Rocket League is known for being a team game, where you have to have communication with your teammates at all times and the only way you win games is by having great team chemistry. However, this isn’t achievable for a fair portion of the game's audience for various reasons.

I am one of those people who rarely play the game with a full team of three, so my options of playing are very limited. I can either play 1v1s which isn’t a nice thought, as 1v1s are really annoying at times since any small mistake can cost you the game. I could also solo-queue doubles or threes. However, this is putting myself and my teammates at a disadvantage due to the fact we have no communication and the opposing team is more than likely in a party of three. So, the only other option is the dreaded solo standard playlist.

The solo standard playlist gets quite a bit of hate from the majority of the community due to the playlist not allowing parties into the queue, meaning everyone in the game is in solo-queue and you have no way of constantly communicating with your teammates. However, I honestly believe I am a better player due to playing the playlist on a regular basis and I’ll try to explain why I think this below.





Allows You to Improve Your Own Game

One thing that I love about the solo standard playlist is the fact that you can identify the weaknesses in your game and focus on improving them in this playlist. Even though the playlist is a ranked playlist, it’s actually quite laidback and casual. This mentality by most of the players allows you to improve on certain aspects of your game that could be a lot better.

For example, when I first started playing solo standard, I was pretty bad at aerials, so I went into the playlist and mainly focused on going for aerials until the point where I felt I was better and then linked up with my friends in the proper 3v3 ranked mode. At the moment, my dribbling and air dribbling is the worst aspect of my game so in the majority of games, if I can get a dribble off, I try.

Obviously, don’t enter the game mode with the mindset that you can force aerials or any other aspect you are trying to improve because that will ruin the game for everyone else. However, you probably won’t get chat spammed and reported if you miss a few aerials or mess up a few dribbles compared to the other ranked game modes.





Allows You to Achieve a Rank in a Casual Mode

If you are like me and love a game where there are multiple things you can achieve and work towards, then this game mode is perfect for you. Although I love the other ranked game modes, they are always so serious and you seem to have players in the game that will constantly complain about how you play. This isn’t the case in solo standard. The playlist is quite chill and allows you to try and achieve a rank at a slower pace and without the pressure of having to perform at your best for continuous hours.

Obviously, I am not saying that there won’t be any players who will complain about your mistakes, but there are a lot fewer players like that in this game mode, which allows you to have a chill experience while trying to grind your way up the ranks.





Allows You to Read Your Teammates' Playstyle

This is the main skill I have learned from playing solo standard is the ability to read how a teammate plays the game. The issue most solo queuers will have when playing Rocket League is the fact they don’t know when their teammates will push for certain balls. Solo standard allows you to read your teammate's style of play, which then allows you to adapt your own game around theirs and probably win the game.

This ability is really useful to have when you are in a solo queue, no matter what playlist you are planning on playing. This skill can also be adapted to reading your opponent's style of play, meaning you know the optimum time to push for a certain ball or to leave it for the opponent.





Give Solo Standard a Try

Now, solo standard obviously has its flaws, just like every game mode within Rocket League. However, I feel the community is too hard on solo standard and the playlist can actually help you improve as a player. It also makes you a better teammate whenever you feel like playing standard 3v3 or 2v2 competitive playlists, as you won’t be a huge hindrance to your teammate, even though you are solo queuing.

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