the importance of Having Fun

For those of you who browsed the old "Guides and Strategy" forum you might recognize this, as I posted it there once. For those who didn't, this is the first piece of my upcoming series of guides called "SFG Bronze to Diamond". Using my own personal experience with the game combined with the contributions of high-rated players, who will be appropriately credited in the guides, it will cover everything you could ever need to know to play League of Legends competitively. For more information you can click the link to read more at my website, and feel free to ask questions if you want to know more. Without further ado, here is the introduction to "SFG Bronze to Diamond"...

So you just started playing this game called “League of Legends” that you have heard so much about. Chances are that if you are reading this you intend to be “serious” about this game. Maybe you are already familiar with the huge “eSports” scene built around the game and aspire to go pro. Maybe your friends introduced you to the game and, being a highly competitive person, want an advantage so that you can beat them (and everyone else). Maybe you played another competitive game in the past and you want to learn this game as quickly as possible. Or maybe it is something else. Honestly, the reason you decided to start reading this does not really matter. The thing that does matter is, and you should pay attention to this because it is the single most important thing written in any of these guides, to enjoy playing the game. No matter how high the stakes get and no matter how badly you want to win, remember that it is a game, and games are meant to be enjoyed.

Maybe winning is what you like most about gaming. That is totally okay. In fact it is excellent! In that case just remember to always put in your best effort and focus on finding the best methods of achieving victory. Obsessing about losses does not help you win. Getting angry about setbacks does not help you win. Losing yourself to the game and letting it take over your life does not help you win. Learning, adapting, and overcoming obstacles will help you win, and winning is fun. Sometimes you have to work for your fun, but the struggle makes it meaningful. If you can enjoy the work, you are ready to begin making your way to the top.

Maybe this all sounds a little bit too intense for you. That is perfectly fine. Not everyone is cut out for competitive gaming. Millions of people play League of Legends, and of those probably only 10 percent really have what it takes to truly compete, and even less will ever see any real success. The allure of League of Legends is the dream of becoming a professional gamer. It hooks you in with whimsical, brightly colored visuals and simple but elegant gameplay. Then it shows you the top of the mountain of competition: the professional scene. You see people just like you living the dream of playing video games for a living. It makes you believe that you could accomplish that dream one day. Maybe you can, but what you have to realize is that a lot of hard work goes into becoming one of the best. Professional players practice for 8 or more hours a day, training to stay at the top of their game and ahead of the competition. It will take more than just a desire to go pro to catch up to them. To make it to the top you will have to make sacrifices. If you do not want to commit to that then you should just settle for playing League of Legends casually. Casual players have a lot of fun without putting in nearly as much effort as the serious competitors, and enjoying the game is always the most important thing. If you are not sure if you want to get serious about League of Legends yet, just keep playing for fun. You can decide later if you really want to be a serious competitor, but until then there is no point to putting in the time and effort required to be the best if you will not enjoy doing it.

For those brave souls who are ready to really test themselves: good luck, and have fun.