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I just realized why I can't take esport seriously.

Kal Vas Flam·11/18/2015, 1:14:18 AM·5 votes·5,390 views

Please note, before I start, that this is not an esports bashing thread. I do not think pro players are lame for playing this game competitively. I do not think you are all stupid for following esports. I do not think the premise is without merit. I LIKE the idea of esports.

I watch esports myself, but probably more for entertainment value than most of you. The thing is, I never really got why the idea of League as a sport didn't sell with me. I've been playing MMORPG's since 97', and have always been an avid PvPer. When esports started rising in popularity and becoming a thing, I should have been ecstatic, but I just... wasn't. I had trouble taking it seriously, and today I finally realized why.

Here's the short version:

Baseball, you've heard of it right? Played it, watched it, or heard people talking about it? Well, this is how baseball works:

Teams take turns batting and fielding. Sometimes the team batting scores a run, and that score goes on the scoreboard. At the end of the game the team with the most runs wins the game... And that's it.

  • When teams score runs they do not get the outfield walls draw in 10 feet for each run to make homeruns easier for them.
  • When players get hits they do not accumulate extra bases as the game progresses to turn singles into doubles, etc.
  • Pitchers do not get 1 extra MPH on their fastball for every strikeout they get.

See where I'm going with this? When I think of sports I think of two teams competing on a fair playing field for a set length, and the team with the best score at the end wins. Simple as that. Scoring early runs or striking guys out doesn't actually give you an advantage until the game is officially over and the score is tallied. Sports are a competition of skill, spirit, personal ability, strategy, and attrition. The "attrition" aspect in League is largely removed.

In League this is not at all how it works. Everyone's complaining about how snowbally this preseason is, but it's always been a snowball game. One guy gets fed early and all of a sudden he has this massive advantage over the other team. If a entire team has a strong start, forget about it, it's basically over. I get that comebacks are a thing and possible, but comebacks in most normal sports simply means making changes and catching up in on the scoreboard. In this game comebacks mean catching up in runs while also facing opponents that are vastly more powerful than you. Beating opponents of superior skill is hard enough, then having to overcome built in advantages on top of that makes this the most frustrating "sport" I have ever witnessed.

"So Poundman, what you want here? Huh? 45min set game lengths with no items or Nexus? Team with the most kills wins or some bullshit?" No, I don't want that. I like playing this game more than watching it, and reconfiguring it to operate parallel with other sports would ruin a lot of the fun I think. Its snowbally nature is actually a great experience when you're winning (which for most people is about 50% of the time - a lot of games are fun for less of a percentage than that). For that reason I'd rather leave it as is, but at the same time I think I'm sacrificing ever being passionate about this game as a competitive sport.

And look, I'm not really complaining here. I'm just stating my feelings. If you and I go out to a bar and a League match shows up on the TV, I'll sit down and watch it with you. The difference though is I'll just be watching for #bigplays and to be entertained, so don't get mad if I don't jump up and down when I see a certain team secure baron, the advantage they just grabbed is pretty much the reason why I can't actually care who wins.

Finally, on a side note, Dominion is closer to a sport than Summoner's Rift is (because I'm a glutton for downvotes).

13 Comments

Levik11/18/2015, 9:52:57 PM4 votes

I usually think of League's snowball nature like I would view a combat sport. The combatant who is "ahead" has some advantage because they have not been taking as much of a beating. The only difference is that the winning side does not get more powerful, the losing side gets "weaker."

Minarde11/18/2015, 6:25:54 AM1 votes

Finally, on a side note, Dominion is closer to a sport than Summoner's Rift is (because I'm a glutton for downvotes).

In terms of constant tension and unpredictability? Probably true. In terms of funding and production values? Sadly not.

TheGrandAlliance11/18/2015, 7:24:33 AM1 votes

Your observations that other sports "are not snowball-ly" is a false observation. All sports snowball.

