Quick Gameplay Thoughts: May 16
Morning all!
Quite a few words below today so let's jump right in.
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 put 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
More 7.11 Balance Changes
Context on some balance changes in testing:
- Rumble
Looking at game health and roughly power neutral changes. Moving some power into Overheat AAs out of Q, reducing W duration slightly to reward specific timing more versus cycling for Heat. Testing out some improvements to auto attack feel as well (potentially animation improvements and/or a bit of extra range/movement speed while Overheating).
- Malzahar
Changes in testing last patch cycle are back, both changes to Voidlings and putting some damage into the beam, not just pool, on the R. These felt close to there last patch, we ended up delaying them because of how late the beam change went in though and how little testing it consequently got.
- Kindred
Detailed write up of changes by Wav3Break can be found here:
TLDR is we're looking to shift power to late game, improve overall satisfaction. Marks now grant bonus effects on abilities rather than damage on auto attacks (Q gives AS, W gets current health % damage from Wolf hits, E increases missing health damage). Every 4 marks Kindred also get increased AA range (currently 50 the first time, then 25 each set of four thereafter).
- Caitlyn
Headshot no longer stacks multiple times per attack with Hurricane. Caitlyn's lacking in clear enough weaknesses and one she should have is lower single target DPS late game than most marksmen with similar builds. Hurricane's currently making it so her teamfight single target damage is higher than we suspect it should be however, at the same time also constricting her build paths. Testing a change as a result.
- Ninja Tabi
Trying a test where we reduce the % reduction on auto attacks (down to probably 10% from 12%), but also make that reduction apply to on hit effects as well. One of the things making BotRK particularly effective at present is that its proc damage isn't affected by the Tabi reduction.
- Ahri
Almost certainly needs a nerf. Direction not certain yet, two main ones being considered being higher Q mana cost (hit waveclear/pressure early) or shifting damage from W/R into E.
Zac VO Threshold
We're adjusting Zac's voice so it doesn't start getting higher as he loses health until he's below 30% health (rather than the current 60%). Its an effect we think should happen less frequently than it currently does (a 'Zac is pretty low' thing, not a 'Zac's somewhat hurt' thing). That just missed the 7.10 patch cutoff, should be in for 7.11 though. If you're on the PBE and playing around with it feedback much appreciated.
Unusual Playstyles Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMAAfm095tg
For anyone that hasn't seen it we put out a video yesterday talking about our thoughts on unusual playstyles in LoL and how we should be supporting or adjusting them etc. Short version is we love seeing new things get discovered and played, believe whether not not someone's trying to win is what matters and have sometimes had to adjust some builds/champs because while they were inventive they were really unhealthy for the game (lack of counterplay as with AP Trynd etc).
Thoughts on such playstyles and how we should approach them much appreciated. Feedback on my delivery in the video would also be really welcomed. Video's not a format I've dealt with much yet, so thoughts on what could be better, what works, what doesn't etc would be great if you're so inclined. It's not something I take to as naturally as some Rioters but it's certainly something I'd like to improve at (really useful skill to grow).
what do you think about a cooldown nerf in early rank on her Q? right now it's 7 seconds all ranks giving her a lot mobility damage sustain ect... in early game
what's your opinion on this dude? 46% win rate, all my high elo adc friends (broeki, AeQ bigfat, I solo lost it) stopped playing him since 3 months now.
He really feels bad to play, can't kill tanks, can't kill squishies as they kill him with 
in a short time before he kills them
so recently i started to support a lot of mordekaisers, but i realised that the supports he synergyses with cripple him as they take 
and prevent him from using his XP passive to all its potential
would be it broken if he gained bonus xp from his W passive on creeps killed by his supports with relic shield?
So about the Caitlyn Hurricane nerf, Would that apply to 
Late game AOE rockets with hurricane? Or maybe 
twitch passive? I've been thinking for a while that Caitlyn could use armor pen/% missing HP on her headshot proc and with this nerf it can be easily implemented to reward Caitlyn players who actual use brush.
and 
?
changes:
