Gaming
Rookie players and lower stakes should bring a different style of eSports entertainment.
The Red Bull LAN isn't meant to bring the same competitive spirit as your Internationals and DreamLeagues. With the players coming from all walks of life, it's meant more as a fun event for everyone to enjoy: players and viewers, newcomers and veterans.
Things should look very different than your standard, high-profile Dota 2 tournament. To get into the spirit of the thing, we've compiled some advice on not only where and how to watch the event, but facts you should know beforehand.
Watching the fireworks
At this time, player slots for the Red Bull LAN are entirely filled. If you want to be a part of the event you'll need to either watch it in person or via livestream. In the case of the former, tickets can be bought from Eventbrite for $5 a pop. In the latter case, we've partnered with Beyond The Summit to bring professional commentating and broadcast talent to the proceedings.
These personalities will almost certainly do a great job of presenting important information to new viewers, but some things can be lost in fast pace of any Dota 2 match. Tactics like smoke ganks (cloaking a team with Smoke of Deceit to ready an ambush) aren't so likely as in professional matches, but they are possible. Additionally, more common choices and manoeuvres more common to public games should be present.
One hero you should expect to see plenty of in particular is Pudge. While Phantom Assassin just barely has the cannibal corpse beat in most played heroes thanks to her ongoing event, he still reigns supreme as the most popular choice among amateur players overall. That's interesting, because he's also one of the least played heroes in professional games. That makes the Red Bull LAN a rare opportunity to see the character played regularly in an organised setting.
If you hear someone referring to "hooks", prepare to witness one of Dota 2's most irritating attacks. Pudge can pull his enemies toward him over immense distances using his signature skill, at which point he usually begins devouring them. Sniper, while not as popular as Pudge, is another long-range hero common to the public scene. If you hear someone calling out a "Headshot", it usually means someone with low health on his opposing team is about to die.
Both heroes are highly focused on taking out single targets. Assuming they show up regularly at the Red Bull LAN, don't assume they're the centre of attention. Heroes like Faceless Void (watch for his giant, purple Chronosphere) and Invoker are nearly as well-liked, and are more generally the crux of team fights.
The long haul
Beyond just what to expect in the matches, there's the matter of what to expect from them. Dota 2 games have been skewing longer and longer in recent months. Add to that equation that most of the 100 players at the LAN will be untrained participants, and you can expect as many safe farm-fests as deeds of daring do. Pace yourself when watching, and don't feel too bad about skipping out on a few moments of game time to take a break (especially if you're attending in person).
Jungling, split pushing, and tri-laning each have a major place in the current Dota 2 metagame. One thing they all have in common is that they're also designed for the long haul kind of games that less confident players might employ.
The first, if you weren't already aware, is one of Dota 2's (and indeed just about every MOBA's) most basic concepts. This is where a single player eschews face-to-face conflict with enemy players in favour of killing neutral, AI-controlled enemies for gold and experience. Jungling heroes (Nature's Prophet, for example – another likely candidate for multiple match picks) aren't terribly exciting to focus on early, but often become incredible powerhouses in long-running games.
Split pushing, meanwhile, usually becomes a factor in the mid-game. This is when a team pushes more than one lane at a time, keeping the defenders spread thin, or "split". This can be difficult to keep track of, even for professional commentators, since it requires paying attention to at least two things at once.
The best way to follow along is to never forget about the mini-map, even when the main action is on screen. It provides a ton of information that isn't otherwise obvious – even to the players themselves. As such, this tip actually works in a number of situations besides split pushing.
Finally, there are tri-lanes. These haven't been terribly popular lately, but they're due for a comeback. The idea is to take three heroes into a lane instead of two. That's about it. The benefit is that a strong, late-game hero gets twice the babysitting than usual. Longer games mean this is more important than ever, so keep an eye on how this tactic plays out should it arise. It might determine the flow of the entire match from that point forward.
Hopefully, these basic concepts will help you better prepare for the Red Bull LAN's particular brand of eSports. When the stakes aren't as high, everyone's enjoyment should be much greater – this is meant to reflect that for the viewers, as well.
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