Currently playing - League of Legends

I've been hunting for a fresh new game lately and I've happened upon one called League Of Legends.

It's another multiplayer online game, where you team up with a group of other people to battle on a map inspired by the Defence of the Ancients map in a game I've never played. In essence, it's a symmetrical map with 3 lanes between bases in the southwest and northeast corners. The objective, as with most battle games, is to destroy your opponents' base.

The usual game has 5 players vs 5 players, although the game allows bots (automated players with significant skill) to replace players. I've not actually played a player v player battle yet, just 5 people vs 5 bots. There are automated minions helping out as well.

Hey ! I'm rubbish talking about a game I've not talked much. Here's a link to a Youtube special by Totalbiscuit that'll tell you all about this one.

(Danger Will Robinson - watching Totalbiscuit videos provokes extreme risk of playing game. He has an infectious love of gaming that is nudging me close to buying Starcraft II)

If you like the look of LoL or have been caught by TB's infectious style, then there's a referral link by the vid. Plus here's mine : http://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4d7fe41855512627466898. Or I'm on there as VRIceangel.

I tend to need a bit of variation in my gaming and LoL is the current variation of choice. It does help that LoL is completely free, with funding coming through microtransactions. You buy stuff in their store through IP which you get through playing or RP which you buy with credit cards. All of the bits that affect in game play can be bought through IP, with RP allowing a shortcut for the impatient rich. Some stuff is RP only but that tends to be bundles or character skins that have no impact in game.

I will probably drop some money into this game at some point. It offers that rare combination of Simplicity of gameplay + Depth offered by the many different playable champions.

I still go for too much Warcraft, however Warcraft can tend to become a bit of a grind. Now I have a powerful main character, I've been levelling up others with a priest and warrior now approaching that maximum level. It's curious, before the current expansion I was always quite wary when playing my most powerful character. Now, Ice feels like a God. Mind you, that's probably from how overpowered the characters become between the level caps of the 3 expansions we've seen so far.

Hmm. I feel the need to see what Tristana the Megling Gunner can do. Think little halfling type girl carrying around a cannon that's bigger than she is. That's my current favourite LoL character :-)

Yes - League of Legends is proving a decent distraction so far.

PS TB mentions what the players can be like in online games. Believe every letter of this. Where adrenaline is involved, any pretense of tact tends to fly out of the window with the teddies from the pram. There can be some highly offensive people playing these games, even before the adrenaline takes hold. Think of what the behaviour standard can be on the road, then translate the very worst White Van Man into someone abusing you over the in game chat. Not for the faint hearted and definitely Do Not Use a true name in free for all internet gaming.
(should also note - I have seen minimal unpleasantness so far)

PS2 The PS above has a contrast though. If you do find a good group of online gamers to join in with, it amplifies the enjoyment you get considerably. The Mercs were a decent bunch before Pro Gaming took hold and even though I'm on an Eve break, I still keep up with the Volition Cult boys. The Violence Reborn people are just awesome, I've happily posted my Facebook link on their forums ...