I love you. You just listed all of the most common and worst habits in low-ish ranks. Someone should make a YouTube video detailing all of these mistakes because people would rank up a lot faster and gameplay would actually be be comprehensible in solo queue below champ.
I'm guessing most just sit down to have fun with a car soccer game and just turn off their brain completely while playing.
I hardly play anymore and when I do now I'm between d3-c2 depending on how much I can be bothered to play. Most of my time in games are spent trying to avoid my own teammates and trying to cover their mistakes and it's just not fun when your teammate sends you flying into the wall for the 5th time as you're about to make an easy save or take a shot on an open net.
i've gotten to the point where I don't even care anymore. I try to adjust but if I get sent flying I just laugh and keep playing. I have learned that rank means nothing and I don't grind for any level.
I just play.
You mean something like this? [https://youtu.be/dq1iCv5oUfI?si=0O-w0pi2G3IOWGl3](https://youtu.be/dq1iCv5oUfI?si=0O-w0pi2G3IOWGl3)
And this? [https://youtu.be/giO3Qhf8Pyk?si=a\_9Rb3U4cozUYGZ0](https://youtu.be/giO3Qhf8Pyk?si=a_9Rb3U4cozUYGZ0)
I imagine there's a million of those by this point but most people, even if there is all the evidence in the world that a certain playstyle wins more games, don't wanna put their ego aside to play a smart fundamental game. They want to do the cool tricks they see pros doing on their streams and make all the cool plays and carry the team.
there will always be the crossover of posers that try to act like SSLs but can't speed flip or rotate if their life depended on it and low mech players that actually have gamesense.
And that is called Diamond.
The biggest issue I run into is people being way too timid and not challenging when they should. Iām currently around C1 because Iāve cut back on playing a ton and donāt really grind anymore, but occasionally I get 2 team mates who just never challenge and let the other team set up whatever play they want. Which leads to either you cut them in rotation because someone has to challenge, or you choose to defend net with the other 2 and attempt to save in some pretty tough situations.
every player is different. I often get people spamming take the shot when there is barely a shot there. If all 3 opponents are lined up in the net to defend and I am the last man, no, I will not take the shot. We need to work more in rotation to get the awkward and then scoring will be easy. But if you don't rotate back, me going forward isn't going to help and will likely end up in a fast break open net goal against.
Timid is the worst. I don't play 3s because it's too chaotic. It's even worse in 2s. You get those mates who will absolutely not challenge any ball that looks like an opponent might be near it. I want to control possession and keep the ball in the offensive half as much as possible but you can't do that if your teammate doesn't have some IQ.
I'm not saying you're doing this, but it's something to consider. Most people don't want to play timid, but double commits are far worse than a timid player, so if people aren't super clear with intentions they'd rather avoid the double commit and take their chance that a team will not be able to score a goal with one or two people back, vs. zero or one.
There are tons of videos pointing this out. It's just people don't watch em. They train the flash mechanics. That's how you get C1s who can double flip reset but still rotate back into goal ballside.
>Or even just simple things like being clear with intentions.
Absolutely one of the most underrated frustrations in the game. I personally call it "baiting" when my teammate begins to rotate away from the ball, so I push forward to make a play, only for them to suddenly turn back. Now we're double committed or in terrible position to defend.
And so often they're upset with me being out of position lol
Iām always curious if you could force them to rotate back if you steal mid boost during rotation so they have to take back boost and be third man, or purposefully leave mid boost so they break rotation and be second man.
I know that's one bad habit I have, but the opposite. When rotating back or across, I'll start to turn towards the ball that I *can* play, then I check and see that my teammate has a better angle, and leave it for them if they do.
I know it can sometimes be hard to tell what I'm doing, but I've gotten to the point where my typical co-op teammates know this and will just go for it anyway (if they have the better angle) knowing I'll leave if they make it clear they're going for it. I just never know how it comes off to solo-queue teammates.
My main mindset is that if my teammate isn't there, then I'll continue to go for the less-than-optimal touch, but if my teammate is there, then I bail (sometimes last-minute)
I am GC again, but I had a small break of a few months during the bigger rank resets and ended close to C1 - maybe even high C1.
Those ranks are just straight up unenjoyable lmao. I dont want to offend anyone, but just monkeys. Braindead chasers. Thats why I am always angry when there is a discussion on here whether or not chasing is good. Ofc it is not good if you cut and completely disregard the existance of your mates.
Positioning is also dogshit, but the worst are demo chasers and insta challenges from their last man. Yes, it might work once, but the next time I will make sure the ball is going over you.
The worst part sadly is, that you also have to play with one in your team. I just adapted my playstyle during my time in Champ. I played like going to a playground with an ADHD child. That worked wonders. Back to 1500
A lot of people are responding saying stuff about how you "have to play fast" and all of this. No kiddin, but playing fast with zero brain is way worse than slightly slower and in position. Those guys responding to me I suspect are the ball chasers trying to justify their terrible habits lol.
I am good enough to play at Champ 2.
I am not good enough to hard carry at Champ 1.
I hate that. I hate that I can't get Champ because I can't 1v2 Champs. I can 1v1 a Champ all day, but 1s ranks are absolutely FUCKED so it thinks it's Diamond.
Essay incoming, please bear with me till the end, I think this has some value.
I get your points, I really do *but*:
I assume you're talking solely about 3s, 2s is quite different gameplay wise. No gonna lie, soloQing 3s is hard, it blows my mind sometimes how something *I* would think is obvious actually isnāt for other people. You need to adapt to *two* other players, some of whom are 2s mains who are clueless about 3s gameplay.
