Both games have similar gameplay mechanics and map layouts which demarcate them as of the MOBA genre. In both games two factions of heroes face off against one another on maps not dissimilar to one another.
A MOBA or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena is a specific genre of videogames that has grown in popularity rapidly over the course of the last decade. Born out of the RTS genre, which focuses on building up multiple units from a top down perspective, LOL and DOTA 2 shift emphasis instead on single unit combat. By shifting the focus of the player solely to their single unit within a team structure of five units, the MOBA genre has created a highly popular professional gaming scene around itself. With micro skills and strategies of players being tested in tournaments across the world, both LOL and DOTA have maintained their incredible popularity.
A MOBA or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena is a specific genre of videogames that has grown in popularity rapidly over the course of the last decade. Born out of the RTS genre, which focuses on building up multiple units from a top down perspective, LOL and DOTA 2 shift emphasis instead on single unit combat. By shifting the focus of the player solely to their single unit within a team structure of five units, the MOBA genre has created a highly popular professional gaming scene around itself. With micro skills and strategies of players being tested in tournaments across the world, both LOL and DOTA have maintained their incredible popularity.
Each game features a map layout which is integral to the gameplay elements found within the MOBA genre. Each team has its own base and 3 seperate layers of towers to defend each lane (top, mid, and bottom) from the opposing team. In order to win the game, you must enter the enemy base and destroy their power source i.e. Ancient.
As is apparent in the diagram above, the genre has a particularly rigid rule set that sees players fighting in one of three lanes. These lanes, designated as top, mid, and bottom allow for players to level their characters and face off against one another over the course of the match. The leveling system, or "farming", is what allows players to continually level their heroes up, creating a race for resources between teams. Also in the lane system are towers which provide defense in terms of lane control. Should a tower fall, and they will over the course of a match, teams will have better access to the oppositions side and will be able to team fight more effectively on the offensive end. The teams themselves may consist of several different classes of playable characters, which in turn have their own unique set of abilities (i.e. stuns, area of effect attacks, etc). Each title sports a hefty character selection, with DOTA 2 standing at 110 playable characters with 2 more on the way, and LOL sitting at 124 playable champions. This is where the real variety of the games lie, as the different hero types, each with their own unique look and abilities, create endless possibilities in terms of team dynamics when it comes to both the casual and professional scene.
Imagine if you will an NBA where all of the marquee talent were free agents every game. Now, based on what the front offices of the two competing factions wanted, in this case the Western Conference (Radiant) and the Eastern Conference (Dire), they could select players according to their strengths and or ban other players based on the other teams skill set as a way to even the playing field. Just think of the limitless possibilities as to the teams you could see playing one another. Maybe you'd have a defacto All-Star game with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Stephen Curry on one side against Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, John Wall, and Derrick Rose. It's possibilities like this that make games like DOTA 2 and LOL so exciting to both play and watch as a professional e-sport.
Relation to Study:
In order to fully comprehend the nature of each title, you must first grasp the core concepts that go into making it work mechanically. In this case, both DOTA 2 and LOL share mechanics in ways fundamental to each other, which is the basis of my question in the first place. As they are so similar from a mechanics perspective, then why do the player bases of each game seem so mutually exclusive to their specific title? Without understanding how the games work, I couldn't even begin to comprehend the more nuanced differences that arise when discussing elements of each title, such as how they are marketed, how their fan bases perceive them, and how their developers choose to connect with said communities.
Imagine if you will an NBA where all of the marquee talent were free agents every game. Now, based on what the front offices of the two competing factions wanted, in this case the Western Conference (Radiant) and the Eastern Conference (Dire), they could select players according to their strengths and or ban other players based on the other teams skill set as a way to even the playing field. Just think of the limitless possibilities as to the teams you could see playing one another. Maybe you'd have a defacto All-Star game with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Stephen Curry on one side against Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, John Wall, and Derrick Rose. It's possibilities like this that make games like DOTA 2 and LOL so exciting to both play and watch as a professional e-sport.
Relation to Study:
In order to fully comprehend the nature of each title, you must first grasp the core concepts that go into making it work mechanically. In this case, both DOTA 2 and LOL share mechanics in ways fundamental to each other, which is the basis of my question in the first place. As they are so similar from a mechanics perspective, then why do the player bases of each game seem so mutually exclusive to their specific title? Without understanding how the games work, I couldn't even begin to comprehend the more nuanced differences that arise when discussing elements of each title, such as how they are marketed, how their fan bases perceive them, and how their developers choose to connect with said communities.