Katie Huang

Welcome to Summoner’s Rift

Back in eighth grade, my little brother played an online game so he would have a chance to yell and complain about things I did not know. Sometimes, I went to his room to check on him and I saw that he was playing that game again. I watched on the sidelines as he killed enemies, farmed minions, and bought items. I always asked him questions, such as “What are you doing? Why are you there?,” but most importantly, I said something that I had to take back. As I was watching him, I told him that I would never play such a stupid game, but I ended up liking it. My brother persuaded me to play the game, League of Legends, abbreviated LoL, and I reluctantly gave in. Even though I was not a strong player at first, I became a better player in the subsequent years.

League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle game where players control a “champion” with unique abilities and battle against another team. The goal is to destroy the opposing team’s “nexus,” a structure which lies at the heart of a base, protected by defensive structures called “turrets.” There are other distinct game modes that exist in the game as well. Each LoL match’s champions start off fairly weak, but they slowly increase in strength by accumulating items and experience points over the course of the game. I was not really into online games or video games back then, but when I saw my brother play, something intrigued me. When I started playing the game, I kept losing turret after turret and I did not know what spells to use or what items to buy for my champion. Now that I have played the game for five years, practiced, and learned from other players, I am now capable of holding my own ground.

I have played LoL since I was fourteen and have come a long way into developing my gaming skills. I realized, through this game, that no one can do the work for you. I learned this by practicing and practicing, and most importantly, never giving up, even when there was one defeat after another. This game taught me that hard work really pays off and with practice and time, nothing can stand in the way. Throughout the writing process, I came across many challenges, but I overcame them by receiving feedback from my peers. In the end, I met every deadline and was overall satisfied with my work. I hope through this Portfolio, I can show you my best work because I can tell you, I have overcome many obstacles throughout this process.