NFL for example... if one team gets very far ahead (2+"scores")... the other team can only win if the ahead team implodes (which if ur Seattle Seahawks; happens every week in 4th quarter, so sadly). Same can be said with LCS team that "throws a lead" (perhaps a misplay at baron or otherwise late game mistake).

Even in baseball, although it looks to be fair, is a game based upon pitching matchups. Teams that have good starter pitching will snowball to the end; when relievers are at hand, a "new game" begins in last few innings. One team will score many runs... the opponent shut out or otherwise contained. A team can only win if the enemy team makes a mistake.

Take the last game in the World Series this year (Royals at Mets; Game 5): They left a the pitcher in all 9 innings... and the game was lost in the 9th because of the pitcher being tired and making mistakes. The game was otherwise completely on the Mets side otherwise.

If a team in any "real" sport gets a large lead ahead in score: They have effected a snowball; the opposing team little chance of "catchup". LCS/LOL is no different... all of the rules are the same. It is an virtual sport so it is easier to add mechanics then a real sport that "appear to be expectional snowball-like" however to assume that "real" sports don't snowball is a false assumption. Just watch NFL's New England Patriots and tell me that enemy teams every game for like last every 5+ years "wasn't snowballed against".

There are many aspects to consider whether E-sports are real; the fact they are not physical being prime, alas the argument that snowball nature, or implied excesses of LoL is to it's disqualifier, is a false observation nonetheless.

Indeed it is so...

GreeNz11/18/2015, 4:44:32 PM1 votes

I'd rather watch people play League competitively and cheer for a team I like, rather than watch people play with a ball for hours. Orianna

But that's just me, I don't like watching sports. eSports I find interesting.

DestructoDave11/18/2015, 7:14:42 PM1 votes

I understand what you are saying OP. And to the guy saying NFL; an NFL game isn't over until its over. They have fine tuned NFL rules and games to the point that teams almost always seemingly have a chance to win in the last couple minutes of the game. If there is one sport that is almost never over until its over, its NFL games. It doesnt matter how many scores someone puts up in the first half, by the end of the 4th quarter, they still have a chance to win.

But back on point. Sadly, OP, the game is designed in a way that its just going to be like that. If early leads didn't matter, then people would just pick nothing but hypercarries and outscale. I understand what you mean though. Very few games are swingy. Most are easily called very early on, and outside of some throws, stay that way. it takes some pretty monumental errors and throws most of the time to swing a game back. I dont know if they can ever completely eliminate that because of how MOBAs are designed. The only game that is kind of close is probably something like CS:GO/Quake/FPS, where amazing aim can turn the tides no matter where you are. MOBAs problems are if they ever eliminated being able to snowball, it would limit comps to end game carries.

AngryScrub11/19/2015, 12:36:07 AM1 votes

I think you are applying your own world-view as to what a "sport is" too much here. League matches are very competitive and a lot of people find them entertaining to watch. If that isn't your slice of pie, great. I don't particularly find baseball interesting to watch at all, but that doesn't mean I'll be going to MLB.com to create a posting explaining why it isn't a "sport". People get too hung up on the semantics to justify whether or not they like watching it.

Also, while games can snowball there were plenty of examples of comebacks from early deficits this last season. Additionally, the most important games are best of 5 so each game is more like a "round."

Best Valor NA11/19/2015, 12:43:53 AM1 votes
  • When teams score runs they do not get the outfield walls draw in 10 feet for each run to make homeruns easier for them.
  • When players get hits they do not accumulate extra bases as the game progresses to turn singles into doubles, etc.
  • Pitchers do not get 1 extra MPH on their fastball for every strikeout they get.

I know what you're talking about when it comes to League, or Dota. But CoD in fact is an eSport to some and there's no benefits like that i believe, I haven't really played CoD for years :b.

lronik11/18/2015, 1:47:07 AM1 votes

Ehh, some people really enjoy it and some don't, it's your opinion

Puynsi11/19/2015, 12:45:36 AM1 votes

Because it's a game?