Where to, DotA? #2
In the second installment of 'Where to, DotA?', we revisit an article that was published on [b][url=http://www.dotacommentaries.com/]DotaCommentaries[/url][/b] back in April, [b][url=http://www.dotacommentaries.com/index.php/forum/?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=1109]'10 Steps to Having a Good Game of DotA'[/url][/b] by HonourGuard.
Setting the tone with simple and concise English to sustain the readers' attention while organizing his thoughts into ten distinct points that exhibit a strong first-person perspective hardened by valuable experience, HonourGuard's article resonates with the advice the persona sought to give to his son in the poem, [b][url=http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Rudyard_Kipling/kipling_if.htm]'If'[/url][/b] by Rudyard Kipling.
Additionally, to give the reader some context, I have asked HonourGuard to give us some insight as to why he wrote '10 Steps', here is what he has to say:
[quote]I wrote "Ten Steps" because I was always trying to get people to play better and more politely in my games. Since most of these games included pubs, I didn't get very far. It was frustrating really, to meet racists, flamers and the like in my games.
So I decided to write "Ten Steps". It never occured to me to actually write an article about this, but as my previous guide "How to Improve in DotA" received some good feedback and respect, I thought that I could do the same thing with "Ten Steps".
It was meant to change the very atmosphere of every DotA game. I wanted pleasant games where people could just play and have fun without being flamed for doing something wrong. After the game I also wanted to convey a sense of achievement to the person playing through positive comments and praise. I wanted to do away with the elitist attitude and the "noob" calling.
Obviously, it didn't work out that well. The first comment on it assumed I was trolling. The second comment ridiculed the article and suggested 10 "pub" steps of its own. The general consensus was: "I can't do this, you're being too optimistic". When challenged why, they could not answer, and I don't blame them, because many players have the noob-elitist mindset engraved so deeply in their minds already.
But some, like yourself, agreed to the article and I even managed to influence some people (hopefully it stayed) and really, if just one person manages to up their gameplay because of my guide, it's a success.[/quote]
The article is reproduced below.<br>
