League is a Holy Trinity Force of Strategy, Fighting and Stats

Mira Arya Enthe··98 votes·4,346 views

I feel a large 'problem' with League of Legends and why the community can never get along, is people are playing three different games, or two out of three games, instead of the full item 3078 of games.

See League of Legends has three major attributes: Strategy, this includes the map awareness, objectives, team comps, picks, bans, teamwork, etc. Fighting, this includes mechanics, trades, outplays, jukes, dodging, combos, etc. RPG/Stat Check, this includes builds, stat checking, decision making and min/maxing runes, masteries and champions, etc.

The problem is, some people are playing a strategy game where they have RPG aspects, so they stat check their enemies, they work up team objectives then BOOM! A clever Thresh outplays them with mechanics. This is foreign to them. Why is this champion able to have all of these moves, abilities, stats and potential plays! Must not be fair. Because their stats were spot on and their strategy correct, so why could he nullify that by pushing buttons better?

Some people are playing League of Fighting. The game is about RPG attributes and Fighting. They are likely VERY good with their champions. As they practice mechanics, know how to outplay and they understand what stats to what, how to work builds and who they can and cannot beat. But... despite winning their lane and having great KDAs they keep losing matches... they eventually assume it MUST be their teammates, because they have no idea how the game's strategy, teamwork, objectives, gold distribution and map awareness work. So all they see is themselves winning the fighting RPG, and their teammates somehow losing the match.

Some people are playing a mechanically challenging strategy game. They are working wonders with their kit, they are amazing with their champion. They know where all the right objectives are. They coordinate well with their team and never get ganked... then Darius kills them. They feel powerless, they used all their skills, but he just walked up and beat them to death despite them having better positioning, teamwork and mechanics... why is Darius so OP? They likely ask themselves.

Some people may mix and match attributes of each. But generally people make the mistake of playing LoL as a Strategy game, a Fighting game, an RPG stat game, or some mix of two of these. But the best/happiest players I see, who enjoy the game the most and complain the least. Seem to be the ones that understand, League of Legends is ALL of these. It is a strategy game that is won through superior understanding of the map, objectives, teamwork, meta, stats, better mechanical prowess and overall greater grasp of how the game functions, knowing how to optimize your champions stats, advantages and play them around other champion's kits, knowing what team comps are and how they affect you, and who you should pick based on that.

So yes. League can be a... mostly balanced, and fun home for players of Riven AND Garen AND Soraka. Not just one play style, ALL playstyles. You just have to understand, it is not a item 3044 or item 3101 or item 3057 but it is a item 3078

52 Comments

Schàdenfreude35 votes

Why does two blue swords and a hammer turn into two yellow swords and a blue sword?

TyrekGoldenspear14 votes

Well the shopkeeper has a thing for gold. He had a spare item 3078 in the back for a while, he just really likes blue swords and hammers. So give him what he wants (and a little gold) and he'll trade you the triforce.

Makes sense right?

Schàdenfreude12 votes

But you also buy the swords and hammer from the shopkeeper. So he doesn't have to trade you the triforce.

????

TyrekGoldenspear17 votes

He's a little eccentric.

shrugs

macromite3 votes

actually the shopkeeper is a greedy bastard and he makes you by the hammer he uses to hammer together the two blue swords into one sword. the other two swords are there to make people that would throw him into a dungeon for such fraud lose most of their argument.

Rebonack16 votes

{quoted}

Why does two blue swords and a hammer turn into two yellow swords and a blue sword?

Because it used to build out of Zeal and Sheen. For whatever reason Phage was just left out of the icon.

Needs a new icon to better represent the new build, IMO

500000000000000023 votes

You use the hammer to smash the swords together

Spice POWAH4 votes

Because it used to have Zeal instead of stinger.

Blackstone012 votes

Magic.

Echo5451 votes

You could also ask why two sticks and a book turn into a fancy red hat

Keira Helsh18 votes

I love this perspective. I've had a problem with understanding this very thing. This is a new perspective that has opened my mind to so many aspects of game design that I hadn't thought of before. I especially love how actually very fitting comparison item 3078 and it's components are.

item 3044 Mostly all stats, also typically very good on those types of champions that like to beat you over the face with their stats. item 3101 Attack speed, more autos, and faster animations, good for weaving in attacks with movement, plus cdr for more abilities. item 3057 Mana CDR, but it's passive favors opportune and strategic moments for engagement.

