Note: All of this is predicated on the addition of swap functionality to the game. I feel that swap is the biggest missing piece from the Dota experience.
All Random is a mode that I enjoy playing quite a bit. However thus far it is a mode that has not been added to matchmaking. There are several reasons that I believe AR should join the other modes in matchmaking.
Firstly, All Random is a mode that allows players to experience a wide variety of match-ups and situations. AR throws heroes together that would only rarely be seen together in high skill competitive games. By having a random assortment of heroes at your disposal, you are able to discover new synergies and counters between heroes. Hard counters will also play less of a role in AR games, so heroes will be better able to perform their intended duties.
The fact that every hero and ability will see some play in AR allows newer players to learn the general rules of Dota's mechanics. By being able to see and learn the effect of a variety of abilities, a player can use this knowledge to understand the mechanics of abilities they are less familiar with.
AR will also be a place where lower tier heroes can shine, as they will be much less likely to be in a game mostly comprised of powerful high tier heroes. A hero like Phantom Lancer would almost never be seen in a competitive game due to most high tier heroes being able to end a game early. However in AR he is more likely to be in a game where the enemy team composition is less able to prey on his weaknesses. I enjoy every single hero in the game and am disappointed that some are excluded due simply to being non-viable in the metagame of my skill level.
Finally, the picking stage will not determine the outcome of matches as often as it seems to in other modes. There are several reasons why the importance of the pick stage is something that I would enjoy cutting out of matchmaking.
It is difficult to pick a coordinated team composition in solo matchmaking due to the lack of communication between team members. In competitive games, players will go into a match knowing that they need to pick a balanced team to win the game. In solo matchmaking most players are only interested in playing a hero they enjoy playing.
For many players, the most enjoyable heroes to play are carries. Despite having relatively high win rates, we see that heroes like Treant Protector, Warlock, and Necrolyte are seldom picked. A team can quickly falter when players fast pick carries, and a player who picks later on is also in the carrying mindset.
In addition, players will often have different ideas about the correct picking strategy. I'm sure we have all been in games where a player will assume a game is a loss simply due to the hero picks their team has made. This can lower morale and have a large negative effect on the performance of the team. In AR, this is not a problem you will encounter. You are simply presented with five random heroes, and you can offer swaps for heroes you might want to play more than the one you received. Personally I like to try to make any swap that will give me a hero I have a greater win rate with.
So Valve, wont you please consider adding All Random (and swap) to matchmaking?
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