I’m sure you had a double-take at that title. Content creation? Training? This dude is nuts, he must not hit any Breezi flicks. Well you’d be right… about the flicks. But hear me out here... I’ve gone on a mission to search for creative ways to expand your training arsenal and knowledge in Rocket League in ways no one else has considered. I’ve given the standard answers of free play, training packs, workshop maps, and replay analysis when it comes to improving your gameplay, all of which are totally valid and incredibly useful tools. However, ironically even as I’m doing now, creating content about Rocket League is yet another way to improve your gameplay, forcing you to look at the game from a different perspective than you previously might have.

How exactly does that work?

Well, it’s a fairly simple concept, one that I’ve asked an old friend of mine to give his take on. That friend is Wayton, a member of the Soniqs content creation team. An up and coming successful content creator in the Rocket League scene, I felt he would be someone best qualified to speak to the subject. The concept is this: Putting together content for Rocket League that is both entertaining and informational takes a lot of work and effort. This effort can range from editing the clips or researching topics, but each and every step along the way, you are looking at the game in a different perspective than you otherwise would.

Wayton explained this concept incredibly well, elaborating, “When I started making videos, I wanted to make sure what I was talking about was true; I didn’t want to spread false information [when I started making] a bunch of tutorials. Making those videos kinda forced me to really know what I know and keep myself in check.” When you are creating content, the integrity and accuracy of the process begs for a certain amount of examination and attention to detail that in the heat of a game or even free play is often neglected. This knowledge that you inevitably gain is at your disposal for improving your training regimen and making plays that you otherwise didn’t even consider.

How to research for Rocket League content?

This concept initially appears to have a glaring initial problem, being that it is difficult to make informative content with authority when you lack the knowledge required yourself. That’s where research comes in, and a lot of it. Specifically, it’s important to be open-minded and unbiased in your position while researching a Rocket League topic for your content. You should talk to other players, even your friends who may be a lower rank than you. Talking to anyone at all about a subject can lead to perspectives you otherwise didn’t have, and regardless of the validity of each and every opinion, in each lies a semblance of truth that leads to the correct conclusion we are all searching for.

You can also review lots of replays to accomplish this same end. Looking at replays from your perspective, the other team’s, or even replays that you are even absent from will accomplish the same goal of viewing other people’s take and perspective on situations. As Wayton put it, "The amount of replays I looked over I think is probably the main thing that helped me get better as a player, looking back at my own gameplay and other player’s gameplay to see what the common mistakes are.” In seeing these common mistakes, one can create a solution and pose it to both others and yourself as a player.

Does this work for me though?

Absolutely it does. Wayton started his content creation journey at GC, but that by no means defines the journey you take on your own. The principles and concepts we have discussed still apply regardless of your starting ability or knowledge as long as one keeps an open mind and dedicates themselves to the process. It’s also worth noting that despite the fact that his process involves not playing the game, it still holds substantial value. As Wayton said to me, “Even though I’m spending more time on actually creating videos and less time on practicing mechanics and things, my knowledge of the game in general and different perspectives that other players have about the game just increased exponentially.” To close, however, it is important to note that it is very much a process. There will be frustration no matter what mode of content creation you choose, whether it be from a lack of knowledge or simply a struggle to complete a piece of content. Because of this, I want to leave you with one last quote from Wayton regarding content creation, “Don’t get discouraged… do it for fun 100% at the start.” If you aren’t enjoying what you do, you won’t get what you’re hoping for out of it.