Am I the only one who thinks this game is getting too complex for new players?

Trolosaurus·Nov 2, 2016·14 votes·1,903 views

Newer champs are more complex than old ones, and when old ones get reworked they become complex like the new ones. Add to all the new stuff they've added over the years (dragon buffs, jungle buffs, ward gimmicks, trinkets, lots of new items) and I worry this game is getting to be a bit much. I haven't been able to get any of my friends into this game for the reason that they think it takes too long to figure out. Edit: Downvotes! Get yer downvotes! Nice and fresh!

23 Comments

HyperiönNov 2, 20163 votes

Isn't any game difficult to figure out? Unless you are playing a console game like Call of Duty or something. Most popular online games have a level of difficulty. That is what keeps the people here to learn how to play it, to reach for the stars and to have fun while doing it.

The game has gotten much, much more easy since i started back in the beginning of season 3. You have everything given too you now. Whereas back then, you had to keep track of things manually, and remember everything.

Now, you can just ping something, or press tab to see jungle timers, everything is already given to you.

The only thing that you need to figure out is the items, and champions. Learning how to farm just takes time to develop.

Zone of EndlessNov 2, 20162 votes

There are a lot of new mechanics added to the game, but they're not complex at all. Usually it's just a lot of reading but two or three games you'll get the hang of it. Hell, I think Riot made it more simple honestly. They just added more words to explain things which seem like a lot.

Champs are complex I guess? I dunno. They are what they are so that each champ is unique. Some champs are still simple to play like Ziggs, Garen, Ashe, etc.

Dragon buffs are straight forward. Water dragon give sustain, Earth you do true damage to towers/monsters, Fire give you more damage, cloud give out of combat move speed. They respawn every 5 minutes and you don't have to keep track of timer anymore like you used to.

Jungle smite buff is the same, but I don't play a lot of jungle so idk.

What ward gimmick? They removed green wards. Trinkets are straight forward. Even the control ward on PBE isn't complex at all. You place it and it grant vision while revealing and disabling enemy wards.

Are items complex? They do what it says in the description.

Strategy games usually involve a little more investment to get a better understanding so if you're friend doesn't play it then it's just not their games.

dEAdbUsNov 2, 20161 votes

All rts have tutorials, starting missions etc. You'll never get all units in first mission.

Mobas are much more complicated, because you need to know much more stuff right from start.

HyperiönNov 2, 20161 votes

Thats why there is a tutorial (yes I know it needs updated)

As well as you are forced into playing bots for the first 5 levels or something. There is plenty of room for practice. people just need to stop complaining about it and do it.

dEAdbUsNov 3, 20161 votes

I'm hardcore player and playing pc games for like 20 years. Plus making small games myself. I can confirm that mobas have highest entering difficulty.

When I started play lol in S2 I 've played dota like for 3 years. Before that I speant years playing starcraft bw and wc3. And on start even champions like jax and garen were difficult to me.

Probably I'm not best talanted, but lol requires insane mechanics skills and huge amount of games to get enough game experience.

I always hear: players just need to practice if they want to play lol. But that's BS. On start when Riot were making niche game they could let work themselves with such kind of philosophy, because they didn't have target to make huge world level game. Now when they have so huge company and Tenscent over them, they can't ignore players. They don't own company, don't own money, they have so much credits and debts, so now they can move just straight. And in this rude world customer is a king. He decides what he wants to play. "Those Riot games don't care about me and don't want me to help start playing their game? So f#$k them! I'll play something else." Riots can't attract players? This is a Riots problems, for sure. Players can live without LoL. Riots can't live without players.

But every moba has same problem. LoL is not special. But I'm sure every company is trying to make it easier to enter their game. Including Riot Games. And it doesn't matter if some players think that LoL is not that difficult.

LovelleNov 2, 20161 votes

{quoted}

There are a lot of new mechanics added to the game, but they're not complex at all. Usually it's just a lot of reading but two or three games you'll get the hang of it. Hell, I think Riot made it more simple honestly. They just added more words to explain things which seem like a lot.

Champs are complex I guess? I dunno. They are what they are so that each champ is unique. Some champs are still simple to play like Ziggs, Garen, Ashe, etc.

Dragon buffs are straight forward. Water dragon give sustain, Earth you do true damage to towers/monsters, Fire give you more damage, cloud give out of combat move speed. They respawn every 5 minutes and you don't have to keep track of timer anymore like you used to.

Jungle smite buff is the same, but I don't play a lot of jungle so idk.

What ward gimmick? They removed green wards. Trinkets are straight forward. Even the control ward on PBE isn't complex at all. You place it and it grant vision while revealing and disabling enemy wards.

Are items complex? They do what it says in the description.

