I was pleasantly surprised earlier this week when I got an email saying that I have been chosen...or something...to play Dota 2. Or...beta test? I'm not totally sure, but whatever, it seems nice. Did I sign up for that? I don't remember signing up for it. Maybe I signed up for it and I just don't remember. Either way, it magically appeared in my Steam library, so I guess I'm happy.

I don't know what the Dota genre is supposed to be called these days, and I haven't really played all that much of it, but I do like the concept. I played Rise of Immortals for the Steam winter achievement and I thought it was pretty fun. I've made a conscious choice not to get into it, though, because I dislike the micropayment business model they use (this goes for League of Legends as well). I think Dota 2 doesn't work that way, though. I'm not totally sure, but it seems like you pay to buy the game and that's it. That seems much better. Especially since apparently they're giving me the game for free anyway--I'm definitely cool with that.

The other reason I'm a little uneasy about this genre would be the RTS element. RTS games are great and all, but I'm just not a fan of that sort of thing, generally. Strategy games are fine, I guess, but I like them better when they're more, y'know, turn-based...

Controlling a single hero is nice, though. It sort of makes it like a Beat 'Em Up action game. I like those.

Well anyway, I haven't actually ever played Dota 2. Yet. But I probably will at some point.