Is LCS worth striving for yet?

Zero Shingetsu·Jul 22, 2019·1 votes·1,157 views

So here's where I stand. I've thought about taking League seriously every now and again. Every time I do, though, I look at the really weird salary system. The only real incentive I see to try in LCS, money-wise, is sponsorships. Sponsorships are always a big gamble, because you have to maintain a very specific image or risk being cut from the deal. Additionally, LCS sponsorships... don't seem to pay a whole lot, comparatively.

The rest of the core income for an LCS player seems to come from the team wage and prize money. Prize money isn't all that much. A few million, split between active players, sometimes backups, and sometimes the team takes its own cut? In addition, there's the matter of having a manager handling you and your team. It's always bugged me, the idea of having someone else dictate how I train and play.

That said, I haven't followed LCS specifics in a couple years now. So I have two main questions:

Has any of the above changed? Is LCS more player-friendly these days?
Have they started using tournament builds yet, or are they still going on recent patches for pro games? I hate the idea of having to learn a whole new suite of mechanics every new season.

11 Comments

Timethief49Jul 22, 20194 votes

Just gonna plain ask do you think it's realisitc to get into lcs with all prior ranks beeing bronze?

Zero ShingetsuJul 22, 20191 votes

{quoted}

Just gonna plain ask do you think it's realisitc to get into lcs with all prior ranks beeing bronze?

I thought it was clear I hadn't really tried. (Also you're lying, I hit Gold IV in season 3, eventually ending the season at... Silver something I think? And that was relying mostly on support Rammus. Support Rammus!! I haven't actually played ranked past promos since, so technically, I'm unranked the past three season you're looking at.) The whole point of this post is to ask if it's worth actually trying. At this point in time, League is a hobby. Other games pay better and actually care about my country's players. But, with enough incentive, I might want to see if I can hit Challenger and give it a run. Is it worth it?

DuskDaUmbreonJul 22, 20191 votes

I hate to break it to you, man, but season 3 gold...really doesn't mean much anymore. By now that's only about high bronze at best, with average skill going up and skill at ranks going up.

You need to climb more before deciding whether or not it's worth reaching for LCS.

Zero ShingetsuJul 22, 20191 votes

{quoted}

I hate to break it to you, man, but season 3 gold...really doesn't mean much anymore. By now that's only about high bronze at best, with average skill going up and skill at ranks going up.

You need to climb more before deciding whether or not it's worth reaching for LCS.

I didn't say it meant anything, only that the one time I was anything other than unranked, I pulled myself from Bronze V to Gold in half a season using Support Rammus almost exclusively. I have a feeling if I applied myself seriously, I could achieve Challenger in a couple seasons worth of practice and climbing. Give or take a season for this apparent griefer hell I keep hearing about.

Timethief49Jul 22, 20191 votes

[{quoted}](name=Zero Shingetsu,realm=NA,application-id=9hBQwnEU,discussion-id=LiaoMumn,comment-id=00000000,timestamp=2019-07-22T11:27:30.354+0000)

I thought it was clear I hadn't really tried. (Also you're lying, I hit Gold IV in season 3, eventually ending the season at... Silver something I think? And that was relying mostly on support Rammus. Support Rammus!! I haven't actually played ranked past promos since, so technically, I'm unranked the past three season you're looking at.) The whole point of this post is to ask if it's worth actually trying. At this point in time, League is a hobby. Other games pay better and actually care about my country's players. But, with enough incentive, I might want to see if I can hit Challenger and give it a run. Is it worth it?

If you get there its worth it. IF. But just like every field of work you should have some prior skills. You say you didnt really try, if you have the prior skills not trying should not mean bronze. Bronze is way under average. I dont try, like many others, and got low diamond, which is still WAY to low to probably concider going pro. Just be really sure before going for this. It might be more worth going for something you already are better at. I really dont want to sound like an asshole, but i have experience in wasting years in something i couldnt succeed in. Whatever you decide, good luck.

