What do you guys think of SM mode?

[gismodog]

I think it's pretty crappy. It's generally shorter, sure, but at what cost?

In my experience it largely destabilizes the game. First of all, you get so much gold and experience that your actual performance in the game really doesn't matter that much. What matters the most is really just what hero you have, and even that balance is messed up by the fact that you pretty every hero is launched into overpowered late game form, where some heroes are obviously going to be more overpowered than others. Furthermore, the towers are just way too crappy. Late game you can just blow right through them by yourself.

What's worse is that it's become the default game mode in public games. I can see how the mode might have it's place in the game, and would be fine with letting people that like to play it play it if it wasn't completely taking over. I tried starting up one the other day and couldn't even get it going. That's a problem! It effects the game as a whole, as well as the people who play it, and especially those who start playing it. We get enough flak as it is. I don't think we really need the game to become less skilled. :cool:

What do you guys think?!

EDIT: Oh and if your answer is "don't care for other reasons" then just don't vote. :happy:

[blaze]

I don't like it at all for the same reasons you posted, but if I'm short on time and want to get in a quick 30 min game, then SM it is.

[Mortifer]

i think -sm is a good mode, i mean its good to have when your short on time.

but its very bad that its the "default" game mode that is played....

so hard to find a -ar game without -sm <.<

[gasolin]

-sm is a great mode. too bad in tda they never use it.

[Raven.Icon]

I have mixed feeling about sm mode.

I like it and i hate it.

Reasons why i like it:

short on time
leavers
everybody think they r pro and there is no method of telling how good each player is, so sm solves some issues regarding ppl aspect of the game. Such as uneven teams, by passing banning (gives u a reason to stick around, cuz u no the game is going to short)

Reasons why i hate it:

I think it is a big destabilizer of overall game play
Intel heros gets the short end of the stick in sm mode
(u can still rock with intel heros if ur good in sm, but the whole early game intel domination is non-existent, and ur low hp mid game really hurts u)

Reasons why i dont like it being a defualt mode:

SM handicaps too many players and they never learn how to farm properly, no point in denying exp/gold, since it in sm it dosent make a dent in impact, towers go down too fast, destabilizes the game in how it should flow.

[riotoblivion]

1 word. remove. why? simply u dont need skill. u can own those pubbie noobs like no tomorrow and late game let them defend and after 15minutes they got butterfly/burize/mkb and crap. their score could even be 0-20 and owning at late game

[Grommash]

ah wells, -sm is like the WORST thing about Dota these days, its simply IMBA for the exact reasons gismodog posted, and generaly played by newbs (yes) since like 90% of people who plays -sm DOESN'T really care about the "short" mode, but the gold/exp increase in it, so they can have godly lvl 4 items in no time with heroes like (Naix, Bone,sniper, agillity heroes...) without even farm that much for it, which's whats been pissing me off about Dota lately, since every single dota public game is now SM !! i mean sometimes you can even find and join a regular ar/ap dota mode, but when the game starts, the host just adds -sm like its nothing, wow? and sometimes the host sticks to HIS game title and just type ap/ar, but then some newb jump on "all" chat and say "WHY NO SM ? SM PLEASE? WTF?" and just leaves...

now a while ago, there was a similar poll to this at the dota-allstars forums, and the majority (65%) of the community there voted "NO" to an sm removal... seeing that, i lost any hope left of the dota "public gaming" dota community, i just started ladder again tyring to get an Icon so i can join the TDA channal, hopefully soon i will be able to play some NON sm TDA games, ffs. :angry:

[gismodog]

I was there too Grommash. All the more revolting for me though was the fact that for about 8 pages, every other post was "Wow, it's just a mode. If you don't like it, don't play it," and nothing you would post could slow them down or even make them think once about it.

Anyways, trying to get our poll options fixed. They still aren't as I intended them to be.

[rizzle]

i dont really play dota for balanced play i just like beasty heroes thus -sm ftw :)

Intel heros gets the short end of the stick in sm mode
(u can still rock with intel heros if ur good in sm, but the whole early game intel domination is non-existent, and ur low hp mid game really hurts u)
i disagree i still think the early game domination is still there just it doesn't last anywhere near as long.

[Blacktalon]

I don't like it at all for the same reasons you posted, but if I'm short on time and want to get in a quick 30 min game, then SM it is.

Is a 30minute game quick? -_-

[Grommash]

I was there too Grommash. All the more revolting for me though was the fact that for about 8 pages, every other post was "Wow, it's just a mode. If you don't like it, don't play it," and nothing you would post could slow them down or even make them think once about it.

ya, that argument is SO DMAN annoying! and it fails badly imo, but ye what can we do about it... nothing. :disgust:

Is a 30minute game quick? -_-

if you really THAT short of time, then i think gaming isn't the thing for you, stop playing games then i suggest.

[Mosca]

The worst thing about it is that fucking everybody seems to play it these days. The ratio of -sm to normal length games on Northrend is something like 5 to 1.

