Glicko Goblins (Nifuji)

Nifuji was the problem. Unemployment + a sandbagged sign-up two seasons ago have done well for Nifuji. Has been a somewhat flexible carry, and he hasn’t even played his best hero. (Sven)

Corvid Crew (pattern)

Smashe was the problem. For some reason, he always looks like he plays better than his mmr in rd2l, but has trouble climbing solo queue ranked. I’m not sure why he isn’t ranking up after glicko, the way everyone else is.

Pudge Pickers Anonymous (Mooshack)

Mooshack was the problem. Contender for one of the biggest tryhards in the league. There are players who think playing for fun is fun, and then there are players who think playing well is fun.

Animals (Camelfarmer)

Camelfarmer was the problem and it’s not even close honestly.

Himbo Cat Dads (Vuvuzela Virtuoso Hans Rudolph)

Tough one, but I think Sokaza is the problem. Pretty even team, as vuvu teams usually are?

We Scale Late (FJFJFJJ)

Bobby B. was obviously the problem. Team gets a free agent and does a U-Turn. HMMM. How come badmins blocked good free agents for all the other teams? Guess being a slur user pays after all (for your team).

Actually emocvst https://rd2l.gg/profile/314264248

Team with multiple problems. Emocvst putting on his grinder pants? ChowMains doing the hiatus-into-lower-rank-but-actually-still-better-than-all-you-scrubs trick? But ultimately I think AcidRain looks like the most consistent problem.

Cringey Crew (Polo5885)

AllRoundGoodGuy was the problem. Instead of the 1-core polo team we expected, this team looked like others could do well too.

Mode: Inside Derpydots (smacktrickz)

Smack looks like the problem.

Aspiring ZQ Associates (tokyo/mokyo)

Big lou was the problem.

do it for the taeto (mid or courier adventure)

Looks like it was mostly a team effort, but I’ll give Kizu the problem, if I go by value.

Simple Suxs (Simple)

Contrary to popular opinion, Pingaling seems to be the problem. The drafts seem to be serving some curveballs too.

__

If you didn’t make playoffs, you’re all the problem.

So last night I lost my first inhouse of the recent games. It produced a mild case of that ‘discontented’ feeling. That kind that disturbs your sleep; the doubt, the questioning… the counterfactual regret…. where were the mistakes? was it my fault? will my teammates be unsatisfied with me?

Now, I am a robot with some training and experience, so it was only a mild case. But it served as a reminder: If you take pleasure in the win, there will be displeasure in the loss. And this ‘duality’ is no longer just a religious theory, but for me I can see that it is fact. As much a fact as lightness and darkness are not two things, but one.

So… is it possible to play, to enjoy, without wading in this insanity? Or is it an intrinsic part of the game, and the only way out is not to play?

… So that’s #2.

#1 is the energy cost.

I recently had a new understanding of the “sublimation” of energy. I realized that it’s not as complicated as the fancy term seems.

It’s like how before light and electromagnetism were understood, the ancients had to explain things in metaphor. It was due to a poverty of language.

But now, even physics is saying that all things are actually the same energy. “Matter”, in a sense, doesn’t actually exist.

Likewise, all of one’s energy can be used in different activities. You can spend it all sexually, or if you have moved somewhat up Maslov’s ladder… you can spend it on intellectual, artistic, or spiritual pursuits. But it is all the same energy. Terms like “sublimation” are unnecessarily mystifying, at least to the ignorant. Once you understand it, then it’s utilitarian to have a term.

_____

Shall we do a pre-scout sheet? I’ve had an idea to do one for a week or so… but I felt that, if I mention that there are some people I would like to draft, how would that make others feel? (glad)
So I put it off.

But if I omit someone, understand it can also be my respect for you. If you would like some space, and to be left alone, then that is fine.

Anyway, yada yada I know I’m losing my readers. It wasn’t meant for you!

___

I’ve been thinking about “categories” of players this season

PMA but actually

Smashe, Jabinskiz, TheMantis, Zoompa, TimberHearth, Mooshack, YungBuck, Woh, Mappo, Miyu, AwfulWaffle Predict?

