How to disable the DOTA game on my LAN?

Miscellaneous Topics
#1

Gentlemen! (and Ladies, of course)

First and foremost I must admit that most likely I came to the wrong place with my question and it is strange to read this post from the person who has close enough (so far) relation to the gaming.

Nevertheless, with pain in the heart I’m knocking in all the doors asking for help to solve my problem which name is DOTA and, maybe. all the online (multiplayer) computer video games.

One guy ( which is my, say, brother ) is abandoned all his life, including learning in the college for playing in DOTA up to 14 hours per day ( sometimes even more )

I tried different technical means to prevent him from over-playing but they give no result by different reasons.

In short, can anybody give a hint how to block DOTA in LAN in such way that my participation in that will be hide? otherwise all the efforts is lost…

Thanks in advance

#2

It’s very kind of you to try and help your brother this way.
Something you might try is to get your brother addicted to making games rather than playing them. That’s how I transitioned from gamer to amateur coder.
Here is an interesting article about what makes games addictive, which might make him see the pointlessness of game addiction and the hooks that he is falling for:


Good luck!

#3

I don’t know is it good advice but:
find more fast game then Dota
From fast game you tired faster, + they more rewarding for brain
-so after some time it will be hard return to Dota where matches can be 1 hr long

Does this help with game addiction – not really but it will help decrease time spending on it

up:
p.s I can’t say that problem in Dota – you can find many same stories about
Wow, L2, LoL, Diablo 3, CS, even minecraft…
Flappy bird?

up2:
Irs not only adrenaline addiction,
its also communication addiction – like Stay all day in some Chat, Forum, social network
(and social network also have “find something new” addiction)
Man this world full of addictions :frowning:

#4

Well, I hate to say it, but blocking DOTA would probably not really help much.

If he really is addicted, he will find ways around the block or turn to something else (another game, whatever). Nobody can really help him, before he realizes, that he is hurting himself. This unfortunately mostly only happens when facing bad consequences (e.g. getting thrown out of college, loosing girlfriend etc.)…

Then again, maybe he’s unhappy in college and getting thrown out is for the better, or this is just “flirting with disaster” and he will get off his butt alone - who knows…

There was a similar discussion on reddit:

#5

Thank you for your сompassion, CommanderKeith.

It was quite plausible that he will be programmer until he discarded all the such thoughts and decided to go to ‘commercial/management/sales’ college.
It is very good that he make his choice himself, not like a puppet.

#6

One-to-one, my case. They call themselves ‘cyber-generation’.

#7

He won’t stop playing Dota unless he wants to stop. It’s the same with any addiction. You don’t hide the alcohol to stop an alcoholic from drinking because they will just get it in some other way. If you technically block the game he will just see you as an enemy making it even harder to reach him.

#8

Frankly, my worry is not only about his playing.
The worry is also about the fact that I’m forced to hear all his bla-bla-bla (chat) as well as wild screams like in jungles (gameplay) since I have to be in one room with him for a some time.
After that I leave the room with strong headache.

#9

IMHO.

In short: stay close to your brother, try to understand his world and game, not find a way to disable DOTA

In long. I think your last message point that you have a problem with your brother, not he with DOTA. Frankly I’m not sure you try to understand (from your messages) his passions with game. Game are rewarding but also demands time. A lot!
How old is your brother? He’s at school? University? Where the money and food come from ? Does he have a girlfriend? Does he have friends? How much real-world friends and how much in DOTA?
A friend of mine stay in WOW loop for three years before he leaves and even now talks about Wow, not the game, but about virtual friends from all over the world.

It’s hard to understand but virtual relations could be powerful and meaningful in many ways.

And we are talking right now, “wasting time” on an online forum on line game. Maybe your brother cannot understand why you ask help or wasting time here, instead to go with him and play DOTA together :smiley:

A lot of questions, I know

#10

Hi

In my humble opinion, there is no addiction to games, it can’t be compared to alcohol but it doesn’t mean that what Stranger describes doesn’t exist. Games are only a kind of shelter or haven for his brother. Stranger doesn’t try to find the root cause of the problem, he’s just looking for a superficial workaround. There is something that forces his brother to protect himself from the “real” world.

