League of Legends - Hilarious videos and discussions ensues.

[Balbin]

Hey mates, I've been playing this game, League of Legends for a while, and while there's a very active group I'm part of and play with, I don't think enough of you play it.
If you haven't heard of this; it's like DotA. If you haven't heard of that, the idea of the game is simple... Kill their towers.. and survive.. and keep your own towers up. But this simple gameplay develops in later summoner levels to tactical gameplay involving such tactics as ganking (High levelled players/A higher quantity of players ganging up on a lower level player who will usually be alone) and jungling.

Now I don't want this to sound like a review so I'll do a quick run down of everything, and will post some video links and a referral link so you can play and have a go.
Gameplay - Top down, click to move, right click to attack, 6 abilities, inventory for items bought at a store
Mild annoyances - Not all champions are unlocked at the start, this isn't a huge problem though, as you get 10 champions free a week, and these rotate. If you play one champion for a week and really enjoy it, you'll likely be able to afford it with earnt points in game to play them whenever you want. You could also spend money on the game and buy points to unlock champions earlier, but the only edge you get over other people by paying for the game is cosmetic.

k so I heard you liked videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJAN1oDRJpk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxmwGq15v-U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUadp1pSlAY

guides are available for additional help with how to play

So, referral link: http://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c2beb917e045
Sign up there, and hit me up in game (balbinator), enjoy the game. If you send me a message in game I'm sure I'll be able to help.

 

[Zaik]

Considering DotA required a Dwarf Fortress like learning curve but wasn't nearly as fun, I'll pass, thanks.

 

[[.redacted]]

Normally 'scapists don't take too kindly to plugging threads, but for League of Legends I think it's worth it =)

Go ahead and try it, everyone, it really is worth the look you give it.

[sub]Also, welcome to The Escapist Balbin. [/sub]

 

[Radeonx]

Eh. The community for LoL is absolute shit, and it wasn't very fun for me.
At least it is free.

 

[AceAngel]

The community is too rabbid. There is a large different between playing Bots and other people in a competition like manner. I have seen FPS game like Counter-Strike be more tolerant to newbies and even try to help them, LoL takes to great lengths in being not-friendly-to-people-who-even-use-the-wrong-hotkey-by-mistake.

Nice game, but wild community.

 

[Balbin]

Considering DotA required a Dwarf Fortress like learning curve but wasn't nearly as fun, I'll pass, thanks.

Forgot to mention that, you're ranked with similar skilled players, so your opponents learn as you learn. ie. a nice learning curve.

 

[[.redacted]]

To all those pointing out the shit community, it would help if OP made sure to point out that the Escapist Group here's purpose is to make sure you play with people who aren't dicks, so you can enjoy the game.

Just sayin'

 

[AnOriginalConcept]

I'm a devoted DotA player.

LoL had so many terrible design choices. Bushes don't replace juking, denying is important, as is mana management. LoL removes most of the skill from DotA. Also, given its casual nature, most of the players are incredibly unexperience, i.e. running into tower range and dying or attempting a 3v1. Of course, that's my opinion and I can imagine that this is not an issue for everyone.

However, its main sins are:
PLAYERS WHO SPEND MORE TIME GET AN ADVANTAGE
PAYING MONEY GIVES YOU AN ADVANTAGE
These two attributes are unforgivable in _any_ competitive online game.

Finally, you have a limited selection of heroes- around 10 at any given time compared to DotAs 100+.

 

[pcultimate]

I've played LoL since beta and am currently still enjoying it greatly.
In fact, it's my most consistently played game due to the constant new champions
(Nocturne <3 )

Also, low-lvl community seemed pretty kind to me, actually, i'll put it with the second best community i've encountered after LOTRO.

Learning is fairly easy, recommended items help a lot early on, so do champion spotlights, game keeps getting better (even if patches sometimes do ridiculous stuff) and thats basically it.

Only real minus is that some chars are ridiculously op and that EU servers had horrible support and login queue's. Definitely recommend playing on US servers.

Summoner name (both US/EU) : Militus


Edit: LoL doesn't give you ANY ADVANTAGE AT ALL if you buy stuff with money...
You can't buy runes and also something you missed:


Your "profile" has "runes" and "masteries":

"runes" you buy with the same currency you use for unlocking champions and give significant early game bonuses if a full set. (though they are quite expensive and the only useful tier- 3 is unlocked quite late)

"masteries" are unlocked as your profile or "summoner" lvl ups and are basically talent trees that you can rearrange as you wish. (no actual talents just passive bonuses.


