That said, we are still a bit of a ways off from reaching a point where we can call ourselves a sustainable industry / ecosystem. There are multiple things that we as a community could do to speed up this process. Through 'Catalyzing the Indian Dota 2 Scene' I hope to shed some light on the barriers to growth today with a fond hope that we can overcome them together (I'm sorry if that sounded cheesy, couldn't think of a better way to put it).
Note : These are my personal opinions based off 8 + years of experience in the Indian Dota / Dota 2 / Esports Scene. These articles aren't meant to be a call to arms or action. Should you disagree with any of the opinions contained here I urge you to speak up and put across your point of view either via the comments below, a forum post or any other way you feel comfortable with.
Part 1 - Make Some Noise!
There is no shortage of players and fans within the country. Almost every tournament witnesses over 60 teams signing up while Indian Dota 2 groups and Facebook pages aggregate numbers in excess of 10,000 people. The larger part of the community passively consumes content without expressing their opinions.
This is a major drawback that the Indian Dota 2 scene faces when compared with the rest of the world.
One of the primary sources of motivation behind everything people in the scene do - as organizers, casters, content creators and even professional players is to get a reaction from the community. We want to know about what you like, dislike, agree or disagree with. We're anxious to know which teams you guys support, what you like about a particular tournament, whether or not you will be participating, why you won't be participating, who you think is going to win and a lot more.
Nothing is stopping YOU from creating quality content / discussions. It's awesome to see forum users (I won't take names but you guys know who you are) taking the initiative to lead and be a part of discussions. There are also a regular lot of supporters that tune in to almost every single livestream and have an opinion on every bit of content that we post via social media.
Let's take this a step further.
Facebook posts, articles, forum topics, tweets, YouTube videos, tournament announcements, livestreams and other sources of content receive a good amount of visibility but a very low amount of interaction. Something as simple as a like, share, comment, retweet or favourite goes a long way toward helping spread the message and letting the creator know that you're listening.
Involve the others in your discussions. Fearlessly express your opinion about a subject (do it through a smurf if you like!). Agree with another's perspective and add to the discussion or disagree with them and tell them why.
Are you an artist / aspiring artist? Flaunt your work! Put out your Dota 2 / Esports artwork for others to enjoy.
Can't draw, can't write? Got nothing to say or show?
Hit the like button on Facebook! Upvote something you like or downvote something you dislike. Say thank you to a tournament organizer for doing a good job. Tell a scammer to eat shit and die. Do whatever you must but for the love of all that is Indian Dota don't just sit in a corner watching and waiting for the scene to grow else our scene may never get the kind of traction needed to catalyze our growth.
P.S : Feedback on this series is most welcome. I intend to explore a variety of situations that are keeping the scene from really exploding into something huge.
Next time - Ways to set up and run a professional E-Sports Team.