I love positive people, without malice. To me there is the ‘false’ positive, maybe outwardly bubbly. But a sign of true positivity to me is not wishing ill on anyone else. Emotional resilience probably comes with it too. These are the lights of the world. I love to have them. They’re probably mostly hufflepuffs.

High MMR players who must carry me

As a category, everyone needs to draft high mmr players. Every high mmr player is kind of automatically draftable by default, and then you have to have reasons to exclude them.

Kind of superfluous to name names.. big lou, slowz, hobo, yfu, pattern, acidrain, polo, simple.. etc.

I’d be looking to draft any of them, as a matter of course.

Cool kids I haven’t gotten to play with yet

Everyone wants to be friends with the cool kids. Clare, scrub (I’d probably regret it before week 0), hanmingzyy, yfu, big lou, ink, maybe princess? buck

It’s like collecting pokemon. I haven’t had the honor yet!

Value players

I don’t think I’d go value-hunting as a strategy this season, but it’s still something to keep in mind.

Doomcow, Princess, how’s poncho this season? Did Chowmains un-wash?

Welcome Low MMR supports

You’re going to have some low mmr players, and everyone really just wants someone they can work with

Dang Buck is in a lot of categories.

Like the high mmrs, everyone is kind of included by default here. You need a reason to be left out, for me.

Fun, friendly players for the team vibe

Usually gryffindors or a hybrid mix. I’ve never actually played with Princess but I imagine he’s fun to play with, or maybe his dota personality is way different from discord personality.. which is the case a lot of times. TimberHearth is pretty fun to play with. Probably most of the ZQ associates are.

One avoid category – substance users while playing

Nothing wrong with it, but it’s like being sober when everyone else is drunk, you know?

A song for eli: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts

/ End low effort blog

There is a Sufi story…

A dog lost his way in a palace. The walls and the ceiling of this palace were made of mirrors, so the dog was in a great difficulty. Wherever he looked there were dogs, dogs and only dogs. He became very puzzled; so many dogs all around! He was alone and yet surrounded by so many dogs. There was no way to get out, because the doors were also of mirrors so he saw dogs there too. Then he began to bark, but all the dogs in the mirrors began to bark with him. And when his bark filled the room he was sure his fears were not unfounded and that his life was in danger. He went on barking and all the dogs barked even louder. He ran here and there to fight them; the dogs in the mirror did likewise. All night he exhausted himself barking and fighting the dogs in the mirrors, although he was alone there.

In the morning he was found dead inside the palace by the guards..

Yikes sheesh :joy:

There was also an unticketed centaur game.. polo vs vuvu.

Polo vs Vuvu

Finally got to play with Polo :pogchamp: Killed Vuvu in lane a couple times. Bi-winning.

Was a really chill/soft environment. :blobmelt:

Ink

First time playing with Ink too. I was surprised he didn’t delete his sign up before the draft.. I thought that was his schtick. Ink is actually really chill, and kind of ‘soft’ too, like polo. In my opinion, the most beautiful evolved humans are masculine and feminine combined. In Indian iconography, Shiva is sometimes depicted as half male and half female, showing the perfect attainment.

Ink is also the only ‘captain’ that let me cook and do my thing.. maybe because he’s not the captain. (Of course… as a stand-in, I’m happy to go with the team/captain, and I try to. There’s just a feeling of regret when you feel like you couldn’t display your full radiance… you know? [heart rush centaur hehe])

Alas, still couldn’t get the win.

Redground

First time playing with Zewqew, who was also a stand-in for hobo. Zewqew is a gamer’s gamer. Skilled, friendly, and with just the right amount of attitude. *Chef’s kiss.* That series was actually super fun to play. 10/10 dota is a fun game.

Hobo (redground team again)

First time playing with Hobo too, I think. I think a second game would’ve been interesting, if there weren’t a bunch of connection etc. issues. Pretty chill team honestly, and had a Steil cameo too (a teammate from last season)

___

10/10 fun stand-in season, even with my horrible record… sorry boys

First, a story.

A poor half-wit was befriended by a millionaire lover of music who happened to have a private orchestra. One day the half-wit came to his benefactor and asked for a position in his orchestra.

Astonished, the rich man said, “I had no idea you could play an instrument.”

“I can’t,” was the answer. “But I see you have a man there who does nothing but wave a stick around while the others play. His job I can handle.”