Zero ShingetsuJul 22, 20191 votes

{quoted}

If you get there its worth it. IF. But just like every field of work you should have some prior skills. You say you didnt really try, if you have the prior skills not trying should not mean bronze. Bronze is way under average. I dont try, like many others, and got low diamond, which is still WAY to low to probably concider going pro. Just be really sure before going for this. It might be more worth going for something you already are better at. I really dont want to sound like an asshole, but i have experience in wasting years in something i couldnt succeed in. Whatever you decide, good luck.

Yeah, you do make fair points. I still think I could pull it off in a couple years if I applied myself. My unranked bronze-esque status is basically owed to the fact that I only play once every few months, between tournament seasons in games that have already proven themselves worth the effort. I basically haven't given myself enough time to really "get after it", as they're saying over there these days. I mean level 91, and I've been playing since Season 3? There are people who've been playing since Season 5 in the 150 range.

But I feel like, discussing the tier situation... League's circuit is just too much of a slog, and the rewards too low, to really warrant it. If it paid a little better I'd probably go for it, but... Ouch.

BigBellBruteJul 23, 20191 votes

[{quoted}](name=Zero Shingetsu,realm=NA,application-id=9hBQwnEU,discussion-id=LiaoMumn,comment-id=00000000,timestamp=2019-07-22T11:27:30.354+0000)

I thought it was clear I hadn't really tried. (Also you're lying, I hit Gold IV in season 3, eventually ending the season at... Silver something I think? And that was relying mostly on support Rammus. Support Rammus!! I haven't actually played ranked past promos since, so technically, I'm unranked the past three season you're looking at.) The whole point of this post is to ask if it's worth actually trying. At this point in time, League is a hobby. Other games pay better and actually care about my country's players. But, with enough incentive, I might want to see if I can hit Challenger and give it a run. Is it worth it?

The reality is unless you can hit challenger, you're not anywhere close to thinking you should try to become pro. If you like the game and want to advance, for its own sake, go for it. But leave turning pro beyond your wildest dreams because you haven't even shown anywhere close to the skill you need yet. Further, your attitude towards listening to coaches and the like and team practice isn't conducive to being a pro player. We see attitude washouts quite frequently.

Nik NikersonJul 22, 20192 votes

If you're looking to do anything just for the money, chances are you will never make it.

Zero ShingetsuJul 22, 20191 votes

[{quoted}](name=Nik Nikerson,realm=NA,application-id=9hBQwnEU,discussion-id=LiaoMumn,comment-id=0001,timestamp=2019-07-22T14:24:26.168+0000)

If you're looking to do anything just for the money, chances are you will never make it.

Not untrue! I wouldn't be playing League just for the money, it's a game I've genuinely enjoyed. It's just that the climb is such a pain that I wonder if it's worth advancing from hobby to career. I'm leaning no after some conversation here. Better, I think, if I just hang out in normals and 2v1 Sion and Tryndamere with AD LeBlanc.

Nik NikersonJul 22, 20191 votes

My point is, if you don't enjoy the climb, it doesn't really matter. The guys in the LCS are in the LCS because they would be playing at the highest level even if they weren't getting paid. It's something they are passionate about. It's what gets them to the next level. If you aren't passionate enough to go through the grind right now, you just aren't ever going to enjoy it enough to reach the highest levels.

ChompyWulfJul 23, 20191 votes

No. First, an generally unspoken truth is that the players who got BEST at the game, were addicted. They spent every possible waking moment playing or drilling to practice mechanics. If you can't self motivate to push yourself like that and completely immerse in the game, you won't make it. Second, statistics are against you. Something like .1% of the player base makes Challenger, the pro base being even smaller. Third, I'm just going to assume you're too old to compete mechanically. Most older teens or young twenty something's don't look at economics of Esports to decide to try going pro. I'm guessing you're post college which means you're probably at the peak of your hand eye coordination now, and that only decays over time. Finally, attitude. If you're balking now at the idea of adapting to the meta or being instructed or guided, you wouldn't fit in a team and would fail.

So no, not worth it, don't try.