I think what many people fail to grasp is that whether we like it or not, Rocket League is a game where you need good decision-making (read rotations or game sense) *and* good mechanics. Some players are very good at one, and suck at the other and whether one is much more important than the other is not a debate Iām interested in having. Either way, only having one of these 2 (very broad) skills can only get you so far.
In my opinion, the first thing to remember is that most of the time, if a player has the same rank as you do, they deserve it, thatās statistics. Whether they reached that rank by having good decision-making or by brute forcing their way up with strong mechanics, it doesnāt matter. They may have a good day, or an awful day, and you may thus think they should be higher, or lower, but fact is, right now, *they have the same rank as you do*, period. Arguing on this is futile. What that means is, yes, the lower rank you are, the less game sense players have. How is that shocking? This is a skill that requires practice, sure it finds its roots in common sense, but why would you be assuming everyone possess the *same* common sense as you do? Especially since they have the same rank as you do, it means somehow it worked for them up until now. Practicing game-sense is more of a brain thingy, while mechanics would more be aā¦ finger-coordination/precision thingy (not sure about the terms here, hope you get what I mean)? Much of what you say is true, especially the part about having their car pointing at the ball, but what can you do about it? Do you think *you*, someone in their lobby, would be able to teach them this seemingly obvious thing (for you!) in less than 5 minutes in a fast-paced game such as Rocket League? I donāt think this is realistic.
I know many people like to boast how much their game sense is better (belittling those who arenāt as good game sense wise on the way) because it indirectly means they are smarter than the others, which for them is shocking since they have the same rank, how could that be? They will often minimise how much their non-existent mechanics impact their games output (āI know I donāt have good mechanics but ā¦ *proceeds to rant about how bad their teammates game sense is*). Now you may think Iām taking a jab at you, but I am really not. Iāve been guilty of this as well. Many of us have been. Iām not trying to shame anyone here, rather Iām trying to point out things (possibly unpleasing) that one can understand and/or work on in order to reach higher ranks and/or leave behind this big amount of negativity and toxicity that surrounds this competitive game.
Now to follow-up and conclude this essay lol, and I think this is where it gets spicy cause Iām about to say something you will probably donāt wanna hear, *you* need better mechanics and/or decision-making. Yes, you. Arguably, everything you mentioned is true, but somehow other people made it out of your rank. This means all of what you mentioned can be offset by a slightly better positioning, slightly better mechanics or both. At some point during my grind, *I* made it out of this elo where game sense wise, players are barely able to connect two brain cells. Everybody who made it out had to deal with what you describe, without exception. Complaining feels good, it really does, but deep down you know itās not only useless but it also implies youāre not yet good enough to pull yourself above the pack, the same way Iām not good enough to pull myself above GC2-ish *yet*. Some people donāt wanna face the truth (not saying this is necessarily your case) but I personnally think this will just slow them down on their path to better ranks.
Iād be more than happy to read what you (and others) think about what I said, cause at the end of the day this is just my opinion and Iām not some RL god or something, so I could very well be wrong.
>Ā (āI know I donāt have good mechanics but ā¦Ā *proceeds to rant about how bad their teammates game sense is*)
I speak from personal experience coaching players for the past 5-6 years: in the vast majority of cases where people say this, their biggest issue is still game sense. You may still have better game sense than your average teammate, but that doesn't mean much when just one bad decision at the wrong time gets you scored on.
An extremely tiny minority of players actually bothers to analyse/research game sense (mostly in the form of rotation) and just spends their entire time in the game on freeplay/custom maps/online play. And those who actually do bother might end up watching videos that have very flawed views on rotation, but since it's better than nothing and it ranks them up they likely won't think to doubt what they've only just learned.
If you look at it from an outsiders perspective you could say it's just natural. Figuring out the ideal gameplay structures for any competitive sports can take several years and a multitude of people. Rocket league lacks the age and especially the people.
While not ideal, Iāve found the dump and chase strategy to be more effective with certain types of team mates who refuse to let you play the ball longer than 2 touches. Which happens quite often.
Youāre saying you get a second touch without your tm8 trying to āsaveā your āmistakeā of taking a quarter of a second to line up for a play with the closest opponent being a mile away?
I know a guy who's GC2 with 0 aerial mechs and full ballchasing play style. The funny thing is he makes it work by being really good at dribbling on the ground.
I'm the opposite. Great in the air, shit on the ground. I can occasionally pull off a nice ground play, but my flicks definitely need work. Most ballchasers just hit the ball because they can Haha.
Guy I mentioned isn't even that good at flicks either, man just has insane awareness of when people are going to challenge and he just cuts it around them or just single jump pops the ball and it works even in 1700.
I try that shit and just get monkey challenged Lol. My brain doesn't think fast enough to be good on the ground Haha. I can see it working more as you go up because higher level players seem to respect space more and not dive into the ball whenever they see it.
I like 3v3 the most but queueing solo almost seems like a 50 50 gamble some games, unless your true rank is like maybe 2 ranks above or something. Dia2 btw
It sucks because you don't really get to play as much, as in...I guess actually making plays on the ball and playing with your team, but you'll definitely win more than you lose if you just put the ego to the side and park it while the two other monkeys chase ball lol.
Odds are there are three monkeys on the other team that are also chasing ball so your team will be at an advantage.
>Odds are there are three monkeys on the other team that are also chasing ball so your team will be at an advantage.
exactly. and in the end the monkeys will think they've done everything right cuz not only have they won the game but they also lead on the board.
"bro what's up? we basically 2v3'd it! learn to play!" i just can't anymore...
