
  • Unique types of characters the other two wouldn't even consider doing
  • Shared XP/No "Last Hitting" required
  • No in-match currency/inventory/items to worry about, the talent system is a lot easier, character unique, and streamlined

Plus if you like other Blizzard franchises, the fact that it's a crossover game with those characters is a nice bonus.

Even though HotS isn't as popular as their other games, Blizzard treats the game with just as much importance and their trademark style and quality shines through. They're also very responsive on the game's subreddit.

I'm happy I never have to subject myself to a 50 minute summoner's rift match again.
 
I don't play any of those, but I do play SMITE. I enjoy playing it a lot, I put over 400 hours into it and I just started playing it this year. It's also very enjoyable to watch the pro league.
 

arigato

Member
Season 2 LoL is the one I liked the most. Other than that would be Smite, regardless I don't play much MOBA's these days. I rather play many other games and genres.
 

Perineum

Member
Out of those 3?

Hate LoL. No interest. Couldn't get into it.

DOTA 2 I wish I was good at, looks great, well put together, etc etc.

HotS I did well in, and enjoyed it, but it didn't have the hook of a DOTA 2, but at the same time it would be harder to play and I'd suck at it if it was more like DOTA 2.

So in the end, Paragon is my most played moba. Sadly, the devs ruined that game patch after patch, and now I don't ever play.
 

OsirisBlack

Banned
I think lol, smite and paragon are my favorites. Heroes of the storm just generally feels like a cluster fuck not sure why but it does.
 

TokiDoki

Member
To those judging HotS poorly, I really hope you give the game another chance when 2.0 launches in like a week. It will be launching with a completely overhauled economy (more like LoL now, but seems like it'll be more forgiving), more item types like DotA2 (announcers, sprays, banners, emotes), loot boxes, and a new Nexus Challenge crossover with Overwatch which brings over Genji and Hanamura (and Dva is expected to also be revealed at the launch).

The game has changed so much (much more than any game I've ever actively been invested in). There are almost 70 heroes now, 13 maps (plus a few ARAM maps and brawl modes), there have been probably about a hundred hero reworks at this point, tons of game design and content improvements, tons of UI improvements, etc.

This . Been playing since alpha days and it has improved so much nowadays , not to mention 2.0 dropping soon .

I used to play Dota so much previously , but nowadays its just HoTS . Main reason is the game time between each rounds are much shorter , averaging around 15 minutes which is more forgiving for working peoples like us .
 

Octavia

Unconfirmed Member
I like Smite because it plays like a modern video game, sorta looks the part, and there's lots of activity outside of conquest so you don't really get the hardcore laning moba junk.

There's no P2W whatsoever. Actually, buying the god pack hurts you. In Assault, you get a random character from any you own, it's advantageous to only own characters you are very good with.

They really need to nerf some characters though.
 

bluexy

Member
It's funny. I've played all three games a good amount. I think they're all uniquely fun. But I've pretty much stopped playing them all, just because I feel like I've gotten as much as I'm going to get out of them. That said...

Despite HotS being my least favorite of the three, it's the only one I still go back to play from time to time. It's really easy, relaxing to just roll in an AI game with friends no matter what changes. There's no csing, no items, the talents are all pretty unimportant if you're not take it seriously. It's nice for that. That said...

I'm still watching both League of Legends and Dota 2 esports. I think League has the most exciting eSports scene, due to the quality of its broadcasting, how well the out-of-game storylines are covered, and mostly because it's just translates best to being a watchable sport. Dota 2 is, at its heart, a more exciting esport, but it does require (like playing the game itself) way more knowledge about what's going on to get the most out of it. And frankly, the scene is just so sketchy. Valve's tournaments are giving it a solid foundation, but the production quality still makes it feel like everything's run by some tweens in a garage somewhere. Still, when it's good, Dota 2's the best. League's just better overall for viewing.
 

Fat4all

Banned
I don't play anymore, but I still enjoy watching professional LoL matches.

Played as support for about 2 years before trailing off.
 
I played dota back in wc3, then got into LoL for awhile and then back into Dota 2. HotS has been my moba of choice for the last couple years, I find it really fun. I also appreciate the shorter matches!
 

rexor0717

Member
Played a game or two of LoL (not enough to judge it), a fair amount of HoTS, and 2000+ hours of DotA. I enjoy the freedom DotA gives you. It makes it that much more rewarding when you win because it feels earned.
 

AaronMT86

Member
Used to be a huge DOTA2 fan, playing casually and against AI mainly. Heroes came along and it's my favourite now. Looking back, I think DOTA2 for me, is simply too intimidating and complicated to play online.
 

Rizific

Member
Tries lol and Dota years ago with my friends. Didn't get it at all. Hots on the other hand I played for quite a while. I had no idea what to buy in lol/hots. I like how simplified hots is. It's still not a genre I think I belong to though.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Dota by a country mile, its just unafraid to fuck around with its mechanics in a way that LoL doesn't quite seem willing to (barely played any HotS). LoL is certainly fun but the skills employed feel very...different
 
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