So tired of hearing "it's just a game"

CarbonWyre·May 3, 2014·2 votes·1,377 views

Believe it or not, a lot of us have put a lot of time into League, and for some it's a lot more then that. For a long time it's all I've had. So when I hear people say "It's just a game", it's like someone saying "I spent your whole college fund, what it was just money, nothing important" or "I just killed your parents, they were just extra mouths to feed" or "I broke up with your girlfriend for you, she was just another person".

It's always more then "just" something. Want to see my point? Watch Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, nothing is JUST something.

If you aren't going to work your heart out to win, to do your best, and to make this game not a terrible living hell that people that love it more then life hope it isn't, then shut the hell out and get off this game.

People don't get places with JUSTS, they get places by saying it's much much more.

21 Comments

TulareMay 3, 20143 votes

You're showing up at the Friday night bowling league and getting mad when the other bowlers don't aspire to go pro. If you're that passionate about the game, you have to take steps to ensure you're always playing with other people who are equally passionate. Okay, granted, this post is an attempt at that. If you drive away the casuals, your pool of teammates will all be more devoted. We're not going to be driven off, though, so I'd earnestly recommend you cultivate a circle of like-minded friends so that you have people to play with who don't make you so upset.

CarbonWyreMay 3, 20141 votes

I have in the past but then school started up and stuff. I just hate giving it my all every game to have 1 person on the team say "GG AFK" at 5 minutes and then we lose even though it should be a clear win.

TulareMay 3, 20141 votes

DISCLAIMER: I am not encouraging you to drop out of school.

Right there, you demonstrate why the other players say "it's just a game." You've found it difficult to maintain a circle of friends highly-devoted to LoL in part because other priorities interfered. It's the same for everybody. We have school, jobs, spouses, children, or other hobbies among which LoL is just one. No, we're not as devoted to the game as you claim to be. On the other hand, given your choice of priorities (which I think is a wise choice), you're not as devoted to it as you claim to be either.

CarbonWyreMay 4, 20141 votes

On the other hand, given your choice of priorities (which I think is a wise choice), you're not as devoted to it as you claim to be either.

That's just plain rude. I'm a lot more devoted then a lot of people. League has been one of my only consistent things in my life for the past 4 years. I'm turning 20 this month, those years were rough to my family and I don't have much of one left. All my friends moved away and most of my time is spent trying to make rent. So when I do get to play (which is way less then I'd like to regrettably) it's depressing to see casual players in ranked.

MackleDogeMay 4, 20141 votes

it's depressing to see ~~casual~~ players in ranked.

Fixed that for you. If you aren't playing in the Challenger series, streaming for a living, or a professional, you're a "casual" player too. I don't see why you are getting so bent out of shape. Saying it's just a game is a statement of fact, League of Legends is literally a game and that is all it is unless you use it as a means for employment in which case it is a game that is also a job. League being just a game isn't a bad thing, and being a game doesn't mean that it can't be very significant and important to people whether for free time or for some stability in their life, but that doesn't change the fact that it is still a game. If you want to talk about rude, you might want to consider the manner in which you're referring to the majority of the community and the fact that you are (at least seemingly) degrading anyone who doesn't play as seriously as you do. That's rude, it's hurtful, and it's extremely inconsiderate. People have different priorities in life, and League of Legends doesn't have to be someone's number one priority for them to enjoy it or for them to play ranked in it.

Professional players retire for school or for family or for health (Alex Ich, Cruzer, OddOne). Would you dare say to their face that they are just "casual players"?

CarbonWyreMay 5, 20141 votes

You never get to challenger if you don't try. The concept of "If you aren't the best, don't try" only means that no one would ever be the best. After the first sentence, the rest didn't matter.

And no, I wouldn't say to them they are just "Casual Players" because they pour their heart and soul into this "just a game" and that's what got them to challenger. They gave it their all to push their performance. They had long nights, sacrificed so much to get to where they are, and they have purpose. But if you don't do that, you'll never be more then a casual player. And by the first sentence of your post, they shouldn't be either because they didn't start in challenger so they should of never tried.

My point is, if you don't try, and think of it as more then just a game, you don't make it to challenger, and you saying "if you aren't playing in challenger series, you are casual too" (paraphrase of course) means that they should never be there. They didn't start there so they shouldn't be there because they were never it. That is such a flawed way of thinking.