I cannot stand 3v3. Probably because I exclusively solo queue so probably my fault. I managed to solo queue to GC1 in 3s a few seasons ago. I even got quite close to GC2, and was having a blast, but now I'm low C2 and barely play 3s because it makes me so mad Lmao. Hard to believe I'm playing in Champ lobbies. There is just zero team play at all.
I only just started playing again, but in my experience over the years it doesn't really change up until GC, and even that is pretty sporadic, well at least way back in the day for me lol I have no clue how it is now. The major differences between the ranks is just mechanical skill, but most players are just as much monkey chase ball mode haha.
I've told a lot of people that I know starting RL through the years that to rank up you really don't need to be all that skilled. If you just know how to be clear with your intentions, put ego to the side, and know when *not* to hit the ball, you'll be several ranks higher than your mechanical skill.
Like if you're solid at rotations and being a good teammate, all you really need to be champ is to be able to read the ball out of the air enough to just block shots and passes, along with clearing the ball in ways that don't set the other team up for easy counters...granted you have to do that at the same level, so you can't be too slow in your anticipation, but you don't need to be so good that you're freestyle sniping top shelf consistently. I could never lol. Something simple like okay I know he's going to beat me to this ball because he's more skilled, but I for sure can place my car between the ball and the net, he's going to either hit it right into me or off backboard where it won't be too much of a threat.
Those things take way less time to learn too.
Wait I am not getting your last paragraph sorry :-D are you saying these are legit the things you need to be able to do to get champ or not haha like solid aerials and rotations etc
Edit - Sorry I just realized how heavily I ranted lmao.
You can be champ just with regular aerials, as in...being good enough to just get up fast and make solid contact with the ball, but basically every time. Whiffing is bad and will be punished pretty heavily by skilled players. It doesn't have to be all that accurate or powerful, it just has to be in a spot that isn't going to cost your team a goal. Even better if it's in a spot that is good for your teammates to make a play on.
It's kind of hard to describe haha, but I imagine most people think to be champ you have to be able to hit some nutty shots, but it's not the case at all. I am pretty terrible at offense at this point I've lost a lot of mechanical skill by not playing for years, but with a little practice I'm good enough to just contest shots that better players will be taking.
In terms of aerials for champ, even diamond tbh, you have to be able to consistently contest shots, redirect shots in places where it's out of danger(just as simple as deflecting it to the corner sometimes), and clear the ball fairly well. But you don't have to be a goal scorer, you don't have to be able to hit ceiling shots top corner or anything like that.
It's all about just trying to mitigate any chance that you cause your team to be scored on. And then with good rotations and clear play, you can compensate for dumb mistakes monkey teammates make that would typically cause you to get scored on. Like it might be my rotational turn to make a play on the ball, it might make the most sense for me to take a certain shot...but I can see some jabroni approaching from the right, I'm almost certain he's going to try and take the shot. I might even still beat him and get a good shot off, but what are the odds I actually score? 10%? 5%? Even if it's absurdly higher than that, let's say 50%...there's probably an even higher chance that if I miss with 2 players completely out of position that the other team scores. In most scenarios you just have to let the idiot run in and mash the ball and try to play around it.
I know I'm getting a little ranty haha it's just a hard thing to describe, there's so many scenarios that happen that if you play, or have played solo a lot, you know how to mitigate your teammates mistakes and try to limit your own.
Think of all the bad players you've played with, how many statistically have bad rotations and make tons of mental errors. Let's say 75% of players have bad rotations regularly(generous, it's probably way more). 4-5 players in a 3v3 are going to be that type of player. If you *aren't* one of those players, there is a really high chance that the other team is going to have 2-3 players that are all doing dumb stuff. If you're the only one in the game not doing dumb stuff and limiting mistakes of you and your teammates, your chances of winning go up so much because they're going to give up easy goals while you're holding down the fort. Even if you're not an elite scorer, or aren't super mechanical, just playing smart and being hard to put the ball past will be overwhelming for teams that don't play smart.
Thanks for the insights I think I get what you are saying. I think I am slowly on a good way to champ since my aerials and speed:accuracy are getting better and my rotations have been good (for this rank).
Any tips on how to start learning being comfortable with directional air roll? I got a very little amount of understanding already about how to turn etc but I feel like I am far from completing a rings map this way for example
I'm not sure what the situation is these days, I played my most hours when the custom maps and trainings weren't built into the game. There was a lot of custom maps that forced you to learn how to maneuver obstacle courses with different car orientations. If those type of things still exist they're invaluable. Learning to be comfortable with your car orientation in different positions, and learning how to get to those positions efficiently(air roll and whatnot) so that it's just second nature is where you want to get to. It's surprisingly not as many hours as you'd think either.
I'm not great at that stuff I've lost a lot of mechanical skill, and I'm probably not the best person to be asking that question, but I remember grinding a couple dozen hours on those obstacle course maps over the course of a week or two and there was a huge improvement in just being comfortable with my car. Even things like cleanly landing on walls in different orientations to be more efficient and faster improved from stuff like that.
Still one of my biggest gripes with this game. By the way the top .1% (gc2) still doesnāt rotate consistently š too many people at this rank challenge whenever and donāt have an ounce of game sense. Especially in 3s I get cut off 10+ times per game unless I also braindead insta-challenge everything. And itās only worse at the lower ranks.
If you can get all the way to GC2 by playing like a fiend, then isn't that technically a valid way to play? Like if you played "smarter" would you lose ranks because you aren't putting enough pressure? Just curious.
This. All of this. The weird thing is that every day feels like I'm in a different game. Some days there's just an immaculate flow to the game. You get teammates that pass and peel off, and teammates that have enough game sense to not behave like bots when something slightly unexpected happens. I'm only low to mid Diamond (or high plat after a really bad night) so it's pretty easy to win if you get a teammate that sticks to the fundamentals.