Strategy games usually involve a little more investment to get a better understanding so if you're friend doesn't play it then it's just not their games.

LoL takes a lot more than 2 or 3 games to "get the hang of," especially if you're not used to MOBAs. The game changes significantly based on the level of play you're at. It can take years to fully understand aspects of this game and Riot making huge changes every season doesn't help either.

Hell, itemization alone takes at least a season or two to fully understand, especially for champions that have to balance damage and defense. There are so many things you have to take into account, all of which change almost every season.

gIKSvtuLV5Nov 2, 20161 votes

Yes because you're not good.

boo910Nov 2, 20161 votes

if the game is complex, so be it. its more of the communities job to help the new guys, even if we are terrible. we all have to put in our 2 cents

CalabokNov 2, 20161 votes

its not complicated. only takes practice.

reaperteaserNov 2, 20161 votes

no more complex than basketball, football, or baseball. the first time you played/watched those sports i will bet you thought the goal was pretty straight forward but the rules were complicated

MyLittleWindmillNov 2, 20161 votes

I mean, it wouldn't be a problem if there was just a proper tutorial.

WoonStruckNov 2, 20161 votes

Riot wants to make it seriously compete with DotA again, since DotA's taking over the competitive MOBA scene once again.

Take a look at DotA's Internationals vs League's Worlds. Its crazy how much more popular DotA is when it comes to that. Riot wants to achieve the same thing so they can bank on it, and they don't really know how. They're just guessing.

Because of that, Riot's been adding stuff just for the sake of adding stuff.

dEAdbUsNov 2, 20161 votes

Can you please give any links about amount of viewers for both games? Is dota really much more popular?

WoonStruckNov 2, 20161 votes

League has reached just barely 1 million concurrent, usually a little less, and 14 million unique for worlds.

DotA reaches several million concurrent or more. This year they recorded 20 million unique viewers.

Since season 3, worlds viewership has been dropping drastically for LoL. Its viewed half as much now.

Hauling AsheNov 2, 20161 votes

I don't think it's too complex inherently. It's the newer champs who have a passive that gets a bonus with another item's passive plus the three other passives for your W, E, and R that work when you activate Q...

There are some things that need more explaining than just "go read the wiki." I didn't understand how crit or lifesteal or spell vamp worked or that I couldn't stack item 3031 for 150% bonus damage.

Neko CaitlynNov 2, 20161 votes

Nobody is forcing new players to play new champions. Pick any bruiser and mash buttons is a perfectly winning strategy any monkey can do.

CrazyBear1987Nov 2, 20161 votes

Any game that is still around as long as League should grow and change over time.

You are not wrong tho, Riot is increasing the bar of entry by adding both complexity and difficulty of their champions and game.

The game has already changed since it's first inception.

Jungle camps, games modes, visual updates etc

the hardest part for new players is the grind to get new champions, even if you play Coop vs Ai once a day for the first win of the day IP bonus, it will take you roughly 1 week to get an 1350 champion.

compared to DOTA 2 where any player can make an account, and play any champion etc

dEAdbUsNov 2, 20161 votes

I think you're right

ZelorxonNov 2, 20161 votes

Wow. Now i understand everything. I was right all along. Just for something different...

AnonagonNov 2, 20161 votes

Increased complexity is not a bad thing in and of itself

What's bad is the increase in complexity with a lack of a comparable increase in the quality of the new player experience.

I think DOTA-level complexity is good, but DOTA has a better tutorial, all the Heroes are free, there are no runes and masteries to unlock, and there is an encyclopedia of game knowledge baked into the client

MerxamersNov 2, 20161 votes

League of Legends is an incredibly complex game, and is not friendly for newcomers. It took me about a year to get a decent understanding of the game (and even now it's not like i'm that good). The jungle in particular is enormously complex, especially once the individual smite buffs were introduced.

Whether this is a good or bad thing, i don't know. I appreciate that it avoids some of the needless complexity of DOTA2, but some much better tutorials are needed for new players. And it is absurdly difficult to accumulate enough IP for runes and champions (i've been playing since 2011 and i still don't own every champion).

FlleshNov 2, 20161 votes

i dont think this game has had many new players for a long while..... it just has more bots and alt accounts.... this is what drives any growth it is seeing...because each bot or alt account counts! as far as unique users go.... at least in NA... it has had consistently one of the worse new player experiences since game launch.... imho

DanjengNov 2, 2016

Tutorial is outdated and it's much better personally teaching your friends in a custom game. The game was already pretty intimidating to learn for me in Season 3 with about 100 different champions. Wow that's a lot!

Can I get those downvotes my good sir? I hear there's a 2 for 1 sale for those nice and fresh downvotes.