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Quick LoL Thoughts: January 31

RiotMeddler·1/31/2020, 4:54:33 PM·1 votes·46,804 views

Hi folks,

Usual Disclaimers

These posts will often contain talk about future work we're doing, or planning to do, that isn't yet guaranteed to ship. The nature of the work could change or, depending on what we discover, projects mentioned may get delayed or even stopped. If you'd like to see a Tweet whenever a new one of these posts goes up: https://twitter.com/RiotMeddler

Clash Improvements

We've got the full launch of Clash coming fairly soon and should have details about when that will be to share next week. Before that though I wanted to cover a few improvements to Clash we've been working on based off player feedback from the beta tests in December. These changes should all be in for the full launch.

  • All teams play three matches

Previously teams that lost their first two matches wouldn't play any further. That led to both a shorter than expected/desired Clash experience for players and left exact placings a little unclear for rewards purposes. We're moving to 3 games regardless as a result.

  • Presenting info about Clash more clearly

We're working on surfacing various bits of info about Clash functionality a bit better. The most useful of those is likely to be the timer that shows the maximum time you'll need to wait until your next match could occur, based off how far through their game your opponents are. Then there are also some smaller things like distinguishing more clearly between different types of entry tickets, clarifying that all champs are unlocked for Clash etc.

  • Helping players give Clash a try

Some players are interested in Clash but hesitant to give it a try, have trouble finding a team, aren't sure when it will be etc. We're looking to use things like a mission that gives you a free Clash ticket for your first event, clearer notifications Clash is coming etc to help with that.

Our plan is to continue to improve Clash throughout the year. Feedback on things you'd like to see improved much appreciated, whether you’ve played in previous tests or have been following progress about Clash but haven’t yet had the chance to play it yourself. Our plan is to run Clash regularly. We're still figuring out the exact cadence we want to go with though. We want to ensure gaps between Clash weekends don't feel too long. We also want to avoid running tournaments so frequently that the potential player base is split over too many different days (leads to weaker competition and lower significance per tournament).

Longer term once we've got Clash in the right state for SR, we also want to look at whether it's worth trying Clash in any other contexts (e.g. event game modes, TFT etc). That's still a pretty speculative topic, but something that I wanted to mention is on our minds too, given it's been a question that's cropped up a number of times.

Top Lane Impact

Top lane’s a position that’s got very varied popularity, depending on the MMR and region you look at, ranging from most popular role in some contexts to least in others.

Position selection rates by region and MMR 12/28/2019 - 1/28/2020

https://imgur.com/a/Pbjn3a4

https://imgur.com/a/6fbpvy4

https://imgur.com/a/AXVh8ft

https://imgur.com/a/oAlz0lv

Our belief going into preseason was that in high MMR and pro play top lane did not have sufficient impact on the outcome of the game, based off both position selection rates and degree to which a lead in top lane affects a team’s likelihood of winning. One of our goals with preseason as a result was to give top lane increased impact, with increases to solo lane XP, Rift Herald respawning and lower jungle/duo lane XP as levers for that. Those changes have now been out for a while and they haven’t had as much effect as we’d hoped. We’re taking another look at top lane influence as a result right now, with a focus on influence in high skill games specifically. Details we’re considering to follow once we’ve got some potential changes to share.Timeline on work shipping is likely fairly soon but not in the next patch at least.

TFT during February

Now that Rise of the Elements has been out for quite a while we’re entering a period where changes to it for the rest of the set will be fairly light. We’ve got some smaller balance adjustments and polish planned for upcoming patches, like a bit of a nerf to Light and potentially a buff to Glacial 6 at least. We’ll also be experimenting with Spatula presence on the carousel, starting with a patch without any Spatulas at all there.

Overall though we think the set’s in a good state and have shifted most of our focus onto getting the next set and mobile client ready for their March release. That includes incorporating a range of lessons we’ve learned about set design from seeing how Rise of the Elements has played out, including:

  • Making sure we’re rewarding players enough for going deep on a particular trait (6+ shouldn’t be a trap)
  • Being cognizant of how large numbers of summoned units can make fights much harder to follow
  • The degree to which lots of early regen and armor can slow game pacing down
  • The importance of having enough traits/spells that bring spectacle in addition to interesting gameplay

129 Comments

RiotMeddler1/31/2020, 4:59:50 PM14 votes

For anyone who didn't see it last post - changing format a bit this year. My role doesn't involve as much time with the SR (balance etc) team anymore, so I won't be covering balance as much. RiotScruffy will take every second post as a result and be pretty focused on balance and state of the game. I'll be covering wider LoL stuff and overall direction more. Will respond on balance questions when I've got the context, but won't always be the case.