I would like to offer some unsolicited suggestions to the redground team. I vacillated between posting this or not for a few days. As people with ideas know, (@timberhearth @nifuji), the creative forces come on their own. It is a wonder of existence, that the same creative force of existence also manifests in a lowly individual, that is yourself. It is not so much by you, or from you, but through you.

But still, consciousness means choice. Just because an idea pops up in you, doesn’t mean you have to follow through. All actions have reactions, as the saying goes. For example, if you are someone who gives lots of opinions, you will invite scrutiny of yourself.

But even more significant, is the weight of your actions that you have to carry yourself! Having had an opinion, or having “made a mark” on existence, through a creative work or action, you now have to carry that as a burden.

Do you follow what I’m saying?

__

Anyway… the following thoughts are AI-generated. Don’t take it too seriously. Take what is useful, and discard what is not. (I am the AI.)

#1

You kind of lost your sidelanes too, where your mmr is.

You’re already picking your high mmr cores later in the draft, and still losing the lanes. You can’t really do that.

#2

I would consider playing hobo more as a “core”-as-carry and less “core”-as-utility. I saw some other PSTonians alluding to this too. Depends on how old school you are, and whether you’re more west-doto or china-doto, etc… but what I mean is: Beastmaster, Batrider, Underlord, are less of a “core” and maybe Windrunner, Legion Commander, are more “cores.”

What happened to the stuff like Hobo offlane OD from past seasons?

Of course, playing your offlane as a carry raises other draft issues, but with your high mmr cores in the side lanes, I think it’s something to think about.

Look at how Timber Hearth has started playing more like a 3rd core as the season has progressed, and how it’s changed the dynamic. I think it’s something to think about.

Also, run playing like the 4th core is maybe something to think about too? Evaluate whether it’s actually working out.

#3

I don’t really know about recent meta etc., but I think Mantis’s best heroes are like Dawnbreaker and Razor. You’ve had the first half of the season to figure out how to use your players, and hopefully you didn’t waste it. I realize how-to-use Mantis is something you’ve been thinking about…, but maybe you should consider going back to the basics — from my outsider’s perspective.

知己知彼

know thyself and know thine enemy.

___

A father took his young son to an opera for the first time. The conductor started waving the baton and the soprano began her aria. The boy watched everything intently and finally asked, “Why is he hitting her with his stick?”

“He is not hitting her with the stick,” the father explained.

“Then why is she screaming?”

Deities have differing degrees of divinity… in Journey to the West. It is no secret that IceFrog is a bit of a Sinophile, and I think Dota badge names were probably influenced.

Immortals represent the highest level of attainment, and have great dharma-power.

They may have abilities such as knowledge of the three worlds–past, present, and future; ability to revive the dead, etc.

They are further split into top immortals, and different lineages have their own ranks. The greatest figures are simply known by their names, without honorifics-Buddha, Laozi, etc.

All figures who have attained a certain level of cultivation and have some magical dharma-powers are considered divine, and they may have honorifics such as Sage, Guardian, etc. The Monkey King self-styles himself as Great Sage Equal to Heaven, but his power is actually that of a great immortal.

Many divine ones on the path of cultivation are considered Ancient, having lived for thousands of years. One day in heaven is equal to one year on earth. The name Laozi literally translates to “old one.”

Many kings, demons, or other earthly incarnations are formerly deities in heaven. They have either chosen to take earthly incarnation–for example, to have a love affair which would be too scandalous in heaven– or more typically, they are punished for misdeeds in heaven, and have to take another form on earth to acquire merit. These could be the “archons.”

There are also numerous Guardians, of temples and mountains on earth, or Guardians in Heaven.

In heaven, and even earthly kingdoms, visitors are often announced by heralds, or heralds may serve as messengers, etc.

___

The Buddha was born a prince in Nepal, in the foothills of the Himalayas. He spent his life ministering in only one state of India, Bihar.

Buddhism in China was spread a millennium later by Bodhidharma. It was in China, where Buddhism meeting with Taoism became Chan, or Zen.

