Heroes of the Storm Open Beta - transitioning from other MOBAs

So it's been about 10 days since Blizzard opened the Nexus to all with the start of the Heroes of the Storm Open Beta on May 19.  Though the game's official launch is this Tuesday, June 2, for all intents and purposes, it can be considered released.  Anyone who was excited for it yet never received an alpha or beta invite is unlikely to have held off another two weeks for the "beta" label to be removed.  After all the quality assessment that's been done over last year, there's unlikely to be much difference between the version we're playing now and the one after June 2.

The massive influx of new players can be felt within the course of a single match.  It feels like the Technical Alpha all over again, with every team having a few members fresh from League, Smite and the like, still learning the ropes of concepts that differentiate Heroes from the rest.  It's true that until recently new players were being added weekly but those were in gradual measured quantities as opposed to the exponential growth the player base has undergone in the last couple weeks.  While I welcome our new arrivals to the Nexus, I figured now would be a good time to talk about a few of the ways you're not in DOTA anymore....

1.  Map mechanics win games

The Grave Golem on Haunted Mines attacks the core for the win.

First and foremost, watch for the tribute/temple spawn or how many coins/skulls/gems your team has gathered.  With a few exceptions, this should be your primary focus throughout the match because it will be the primary reason you win or lose.

The gold coins needed to buy the services of the undead pirate Blackheart.

This is one of the biggest gameplay differences in Heroes and I've seen a lot of players simply ignore it in favor of more familiar goals such as farming, pushing or simply trying to take out the enemy heroes.  All of these have their place but you ignore the map mechanics at your own (not to mention your team's) peril.

2.  Mercenaries - recruit them or your enemy will

The Bruiser mercenaries, formerly known as Knights.

Jungling as you know it doesn't exist here.  Certain heroes are considered good junglers in the sense that they can clear neutral camps quickly and easily but that's where the similarities end.  They're not expected to spend the whole laning phase in the jungle or to be the sole gankers.  Defeating the mercenary camps does grant some experience but the main purpose is to have them join your minions in the lanes.  They will then push down the lane until they die, after which you will need to recruit them again.  Mercenaries can significantly damage are fort if left alone so this will likely force an enemy hero to come deal with them, which means the opposing team has one less hero going on the offensive.  When a team fight inevitably breaks out, it's that much more likely to be a 5v4 in your team's favor.

Also?  On Haunted Mines two sets of siege giants will take down a gate just as fast or faster than a moderately powerful grave golem.  Guess there are times to focus on something other than map objectives after all.

3.  A shared experience bar doesn't mean you don't have to farm

Jaina and her water elemental give the incoming minion wave a warm welcome.  Figuratively.

For all its differences, Heroes still shares many concepts with its predecessors - a fact that new players sometimes forget.  It's refreshing not to have to worry about last hitting minions or your lane partner stealing your CS, but a large minion wave cannot go ignored, something I've been seeing fairly often.  Heroes and forts obviously give the most experience but consistently farming those minions can allow your team to keep up in levels even when you're behind in kills or forts.

4.  Some heroes are designed more for taking down buildings than enemies

Nazeebo brings down the house.

Heroes of the Storm has created a new character role, in addition to the MOBA standards of assassin, tank, support and jungler: the siege hero.  Structures play a much bigger role in Heroes - going beyond a single tower to include gates, healing and a great deal more firepower.  So naturally there are heroes with abilities and talents tailored for weakening and destroying buildings more efficiently rather than hero to hero combat.  So if you're wondering why you can't seem to get many takedowns playing as Zagara, Azmodan or Sergeant Hammer, among others, take a look at their talents and try focusing on structures in your next game.  A competent siege player can put their team ahead not just by pushing lanes but providing a hefty experience boost that comes with taking down buildings.

5.  Synergize your talent choices

Last but certainly not least - consider your talent selection to make the optimal combinations.  Most heroes have at least two to three distinct routes they can go, though others can have many more.  Consider which ones work well with what you've already chosen instead of picking what looks best at face value on its own.  Heroesfire and HeroesNexus both provide useful tools to examine all of a hero's talents and how they affect their stats and abilities.  That being said, once you've decided on a particular build, don't be afraid to deviate from it as the situation demands.  Talents are the Heroes version of items and every MOBA player knows to alter their build depending on how the game develops.   

As a disclaimer, though I wrote this to help new players begin transitioning over from similar games, this should by no means imply that Heroes is in some way "better" than any of its contemporaries.  As you can see, I blog about League here periodically as well, so I myself have a foot in both words, so to speak.  While the companies may be in competition, there's no reason for the players to compete over who's favorite game is better.