Dota 2 vs. LoL - cosplayers viewpoint by GERMIA

Shyvanna (LoL) vs. Dragon Knight (Dota 2) - Who will win?

As a cosplayer, that playes both Dota 2 and League of Legends, I stand between two camps and have sometimes problems, which character from which game to choose.

I have already made one League of Legends character, Vayne, that i really love and i think she suits me. I would like to make as mayn different characters form as many different games i can, but i somehow tend to like the League of Legends characters the most. And I am not the only one. There is a lot more LoL cosplayers than Dota 2 cosplayers (not only) in CZ&SK. Why is it so? Let´s take a look:

Heroes vs. Champions

It´s more attractive to cosplay a sexy women than a dwarf creature

There are many similarities between a lot fo champions and heroes, but this is for another entry. Now I want to take a look on  why are the LoL characters so much more cosplay-attractive. So we start by pure numbers:

1) Number of characters

League of Legends has 124 champions, Dota 2 has 110 champions: As a cosplayer you want to choose a character, that fits you well. Both games offer a  wide spread of different characters to choose from, so it is a little better selection in LoL.

2) Number of female characters

League of Legends has 37 female characters, Dota 2 has only 15 female characters. As a female cosplayers, I want to choose primary from female character, than make a crossplay (I´m not really a fan of crossplay myself). And it´s true, that in League of Legends, there is a lot more female characters to choose from (I don´t count Rek´Sai and similar "females"). (Hope I counted well - 05/2015)

3) Number of human-like and non human-like characters

I´ve made a little overview of Dota 2 and League of Legends characters on the end of this entry. I´ve divided heroes and champs into groups and if you look into groups non-human like and human-like, League of Legends has about 45 champions in both categories, so it´s much easiers to pick a character, that looks like a human and doesn´t need any prosthetics and other stuff, than in Dota 2, where we find only about 15 characters in human-like category and about 80 heroes in non human-like category.

4) Difficulty of cosplays

Look into the overview once more. There are two categories, that count characters, that need mounts or wings construction. In Dota 2, there are much more characters with mounts and wings than in League of Legends. So it´s pretty hard to choose a character in Dota 2 if you´re afraid of making wing construction or don´t know how to make a mount.

There are a lot of heroes on mounts in Dota 2

Sejuani cosplay by Britthebadger

The mount is always a problem, even in League of Legends, but take a look on this LoL cosplay example on the pictures above. The pictures are a cosplay of Sejuani by Britthebadger. She´s really the first cosplayer I´ve seen on a real man made mount, that was in fact a big fur costume for a person. But if you don´t have money/friend/skill to make yourself a real mount, you can make a baby of your mount from a fur (like she did too), or go without a mount (that´s a pitty, but sometimes there´s no other chance).

Luna cosplay by Desireeska on a statue and Keeper of the Light cosplay by Lumi on a real horse

 On the second picture, there are two Dota 2 cosplays, Luna by Desireeska and Keeper of the Light by Lumi. Luna has found a great spot to take picture of her: on a statue of a lion and Lumi took it to the next level: he made his cosplay complete by taking a real horse on a photoshoot.

Second problem could be the non-human/half-human characters. It´s a real challenge to make a hero like Lifestealer with a lot of teeth all over his face, or a hero like enchantress with half her body human and half of her body deer, But take a look on these pictures, where you can see some examplest of solving this problem. First there is a cosplay of Enchantress by day4off, but the picture shows only her upper body and the cosplayer didn´t have to solve the problem with deer body. Next to this awesome cosplay, there is a real original deer body for Enchantress. Next examples are from League of Legends. Nami by Pizoobie solved her problem with her fish tail by designing original dress with bottom part looking like water and hiding her legs. Jadefang Cassiopeia by Lady Misterya made her prosthetic tail as a combinantion of her sewing and crafting skills. It´s half a dress and half a moving marionette.


