Quick Gameplay Thoughts: November 16

(Hey Meddler, if you don't have time for reading, skip to the TLDR).

Not a balance comment, but rather asking about VFX, SFX, animations, etc.. for Shaco.

You stated in your last QGT that the candidates for these new running animations are unlikely to get a VGU anytime soon, which is true for most of them, including Shaco (whom was removed from the last high-priority list that Reav3 shared). As you know, Shaco is a 2009 champion. He's one of the oldest champion in the game that didn't get a significant update of any type (outside of his mini-rework from Assassins Update). Hell, his E throw is basically his autoattack animation, and his ult (R) animation is his Taunt, just sped up. Also, Shaco doesn't have any Epic+ skin, and the ONLY skin which have different VFX is Masked Shaco (only the smoke and the dance are different, that's all), and despite that, his model is very, very ugly (his face looks like some smashed human's face, instead of a golden mask).

Another thing, you guys remember how you promised to update all of the old splash arts of old champions? You ended up replacing them with (let's be honest, UGLY) chinese art instead, while waiting for an update? Lot of champions ended up getting them (Miss Fortune, hello, because popularity I guess?), but not Shaco. We're still waiting.

TL;DR: Don't you think Shaco deserves some love for his visuals (splashes, animations, skins) because he isn't a candidate for VGU anytime soon, AND he's a very old champion? Make him pleasant to play atleast? Please, Shaco mains feel unloved and forgotten, prove us wrong.

Meddler you lookin like a chug jug

The Nexus Blitz changes sound awesome. Would you mind explaining how the 1v1 or 2v2 combatants are chosen?

Hey Meddler, any plans for Mastery Rank 8? We've got 6/7 a long time ago and I'd personally like a higher level, maybe that upgrades when you are 7 on a champ and on a certain amount of mastery points rather than 4 S+ tokens?

Hey meddler since the addition of being able to ping bounty gold on pbe and kaisa being able to ping her distance of her R

Wouldn’t it be a nice to add a feature where Draven can ping his adoration (passive) and it tells the entire team in chat how much gold his stacks are worth and how much he has instead of waiting every 150 stacks to broadcast a message Draven has gained 150 stacks 300 450 ect

Hi Meddler

Do you have any info when the Zoe mini-update is coming that was suppose to better the experience when playing against her? Has been quite a while since you guys mentioned it, did it get cancelled?

Edit: Was August 10th so quite a while ago

https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/developer-corner/upj64E0i-quick-gameplay-thoughts-august-10

The only change you did to Zoe since then was the buff to Q damage and reduction on E CD on patch 8.21

Hi Meddler what are your thoughts on the current state of black cleaver?

It feels like some champions who should in theory be good with black cleaver such as have suffered greatly ever since it's build path was changed to be more health oriented than AD oriented.

Hi Meddler, I was curious if there were any plans to reassess Black Cleaver's build path. A lot of champions who it used to be core on have stopped building it in favor of Trinity because it simply gives them more damage unless vs a really tanky team. It also feels bad to buy the components on aggressive champions because it only gives 15 AD from Phage until the entire item is complete. Has it been discussed to replace Kindlegem with Caulfield's any time recently?

Give us a new look for the map. It seems like you guys are going for the same style as summoner's rift. Maybe Ionia or something

Hey Meddler, can another event be based off draft racing, it was a popular unofficial gamemode in season 1 that never really got spotlight later on. Basically the main idea for this event is that 1 ally or 1 enemy manages to get into each other fountain, the team who gets one in before the enemy wins the event.

Edit: The range of all global or semi global ults can be reduced during the event. In the original draft racing mode, most ults were unavailable since most of the time there was no xp gain other than kills meaning everyone was at best level 3.

Meddler, why do you think the Karma rework is a successful approach to Karma? It doesn't seem like you guys are addressing any of her actual problems. The rework is completely one sided and there has yet to be an exact explanation for this.

The good:

1. Ally mechanic on Mantra W, but not really impressed with it. I am just happy she has an ally mechanic on Mantra W now.