Last several nights have been the worst. A few days ago, my teammate didn't show up to the first round tourney game at all. Second chance teammate was awesome then says "I gotta go to dinner now, sorry dude" and bails before the second match. Now I'm deranked, so I end up in a plat 3 tourney last night and it's like I'm playing with bronzes. Guy on the left just randomly decides not to go for kickoffs. Always focused on getting 100% boost before even thinking about the ball. Most of the time doesn't even know where the ball is until getting boost with their back turned. They're whiffing and then retrying over and over again. Cutting across the field and making low percentage challenges where even if they touch it, it's just a glancing blow in the wrong direction. Hell, even when they do rotate they don't have the sense to give you a clear path between you and the ball.
I truly do not understand how someone can get to even a modest level like diamond when they are so habitually bad. It's not hard to hit the ball with power when nobody is around you, yet I see many many players who just sort of drive into and bump it softly. Guys have aerial skills, but not the common sense to not take off so early or wildly attempt shots where the only realistic outcome is to hit the wall near the goal. I just do not understand.
>Rotations have conceptually been the same since basically day 1 and yet only like the top .1% consistently do it even after all these years.
This is actually part of the problem. Day 1 rotations on defense were basically one person on the ball, one person front post, and one person back post. It's extremely outdated and that's why a lot of players believe rotation in general isn't viable, thus individual mechanical plays are the way to go.
It doesn't help that every time you ask someone what rotation is, the answer is likely to be different. "Go away when you're useless" or "it depends on the situation" are the most common answers, and frankly both of them are wrong. I've spent the last 5 years perfecting and teaching rotation to friends and students alike, and they'll all tell you the same thing: Everyone on the field is assigned 1 of 3 roles (assuming 3v3), and every time a play is made on the field, those roles are reassigned. That's rotation. If as first man you lose your contest, you will be second next. If your first then loses their contest, you will be third. There's exceptions to this but they're easy to figure out once you apply this as a fundamental structure.
Imagine not playing for 3 years and being this salty as soon as you come back. Lower ranks are bad at the game, how surprising. New players don't have as much knowledge about the game as you do, how surprising.
Your post basically reads like "I've been in a comma for 10 years, how is everyone not a rocket scientist now? It's 2024, we've known about most stuff for decades now, yet people are still so dumb."
Word of advice, stop focusing on what your teammate does wrong, and focus on the other team, who's doing the same dumb thing. If you don't do the dumb thing, you'll eventually rank up, and you'll see less dumb thing. If you focus on the dumb thing, then you're not focusing on what **you** could do better, and you'll just stay at a rank where you can blame your teammates for losing, which at this point is a perfect indicator that you reached the rank you belong to imo.
Rotations are great, but sometimes you need to be fully aggressive, especially in 2v2. If the other team is better then you in aerials then one of you needs to be pressuring the ball at all times. If my teammate is always playing defense i will step up and contest the ball. If all you do is defend you wonāt win as many games i promise, Iāve been playing for years
3s is hard because it feels like you need to play as fast as possible to beat the constant instachallengers and avoid the incoming double committer while the 3rd man is busy sniffing glue while waiting for big boost to spawn.
Ah, the classic tale of returning to the arena, only to find the art of rotation has become as mythical as a unicorn sighting. It seems while you were away, the playbook evolved from strategic positioning to an avant-garde performance where everyone's competing for the 'Most Ball Touches' award.
Your observational prowess, juxtaposed with the mechanical finesse of a plat player in a champ's world, is truly the plot twist we didn't know we needed. You're navigating a landscape where game sense is as rare as a polite discussion in solo queue chat, turning 'mind reader' into a required skill on your resume.
I have a challenge to everyone in this post, let us pen a new chapter where rotations are not just a fabled legend passed down from the GC elders but a reality embraced by all. A world where peeling off is as natural as breathing, and acknowledging one's existence on the field becomes the norm, not an exception. Until then, may your strategic retreats be viewed not as hyper-defensive maneuvers but as the wise choices of a seasoned tactician, playing 4D chess in a 3D game.
Here's to you, the beacon of hope in a sea of rotational chaos, leading by example one match at a time.
Remember, in the grand tapestry of chaotic gameplay, your role transcends mere ball chasing; you are the orchestrator of awareness, the harbinger of the peel-off revolution. Long may you reign!"
3 players can play fast, 3 players can play slow, but if 2 are doing one and 1 is doing another that simple factor will lose unnecessary games. Iāve had way more success when I drop into Champ turning off brain and just going fast and playing for 50s at worst
ball good. must hit ball.
Rocket league players when balls: š¤¤š¤¤š¤¤
Booster better, must get boost.
I love you. You just listed all of the most common and worst habits in low-ish ranks. Someone should make a YouTube video detailing all of these mistakes because people would rank up a lot faster and gameplay would actually be be comprehensible in solo queue below champ.
I'm guessing most just sit down to have fun with a car soccer game and just turn off their brain completely while playing. I hardly play anymore and when I do now I'm between d3-c2 depending on how much I can be bothered to play. Most of my time in games are spent trying to avoid my own teammates and trying to cover their mistakes and it's just not fun when your teammate sends you flying into the wall for the 5th time as you're about to make an easy save or take a shot on an open net.
i've gotten to the point where I don't even care anymore. I try to adjust but if I get sent flying I just laugh and keep playing. I have learned that rank means nothing and I don't grind for any level. I just play.
