Boards›Esports

I'm tring to watch Pro League for the first time ever and I'm dissapointed.

Wild Geese·2/9/2019, 6:42:33 PM·1 votes·2,147 views

So I can see, how do the pros play, maybe I can learn something? Have some fun?

But the presentation is awful, first of all this zoomed out Camera?? I can't clearly see what anybody is doing on the micro level, this large view is useful for when there's a larger play around an objective, or jungle gank: but most of the game the regular view would make more sense (Like the laning phase, or even most fights). The zoomed camera also makes the action look slower (Twice as far away means everything appears to move half as fast!). But the Camera is always moving at the same speed at the same zoom level. This is so lazy!! Why not have people who can work the Camera? I don't know if it's different for some events but this LEC is awful.

Second is these commentators. I'm not sure if this is their inexperience or something Riot tells them to do, but they don't know how to just keep quiet when nothing is happening... It's like they are scared to death to have any dead air. This is a problem in a lot of esports to be frank, I think because most esports commentators aren't even 30 years old, they don't seem to get that it isn't their job to talk nonstop? Even if something exciting is going on - you don't have to always play by play it at the rapid pace!! The commentators should anchor the product not hog your ears with their voices 100% of the time.

Anyway I'm sorry to sound like a hater or something, but I don't like it.

6 Comments

GeminiRune2/9/2019, 7:13:19 PM2 votes

It's a valid first opinion. However it should be a consideration that one league's manner of production is not every league's production.

On the mention of camera control, it's come quite a ways from being the static, always same spectator camera from older seasons. A couple of close ups, pan angles, and or lapse of focus won't hurt the regular viewer once you get used to it. And it doesn't need to be excessive either. Take it from LCK where these things have happened. Granted, I do believe the spectator camera work is still in a phase of experimenting the limits.

In your mention of commentary: I can't think of a single other esport scene where if there are casters or commentary watching the game play out, they're not just gonna stay quiet for a minor amount of viewer's satisfaction. It's honestly, to each league - to each casting team their own. Like I would be on top of any commentary by IFC Yipes and Tasty Steve on probably anything!

But to wire back to League eSports. I'll suggest watching some VODs on LCK specifically and that might influence your opinion. Take it from me who watches anything.

BUDLIGHTBRONZE2/9/2019, 7:49:37 PM2 votes

Really? I quite enjoy the zoomed out camera and commentary. If they sat there for 10 minutes not saying a word during landing phase you would probably get mad about that but for us up in the high Elo the way they shoutcast fights is very good. Wait for the LCS to be on and hopefully riv or phreak is casting you will see how good they make it feel

Galiö2/10/2019, 1:25:59 AM1 votes

They are not supposed to have 'dead air'and are required to talk.

Most sports do this even when nothing is happening.

oortoomeebreesuu2/10/2019, 2:49:51 AM1 votes

there's just... a lot to talk about, in the game action and outside of that, meta perspective(patch changes, lane matchup dynamics & build priorities differing, composition strategies). Occasionally they might try to be too excited or repeatedly hammer certain concepts, but that's to make it easier to digest for lower tiers of understanding, aka people who may have never played league and want to know what all the fuss is about. In a sport, "the objective" is a single ball, so there's not often a ton to do - even still, in traditional sports, the play-by-play caster is talking a lot, though usually just relaying the information "whose # has the ball right now, and where are they going with it?" this game is a bit more complex and that requires more complex dialogue.

Amor Omnia 2/11/2019, 8:42:16 AM1 votes

Just go watch golf channel. There are moments of silence often.

HeeroTX2/11/2019, 4:12:45 PM1 votes

I mean... if the talking bothers you, you can easily mute it. I know people that hate ESPN announcers so they do that with other sports.

My one issue with the broadcasting, with technology where it is now, I wish that they had streams for specific players/roles. If I play jg, it'd be great if I could lock on a jungler to watch their pathing and see the strategies they use. IDEALLY, we could have access to comms throughtout (instead of commentary) to get the audio with it. It wouldn't even need to be LIVE, if that was available a few days after the game, I'm sure lote of people would watch certain players.