Why do casters call things by letters?

[talrob]

It makes them sound so unprofessional when you hear stuff like.

'...and he used his Q to stun (champion), his ally (champion) followed up with R to totally change the battle.'

It's fine in text to call them QWER but in voice it just sounds like they have no idea what the spells are called.

[Mcfeegan]

Because it is easier to remember as QWER than the actual name. I can't remember the names of abilities of champs I play a lot, much less the ones I rarely play.

[talrob]

Because it is easier to remember as QWER than the actual name. I can't remember the names of abilities of champs I play a lot, much less the ones I rarely play.

You aren't a professional caster getting paided to talk about the game though.

[Xyanide]

Because most people recognize champs' skills by the keyboard key, not by the actual name

[Axethor]

It makes them sound so unprofessional when you hear stuff like.

'...and he used his Q to stun (champion), his ally (champion) followed up with R to totally change the battle.'

It's fine in text to call them QWER but in voice it just sounds like they have no idea what the spells are called.

With how fast some things happen in league, saying QWER is better for keeping up with the action. Also, there are over 100 champs in LoL. I doubt anyone, including members of Riot, remember the names of every ability of every champ. They just know what they do.

[talrob]

I don't feel that time or remembering everything is a good excuse. It would be like saying its fine if football (any type) pundits (the people who talk about multiple games in a casual setting) can't remember all the names, that's fine....it's their job.

Now I don't want to start and argument, both are good games and have their own merits. However if you watch someone like Tobi Wan casting dota, he has the time to name every ability as he is talking. I just feel its a bad habit that lol commentators have picked up.

[Axethor]

I don't feel that time or remembering everything is a good excuse. It would be like saying its fine if football (any type) pundits (the people who talk about multiple games in a casual setting) can't remember all the names, that's fine....it's their job.

Now I don't want to start and argument, both are good games and have their own merits. However if you watch someone like Tobi Wan casting dota, he has the time to name every ability as he is talking. I just feel its a bad habit that lol commentators have picked up.

Sports casters don't have to remember stuff though since most of the time they have a sheet with every players name on it in front of them. They get a refresh before the game, and if they can remember they just look down.

LoL has 105 champions. Each has 4 active abilities and a passive. That 525 different names to remember for each champion. If you could remember each one and say them fast enough to keep up with the action then you have a point, but I can't and I wouldn't expect anyone to do it.

Now in Dota 2, while there are currently 91 champs, many of the champs I've seen have purely passive spells. In LoL every ability does something so you would have to remember every name. In Dota 2 it is not the case so it's a little easier.

That said, I never knew what was going on in Dota. I would die and be like "wtf just happened." The fact that a shout caster can keep track of whats going on AND remember the names of the spells used is really good.

[talrob]

You have some what of a point but if your work and play are all one game that you clearly live and breathe for most of your waking hours I would have thought remembering 420 (since passives don't count) spells would be something you would pick up.

[Deleted]

To be honest if they said the full names, very few would know what they meant... For example Brand uses Conflagation followed by sear into a Pillar of Flame, and finishes off with a pyroclasm obliterating the entire team... It would only make sense to those that actually know the names, but using QWER lets people remember it from when they played him...

But actually in the battles i have watched they actually did say a lot of names on the spells... They only did the Q thing occasionally... For example Ezreal Q... Everyone does that about Ezreal...

[Martinussen]

havin over 3000 games played, i still cant remember the name of every champ. Only crazy fans would. But you can ask me what abilities a champ got and i'll tell you exactly what abilities they've got (might not remember in which order they're set on the UI)

[Rampant Rabbit]

You aren't a professional caster getting paided to talk about the game though.

What's your point with this?

It just gets into your system, and whenever you (I, and many of the people I know at least) talk about the champions and theories, it's easier to just say QWER instead of calling out the full name.

Also, on your point where commentators do the QWER thing.. You need to realize that they are doing live commentary, and saying all of the full names of their spells makes it harder for them to keep up with the game.

Basically, all you need to know is what the skill does. Other than that, it really doesn't matter all that much.

[Tradu]

You have some what of a point but if your work and play are all one game that you clearly live and breathe for most of your waking hours I would have thought remembering 420 (since passives don't count) spells would be something you would pick up.

Would be worse for the people watching, because they DON'T know the names.

[Blupparen]

I think most people says the letter for the skill rather than the name. Exception would be the ultimate. Most people I know call it ult, ulti, ultimate etc. Another reason why the casters says the letter is that its shorter to say than the name.

[Deafknight]

Also its language independent, when im german i might know what a jungle is or understand general english but i sure as hell wont know all 500? Ability names.

[Deleted]

It's easier to say q w e r because you need to say it fast, and the person listening understands it faster too because you're not saying it's name. Sometimes saying the name of the ability might be harder to remember to who it belongs, I don't know.

I always say QWER, I rarely tell the name of the ability because sometimes I don't even know it's name lol, and because it's faster.

[FoShizzleMyGrizzle]

It makes them sound so unprofessional when you hear stuff like.

'...and he used his Q to stun (champion), his ally (champion) followed up with R to totally change the battle.'

It's fine in text to call them QWER but in voice it just sounds like they have no idea what the spells are called.

So, your saying that your pro cus you say the name of the spells ? dafuq...as stated: your not getting paid to talk either. Heard of Skype, Vent, Raidcall, TS? Get 1 of them.

[talrob]

OK let me rephrase a little. I don't expect them to elegantly recite all the names of spells like its a Shakespeare play. However Saying 'X stuns Y' sounds far more professional than 'x uses his Q on y.' (it's also shorter so you can't have that argument). It's the letters I have a problem with not the precise names of spells.

[Jeleh]

It makes them sound so unprofessional when you hear stuff like.

'...and he used his Q to stun (champion), his ally (champion) followed up with R to totally change the battle.'

It's fine in text to call them QWER but in voice it just sounds like they have no idea what the spells are called.

It's the accepted standard with games like LoL ect, same way crowed control is referred to as CC rather than spell specific a lot of the time.

[Rampant Rabbit]

OK let me rephrase a little. I don't expect them to elegantly recite all the names of spells like its a Shakespeare play. However Saying 'X stuns Y' sounds far more professional than 'x uses his Q on y.' (it's also shorter so you can't have that argument). It's the letters I have a problem with not the precise names of spells.

I seriously don't understand how you can make such a big deal out of this.. It's basic gaming terminology, and pretty much everyone uses it.

Just let it go man.

[Deleted]

That said, I never knew what was going on in Dota. I would die and be like "wtf just happened." The fact that a shout caster can keep track of whats going on AND remember the names of the spells used is really good.

Mate, DotA casts always make sense.