Smart or Skilled?
Ok so I had a pretty interesting discussion with bogdan the other day. Usually when the two of us get together to share some quality lovetime we end up discussing some part of DotA, and this time we discussed the kind of players there are, and the difference between some of the high lvl dotaplayers out there. We both agreed that there are two kind of players; Smart and Skilled.
Of course it's not that black and white with some players being only smart or only skilled, but it's easier to put them in two different groups. I will write down some stuff about each of the groups, but first I'll just list a couple of players that I think suits best in one or the other. Since I am not that into the asian scene I'll just list the ones from Europe and America that comes to mind, and maybe you guys can add some names of your own if you think im right in what I write.
Smart: So what deifnes a smart player? Well as the name states it's someone who's smart (No shit? :D), but what I mean is that they think through every move the make. Their farming, ganging and fighting is defined by what they know is the smartest in theory. A smart player is a person who skills a hero in a certain way just because it should be the best way to utilize the hero in the game. When it comes to itemchoices the smart player will go for what is absolutely the best for the hero and the team. For example a smart bm will always go for necro 3 since it works well with the pig/bird and then BoT to easier gang the lanes with ultimate. If you watch LightOfHeaven play Bm you will realise that when he throws axes to dmg heroes he often(if not always) also hits a couple of creeps or neutrals just to utilize the power of axes to its fullest. The smart player knows what is the best, but things doesn't come as easy for them. They often need play more to reach the same lvl as the skilled player but when they do it's a very scary player to face since they play it safe, smart and use each hero in the way that's right 90% of the time.
Maelk
Bogdan (had to be mentioned!)
LightOfHeaven
Fear
Puppey
Skilled: The skilled player is the kind of guy that does not give a shit to what people say is the right build or in what kind of way you should play. These players are genuine players that has a love for the game and for them it's as easy to play dota as it is to ride a bike! Sometimes they know that in theory their choice is the wrong one, but it just feels right and usually pays off into a godlike moment :) Vigoss is the obvious choice as this kind of player. How many times didn't vigoss go on a suicide run just to grab that kill? Often he would even get out of an impossible position where no one even saw what happened ^^ Some players evolve into smart players just to better help the team, because you need to keep in mind that without a couple of smart players that reads the game in the right way to help you do those crazy moves it woldn't happen. I for one was never a big fan of Vigoss, more of those who played around him and made it all work out in the masterpiece that was their playstyle!
Vigoss
PGG
Kuroky
Dendi
Misery
So where would you put me? Where would you put your favourite player? Just comment and I'll see if we have the same ideas =)
Du hade väl mest funkat som skilled player... fast om man kollar på replayes så farmar du ju sjukt bra så det hör väl ihop med smart ^^
about others players: smarts: Ducky, miggel, Synd, Demon many others, but those crossed my mind.
skilled: merlini, babyknight, playmate just to name a few.
yeah that is IMHO of course. :P
imo loda is neither smart nor skilled. loda=farm noob
but if i hv to categorize you, i honestly think that u r a Smart player..coz somehow, u've always ended having the item u need for ur team, farm when u have to, gank when u have to, play smart..the easiest way to see it, is no other than a match against MYM when u play Sven..everytime(or almost) u gank, it ended up with ur team score a kill(s)..the timing is impeccable imo...
for other Smart : Ducky joliE MaNia
and the other Skilled : H4nn1 AngeL Merlini PlaymatE
Wish luck to DDT!!
but sometimes the smart's Micro Fail him ...
I would say 70%/30%
when i watch yamatehs heros im always like wtf. all looks very calculated (watch his old bkb tinker replays) but still risky.
I think hes a smart player because he plays what he knows and not what he feels :)
i consider u as "SKILLED" player..
sometimes u do suicide actions and take kills :)
definitely skilled.
Theres no black and white with you, but if I had to choose one id definitely go for smart.
Skilled: 13abyknight, Merlini, Freezer, Playmate, ImbaQ, Slahser, Lacoste, Travka(6.48 era)
Smart: Hex0r, Jolie, Stalcat, Silentcat, Kirai, Ro-Coco, ppasarel, Kirai.
Puppey has got to be the smartest player out there, to agree with Merlini. Skillwise it would still have to be my man Kuro, even though Playmate has done a lot of crazy shit lately.
and Loda is a Pure SKILLZ !
and about vigoss, he was skilled all right but his ingame IQ was superior, that was the main difference between him and u and H4nni and Merlini...
first i would like to say how i feel it :)
so loda used to be for me great player in sk days i really liked him(you)
now im losting this grace :( dont know why...
i think you are some of each other, really skilled but too smart ;)
and at last im very interesated in your opinion about my favourite players: AKKE and SMILE
how do you evaluate them ?
if its possible could you answer me pls? thx :)
You have:
-smart : players that do the best things, usually the boring ones.
(Merlini, Maelk, Mania)
-cunning(25% skilled, 75% smart): players that mostly follow the rules, but they kinda have their own moments.
