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Strategy is overrated in eSport, what people want is mystery, suspense, and unpredictability

Rhlax·4/23/2015, 3:42:28 AM·0 votes·1,206 views

So Jon Stein posted this tweet:

> Feels like there aren't posts on r/lol anymore that do strategic analysis. Once in a blue moon you see something like the TP/Smite thread.

I think it comes to down to that people just aren't interested. For example in Game 1 of TIP vs TSM, it was the most strategic win ever. TIP had 3 people counter jungling at start, and got 5 stack dragon in 30 minutes.

But from a spectator's perspective that was a freaking bore fest because it was so one sided!!

The best sport games are ones that a back and force. Chicago vs Boston(NBA)'s playoff series from a years ago is a good example. The games were down to the wire every game, and as a spectator you just couldn't tell who was going to win!

This is case for in UoL vs SK game 5. A single mistake could cost you the game, a single good play can make you the hero. Heroes aren't born having a lot of cs, they are born making those winning plays, in those tense moments.

I have previously thought that strategy would make the game more entertaining but after watching what is happening on reddit with regarding to Hai, it made me realize - people love mystery. The fact we don't know if the information is real or troll, made it more suspenseful.

Also, now that people have settled in patch 5.7, the champion select stagnation is showing once again. The patch bought in new champions to the meta, but kicked some old ones out. Now that it has settled, the lack of unpredictability in champ select remains.

10 Comments

MLDzXnRRR4/23/2015, 3:54:03 AM2 votes

The team that takes Baron first wins in esports - the buff is too strong for taking towers and inhibitors

TheGrandAlliance4/23/2015, 3:48:41 AM1 votes

First of all you speak of Esports like they are a Sport.... alas they are not.

Furthermore you are also comparing to sports that have limited options. A Baseball field can only do so much. Same to Soccer/Football.

LoL is a Video Game... not a Sport. It is a complex one that requires intelligence, not physical ability, to engage. Although such "emotional elements" have their affects: LoL is nothing without strategy.

And nor is most anything in life is either. What LoL doesn't need is "dumbification" that you are suggesting to appeal to "the casuals". Casual gamers or otherwise will never understand WTF they are watching, and will never stick around long term even if you go all drama-queen mode with LCS. Not to mention you will just /nuke viewership of "true LCS fans" of course at the same time.

People who have a brain and don't want to live in Bronze forever will care about strategy. FOr the casuals who don't and then item 3070 item 3070 about being Bronze... well I didn't say people who play LoL aren't retarded after all...