Emo Twink1/31/2020, 5:02:53 PM10 votes

Any plans to help the clunkiness of some champions due to mini reworks? Yuumi Sylas Taliyah Come to mind.

With upcoming Yuumi buffs, it really doesnt change how bad she feels to play. No E charges give players less to do on a lower interactive champ, Q feels useless, W is extremely clunky. Most Yuumi players would prefer release Yuumi over this, and personally, I'd take that but with the change that made her enchanter.

Just sad to see champs feel horrible to play now, even when they get buffed...

iiGazeii1/31/2020, 5:13:20 PM8 votes

Hi Meddler!

I've got more of a general design question: How does the team make champions that spikes in the mid-game?

Early game seems easy, give them high base states and rank 1 numbers, but poor scaling. Late game is just the reverse, good scaling, poor early numbers.

But we have some mid-game champions whose early and late game both aren't great, but they are wickedly powerful in between. They are encouraged to snowball and end the game quickly.

What parts of their kit make a champion do that?

Deathfall1/31/2020, 5:16:08 PM8 votes

Since I typically make Karma rage posts towards you I'm going to take the time to time about something else that is a major problem with this game.

Is there anything being worked on to combat the massive amounts of toxicity like inting games, rage quitting games, players running it down mid, players disrupting the game because of their poor attitudes, and teammates picking troll picks? I think the vast majority of us can tolerate it in a normal game and just move on, but when someone is in their promos and just trying to climb . . . . it's unbearable to think someone is enjoying themselves with these toxic players. A lot of the problems with the community do stem from a faulty matchmaking system, terrible game balance that is not being addressed quickly enough, and a punishment system that is either not doing it's job or it's extremely light on people who should no longer be playing the game.

I'm really not a toxic person in real life and generally not in this game. I'm a very sweet and caring person, but for the past 2 years the behavior of some players and the toxicity these people think they can get away with, and have been getting away with, in games . . . makes me not want to play this game anymore. I don't like muting my team and not communicating because I don't mind learning from others and helping other people. I had a Caitlyn I was in lane with who was struggling against a Soraka and Senna last night so I told her to build Executioners Calling early and we started winning lane hard. A couple games later I had a Senna Support who would rather play ADC than the Support role she got filled and kept taking my CS, Q'ing the wave, using her W wrong and just not helping me in lane at all, but she didn't want to listen and was being toxic and inting on purpose because she fed 3 kills.

The matchmaking system is a failure, game balance is a joke and the punishment is not doing it's job. It's literally every single game now Meddler that has someone purposely going out of their way to ruin games for others and these people think it's their job and funny to do it.

What are you doing, as a Game Developer, to make the matchmaking system better, the game balance more healthier, and improving the punishment system by punishing and removing players that are straight up ruining ranked games for others . . . . and have a clear history of doing it more than once?

PowerOfDrainAge1/31/2020, 5:09:31 PM7 votes

The issue with top lane is that it is a counterpick lane and whoever gets a lead wins the lane by a large margin most of the time. At the same time, it often does not matter much in a win or a loss.

Top lane needs some work to how champs that get played there scale.

Another big reason I noticed as to why top laners don't get to impact the game much as game progresses is that, unlike other positions, they can't get beyond 20% CDR easily while ADCs attack at 2.0AS and everyone else has 40% CDR. They built TriForce/BC, now what CDR item can you get? For most of these top lane bruiser champs, their CDs are what allow them to get in range of others or generally make an impact in a fight.

Dragonhace1/31/2020, 5:51:08 PM7 votes

Would you consider a one-way, one-champion teleporter between the alcoves? Something like a Skarner pillar, where laners have to take control over it, maybe spending some health to do so. After use, the teleporter would then exist in the other alcove until it got used again.
This would let top contest early dragons and bot contest Rift Herald later.

The second issue is that top lane gets pushed more and more into counterpick meta. I USED to have fun with Kled v. Darius on both sides, but then Kled got 60% healing reduction and it became really one sided. Top is no fun when I basically win or lose lane in champ select.

Lastly, tank items need better MR. Ornn is the only decent tank because he gets 10% bonus MR and can upgrade Abyssal Mask. You can buff Frozen heart to 500 Armor, it won't help when the second pick hypercarry Ryze can half health melee laners from minute 5-50.

Thanks for listening,have a good day!

CøsmicWølf1/31/2020, 5:07:46 PM7 votes

I know you said you don't involve as much time in the SR team anymore, but do you have any insights on sylas. The rework had some nice parts to it, but is there any chance the auto resets could come back in a future patch with the attack speed removal. I understand a goal was to increase accessibility but the other changes, mainly w did that. I love the champ but it feels like now I just get rewarded for just having my passive rather than taking advantage of specific moments of power. Also the clunk

Caitlyn FTW1/31/2020, 5:02:54 PM6 votes

So mid is the most impactful role?