Here is a beautiful story of how Buddha and Bodhidharma are related, and how Buddhism in China came to be:

…Buddha created a very chosen circle. He created his circle with a person by the name of Mahakashyapa. This name is only mentioned once. Sariputra and Modgalayan were his chief disciples of the exoteric order; their names are known all over the world, they have shrines. But the real authentic key was given to Mahakashyapa — not to Sariputra, not to Modgalayan. But his name is mentioned only once, only once in the whole Buddhist scripture.

I will narrate the incident…

Buddha came one day with a flower in his hand. He was going to give a sermon. But no sermon was given, he just sat silently looking at the flower. Everyone wondered what he was doing. It continued for ten minutes, twenty, thirty minutes… Then everyone became uneasy. No one was able to say what he was doing. They all had gathered — at least ten thousand people — to hear him speak. And he was just sitting, only looking at the flower.

Mahakashyapa laughed. Buddha looked and said, “Mahakashyapa, come to me.” He gave the flower to Mahakashyapa and said, “All that could be said I have said to all, and all that could not be said I have given to Mahakashyap.” Never before or after is Mahakashyapa mentioned — neither who he was nor where he was born.

Why is the whole scripture so silent about him? — such an important person to whom Buddha says, “I gave to Mahakashyapa all that cannot be said.” Of course, the essential this is “that which cannot be said.” Only the nonessential can be said, only the superficial can be said, only the utilitarian can be said. The most significant transfer of knowledge is possible in silence only. But never again is his name mentioned, and then for centuries no one knew what happened to Mahakashyapa. But then after eleven hundred years, a person declared in China, “I am in direct contact, in the direct chain of Mahakashyapa.”

After eleven hundred years, someone declared in China, “I belong to Mahakashyapa. I am his disciple.” He was Bodhidharma. No Indian scripture mentions Bodhidharma. He was born in India, lived three fourths of his life in India. No one knows about him — where he was or what he was doing. Suddenly, he appears in China and says, “I belong to Mahakashyap, the man to whom Buddha gave the flower. And I have the flower with me, still fresh.”….

It’s time to move on. We have as testament a poem:

Into My Own
Robert Frost 1874-1963

One of my wishes is that those dark trees,
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as ’twere, the merest mask of gloom,
But stretched away unto the edge of doom.

I should not be withheld but that some day
Into their vastness I should steal away,
Fearless of ever finding open land,
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.

I do not see why I should e’er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I held them dear.

They would not find me changed from him they knew—
Only more sure of all I thought was true.

I’ve been playing games my entire life. From one game, I jump to another. This is my programming, my pattern. The Eastern idea of “samsara” is that of a wheel of existence. I think of the hamsters, obsessively running on their exercise wheels.

Can you imagine a hamster who had no need to run? Who could just be still, and be?

I don’t know if reincarnation is true. But the idea that life after life, you are repeating the same nonsense… if reincarnation is true, then I can easily see this repetition being the case. After all, in my one life I already see that I repeat the same pattern over and over.

___

This was back in 2009. I played Warcraft 3 competitively. Bleached my own hair back then.

Drinking age in Europe is like 16. We Americans would get like black-out drunk.. lol

After SC2 was released, Blizzard stopped supporting the WC3 scene. I briefly dabbled in SC2 and Hearthstone, but decided both were terrible games. I did play one SC2 tournament at MLG Anaheim.

After that, kind of lost in my 20s, I switched to Dota. I then played dota for like a decade, long after my original friends stopped playing, and longer than the entire time I was playing WC3, which blows my mind. Because WC3 was a true love, rewarding beyond expectation, and Dota was like a cope, literally.

In between, I’ve dabbled with poker, chess, go, etc. Do you see the machine-like mind? #1 It keeps looking for the same pattern. #2 It is obsessed with optimization.

My friends, I share this to invite you to look at your own patterns. What are you doing out of habit, out of programming?

Can you recapture the original innocence, the true enjoyment of things?

Jesus said, unless ye become as children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of God.

I will admit I have not achieved it. Is it possible for adults to enjoy things in themselves, without motives? Is unconscious, innocent youth, a requisite? And would it be a regression? Like going back to Kindergarten, after having graduated to middle school.

However, I can say with certainty that becoming more conscious of your programming is progression. It is liberating freedom. It is emptying in a way that does not replace the emptiness with new bondage.