(Lakoste, Drayich, Playmate)
-mixed( 50%/50%): imho the best category. Players that usually follow the rules and know the advanced theorycrafting, but they also use their awareness to create unusual builds, and think outside the box. (Loda, Fear, Ducky)
-entertaining(25%/75%):players that usually play extravagant, that mostly pluck out entertaining replays, and enjoyable moments. (Azen, Misery, Smile)
-skilled: the class that was born on the map. Basically they decide the game-rules, they make their own game. Very entertaining but reckless
(Kuroky, Vigoss)
So this might be the right choices. M-joy.
i like what you said in your blog: the smart ones train their fingers more and more while the skilled ones make better choices with more expirience.
but at the same time you have to know your strengths and concentrate on them.
Regarding Smile I'd say he was a really good balance of smart and skilled, but then again I've always been a fanboy of his. Also I'd say Akke is more of a skilled player than a smart one.
These days you play more smart-like, because this version demands it. You can't force 4 players evolve their game around you because your team will fail!
Also if you don't have too many preset plans and are player who revels to play on the edge of danger, to pull off amazing performances born from instinct and impulse. You are a skilled player. I think we all play a bit of each, but often have a dominate force that drives our game play.
To me (smart / smart is similar to mind dominant /body dominant).
I think this would be an interesting subject to research more Loda, like find out if there is personality/behavioral patterns between play styles. I'm sure there is a connection in ability to hold concentration and speed of image recognition is highly prevalent in skilled players. As apposed to ability to think throughly and completely on subjects to present a full and well thought out dissertation.
Anyways
gg
-Bart13t :D
You, Kuroky = 60% skill / 40 % smart
Kev, PGG = 70 % skill / 30 % smart
Vigoss, Not_DJRASTA_BG xD = 80 % skill / 20 % smart
smart is harder than skill itself
hexOr, smart/skilled??
you are 60% skill - 40% Smart
I need know what happen with vigoss...
His last game was on the map 6.64.... Vigoss vs Mix
I just loled cause he had one of misery's too .
Smart players are usually the most dedicated ones in DotA, at the same time, lots of them are unsung heroes, the underrated.
Azen - One hell of a thinker; can probably think 4 steps ahead of his opponent. Not to mention having mad skills as well. Damn good player this guy.
Maelk - To be the captain of one of the most veteran teams for so long needs some ingenuity. This is Maelk. Though MYM seems to be in a slump lately, this guy has provided the DotA scene stability when it comes to stragety.
pgg - The best russian player next to Vigoss imho, his plays style really reflects one a thinker.
Skilled players I feel, are sort of prone to retarded moves and epic fails due to their susceptibility to Rambo-ing, but these guys often show the most uber moves ever conceived. These guys tend to be flamers and the shittalkers, but boy-oh-boy can they back up their shit-talking. These guys, I feel fit the category:
Ve!n -
MusHi
Lacoste_
heXOr
MiSeRy-
An observation I made was that the skilled players usually get more famous than the smart ones. The smart ones are sort of like the playmakers in basketball, they make the plays, calculations, assists, but they often aren't really payed attention to (other than trying to learn how to play support, who really does focus on support players when we watch replays?) Of course it IS possible that these guys are so good at what they're doing or have been around for so long that they get recognized as well- like Steve Nash or Jason Kidd perhaps; reversely, the skilled players are like the Kobe Bryants and Michael Jordans. Their raw talent is awe-inspiring. Coupled with knowledge and theory holy shit are these guys IMBA.
Basically it boils down to something like Nature and Nurture. Some guys are naturally good, while some guys get so good that they become even better than the skilled players I feel. But when skilled players get to know their shit and theory-- they evolve into the powerhouses.
Loda>Vigoss>Kuroky!
i think u r the smart guy having denied ur smartness for a long time cuz u always loved to be the player that shines in a game . . . that was cuz of ur skills . . . but nowadays u r coming back to ur real nature smartness cuz many skilled players ( more skilled than u :P ) r in dota right now . . .
u r smart, u can play many heroes & u always INNOVATE
love u LODA the INNOVATOR
have confidence like always cuz u r the BEST ever
where are you loda!
haha
2004/5-2008, your famous time with sk everything focused around you and you ending up farmed on godlike ;-) that was your skilled time.
but now you more smart then skilled. Imo you need to go throught skilled before you can become smart of course it's also about temper, but moslty a lot of experience is needed to become a smart player.
Hiho from arg :) (sry for bad english :( )
so the groups are:
Smart
Skilled
Nabs
Experienc is what ? i don t like U r ..........(skilled or smart)
exp and age arent in this 2 kind player
and they are your Girlfreind :-? in up D:
Regards
Zee Mathews
<a href="https://salonmanagersacademy.com/">The Salon Mangers Academy</a>
loda is the best
loda=3xkuroky
Smartest: P.I.S
Skilled:ZSMJ