**The Art of Team Competition: A Gaming Experience like No Other**

I was lucky enough to have a gaming experience that I will never forget, thanks to Donnie who taught me the basics of DOTA 2. As we sat down at his gaming setup, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. We were about to embark on a journey that would test my multitasking skills, coordination, and concentration like never before.

As we started playing, Donnie warned me that the game was like an instrument in a band - we had to watch the conductor's every move, analyze the sounds and tones, and manage our own fingers on the keys. At first, it felt overwhelming, with notes and creeps flying all over the screen. But as I focused on the map and Donnie's guidance, I started to get the hang of it. We were like two pieces of a puzzle coming together, working in harmony to take down the enemy team.

But what struck me most was the intensity of the competition. As we played, I realized that DOTA 2 is not just a game - it's a high-stakes tournament where teams compete with five players each, vying for the top prize of millions of dollars. The pressure was palpable, and every decision had to be made in the split second. It was like playing a physical sport, but with more intense actions.

Donnie himself compared gaming to his background as a snowboarding instructor. He loved teaching people how to overcome their fears and push themselves to new heights. As he taught me the basics of DOTA 2, I could see the excitement in his eyes when he saw someone learn and grow. It was infectious, and I found myself getting more confident with each passing game.

But what really struck me was the importance of communication in team competition. Donnie emphasized how crucial it was to inform our teammates and keep our communications clear at all times. As we played, I realized that this was not just a game - it was a symphony of teamwork, coordination, and strategy. We had to be like a well-oiled machine, working together seamlessly to outmaneuver the enemy team.

As the game progressed, I started to appreciate the complexity of DOTA 2. It's a game that requires years of experience and expertise to master. The pro players are like athletes, training for hours every day to perfect their craft. They analyze their replays, watch film, and practice their communication skills until they're almost telepathic with their teammates.

As I watched Donnie play, I was struck by the speed and intensity of the game. It's like watching a high-speed car chase, except instead of cars, it's heroes and creeps flying all over the screen. The players are thinking and reacting at lightning-fast speeds, making split-second decisions that can make or break their team.

The International 2018 is just around the corner, and I'm excited to see which teams will emerge victorious. Will it be Open Frost, the reigning champions? Or perhaps a new team, like Ice Box, who have already beaten top players in single-player matches? Whatever happens, one thing is for sure - the competition will be fierce.

As I wrap up my gaming experience with Donnie, I'm left with a newfound appreciation for the art of team competition. It's not just a game - it's a way of life that requires dedication, hard work, and a willingness to learn and grow. If you're new to gaming like me, what should you try next? The possibilities are endless, but if you're looking for something that will challenge your multitasking skills and coordination, then DOTA 2 is definitely worth checking out.

Special thanks to Donnie and Steam, the team behind DOTA 2 Alchemy. If you're new to gaming like me, be sure to check out their social media channels and subscribe to CNET for more gaming content. And if you're already a seasoned gamer, let us know in the comments - what's your game of choice, and who are you rooting for at The International?