5) Item sets vs. skins

There´s a big difference in customizing your characters between both games.
In Dota 2 you can choose from lots of different item sets and change your heroes hair, weapon, mount, dress, or even tattoos separately. The item sets are just bundles of items, that fit together. The items approved for use in game respect the nature of each hero and have to respect the color scheme of the hero. In most cases, they lack animations. You can preview your hero in game andy equip him in in-game armory. From the view of a cosplayer, the item sets represent an aspect of free will (you can pick from a lot of combinations and a lot of items), but even the item sets could be very beautiful, they are all approximatelly the same challenge, the same level of difficulty, so there´s no way both beginner cosplayer and a master cosplayer would both choose this as a cosplay plan.
In League of Legends you can buy only skins for your champion, that change the whole outfit and appearance of your champion. The skins don´t respect any codex of the character, so you can one champion dressed as a bunny, zombie, witch, football player, basketball player, pirate or a soldier. These interesting and funny skins attract more players into the game and into the cosplaying the characters. Furthermore the skins are differently complicated for a cosplayer to make. There are really complex skins, that are hard to make and are a challenge even for an experienced cosplayer and there are skins that are quite easy to make and are good for beginner cosplayers (Bilgewater Katarina vs. Red Card Katarina). One difficulty is with splasharts, because skins are only available to buy by viewing a splashart picture made by an artist. Sometimes, the splashart picture doesn´t 100% resemble the skin in game and that could cause some difficulties by cosplaying.

Death Prophet (Dota 2) item sets vs. Katarina (LoL) skins

LoL: very different colors, shapes, movement and spells animations

vs.

Dota2: item sets, that respect color scheme, nature of the hero and lack animations

6) Propagation

League of Legends invest money and space for propagation of cosplaying activities making for example official Riot international online contests for LoL cosplayers (for example click HERE), or contests on regional level (Pragoffest 2015),
I haven´t seen any similar propagation of Dota 2 in our country.
On top of that is League of Legends much better in propagation of their champions. There are a lot of cinematics made by Riot and even thematic instrumentations for some heroes. Dota 2 has made some cinematics too, but they are not as good as League of Legends cinematics so far. There are actually more cinematics fromo League of Legends including cinematics made only for the songs dedicated to some champions (see beautifly animated Amumu song HERE).

Dota 2 vs. Lol: Cosplayability overview

Let´s take a look on all heroes and champions. I´ve divided them into groups, that tell us, which champ/hero needs a mount, wich one needs any complicated construction, full body mask or body paint, ... These groups tell us for example, that if you choose hero with  red skin color, as a cosplayer you´ll have to buy a red body color and paint yourself and that is not really anything comfortable...

Dota 2 heroes and their needs by cosplaying:

1) Riding an animal - needs mount 

• Mirana, Luna, , Chen, Disruptor, Keeper of the Light, Chaos Knight, Abaddon, Batrider (Centaur Warrunner, Gyrocopter, Enchantress, Bane, Leshrac, Outworld Devourer - somehow similar to mount).

2) Is not human-like - needs full body mask/great body paint:

• Earthshaker, Tiny, Brewmaster, Treant Protector, Centaur Warrunner, Bristleback, Tusk, Elder Titan, Earth Spirit, Phantom Lancer, Riki, Bounty Hunter, Ursa, Naga Siren, Troll Warlord, Ember Spirit, Nature´s Prophet, Enchantress, Jakiro, Ogre Magi, Huskar, Alchemist, Timbersaw, Shadow Shaman, Tinker, Disruptor, Techies, Sven, Huskar, Alchemist,  Juggernaut, Vengeful Spirit, Templar Assassin, Strom Spirit, Oracle, Axe, Pudge, Slardar, Sandking, Tidehunter, Wraith king, Lifestealer, Nightstalker, Doom, Spirit Breaker, Chaos Knight, Undying, Magnus, Shadow Fiend, Razor, Venomancer, Faceless Void,  Viper, Clinkz, Broodmother, Weaver, Spectre, Meepo, Nyx Assassin, Slark, Medusa, Bane, Lich, Lion, Witch Doctor, Enigma, Necrophos, Pugna, Dazzle, Leshrac, Dark Seer, Batrider, Ancient Apparition, Puck, Outworld Devourer, Winter Wyvern, Visage, Shadow Demon.

3) Can be cosplayed with only humor involved/cannot be cosplayed:

• Io, Phoenix, Morphling.

4) Has wings - needs wing construction

• Legion Commander, Vengeful Spirit, Skywrath Mage, Doom, Terrorblade, Queen of Pain, Jakiro, Visage, Puck, Winter Wyvern, Outworld Devourer, Viper, Phoenix (Venomancer, Tinker, Batrider, Phoenix).

5) Is human-like - needs only armor or sewing:

• Kunkka, Beastmaster, Dragon Knight, Clockwerk, Omniknight, Legion Commander, Anti Mage, Crystal Maiden, Windranger, Zeus, Lina, Silencer, Rubick, Sniper, Lone Druid, Lycan, Bloodseeker, Warlock, Invoker, Gyrocopter.