Sometimes, I can play about 16 or even 18 hours a day. I can avoid playing video games for one year and an half. I have no addiction but I played a lot for years and it helped me to sustain, to keep myself alive. If somebody had prevented me from playing video games, I wouldn’t have succeeded in bearing my daily life with people laughing about me since I was 2 years old. If Stranger helps his brother to solve his problems that force him to look for a shelter, his brother won’t need this shelter as much as now.

I agree with Gornova. Stranger shouldn’t treat gaming as a pure waste of time even though some practices might seem to be very destructive for the social life.

#11

I’m trying to understand him all the time: Partial success.
What about the game … I ain’t gonna really block it. I just want to stop the gaming madness in the critical situation.

I definitely have the problem with my brother as well as he definitely has the problem as gaming (especially Dota) addicted.
Imagine:
there’s a crystal silence in the room. it lasts half an hour, hour, suddenly:

and so on … Even now when I’m writing, this the similar happen again … “his passions”… it should rather think about his mental health …

18 years old.

He’s in college.

From parents.

AFAIK, not. Anyways, he is at home all the time.

He has. One real-world friend is from the college. A few friends are from the school. The rest are the DOTA-friends.

Well, Excuse my familiarity but It seems to me that I speaking with a preacher … “play DOTA together” … Do you repeat this after all I posted here?

#12

My uncle was addicted to a game similar to Dota, around 2004. He was holed up in his bedroom most of the day (keep in mind this isn’t some 17 year old, but a 30something year old man with a wife and 3 kids). He eventually did quit, but it was on his own will, not by the urging of family or friends. He hasn’t touched the game since ~2005. Your brother is the same way sort of. Nothing other than his own mental strength will make him quit. If he has the willpower to quit, good for him. If he doesn’t, he’ll eventually come to his senses in a few years, like my uncle.

Epilog: My cousin (uncle’s kid) is now interested in a game similar to the one his father was hooked on. History repeats itself.

#13

maybe I’ll say play together.

I’m not a game addicted, at least not at this level (I’m 34 years old, btw). In the past I was into the Starcraft 2 loop, at least 2 hours at day, then watching matches on twitch. Then I stopped because, for me, was a waste of time, then right now I’m on game developing, because is more difficult and I get more satisfaction (but I have a work, so I’m forced to go outside!)

I’m not sure that could be right solution, but play together, into same room, help to understand that other people exists. And make breaks, drink a beer together, eat a pizza. If this work, go to a DOTA championship, with many people. I’m not sure you understand how big is the community around this kind of games (I mean, seems amazing for me!)

If your brother is at college and he’s not a genius, he need time to study, then play DOTA. I’m asking you: how good are his grades ? In Italy is not possible to continue forever college without good grades, I think same everywhere, mainly because parents cuts money :smiley:

So? So for me your brother is not crazy. He is inside a loop, but without his will, there is no hope. He must understand what he’s right for him.
It’s hard for me to write it, and for you to read it, I know.
It’s same for every addiction. You, as brother, can be a good support for him to understand how much he is throwing into this passion.

For me, life is an hard way into find an equilibrium between the world, me, other people. In my opinion your brother’s life is out of this equilibrium, because as human we are not able to live without friends, love and passions, or better, it’s really hard.

Bonus :smiley:

A sister of my ex girlfriend 21 years, is in a similar situation.
It’s all started when she finished the college. Few friends, no really “big” relationship with anyone. Then her parents don’t force her to find a job.
So for the last three years, she wasted her incredible 18,19,20 and 21 years. I mean, it’s incredible years for anyone… but she don’t do … NOTHING.
She wake up every morning, watch tv, read a lot of books about vampires, eat, play video games (she was forced to use only one hour of internet connection for week, at local library), read, eat, watch tv, go to bad.
She’s depressed, it’s clear. After first year, her parents force her to go to a psychologist in order to understand why she don’t want to find a job, a man, friends (like everyone else, one could say). This path go to nothing, in my opinion because her psychologist is not able to help here.
With my ex-girlfriend we tried first to propose here to go outside, but she don’t like our friend too much and in particular she don’t like to talk first. Then I’ve tried to help here with role-playing games… but she didn’t talk too much. Then she find her way in a local live role playing group (Vampire the masquerade one, btw).
It’s a difficult path, but for what I know requires a lot of time.

