DotA is an interesting game. What I think is most interesting about it is how much of a team game it is, and, furthermore, how it is so possible to play it on a lot of different levels.

I mean, I’m basically at a level where I will stop noobs pretty easily. I understand the different roles of heroes beyond Intel = nukers, Agi = carry, and Str = tank. That is, at the basic level, how the game works, but it’s a lot deeper than that. Some Intel heroes are nuker/gankers, but others are support heroes. Some Str heroes have powerful disables or chasing abilities. At least one plays like an intel hero (Pitlord). A lot of agi heroes shouldn’t be built into carries (some shouldn’t really even be played… :P).

Anyways, that was a ramble, but I’ve realized now how invaluable certain types of heroes are. Support heroes with multiple stuns/disables really can help kill people. Lich, Crystal Maiden, Rhasta, they’re just GOOD. And they hardly need any gold to build themselves. All Crystal Maiden need, seriously, is 3520 gold, the rest she can spend on wards and chicken. In comparison, a carry like moon rider wants 13750 gold to get a “super imba” build (Treads, Satanic, Butterfly). You need both in the team… but its interesting how some heroes are item dependent, and others aren’t.

What I think is the real genius of DotA is how Icefrog and Guinsoo managed to make such a complicated and strategically deep game (you think we’re a bunch of geeks messing around wasting our live? Think again. There is a LOT of strategy that goes into building a team of DotA Heroes and then properly working tougher to beat the enemy. Ganking, Farming, Pushing and Lanning take a LOT of teamwork and strategy to do properly) with what is a very simple system. Its actually one of the reasons I’m very happy to see games like League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth come up now because they can create their version of DotA from starch, without having to worry about what limitations Blizzard has put on them.

And wow, I’m rambling. But anyways, DotA is a great game. Its funny, because I’ve slowly, slowly become more and more interested in the game. When I first started playing, it was a fun way to enjoy myself. I played with friends and learned how to play with a few different heroes. I learned the “noob” heroes, ranged agi carries like Drow and Sniper. Now I can probably play just about any hero to one degree of success or another. I’m probably not the best ganker and I do best with heroes with higher levels of health or ranged attacks (or… both ^_^) but I can manage probably. My only complaint is that I’m not in the position to play in a clan and properly play in tourements. It’s still basically “for fun” with my friends. Now, while that’s well and good, in a lot of ways I wish we could rack up the competitiveness a bit.

On another completely separate note, I wonder that if the UN and the US could do a quick surgical war against North Korea if it would be viable for South Korea, Japan and China to pick up the pieces. Of course we have to first assume China isn’t actually going to go berserk on the US and screw the economy (which is, I admit, a plausible reaction), but let’s say they let the US attack… I think that might solve a lot of problems in that nation. Shame it’s not gonna happen given the current global economic crisis.