That doesn’t sound quite right to me… rotations are all about leveraging micro advantages to apply macro pressure across the map, which is something you can definitely do in tiers lower than 10s…
It sounds like you and colton might be describing something different with the word “rotation”? What kind of rotations are you referring to, specifically?
It’s still a thing, technically, but we’ve all been really busy, so it’s been hard to write/produce much. A few of the BM writers were college students and got swept up in school work, but a lot of us are working professionals, and just trying to squeak BM work into already full schedules. Hopefully we’ll get back to it at some point, because it’s a lot of fun, and we have a lot of brands in the fire, but we’ll see. I think if anyone wanted to take up that content space though - the mid-to-high-tier critical analysis written guide space - there’s still plenty of audience for it. And, standing offer, if anyone needs graphics or video stuff for something they’d like to do, I’m willing to help out.
By rotations I mean when to go to X lane, when to invade the jungle, which dragon at which time… If top is pressured we can go not so they can’t protect both… All of this. You can do it in t6, but if this doesn’t happen even in VGB, how would that exist in t6? I have played in multiple smurfs, so I have a good idea of how are the low tier matches.
That tactic was done by gankstars against PQQ a long time ago. Are you telling me that old rotation that isn’t even 5v5 exclusive is what shows the macro play 5v5 players like to brag about?
That’s not something you would need to be proud off. In the past Catherine’s ultimate being blocked was given for granted.
On topic about guides: making guides in the past has been a difficult task because they’ve been changing how the map played multiple times.
@HipsterSkaarf about Excoundrel, his guides may be outdated already judging by the time they were done and that he no longer uploads VG content.
Im responding of accusations that blocking abilities is not normal anymore in tier 9-10, which, it definitely still is. No ones bragging, just correcting facts.
Again, no one is bragging about a lane swap. But the statement “there is no rotations below VG silver”, that’s obviously not the case.
In my experience it is, I barely see any rotation.
You’re probably both right, in a way. It’s less likely that lower tier players will use rotations to capitalize on enemy mistakes and create future opportunities, i.e., knowing exactly when to take dragons or make a 4/5-player push on a specific lane… Good rotations in lower tiers are probably more often defensive, that is, reading the map to know where enemy pressure is most likely, and rotating to absorb that pressure.
Peoples views on the playerbase is purely anecdotal here. You saying you have a good soloq experience and vak saying they have a bad soloq experience are both fine, neither right nor wrong as people get different experiences. Just as you see players utilise rb the opposite of it being poorly used can be true for Vaks experience, so no it’s not “just correcting facts” when it’s seems more disregarding ones experience. The things mentioned by others that make soloq bad may not be the case for you, but the same can be said that the things you find fun and decent in soloq is not the case for them.
Experience is subjective, but average player skill in a given tier is not. If I said the average player below tier 10 does not know how to basic attack, that would be false.
Saying something like most tier 10s don’t know how to reflex block is also false.
You are stating your opinion as established fact. It’s not — it’s your opinion.
Please stop arguing that your opinion is the correct one simply because it’s yours. It’s exhausting.
You don’t know that for certain tho, many people have many different accounts of how each tier and section act. As said everyone’s experience is different, in the end both is neither right nor wrong.
Party queue has been the way since patch 3.1, regardless of player base size when you get to high mmr you’re gonna face parties whilst playing solo and you’re gonna suffer.
For the record, just so people who may not play the game as much anymore really understand how bad it is. 10 days ago I was 2540 in 5v5 ranked. Today I am 2429. No, I haven’t gotten worse. No, I haven’t trolled. Yes, the talent of the player base is just that bad. I understand I’m expressing an opinion, but as someone who’s in the NA top 20 for wins this season, I have a lot of strong evidence and data to support my case.
Solo queue is nearly impossible. I am easily (if this sounds cocky, so be it, but I wish I had screenshots to show you all ) the in the top 3, usually the best, player in the game. I’ve lost probably 20 matches in a row now I’d say, and around 15-16 of those I have the best KDA out of ALL TEN players and am top 3 in gold, despite being on losing teams that lose the gold battle by around 5-10k.
Before this streak started, I would party queue at times. We’d win games quite handedly, sometimes in the range of 34-6, I’d casually go 8/0/5 with Ylva or whom ever, and we’d move on. Granted, I have tried some off META heroes lately (Varya, Fortress, Rona) to spice things up, but I still play very well (just loss one now as Rona going 4/2/4 and having the most gold on team - we got spanked. Bad).
I’m telling you, @coltonJW, the level of play right now is extremely poor by competitive MOBA standards. I’ve been around the block once or twice. The lack of map awareness, questionable build paths, etc, makes it so party queue is essential if you want to consistently climb ranks.
I will say this, and perhaps this belongs more in @hazeleyes “missing piece” thread - I do believe the lackluster UI, progression system, and poor functioning social system is why the players are “so bad.” How does this impact skillful gameplay? Good question. It doesn’t BUT - when you have a lot of MOBA enthusiasts who dabbled with VG while playing Dota2 and LoL, and then VG gets objectively worse over time with the overall environment of game, ALL those players leave, there are fewer content creators, fewer tournaments for players to watch and learn, and you’re leff with a far inferior play base than you had before. 
I climb to t10 every season by solo queing mostly. But unfortunately you are right. Solo q feels even worse to me, feels like a lot of bad t10 exist now. By bad I mean ones who lack common understanding of macropplay. Dropped from 2470 to 2404 in 2 days. I’ve only been playing VG for a few seasons but I always felt like I wasn’t good enough to be t10. But this season has changed it, sooooo many worse t10 than me exist now… So partying is in fact almost necessary.
Also if OP or any of you in EU. Would love to play.