Playing League of Legends is hard.
And boy do I suck at it.
The learning curve for games like this are rough. See, I grew up playing massive strategy games where you control multiple pieces across a map. League and Dota and other games like that require you to control one person, have lightning fast reflexes, and extremely good reaction timing. Not to mention keep track of your character in a see of animations and explosions.
Yeah, I don’t have any of that.
Well, technically that’s not true. I do have good reflexes, something I’ve proven in the past by being an absolute beast in a local quiz bowl competition. Reaction timing though is not so good. I have this five second disconnect between my brain and my senses. Especially audio, but I’ve noticed vision as well.
Might be time to start wearing my glasses while I play.
So if League is so hard to play, why do I play?
It’s complicated.
Bob: Everything is complicated about you.
Me: I’m choosing to take that as a compliment.
Bob: . . . It wasn’t.
Me: No, but it shut you up for a few seconds.
Bob: If that’s the game you want to play, you’re going to lose.
*Proceeds to sprint away and cause mass chaos*
I play League for three reasons.
It’s fun to play with friends.
It really is a hoot to play with other people. I recently got inducted into a gaming group by a coworker a couple weeks ago. It really threw me off getting stopped midway between delivering food to our dining room to have a waiter stop me and say he heard I played League. I was so confused.
It was the start of a great friendship though. I’ve enjoyed my time with the guys. Often it turns into a massive comedy routine with them roasting each other or troll picking champions. I wouldn’t trade them for any other group though. They’ve been super kind and patient with me, helping out when I need it and making me laugh more times than I can count.
Their patience has given me more confidence in myself and makes me feel more at ease playing online with other people. I know they’ve got my back and will defend me when needed.
I want to get better at games like it.
I’m flat-out not good at gaming. I’m working on getting better though. The best way to get better is to spend time with the game. Play it as much as you can, read up on it, practice theories, etc. It takes a s*** ton of concentration to play League and even more knowledge to be good at it, but you have to start somewhere, and sometimes that is at the bottom.
You can only move up from there.
It can be fun to stream.
It can also be tremendously boring unless you’re playing with someone, and even then it’s a toss up. But I did get my first organic follower on Twitch from streaming League. Some of the bigger streamers made a name for themselves by streaming League.
It’s also a great way to get good tips and advice from more experienced players. Or to share tips and advice.
If you’re new to the game and need a little advice, here are a few things I’ve learned.
Find a champion that makes sense to you and commit to learning how to play said champion.
*explosion in the background*
You’re not going to be good at every champion. So don’t bother trying to be right off the bat. Get down your core group and build your experience with other champions over time.
Make sure you understand the mechanics of the game.
How do you win League? Push towers, get dragons, don’t feed, get farm, build the right items, etc. Know your objectives and make sure you’re playing your position correctly. For example, as a Jungler, your job is to get dragons and rift herald and gank lanes for advantages. As a support, you keep your carry alive in bottom lane and roam mid game to help in team fights. While play style can always change, know the rules before you start breaking them.
*glass breaking*
Take advantage of websites like op.gg. https://na.op.gg/champion/statistics
You’d be amazed what you can learn and how much it helps. From things like who not to pick in the line up, to runes (which are complicated), to items, and skill upgrading. And if you get lucky enough to play with an experienced player(ers), don’t underestimate the importance of their advice. They’ve got the experience to know what works and what doesn’t.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you. I’ve done weird picks that may not work per se, but they make my team members laugh and it keeps the game interesting for me. And if you get lucky enough to find a group to play with, take advantage of that. As a 22 year old female with bad anxiety, I have a fear of being flamed for how badly I play and for being a woman, so I tend to avoid online play with other people.
The sad fact of life is that female gamers tend to not be treated well by the male gaming community, which means you either have to grow a really thick skin, or give up on gaming for the sake of your mental health. Which is why I’m so lucky to play with the group I’m in.
Me: So help me god, if you try to break that, I will murder you and hide the body so you’re never found.
Bob: Ha, joke’s on you, I have crippling depression, I long for the sweet embrace of death. *Cracks monitor screen and runs*
Me: . . . God******
Anyway, I’m going to go analyze some League, see you guys later!
Happy reading and have a great day!
I'm 22 and Living Now 