Game Modes and Learning Curve

What's the recommended learning curve on League of Legends? I mean, I'm in level 16, and for me Beginner Co-op vs AI is very easy, I can win even with a bad team.

So, I tried Normal Game (PVP), and I get a mix of wins and loses. Some players say to touch the PVP only when I get the level 30... I thought fair because maybe I was weakening my team because I'm learning yet. In the end, I tried Intermediate Co-op vs AI and all battles were harder (IMO) than Normal Games (PVP).

In the end, I'm confused about what can I do to advance summoner levels and improve myself. It's better play Intermediate Co-op vs AI up to I find it "easy" and then tring PVP, or it's better skip it and go right to PVP? Or there are some better route to self-improve on League of Legends?

Solution 1:

From personal experience of over 6 years of MOBA gaming;

Easy AI matches are great to learn HOW to play the game. (For the super beginners)

They are also great way to easily and quickly take "First Win of The Day" Influence Points bonus.

Intermediate AI matches are a good platform to learn how to play a new hero. Use these games to learn how to perform the proper combo's with your hero of choice. To figure out just exactly how Elise's Rappel works, or Urgots Lock-On Missle Attack. These matchups are good also for map awareness and lane control. The bots perform ganking extremly well, linking together combo's with a precision that most humans have a hard time accomplishing. These matches are also good practice for warding, as if you ward properly you'll see the ganks coming and know your doing it correctly.

All bot matches are also good practice for last hitting minions.

Once those skills are down, I would move into Blind Pick games, which don't usually follow the meta, but will help you get used to playing against real people who can come up with new alternative stradegies on the fly.

AS SOON as your comfortable with all the previously mentioned factors, and have enough of a hero pool\ skill level to play ANY lane position, I would move into Draft games. Draft games are pretty much Softcore Ranked. They don't carry elo, but other than that they tend to follow meta-rules, and the players usually take themselves much more seriously. Draft games include bans, and round-robin hero picks. This allows players to learn how to counter-pick opposing heroes and how to properly ban heroes that either screw your team comp six ways to sunday or otherwise bring factors that you don't want to deal with into your game.

Obviously the final step is full on Ranked play, and you'll know when your ready for that. Or, you'll think your ready, and find out the hard way your not.

TL:DR;

Play Bots on easy to learn how to play the game, and to earn IP points for first win of the day if you don't have a lot of time.
Play Bots on intermediate how to learn play specific heroes and last hit well.
Play Blind Pick to improve your game.
Play Draft Pick to polish your game.
Play Ranked to show others they need to play Draft some more. ;-)

Solution 2:

I'd say mix it up and keep in mind that learning a game is different process for each player. So there is no better way to do it.

To learn the game you have to:

• Understand the Game Mechanics as well as each Champion's mechanics.
• Understand and predict opponent player tendencies and playstyles.
• Learn to build each champion correctly.
• Learn to cooperate with your teammates.

Its obvious that by just playing coop until you get to higher levels you miss out on many of those things.

And on the other hand coop is very useful for learning your champion, trying out builds and learning to understand game mechanics.

As far as building your champion is concerned, I'd say spend some time reading guides and builds by more experienced players. Good guides always give you alternative item paths depending on your opponents. That's the main thing you have to keep in mind. You buy items to beat your opponents not to improve your champion. There's a thin line there.

Also I think it's a good tactic when you're low level to not play different champs all the time. Try to learn a champion before moving on to the next one. If you think you're doing badly with someone just leave him and try another one until you find someone that suits your playstyle. Then play lots of games with him. The reason for that is that in the beginning you want to focus on learning other stuff in game rather than a certain champion. It's better to focus on what your opponents are doing and you can't do that if you think too much about what skill to use and when.

When you think you've mastered a champion and your scores are usually good with him or you just win games with him then you can go on and find a new one.