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Utility Scaling and the "Hyper-Support"

Verandure·2/28/2014, 9:01:48 AM·5 votes·1,603 views

With the implementation of utility scaling on the traditional support roster, Riot unlocked a new lever by which to balance the entire class of champions. Though they have neglected to tinker with the ratios as of yet (to the disdain of many support advocates), the general consensus is that this change has the capacity to make supports much stronger -- as made apparent by Mid-Lulu who gets to take advantage of both the AP and Utility scaling on her abilities.

What this changes for future supports; however, is the capacity to take on the role of hyper-scaling utility. Supports, at the moment, have invisible to mediocre increases in their spells' effectiveness with the utility changes -- having to build an inordinate amount of AP to get notable change. By having next-to-zero AP scaling, but high utility scaling, future additions to the support role may be able to encapsulate the assumptions about the system that many have stated. Take a slow; for instance, by having a high utility scaling champion, a slow can become a root by mid-to-late game. Shields? They get both higher effective health with the bonus AP as well as whatever additional effect.

But; is the Hyper-support truly something that players would want? A champion with such late-game utility potential would have to give up early and mid game (like the Hyper-carries: Vayne, and Poppy) but, unlike those carries, the hyper-supports would have to be an extension of another player on their team. Champions who are at their strongest when an ally is at their strongest have been hit hard with nerfs, in the past (Yorick, Zilean). In order for the "ideal Hyper-support" to exist, Riot would first have to amend their anti-synergy policy.

If there ever is such a thing as a hyper-support in League, I posit that it would be a champion with weak laning phase -- which could be bad when paired with a weak laning marksmen -- but with high enough utility scaling to improve their cc/stat increases significantly by end game. They would have to ostensibly trade damage in their kit for the utility they bring, but can't be completely unable to output damage -- low AP/AD ratios, medium-high base damage.

Potential abilities

(Slow): Low base slow on an average cooldown with a short duration. With a few items, becomes a snare (100% slow). After a threshold percentage slow, becomes a knockback -- reversing movement -- which displaces based on AP/AD (200% < 300%).

Wacky things could be done here, instead of the knockback. Because you are reducing movement speed by more than 100%, you could invert the target's controls, making their forward movement cause them to retreat at whatever difference between their movement speed and 100%. While this makes it unwanted to build pure AP/AD to bring the utility above 100%, it does add in some counterplay.

(Shield): Medium base shield on an average cooldown with a short duration. The shielded amount of damage scales very low on AP/AD, but the conbat/defensive stats scale heavily.

While this is a mechanic common to supports, there are still manifold possibilities with shield-stat combinations. Further, adding in different/additional stats at particular AP/AD thresholds might go a long way to making the generic shield different.

(Heal): Low base heal on a long cooldown.

Another common mechanic that is also commonly paired with a combat/defensive stat.

(Speed): Low base increase with a medium cooldown and a short duration. Deconstructed dash allows for different movement mechanics: movement speed, dash, blink.

By increasing movement speed over a particular number of units traveled rather than time elapsed, a utility scaling support would be able to not only speed up allies, but give them a flash to avoid dangers. This would be difficult for the Support to use (unless they want to troll with it) as it would displace an ally during critical engages or escapes.

Any other, generic ability ideas are more than welcome. I did not add an overt "Stat boost" ability since supports typically use heals or shields as a stat mediator, though the capacity to throw attack speed and only attack speed on an ally would be a somewhat okay ability in-and-of-itself.

This is not me creating a new champion concept, rather theorizing what I believe Riot is capable of doing with the season 4 (2014 season) support changes.

12 Comments

Ravenfeather2/28/2014, 9:15:02 AM1 votes

Interesting read, and a good long-view on the direction the game may take. My personal opinion is that there should be some high-scaling supports, as it should be a full 5 person team, with each person having some noticeable impact on the game. Currently, we are very close to this (if not at it already with some oddballs like Annie support), and it makes League a very interesting game to play from any position.

