The Rocket League experience is a roller coaster of emotions. With a new season among us, many players will be looking to climb the competitive ladder, even if the ranked system can be confusing. Keep reading for one tip to rank up in Rocket League Season 5!
For those that don’t know, this soccar (car soccer) phenomenon puts you into 5-minute matches ranging from 1v1 up to 4v4 and everything in between. Literally everything in between. There is ice hockey, basketball, and even game modes with power-ups. One thing remains constant, there are good days and bad days. Great days and terrible days, even.
As with virtually any form of competition, there are three main divisions where the proverbial war is waged – mechanics, strategy, and x-factor. Let’s define each of these.
Mechanics
Rocket League mechanics are constantly evolving. With each new season, seemingly a new mechanic is figured out by the top-level players. Back in the “stone” age, there were half-flips, pinches, and quick aerials. Nowadays, we have wave-dashes, ceiling shots, and flip-resets. Don’t forget about every flavor of flick you can imagine. Musty, Breezi, Reverse-45, and a handful of others.
Deciding you are going to get better at Rocket League’s mechanics can be, frankly, overwhelming. While there are crucial skills for every respective rank, hours of practice towards the wrong mechanic can ultimately leave your win rate unchanged. Unfortunately, this will lead to letdowns, both mentally and in your rank.
Strategy
If mechanics is the ability to move around the pitch, strategy is having the wherewithal to be in the right position. Rocket League strategy lends itself to the old adage, “work smarter not harder.” All things being equal, a player more strategically inclined at Rocket League will prevail over his counterpart. Going further, this player may be able to best a mechanically superior opponent who is lacking in strategic prowess.
A player’s tactical mindset can be improved. There are several guides on areas in Rocket League related to rotation and positioning.
It’s best to make sure that you are keeping your growth in mechanics and strategy with the rank you are attempting to enter. If you are successful, that leaves just one area to consider.
X-Factor
The X-Factor of competition can be many things. It can be something in your control or an external component. Things like weather, location, team chemistry, and a player’s mood are all examples. Even trash talking is an x-factor. And that is exactly where we tie this back into Rocket League.
As you may know, Rocket League has an expansive quick-chat feature. Communication between your teammates or opponents is one or two button presses away. This communication can be anything from critical to unnecessary – counterintuitive even.
Any Rocket League player, new or old, is bound to have a story, or 15, about how they were able to get under the skin of their opponent. Likewise, I’m sure they can also give examples of when they were the one to get tilted and completely thrown off their game. A nicely timed “What a Save!” or “Nice one” can send an otherwise decent player spiraling into silly mistakes and building rage.
Ready for the tip?
Turn it off. Yes, completely disable quick-chat. You won’t believe how much more peaceful and controlled your gaming sessions can be. With one less trigger, your bread and butter, mechanics and strategy, will have fewer hindrances. It’s that simple.
And to address any arguments against turning off quick-chat before they are even brought up, I firmly believe that team quick-chat is, by and large, also a distraction. Noone needs to communicate “Nice shot” and “Thanks” on every goal. On kickoffs, the left or closest person can go on most occasions. Most other quick-chat communications are basically pointless. If you are playing with a friend, you can be in voice chat anyway. Most other situations are able to be dealt with in silence.
For those that insist, there is a setting for team-only quick-chat. This is somewhat of a compromise. Keep in mind, your own teammate can be the biggest trigger if he fits into one of these stereotypes.
Still not a believer? Give it a try for a week. I bet you’ll have fewer episodes of anger and more time to focus on your gameplay. Rocket League is a game like most competitive games or sports. You give yourself the best opportunity to succeed when you are locked in. So turn off the quick-chat and watch how this tip helps you improve in Rocket League more than any one flick or shadow defense trick you’ve tried so far!
What is your highest rank in Rocket League? Share a tip with how to improve your game in the comments below!
