Gameplay question

[Mursilis 34]

I just started playing this game about a week ago.  Never played Moba type games before, I'm more a single player person.  As such I don't have much of a reference for how easily, or hard, it should be to put together crazy combos or work with teammates to take down opposing heroes.  I ask as I seem to die extremely easily in Quick Match games.

For example I'll be safely behind the lines using a ranged attack when suddenly a Muradin dwarf tosses over everyone, lands directly behind me then instantly haymakers me back through the battle line to his side where I'm dead in 1 second (he of course survives to return to his side).  Or three heroes appear out of nowhere and each hits me with a deadly combo at the same time and I'm dead before I can react.  And yes I avoid standing right next to bushes as much as possible.  But whatever happens, I find the moment a hero fight begins I'm being pushed all around the screen so much with charges or haymakers or grappling hook attacks that it's tough to even click on a target to fight back.

 

Just seems that most everyone is able to land these "difficult" combos with ease while I'm just learning how to use whatever free hero I'm playing at the time.  And it's not like I'm being teamed up on by a bunch of level 40 players, I'm normally going up against others in the teens or single digit level range.

Now it's very possible I'm just a really slow learner by comparison and in time I'll be able to coordinate myself, and with my team, to the same degree.  I'm just slightly bewildered by how well 5 completely random people can so well coordinate with each other for the hero takedowns.  So for those that are better versed in this type of game, is such behavior/ability the norm?

[positiv2 953]

MOBA games are generally difficult and even though Heroes of the Storm are generally known as the easiest one of the three popular (DotA 2, League of Legends and HotS), it still requires quite a lot of skill. It comes with time spent in the game because of the learning curve. Don't give up, you get better over time, even if it seems that you are getting nowhere.

Combo wombos are easier to be performed in HotS than any other of the three MOBAs thanks to the ability system, where you have all basic abilities already on level one. However, the team has to be coordinated to pull them off well enough to kill an enemy early in the game.

There are those special cases where usual safe isn't safe because of the opponents' heroes. You need to play differently against some heroes. Also, if there is a whole team against you, the rest of the team has the time to either position themselves for an ambush or to quickly split-push (best solution depends on the state of the game). That's why you sometimes want your opponents to go after you. I can give you Srey's fight 1 on 4, where he just wanted to gain some time for his team to push Nexus, which in the end worked and they won the match. It's rare, but it does happen.

Paying attention to minimap is crucial. If you see there are heroes missing or when your team-mates say they do, play much more carefully. 

If you have problems in Quick Matches, maybe you could try playing against bots and/or try different heroes until you find one that fits you perfectly. It is also possible that you were put against a team of 3- or 4-player group that communicate through skype, teamspeak or similar software. By the way, if you are EU, we could play together sometime, if you're interested.

[Mursilis 34]

Ok, so does sound like this behavior is normal in Quick matches.  I'll just stick to fighting the IA for a while then as I play through the various characters on the free rotation to see which ones I find entertaining.

 

Appreciate the offer, but I'm on the NA server.  Cheers!

[methusalix 0]

It definitely takes some time to get used to the game. When you start playing the game, you don't know what all the other heroes are capable. Therefore you also can't know, how to play against them (e.g. dodge the skillshots, stand out of there range, stay behind a wall, etc.).

 

People with experience from other MOBAs probably pick up the game faster, because they are already used to the basic concepts of the genre. Like Roaming, watching out for missing enemies, or knowing when to end the laning phase and start team fighting. But don't worry, you will improve and get better. Unless the quick matches are too frustrating for you, I wouldn't play AI games too much. They are ok for the very beginning, but you don't learn very much. Just play quick matches and try to do you best.

[Yons 0]

Just play and all will be fine.

[Valks 2,375]

Just play and all will be fine.

 

This might seem like strange advice, but it's generally what I do.

 

When I first started playing DOTA/LoL, I just queued up and played. People flamed me, shouted at me for failing at certain things, but I got better. 

 

HoTS is VERY team dependent. There are so many heroes that are fantastic in team fights, but are terrible when alone.

 

My advice to you is to stick with the group. If you find yourself alone in a lane, check the map. Are the enemy missing? Can you see them in other lanes? Where are your team mates?

 

If the enemy are all missing and you are alone in a lane, there's a high chance you're about to get ganked, so maybe move back slightly. Pushing lanes is tempting, but only do it if you're certain you can either win the fight that might come or that there is no fight coming.

[Niteshadow 20]

Just checking, but are you sometimes near enemy structures late in the game without other teammates? Even if you stay away from bushes and vents, being spotted far up in a lane without backup normally lets the enemy team mount up and take you down. Especially in the later game, it's always good to stick with your teammates and never go too far up a lane unsupported, because you're an easy pick otherwise. As for getting tossed around, I would definitely recommend characters with a strong escape mechanism such as Valla's Vault or Sylvanas's Haunting Wave. Another way to avoid being wombo-comboed is to get familiar with most hero's kits and look at talent selections; If you know, for instance, Muradin picked up Haymaker, then be ready to dash away from him if he tries to get you into his team. If the enemy has an Alarak, just stay away from him as much as possible when playing anything but a tank, as he'll just pull you in with his combo to get an easy kill on a valuable DPS or support.

[FuGu 0]

I was a master league SC2 player before playing Heroes of the Storm, and my first 100 games of HOTS I got REKT. There is definitely a learning curve, and persistence is key. For my particular case, I found that I was too often trying to "make plays" instead of playing carefully and strategically.

Either way, simply playing is the best way to learn - and the more you play, the more fun the game is!

 

[Valhalen 1,484]

I know this thread is old and all, but I think it is nice to hear the perspective of other players. 

If you're new to MOBAS, I say VS AI is your best option until you get the hang of the game. HotS is one of the most comfortable MOBAS to play against the CPU opponents, which lets you learn the map mechanics and individual hero skills at your own pace (especially since you can set your Allies as CPU as well).

Also, this might sound a bit obvious and some people even take it as an insult, but play the tutorial and training maps. They are very useful to take the first steps into the game. Try Mode is also great to get more comfortable with the specific Heroes skills.

Like Yons said, just play the game. It takes time and you'll probably get frustrated, but once you get the hang of it, everything will flow naturally. Map Awareness, skillshot aiming and laning are all stuff you'll learn with pratice.