[Lee-volution]

The reason I usually play DotA is because I want to kill about an hour's worth of time. With -sm mode on and no leavers, games average probably around 50-60 minutes as it is. I stopped playing DotA a while back before -sm existed because I didn't like playing a game and realizing that I have to commit over an hour doing it. Sure if I had all the time in the world I wouldn't mind, but there's always reality. I don't see why one game should last well over an hour, it's a complete waste of time imo.

As far as balance issues, if you're playing with people who are around your skill level, you should realize -sm doesn't effect the outcome of the game much at all. Sure pushers get to do their work a LOT easier in -sm, but that doesn't stop the other team from doing so too. It's like just playing the game at 2x speed, which I greatly prefer.

[lima_bean]

The problem is, its almost IMPOSSIBLE to play a non sm pug game. Every single game is SM. And if you host a normal one everyone whines about it not being sm and leaves. It is completely destroying the game.

[MagicTreePot]

I really don't care about SM , i play anything that's available

[etherlion]

I cant believe this. We have gone through, Solo vs RT, League vs DOTA, DOTA vs Footman Frenzy and now -sm vs -ap. WHEN WILL THE ELITISM STOP!

[gismodog]

I cant believe this. We have gone through, Solo vs RT, League vs DOTA, DOTA vs Footman Frenzy and now -sm vs -ap. WHEN WILL THE ELITISM STOP!

It's not elitism when there's justification behind it.

[etherlion]

Theres never justification in telling someone else what to think. People should be allowed to engage thier own brains and decide whether they like something without having forum after forum moaning about them being newbs and pubbie players just becuase they prefer 4v4 or -sm. Im glad that the vast majority of TFT players are newbs.

[gismodog]

Theres never justification in telling someone else what to think. People should be allowed to engage thier own brains and decide whether they like something without having forum after forum moaning about them being newbs and pubbie players just becuase they prefer 4v4 or -sm. Im glad that the vast majority of TFT players are newbs.

I'm not sure I understand your logic here at all. It's just a matter of people expressing their opinions. I say that those opinions are justified because come with reasons; reasons which I have stated above. Since when was expressing your opinion telling someone else what to think. Think whatever you want. In fact, I created this thread to ask people what they thought. Check my initial post.

[Dj Lota]

im the only no.5 o_O

[simiwizard]

i like it cause it is like playing nightelf, attack-ground ftw

[xangelofxdeathx]

I hate -sm mode, it's basically making the game more friendly towards less skilled player... which is unfair for the people who play alot better and yet end up losing because they couldn't keep track of slowing the heroes who leveled too fast. Yet, I'm forced to play -sm since nobody joins games that don't have -sm in it; Hope it gets removed soon.

[Nerzhul_Slayer]

The problem is, its almost IMPOSSIBLE to play a non sm pug game. Every single game is SM. And if you host a normal one everyone whines about it not being sm and leaves. It is completely destroying the game.


yeah thats exactly my opinion! ok sm is for those who like playing fast games without any use of skill... however, nowadays it really has become an epidemic :(
where are the good old sentinel vs scourge matches? recently i hosted a game with this title and nobody wanted to join it : "plz ap....why not sm....ok ap or i leave...noobhost". perhaps public has now discovered a new type of dota for simple-minded players... xD
On the other hand this can be seen as a positive development too...more players play dota now and some will probably join our elitist group of -ar players...

[sir_icemaster]

Long time ago I was playing almost always sm but now I (think) became a pro so I don't like it anymore...

[etherlion]

Long time ago I was playing almost always sm but now I (think) became a pro so I don't like it anymore...


If thats sarcasm I like it.

[benthekid]

SM is the way to go.

[Tealjackit]

I agree with the argument that if you don't want -sm, don't play it. If you can find people in this forum that share your sentiments about -sm then you should play with them.

Back to actual topic, what I think about Sm....

I can play a game with my friends and reach a conclusion quickly. If sum1 is pist, a rematch can be quickly made too.

I like it.

[Mortifer]

for starters -sm should be remade.

you shouldnt get more gold / tick, you shouldget more gold when you kill making skill a bit more usefull.

also, the results of the poll isnt suprising at all, altough it still sucks that you have to search for 20 min to find a -ar NON -sm game.

mjority of games on bnet is -ap -sm then -ar -sm then -ap and lastly a very very few -ar games, its quite sad since everyone always playes the same heros on public in -ap games, it gets quite boring...

[AvengerxZ]

for starters -sm should be remade.

you shouldnt get more gold / tick, you shouldget more gold when you kill making skill a bit more usefull.

also, the results of the poll isnt suprising at all, altough it still sucks that you have to search for 20 min to find a -ar NON -sm game.

mjority of games on bnet is -ap -sm then -ar -sm then -ap and lastly a very very few -ar games, its quite sad since everyone always playes the same heros on public in -ap games, it gets quite boring...Start playing -dm -id -ar, that is pro stuff right there!

[etherlion]

im well in to -ai
makes for fast action games.