Personally, my father told me in order to understand what is life, you have to earn it (a bit of background. My father was born in 1938 and live after WW2 in Italy, with no father and 7 brothers… so I think it’s bit different for everyone)

So, using my father words…

  1. let your brother play with DOTA for next six months. Work on relationship with him, be brother, together, even with little things (eat together, try to go outside, at mall, with common friends, make a small trip outside, ask his help with no pressure, invite women at home etc…)
  2. if after six months it’s not working, talk to him, try to understand why DOTA is soo much important to him. Don’t put preconception. Just listen. Don’t talk. Listen. It’s soooooooooooo much important for anyone, even if you think your brother is crazy
  3. ask for help. With parents, with common friends. Don’t ask on forum. People around you can help you. Seems strange no? Trust me, people from your house, city, country can understand you and your brother better than me
  4. If I’m your father for last resort, I will cut money. Without money, there is no internet connection, no food, no DOTA. Wake up brother, life is hard. But for last solution!

wall of text, right ?

#14

Well… that may so far be something disturbing you, but doesn’t really show any problem at all because… well, he is obviously playing the game, and you being surpised comes more from the fact that you are not watching what is happening there…

Are you sure you can call it an addiction already? How long has he been playing the game that excessively?
If it hasn’t been long yet, it might just as well (as pointed out before) fade at some point, being just a little obsession.

Try to make sure to understand well what you are talking about, not only from your, but also from his position, before you do anything about it.

In any way, cutting the connection is not what you want to do, it would probably only make him want it more.

#15

[quote]Some state that gamers sometimes use video games to either escape from an uncomfortable environment or alleviate their already existing mental issues - both possibly important aspects on determining the psychological impact of gaming.
[/quote]
It’s so easy to reject any responsibility.

#16

While I can agree that trying to understand what he’s doing more by playing with him could be a good idea, that may not be easy when it comes to Dota. Games like Dota, LoL and HoN all have relatively steep learning curves and rather toxic communities (in the sense that people often flame each other). There’s a reason why MOBAs are said to destroy lots of friendships. xd That being said, they can still be wonderful if played with the right people. I have some very fond memories of playing with friends, both IRL and those that I’ve met online, and I even met my girlfriend through people I have gotten to know through LoL.

What I want to say is that it’s a difficult situation. A compromise could be looking up some streams/commentators on various DotA tournament games and possibly asking your brother to watch them with you. That way you may be able to understand the game more and reconnect with him without having to spend half your life getting to his DotA playing level. If your brother is into watching those games then that could be a better way to start.

#17

Hi everyone.

Thank you for your replies!

@gouessej

I don’t reject any responsibility.

@Gornova

He’s spending time for college study to play (mainly DOTA).
His grades is minimal, just to allow continue studying. Parents play full price for studying as well as for the re-exams.

I didn’t say he’s crazy. He’s rather excessive irritable, especially when playing

@Drenius

So excessively ~2 years .
He’s playing DOTA since the fall of 2013. In beginning of 2014 he uses voice chat. Now he is more silent. I hope it’s kinda fade out

#18

Is he play dota original?
I recommend give him link to Dota 2 reborn – its something like war 3 custom maps
There are many fun maps

  • its better to play in “DOTA 2 REBORN Overthrow”
    Its better original dota – lees unmanner in chat (in brain) + more fast
    (15 min fast match – its really hard to play all day long in this ^^)

Ask his opinion about custom maps in Dota, maybe play with him in TD, puzzle games in Dota reborn etc…

Maybe problem in “hi think become pro gamer” - BAD BAD BAD BAD… IDEA
tournaments have crap reword system - only 5-10 first places from thousands have money reword
all else 995+ ppl receive noting

p.s

So happy - happy man ^^

pp.s if he really have a dream to make money from playing games

  • i recommend try game streaming
    it have more chances to earn money then receive them playing dota
#19

AFAIK he plays in newest DOTA 2.

He proudly says he’s DOTA pro and also told about earning money this way.

He repeats all the time that he’s deep in ass. :-\

#20

DOTA 2 and Dota 2 Reborn = are different game platforms ^^

DOTA 2 - is MOBA like Dota, LoL etc - its One map
DOTA 2 Reborn - is UMS Maps Hub - with custom players Maps (like source engine only for RTS games/maps)

Try switch him on UMS maps ^^

p.s Valve do big mistake calling maps Hub “Dota 2 Reborn” – it’s confuse
if shi only call it “Source RTS Hub”…