6) Is human-like + needs bodypaint:

• Death Prophet, Templar Assassin, Drow Ranger.

Dota 2 heroes

League of Legends champions and their needs by cosplaying:

1) Riding an animal - needs mount 

• Nunu, Sejuani (Annie, Corki, Hecarim)

2) Is not human-like - needs full body mask/great body paint:

• Aatrox, Alistair, Amumu, Azir, Bard, Blitzcrank, Brand, Cassiopeia, Cho´Gath, Dr. Mundo, Fiddlesticks, Fizz, Galio, Gnar, Hecarim, Heimerdinger, Jax. Karthus, Kassadin, Kennen, Kha´Zix, Kog´Maw, Malphite, Maokai, Nami, Nasus, Nocturne, Rammus, Rek´Sai, Renekton, Rengar, Rumble, Shaco, Sion, Skarner,  Teemo, Thresh, Trundle, Twitch, Urgot, Veigar, Vel´Koz, Volibear, Warwick, Wukong, Xerath, Yorick

3) Can be cosplayed with only humor involved/cannot be cosplayed:

• Anivia, Zac 

4) Has wings - needs wing construction

• Aatrox, Galio, Kha´Zix, Morgana, (Ahri, Elise, Karma, Zilean, Anivia)

5) Is human-like - needs only armor or sewing:

• Ahri, Akali, Annie, Ashe, Braum, Caitlyn, Corki, Darius, Diana, Draven, Ezreal, Fiora, Gangplank, Garen, Gragas, Graves, Irelia, Janna, Jarvan IV, Jayce, Jinx, Karma, Katarina, Kayle, LeBlanc, Lee Sin, Leona, Lissandra, Lucian, Lulu, Lux, Malzahar, Master Yi, Miss Fortune, Mordekaiser, Nautilus, Nidalee, Olaf, Orianna, Pantheon, Quinn, Riven, Shen, Singed, Sivir, Sona, Swain, Syndra, Talon, Taric, Tryndamere, Twiste Fate, Udyr, Varus, Vayne, Vi, Viktor, Vladimir, Xin Zhao, Yasuo, Zed, Zilean, Zyra

6) Is human-like + needs bodypaint:

• Elise, Evelynn, Kalista, Poppy, Shyvana, Soraka, Tristana,

League of Legends champions

https://www.facebook.com/Pizoobie
http://ladymisterya.deviantart.com/
http://apkxda.com/
http://www.desktopwallpapers4.me/
http://imgkid.com/
http://st.elohell.net/
http://dota2.gameladders.lk/
http://day4off.deviantart.com/
https://britthebadger.wordpress.com

READMORE

Dota 2 vs. LoL - which to choose? Beginner guide - GERMIA

Pudge (Dota2) vs. Vi (LoL)
Good depiction of both games: They are both so similar to be drawn
dueling each other, but still in alot of aspects far from each other

Dota 2 or League of Legends? That´s the neverending question I hear all around me. These 2 games are the most played MOBAs in CZ&SK. But a casual non-gamer would have a hard time telling the difference between these two games.
Both came from at least spiritually from the popular map of Warcraft III, Defense of the Ancients and are representatives of MOBA (Multiplayer online battle arena) games genre.

Why I wrote this entry?
As i am playing both games on my streaming channel bogs.tv/DATgermia, i get a lot of similar questions to: What MOBA is better, what i like about each game, what is a better game for a beginner, or if i can explain, how do these games function. So even these games are not my cup of tea and i admit i am not good at playing it, i decided to write this entry to answer these and more questions and help you to choose a game from these two, that suits YOU better.

Similarities of both games

Both games are FREE-TO-PLAY and offer a lot of (mainly cosmetic) microtransactions. The goal of both games is the same: You have to destroy the base of your enemy before the other team does.
You choose your hero and fight against other player´s heroes and computer-controlled monsters. You have to earn gold and experience to buy items and enhance your skills, that make your hero more powerful. The map is divided into two trinagles by water, that are connected with three lanes, monster-filled jungles with smaller paths. Each lane has two lane towers and each base has 5 towers with three barracks, that produce friendly monster in waves.