PLZ NERF MID!

ItsFreakinHarry1/31/2020, 5:17:32 PM4 votes

Hey Meddler!

Are there any plans to bring play.op.gg back? Finding a team is pretty hard without a unified site specifically for doing so, and having it as a resource was extremely helpful when Clash first was tested.

ModAcademy Kayn2/1/2020, 4:25:24 AM4 votes

I'm late but maybe I'll get lucky, but how come there aren't more Classes/Origins in TFT that promote mixing? Like how Ocean affects all team units, not just Ocean units, and how Desert affects all enemies, etc. As a EDH fan, wild wacky synergy has always been a personal favorite of mine, and while I'm certain there's a design reason behind a majority of traits being exclusive to their own, I'm just wondering if it's possible for more things like Ocean and Desert to exist?

Huudi1/31/2020, 5:04:10 PM3 votes

Has there ever been discussion by the tft team to have units automatically target champions over summoned creatures? Feels bad to lose an advantageous fight because of a random malzahar minion

Spideraxe1/31/2020, 5:02:16 PM3 votes

Hey Meddler, can I ask if you guys are happy with how support items have landed.

ProfDrDeath1/31/2020, 5:02:12 PM3 votes

Will the work for Top include changes to TP?

Given that you're talking about positions, any thoughts on positions and roles as well? For instance, playing a tank in top lane or jungle feels rather bad, especially in the early game stages. Especially with the fact that the need to itemize HP (on most tanks) really restricts your early item choices.

VoIIkornbeet1/31/2020, 6:06:08 PM3 votes

As someone that really loved the old (pre, pre rework) support iteams, is there a chance we get the passive of "Face of Mountin" back in some form? (same with the "Bandit" passiv). Also is there any plan/thought on bringing execute healing back on relic + bonus dmg on spellthiefs? [sg-soraka]

Agent Corgi1/31/2020, 6:40:10 PM3 votes

You guys got anything in the pipeline for Tahm Kench? TahmKench

Poor guy's been in a tight squeeze for the past few patches.

Skia Asteri2/1/2020, 1:17:28 AM3 votes

I get that what you are measuring about toplane is the precieved influence, but wouldn't it be better for balance to base it on how much of a difference in win rate any given difference in MMR makes?

After accounting for such things would help make better match making.

Hordes662/2/2020, 6:36:14 PM2 votes

How can you have a successful role out of Clash, when matchmaking in the primary game mode is essentially shit-tier garbage?

Generic Ninja1/31/2020, 7:20:18 PM2 votes

Also, what was the rationale behind the downgrade of League Accounts to Riot accounts? Clearly Riot Accounts are simply League Accounts with lower functionality, worse security, and with players randomly losing their usernames, but what was the reason this change to an inferior account system was initiated? Is it cost-saving measures? Was it a bad joke that got out of control?

Kampsycho1/31/2020, 5:25:22 PM2 votes

Hey Meddler, I know FrozenHeart just got a 10 armor Buff, but why not think of a new passive for it or a new niche and make its attack speed Debuff an active instead while making the item passive itself be something like this: Armor to HP Ratio, So the More Bonus/Total Armor you have, the more HP You'll gain.

This would Buff it and make it a Good 2nd or 3rd Item on tanks and would combo well with Stoneplate and would help out Tanks like Rammus that like RAW Armor items like FH, Thornmail and even stoneplate but needs some HP Items, Would also make proccing armor buffing passives/runes better with this.

Also any room for Splitpush/Rotation MS based Itemizations for the Low Mobility champions? Like adding Raptor's Cloak MS passive to RG and Deadmans.

chipndip11/31/2020, 5:34:37 PM2 votes

Any word on possible picks for the next VGU vote?

Scarletmeow1/31/2020, 5:07:49 PM2 votes

Trying to ask this as a more generalized question to better suit your role; What's riots current stance on Enchanters? Atm they feel really really bad to play compared to their engage counterparts (Naut, Thresh, Pyke, Leona etc. etc.) I know Riot doesn't typically like to make these champions strong as they aren't fun to watch, but is there any talk of helping them out?

JRobin312/8/2020, 3:32:28 PM2 votes

Interesting graphs... but before you decide to make changes that increase the impact top lane has... shouldn't you first try to understand why top lane's impact is the way it is?

It sounds like your past attempts were shots in the dark because you don't actually know why top lane is the way it is.