I’m reminded of a story of lifelong prisoners, who having been freed of their chains, are uncomfortable without them. It is sometimes also like that.

Anyway, this is where I’m at. It is like being in a dark tunnel, and there has been a moment’s flicker of light, showing you that the path exists and is real. One may still be blind, but having seen a glimpse, it becomes impossible to go back.

___

Shall we close with another Frost poem:

Wind and Window Flower

Lovers, forget your love,
And list to the love of these,
She a window flower,
And he a winter breeze.

When the frosty window veil
Was melted down at noon,
And the cagèd yellow bird
Hung over her in tune,

He marked her through the pane,
He could not help but mark,
And only passed her by,
To come again at dark.

He was a winter wind,
Concerned with ice and snow,
Dead weeds and unmated birds,
And little of love could know.

But he sighed upon the sill,
He gave the sash a shake,
As witness all within
Who lay that night awake.

Perchance he half prevailed
To win her for the flight
From the firelit looking-glass
And warm stove-window light.

But the flower leaned aside
And thought of naught to say,
And morning found the breeze
A hundred miles away.

There is a love of the whole universe; the whole existence; the whole cosmos.

“My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists.”

― Nikola Tesla

Timber Hearth, my love for you is true. But remember the lesson of TheMantis. You see only a part of me, (and, of course, I see only a part of you).

A Hollywood director once sent out word that he was looking for an actor to play the role of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The actor was to be over six feet tall, young and vigorous and have an excellent command of the language.

On the day of the casting call, many fine tall young men showed up, but among them was a little old Jewish man with a heavy Yiddish accent. The director picked him out immediately and asked, “What do you want?”

The man answered, “I vant to be an hector. I vant to play Hemlet!”

“Are you kidding or just crazy?” the director asked. “You are only five feet tall and you have an accent so thick I could cut it with a knife. What can you possibly do?”

The little man said, “I vant to hect, Giff me a chance.”

Finally the director gave in. “Get up on stage and try it.”

The little man stepped out onto the stage. Somehow he looked much taller and full of energy. He began to speak with a booming voice and the perfect king’s English: “To be or not to be…”

When he was finished, there was a hush. Everyone was amazed. The director said, “That’s unbelievable.”

The other actors said, “That’s wonderful.”

The little Jew just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Dat’s hecting!”

___

“Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward toward greater consciousness and greater love! At the summit you will find yourselves united with all those who, from every direction, have made the same ascent. For everything that rises must converge.”

Recommended reading: Flatland

詩酒且圖今日樂，功名休問幾時成

Poetry and wine are for today’s merriment. Don’t ask when fame and glory will arrive.

今朝有酒今朝醉，莫管門前是與非

If there is wine today, then get drunk today. Don’t worry about the troubles at the door.

Jesus said: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

We tell you now about two worthies who lived on the banks of the river Jing outside the city of Chang’an: a fisherman by the name of Zhang Shao and a woodman by the name of Li Ding. The two of them were scholars who had passed no official examination, mountain folks who knew how to read. One day in the city of Chang’an, after they had sold the wood on the one’s back and the carp in the other’s basket, they went into a small inn and drank until they were slightly tipsy. Each carrying a bottle, they followed the bank of the Jing River and walked slowly back.

“Brother Li,” said Zhang Shao, “in my opinion those who strive for fame will lose their lives on account of fame; those who live in quest of fortune will perish because of riches; those who have titles sleep embracing a tiger; and those who receive official favors walk with snakes in their sleeves. When you think of it, their lives cannot compare with our carefree existence, close to the blue mountains and fair waters. We cherish poverty and pass our days without having to quarrel with fate.”

Are you enjoying the moment, now-here?

__

Believe it or not, it is difficult for me to write one final blog. The energy had started withdrawing from rd2l weeks ago, perhaps when my being felt and understood that this saga would soon be ending.

While I have enjoyed this season and have been blessed tremendously, it has also been a period of tension for me. Before this season, I had been in a state of calm for many many months. Then the season started, and I found I had put myself back into an environment that I could not help being “on” in. As my diligent readers may remember from an early blog, I shared that I immediately questioned why I had thrown myself back into this insanity, when I had known such peace.

…

I will share some observations.

