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Asking for Advice - New Player

SouthernCrawlz·12/28/2019, 4:54:03 PM·2 votes·7,716 views

Ok, ok. I know there are plenty of new players that have likely made the same post I am now. But, I really would appreciate some honest feedback. At the risk of simply being told “git gud”, I am having a really hard time EVERY time I play a ranked match in Solo/Duo Q. And sadly, teaming with players I’ve played with before does not tend to help.

I am a level 35 summoner with level 29 mastery score and Bronze II rank. I have played up to Platinum Rank in games similar to LoL, but frankly those games do seem easier than LoL. I’m FAR from being the most skilled player, but I think that I at least know enough to not be a complete idiot when in the rift. What I find so crazy, is that I actually do well in unranked matches. That may not mean much, but I get A to S scores there fairly consistently. I go to ranked Solo/Duo and I feel that I struggle the entire game. The skill difference of the players from ranked to unranked seems skewed.

No matter how I have performed, I have yet to be told that I’m trash or had much wrath focused my way, which I’m pleasantly surprised by. However, I was in a game today (playing as Swain top lane) in which I was told by a teammate (Fizz mid lane) who was smurfing that I would perform better if I could actually hit the enemy with my skills. I was vs. an Aatrox who was smurfing as well. Admittedly, the Aatrox was more skilled than I was, but I was at least doing ok. I was not constantly being slaughtered by him, but I was playing the lane very safely which did effect my CS.

I replied to the Fizz, that I agree, but I am still a relatively new player. I said further that I was doing my best and if you look at our teams performance I was obviously not the only teammate having a hard time (our jungler and mid himself were getting outplayed as well). The Fizz then replied that if I’m a new player that I “don’t belong in Solo Q”. The convo ended there, we kept playing the game and ended up winning it.

What I’m confused by, is that the point of a ranking system and the solo queue is that new players are able to play the game and rank up against players of a similar skill level... This is why I’m new and in BRONZE rank. Again, I’m not the best player, but to expect me to perform well against someone else who is smurfing is a little unfair. Right?

So, I’m now finally to the main point of my post... I know smurfing exists and will always exist. I guess there will never be a truly fair and balanced solo experience. But, how am I to prepare for those experiences? Does an enemy player that is a smurf really make that big of a difference? Should I learn to play only meta champions? Was the Fizz right and I should only play unranked until I am more experienced? If so, when is a good time to dive into ranked play?

Thanks for your time

13 Comments

zPOOPz12/28/2019, 5:28:07 PM1 votes

Understand that Normal (or unranked as you called it) has its own mmr and ranked has its own separate mmr. If you do not play an equal amount in both modes (for both mmr to be appropriate level to you skills), you will most likely experience different teammates/opponents set in either modes. Maybe your Normal mmr is not very high so you tend to play with or against lower skilled players and your ranked mmr is higher so you play with more skilled players. Or maybe it's the other way around. My point is that it is not all that surprising if you find your Normal and Ranked games to be drastically different experience if you don't play enough games in both modes consistently for matchmaking to put you at appropriate and same levels in both modes.

There is SOME truth to what the fizz said. If you are not very well experienced with the game or more importantly the champion, Normal tends to have less stake (being there's no LP to lose for yourself and your teammates) so it's a good place to practice your swain skillshots for example. As far as when is a good time to dive into ranked, different people will have different opinion on this. Some will think it's better to grind out the experiences in Normal (where you don't lose LP and such) until you are Challenger before going into ranked. Some will think ranked is where people are the most competitive and is the best place to learn (you don't learn much where people think "it's just Normal" and won't try as hard).

Personally, I'm all for practicing champions you've never played before in Normal where you'll probably cause less toxicity due to your teammates more than likely to use that excuse to make you the scapegoat should you lose the game. However, I find consistently playing ranked so that you are always at your appropriate mmr skill level to be better if you are someone who cares about the experience of climbing the ladders and ranking. But always remember that at the end of the day, this is just a video game. Whether you win or lose, it's still just a video game, not real life, not real job. The point is to have fun. If you are not having fun in ranked, go play Normal. If Normal is boring because people don't try as hard, go play Ranked. Play the mode you enjoy more than the other.