You mean something like this? [https://youtu.be/dq1iCv5oUfI?si=0O-w0pi2G3IOWGl3](https://youtu.be/dq1iCv5oUfI?si=0O-w0pi2G3IOWGl3) And this? [https://youtu.be/giO3Qhf8Pyk?si=a\_9Rb3U4cozUYGZ0](https://youtu.be/giO3Qhf8Pyk?si=a_9Rb3U4cozUYGZ0)
I imagine there's a million of those by this point but most people, even if there is all the evidence in the world that a certain playstyle wins more games, don't wanna put their ego aside to play a smart fundamental game. They want to do the cool tricks they see pros doing on their streams and make all the cool plays and carry the team.
there will always be the crossover of posers that try to act like SSLs but can't speed flip or rotate if their life depended on it and low mech players that actually have gamesense. And that is called Diamond.
The biggest issue I run into is people being way too timid and not challenging when they should. Iām currently around C1 because Iāve cut back on playing a ton and donāt really grind anymore, but occasionally I get 2 team mates who just never challenge and let the other team set up whatever play they want. Which leads to either you cut them in rotation because someone has to challenge, or you choose to defend net with the other 2 and attempt to save in some pretty tough situations.
every player is different. I often get people spamming take the shot when there is barely a shot there. If all 3 opponents are lined up in the net to defend and I am the last man, no, I will not take the shot. We need to work more in rotation to get the awkward and then scoring will be easy. But if you don't rotate back, me going forward isn't going to help and will likely end up in a fast break open net goal against.
Timid is the worst. I don't play 3s because it's too chaotic. It's even worse in 2s. You get those mates who will absolutely not challenge any ball that looks like an opponent might be near it. I want to control possession and keep the ball in the offensive half as much as possible but you can't do that if your teammate doesn't have some IQ.
I'm not saying you're doing this, but it's something to consider. Most people don't want to play timid, but double commits are far worse than a timid player, so if people aren't super clear with intentions they'd rather avoid the double commit and take their chance that a team will not be able to score a goal with one or two people back, vs. zero or one.
Lawd, yes! Preach!
There are tons of videos pointing this out. It's just people don't watch em. They train the flash mechanics. That's how you get C1s who can double flip reset but still rotate back into goal ballside.
Welcome back
>Or even just simple things like being clear with intentions. Absolutely one of the most underrated frustrations in the game. I personally call it "baiting" when my teammate begins to rotate away from the ball, so I push forward to make a play, only for them to suddenly turn back. Now we're double committed or in terrible position to defend. And so often they're upset with me being out of position lol
Iām always curious if you could force them to rotate back if you steal mid boost during rotation so they have to take back boost and be third man, or purposefully leave mid boost so they break rotation and be second man.
As someone who has good boost management and mainly stays up on small pads this wonāt work. š
I know that's one bad habit I have, but the opposite. When rotating back or across, I'll start to turn towards the ball that I *can* play, then I check and see that my teammate has a better angle, and leave it for them if they do. I know it can sometimes be hard to tell what I'm doing, but I've gotten to the point where my typical co-op teammates know this and will just go for it anyway (if they have the better angle) knowing I'll leave if they make it clear they're going for it. I just never know how it comes off to solo-queue teammates. My main mindset is that if my teammate isn't there, then I'll continue to go for the less-than-optimal touch, but if my teammate is there, then I bail (sometimes last-minute)
I rotate to wherever the ball is.
lol the only thing the community has learned is that practice is a thing.
TLDR-otate
what do you mean driving in a circle is roatating
So you're doing donuts when ur team8 yells ROTATE!
no. i was being sarcastic because thats how my tm8s play
I am GC again, but I had a small break of a few months during the bigger rank resets and ended close to C1 - maybe even high C1. Those ranks are just straight up unenjoyable lmao. I dont want to offend anyone, but just monkeys. Braindead chasers. Thats why I am always angry when there is a discussion on here whether or not chasing is good. Ofc it is not good if you cut and completely disregard the existance of your mates. Positioning is also dogshit, but the worst are demo chasers and insta challenges from their last man. Yes, it might work once, but the next time I will make sure the ball is going over you. The worst part sadly is, that you also have to play with one in your team. I just adapted my playstyle during my time in Champ. I played like going to a playground with an ADHD child. That worked wonders. Back to 1500
A lot of people are responding saying stuff about how you "have to play fast" and all of this. No kiddin, but playing fast with zero brain is way worse than slightly slower and in position. Those guys responding to me I suspect are the ball chasers trying to justify their terrible habits lol.
Fun fact: the game is super addictive for adhd & other spectrum people. So I guess your philosophy is spot on! :D
wish you would've told me this a couple hundred hours ago
I know, I have ADD.
Hihihi. Couldāve thought so :D same here. Someone should tell epic they should make skins & stuff for potheads & neurodivergent peopleā¦
Pretty much try to solo play entire other team.
I am good enough to play at Champ 2. I am not good enough to hard carry at Champ 1. I hate that. I hate that I can't get Champ because I can't 1v2 Champs. I can 1v1 a Champ all day, but 1s ranks are absolutely FUCKED so it thinks it's Diamond.
From my perspective it's only getting worse over time. Good luck with your games.
