Nah 1

Nat Nah
Hanson
Junior Seminar
5 May 2014

Youre Outta My League
An Ethnography of Students Who Play League of Legends

Preface
Online gaming is popular to a large audience - from elementary school students to adults.
The internet creates a different world where players can interact with each other, forming new
alliances or rivalries. One is able to assume a new identity and climb ones way to fame, all
while staying in the comfort of the home. The development of Defence of the Ancients (DotA)
as a mod for Warcraft III launched the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre into popular
demand. Since then, many elements of DotA were applied to the Riot Games title, League of
Legends which has become the most played PC game since its release in 2009.
There exist multiple groups of students at Thomas S. Wootton High School who play
League of Legends together. In school, some students discuss games or use time in class to
watch videos and study new techniques to use in their next games. I observed a group of
sophomores who regularly get together to play League of Legends. They meet online through
Skype to form their own teams and play games together.


Nah 2
Although I was unfamiliar with multiplayer battle arena games, I frequently play massive
multiplayer online games so I was familiar with the language they used. However, I was unsure
of team composition and communication during each game.

Observational Data
At 9:30 PM, I am invited to a Skype video call. People present are Brandon, Leo, and
Jerry. They all seem to be experienced with the game. They leave the Skype call open and have
the LoL Client running. I open League of Legends on my own computer and am invited to their
team. We then queue for a match on Summoners Rift, a 5v5 game across a large map with three
lanes. The goal is to destroy the enemy turrets in lanes to reach the other side and destroy the
enemy nexus. Because we have only four people total in the Skype call, another player joins our
team.
You know were gonna lose, right? Brandon says, because they arent playing seriously.
Who can actually single-handedly carry a game? Jerry asks, I dont think theres
anyone.
As a match is found, each team member must press accept so we can begin. However,
with the first match found, Leo fails to accept and we are put back on the match-making queue.
Leo! Brandon exclaims.
Oh. My bad, my bad.
GG. We wait another minute until we find other match. Now we select champions,
characters with which we play during the course of the game.
Oh my god, youre playing Blitzcrank, Brandon laughs as Jerry selects his champion.
When I comment on my own ability, Brandon replies, Its okay, were only trolling.


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Ill carry, no problem Why did I pick Blitz, because I could probably pick somebody
who can actually carry. Jerry says, but I cant think of any and I dont want to try that hard.
It dont matter man.
Upon each team choosing their champions and locking in, the game may begin and we
are moved to a loading screen which displays each persons selected champion and how much
the game has loaded on each persons individual computer. Brandon chooses Zyra, Leo has as
Crimson Elite Riven, Jerry picks Definitely Not Blitzcrank, and I select Ezreal. Because we have
a Skype call going, Jerry comments on how our team will have very good communication.
Brandon takes the top lane, the other player takes middle, Jerry jungles by clearing the
neutral area, and Leo and I take the bottom lane. Because I am mainly observing rather than
playing, I hide in the grass.
Leo and I are confronted by two enemy champions, although both sides are focused more
on the minions. Due to my inexperience, I am killed, and the game declares First Blood.
Our communication becomes focused on the game. Jerry makes fun of the other player
on our team, because the other player has died multiple times. Dont worry, Im pro, he
ridicules him, #rekt.
As the game progresses, the sarcasm levels increase exponentially. Jerry comments,
BRB, slitting wrists, when the other player is killed again. This is giving me cancer.
The game ends in our defeat, but no one is truly discouraged, as this had not been a
serious game.
Eleven days later, I join them for another game at around noon. However, this time, Jerry
is not present and I only spectate. To start the day, Brandon and Leo call each other on Skype
and invite each other to a lobby to start a game of League.


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After searching for a match and discussing which champions and positions they are going
to play, they communicate with the randomly matched players to create a good composition for
their team. However, the randomly matched players decide to ignore the duo, and they
immediately proceed to insult and cut down the rest of the team resulting in more arguing.
Woooww, I told him to pick a tank and he chooses a squishy Brandon says as one
player selects a champion with weaker defense when he instructed him to take one with better
health. The other players refuse to select champions that would improve their success as a team.
After they load into the game, they buy items from the shop to improve their stats, and
head off to their respective positions. Brandon and Leo guard a certain area of the map to prevent
an enemy invasion while the other teammates refuse to comply and help them.
Brandon helps Leo clear an area of neutral monsters and goes to his own lane to match up
against his opponent. Mann f*** those n*****, won't even help me leash, complains Leo as
the other team members refuse to assist Leo clear the neutral.
Leo clears other neutral monster camps in between the lanes and helps out those lanes
when they need assistance. Leo favors helping Brandon as they can communicate and work well
together to take down their opponent:
I'm heading to you Brandon, engage when you're ready.
Leo, eve is in your jungle, Brandon replies to keep each other aware of their
surroundings.
After the outer turret in each lane, the players begin to group to fight 5v5 for control of
the dragon pit which gives extra gold to the players who slay it. Kill the dragon, I'll zone them
off of you, Brandon says to Leo.


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Brandon and Leo's team wins the engage and they proceed to push down the enemies
inner towers. Fight after fight won, Brandon and Leo get closer to the primary objective: the
Nexus.
However, Brandon and Leos teammates begin to split up and are picked off by the
enemy team. These randoms SUCK, too heavy for me to carry, they complain.
As they near the end of the game, Brandon and Leo decide to sneak around to the Nexus
and they destroy it quickly, winning the game before their team can give away more advantages.