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Advice Needed for Helping a New Player

TigStripe·1/14/2020, 5:37:18 AM·1 votes·1,754 views

A friend of mine recently started playing League, and I was happy to help him get used to the game and such, but we've hit a bit of a snag. I'm looking for some advice on if anyone has tips on helping newbies. Here's the problem-

We've played plenty of bot games together, I'm on a brand new account to help him learn the ropes, but bot games have devolved into something I don't recognize - AFK and AI players in most games, and at least one smurf that ends the game at 15 minutes in about half of games, hardly emulating what I would call a "realistic" learning experience.

But trying to break him into players has been an absolute hell. SR games are filled to the brim with smurf accounts that are better than I am, let alone my newbie friend, and even accounts with hundreds of levels for some reason. Our accounts are level 17 and 22, and even my solo games on there, I lose to smurfs, so my MMR can't be grossly adjusting it too much.

Why doesn't League have that new player experience anymore? How do people actually tolerate playing this game at low level long enough to learn how to play? Are we just doomed to playing terribly unrealistic bot games until he's level 50?

7 Comments

Keiaga1/14/2020, 6:00:04 AM1 votes

No you're doomed to playing unrealistic bot games until you're level 30. Then you go into ranked, lose some more, and have a smoother time in bronze or iron.

in a hood near u1/14/2020, 6:06:55 AM1 votes

Just throw him in the deep end, better to lose and learn against humans than to waste time against bots.

DrProfezzor1/14/2020, 6:16:03 AM1 votes

I'm sorry your friend is having Poor experience. This is riots fault. I hope your fault doesn't stay with league long as the new player experience is garbage.

Penguin Eclipse1/14/2020, 6:59:41 AM1 votes

It's been like this since the beginning of time to be honest. The main difference now though is we no longer have alternative game modes. The player bots used to live in Dominion co-op games. When that was removed they went to the Twisted Treeline co-ops, but then that was removed so all that is left is SR co-op games. Similarly, a lot of the smurfs and high level players you are seeing just want to grind quickly or secure a 1st win. You used to be able to secure a 1st win in a 7min Dominion game. Now the quickest and only sure way is through SR co-op games. The poor blind matchmaking is also just more of the same.

I have to agree with the "make it to 30 then play ranked" logic. You'll still see smurfs, but less often. If you play those games with him, try not to carry him. Otherwise he will get to a rank he doesn't belong and it will be an even more unpleasant experience for him.

TIKrunk1/14/2020, 8:01:04 AM1 votes

It seems the unfortunate truth of the matter is that it's going to be a trial by fire no matter how you try to cushion the blow. There are maybe one or two things I could suggest though.

I like ProGuides to get noobies acquainted with things. They have free lessons on basic things like what each lane is supposed to do, what the phases of the game are, etc. If not the website, their YouTube channel is pretty good, I think. Otherwise, that's the only other suggestion, is YouTube videos.

TigStripe1/14/2020, 5:53:03 PM1 votes

sigh thanks guys not great news, but not really anything i didn't expect

Inkling Commando1/14/2020, 6:20:32 PM1 votes

queue up together in a pvp match (not vs ai) and have him mute every player except you. you be his guardian angel through the game and guide him. the other players will just give him shit.