Dear DrmDestryr,
I’ve learned all the basics but what happens next? I feel lost and am not sure where to go or what to do to advance.
-Gorge
Dear Gorge,
Congratulations! Finally understanding the basics is a wonderful thing. Assuming we’re on the same page, you now know how to play your hero, you understand objectives, you are familiar with all of the maps and you have a firm concept of when and when not to engage an enemy. Unfortunately, or fortunately (from a certain point of view), hitting the next level of expertise is a bit more complex.
In this regard, you aren’t asking the right question. I can spin yarns of answers days long covering things like map confidence, hero selection and talent picking, but the fact of the matter is, that’s not even close to covering everything there is. So let’s start at the root of the problem: knowing how to search for answers on your own.
When you begin studying a game and how to play it, especially one as crazy as a MOBA, you are going to be absolutely flooded with information and, often times, the same information misconstrued thousands of time based on people’s biases and opinions. There is no way around this. The best thing you can do for yourself is to know how to wade through the crap to find actual useful advice.
Let’s breakdown how you need to go about learning things to advance your play style. You clearly already understand the baby steps, and that’s great! But so does everyone else, so it’s really the least you could do as a player. Next, don’t go for the info dumps. These are a waste of time if you don’t have a clear objective which you don’t have. What are your specific weaknesses? What specific parts of the game don’t you understand? Asking for help on minimap awareness will net you much better and more plentiful information than asking for general advanced tactics.
Moving to the next level is not like taking a step up. It is more of an ever upward hike that occasionally levels out and occasionally gets really steep. It is only continual progress through working on your weaknesses that you eventually find yourself a better player than most. Stay focused and keep climbing.
-DrmDestryr
DrmDestryr,
I’m so bored when I die. Is there something I can do?
-Entitled
Entitled,
I see a criticism, but I don’t see any suggestion on how to better fix the issue making this a complaint. Maybe you’re used to overstimulation, being from a younger generation, but these death screens are only boring if you sit there not thinking and planning.
What you can do to make death screens useful is pay attention to the game. Watch your team and watch the opponents. Your living team members will assume you are going to come back fully charged and help them reinstate team dominance. If you are otherwise not paying attention until you come back to life, you are now wasting time trying to figure out what to do when you could already be on your way to help turn the tide.
If it happens that you’re in a hard game and you all are dead, give your tactics some thought and then browse the web for a bit.
-DrmDestryr
Ask DrmDestryr is your weekly Q&A/advice column for Heroes of the Storm. Have a question for DrmDestryr? E-mail her your mental musings at drmdestryr@gmail.com or send happy twoughts her way @DrmDestryr.