Using Bots to Learn the Game

Hi all, I've recently been handed a DOTA 2 beta key but have zero experience with the genre. I was introduced to Hon by some friends by being thrown into a public game with no knowledge of what the hell I was doing so needless to say I ragequit after getting stomped on for 20 minutes straight :)

So when my beta key turned up I was wary of going straight into matchmaking and was so really pleased to see a bot option for the lobby. I've taken a good look at a lot of guides on general play and have been using the guides written here to take care of the item and skill builds for the first few games so I can focus on practising last-hitting, positioning etc.

The one thing I'm not sure of is how valid are some of the bot decisions? I've played Lich mostly as he's highly recommended for newer players and have had success with him but when I've moved to other heroes that require more teamwork (from what I can see), the initiators or gankers I've had trouble getting into positions that I can get help from the bots. Trying to pick off heroes on my own has been suicide generally. I was wondering whether this is all my fault (likely) or partly the fault of not being able to talk/coordinate with the bots (maybe?) or whether the bots do just make weird decisions sometimes?

On this note, how much can the bots teach you or is it worth diving into matchmaking once I know the basics?

Feel free to point out anything here that is wrong. Any terms I've misused or misunderstood let me know, I'm still very new to the game and so any help is appreciated :)

Thanks, yak_

Once you learn the basics, play someone like Lich in matchmaking games. The bots are really somewhat faulty in the way they play in certain situations. For instance, you'll be pushing into the enemy base, then your team will split from you and shout out, "Doing Roshan!" even though it makes absolutely no sense to fight Roshan at the moment.

I have no problem playing with you to help you get a hang of things, as long as you play someone relatively easy and low-maintenance like Lich, so you have time enough to really learn how to play before you go to playing an initiator/ganker/carry.

Just add me via my steam account, (Username: Brennan3775) and I can play a few with you. I'll even bring a few friends along so we don't get a bad PUG.

I'm fairly new to the genre too, but I just jumped into matchmaking. The worse that can happen is that you lose.
Anyway, I'd say after one bot game you should join matchmaking. Seeing as you did several, go for it.

Since there isn't a tutorial for new players yet, I would recommend like ^ said play a game or two with bots. I would also like to recommend going to youtube or other websites to learn the basics and make sure you know all of them before going into matchmaking.

I'd have to agree with this as the bots are somewhat smarter than stupid tryhards in pubs... Especially if you picked "New" when you started DOTA2. It affects matchmaking...

I'm all up for players getting their hands dirty with the gameplay immedietly, since that's how you're gonna learn how players play the many heroes that are available.

However, due to the sad nature of MOBA games, they often tend to attract certain people that do not share the idea of new-players trying out their skills in matchmaking, and as such, will flame them to no end, which is a darn shame.

If you can be fed up with the chance of trolls being nasty, I'd say matchmaking is a great way to quickly find out the general playstyle of others, rather than the AI.

I can't recommend bots for learning this game, even Valve is making strides with them every patch. Once you have the basics down, you should give Matchmaking a try and tell us how it goes. Your mileage may vary; some players escape relatively unscathed, while others are raged at til kingdom come.

IMO bots are only good to use to get used to the gameplay. But u rly should switch to normal games as soon as possible cuz otherwise u'll only be playn against those easy bots and get ROFLstomp'd @ normals.

Bots are better than the ******s at low levels.