Late lvl games have no such idiocies though I do admit when i started a new account at the EU i raged my way through most of the 1-15lvl gap due to idiots Definitely need someone adequate to play with.

Also, you get 2 spells, except you chars ones that aid you greatly in battle, so while it is easier than DotA, i still find it far more enjoyable.

 

[Divided by Zero]

LoL has a really nice community compared to for example DotA and HoN (which is an exact replica of DotA), but there are trollers and immature twelve-yearolds in every community, which makes it impossible to find a community without jerks.

But you can avoid those by inviting your own mates in-game, which usually results in better gameplay too.

 

[StBishop]

I use to play a stack of DotA and a bunch of my mates are trying to get me in to both LoL and HoN but I really don't see myself getting in to LoL now that I've been essentially informed that unless I play a lot it's not worth playing at all.

 

[AnOriginalConcept]

Edit: LoL doesn't give you ANY ADVANTAGE AT ALL if you buy stuff with money...

I don't know if this is directed at me, but I'll respond anyway. I did not miss that stuff- it falls into the "play more to get an advantage" category.

The Summoner spells add an unacceptable degree of uncertainty to the game since one cannot find out if the opponents spells are on cooldown. Again, even after 15 games, I was unable to use the "Blink" summoner skill while I played against people who could.

Edit:
I agree that the DotA community is terrible. Play it with friends if at all possible.

 

[DazZ.]

The learning curve isn't bad at all, there's a tutorial for starters plus you play with people of your level.

I also HATE free to play games where there's an advantage for buying stuff, and I found that wasn't the case with LoL, everything is easy enough to get with in game currency, I'd say it's on par with TF2s system of unlocks. (Maybe better seeing as you get what you want instead of a random item)

The game is well worth a try in any case, and the people bitching about the community, that's what playing with Escapists is for. (If you're going to ***** about the Escapist community you're on the wrong forum )

 

[Divided by Zero]

DotA and HoN are purely in-game skillbased since you can't change the course of the game before the game starts, except from choosing a chamion that counters an enemy champion.

LoL is based a little more on pre-game tactics aswell. You set masteries and place runes to give your champion an advantage in-game. But you need to know which champion will benefit the most with these pre-game advantages, aswell as in-game, with items and monster buffs.

But you don't have to worry about this until you get to higher summoner levels, and thus you can focus more on improving your in-game skills. And since the matchmakingsystem teams you up with people who has the same summoner level as you, you won't meet anyone with higher level summonerspell.

And the only way to buy an advantage for real money is by buying IP-boosts, which still requires you to play to get a benefit from it. Also, isn't it good that you won't meet hardcore gamers in a match who has gotten the necessary runes for their champions when you are new to the game?
And that you must play the game, and hopefully learn how to play the game, to unlock things to make your way of playing even better? ^^

And it's a teamgame, runes and masteries won't make you win without teamplay.

 

[[.redacted]]

I don't know if this is directed at me, but I'll respond anyway. I did not miss that stuff- it falls into the "play more to get an advantage" category.

The Summoner spells add an unacceptable degree of uncertainty to the game since one cannot find out if the opponents spells are on cooldown. Again, even after 15 games, I was unable to use the "Blink" summoner skill while I played against people who could.

Edit:
I agree that the DotA community is terrible. Play it with friends if at all possible.

Ah dear, as a DotA vet for many years (Try me) I feel I have to interject here and say this: it takes not too long to reach the level cap, and the effect of runes/masteries on the gameplay is minimal (other than for Akali).

DotA's characters are hardly unique (Lina/Lion for example), and have very few skillshots and other interesting mechanics. Juking is adequately replaced by brush - providing you understand that they fill the same purpose in different ways, and that you practise it.

Furthermore, the match making means that you are unlikely to be matched with players who run straight into towers once you give it time to place you (~30 matches), and it calculates your chance of victory to be 45-55%, meaning if you are paired with an idiot(s), the game believes you're awesome enough to carry the team.

LoL is a game of the same genre, not a DotA clone down to the DNA, give it a serious try with some good friends, and you will see its merits shine more brightly.

 

[AnOriginalConcept]

Ah dear, as a DotA vet for many years (Try me) I feel I have to interject here and say this: it takes not too long to reach the level cap, and the effect of runes/masteries on the gameplay is minimal (other than for Akali).

DotA's characters are hardly unique (Lina/Lion for example), and have very few skillshots and other interesting mechanics. Juking is adequately replaced by brush - providing you understand that they fill the same purpose in different ways, and that you practise it.