AlienPrimate12/28/2019, 5:35:35 PM1 votes

I think you should hold off on ranked until you have a decent understanding of all 5 roles. This is for 2 reasons. The first is that autofill exists and you don't always get the roles you like to play. The second and more important one is to understand what the other players in your game are doing. If you have never played jungle before, you won't understand when the enemy jungler will gank you or why your jungler won't help you at times. If you've never played support before, you will have a smaller understanding of good warding spots or why your support doesn't int with you when you go into an unfavorable fight with them in range to help you.

SouthernCrawlz12/28/2019, 6:19:28 PM1 votes

Thanks for the advice folks.

I have a lot more left to learn about the game. And that’s fine. I know I’m still learning. Because the game does not allow you to play ranked until summoner level 30, there is a build up and anticipation that once you hit 30 you are now ready to progress to the next step, which is ranked... And obviously level doesn’t necessarily equate to player skill level.

I still feel it’s unfair to be expected to do well against someone that is smurfing, but it is what it is, I guess. Smurfing is a problem that most most MOBAs have. And even though he was there, we did still ultimately win the match.

Sounds like there’s no best answer on where to go from here besides just play the game more. However, I feel that I don’t understand how matches are made then. I’m seeing now that it doesn’t simply go off of your rank and summoner level... Which confuses me. MMR = ???

I should make a habit of doing one Normal and then one Ranked?

Itirpon12/28/2019, 6:56:11 PM1 votes

Foremost, it's important to realize that the ranking system is garbage: It's too volatile, measures outcome instead of agency in a game where ability to win by/for oneself can be stripped from a player by one mistake or counterpick, and doesn't measure the actual hallmarks of experienced play (like CS/m, vision scores, objective taking). We know that enough stats are collected to really judge how a player stands up against the population of players—there's a stats page in the client with a dozen snazzy graphs—but instead of using that information to figure out what the various qualities of players look like statistically and using that to judge a given player's matchmaking, they use a 1v1 chess formula for a 5v5 game that's rife with quitters and trolls and smurfs and dynamics that allow certain players to 1v9 despite being awful objectively (CS, deaths, etc) due to being the right champ for that or whatever the case may be.

As for playing ranked and if you should, that's a question of dedication to playing in the ranked fashion. When you launch League, do you sit down thinking that you want to play Role or maybe Other Role? Do you have short list of one to three champs for those roles that you always enjoy playing as? If you're ready to come in knowing what you want to do, then you're ready for ranked.

When I started ranked, I came in playing Soraka because all I'd ever done was play Soraka and press Q and R for my friends who were good at the game. I placed Bronze 1, almost promoted twice, then fell into Elo Hell. At Bronze 5 I started shopping the other roles and spamming several champs and nothing was really working. Then on the last weekly rotation before the deadline I set for my either finding the fun or quitting the game, I met Kindred and became an OTP. I got my rank back up from Bronze 5 to Bronze 2 that season, and then (after the tiers rework) re-climbed from the sulphurous pit of Iron placement to Silver 1 this season and today's Gold 4. When I sit down I know the role I want, Jungle, (and I don't need a backup because Jungle is never autofilled these days because Jungle is awful) and I know which champs I'll want to play (Kin, Tali, or Eve; or Sej if we're desperate for a tank), and no matter if it goes well or poorly, I had my game plan in mind throughout.

If you want to main Swain Top, that's fine, but because it's not meta you must accept that you'll sometimes need to back off and let matches be about you learning not to be overwhelmed and victimized by a meta champ, especially if into a smurf, so instead of getting into arguments with allies you're getting better at playing the champ and role you enjoy no matter how imbalanced be the early conditions and match-up so when lane-phase ends you'll be able to snap into the relevancy that is the reason why you play the champ(s) that you enjoy playing. (If you're not having fun, don't do it.)

