League of Legends season four has begun. That means existing ranks have been wiped away and players have the chance to more quickly join the higher skill levels. Which skilled computer game genius will rise to the top?
For those readers who don’t know what League of Legends is, it’s an immensely popular computer game.
Players select a champion and are pitted against each other in teams. The ultimate objective is to destroy the other side’s main base. The game can involve tremendous skill and strategy, as players battle and support one another. Each champion has four skills and can attack by clicking. Skills include laying traps, teleportation and blasting. The arena involves a largely two-dimensional world where players use corners, space itself and bushes all to their advantage. Over millions of games—even billions—an ideal team composition has been established. At game start, guarding the lower turret should be a ranged-attack damage dealer and a supporting champion, such as a healer. The middle turret should usually have a champion concentrated on magic damage. The upper turret should have a champion who can stand well on their own. Meanwhile, the intervening space, called “the jungle” should be guarded by a champion who can roam and ambush. Players can communicate with each other and the other team. Gold is rewarded for killing monsters and other players. Accumulated wealth can be used for in-game item purchases to make one’s champion powerful.
League of Legends may sound ridiculously complicated. Some gamers complain the game is unattractive to them because they don’t always win. It’s true that in every match half the players—the losing team—will lose. So, the game may be unappealing to those who just want to win.
Also, matches are determined by skill level and determination. Skill develops with experience. A player becomes used to a playing style and the many decisions made. So, playing doesn’t seem a consciously difficult task. Instead, it’s extremely addictive. On any day, there are 27 million League players online. There is even a BC LoL club. BC student Royal Boggs, known as “Bogone” online, was highly ranked last season. However, he has decided not to play ranked this season until they fix a “broken” system. He feels they decreased the strength of his main champion Fiddlesticks too much and simultaneously left the champion Annie too powerful. As of March 5, 2014, the top player on the North America server is LMQ Tc Vasilii.