I want players to play as if they were trying to get to challenger, as if every game was a push and struggle to get to challenger. Not as if they are doing it to pass time before they have to quit half way through and leave for school.

MackleDogeMay 5, 20141 votes

You keep on with this "never have tried" thing and I literally didn't say that anywhere in my entire post. Literally not even once. Quote it, you can't. Why should I bother talking to you if you aren't even going to read what was actually written and just put words that suit you into my mouth. I never said don't try, I never said people shouldn't try. You're so stuck in your own way of thinking you've actually managed to entirely distort and misread every single thing I wrote and was trying to say. I'm impressed, because you managed to turn what I was trying to say into the exact opposite, that's some serious talent.

CarbonWyreMay 5, 20141 votes

That's a hell of an ad hominem. You said "If you aren't playing in the Challenger series, streaming for a living, or a professional, you're a "casual" player too.". Before this I defined "casuals" as people who play for fun instead of trying to win by saying "So when I do get to play (which is way less then I'd like to regrettably) it's depressing to see casual players in ranked.". And before you say that doesn't define casual as someone who doesn't try, that statement was in regard to people who don't try based on the posts above.

With all that said, when you used the word casual which I defined as someone not try, you said (to substitute the meaning for the word) "If you aren't playing in the Challenger series, streaming for a living, or a professional, you're a someone who doesn't try too".

I don't need to quote you, you said it in context with connotation.

TulareMay 4, 20141 votes

I apologize. It came off harsher than I intended. All I was really trying to say is that most people have respectable reasons for choosing their priorities. I'm sorry if I touched a nerve. I can appreciate that LoL is important to you; I wanted to illustrate that you also have other priorities which sometimes draw you away from LoL because you recognize that they're important.

Cosmic WarperMay 4, 20142 votes

You take league WAYYY too seriously. You can't compare a game to family or friends... They're not even close

CarbonWyreMay 4, 20141 votes

And to me you are "WAYYY" to casual about this game if you aren't playing your hardest. When you have a broken family and all you friends have moved away you can't call them those things anymore. So yes, I've spent the last 4 or so years with my only consistent thing being League.

XenohazMay 4, 20141 votes

I have a clarification question for you. Are you referring to people in normal games, ranked games, or both? Because in terms of ranked games, I agree, and that is where everyone should take it all seriously. However, in normal games, I don't know if all of your expectations are reasonable. Toxic players who justify it by saying "it's just a game" or players who AFK are a nuisance in both types of games, but that's another thing from people who just don't want to take the activity they do to relax so seriously.

CarbonWyreMay 5, 20141 votes

I only play ranked (except for my warm up game which is teambuilder), and even in team builder I ask if people are there to pass time or to win, and if anyone says the former then I find another group, and I won't ready until each person says they are there to win not screw around.

As for ranked, if you queue I expect you to be trying as hard to win as the rest of your team. Ranked is a completely separate queue made for TRYING to win, if you use that queue and aren't then you are being toxic to that group of people.

XenohazMay 6, 20141 votes

As for ranked, if you queue I expect you to be trying as hard to win as the rest of your team. Ranked is a completely separate queue made for TRYING to win, if you use that queue and aren't then you are being toxic to that group of people.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you there. I mostly play normals/teambuilder, call me a "casual" or whatever if you want. I just sometimes see people in normal games who (I assume taking a brief break from ranked or something) have this sort of "if you don't make the team win, you're an utter failure who just wasted my time" attitude that I really don't like. For me, I love video games in general, but I (mostly) play them to unwind, not stress out even more over all of my minor errors.

CarbonWyreMay 6, 20141 votes

I know a lot of people play to unwind, even I do in other games (Audio Surf is a good mindless exercise). But like I just posted above, people choose to queue and you choose to select a champion and make it in game. The game when sets an objective for you, "Destroy the enemy nexus by any means", and that is the goal you accepted when you got into this game. You can argue whatever point you want but when it comes down to it, that is thee main goal the game gives you. And I feel like if you queue for it, fight to accomplish is because we all chose to be here for the same thing.

Having fun is great, but do it while accomplishing the 1 objective we all agreed we'd take on, not while you're team is trying to do that and you're face planting into the enemy team under their outer mid tower for the 14th time by 12 minutes.

CaptainWednesdayMay 5, 20141 votes

What if I said, "It's a game" rather than ,"It's just a game"? Does that help?

Point is other people do not take League as seriously as you do. You have to respect their opinions before you try forcing yours upon everyone else.

CarbonWyreMay 5, 20141 votes

Point is, if I queue I expect to spend my time progressing not regressing. Winning is fun, losing shows you aren't good enough.

MackleDogeMay 6, 20143 votes

Please note that I'm not attempting to insult you when I say this, but what if you reach a point where you aren't good enough? Even professional players have their limits right? Is this a "put your mind to it and always aim for the highest possible" sort of deal?

We disagree on this aspect of the game but I'd still like to understand and be able to appreciate your perspective on it so if you have the time to answer I'd be thankful.

CarbonWyreMay 6, 20142 votes

I personally feel that every game is able to be a win. Sure there are some things like putting challenger against bronze, it's always a lose for bronze. But when you use a queuing system (any of them) it tries to pit you against enemies that are at least semi-close to where you are based on a couple factors.

I feel that because the system does work to put you against people somewhat close to where it feels you should be playing (as a whole team), that every game can be won if the players A, play well enough or B, make an effort to work hard enough/strategize enough. I also believe that every player has the potential to be great at this if they put their mind to it and actively participate in it. Because of those 2 things, it makes me upset when I lose because it could have been a win.

What I tell people in game is "You queue'd, now play." people chose to be in the game, and I expect people to try to follow through with the choice to be there and give the effort to accomplish the goal set for them. You can have fun while doing it but the core point of the game is "Kill the enemy nexus" and if you don't ever try to do that you're not going to accomplish the goal you chose to take on when you queue'd for a game.

MackleDogeMay 6, 20141 votes

Alright. I can work with this actually, maybe I'm just in a better mood or something about the way you typed this out sounds a lot better to me and more reasonable. Thanks for taking the time by the way, I appreciate it!

So, what I'm getting from this is that winning and fun can go hand in hand, but in your opinion you can't have fun if you lose the game? No matter how well your team communicated, no matter how friendly both teams where, no matter how well you personally did, as long as the game ends in a "DEFEAT" screen it wasn't fun and a waste of your time? Can't we try to accomplish a middle ground somewhere? Surely we can at least agree on the fact that you might have improved your own mechanical play with a champion or overall in a loss or you may have learned something about a match-up or team composition? Shouldn't that count as making progress and getting better?

Honestly, I'm just concerned for you and whether or not you can long term enjoy League. I don't want to see someone with such dedication get to Diamond 3 through Diamond 1 but then get stuck over and over, then lose faith or stop having fun with the game entirely and either quit or worse turn toxic. I've never played with you, so I can't personally speak to your level of play, but my personal philosophy is that while people can improve through playing, there will always be some inherent talent or natural conductivity between people and the game that gives them a certain boost. That boost, in my opinion, isn't something that people can get from hard work, playing a lot, or practice. It's like individual flair and innovation in football, hockey, or any other sport.

One last question if you don't mind, this is more of a side note: Do you play alternative game types like ARAM or Dominion, and if so do you hold the same mentality of "No win, no fun" (sorry for the bastardization of what you're saying) or does that specifically apply to ranked?

CarbonWyreMay 8, 20141 votes

I use to play a lot of Dominion and my ELO (hidden elo when that was a thing) use to place me in high diamond (Diamond 2-1). And to a point yes, I would play to win but the only thing that really drove me up the wall about that was people not knowing what to do. I mean, in dominion there is a lot more straight forwards of a "If this then that" kind of mentality. "If they send 4 bottom, have someone rush their mid"/ "If they have 2 capture their mid early, use ghost/speed boost to try to get a 2v3 fight in before they get there"/"If they are rushing your mid, 1 person back (or the dead person take care of on revive) and rush their unprotected shrine". Dominion is REALLY easy to play like that when you know those basic things.

As for ARAM, no. I do not play ARAM at all. I personally feel that it doesn't show any form of skill that a player possesses and that has a whole list of reasons behind it. One of the big reasons is you don't pick your champion or even class of champion. People always say "Well all that means is it shows even more skill because you have to be able to play everything." and the truth is that just isn't true. Once you get up to challenger, people play 1, MAYBE 2, positions. The best ADC on league plays ADC and just ADC, same for every other role. People don't claim they are unskilled because of it, but suddenly when you're lower level people expect you to play everything. So no, I avoid ARAM like the plague.