The ranked-ready mentality is one of knowing that you are mentally prepared to cope and compensate even if you get a fill role, your second-favorite (or third, or fourth...) champ for that role, and are into a hard counter piloted by an overskilled smurf, without feeling like you don't know what you're needing to be doing. Even if you can't accomplish it circumstantially (in this anecdote with Fizz, you're using your skills but missing it seems) as long as you've enough experience to have the game plan and contingencies for all reasonably likely disadvantageous occurrences, you're fit for ranked. But if you're not there yet, there's no shame in it. Keep practicing in norms, figure out where you do and don't belong and which champs you click with, and don't be the guy who costs everybody else 17LP because you're filled and on a new-to-you champ and you didn't do the right thing and take the –3LP and six minute penalty box by dodging a competitive contest in which you were not fit to compete.

SouthernCrawlz12/29/2019, 1:36:36 AM1 votes

Thanks for the reply.

Sound advice. I guess maybe I’m expecting things to “click” way too quickly for the amount of experience I have in the game.

Your explanation of the ranking system makes me think that there is more randomness than I realized before. It’s possible that the good matches I have had were just that, better circumstances for the skill level that I have. Those good games that I have had may have, in fact, been lucky games for me. I come out of those confident and then when I hit something that is more challenging it throws me a curveball.

Gives a lot to think about.

I really appreciate the feedback.

Manarager12/29/2019, 2:17:45 AM1 votes

As someone who's known multiple people that just dive straight into ranked on picking up League- Don't worry about those types of people. If they're truly smurfing, they won't say stuff like that. They'll just get out of your game and be done with it, whether or not you're the reason the game was won or lost. Smurfs (True smurfs) don't care about the outcome of games in bronze/silver/gold. They say "Unwinnable, bad team" and move on. Anyone who's invested in the game likely is at or near their true rank. (From my experience at least.)

  1. Practice makes perfect. If you want to win, play. If you want to win more, figure out what other people do to win, and do it. If you can't, do it until you can.
Nightsky Pirate12/29/2019, 11:40:05 AM1 votes

Lots of good advice, and I'll pitch two more tidbits. One, ask for advice at the start of the game (in ranked), perhaps admitting what your weak point(s) are. Inexperience is a weakness- in not being familiar with all the roles and champions. Many don't really know what Yorick can do... or what Taric's passive is. Honestly, going to the wiki for every champion is a trudge, so just ask others what to look out for against champions you don't really know.

Second, try expressing positivity, and be a little personable with your teammates. Hand in hand with the first, you're sure to get more support both in chat and on the field. It's more impactful in ranked games, as your teammates want to win and have incentive to help you perform better when they know you're trying.

Sorostaran12/31/2019, 5:29:02 AM1 votes

People who play to compete belong in Ranked. If Iron and Bronze level players didn't belong in Ranked, then there shouldn't be Iron and Bronze ranks in Ranked and you should be required to reach a certain hidden MMR in Normal before you were allowed into Ranked as a Silver initiate.

[zombie-nunu-bummed]

Whoever suggests that Bronze or Iron level players don't belong in Ranked is confused. Ranked is where players looking to compete belong, regardless of the level of their competition. If you are not there to compete, then stay out of Ranked; if you are there to compete, then you have come to the right place.

[sg-ahri-2]

Tele II12/31/2019, 5:43:17 AM1 votes

No fuck that fizz. Ranked is the best way to improve. You never know what kind of fuckery youre playing against in normals. They may be drunk, trying a new champ for the first time, distracted in real life and playing normals instead of ranked because they know theyre gonna play like shit. So you get a completely inaccurate idea of how you are performing. You could think oh hey im definitely improving, and then go to ranked and get completely smashed again, because now youre playing against players who are playing their best champs under optimal conditions with no distractions. I know this could still happen in ranked exclusively, but its less common to have first timers and people who just dont care so much.

So I'd say, let people bitch and moan. Play ranked if you find it more fun and you care about improving. If youre just casually playing a game or three on the weekends, then yeah, maybe avoid ranked. After all, like you said, if youre not good enough, you will demote and find your place where you are good enough, whether its iron or bronze. You might even surprise yourself and make it to silver xD

COBRA C0MM4NDER1/7/2020, 12:35:32 AM1 votes

Ranked is ok if you like a bit of competition and climbing. I personally don't do normals anymore and I'm a B2 on a slow climb.

Sometimes it's fun and sometimes its just aggravation when someone loses their shht and just runs into one sided fights or just runs it down entirely.

Ranked is it's own special hell. some thrive in it, some do not.