The bad:

1. Still lacks a clear niche and gameplay identity that separates her from other Mages and Enchanters.
2. There is not enough skill expression in Karma's Mantra abilities to warrant using them in a more skillful way. Karma's Mantra abilities feel like a Heimerdinger upgrade ULT. How Karma's Mantra currently function is basic ability that is Mantra into stronger basic ability.
3. The new Mantra W mechanic was removed from the game for a specific reason. The new Mantra W mechanic is support Karma oriented. The new Mantra W mechanic is not solving a problem but going to create more problems. Look at similar champions who have received the same treatment Karma is going to get in the 2019 rework: class updates that have almost all been reverted, Sejuani who has a similar mechanic that resolves coordinated play and the use of an ally, Ryze and his state and ULT, Kalista and her state and the requirement of an ally to be useful, and much more.
4. Manta E exists in the game in several capacities. The function or part of the function of Mantra E exists on champion abilities and item actives.
5. Buffing the strength of Mantra has not worked the past 5 years because the functionality of the kit doesn't work, Karma lacks an actual unique gameplay identity, and there really isn't much skill expression in Karma's Mantra. All of the buffs to Karma's Mantra abilities have been nerfed and reverted.

The biggest disappointment is how much Karma's Mantra E is already in the game, but you and NueroCat think it is the most iconic and original concept on Karma. How is Mantra E a unique ability that offers nothing to a gameplay identity, not much skill expression, and already exists in the game? Answer this, Meddler.

- Item actives that is Mantra E. - Sivr ULT that is the speed steroid of Mantra E. - Kled ULT that is the speed steroid of Mantra E. - W and E abilities that is basically Mantra E. - E and Passive that is basically Mantra E. - W and E that is basically Mantra E. - Aery and Passive that is basically Mantra E. - Aery and E that is basically Mantra E. - Aery and W that is basically Mantra E.

Any news on the effort to update champion ability text? I remember the example was of ezreal but when he was updated, his tooltips weren't. Are we going to see this with the preseason, next season, gradually, or has it been iceboxed?

Hey Meddler. Any info if you have any plans for Diana anytime soon? I think she could use a base model update with maybe a mini rework like what you guys did with Ezreal. Thanks

Hey, :) would you say that the new champion has a Unique Playstyle? What would it be on a scale?

Will you stick with scaling CDR as rune stat bonus? Id love getting extra 10% CDR but only having 36-37% mid game feels very weird. Id consider making it 10% that unlocks at level 9 or 10 and replacing Transcendence with something else since that isnt really used a lot anyway. Would be worse early but better mid game and feel better overall

@Meddler So is nexus blitz going to be a new permanent gamemode, without RGMs i feel kinda drained with only normal games to play, and to be honest my competitive drive is dead after that ardent meta almost a year back now, can we look for more frequent releases of things like 1FA, URF (Normal), and hexakill?

-Sincerely, a HyperCarry

On that note, where's my cute emotes [cass-cry]

Hey Meddler, why not make Nexus Blitz a permanent game mode regardless of the results of the upcoming live testing phase? Why not add Nexus Blitz as the 4th Permanent Game Mode, and just push the "Random Game Mode" slot a bit more to the right in the client? Even if a low percentage of all NA players choose to play this game mode, wouldn't having them play it be better than having them not play the game at all?

Hey meddler it is only a few week left before 2019, and yet is not yet in the VGU lineup?

I'm still not a big fan of the snowballs and I have the same feelings for the sled. Im not a big fan of thematic elements like those in a map that doesnt really help build that idea/fantasy.

Maybe if they make nexus blitz in the freijord?

Really like the new event and rewards. Are there any changes / changes planned to the sudden death event? I like it's concept, but in a lot of games where I had a lead but couldn't close out in time (with enemies' inhibitor down) this event went against my team because both nexus where pushed to their base, which made this event almost a guarenteed loss while leading.

Hey Meddler, do you have context on the overgrowth changes? Also, with bone plating being removed it doesn't seem like there's another good option for fighters in the top portion of the tree. Is this in attempts to try and push fighters to more aggressive runes? Thank you for your time and I hope you have a wonderful day!

That sudden death image marks 13 minutes on the clock. Correct me if i am worng, but this mode was 20 minutes tops, right? Its 15 minutes now? About the surrender votes, 3 votes still end the match? I remember players just not voting to kill the surrender, when it had 3 positive votes. Once it has 3 positive votes, you shouldnt wait for the other 2 votes, just end the match, so people cant bypass the system by just not voting.

So it'll be back for Christmas, I gather from this? At least for testing again, anyway.