Don't get me wrong guys, I like both the games. These are just my opinions on them. I wouldn't have over 1000 games played for them if I didn't think there were strengths and weaknesses for both.
If I'm a fanboy for anything it's DotA 2.
People always assume that I'm attacking them when my opinion is different. Everybody gets so defensive when their position is questioned and I don't understand why. It's like it's not politically correct to ever question someone's opinion or have a discussion about it that could be viewed as even slightly controversial.
I love all MOBAs and I love the people that play them. If I ever gave any other impression then I am extremely sorry. I was just trying to have a pleasant discussion, we should all just get along!
For the record, having cartoony graphics and childish characters is far from the only reasons why LoL is a casual game and not as deep as the game it was derived from. There are actually dozens of reasons, but mostly because it was dumbed down to be easier for new players and more accessible to the general audience (it worked obviously). That doesn't mean it's a bad game! Everybody says that Supreme Commander 2 was a dumbed down version of the first game, and I LOVED Supreme Commander 2 a lot more than I cared for SupCom 1, because in my opinion it was a vastly superior game, even in its dumbed down state.
I could go through the list of reasons why HoN/DotA is more skill-based, but I hardly think it's necessary. The extremely successful competitive environment for both games speaks well enough for itself, with DotA 2 having the biggest e-sports tournament ever hosted before its even released and HoN having tournaments basically daily. LoL has a competition like once or twice a year?
If LoL is meant to be competitive, then where in the replay mode, where is the clan support, where is the spectator mode, where all the features you would expect from a game that is trying to make a competitive name for itself. It's just not on the priority list.
I guess the final point I'm trying to make is that just because we're discussing the similarities and differences between the games does not make this a HoN vs. LoL thread. If we keep this civil then it's just a constructive discussion.