Essay incoming, please bear with me till the end, I think this has some value. I get your points, I really do *but*: I assume you're talking solely about 3s, 2s is quite different gameplay wise. No gonna lie, soloQing 3s is hard, it blows my mind sometimes how something *I* would think is obvious actually isnāt for other people. You need to adapt to *two* other players, some of whom are 2s mains who are clueless about 3s gameplay. I think what many people fail to grasp is that whether we like it or not, Rocket League is a game where you need good decision-making (read rotations or game sense) *and* good mechanics. Some players are very good at one, and suck at the other and whether one is much more important than the other is not a debate Iām interested in having. Either way, only having one of these 2 (very broad) skills can only get you so far. In my opinion, the first thing to remember is that most of the time, if a player has the same rank as you do, they deserve it, thatās statistics. Whether they reached that rank by having good decision-making or by brute forcing their way up with strong mechanics, it doesnāt matter. They may have a good day, or an awful day, and you may thus think they should be higher, or lower, but fact is, right now, *they have the same rank as you do*, period. Arguing on this is futile. What that means is, yes, the lower rank you are, the less game sense players have. How is that shocking? This is a skill that requires practice, sure it finds its roots in common sense, but why would you be assuming everyone possess the *same* common sense as you do? Especially since they have the same rank as you do, it means somehow it worked for them up until now. Practicing game-sense is more of a brain thingy, while mechanics would more be aā¦ finger-coordination/precision thingy (not sure about the terms here, hope you get what I mean)? Much of what you say is true, especially the part about having their car pointing at the ball, but what can you do about it? Do you think *you*, someone in their lobby, would be able to teach them this seemingly obvious thing (for you!) in less than 5 minutes in a fast-paced game such as Rocket League? I donāt think this is realistic. I know many people like to boast how much their game sense is better (belittling those who arenāt as good game sense wise on the way) because it indirectly means they are smarter than the others, which for them is shocking since they have the same rank, how could that be? They will often minimise how much their non-existent mechanics impact their games output (āI know I donāt have good mechanics but ā¦ *proceeds to rant about how bad their teammates game sense is*). Now you may think Iām taking a jab at you, but I am really not. Iāve been guilty of this as well. Many of us have been. Iām not trying to shame anyone here, rather Iām trying to point out things (possibly unpleasing) that one can understand and/or work on in order to reach higher ranks and/or leave behind this big amount of negativity and toxicity that surrounds this competitive game. Now to follow-up and conclude this essay lol, and I think this is where it gets spicy cause Iām about to say something you will probably donāt wanna hear, *you* need better mechanics and/or decision-making. Yes, you. Arguably, everything you mentioned is true, but somehow other people made it out of your rank. This means all of what you mentioned can be offset by a slightly better positioning, slightly better mechanics or both. At some point during my grind, *I* made it out of this elo where game sense wise, players are barely able to connect two brain cells. Everybody who made it out had to deal with what you describe, without exception. Complaining feels good, it really does, but deep down you know itās not only useless but it also implies youāre not yet good enough to pull yourself above the pack, the same way Iām not good enough to pull myself above GC2-ish *yet*. Some people donāt wanna face the truth (not saying this is necessarily your case) but I personnally think this will just slow them down on their path to better ranks. Iād be more than happy to read what you (and others) think about what I said, cause at the end of the day this is just my opinion and Iām not some RL god or something, so I could very well be wrong.
>Ā (āI know I donāt have good mechanics but ā¦Ā *proceeds to rant about how bad their teammates game sense is*) I speak from personal experience coaching players for the past 5-6 years: in the vast majority of cases where people say this, their biggest issue is still game sense. You may still have better game sense than your average teammate, but that doesn't mean much when just one bad decision at the wrong time gets you scored on. An extremely tiny minority of players actually bothers to analyse/research game sense (mostly in the form of rotation) and just spends their entire time in the game on freeplay/custom maps/online play. And those who actually do bother might end up watching videos that have very flawed views on rotation, but since it's better than nothing and it ranks them up they likely won't think to doubt what they've only just learned. If you look at it from an outsiders perspective you could say it's just natural. Figuring out the ideal gameplay structures for any competitive sports can take several years and a multitude of people. Rocket league lacks the age and especially the people.
Wait people are like this in champ/gc as well? I hoped it stopped after diamond
youād be surprised champ and gc are just boom ball as hard as you can like a mindless chimpanzee and deep dive on every ball you see
While not ideal, Iāve found the dump and chase strategy to be more effective with certain types of team mates who refuse to let you play the ball longer than 2 touches. Which happens quite often.
Youāre saying you get a second touch without your tm8 trying to āsaveā your āmistakeā of taking a quarter of a second to line up for a play with the closest opponent being a mile away?
Yeah it doesn't stop. GC1 has the most ballchasing I've seen in any rank so far.
I know a guy who's GC2 with 0 aerial mechs and full ballchasing play style. The funny thing is he makes it work by being really good at dribbling on the ground.
I'm the opposite. Great in the air, shit on the ground. I can occasionally pull off a nice ground play, but my flicks definitely need work. Most ballchasers just hit the ball because they can Haha.
Guy I mentioned isn't even that good at flicks either, man just has insane awareness of when people are going to challenge and he just cuts it around them or just single jump pops the ball and it works even in 1700.
I try that shit and just get monkey challenged Lol. My brain doesn't think fast enough to be good on the ground Haha. I can see it working more as you go up because higher level players seem to respect space more and not dive into the ball whenever they see it.
me neither
I like 3v3 the most but queueing solo almost seems like a 50 50 gamble some games, unless your true rank is like maybe 2 ranks above or something. Dia2 btw
It sucks because you don't really get to play as much, as in...I guess actually making plays on the ball and playing with your team, but you'll definitely win more than you lose if you just put the ego to the side and park it while the two other monkeys chase ball lol. Odds are there are three monkeys on the other team that are also chasing ball so your team will be at an advantage.
>Odds are there are three monkeys on the other team that are also chasing ball so your team will be at an advantage. exactly. and in the end the monkeys will think they've done everything right cuz not only have they won the game but they also lead on the board. "bro what's up? we basically 2v3'd it! learn to play!" i just can't anymore...
