We've all been there, patch notes come out and changes the game so it's not fun for you to play right now. Maybe they nerfed your favourite tank, or they took Hastened Fatalis away from Hunters (cue fist shake). Weeks or months go past and you still haven't queued up for a match, then one day you decide, “Right, let's see what I've been missing out on!”. Now no matter what happens, it won't feel the same. Things will have changed and no matter if it's big or small you'll still have to adapt. Time away from anything in life is great - it allows you time to relax and recharge - but how does it affect you in game and how much is too much time away?

Technical Difficulties

Imagine playing Smite every day, climbing the ranked leader boards and working on being a better player each day in each role. Then suddenly one day, your computer (or console) acts up, it isn't working and you're spending days trying to fix it, each day thinking you’re a little closer to finding the solution, until you realise there's no use. It's dead with no respawn timer, so you have to get new equipment. Yes, I know you won't spend a lot of time away from the game but you have to get used to your new setup - when I got a new laptop so I could play when I'm away from my desktop it took some getting used to. I got back into the swing of things though and it's something that you'll get used to eventually. Everyone gets in their comfort zones and when you have to use something new you have to get comfortable with it again; doubly so if you've spent time away from the game in the process. Take time to adapt while getting comfy with the game and meta again.





Weeks Turn into Months

How much time you've been away will depend on how much you've missed, and this will also affect your gameplay. If you play Smite every day and then miss a day, for example, it won't really affect you as a player. A week can see some drop in understanding if there was a patch notes you missed, otherwise again there will be little to no drop in performance and consistency. If you've spent months away from the game, though, don't expect yourself to be back up to the standard you were. It may take a few days of solid time on the game for you to get back there, but if the current Meta is favourable to you you'll find yourself back to where you were in no time.

Research What You've Missed

A key thing when you are trying to get back into Smite if you've been away is to try and remember the last patch you played on and look back at the notes you missed. You can watch these on YouTube, Twitch, and find the text on Smite's website. Look for blog posts from organisations and anything on Reddit that can help get you back into the game (try not to be dragged down into whether or not Vulcan needs a chef skin - HINT, he does! - while you're there though). With the World Championships over, check back on some of the matches to get an understanding of the game from the pro players; if you can pick up little tricks that weren't there when you gave the game a break maybe you'll adapt to the new style quicker. Don't be surprised if your 'spicy' Geb jungle isn't your teammates' favourite, but some pros might have found a good build that works for your preferred role.





Be Prepared for Season 5

With Season 5 around the corner this is a good time for re-evaluating your understanding of the game, especially if you've been away for a while. You may have sunk a load of hours into the game but even then, time away will affect you as a player. Take this time between seasons to work on your mechanics again and pick up some of the gods that have been released since you last played. With the build-up to the new season this is your ideal time to experiment, trying new roles and checking out the changes you've read about in patch notes. Even with season 4 ending I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into ranked till you're comfortable with the game again, even if that means you don't till season 5 starts. It's the same in every game I know, but I've got people on my friends list that have jumped in ranked games straight after a month's break and fallen down divisions... it isn't a pretty sight, especially if you're trying to get the season rewards. Plus you don't need that drop in TP to demoralize you more!

The Fun We Used to Have

Try to enjoy Smite again. We've all been there, falling out of love with a game because of what has changed. You know you'll be back to it soon, you just don't know when. When you come back you should try to remember what you enjoyed about playing it, no matter how small it may have been then. If it made you enjoy the game try and get back to playing like that, the whole idea is to play it and enjoy playing (unless it's permanently playing insta-lock Loki because ain't nobody got time for that). Whether it be because of the friends you played it with or just the satisfaction of playing a god or a certain style, try to go back to it using that as a way to see the game in a positive way again.





Hopefully if you’re a returning player this will help you jump back into the game no matter how long you've been away and with Season 5 around the corner hopefully it will help you get a grasp on the game again ready for the new season so you can be prepared for whatever Season 5 brings.

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