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI've always been interested in the world of video games climbing the ranks mastering all the move sets and strategies you know being a true gaming badass but may actual experience level well not so great I played games like Grand Theft Auto Super Smash Bros and Lord of the Rings but I was never really good at them so naturally I thought a dive headfirst into the professional world of eSports but as insurance I recruited eSports coach Donnie Chow from dota alchemy to teach me how to play dota 2 I watched others play dota 2 before I thought a game was so simple you don't have to manage your kingdom just guns blazing kill your enemies then you win but apparently I had no idea what I was getting myself into Donnie and I didn't have an exact strategy our plan was really simple don't die Donnie was very helpful in getting me started he talked me through general navigation getting acquainted with controls and to me my timing as a person below level zero on video games I felt much more confident playing it with his instructions and I was learning more quickly we arrived I make content for YouTube and I have a website dota alchemy comm play online courses basically right so you have series of different concepts in the game so one thing that maybe we struggled with was buying items granny game right and there's 130 hundred 40 different items so we might have a series on what items to buy on what hero at what time in the game because there's so many different complexities about when one something is good and when it's not good besides the video lessons that people can just watch you know like we played a game together and that would be like a one-on-one coaching or we can even review previous games kind of look at film look at the tape there was a lot going out in the game at least a lot more than I was used to dota definitely tests your skills the game is gorgeous but at the same time very distracting there's a lot to be constantly aware of i had to click fast my left hand needs to keep up with attacks my ears need to pay attention to what donnie is telling me my eyes had to keep with where my hero is and my brain was just in a shock stay like what the did you just do and I will even admit I once followed a creep in state of Donnie for several minutes because they were both green hold on come back here okay then I lost track of the map I almost stepped into enemy territory before Donnie stopped me coming towards the bottom good idea games like dota 2 Diablo common and conquer any MMORPG or strategy game really makes you appreciate a big high-res monitor I feel myself getting most frustrated when the enemy heroes gang up on me it was tough to try and think for myself but also follow Donnie's lead he's tried to heal me but I'm also trying to put some distance between us and the creeps but then I got stunned and it was all too late needless to say I die a lot and I even took Donnie down with me and he was just one other person I cannot imagine what will happen with an entire team this experience taught me just how important communication is when it comes to team competition from my own personal perspective it kind of reminded me of playing an instrument in a band we have to watch the conductor's every movement tons of notes on the music sheets listen to each other sounds and tones manage our own fingers on the keys and breathing and now according to the music and our own capability I can only imagine the intensity when it comes to competing in the International which is the extravagant dota 2 world competition where teams compete with five players each Perl players from all over the world that have years even decades of gaming experience gather at the international scouted recruited and trained by eSports companies all eyes on the million dollar prize money the players have to manage their own heroes watch their teammates pay attention to the map analyze the situation coordinate attacks with others and even plan out advanced strategies to trick the enemies players need to inform each other and keep the communications clear at all times it's like playing a physical sport but with more intense actions Donnie himself said he compares it to his background playing baseball and snowboarding so I've just had a lot of athletic experience you know I taught snowboarding for three years and that really kind of cemented to the fact that I really enjoyed teaching people activities that I like and specifically physical or like complicated ones snowboarding for example is really scary to a lot of people and seeing people overcome that fear and like get it and you know start turning is really really exciting for me same thing with baseball when you teach a kid how to throw a curveball or you know how to field a ground ball for example and they get it and they do it it's really really rewarding to see that growth I mean I've been gaming my whole life my grandparents had a regular Nintendo back at their house and every time we'd go to Colorado I'd get to play dr. Mario and Tetris and we can be competitive wideout a - it's just been a game that I've been playing for like off and on probably 13 or 14 years I really like how competitive it is how much growth there is to have in the game depending on how much effort you put into getting better that's a big part of dota is that it's really really teamwork base these pro players are actually they do what's called bootcamping they all go to like a location or they have team houses some some of them even have like training facilities now so they're all there playing like 15 games a day looking at their replays of their previous games watching film basically you know how basketball and baseball players will watch film of their games to break down their mistakes and they're building up their communication and camaraderie and teamwork it's like any other sport right because you start to learn something it's slow but then as you get better at it you speed up and more things become possible and so these guys are thinking and moving and reacting at like Mach speed compared to what we were doing the International 2018 is coming up on August 20th beside the Pearl players another exciting team to watch will be open a ice box team they have already beaten top players in single player match last year now they have five box working a team to challenge pro teams I have so much fun trying something a little different here and learning the basic ins and outs of dota 2 from Donnie the experience really has taught me a lot about multitasking coordination and concentration and really showed me just how demanding eSports can really get there's certainly a lot more for me to master but maybe that's a video for another day special thanks to DOTA alchemy and steal your 1up you can keep tabs by phoning them on all of your favorite social media and of course by subscribing to seen it let us know in the comments what's your game of choices and who you're rooting for at the international how did you get into gaming and now that I am a total beginner what should I try next until next time this is Mary and Joe from CNET thanks for watching you're only letting