Tension and Relaxation

Before this season, I had not watched any TV for at least half a year. Fiction just didn’t appeal to me anymore, and I thought I was over it. I only watched some non-fiction on youtube, such as travel, meditation, health, etc.

But during this season, I re-found my appreciation for TV. I realized that, at least for me, it was functioning as a way to destress and “wind down”, after being mentally wound-up by dota. It’s like how people drink caffeine in the morning, and alcohol in the evening. I think people have never known peace, or they would see how insane this yoyo-ing is!

And watching these dramas on TV (Psych has been my choice. Really enjoyed Wednesday too), I remembered that life is just a drama too. You were all watching the drama of the 12 seed run, and the final tonight, and so was I watching it play out.

And I enjoyed it very much. I’ve been playing each playoff match from a PC cafe, with the high-end PCs and stabler internet. Before each match, I’ve been getting food at nearby restaurants. Life is a celebration, and each match has been a holiday. Every Sunday I went in to add more time, after winning the prior week. Today I didn’t have much time left, and the hour packages were like 1 hour, 3 hours, or like 15 hours. So I did 15 hours, more than needed for one match, and perhaps that’s why we lost. I thought of more than just the day at hand! 😛

By the way Timber Hearth, if you think you’ve seen glimpses of wrath from me, know it was somewhat intended. I’ve been purposely eating some spicy food before matches, to add some aggression, and caffeine contributes too.

The Mirror

Consider this. If you are offended by the ego in me, but I am unoffended by the ego in you, then who is it that has a bigger ego?

The ego of others is showing you your own ego.

The Conservation of Energy

Back in the day, I used to grind games all day every day. However, this season, I discovered that if I practiced all day, my play got worse. So I had an interesting problem.. I thought that clearly practice was necessary, and yet I couldn’t practice too much.

Getting old? Or just busy with other things in life too. In any case, it let me reflect on “right practice”, which maybe I can apply to things like meditation, or piano practice.

Energy is limited! The days before a match, I just focused on eating enough and sleeping enough. And then match days, I would eat some spicy food and drink some caffeine, to “borrow energy” from the future. After so many weeks of playoffs, I’ve been starting to burn out, and I’m sure the relief that it’s over will kick in.

Energy is limited, my friends! Use it consciously.

___

What else is there to say? Many things I already said in the post-match interview.

The surprise for me was that even in losing, I was not in the least bit disturbed. Not that there was relief either. It was as if nothing happened. Throughout this season, I could not maintain my stress-free peace; I saw my ever-present ego, enjoying the glory of winning and the respect of teammates and peers. But in losing at the end, I was not bothered at all.

I think there are 3 factors:

#1 I had teammates I could lose with. Very important, as previously blogged on.

#2 I consciously allowed myself to put energy into dota. I was not “split,” half wanting to play and half not wanting to play. I did all that I could and was willing to do. And I (almost) never blamed anyone, and therefore never planted the seed that would come back to me.

#3 I understood that it was all just a game/drama.

Pneuma, have you been meditating on the flowers of the garden? Let’s say someone is a feeder. What is the problem, maybe he is enjoying it. Why do you want to deny someone his enjoyment. Maybe someone else enjoys flaming people. What is the problem? These are all unique and beautiful flowers. I am enjoying them.

Of course, some flowers should be enjoyed from a distance.. :p

___

Let go and let existence sort it out.

There were two cases this season where I just let other people handle things so I could maintain my zen. The first was smashe showing up late. All I said was that maybe he could abandon, but otherwise I just kept quiet. Whether and when he showed up didn’t really matter to me, and it was beautiful to just let existence sort out this trivial matter.

The second situation was the final scheduling. I tried and couldn’t get a time that everyone desired, so I pretended to have a “melty” and let other people handle it. I just didn’t feel like mediating, or deciding.

It’s very beautiful to be useless, and I hope I can have more and more faith in existence going forward.

___

Now, if I had won the final, I had intended to do an opponent review and draft review of the playoff matches, just for smashe. I’m done with rd2l so there’s no need to hide my thought processes. But we lost, so I’m excused from that.

What else would people like to read about? Shall I do a season recap?

