Concept Guide: Playing as a TEAM

@HipsterSkaarf - not sure if this is what you’re looking for. I can certainly format differenty if people like. I have 5 sections which can be expanded. You mentioned someone making a guide from one of my threads (I can’t recall if it was my salt mine post or my party queue post).

BACKGROUND

The game-genre, MOBA, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, originated with the creation of custom game maps by community players within the games of Starcraft and Warcraft III Reign of Chaos; both from Blizzard™. Aeon of Strife (AoS), a custom map in Starfact was the map that Defense of the Ancients (DotA) in Warcraft III was based on. While AoS simply involved play versus AI, DotA was player versus player in a 5v5 contest. This is where I had my introduction to MOBA gameplay - DotA and AoS. DotA was first born in around 2001, and I began playing it around 2004, but was mostly competitive from 2006-2009.

MOBAs today are the most popular PC games in the world, with games such as League of Legends (LoL) hosting large-scale esporting events and creating over $1 billion in revenue (and that was back in 2014). MOBAs are also making their presence felt in the mobile scene, with popular titles such as Vainglory (VG), Arena of Valor (AoV), Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB/ML), and others. My experience in the mobile MOBA scene comes exclusively with Vainglory, which to me, is the best mobile MOBA on the market if you’re looking for competitive gameplay and mechanics and infrastructure more similar to that of PC games.

Despite changes in hardware systems, graphics, and capability of the games, a good MOBA has many of its core elements that started back with DotA. I am writing this guide with the specific goal to detail effective team play, team concept, and hopefully to improve the overall positive experience for Vainglory players.

Disclaimer: despite my vast experience, I am by no means in the upper echelon of skillful players. There’s a good chance someone reading this is a better individual player than me. A very good chance! I do believe I’m one of the few who’s still playing and been playing MOBAs since they started, and it’s what makes me a great team player most of the time. I want to share my understanding of MOBAs and VG with you.

T-E-A-M: MOBAS are a FIVE versus FIVE TEAM GAME - Vainglory is NO different
There are several guides out there about specific roles for each lane and how to best play them. What I am about to dive into is strictly after the first 10 minutes or so of gameplay has elapsed. After 10 minutes, it’s time to take off the blinders, and expand your role and horizons to every corner of the map. If you haven’t taken a turret yet, as a team, decide where to send an extra hero or two, and aggressively push to take one. Your “lane” is now the entirety of the map. I’ll say that again as I think it’s critical to the many successful DotA and MOBA teams I’ve been on in the past. VIEW THE MAP AS ONE LANE - it’s TEAM versus TEAM. Be there. Be present. Work together as ONE unit.

Here’s how to play the most effectively and positively as a TEAM.

It's OUR Farm

Remove the attitude and notion of “my farm” - seriously, get rid of that. Stop spam pinging when a teammate of yours is getting his/hers. If you recall, aren’t there, or are dead, let them get some cs.

  • This doesn’t give the jungler or captain permission to aggressively get cs in the bot lane while Gwen is in lane. It simply means your teammates have every right to survey the lane, make sure it isn’t being pushed too fast, and when that health meter over a minion’s head turns red, they KILL IT. Why let that gold go to waste simply because it’s in “your” lane and it’s “your farm.” It’s still gold for your teammate, and thus gold for the TEAM! That said, if Gwen isn’t there, and you’d like to rotate back to the rest of the team quicker, and not give that Gwen any reason to continue to have her blinders on, clear the wave fast, and encourage Gwen to get involved with the rest of the team. The quicker your team can reverse and push waves and get back to rotating together as a unit to pick apart the enemy, the better. Why? The longer it takes to “clear a wave” or waiting for your precious Gwen to get there, is more opportunity for the enemy team to capture a dragon, or rotate down to gangk your lovely little Gwen. Don’t stay exposed longer than you need to.
LISTEN TO YOUR LEADER/BE A LEADER

Listen to your leader. There is at least one in every game - they may not always be right, but there’s usually someone who pings, and pings often. Not in a toxic way, but they ping :vg_caution: in your jg when enemies are there. They ping the objectives. They ping the enemy bot laner who is over extending. This is a good sign. Encourage this leadership. LISTEN and move together toward these points. This player wants to make plays. Maybe this player is YOU

VISION

This doesn’t simply mean placing your scout cams. It also means using your LACK of vision. By that I mean, if you don’t have vision over an essential intersection (brush by objectives or blue buffs or top/bot lane intersection), then DON’T go there without your team unless you know where at least 3-4 enemy heroes are on the mini-map. Cast an aoe/projective ability into the brush as well to make sure you’re not about to get clapped.

  • Never assume! If you just saw an enemy head into the bush by your blue buff out of the corner of your eye, and a teammate is near there, ping :vg_caution: a few times on that bush. Don’t yell at your mid laner for not seeing what you saw. COMMUNICATE!
STAY POSITIVE
  • why the culture of the :vg_ok:x10 and :thumbs3:x10 is even in existence is beyond me. This never existed when I played MOBAs “back in my day”. This is pretty new, as far as I’m concerned. It needs to stop. A) You’re tilted, calm down. B) You’re going to tilt the player you’re literally harassing/bullying. C) treat others the way you want to be treated - just because we’re playing a video game, doesn’t mean good behavior should be thrown out the window.
  • If your ally makes a bone-headed decision, and it happens to all of us, finish the team fight, or recall, or make sure you’re somewhere safe, and send a brief, positive, and constructive message in chat. This goes a long way. It’s more effort, I know. But throwing a ping and saying :vg_ok:x10 to your teammate that just died does NOTHING. I myself, can improve here a lot and will continue to work at it. Instead, try
  • “Baron, you over extended a bit there. Make sure we have vision before going that far. We also need you with the team! Let’s do this!”
  • If the Baron replies “stfu” - well, whatever. It’s only one negative nancy on the team, instead of you spreading negativity in addition and creating a second Nancy. You’ve at least communicated to the Baron you want to work together.
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