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esports
Rocket League: 10 tips for beginners starting out!
Are you just starting Rocket League or have you been playing for a while and want to improve? We'll help you get started and give you tips to help you get ahead.
Rocket League recently celebrated its 8th anniversary and the hype around the game is bigger than ever. The game principle sounds simple at first: short 3vs3 matches with flying cars that have to shoot an oversized ball into the opponent's goal. But as is often the case, the devil is in the detail: perfecting Rocket League requires a lot of time and targeted training. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
01
Controller or mouse & keyboard?
First of all, you should decide whether you want to start with a controller or mouse & keyboard (MnK). A controller has some advantages over MnK, and most players find it much easier to control the game precisely with a gamepad. Even among professionals, the controller is clearly favoured, with very few using MnK. Many appreciate the advantages in movement that a 360° stick brings over the four buttons.
After all, the pro "Fruity" became European champion in 2019 with MnK. The differences are not so crucial in the end, what is important is that it feels right for you. You should however commit to one control method, this way you avoid losing the feel & muscle memory.
02
Camera settings
Camera settings are an important way to gain a competitive advantage. First of all, you should definitely deactivate the "Camera Shake". The shaking with every collision quickly leads to losing concentration on the ball and can be annoying.
The Field of View (FOV) setting determines how much you can see of the field and your car. Low settings zoom in over the top of the car to give a closer view of the pitch, while higher settings give a wider view. Seeing more of the field is definitely an advantage in the fast-paced game.
This is what the settings look like for the professionals
© Psyonix
The "Distance" option controls how far the camera is positioned behind the car, while the "Height" similarly determines how high the camera hovers above the car. The camera angle, in turn, affects the tilt angle at which the camera is pointed downwards.
The "Swivel Speed" regulates the speed at which the camera swivels around you. The "Transition Speed" affects how smoothly the camera moves between turning the ball camera on and off.
03
Choosing the right car
The choice of cars seems huge at first. But one look at the professional scene makes it clear very quickly that actually only three come into question: Octane, Fennec and, somewhat distantly, Dominus. Octane has been the ultimate vehicle in the game since the first season. It has virtually no weak points and is popular in all ranks - the perfect all-rounder.
Fennec feels a bit more sluggish and slower, but there is a bit more power in the shots. In addition, the optics match the actual hitbox better than with the Octane. Dominus shines especially in the offensive with brute power shots, but the flat vehicle and the large turning circle can take a lot of getting used to. It's best to test the individual cars once and then decide on your favourite.
04
Master the basics
Start by practising the basic mechanics of the game. This includes boosting, jumping and ball control. The "training mode" and free play are good ways to familiarise yourself with the controls without stress. You will soon notice that it is quite tricky to hit the ball accurately. The only thing that helps here is to grind. It can help to set clearly defined training goals or to spend a few rounds in training mode before each match to warm up.
05
Boost management
An essential part of Rocket League is boosting. Only with a full boost tank can you perform spectacular aerials or make legendary saves. Take a look at where the boost pads are distributed on the field and optimise your routes so that you always drive over the boosts. The six large boost pads are located at the edge of the map and fill the tank to 100%. They respawn after 10 seconds.
Well boosted is half flown
© Psyonix
The small pads give 12% boost and respawn after 5 seconds. There are a total of 28 of them in the arena. At the start of the game, at kickoff or after a demolition, each player spawns with 33% boost in the tank. Make sure you always have a well-filled boost tank to be able to react quickly to the game and to be able to act both offensively and defensively.
06
Position
Few things are more important than your position on the pitch. Good positioning requires attention, practice and a good assessment of the current game. By refining your positioning, you can make the most of your skills both defensively and offensively and make better decisions in the game.
As a rule of thumb: Position yourself so that you can help your teammates without being right up their tailpipe. The ideal is to cover as much of the field as possible, but still be close enough to your teammate to be able to react to possible attacks by the opponents or a miss or ball loss.
07
Understanding rotations
The rotation principle is an essential strategy in Rocket League that aims to make the best use of the pitch, orchestrating effective attacks while maintaining a stable defence. Players on the team rotate to adjust their positions in order to cover the pitch optimally. The rotation involves a constant change between attacking and defensive positions.
When a player is actively involved in the attack (e.g. by taking a shot or making a pass), he retreats after the attack and lets a teammate take his position. When a player moves forward to attack the ball, another player moves back at the same time to ensure optimal defence. As part of the rotation, it is also always possible to fill the boost tank for the next attack. The rotation ensures that there is always at least one player ready to hit or defend the ball.
08
Avoid ball chasing
Most beginners in Rocket League tend to always chase the ball (ballchasing). Instead, you should focus on smart positioning. Ball chasing leads to chaotic and disorganised gameplay and puts unnecessary pressure on your defence. If you see that a teammate already has a good position for the ball, trust him and let him have contact with the ball This creates a smoother flow of play and allows you to focus on your own positioning for possible passes or rebounds.
Avoiding ball chasing requires a lot of patience and discipline. Recognising the moments when it makes sense to chase the ball requires a lot of experience. Basically, if a teammate is already on the way to the ball, it is better to get into a strategic position to be able to react quickly.
09
Team & Communication
Of course, it's best if you have other Rocket League fans in your circle of friends with whom you play the games and you can improve together. Especially the possibility to use the voice chat offers a huge advantage here. But you can also coordinate well with random teammates via the quickchat function. A simple "I got it" or "Defending..." can work wonders here. Make sure you fill your Quickchat buttons in the menu with the most important information.
What a Save
© Psyonix
Especially in the lower ranks, it can be very frustrating when teammates disregard the basic principles of Rocket League. In such cases, concentrate on your own game and make the best of it. In the worst case, it's over after 5 minutes. If you find a great teammate, it can be a great idea to start a group via the "Party up" function and join forces for the next games.
10
Stay positive & be patient
Realise that it takes a long time to master Rocket League. Most pros have taken many years to get to their level. It can be super frustrating to miss an Open net or have absolute bad luck with random mates many games in a row. It's really important to keep a positive attitude. At the end of the day, you play Rocket League because you enjoy it. If you keep at it, you'll see how much fun it is to fight your way up the ranks and get better and better.