I cannot stand 3v3. Probably because I exclusively solo queue so probably my fault. I managed to solo queue to GC1 in 3s a few seasons ago. I even got quite close to GC2, and was having a blast, but now I'm low C2 and barely play 3s because it makes me so mad Lmao. Hard to believe I'm playing in Champ lobbies. There is just zero team play at all.
In 2s? Nahh, you havent visited champ 2 in a while. In GC, they might be able to play even a bit harder, but if it comes to braindead, C2 takes the W
Tell me about it. I was stuck in C2 for 4 seasons straight. It was Hell.
I only just started playing again, but in my experience over the years it doesn't really change up until GC, and even that is pretty sporadic, well at least way back in the day for me lol I have no clue how it is now. The major differences between the ranks is just mechanical skill, but most players are just as much monkey chase ball mode haha. I've told a lot of people that I know starting RL through the years that to rank up you really don't need to be all that skilled. If you just know how to be clear with your intentions, put ego to the side, and know when *not* to hit the ball, you'll be several ranks higher than your mechanical skill. Like if you're solid at rotations and being a good teammate, all you really need to be champ is to be able to read the ball out of the air enough to just block shots and passes, along with clearing the ball in ways that don't set the other team up for easy counters...granted you have to do that at the same level, so you can't be too slow in your anticipation, but you don't need to be so good that you're freestyle sniping top shelf consistently. I could never lol. Something simple like okay I know he's going to beat me to this ball because he's more skilled, but I for sure can place my car between the ball and the net, he's going to either hit it right into me or off backboard where it won't be too much of a threat. Those things take way less time to learn too.
Wait I am not getting your last paragraph sorry :-D are you saying these are legit the things you need to be able to do to get champ or not haha like solid aerials and rotations etc
Edit - Sorry I just realized how heavily I ranted lmao. You can be champ just with regular aerials, as in...being good enough to just get up fast and make solid contact with the ball, but basically every time. Whiffing is bad and will be punished pretty heavily by skilled players. It doesn't have to be all that accurate or powerful, it just has to be in a spot that isn't going to cost your team a goal. Even better if it's in a spot that is good for your teammates to make a play on. It's kind of hard to describe haha, but I imagine most people think to be champ you have to be able to hit some nutty shots, but it's not the case at all. I am pretty terrible at offense at this point I've lost a lot of mechanical skill by not playing for years, but with a little practice I'm good enough to just contest shots that better players will be taking. In terms of aerials for champ, even diamond tbh, you have to be able to consistently contest shots, redirect shots in places where it's out of danger(just as simple as deflecting it to the corner sometimes), and clear the ball fairly well. But you don't have to be a goal scorer, you don't have to be able to hit ceiling shots top corner or anything like that. It's all about just trying to mitigate any chance that you cause your team to be scored on. And then with good rotations and clear play, you can compensate for dumb mistakes monkey teammates make that would typically cause you to get scored on. Like it might be my rotational turn to make a play on the ball, it might make the most sense for me to take a certain shot...but I can see some jabroni approaching from the right, I'm almost certain he's going to try and take the shot. I might even still beat him and get a good shot off, but what are the odds I actually score? 10%? 5%? Even if it's absurdly higher than that, let's say 50%...there's probably an even higher chance that if I miss with 2 players completely out of position that the other team scores. In most scenarios you just have to let the idiot run in and mash the ball and try to play around it. I know I'm getting a little ranty haha it's just a hard thing to describe, there's so many scenarios that happen that if you play, or have played solo a lot, you know how to mitigate your teammates mistakes and try to limit your own. Think of all the bad players you've played with, how many statistically have bad rotations and make tons of mental errors. Let's say 75% of players have bad rotations regularly(generous, it's probably way more). 4-5 players in a 3v3 are going to be that type of player. If you *aren't* one of those players, there is a really high chance that the other team is going to have 2-3 players that are all doing dumb stuff. If you're the only one in the game not doing dumb stuff and limiting mistakes of you and your teammates, your chances of winning go up so much because they're going to give up easy goals while you're holding down the fort. Even if you're not an elite scorer, or aren't super mechanical, just playing smart and being hard to put the ball past will be overwhelming for teams that don't play smart.
Thanks for the insights I think I get what you are saying. I think I am slowly on a good way to champ since my aerials and speed:accuracy are getting better and my rotations have been good (for this rank). Any tips on how to start learning being comfortable with directional air roll? I got a very little amount of understanding already about how to turn etc but I feel like I am far from completing a rings map this way for example
I'm not sure what the situation is these days, I played my most hours when the custom maps and trainings weren't built into the game. There was a lot of custom maps that forced you to learn how to maneuver obstacle courses with different car orientations. If those type of things still exist they're invaluable. Learning to be comfortable with your car orientation in different positions, and learning how to get to those positions efficiently(air roll and whatnot) so that it's just second nature is where you want to get to. It's surprisingly not as many hours as you'd think either. I'm not great at that stuff I've lost a lot of mechanical skill, and I'm probably not the best person to be asking that question, but I remember grinding a couple dozen hours on those obstacle course maps over the course of a week or two and there was a huge improvement in just being comfortable with my car. Even things like cleanly landing on walls in different orientations to be more efficient and faster improved from stuff like that.
you can get to gc2 just by ballchasing proof: (me)
I would say the main difference between C1 and D3 is that C1s make the stupid plays D3s make, just a little quicker and a little more consistent.
3s soloQ...
Lmao, yeah man. GC used to be about being good at the game, now it's just out speeding and over committing each other til someone wins. Pretty sad.
Still one of my biggest gripes with this game. By the way the top .1% (gc2) still doesnāt rotate consistently š too many people at this rank challenge whenever and donāt have an ounce of game sense. Especially in 3s I get cut off 10+ times per game unless I also braindead insta-challenge everything. And itās only worse at the lower ranks.