I do not, however, believe that we should be introducing champion(s) that are other 'hyper-carries', including the hypothetical 'hyper-support', as I feel that these champions only serve to detract from the overall gameplay. The game should not become so focused as to revolve around a single champion's success (or failure) in the game.

Yes, some champions like this do exist, but in my experience, the best games I've had are when two teams reach mid to late game, with large sums of gold having been earned on both sides. After a tense and well-fought battle, one team emerges victorious NOT because they had a 'hyper-carry', but because all five members of the that team used their individual skill to the fullest to overcome their opponents. Not about champion skill sets, scalings, or any of that nonsense, just pure player skill.

Obviously, this is my opinion, but I'm sure that some others may share it to some degree.

Letler2/28/2014, 3:13:53 PM1 votes

I used to refer to old Karma as a late game support. Or maybe even a hyper support. By the time she got AP she was throwing massive heals, massive shields, while still doing crazy damage and never dying.

To that end I think it would be a nice change to see some of the support utilities really ramping up late game. A slow is good in lane but in a team fight a 80-100% slow is deadly. I'm not sure how changing slows to snares to knock backs would go. Those champions with that ability would just be rushing every AP item they can get their hands on.

What I am interested in is either a different way for supports to scale. AP scaling is OK but any "support AP" items automatically become kinda better on utility mages.

I also am curious about scaling that increases range or AoE of abilities. Could you see every 80AP on Nami her bubble gaining a little AoE or gaining 50 range?

Kaine2/28/2014, 3:13:58 PM1 votes

What I want to see is Utility scaling into multiple targets-

So, for example, a Zilean might have an AOE indicator that swells as his AP increases so that his speed buff/debuff, which is now outclassed by lulu's, gains an ever increasing radius of effect.

burdluver902/28/2014, 3:50:16 PM1 votes

What if utility scaling was based on support play?

Example:

Number of minions that die around you that you did not kill (Coin) - improves slows/speed buffs by .25% per minion death.

Number of assists: Improves range of abilities and auto attacks by 5 units per assist

Number of Spellthief procs used: Increases the radius of AoE abilities by 5 units each

Number of Spoils of War procs used: Adds 1 bonus MR and Armor each to any shielding or resistance buff ability.

This way you scale for being a good support. Attach the three based on the support items to those items - so each support can only take advantage of one type of scaling.

All supports gain range with assists, encouraging them to get those assists and not take kills if they can avoid it. A good support that is sitting back with 10 assists now has a lot more spell and AA range.

An early kill or two in lane can put a lower ranged support even with the enemy support, or increase the range difference even more, allowing for zoning/poke snowballing. Imagine an Annie with 4 early assits. 645 range is insane.

Imagine a Nami with 100 coin minions - that passive speed buff would be huge and the slow from her E would be devistating.

I like the idea of having a slow eventually become a root, but then only have the duration increased. Every 100% of slow gives you one second of root. Nami again, but an ADC with 3 1 second rooting auto attacks. Insane.

Janna with a point an click root, followed by tornado with an MR, Armor, AD granting shield?

Soraka with massive Armor and MR buff on heal?

It might need some tweeking - possibly you pick your scaling when you buy the item - so it doesn't force a support like Soraka to take Relic for the MR/Armor buffing.

K1rkmantor3/1/2014, 2:34:15 PM1 votes

You talk about "slow-to-snare" but no slow ever really comes close to snare unless the slow is 80% or above with 200 or above ap. And your discussion on 'backwards movement' just adds an unnecessary effect to the game. A 100%+ is a slow down to its core that's it. No, new mechanics of backwards movement just a slow. And this "Hyper-Support" as you call it is here, in the form of Thresh and Leona. Who plays in +50% of LCS games, Leona and Thresh. And they prove it with their plays. The Hyper-Support is real in Leona and Thresh, they throw and carry the game they are played in.