Project Space Final; lol

Professor Pessin 

English 114B

11 May 2012

League of Legends 

Space is required in all kinds virtual games in order for  characters to move further within the game. When speaking of space, it’s not only the restricted area a character is allowed, or the surroundings in the games, but space also works as a factor that determines whether it’s a victory or a loss. Most times in video games there are set boundaries a player can and can’t pass, if there were no boundaries the process of finishing the game will be much longer, that is because there  are no set guidelines a player must follow. The surrounding within the game is also a key part, because it allows the game to be more realistic. Then there is the kind of space where the player has to push through in order to win the game. The computer game, League of Legends, needs these different types of space for the game to function. Space occupies by setting boundaries that are known as "lanes," space also occupies the games by filling the surroundings according to the theme. A different way of occupying space within this game is particularly important because in order to achieve the ultimate goal a team must push their boundaries, meaning space. Although, space plays different roles in the game, space itself is necessary for the game to be successful. 

This particular computer game, League of Legends was created by Riot Games and it was first announced in October 7th 2008. The basics of this game included: two opposing teams, within those teams there are three to five individual characters, which the players chose. The game starts as both teams are on different sides, on what is known as a “Nexus.” The main goal of the game is to destroy the opponent's Nexus first, however in order to do that the players must destroy the opposing team’s towers, known in the game as “turrets.” Each players pick or are assigned a place in the map which they must protect and guard. But the plus side about this game is there are “minions” that follow each characters around to help out, other than that players can kill the opponents “minions” to get money. Once all the turrets on the lanes are destroyed the team can proceed to the “Nexus” where there are more turrets, finally when all those are destroyed as well one last main base has to be demolished a team has won. There are two game types in League of Legends, one is called Dominion here the players are playing capture and hold game, the teams don’t physically destroy the nexus but rather by killing each enemy weakens it. The classic mode is more of a base defense type go game , where each team push through to physically  destroy the opponents nexus. The open space and the forest atmosphere lives after the name “rift” and the call for destroying the base is why its named “summoner.”

Classic is the game type that fit well with this specific project because  the space in the video that the characters can and cannot occupy gives the players a more advantage  to finish first. The Summoner’s Rift map has three lanes --top lane, middle lane, and bottom lane-- players pick which lane they want to stand over. The lanes are not long in distance and aren’t wide either. Having lanes, rather than have each characters scatter where ever they pleased, makes it more organized. The narrow lanes can be used as a technique because that way all the characters are not all fighting in one spot on the map. The players can keep track of which turrets have been destroyed and which to protect. This can work to a teams advantage as a strategic move. Another benefit from having lanes is they lead directly to the Nexus, a lot of the times  turrets are dismantled in order from the farthest turrets to the one closest to the Nexus. The lanes aren’t necessarily straight and they also have spots characters can step out to, to raise their life. All these aspects of the lanes help each team out by making the game more organized. If they weren’t there it would be more difficult because there would be more space that the characters will need to occupy. 

The surroundings within the game, like mentioned earlier, creates an atmosphere where the players feels more in the game. In Summoner’s Rift, the space in the game has a medieval look to it. Some part of the map is covered with trees, rocks, water, etc. These parts of the map the characters can’t go in, these are the boundaries they are restricted from going because it’s outside the lanes. To guide the characters, statues, rocks, bushes, and trees are planted along the side. There are special bushes and planted which the players can hide in and raise their life, while in the these bushes this player is not visible to other players. These are beneficial because it allows time for weaker players to recover. The surrounding doesn’t look civilized, after all it is suppose to be a rift. Statues along the side and on the team’s nexus don’t look like humans build them -- which explains why the characters aren’t human but creatures of some sort. Along the way to the Nexus there are hidden monsters in cul de sac, in which  you can kill for money. They don’t necessarily occupy space in the lanes itself but in the sides. By the way these monster occupy their own space, means that they serve an important role in winning the game. When characters are destroying these monster they earn money, which they can use to to buy items to improve the performances of their characters. That can help in the long run, because towards the end when all the players are the opponent's base it will be harder to hide away to recover. The space in the Nexus are wide open unlike the lanes. The surrounding of this game allows the player feel as if they’re in the game, moreover in a rift.  The space that occupies the game as in  the surrounding is important to the game because since its feels more realistic to the player it will make them motivated and determined to win.

The last way space occupies League of Legend is by pushing through the lanes will mean victory to the team. In order for the game to be successful each team start on their Nexus from there they rush to push to the opponent’s Nexus, but for that to happen they destroy each turret that’s on the lane only then can they proceed to the next turret. However, a team can only go on the base if they have demolished all the opponent’s turrets. Space is used  because when the team demolish a turret it create less space between them from the opponents base as they push throughout the lanes. That is good news to the team with the least space. However it creates more space to travel when a character dies and is sent back to their home base, but setting that aside theyre that much closer too defeating the other team.

Since, space is used to occupy show dominance in the game, it can also be used as a territory for the powerful ones. Like mentioned before monsters have their own space in the lanes for this reason they benefit and reward the characters, only if they kill them. The monsters having their own space in the lane means that they are powerful enough to create that space for themselves. The bushes on the sides of the lanes, have their own space, where the character isnt restricted from going only because they have the ability to allow the weakening character to be invisible to others while recovering. The little minions that follow the characters take up space as they respond every five seconds, which can be a little tough because the player must time very well and be precise with their next moves. These minions’ purpose are to help each character while fighting or characters gain money after killing a minion. They’re included in the game and they take space as they follow the character around because they serve a purpose and are there for help. This type of space is important because it helps the character get better that way they have more strength to go on with the game.  

Another method that space is used to show dominance is how space that the base occupies versus the space of the lanes, is more open and spacious that is because thats where the final fight happens. Once the team has dismantled all the opponents turrets in the lanes they can proceed to the their nexus where more turrets are located. Only when all the turrets are destroyed  can they destroy the main and the biggest turret. When the biggest turret is gone the team that destroyed has reach the goal of the game, which is to be the first team to ruin the base. The base occupies a larger space than the lanes because that’s where the last battle happens. This is when all the characters are together fighting, a lot of  commotion happens at the base. Champion’s lives are precious at this point because since its a bigger space it is harder to go out of the way to the bushes to recover. At this point of the game  most if not all the monsters, with the ability to give you money to better the characters, are dead they died along the way as the champions head to the nexus. Because of all that, the champions’ lives are more crucial while being in the base than the lanes. The tense and fighting builds up as each team push and create the space between them to the base smaller. When there is no more space and both teams are on the base the fights are faster so is ruining the turrets. The climax of the game happens at this point, therefore going back to why the base occupies more space than the lanes. 

In practically all kind of games, space play a role to advance the game and achieve the goal. Whether by changing up the space surroundings by the theme, or by setting boundaries where a character can and cannot go, or perhaps by pushing through. In the computer game League of Legends created by the Riot Games, each team destroys one another’s turrets to defeat them, but this is only possible because space is taking place in the game. In Summoner’s Rift the map is only occupied wit three lanes per team, which restricts them from wandering around too much. By changing the surroundings according to the theme it allows player to feel in side the game. As the space decrease and the more turrets a team destroy the closer they get to the base.  All three ways of occupying space in this computer game all lead up to, what brings happiness to the players, the victory.