There are fundamental differences between Dota 2 players who are ‘novices’ and ‘veterans’ that we should be familiar with. These characteristics will help us determine what type of players are the ones we encounter in our games. Daily pub gaming is not pure skill as what most of the people think – it’s a combination of skills and luck. Luck of having a veteran team mate or luck of having a novice opponent.
Dota 2 Veteran players know how to last hit, Novices auto attack
Last hitting is one of the most essential mechanics in Dota 2. That is the reason why last hitting is included in the Dota 2 tutorial. A veteran player, especially the core, knows how to last hit. Meanwhile, the novice auto attacks and doesn’t care about getting any last hit. So for players who always pick support, judge your core players based on their ability to secure last hits.
A veteran does not rush expensive items
There was once a game I saw where a carry Silencer buys Boots of Travel as his first item. Seriously, who does that? An experienced player does not rush expensive items that are not essential in the game while the beginner rushes Radiance for Bloodseeker or Divine Rapier for Wraith King.
Novice players have zero map awareness
There’s always that player who chats “no miss” after being ganked even though there’s a ward somewhere to keep him warned. A novice player rarely glances at the minimap which keeps him having avoidable deaths. Map awareness is very helpful in game; it helps you avoid deaths and even show potential targets. A veteran is always aware what’s happening in the map.
A Veteran player is fast-handed and calm, A Novice player has slow reaction time and always panics
Veteran player’s reaction is always faster than the novice one. He stays calm and makes better decision fast-handedly. The novice on the other hand, runs away in panic and has slow reaction. He forgets his items and skills that he could’ve used to stay alive/save a team mate. Come on man, it’s not that hard to cast the Shallow Grave!
Novices does not know when to engage and when to retreat
Chaaaarge!!! A novice player does not know when is the right time to engage and he also does not know when to retreat. Patience is virtue, they said. Don’t lose patience and wait for the right time to engage; retreat and don’t overstay when you obviously need to fall back.
A Veteran knows what item to buy that suits the situation
There are items that are situational for some heroes such as Pipe of Insight, Linken Sphere, Lotus Orb, and many more. Experienced player knows when to buy these items while the beginners stick with the conventional despite being in a dire need to have such items. There are also players who buy unnecessary stuff on their characters like Battlefury for ranged heroes, or double Desolator on team, etc.
It’s not hard to identify the type of players you have in your games. From their last hitting ability to itemisation, you can easily recognise them. The best way to win the game is deal with the team mate you have, veteran or novice, and show proper behaviour towards them. Communicate and cooperate! Help each other improve and have fun playing Dota 2!
