User Blog:
The Ronin’s Warcraft DotA Diaries

Introduction

The Warcraft III Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is one of the most popular multiplayer online games in Asia—if not the most popular. Of course, World of Warcraft (WoW) is still considered the best, except that it is too expensive for an ordinary guy to play WoW. DotA is still the most “accessible” Warcraft title.

Back when I was in the Philippines, computer rental shops are found just about every corner, each having an average of 12 to 15 units—10 are for gaming, five are for those renting to do school research or browse the net. At present, rental is about US$0.42 average, I think. Forty-two cents, you might say. Yes, that is the average, as most of the countries here in Asia are just “emerging markets”. So, while a lot of kids or gamers have no PC units at home, just a dollar would already provide them two hours of playing whatever mainstream PC games—multiplayer, online or LAN games—available in the PC shop.

So that’s just a backdrop. Back then, I used to rent in those shops to play MMORPGs and other online games. Now I am based in Singapore working my ass off, but of course with a spending power for my own person. I no longer rent, even though there are a lot of PC rentals and hangouts here in the Merlion City, with hard-core gaming PC units. I just play in the comfort of my room, or sometimes go to a friend’s place and spend the weekend there just playing (we use laptops).

Anyway, to make my long story short, what I would like to do is write a journal here detailing my clan’s DotA gaming performance as we gather experience in line with our goal to be one of the leading clans in the Garena (www.garena.com) community. Garena provides an arena for gamers to chat, challenge opponents and play their favorite multiplayer games over the internet with other gamers worldwide for free. In fact, Garena, I believe, is one of the most popular gaming clients or portals here in Asia, especially in the Southeast Asia region.

The Praetorians

Upon reaching level 25 in Garena (you earn experience points depending on your performance—final score, actually—in every game), you will be able to create a clan in the Garena (or GG) community (Here’s the link to the GG Clan List: http://www1.garena.com/clan/index.php).