Radiant Wukong13 votes

Noobs like, "So if I buy item 3078 every match, I'll win?"

Kingnewgameplus5 votes

"I'm a soraka 1 trick2g, and I was wondering if I was the page, the charlie sheen, or the dinger, and which one I should build."

Blackstone011 votes

Not gonna lie, when I first started I thought that was what to do, since I saw the price being more than most or all other damage items, along with having lots of stats.

Danjeng13 votes

Very enlightening post, and good analogy to Trinity Force.

However, I feel that more recent champion designs have been less about strategy/stats, but rather about outplaying opponents. Some old champions are still just ball of stats, and sometimes, just cannot compete against a flashier kit.

Wouldn't you agree, LoL is shifting more towards mechanics rather than strategy or RPG?

Mira Arya Enthe5 votes

I would say it is adding more mechanics, it isn't taking away strategy or stats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Mxw0k1XX4

For example, he knows for a fact he just loses a fight against Camille. Just because her stats are better than his stats. He also knows how to rotate with his team perfectly and strategize all over the map. Despite playing Riven. The other thing is, Riven and Lee Sin are 2011. Vi for example is three years later and much more point and click than them. I think they are moving away from balls of stats, but not away from stats themselves.

An Undead brat2 votes

Not post-related:

Did you notice how Syndra's ult indicator is bugged?

Danjeng2 votes

In ominous voice I see now. That is all I require. This knowledge will be sufficient. Warps away

SlytherinUmbreon2 votes

Is that you, Velkoz?

Tychusfindlay9191 votes

[{quoted}](name=Mira Arya Enthe,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=g4qJBcQq,comment-id=00060000,timestamp=2017-01-02T06:24:35.922+0000)

I would say it is adding more mechanics, it isn't taking away strategy or stats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Mxw0k1XX4

For example, he knows for a fact he just loses a fight against Camille. Just because her stats are better than his stats. He also knows how to rotate with his team perfectly and strategize all over the map. Despite playing Riven. The other thing is, Riven and Lee Sin are 2011. Vi for example is three years later and much more point and click than them. I think they are moving away from balls of stats, but not away from stats themselves.

Darius we balls of stats are still out there, and even though in less than a year most of us became useless pieces of shit since our creation... minus quite a few champions, we still here, kind of...

Raiku Kawisa9 votes

I seem to have the issue of I play a RPG Strategy game. I take objectives well and I play champions that I have a heavy mastery in. But when It comes down to mechanics I fall apart when someone outplays me.

TyrekGoldenspear7 votes

This so much.

If a team can realize that League is a item 3078, then they will get their wish of victory granted.

Dabrick017 votes

And people hate Yasuo.

I feel like that is the only time I have ever seen this community agree on something.

It's fun to watch the idiots yelling at Riot to gut Yasuo when Riot realizes how hes balanced and won't do it.

NightmareAmazoX5 votes

The ''Community'' The ones who post on Boards are just minority who got killed by Yasuo when league has more than 20+ Million players.

notice me Sin pi1 votes

g2 farm my upvotes, ya know? omg yasuo op rito nerf plz

SmileInABox3 votes

This can be a good way to analyze each game and improve as well. For example, I have a bad habit of forgetting to buy boots if I start to tilt (I know I should probably just play Cassiopeia) and I tend to build overly defensive on mages. This is an rpg problem. Trying to improve the other areas won't help this, I just need to focus on improving my stats game here. Good post!

Scoroct1 votes

Just want to say your Cassio joke gave me a good chuckle. Have an upvote.

NightmareAmazoX3 votes

THIS DESERVES OVER 9000 UP VOTES!

Saianna3 votes

Strategy was thrown out the window 4 years ago. Replacement for it is: inuman reflexes.

Earl Eulrich1 votes

ah well, even in S5 it had been okish (though yea, that really had been a downfall already) - but it really started deteriorating when they increased snowballing and cut of vision for S6.

Now players that actually understand the makro game mostly can show it by closing out leads in less than 25min, which really is not all that thrilling.

