LoL and RL: what makes for a good tournament game? 

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Not all competitive games are esports, but all esports are competitive games. But what makes a great competitive game?

This weekend, the A1 Adria League continues with the A1 Student eChallenge in Rocket League and the weekly tournament in League of Legends. Both games are fan favorites for a reason — while League of Legends is the world’s most popular esports game, Rocket League is a pick-up-and-play hero and a great success story.  So, why not talk about why they’re both interesting and what sets them apart?

Two approaches to the same formula

The two games we’re talking about here couldn’t be more different: while Rocket League is car football, League of Legends is a MOBA. Rocket League can be played solo or in teams of two or three players, and League of Legends is typically played with five players per team (unless you’re trying out one of the alternate game modes such as ARAM).  Both games grip the viewers and are interesting to watch, but for different reasons: Rocket League is easier to understand from the start (score goals, win games), League of Legends requires much more knowledge to understand — and that’s part of its appeal.

While League of Legends features abstract characters with different special abilities, along with defined team roles like jungler, support, or ADC, Rocket League allows you to put a hat on a car, which is otherwise almost identical to any other car on the field. League of Legends is built around structure — set roles, a shifting meta, and a deep competitive scene, and Rocket League is much more similar to real sports such as football.

In Rocket League, reacting in the moment is critical, and its gameplay is much faster from the first second, leading to quicker matches and better pacing. On the other hand, playing League of Legends can last quite a while — in fact, the longest professional match in League history lasted over 94 minutes. Jin Air Green Wings and SK Telecom T1 played the marathon game during the the LCK Spring Split on January 20, 2018

What makes a game good for esports? Mostly the same things that make real sports watchable: clear objectives, steady pace, and enough tension to keep people interested. Rocket League works because it’s basically football with cars — easy to follow, fun to watch. On the flip side, some games struggle because it’s not immediately clear what’s going on. Take World of Tanks: it’s a strategic game with plenty of depth for players, but from a viewer’s perspective, it often looks like tanks hiding behind buildings. That disconnect makes it harder to follow or enjoy if you’re not already invested. If you need a tutorial to understand who’s winning, that’s a tougher sell for casual spectators.

Watch the weekend matches and judge for yourself

Whether you enjoy the chaos of a Rocket League overtime or the drawn-out strategy of League of Legends is up to you, but if you’re curious how these styles play out in action, this weekend’s A1 Adria League tournaments offer a good reason to tune in.

Rocket League Aerials 101 w/ A1AL

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Rocket League is a game about flying cars and football, but many players get stuck before they even reach the “flying” part of the game. Called “Aerials” or “flying”, the mechanics that enable you to fly are a skill pack that any good player must have. They are used to open up the game, allow for better shots, blocks and much more, and are really a fundamental of Rocket League, just like dribbling or jump shots are in basketball.

But, there’s a catch – many players, especially in their early days, struggle with these because they can often feel unnatural, complex and very tough to pull off. That’s why we’re here to help you out. Make sure to apply for the A1 Student eChallenge if you are a student playing Rocket League! 

Why you struggle

In the first hour of playing Rocket League, you probably understood what boost does. If you jump and boost, you’re actually already flying, but controlling the car in air is where it gets tricky. You’re probably confused because the car either spins out, you can’t turn properly, or you run out of boost in the air. Not to mention not being able to aim the ball. 

Trying to force aerial shots early in your RL career isn’t a good idea, since you should really focus on understanding the game well before trying to be fancy. You should try and do a jump shot here and there, but it’s ok to suck at first.

How to start learning 

Please, don’t try and learn in competitive. Go to Free Play and try to kick the ball around. First, try to jump, boost and just fly in a straight line. Then, try and boost jump off of the wall and land properly. After you’ve mastered that (and it will take time), you’re ready for training maps.

These maps are user-created and allow you to try a lot of things. There are dozens of maps for aerial play, so pick the one you feel okay with. These maps will put a more realistic spin on things rather than just having you kick the ball around – for example, there are flying courses, loops and other scenarios. Focus on hitting a slow ball in mid-air first, and then work your way from there. Once you score your first goal, you’ll be hooked.

If you are feeling extra adventurous, try out BakkesMod, which is a mod aimed at helping you get better at the game. Of course, there are numerous resources such as this one and you might have to research a lot before you find a training programme that suits you, but that’s the same in any sport. 

Tips and tools

Get familiar with the ball cam – don’t just leave it on or off, toggle it when you need to.

Adjust your camera, widen the FOV to see more of the field and adjust distance. These options are in the game menu. 

Experiment with the aerial sensitivity toggle in settings, find one that works with you.

Don’t go and copy pro settings right now, you’ll probably feel confused and lost. It’s good to research, watch games and take inspiration, however. 

Apply for the League

After aerial mastery, it’s time to join the A1 Student eChallenge and compete against some of the best student teams in Croatia. Last year’s LAN finals of the Rocket League tournament were very popular with viewers, and we are hoping for more of the same this time around!