the team down a little bitI've always been interested in the world of video games climbing the ranks mastering all the move sets and strategies you know being a true gaming badass but may actual experience level well not so great I played games like Grand Theft Auto Super Smash Bros and Lord of the Rings but I was never really good at them so naturally I thought a dive headfirst into the professional world of eSports but as insurance I recruited eSports coach Donnie Chow from dota alchemy to teach me how to play dota 2 I watched others play dota 2 before I thought a game was so simple you don't have to manage your kingdom just guns blazing kill your enemies then you win but apparently I had no idea what I was getting myself into Donnie and I didn't have an exact strategy our plan was really simple don't die Donnie was very helpful in getting me started he talked me through general navigation getting acquainted with controls and to me my timing as a person below level zero on video games I felt much more confident playing it with his instructions and I was learning more quickly we arrived I make content for YouTube and I have a website dota alchemy comm play online courses basically right so you have series of different concepts in the game so one thing that maybe we struggled with was buying items granny game right and there's 130 hundred 40 different items so we might have a series on what items to buy on what hero at what time in the game because there's so many different complexities about when one something is good and when it's not good besides the video lessons that people can just watch you know like we played a game together and that would be like a one-on-one coaching or we can even review previous games kind of look at film look at the tape there was a lot going out in the game at least a lot more than I was used to dota definitely tests your skills the game is gorgeous but at the same time very distracting there's a lot to be constantly aware of i had to click fast my left hand needs to keep up with attacks my ears need to pay attention to what donnie is telling me my eyes had to keep with where my hero is and my brain was just in a shock stay like what the did you just do and I will even admit I once followed a creep in state of Donnie for several minutes because they were both green hold on come back here okay then I lost track of the map I almost stepped into enemy territory before Donnie stopped me coming towards the bottom good idea games like dota 2 Diablo common and conquer any MMORPG or strategy game really makes you appreciate a big high-res monitor I feel myself getting most frustrated when the enemy heroes gang up on me it was tough to try and think for myself but also follow Donnie's lead he's tried to heal me but I'm also trying to put some distance between us and the creeps but then I got stunned and it was all too late needless to say I die a lot and I even took Donnie down with me and he was just one other person I cannot imagine what will happen with an entire team this experience taught me just how important communication is when it comes to team competition from my own personal perspective it kind of reminded me of playing an instrument in a band we have to watch the conductor's every movement tons of notes on the music sheets listen to each other sounds and tones manage our own fingers on the keys and breathing and now according to the music and our own capability I can only imagine the intensity when it comes to competing in the International which is the extravagant dota 2 world competition where teams compete with five players each Perl players from all over the world that have years even decades of gaming experience gather at the international scouted recruited and trained by eSports companies all eyes on the million dollar prize money the players have to manage their own heroes watch their teammates pay attention to the map analyze the situation coordinate attacks with others and even plan out advanced strategies to trick the enemies players need to inform each other and keep the communications clear at all times it's like playing a physical sport but with more intense actions Donnie himself said he compares it to his background playing baseball and snowboarding so I've just had a lot of athletic experience you know I taught snowboarding for three years and that really kind of cemented to the fact that I really enjoyed teaching people activities that I like and specifically physical or like complicated ones snowboarding for example is really scary to a lot of people and seeing people overcome that fear and like get it and you know start turning is really really exciting for me same thing with baseball when you teach a kid how to throw a curveball or you know how to field a ground ball for example and they get it and they do it it's really really rewarding to see that growth I mean I've been gaming my whole life my grandparents had a regular Nintendo back at their house and every time we'd go to Colorado I'd get to play dr. Mario and Tetris and we can be competitive wideout a - it's just been a game that I've been playing for like off and on probably 13 or 14 years I really like how competitive it is how much growth there is to have in the game depending on how much effort you put into getting better that's a big part of dota is that it's really really teamwork base these pro players are actually they do what's called bootcamping they all go to like a location or they have team houses some some of them even have like training facilities now so they're all there playing like 15 games a day looking at their replays of their previous games watching film basically you know how basketball and baseball players will watch film of their games to break down their mistakes and they're building up their communication and camaraderie and teamwork it's like any other sport right because you start to learn something it's slow but then as you get better at it you speed up and more things become possible and so these guys are thinking and moving and reacting at like Mach speed compared to what we were doing the International 2018 is coming up on August 20th beside the Pearl players another exciting team to watch will be open a ice box team they have already beaten top players in single player match last year now they have five box working a team to challenge pro teams I have so much fun trying something a little different here and learning the basic ins and outs of dota 2 from Donnie the experience really has taught me a lot about multitasking coordination and concentration and really showed me just how demanding eSports can really get there's certainly a lot more for me to master but maybe that's a video for another day special thanks to DOTA alchemy and steal your 1up you can keep tabs by phoning them on all of your favorite social media and of course by subscribing to seen it let us know in the comments what's your game of choices and who you're rooting for at the international how did you get into gaming and now that I am a total beginner what should I try next until next time this is Mary and Joe from CNET thanks for watching you're only letting the team down a little bit\n"