It was very interesting to be the lowest mmr on the team at the start. Now, I know I’m not really a legend player, but my team doesn’t know yet. And who wants to be bossed around by your low mmr! And really, I have no interest in dominating anyone anymore anyway. If you want to follow me, then that is good and very beautiful. But if you don’t want to follow me, then why should we make things ugly.

And that is why I said Timber Hearth is very rare. He was ready to come with me, from the very beginning!

So anyway, I decided to let teammates draft the first few weeks.

#1 I thought people might see, “we have done things your way, now maybe we can try things my way?”
#2 With 12/16 teams making playoff, the early weeks don’t really matter in swiss format anyway. (This is still true even though we barely made playoffs.)
#3 This way, I could use some deception and “hide strats” for later.

___

Having drafted a team with so much mmr, and being the low mmr core, I thought I would just have fun and play things like Centaur and Underlord mid, and other fun things. But my team wasn’t doing so well, and I kind of figured that I had to start stepping up my game. So I started practicing diligently, and by the end I was acting like a more traditional carry-the-game-from-mid mid-laner.

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It was interesting to see the transition of the “meta” from legend to ancient pubs. In legend, people would pick lineups like pudge and centaur or whatever, and not really do anything, and I would play Underlord mid and win just by existing. I won so much that dota smurf-marked me and I shot up the ranks quickly. In ancient, people started trying to “outplay” you, and suddenly Underlord mid every game wasn’t working anymore. It was quite a stark change.

So I started watching a lot of Quinn replays, to update my game, and yada yada, I owe a lot to that for our playoff run. What a player, and what a team.

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Really, what is there to say? I am just enjoying the flowers in my garden.

All in all, I would say we are having a successful season, wouldn’t you agree?

After sneaking into playoffs, thanks to Nifuji assisting with a 2-0 over gronaldo, we justified our slot with an upset over 5th seed zombies.

Is it a good time for a season review?

Going by the objective I set for myself, mmr maximization, I did quite well in the player draft. We were either top 2 or top 3 by average mmr. So by that metric, I succeeded in the draft.

However, when my team was struggling early in the season, I wondered to myself if I should conclude that having the strongest tri-core you can get is just too important.

Fun fact, one season long ago I made my week 0 power ranking by only looking at the 3 cores, ignoring supports completely. (And needless to say, my power rankings are always relatively accurate, unless I’m memeing with name lengths or something).

But in the end, we are still doing at least above average, so the strong tri-core or higher-mmr balanced team question is still inconclusive.

It’s like in Catan. Your preferred strategy might be Wheat/Ore, but sometimes you have to play roads and settlements. You can’t always get your first choice.

I will say that, I think I pretty much got what I paid for with all my players, more or less. I might not have a nosebleed polo or hobo, but I definitely see that I am getting some value out of having stronger supports. I remember having 2ks where it’s like they’re just tomes of exp for the enemy team, idling in some random spot, and in fights they aren’t pressing any buttons (share control for the love of god). But steil, for example, often dishes out some damage in fights, or helps win the offlane, or shows up with a surprise hex.

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I used to fantasize about having a Dota team where it was just 5 of me. I thought we would own. See, my background is single player RTS, and even in my early days of Dota, my friend group was graduates of RTS, and I called all the shots.

The thing about “KDA players” is that we learned dota back before rubber-band mechanics, when it was possible and completely usual to 1v5. If I went 10-0, we win. If I died once and we lost, well, I told myself that I could’ve made fewer mistakes and then I win. (I’m not exaggerating.)

There is a deep-seated mistrust of teammates, and an ingrained conservatism. And really, I consider older players like waifu and ultra part of the same school of dota, whether they will agree with my assessment or not. (The new school, itachi, eli, etc., etc., play really “pepega” to me.)

My philosophy was after Sun Tzu: first, make no mistakes. Then, wait for an opportunity for victory.

But over the years I’ve come to realize that it can be beneficial to play “looser.” It’s like in poker, a table full of conservative “nits” is terrible, but looser play can get people to make mistakes.

