Losing against AI is pretty bad actually... When you hear that some players win against 5 of them alone (that is 1v5)... So you should be able to handle at least two. Also AI buys items depending on their level (not gold), so they can never actually get that really farmed, as you can. It also always buys all recommended items, which are also not so good. They are very aggressive, so can be killed by tower easier, are very easy to know what they will do (walk to another lane to gank), etc. So, yeah, you were bad with renekton in your first game. So were your allies if they managed to lose (1 good player can carry 3 bad players against bots). But I think we all had such games (embarrassing to lose against bots...), where we were terrible... So just try again and again. You'll get better eventually

Generally speaking, yes.  Especially if you had someone quit on you and folks are inexperienced.  I'd really recommend playing the tutorial if you have not - you get a good amount of IP for doing that - should be enough to unlock one of the cheaper characters.

Once you get used to playing against the AI, any AD or AP carry can pretty easily dominate.  Basically, all you need to do is get mejias soulstealer if you are AP champ or sword of the occult for AD.  Those items increase your AP or AD for every kill and assist you get to a pretty substantial amount... and thats for like 1k gold.  The downside is that those items are generally very impractical in normal games, but extremely practical vs AI. 

Here's how to beat the AI.  Get in a lane with one other person.  The AI is quite dumb and predictable as to who it will try to attack.  It goes after whoever has the lowest health.  So if there are 2 of you in a lane and your buddy has lower health, have him move towards the ai, but just out of range.  The AI will lock onto him.  This frees you to go in for an attack and then your partner can join in.  The AI is super easy to kite like this once you get the hang of it.  After you nab a few kills, get one of those items I mentioned and keep killing.  Before you know it, you will be very well fed and be able to buy whatever you need.

yup.  I'd suggest looking over some build guides over on mobafire as well.  It will help you understand decent items and a good order to choose abilities.  Feel free to add me or anyone and I'll show you how to work the AI. 

I was just thinking about the type of games I usually play and was curious if any of you do the same thing.  I always play 1 or 2 games vs AI if I'm trying a brand new character or someone I've never used before.  I do that as well if I'm trying a brand new build that sounds a little crazy to me. Then, I mostly play normal games as a pug or with pals.  And then my graduate level is playing ranked with characters that I feel I'm decent with (though somehow I ended up as garen in one). 

Both.

I didn't do anywhere near that bad my first game, I've done worse in the interim though.

Soraka is OP, in my not the least bit humble opinion.  Infuse does absurd damage for a free ability, and all abilities in the lane might as well be free since it alternatively replenishes loads of mana to caster and target.  Sona, the closest comparison, has inferior healing and damage, no silence, and actually runs out of mana.  Late game it's less of a disparity, but anyone good can guarantee a fed lane partner thanks to restoration of mana and health.

As Renekton, 2v1 top, you had no prayer.  You need either a heavy sustain, and then they'll still farm like crazy, just not kill you constantly, or long range burst damage capability along the lines of Graves.  Renekton will get halfway through Ashe before eating a silence and dying to ice arrows from the now healed and armor buffed archer.

We all have to start somewhere. I had never played ANY DOTA style games before getting into LOL. I did absolutely terrible in the beginning. I'm not going into specifics, but it took me far too long to figure out how tower aggro worked So don't feel bad.

The Tutorial is a good way to start like others said. Get a feel for last hitting minions, the range of different champ spells, learning summoner spells and when to use them, etc. There are tons of resources for you to learn things: Player streams, solomid build guides, new players LOL forum, among others.

In my experience, I found it a lot easier to master ranged champs first.

I agree.  Until you understand the distance of ranged attacks, etc, its a bit tricky to try a melee character.  Ryze, morgana, and ash are all pretty good starting places (and after the tutorial, I think you could buy any one of them). 

Gragas is fine in ranked.  In fact, he can open up things in terms of bans since playing Gragas means that you dont have to ban Morgana since Grag can stand up to Morg and his ult counters her ult to some degree.

Hrm, season 2 is started and we can now make team that will get ranked.  This should be very interesting.

ooo - i thought you were opposed to grag in ranked.  excellent.  And yes, ranked team forming must happen very, very soon.

patching now...

well... 1 team is formed so far...

side note - I THINK i can add 2 more to the team.  Alternates and whatnot. The goal would be to have folks on at the same time and kill stuff.  Happy to join many more teams, so invite if you want me.

Thanks for the game last night folks. I thought we all played well. Karl, you are so brave with Panth haha. I caught on to your playstyle eventually. Panth and Janna was actually a pretty good combo. Pacov, your Rammus has improved nicely. Just make sure not to dragon when Karl and I are almost dead haha. 

Thanks -  I was kinda smeh that game, but glad you noticed an improvement.  And yeah - I need to make a little more effort to check you folks health before going at dragon.

Thanks for the advice...

I played 2 more games as Cho'Gath and won and lost alternatively...

I like Cho'gath, neat abilities, gets quite bulky late game, and does well against ranged champs...

I helped our team to victory by not dying and slaying champs that came near our top tower. Stats: 4/10/2- NOT SO BAD

The game I lost we had 2 players quit at the beginning and our Ashe fed their Taric until he killed me on sight over and over and over, our Vayne was REALLY GOOD, and she killed tons of champs by herself, but the fact that we were doing so badly didn't help at all... Stats: around 2/28/4- AWFUL

My problem is that I overextend, running too far into the enemy's attack range and getting stunned and dying...

*sigh*

I'm working on it.

@Krdax  Cho is a solid choice from what I've seen.  Great solo top, jungler, had one give me issues at mid before... hell, with this new "everyone can be a support meta" he's probably great in either position on bottom.  Having a versatile champ that can play any position and be built damagey or tanky is fantastic to have in your aresenal, specially when you're starting off and really don't want to be switching things up each game more than you have to.

Ever play a FPS?  LoL positioning is kinda like Call of Duty where you really only go so far away from your homeys true so you can be protected or at least avenged if you die.  Eventually it becomes second nature to keep track of allied firing arcs so you know the safe areas you can turn your back to and not get killed and tbagged by someone who just snuck up behind you.  Half an eye on the mini map at all times soldier!  

Its not really necessary to mob up at all times after the early game like some folks believe, but how far you stray from your friends depends on a lot of things:

1) Your champs natural escape mechanisms and summoner skills and over all strength.

2) Nearby allies.  Are they all on in the general vicinity at least?  Remember, its not just a question of whether they can help you but are you close enough to help them as well.  Is your closest friend a 0 CS support who'd be crazy to help you if you were jumped or a fed and super farmed Yorick?

3) Location of enemies.  Did you just see the icon of the enemy 0 CS support on the other side of the map?  Ehhh... oh, they had their fed carry with them?  Then you can get a little bolder for a little while.

well... i'm now officially a worse player for having watched the rain man's game via live stream... yay.

I have no idea how Rain Man is as popular as he is. 

I mean, I know he's a top player, and I hear teemo is phenomenal. But he like... such a rager.

ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME. 

Screams into the mic and rapes your ear. 

Just an annoying person in everyway. But he's making tons of cash playing video games, so there's that..