Rocket League has finally gone free-to-play, and it has done so just in time for the game's fifth anniversary celebrations. If you're new to Rocket League and want to jump right into the competitive playlist, this is the essential RL beginner's guide to learning the fundamentals and putting yourself in the best position for future success.
Battle-cars are vehicles used in battle.
Come on, let's talk about your vehicle. There is a large selection of battle vehicles to choose from. In Rocket League, however, there are only six different hitbox classes to choose from. Octane, Dominus, Plank, Breakout, Hybrid, and Merc (the game's newest addition) are some of the characters available. This means that, despite the fact that these cars are visually distinct, many of them perform similarly on the field.
The Octane is the hitbox that is most frequently used in competitive play in the game. Its average height and length enable it to perform admirably in the majority of situations. Furthermore, it has the greatest number of customization options available to it.
Using the other battle cars, it is not difficult to be competitive at high levels, such as Grand Champion and Supersonic Legend, and to achieve high rankings. Even though the Octane is the most popular, this does not imply that it is the best in terms of objective quality. That it is a tried and true favorite among professionals is merely a matter of coincidence.
Aerials are a type of aerial photography.
In rugby league, one of the most fundamental skills that will propel players to the next level is the ability to execute aerials. In order to do this, the plane must use boost to fly and take off into the air like a rocket. In order to make a save or a shot, you can use this skill to take flight and hit the ball in mid-air while it is still in play.
The following are the steps to follow in order to perform an aerial:
Take a leap of faith
Roll your vehicle backwards so that it is facing the sky.
Keep your boost button depressed.
Utilize your steering controls (left analog stick or WASD) to maneuver your car while it is in mid-air.
Adding Fluff to Your Boost
Once a player has mastered aerial maneuvers, he or she can use feathering to extend their air time and maximize the effectiveness of their boost. This is the term used to describe the act of lightly pressing a button or sparingly applying boost to an aerial.
As you can see from the examples above, feathering allows the player to aerial across the entire pitch without exhausting his or her energy by the half-way line and without soaring excessively high in the air as well.
Getting Started
Despite the fact that it is more enjoyable to immerse yourself in RL game after game, it is more effective to spend time in Free Play and training packs when you want to improve your abilities.
While nothing can fully prepare you for real-world game situations, a player only has a limited number of opportunities to attempt a specific shot or make a mid-game save. Training allows a player to brush up on the fundamentals before competing in a ranked game, which makes them feel more capable and confident.
The term "Free Play" refers to a situation in which a player can freely move the ball around the field. This is ideal for new players who are still getting used to the controls of their car as well as the physics of the game as a whole.
Psyonix has created three different training scenarios for you to try out. Fundamental packs that emphasize aerials (Aerial), defending (Goalie), and shooting (Striker) in their respective positions. You should make it a point to complete each of these.
In the Custom training zone, you can find a collection of training packs that have been created by Psyonix and members of the RL community. Featured packs, which are rotated on a regular basis, can be found by searching for training codes (as shown above), or by browsing for packs using training codes. Furthermore, a player can "Favorite" and "Create" their own games.
Keeping the ball in the center
As a beginner in Rocket League, there is one effective method of setting up goals for teammates to achieve. This is accomplished by utilizing the backboard (the wall surrounding the goal) and the connecting corners to cause the ball to drop above your opponent's goal line.
In the example below, players can cause the ball to fall and bounce directly into the face of their opponent's goal by striking the ball into a corner or directly at the backboard beside the goal, as shown in the diagram. This presents an excellent opportunity for teammates to strike by jumping or performing an aerial maneuver.
Participate as a team member.
Rocket League is primarily a cooperative multiplayer game. When people are playing on a team, they should use the rotational strategy to their advantage. To accomplish this, the team must constantly be on the move, moving around each other and taking turns playing each position.
No Rocket League player should consider themselves to be a dedicated striker, midfielder, or defender in the same way that they would in a different sport. A player must be capable of performing all three roles in order to be a good player.