Online Gaming

League of Legends

Most online gamers will know about the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) craze that has taken the world of e-Sports by storm in the past few years.

The leading MOBAs, based on active users, are League of Legends (LoL) and Defence of the Ancients 2 (DotA 2).

LoL was created by Riot Games back in 2009 as competition to the original MOBA, DotA. Since then LoL has become the most popular online game in the world and hosts yearly competitions that have prize pools in the millions of USD.

Technical Requirements

Online gaming can be expensive because of the level of technology required to play. Luckily, LoL is a relatively old game and the technological requirements aren’t nearly as high as with modern games.

These are the MINIMUM specs that your gaming setup can have to be able to play LoL:

  • CPU – A central processing unit that can handle 2 GHz processing speeds will be able to handle LoL.
  • GPU – All games require graphics and these cards can be quite expensive. LoL does not set a minimum speed requirement but requires that you have a GPU that can support DirectX 9. It is, however, recommended to have at least 512mb of video RAM.
  • RAM – Random Access Memory is used to up the speed of your computer’s processes and allows your computer to temporarily store data in a quickly accessible location. A minimum of 1GB RAM is required if you have Windows XP, but you will need at least 2GB if you are running Windows Vista or newer.
  • OS – What operating system you use will also affect your ability to play LoL and they require you to have windows XP (service pack 3) or newer. This includes Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10.

Game Basics

If you are satisfied that your computer can handle LoL, then you can download it and start playing.

Starting a new game can be quite daunting, especially ones that involve playing with other gamers. LoL is a beginner-friendly game that offers AI game mode to improve your gameplay before taking on real opponents.

Whether you are playing against the computer or professionals, there are some key points to all LoL games:

  • Team-based game

League is a team game and will require you to team up with other players to defeat the enemy. You should be comfortable playing and communicating with other people before trying to tackle a proper LoL game.

Also, don’t let the trolls scare you.

  • Champions

Before the game can start, all players must choose a character/’champion’. Only 1 of each champion can be in a game, so you have to be quick to choose your desired hero. But don’t worry, there are so many to choose from that you won’t have to worry.

Read up about champions before playing because they are all quite different in their abilities and roles.

  • Lane-based battleground

The map is made up of three lanes. Your team will have to decide who goes to which lane and it is usually based on the type of character you pick.

These lanes are the staging grounds for the initial battles and the aim of the game is to push the enemy team down the lanes, back into their base. Once you have made it to their base, your team wins by destroying their base/’nexus’.

If you are someone that enjoys action-based strategy games, then you should check out LoL. It is a fast-paced game that will provide you with endless hours of enjoyment and learning.