If it´s about this little Satan, Dota 2 and LoL became friends

Main differences of both games

Dota 2

1. 1) Map is larger, more detailed and divided in different height levels. The "Radiant" (good guys, 1st team) side of the map is a flourishing bright forest, the other side of the map ("Dire" side = bad guys, 2nd team) is a wasteland without green spots. The map is divided by water. In the water, there are two places, where the runes (double-damage, haste, regeneration, bounty, ...) can be spawned.
2. 2) Friendly monsters = creeps.
3. 3) Your base = ancient.
4. 4) Game characters = heroes.
5. 5) Monster spawning structure = barracks. Barracks cannot be revived.
6. 6) Guarding towers = towers.
7. 7) Guarded spawning area = fountain.
8. 8) More realistic graphical interpretation.
9. You can choose from different roles by playing: carry, tank, support...
10. 10) You can deny (kill your own) towers and creeps and sometimes yourself (suicide) to reduce the experience and gold gained by the opposite team. 
11. 11) You lose money, when you die - the game punishes you for bad performance.
12. 12) You´re able to buy your items and still remain on your lane if you buy a courier or visit the side-lane shops or secret shops.
13. 13) Minimalistic user interface for you skills (only a little graphical indicators of reach, spread or placement of your spell).
14. 14) You are able too see everywhere in your reach or on the places you have your wards placed. Wards should be placed on strategic places like by runes, Roshan, jungle crossroads or higher places marked on the map.
15. 15) All heroes are free to play for everyone.
16. 16) Microtransactions in game could be used only to buy cosmetic items or point boosters (to gain your profile (not ingame) experience faster).
17. 17) There are no items you can own prior match starts, that could give you a better chance to win.
18. 18) There is one main neutral monster in the game (Roshan), that drops 200 gold to each player (and more for the one, who did last hit) and the item (Aegis of Immortal), that can revive a player from death within 5 minutes after picking it up, or the item Cheese (3rd time of killing the Roshan), that can restore your health and mana.
19. 19) Max level of your character is 25.
20. 20) You can play on only 1 map, if there are no special events.
21. 21) There´s a buyback possibility if you die.
22. 22) There is an armory (inventory) in Dota 2, where you can equip your hero with items or item sets, that you can combine freely and most of them sell on the steam market.
23. 23) There is a possibility to design a new item in Dota 2 in Steam Workshop, that could be put in game.

Dota 2 map vs. LoL main map

League of Legends

1. 1) Map is a forest on both sides of the map. There are a lot of monsters in the forest, you can kill, that give you money and different abilities. That´s one of the reasons, jungling (having a hero, that fights against neutral monsters in forest) is so much more important in LoL than in Dota 2. There are no side-lane shops or secret shops in LoL.
2. 2) Friendly monsters = minions.
3. 3) Your base = nexus.
4. 4) Game characters = champions.
5. 5) Monster spawning structure = inhibitors. Inhibitors can be revived.
6. 6) Guarding towers = turrets.
7. 7) Guarded spawning area = base
8. 8) Slightly cartoonish graphical interpretation.
9. 9) By playing you can choose from different roles and builds: AD (champion build - damaging by auto attacks), AP  (champion build - damaging by making spells), jungler (champion role -earning money and XP playing in the jungle and killing the neutral monsters), tank (champion role - taking a damage, defending the carries), support (champion role - helping carry by stunning the enemy, deflecting attacks, healing).
10. 10) You cannot deny a creep or tower. The only way to gain money is to last-hit the minions or enemy champions, so the game is based more on farming than Dota 2.
11. 11) You don´t lose money, when you die - the game is more friendly to beginner player by not taking money from them, when they die.
12. 12) If you want to buy any items, you have to return to your base using a teleport spell or running back.
13. 13) Very user-friendly interface for your spells. You could see the animation of the reach, spread or direction of your spell.
14. 14) You are able too see everywhere in your reach except of bushes. So it´s important to place your vision wards into bushes and not onto strategic places (Roshan, runes) like in Dota 2.
15. 15) All champions are free to play, but you have to wait on their rotation in the system, or buy them with real money or with the points you earn by playing the game.
16. 16) Microtransactions in game could be used buy cosmetic items like skins for your champions or wards and for buying items, that could give you a headstart in the game (champion are free, but you have to earn points by playing to buy them, the same by runes, that enhance your skills in the game)
17. 17) There are features, that can give you an advantage against a new or starting player. You can own  runes, more champions and masteries points prior match starts, that could give you a better chance to win.
18. 18) There are two main neutral monster in the game: Baron and Dragon. Killing a Baron gives you experience and a buff inceasing your powers, killing a Dragon gives you a lot of experince.
19. 19) Max level of your character is 18.
20. 20) You can play on 4 maps, if there are no special events.
21. 21) There´s no buyback possibility if you die.
22. 22) There is no armory or inventory of your skins. If you own them, you can choose from them prior starting a game, but you can choose only from splasharts with no preview. Furthermore you can´t trade your skins or sell your skins, they stay on your account forever.
23. 23) There is no possibility to influence or somehow design skins put in LoL.