Spoofghoul1 votes

sometimes item 3044 Or item 3101 or item 3057 end up being an item 3031

and saying fuck you to the rest of the item 3078

making people proficient with one, tough aware of, any of the other components item 3070

Lovelle1 votes

Some champions take a LOT more strategy and foresight than others, which further splits the community.

Itsbeghdev1 votes

Also, it's definitely not a item 3086

furthermore, I misread "League of Fighting" as "League of Fishing", and... yeah

macromite1 votes

I can play a combination of two, and can switch which combination I play on the fly, but I can't do all three at once. I'm either Map aware, stat checking, but mechanically a failure Map aware, MEchanical god, but have purchased bad items Or a mechanical god, outstatting people, but have no idea whats on the map.

KoKoboto1 votes

I started playing league because a fighting game I played became pay2win

Toru Itai2 votes

i started LoL because a complex fighting game based on real time strategy and mind games turned into a button-mash-to-win stat check game.

notice me Sin pi1 votes

i wonder who's that 1 person that downvoted this post

Kinnikuko1 votes

I'm definitely playing the fighting league

S0LST0RMER1 votes

i am definitely, 100% a mechanical player rather than a knowledgeable strategist. i can easily outplay my lane opponents and snowball, but i dont always win, come late game, i just dunno wuttodoo. i heard the thing was rotations, if you get an early tower u go to another lane and pressure there. but we never get that turret when i rotate and i end up feeling that im just there taking the guy's cs

ModKnightsKemplar1 votes

You speak truth. Even for people who do understand all three aspects, they are likely lacking in one or two of those. As for me, I think I am best at the strategy game and mediocre in terms of the fighting and mechanics.

Lucifer1 votes

All I got out of this is that I should build a trinity force on Soraka.

Gnart Even Close1 votes

I'm not really a fan of the way that the meta dictates which players win when they are at a similar skill level. But otherwise, I agree. The game is about strategy, tactics, and character optimization. You need to optimize your stats to get the best chance of winning, and different characters have different stats and thus different strengths and weaknesses to play around. The only downside is that some champions have better numbers at a given time than others, and simply cause a worse player to beat a better player. If this ever got to a perfectly balanced state, and all champions were updated where necessary, I think the game could be a lot better. Sadly, there's too much work to be done, and each change causes more balance problems as a result. Someday, though, League can achieve near perfection

Neamean1 votes

The only flaw in your argument is why would I build item 3078 when I can build item 3025 , item 3071 , and item 3115
######(RIP Zephyr)

A Liberal1 votes

Well I never thought about this.

I would have to say that I'm in the "League of Strategy" catagory. I'm always so focused on objectives, wards and map awareness, and team compositions. I'm always the one saying, "go here", "take this", and get easily frustrated when my team is fighting it's 10th teamfight in the middle of the jungle while all waves are pushed and we could be getting free towers.

I'm horrible at mechanically intensive champions (I say with almost 100k on Katarina but who's counting), and when it comes to builds, runes, and masteries, im always kind of like ¯_(ツ)_/¯ what does champ.gg reccomend.

This is much to the distraught of my friend who I play with who is ALL ABOUT the numbers, builds, runes, and masteries of the game. He always gets on me about my runes and I'm just like.... ok but why do I need runes to auto attack a tower?

Auroramancer1 votes

I'm very much a Strategy/Fighting type player, and get salty whenever I die to a Riven or Lee Sin because by virtue of their kits, they deny strategy on my end and just stat check me to the death screen.

Good analysis in this post though man

AMYS GRAVE1 votes

Yeah, my problem is that if league is treated like a fighting game then you are ping dependent, and your ability to play well is dependent on your internet connection. That isn't what makes league unique as there are much better fighting games out there if that's what you're looking for. Also if you don't engage with the strategy aspects of league you lose, if you don't engage with the fighting aspects of league you can still frequently win.

Of course it is best to engage with all aspects of the game but some of those aspects are more important to victory, and better to balance the game around for real world reasons.

chipndip11 votes

League isn't a fun home for Garen players since he's garbage but +1

Titanium701 votes

Could nag for the sake of nagging here... I'll leave it. Good Post. ^^

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