Long Sword replacement and more :)

Hey peoples,

Jack here to talk about items, once again ~sigh.
:D
Items, as you all know, are one of the core aspects of almost every game out there, and that for a good reason, because items enforce the game's fantasy and make it more enjoyable for the players.
Imagine instead of a Long Sword you would have an ice cream cone that gave you +10 AD, it wouldn't really be that fantasy enforcing, right?

So usually designers try to make the items as good as possible. In some games, even, items and weapons are the main aspect of the game, like in first person shooters and whatnot.
And I do think Riot's items are very good, however there is one thing that kind of annoys me ...
->
->
->
->
etc.

some item upgrades just don't make any sense.
You could always argument that you give the shop keeper the item back, and he gives you something else in return, but I refuse to accept such an explanation for such a large game like League of Legends.
No, I think it's time League updated its items.
Riot has been hanging on to their core items ever since beta, and yes, they do fulfill their main role of an item system, but not the role of making the game awesome.
With every knew champion the depth of lore and design increases, and Riot has also started polishing other things, like the Summoner Spells for example, however other aspects of the game are heavily neglected, or at least so it seems.

So I'd like to propose a ... series of sorts.
If Riot does ever update the Summoner's Rift again, and mean like full on rework the visuals, they could also give the Shop Keeper some new goodies.
Imagine, leading up to the overhaul, Riot released journal entries of the Shop Keeper, who is wandering all across Valoran to find new and exiting ingredients and items and relics for the shop. There could also be guest appearances of champions like Ezreal, or Vikor and Jayce (who make some AP techno-jumbo).
And in addition to the new and logical item building process, the Shop Keeper could get new lines and new animations, and make the items right in front of you in-game (wouldn't affect purchase speed).
That means the Shop Keeper would get a training as blacksmitch, alchemist, enchanter or anything else needed to make his shop awesome.

As first entry I could imagine the Shop Keeper being somewhere in the Kumungu Jungles with a tribe of natives that all have black-metal weapons. He writes that he has to start his journal entries all over, because his tent burnt down. He'd been experimenting with a new wood sort he'd found. The natives had called it the Ashforge Tree. It's saplings were worn by them in pouches around their waist, or as necklaces, and it gave them strength, but they refused to tell him more.
However, he writes that on the next day after his tent had burnt down, he found metallic ash flakes all around his working bench where the Ashforge Saplings had been before, and after collecting and smelting the flakes he found out he could make dark black metal ingots out of them, that were harder than steel.

^- this solves the conundrum of the Long Sword building into bows, lamps or simply other swords. Instead, the Ashforge Saplings (a small bulb-formed sapling similar to a bonsai in a leather pouch) would replace the Long Sword.

And remember I said the Shop Keeper could get new animations and voices?
When buying, say, the Bilgewater Cutlass the Shop Keeper could say something like The ash is so hard to clean up, why can't you just buy a Brutalizer? and then throw a sapling into a cauldron and quickly hold a lid atop of it. Then, out of the sides of the lid, an ash cloud would erupt, and that would be it.
Of course the forging process would be lost, but it would still be funny, and also show how the shop works, making the game much more interesting.

So in addition to his shop, the Shop Keeper would have an anvil plus hammer, a cauldron or forge, an enchantment table and a workbench.
The first item bought would activate an animation or comment of the Shop Keeper, and only once that animation has ended would the next one continue, however he won't say every single line to every item bought. He would stack two item purchases, and if any other items are bought after the second line has ended he'd say that, too. These things would not affect purchasing speed.
Of course, the lines would probably only be noticed, since the players are always busy having map awareness (right?), but the animations could be a nice addition :D

Here are some more line examples :

-> Don't drink too much, or you'll end up drinking with Gragas!
-> Spying is not a nice thing to do ! But only if you're caught...
-> Psst ! Trying giving this to your allies, if they get mad. Grinches always looove jewelry
-> Don't run around with that, or you'll poke someone's eye out! Wait ... is that your intention?
-> There are not many chalices that bring upon harmony ...
-> Ah! A torch! Best for surviving in the wild ... trust me, I know ... (shudders)
-> Is it me, or is it quite chilly here ... (shivers)

So, what do you think?
I can give some more examples for item replacements or journal entries, if you like. I have some thought up :)
That's all, thanks for reading and sorry for the block text.