I don't believe in the Trench. Maybe I just got lucky, but I got 3.2k mmr when I did my placement matches. Most people I meet that are in the very low bracket deserve to be there, because they just aren't as good.

[url=#user_comment_351859]@EnragedFilia[/url]: Yes, because the jokes would have to be explained better and 99% of the readers would have the same starting point.

[url=#user_comment_351857]@anothga[/url]: no, it's just a lowest bracket. Is like wooden league in sc2 (something even lower than bronze).

[url=#user_comment_351853]@Technature[/url]: As an English speaker I actually wouldn't know about most of the community. It technically isn't available outside of Japan so we foreigners have to set our OS to use JST and then use a VPN to log in. But the English-language forums are pretty nice, at least.

[url=#user_comment_351842]@EnragedFilia[/url] that sounds like a great idea! I have never played Kantai Collection but slice of life with cute girls is never too much.

@Better Nerf Irelia: "So... "TRENCH" is Dota's equivalent to LoL's "ELO HELL"?"
Basically, yes. Those two terms are just different terms for the same thing.

[url=#user_comment_351853]@Technature[/url]: Just out of curiosity, did you try co-op matches before you tried playing against other people? I found it was a more forgiving atmosphere that allowed me to practice and learn without being yelled at. I'm not trying to convince you to play again, just wondering.

[url=#user_comment_351853]@Technature[/url]: I don't blame you for not wanting to play the game again at this point, but I'm thinking maybe it would have been more enjoyable for you if you started with bot-only matches, then moved on to co-op matches with bots as the other team. I found people were generally nicer in co-op mode.

[url=#user_comment_351853]@Technature[/url]: I don't blame you for not wanting to give it another try at this point, but I found that starting with co-op matches against bots was best, because people seemed to be nicer and more forgiving in those. Or you can just play an all-bot match with bots as teammates AND enemies.

[url=#user_comment_351842]@EnragedFilia[/url]: Honestly? I think I would prefer that. That game community probably isn't filled with pricks.

@Better Nerf Irelia: IDK, I'm more optimistic than that because I have actually made good progress so far, even if it has been slow.

[url=#user_comment_351827]@Technature[/url]: Yeah, you can run into some pretty nasty people. Or maybe the game brings out the worst in people who are normally not nasty, IDK. I found it was best to start playing against bots in co-op matches, where I could set the difficulty level. People are generally more forgiving and nicer.

[url=#user_comment_351827]@Technature[/url]: There are unfortunately plenty of assholes, and sometimes the game brings out the worst in otherwise decent people. You could, perhaps, try playing co-op games against the AI bots. People tend to be more forgiving in those, and you can set the difficulty level of your enemies.

[url=#user_comment_351847]@Raxyz[/url]: The thing is that if I actually did suck as bad as the game thought I did after my calibrating matches, I would never have been able to win enough games to raise my MMR by almost 1000 points so far. But I did. And the more I play, the more I learn and the more practice I get.

@Bart Stabwound: You are my favorite person to grace this comment section.

Oh, almost forgot.
Guide to exit the Trench
Step 1 - Stop sucking so bad
Step 2 - Stop overestimating yourself
Step 3 - Less QQ more pew pew

100% efficiency.

Although actual reviewers say Mordor is ok, do be wary that there is a really nasty "say nice things about xbox -machinma" types of paid deals all over youtube about the game. Of course the contract tells them how they can not talk about the game and how many times they must proclaim its greatness.

Jo, so I've been reading Nerfnow for a while now (Mostly BECAUSE of the Dota 2 comics, I actually found it by looking up "Dota 2 Webcomics"), and I just wanted to say, you're awesome! I really love all your Dota 2 comics, and most of the others too!
At some point, we should play Dota 2.

Don't waste your time trying to get out of the trench. If you're there you're there for life. Spend your time dragging everyone else down with you instead, it's much more fun. Besides, literally every single person that plays Dota 2 deserves to be trolled to death. It's a victimless crime.

Oh joy, there's censorship on the comments section here. Since when? Fuck this.

Just look at it this way everyone. I've been playing Kantai Collection for a few months. Would you rather Jo did a bunch of jokes about Kantai Collection game mechanics that nobody else gets?

Is this the start of a "Trench" Saga?

"AAA tastes like fast food." I wouldn't say all of them are like that, but yeah, you got a point.
SoM is basically Black Flag + Batman, so if you're looking something new, avoid it.

I definitely agree on that "AAA games feel like fast food" sentiment. They're rarely surprising.

[url=#user_comment_351795]@Ribusprissin[/url]: There wasn't a woman to harass for sleeping with someone for a good review of a game the reviewer never actually reviewed, so they didn't bother with it.

