North American DotA Syndicate

The X-Factor - Well beyond just being good or bad, these players have a unique impact on the game.

1. Veteran

Basketball - The old guy. Smells like a combination of bengay and pits. Has probably been playing ball since before you were born, and definitely before the invention of deodorant. He’s probably mummified with knee-pads and goggles, which are protecting legit worn joints. He’s also long ago lost the need to be fancy or frivolous…he’s in the gym because he wants to win. Plays dirty and won’t admit to fouls. Most of all, he’s crafty and experienced. You’re probably faster and more agile, but he always manages to stay in the game because of relentless effort and seasoned tricks, with bankshots and finger rolls that you’ve never seen and thus can’t defend.

DotA - The guy you want to play with, not against. He may or may not have great micro, may even get out-laned, but always manages to get back into the game. Years of experience allow him to know the subtleties of heroes and spells, like Chain Frost’s sleep-based first target channel break. Probably knows the forest and fog spots very well, and has the awareness to avoid being caught in bad position during ganks and team fights. Always seems to know what to do strategically in any game situation. No matter how good of a start you get against these wily vets, they’ll always get back in the hunt. 

2. The Girl

Basketball - Puts the X in X-factor. At the gym she’s usually a girlfriend (who can often be pretty bad), or some good player who’s tired of crushing other ladies. Some guys claim they don’t treat her any different - they say she’s on the court, so she knows what she’s gotten into. But most feel guilty for blocking her shots, stealing the ball from her, or playing physically against her. Sometimes you can’t tell for a bit if she’s a guy or girl.

Some games with girls are competitively softened when everyone thinks it’s a joke. They can also be ratcheted up in competition and dirtball play because everyone wants to impress her. Other times, if there’s the chivalrous type guarding her and she knows how to play, she’ll take advantage of the preferential treatment and burn the opposition.

DotA - You usually can’t tell if it’s a guy or girl. If it is a girl it’s usually a girlfriend who has just picked up the game very casually. You can almost be sure that, due to their scarcity in these types of games, guys will be fawning all over her. Have one girl come into a vent filled with guy DotA regulars, and watch things fall apart.

3.  Ringer

Basketball - Anyone see that Nike commercial where Shawn Marion scrubs these two guys and reveals a weighted vest at the end? That is the idea here. Legitimately good players - people who have nothing to gain from pickup games, but simply want to relax, play with friends, or fool around - seldom show up, and seldom take the games seriously. This is a vacation or a fun supplement to their more demanding and organized basketball training, so you can often expect to be entertained or wowed. But these guys usually don’t make great teammates, because they’ll only communicate with their friends and give off an air of conceited detachment to everyone else. However, it’s sometimes great to watch when some pickup player wants to prove something and goes hard against the ringer.

DotA - You’ll see the ringer around in late-night TDAs and THRs after a day of scrims, high-level inhouses or league games. You’ll probably see some upgraded dagons and force staffing around, and maybe some budding competitive hero builds being given their first test runs.  However as in basketball sometimes these games get ruined because there’s too much messing around, and when the ego runs free, a lot of flaming and blaming. If you’re lucky you will get players you can learn from who are willing to explain things, and thus benefit the overall DotA community by improving pickup games. At the very least, some of the trolls and pretenders mentioned earlier often immediately shut up, listen, and start kissing ass.