Big neutral monsters: Baron (LoL), dragon (LoL) and Roshan (Dota 2)

Beginner problems

If you´re starting to play MOBA games, you´ll face a lot of problems as a beginner. You have to learn not only the gaming mechanics, but face a real multitasking, learn the hero spells, time rules, items and item+spells combinations and a lot more.
But which problems do you have to face, if you´re already a player of one of these games and you want to play the other one?

Dota 2

There are no bushes in Dota 2 aka A good Dota2 player likes it without a bush

What will you (maybe) like:

• - You feel safer on a map without bushes!
• - There are no limitations for you - you can choose every hero you like!
• - You start a match and there is no chance your level or items cause you to be in some kind of disadvantage against your opponents
• Orientation in heroes i easier, because every customization respects the heroe´s nature and color scheme.

What will you (maybe) dislike:

• - You can lack the graphical interpretation of the skill (you cannot see the spread, reach, ... of your spell/skill)
• - Denying creeps, controlling couriers, finding secret shops and buying items in the battlefield (together with last hitiing, watching the map, poking/killing opponents) could be very challenging for a LoL player
• - Losing gold after dying is very frustrating for a newbie player
• - There are a lot of usable items in game. Items in Dota 2 concentrate more on adding skill to your hero (adding mana, jumping skill, invisibility skill, lifesteal aura, hex, ...) than better-upping your skills in a passive way (like in LoL - not so many usable items). Fresh player could be overwhelmed by so many usable items together with last hitting, denying, ...
• You have the in game camera nearer to your hero than in LoL. The field of view is narrower, smaller.
• The minimap position and size sometimes inflicts a misshap by you clicking accidentally in map, when you want to flee form the battlefield and this click in the map returns you back.

Teemo (LoL) skins with very different colors, shapes, movement and spells animations
vs.
Death Prophet (Dota 2) item sets, that respect color scheme, nature of the hero and lack animations

League of Legends

What will you (maybe) like:

Graphical interface of
Braums (LoL) skills

• - Graphical interpretation of your spells/skills give you decent hints what to do and that helps you to learn the skills (picture)
• - It´s a lot easier to orient in game, because of fewer usable items, denying creeps, shopping only in base, only one type of shop, ...
• - You will probably like the funny skins available for buy in game. (In Dota 2 it is not usual for any funny items to be approved into game, they have to respect an existing codex for making skins for each hero)

What will you (maybe) dislike:

• - If you play against more experienced opponents, they´ll start the match with masteries and runes and you´ll have a disadvantage
• - If you start playing LoL as a total newbie, you cannot choose any champions you like (they cost points, that you can earn in the game or real money), but you have to choose from a few champions, that are free and these rotation chamiopns change every week.
• - From my point of view, I had problems orienting in spells/skills of the champions. LoL champions depend more on combination of skills (Cassiopeia poison+claws) and you have to know, if the skill is more skill (AD) or a spell (AP), to support it with right items.
• - The skins for heroes doesn´t respect the color appearence (and appearence of spells) from default skin, sometimes it´s challenging to identify what spell is done by what hero (for example invisible spear from Headhunter Nidalee). In Dota 2 every item has to respect color scheme of the hero and only really rare (immortal, arcana) items can change appearance of the spells (and if yes, than only really slightly). (see picture)
• - Apprehending the function of bushes could be hard from the start.
• - Sometimes there are to many graphic elements in game that could be confusing.
• - If you want to buy any skin from game, you have to choose only from splash arts with no in-game screens. In-game model very often doesn´t resemble the splash art.

Mecha Aatrox (LoL): Splasharts always look better than the skin in-game (and sometimes even don´t resemble it)

I hope you like my first entry about Dota 2 and League of Legends and if you have on mind, anything, that I´ve forgotten, feel free to comment and we can make this better together :)
Yours

germia








Special thanks:

http://memecenter.com/
http://dota2.gamepedia.com/
http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/
http://summonerfergall.tumblr.com/
http://venturebeat.com/
http://www.ign.com/
http://wintang.deviantart.com/
http://unrealitymag.com/
http://bradwhitlam.deviantart.com/
http://lowqueue.com/
https://2bd8-blog.phpnuke.org

READMORE