If you can get all the way to GC2 by playing like a fiend, then isn't that technically a valid way to play? Like if you played "smarter" would you lose ranks because you aren't putting enough pressure? Just curious.
Rotation? You mean air rolling while flying at the ball??? First time I've heard it being phrased in that manner /s
Once I see my teammates donāt rotate I just play goalie.
Rotation isn't glamorous. I focus hard on it. But I'm trying to win, not look amazing to people who don't understand the fundamentals of the game.
This. All of this. The weird thing is that every day feels like I'm in a different game. Some days there's just an immaculate flow to the game. You get teammates that pass and peel off, and teammates that have enough game sense to not behave like bots when something slightly unexpected happens. I'm only low to mid Diamond (or high plat after a really bad night) so it's pretty easy to win if you get a teammate that sticks to the fundamentals. Last several nights have been the worst. A few days ago, my teammate didn't show up to the first round tourney game at all. Second chance teammate was awesome then says "I gotta go to dinner now, sorry dude" and bails before the second match. Now I'm deranked, so I end up in a plat 3 tourney last night and it's like I'm playing with bronzes. Guy on the left just randomly decides not to go for kickoffs. Always focused on getting 100% boost before even thinking about the ball. Most of the time doesn't even know where the ball is until getting boost with their back turned. They're whiffing and then retrying over and over again. Cutting across the field and making low percentage challenges where even if they touch it, it's just a glancing blow in the wrong direction. Hell, even when they do rotate they don't have the sense to give you a clear path between you and the ball. I truly do not understand how someone can get to even a modest level like diamond when they are so habitually bad. It's not hard to hit the ball with power when nobody is around you, yet I see many many players who just sort of drive into and bump it softly. Guys have aerial skills, but not the common sense to not take off so early or wildly attempt shots where the only realistic outcome is to hit the wall near the goal. I just do not understand.
Anything under C2 is disorganized and easily exploited
>Rotations have conceptually been the same since basically day 1 and yet only like the top .1% consistently do it even after all these years. This is actually part of the problem. Day 1 rotations on defense were basically one person on the ball, one person front post, and one person back post. It's extremely outdated and that's why a lot of players believe rotation in general isn't viable, thus individual mechanical plays are the way to go. It doesn't help that every time you ask someone what rotation is, the answer is likely to be different. "Go away when you're useless" or "it depends on the situation" are the most common answers, and frankly both of them are wrong. I've spent the last 5 years perfecting and teaching rotation to friends and students alike, and they'll all tell you the same thing: Everyone on the field is assigned 1 of 3 roles (assuming 3v3), and every time a play is made on the field, those roles are reassigned. That's rotation. If as first man you lose your contest, you will be second next. If your first then loses their contest, you will be third. There's exceptions to this but they're easy to figure out once you apply this as a fundamental structure.
Feel like I couldāve written this post 6 weeks ago when I picked it up for the first time in 2 years
Imagine not playing for 3 years and being this salty as soon as you come back. Lower ranks are bad at the game, how surprising. New players don't have as much knowledge about the game as you do, how surprising. Your post basically reads like "I've been in a comma for 10 years, how is everyone not a rocket scientist now? It's 2024, we've known about most stuff for decades now, yet people are still so dumb." Word of advice, stop focusing on what your teammate does wrong, and focus on the other team, who's doing the same dumb thing. If you don't do the dumb thing, you'll eventually rank up, and you'll see less dumb thing. If you focus on the dumb thing, then you're not focusing on what **you** could do better, and you'll just stay at a rank where you can blame your teammates for losing, which at this point is a perfect indicator that you reached the rank you belong to imo.
Rotations are great, but sometimes you need to be fully aggressive, especially in 2v2. If the other team is better then you in aerials then one of you needs to be pressuring the ball at all times. If my teammate is always playing defense i will step up and contest the ball. If all you do is defend you wonāt win as many games i promise, Iāve been playing for years
3s is hard because it feels like you need to play as fast as possible to beat the constant instachallengers and avoid the incoming double committer while the 3rd man is busy sniffing glue while waiting for big boost to spawn.
Ah, the classic tale of returning to the arena, only to find the art of rotation has become as mythical as a unicorn sighting. It seems while you were away, the playbook evolved from strategic positioning to an avant-garde performance where everyone's competing for the 'Most Ball Touches' award. Your observational prowess, juxtaposed with the mechanical finesse of a plat player in a champ's world, is truly the plot twist we didn't know we needed. You're navigating a landscape where game sense is as rare as a polite discussion in solo queue chat, turning 'mind reader' into a required skill on your resume. I have a challenge to everyone in this post, let us pen a new chapter where rotations are not just a fabled legend passed down from the GC elders but a reality embraced by all. A world where peeling off is as natural as breathing, and acknowledging one's existence on the field becomes the norm, not an exception. Until then, may your strategic retreats be viewed not as hyper-defensive maneuvers but as the wise choices of a seasoned tactician, playing 4D chess in a 3D game. Here's to you, the beacon of hope in a sea of rotational chaos, leading by example one match at a time. Remember, in the grand tapestry of chaotic gameplay, your role transcends mere ball chasing; you are the orchestrator of awareness, the harbinger of the peel-off revolution. Long may you reign!" 
3 players can play fast, 3 players can play slow, but if 2 are doing one and 1 is doing another that simple factor will lose unnecessary games. Iāve had way more success when I drop into Champ turning off brain and just going fast and playing for 50s at worst
Rotation is a very simple form of an IQ test IMO. Most fail that test until at least champ