I have picked up TeamFight Tactics recently and have played it with a few friends this quarter.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with TeamFight Tactics, Teamfight Tactics is an auto-battler game developed and published by Riot Games, released as a spin-off of League of Legends. In TFT, players compete against seven others in a strategic battle to be the last player standing. The game involves purchasing and upgrading champions from a randomized pool using in-game currency, then placing them on a hexagonal battlefield where they fight automatically. TFT is available on PC and mobile devices (iOS and Android) with cross-platform play.
As for first impressions of TFT, I thought the game was flashy and a little overwhelming because there were alot of buttons. The tutorial was also pretty unhelpful and even understanding the idea that melee characters should be in the front and ranged characters should be in the back wasn’t enough to fully play the game. After awhile, I got to learn more about different synergies, but even when I was collecting characters of the same type, I would lose to other players which made me frustrated. I asked a friend for some tips and also how to better play the game and he suggested that I follow some guides. While this made the game less dependent on my thoughts, it did lead to more wins. I think overtime, these guides have helped me get a sense of the game and has also helped me understand the meta better.
For things I enjoy about TFT. I like the art and the energy of the game. It feels fun to play with all of the sound effects and the carousel. The cosmetics and purchasable are pretty and I can tell why people are willing to pay money for them. The game is also alittle addicting. It feels good to roll the champions that you need and to even level up your champions. Theres many strategies that you can play in the game. For example, you can fast roll, you can prioritize leveling, you can slow roll, and much more depending on your build.
As for criticisms, I find it pretty difficult to do well without a guide, especially as someone who is relatively new to the game. I think guides aren’t a terrible thing though, but it gets tough when everyone is after the same champions as there is a set pool of champions that everyone is competing for . I think guides also helps to build intuition for the game, but an overreliance on them could cause players to miss the core mechanics needed to succeed in the game and create very similar playstyles amongst players. The game does not do a very good job of teaching these skills though and the text instructions make it hard. When I first played, I joined at the end of a set. Two weeks later, everything changed in the game. I think that this is also a cool but scary element in TFT, especially for new players.
It’s awesome to hear about your journey with TeamFight Tactics! Your post offers a well-rounded perspective on the game, capturing both its appeal and challenges. TFT’s vibrant art and engaging gameplay mechanics can indeed be overwhelming at first, especially with the multitude of options and strategies to consider. Your point about the initial difficulty and the reliance on guides resonates with many new players. Guides can certainly help navigate the game’s complexities, but as you mentioned, they might also hinder the development of personal strategies and creativity.
The dynamic nature of TFT, with frequent updates and changes, adds an extra layer of both excitement and challenge, making it a continuously evolving experience. Your enjoyment of the game’s art, sound effects, and strategic depth highlights why TFT is so captivating for many. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and providing valuable insights for other players who might be considering picking up the game! Keep having fun and experimenting with different strategies!
Hi Phuc!
I agree that the game was quite overwhelming on first play, but I do really like the art style and how fast the game is, even though it takes a decent amount of playing to get used to it. I also didn’t really like the fact that newer players have to rely on guides to win, but I think your perspective on how it still makes you a better player makes a lot of sense, since I definitely have a better grasp of the game now. Anyways, I really enjoyed reading your blog post!
Okay, this makes me feel a bit vindicated. Even you who has been playing this game for a reasonable amount of time still needs guides and other things. The game is a spreadsheet simulator I swear to god. It’s almost like the same mechanisms which drive enjoyment in the game of poker, where you make EV/probability decisions except scaled up with 100 different mechanics and also you don’t even get the gratification of money. I didn’t actually pay much mind to the visual distinction of the game, but since I played league of legends for a while, it was sort of nostalgic at least for me to see all of the various champions.
Hi Phuc! You make a great point about guides being good for being intuition but having the drawback of overreliance preventing new players from learning core mechanics for themselves. Your comment about them making the game “less reliant on your thoughts” resonated with me as well. I know for me personally, once I know a significant meta exists for a game and that guides to it are out there, it seems silly *not* to use them knowing I may be performing worse than I could be as a result… but it always feels to me like some personal expression is taken out of a game when everyone follows the meta.