Furthermore, the match making means that you are unlikely to be matched with players who run straight into towers once you give it time to place you (~30 matches), and it calculates your chance of victory to be 45-55%, meaning if you are paired with an idiot(s), the game believes you're awesome enough to carry the team.

LoL is a game of the same genre, not a DotA clone down to the DNA, give it a serious try with some good friends, and you will see its merits shine more brightly.

How long is, "not too long?" 100 games? I played about 15 and my mastery tree wasn't even close to being full.

Find a LoL character that can even compare to the uniqueness of Invoker. [http://www.playdota.com/heroes/invoker] He's an incredibly deep hero that can fill any role. I only have access to around 10 champions at a given time in LoL, and around half of them are bad, as far as I could tell.

I played Ashe for a few games in LoL, and her ultimate was incredibly easy to hit because it goes through all creeps, moves quickly, and has a huge hitbox. Even if you landed it, you couldn't reach the target champion before the stun and slow wore off. That is my complete underwhelming experience with LoL skillshots.

I honestly do not feel like tall grass replaces juking, but I haven't played enough so I'll defer to your judgement.

No, I was paired with nubbycakes because I was a new player so I had no ranking. Frustration!

Finally, destroying an inhibitor never seemed to have much of an effect on the game. It would usually last until one team was strong enough to march all the way across the map and destroy the Citadel, regardless of inhibitor status.

 

[Flying Pilgrim]

LoL has a really nice community compared to for example DotA and HoN (which is an exact replica of DotA), but there are trollers and immature twelve-yearolds in every community, which makes it impossible to find a community without jerks.

But you can avoid those by inviting your own mates in-game, which usually results in better gameplay too.

Well said.

 

[Divided by Zero]

Ah dear, as a DotA vet for many years (Try me) I feel I have to interject here and say this: it takes not too long to reach the level cap, and the effect of runes/masteries on the gameplay is minimal (other than for Akali).

DotA's characters are hardly unique (Lina/Lion for example), and have very few skillshots and other interesting mechanics. Juking is adequately replaced by brush - providing you understand that they fill the same purpose in different ways, and that you practise it.

Furthermore, the match making means that you are unlikely to be matched with players who run straight into towers once you give it time to place you (~30 matches), and it calculates your chance of victory to be 45-55%, meaning if you are paired with an idiot(s), the game believes you're awesome enough to carry the team.

LoL is a game of the same genre, not a DotA clone down to the DNA, give it a serious try with some good friends, and you will see its merits shine more brightly.

How long is, "not too long?" 100 games? I played about 15 and my mastery tree wasn't even close to being full.

Find a LoL character that can even compare to the uniqueness of Invoker. [http://www.playdota.com/heroes/invoker] He's an incredibly deep hero that can fill any role. I only have access to around 10 champions at a given time in LoL, and around half of them are bad, as far as I could tell.

I played Ashe for a few games in LoL, and her ultimate was incredibly easy to hit because it goes through all creeps, moves quickly, and has a huge hitbox. Even if you landed it, you couldn't reach the target champion before the stun and slow wore off. That is my complete underwhelming experience with LoL skillshots.

I honestly do not feel like tall grass replaces juking, but I haven't played enough so I'll defer to your judgement.

No, I was paired with nubbycakes because I was a new player so I had no ranking. Frustration!

Finally, destroying an inhibitor never seemed to have much of an effect on the game. It would usually last until one team was strong enough to march all the way across the map and destroy the Citadel, regardless of inhibitor status.

You need to play many games before you get to level 30 with a full mastery tree, think for yourself, if you were to meet a level 30 summoner, with a full set of runes and masteries, how do you think you'd cope with him? Probably,you wouldn't And that's because he's/she's got runes that benefits good with the champion and because he/she knows his /her way around the game. And that's what the matchmaking's for.

And the first time you log in, you can choose which kind of player you are, a firsttimer for MOBA-games or if you are a DotA-veteran, so you can play against other people on the same level (but it's fun to pick total beginner because then you get to meet n00bs which you can take on solo throughout the games ^^).

And if you feel it's difficult to play Ashe, then I suggest you
1: Keep playing her, read a few guides perhaps, and try to improve your gaming with her.
2: Pick a different champion, maybe a tank or mage suits your way of gaming better.

And if you're tired of playing with nubbycakes, invite your own mates, I'm sure you do that in DotA and HoN aswell.

And the inhibitors are more of a moralekiller, if you push through, it doesn't mean you will win, but it will surely make the other team play more defensively, lose their teamspirit and commit more mistakes.

 

[binvjoh]

I've played a bit.

It's fun running with a crew of people, but it's not something I'd play by myself.