So I joined in August, I think, but this is the first time on the official site so here is my introduction. My Steam name is also gotham and I have been playing Dota 2 since last September. I played LOL for a week or so with friends of a friend and did not enjoy the experience, but realized that I am a fan of the genre. For the first several months that I played I would only queue for Bot matches because, well the game is overwhelming at first. I had heard before I ever started playing that the Dota community is notoriously toxic. I dont feel that the community is quite as bad as I feared and once I was comfortable that I had a grasp on the general mechanics, I started match making. I found that on the occasion that I could play with a friend or when their was good communication in a pub, I had much more fun. Problem was that pubs with good communication were few and far between and of the 5 beta invites I handed out, nobody actually played. Thankfully during my quest to get better, I found a reddit post inviting me to join you and I have been enjoying the company of the group since.

Sounds like a great idea, I'd be down for this.

I have less than 100 matches still. Way to go Shane!

Not exited by the idea of Sniper being played more.

I love me some lewtz. I think that we could get a team (or teams if there is enough interest) of 5 with the battle bonus and get some pixels for the group. To make it seem less selfish, any items for characters that you dont play or duplicate items could be donated to the group to be used for prizes. Who would be the best person to give extra items to for such a purpose?

One thing that I have noticed with the inhouses is that people will build an optimal team without the people to fill the roles. i am comfortable with the group and am able to speak up with my preferences, but newer people may not have the comfort level. I think that its important to communicate what sort of strategy we will be attempting with a clear definition of the role expected from each character. As a captain, one should remember the varying skill levels in the group and make sure that no player is forced to play a character with which they are not comfortable or do not enjoy.

I would say that Sniper's flaws can all be covered by Items, I dont really see the use of an MKB on him. Drums would be good, but I consider Lothar's a must on him.

I see what you're saying. Its probably not super simple to build a team with optimal make-up based on five people's preference. In my suggestion I intentionally left out the words inexperienced because I agree that it shouldnt be an excuse. I was focusing on comfort and enjoyability. If the group. for example wanted me to play a jungle Chen, I would not enjoy that. I have tried Chen and watched videos, but I cant get the micro down. I dont enjoy it enough to work on it. I was specifically bringing it up in terms of comfort. Another example, I personally need a lot of work on carries. If the group put me on AM, I would not be comfortable with that role for the group. He requires insane farm and the opposing team is going to focus on not letting him have it. By the end of the match I would feel personally responsible for a loss if I was farmed to a god-like status with a million kills. I'm not saying "let everyone pick their favorite" but listen to the group, communicate the picks. Its all for fun and learning, but everyone wants their team to do well.

So I dont generally play Silencer. I dont see him played a lot but I expect that to change with the recent buffs. I have a question about the changes to last word. Will this new effect stack with curse of the silent? Will you be able to cast curse and then cast last word on the same target forcing them to either cast and be silenced or take damage and be silenced? If so, that sounds pretty awesome if youre the one doing it or shitty if youre on the receiving end.

Associates in Computer Science with a focus on Computer Animation. Art is actually one of the few fields where education is less important than ability and experience. You have to a have a kick ass portfolio. There are 50 bajillion people out there who love video games and can draw, so marketing your skills is key. Best case scenario, you build a solid portfolio and gain a full time position at a company like valve or blizzard. The reality of this industry is that you build a solid portfolio and go contract to contract.

What software did you use for this? Do you have any concept art to go with it, so we can see more of what you have planned for the item?

So for this are you looking for a finished product or just the design? I'm only asking cause I lost my photoshop disc and I dont want to steal it.

So that means that you want a finished product?

I am pretty unique in that I fucking love unwraping UVs. with your design you can probably just project mostly. I'd be happy to coach you on the finer points of it though. Before you get too far in this, is your copy of max legit? If not, you cannot submit that to the shop.

Essem is killing it with the fifth on his list IMO. Atlas, youre a graphic designer. Step your game up son. That Shadow demon is awesome but it looks like youre using default text. Comic sans no less.