Some Dota examples:

• When Yawar and Sumail first came on the scene, I favored Yawar. I thought Sumail played like a hothead. But now I realize that playing closer to the “edge” is “correct”.
• It’s often beneficial to have a teammate who will go in and start fights. Really, as I see it, this is one of Vuvu’s sole “virtues.” I myself am absolutely loath to go in first, typically.
• In losing games, you will often see supports on top teams (such as Puppey, and in the recent Lima major, one of the Chinese supports) start feeding in aggressive positions. The commentators, and the stream chat, make fun of them, but I suspect a reason behind the madness. If you play stably in losing situations (as is my wont), you are really just waiting to stably lose.
  

I once read a book on contract bridge, and a quote stuck with me: If you aren’t going down one out of three or four tries, you are underbidding.

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Anyway, yada yada. Blogging steam has run out, time to wrap it up.

Timber Hearth
Value: As advertised
Super great teammate. Bonus spec. point in laning, I think.

Steil
Value: As advertised
Already talked about above. We played him more like a position 4.5, but he seemed open to playing lots of other heroes, I just wasn’t letting him, tbh.

ryan
Value: As advertised
Okay NGL I thought I was getting a carry with a huge traditional carry pool but lots of the heroes he didn’t want to play. The stuff he did want to play though he was boolin’ though.

stonks
Value: As advertised
Vuvu told me stonks would keep rosh timer for me, and he does.

If I do a comparison between players, inevitably it will appear that criticism is necessary.

But please understand that my root is not criticism. I am just describing what I see (Which may be wrong. Two seasons ago I said itachi had an edge over zewqew).

There are many flowers in my garden. You are perfect as you are, as an individual.

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There is a Chinese saying: don’t worry if you don’t know the value of something; you will know it by comparison.

Two seasons ago I took a look at the offlaners. Let’s revisit the topic and see how our opinions have evolved.

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ZombiesExpert has seasonal arcs the way TV shows do. He is a hero spammer, but with different heroes over seasons. Two seasons ago, he was playing Beastmaster and Spirit Breaker. The past few months, he’s been main-ing Centaur, and lately Axe.

In one way, he’s still the same. He will take a hero and go into it deeply, specializing in it. Two seasons ago, I watched his Spirit Breaker replays and was wowed. At the start of this season, I watched his Centaur replays. He wins every lane. Verily, he is playing them similarly to Centaurs at the highest level, unlike his Beastmaster before, where he diverged. But watching a specialist at a skill level a little closer to yours is also educational. In the parlance of rd2l folk, he’s “min-maxed” the hero, and showing you how to beat the people you play against.

But in another way, Zombies has changed lately. Before, he played more like a core-offlaner, and these days, he’s playing more like a support-offlaner. Maybe it’s to do with the patch, or maybe it’s just what he found works for his teams right now.

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Hobo, on the other hand, has blossomed into a thousand-petaled lotus this season. In all seasons past, he seemed to be a flavor-of-the-patch hero spammer. But now, all that requisite training has been completed, and we see Hobo radiating in his full glory.

In a way, he is to offlane what Zewqew has been to mid/carry. I also thought Zewqew was more of a puddler specialist, before, and he now reveals himself to be a complete carry.

There is another chinese idiom, 融會貫通: to master the subject via a comprehensive study of surrounding areas

We are in for a treat this week, with redground facing mooshack, and hobo facing zewqew. A meeting of two masters!

Redground, if it were me, I would probably target the underlings. I.e., mooshack and the offlane companions.

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Appendix

Timber Hearth is mechanically terrific, and in our games I often find the off-lane winning lanes I didn’t expect them to.

One amusing thing to me about our series against Zombies was that all 3 games we went to a difficult ratty late game, and we won 2 of them. Arguably, we would’ve won game 2 also if I tp’d back on OD instead of the Underlord.

Now, #1 the games were a clowny mess. On what earth is trading 1 lane for 2 profitable, in game 3. — I was raging inside at this, as much as my robot heart is able to rage these days. In many of our games this season, I’m unhappy with our macro play. But part of this is the distribution of our mmr, lacking high immortal cores (who move more efficiently), and the larger part is my own inability to decisively lead.

But anyway, what I’m saying is, normally I would expect the “better team” to win in the long run. But in the series last week, we were the ones winning in the long run.

Yes, it was partly due to dumb luck, but call a spade a spade, it’s also a series of decisions that add up.

A Mariah Carey song for each team member

stonks

Timber Hearth

ryan

steil