Week of October 29th: The (League)Legend Returns

With Worlds 2017 wrapped up(no spoilers! Here’s the start of the opening ceremony before the games), it’s time to talk League of Legends. Recently, my friend group and I have gotten back into League of Legends. We’ve certainly played League off and on since we all stopped playing it competitively as a five man ranked team 3 years ago, however, with one of our newer members starting to learn League, we’ve dived back in head first. As with Minecraft, I’ve decided that if I ever got back into League I’d play it for the purely casual aspects of it, enjoying the experience and avoiding unnecessary stress from trying to climb on the ranked ladder. As a result, it’s been a much more enjoyable experience, and our skill from playing competitively before has stuck around through thick and thin, albeit a bit rough nowadays.

I certainly can’t play as fast as I used to, think as fast, know as much about the meta or new champs, but in terms of overall skill I’ve still got it after my hiatus into other eSports like CS:Go or Overwatch. Games are no longer “What can I do to win this game>” at every step of the way, but “How stupid of a play can I get away with my mechanics? let’s find out!”. The game, in moderation, has become enjoyable and exciting once more, trying to figure out what’s changed since I’ve last played, who’s been nerfed(reduced in effectiveness/power), who’s been buffed(increased in effectiveness/power), and what the meta has shifted towards. I’ll probably never go back to playing 8 hours a day like I used to in high school, especially with adult responsibilities and other obligations now, but I am enjoying a once beloved game again, passing on my experience with the newest member of our group.