Jo seems to like strategy games, (Dota 2, Sanctum, FRL) I'm really surprised he hasn't tried Wakfu out, especially since it has CYOOT GURLS, Bastion-esque art and turn based strategy. ALSO HON HON BAGUETTE Plus the anime is good.

I Think You should try Shadow of Mordor... I liked it.

Five man party MMR is really the only accurate mmr, since you can choose the variables that is your team. With solo, you never know what you're going to get. Really though, MMR is a teambased game kinda is counter intuitive, it's not a kill based game.

(cont) But you never get the chance to get THAT MUCH BETTER, because you keep practicing with horrible teams. Unless you can magically learn how to carry everyone, you will get stuck on your skill level. And since you don't improve, you will never scape "Elo Hell/Trench".

It's a vicious circle.

@Kilgore Trout: So... "TRENCH" is Dota's equivalent to LoL's "ELO HELL"?

Makes sense, that's an issue of every game that relies on probabilistic match making and team-work to win. Lower ranks are harder to climb, you have to be A LOT BETTER than your ELO to carry the random team you get. (cont)

The only good MOBA I've played was the adventure time one. I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you can't type in whatever you want at all.

[url=#user_comment_351816]@Shadowfury[/url]: I'm personally fine with the game not being for any specific game, but Holy shit, Why DOTA? The game (and MOBAs in general) is filled to the brim with assholes. I played a match and THE ENEMY TEAM mocked me for doing badly on my first game.

Can we please not have half the months comics be DOTA anymore? Even when I get the jokes, roughly 5% of the time, they're not funny anyways

well, there are people in "very high skill" matches that don't know how to play drow ranger
drow ranger
in very high skill
man

(cont) What I find confusing is that when the game analyzed my 10 matches, my team won more than 50% of them, and I'm pretty sure I got more kills and assists than deaths in those games. And yet it still put me in a very low MMR.

(cont) In order to climb out of the trench and into higher brackets, you need to win a lot. But you will need to rely on these bad players to help you win, and the legend is that the bad players will always screw up and make you lose, so you can never escape the trench. (cont)

[url=#user_comment_351820]@TerLoki[/url]: http://dota2.gamepedia.com/MMR The game figures out your MMR by analyzing ten matches you play. The "trench" is where you are if the game thinks you play badly and puts you in the very lowest skill bracket with the worst players. (cont)

So uh, I get the general idea of the comic, but the joke loses a lot of impact because I have no idea what "trench" is in this context. That happens to me with a lot of DOTA jokes. I miss Engy. :(

I was skeptical about Shadow of Mordor too but for once I took a release day dive after they briefly lowered the price in Australia. It's fantastic, exactly what I hoped it would be.

this isnt even an inside joke, its something that you could easily just relate with other games.

well good riddance anyway, the fewer the kids in here the better.

[url=#user_comment_351815]@Amplify[/url]: This isn't a webcomic for TF2 fanboys. It's a webcomic for gamers. Oh, and mobas are great.

...Yep, I think I'm done. Been reading Nerf NOW!! since the original TF2 arc of 20 or so comics but it hasn't been good in a while and I find myself checking for new comics maybe once every month.

Mobas are terrible, comics based around them are worse.

(cont)But then I lost the next match and fell below 2000 again. Then another. Then I won some. Then I lost more. Now I'm at 1851 MMR again, and it's maddening. Maybe I shouldn't even bother with ranked since it causes me so much stress, but I still keep going, hoping to one day reach at least 3k.

You can claw your way out of the trench, but you really have to work at it. After I finished my 10 matches, it said my MMR was in the 1100s, and I was like "Oh come on!" So I played lots of ranked games in the months since and, finally, my MMR was raised above 2000. (cont)

Another le dota joek

So funneh

Only get Shadow Of Mordor if you are willing to lose an enormous amount of time to the game. The combat is a cross between Arkham City and Assassin's Creed. The story is pretty good, but it makes sure to stay the F out of the way of the Nemesis System, which is addictive to manipulate. I love it.

[url=#user_comment_351804]@WOLEad[/url] this actually sounds pretty fun. Dunno about Jo, but you've almost convinced me to get it.

Give Shadow of Mordor a try on PC. Combat is similar to Assassin's Creed/Arkham. Voice Acting is GLORIOUS.

Best reason? Think Orc Tamagotchi. Find an Orc, raise him through the ranks and watch him grow in power. Give him scars and burns for character. Then murder him for loot.

I approve of this idea of female Invoker.

fastfood tastes like shit
aaa games tastes like cellophane

Err... female Invoker? O_o

There was a weird thing where the PR company WB hired (to promote SoM) only gave prerelease games to youtubers and livestreamers who would say specific things about the game. Where are the gamergate crusaders when we need them, right?

First!