What is the point of the PBE if it doesn't actually work? (skarner rant)

Tryce Maxwell·Aug 22, 2015·6 votes·1,224 views

Skarner gets buffs on the PBE, PBE players say it's mediocre and not all that great, provides counterplay, but at least makes him viable.

Skarner is released live and is clearly broke has hell, with a confirmed hotfix happening within the week.

Why does riot hate skarner so much? This will be the second time in Skarner's history that his buffs have been directly retracted shortly after going live. The second time. And the only champion to have this done to him.

What is skarner supposed to be? Is he a fighter? clearly not because the moment he starts blowing people up (hello Volibear), he gets his damage nerfed. Then if he's too tanky, he gets his shield nerfed. Then if he gets too much mobility, IT gets nerfed too. He almost has as many nerfs as Irelia and that's saying something.

17 Comments

TiphessAug 22, 20157 votes

PBE = Public BETA Environment

Let's read the definition of BETA

A beta test refers to the distribution of pre-release game software to a select group of people so that they can test the game in their own homes. The beta version of a game is as close to perfect as the company can make it, but any bugs, glitches or other issues discovered in beta testing will usually be addressed before the game's official release.

That is the point of the PBE. Balance is not, and will never be, the goal of PBE.

AlphadefAug 22, 20154 votes

Azir

MohawkBirdAug 22, 20151 votes

[deleted]

Lao Fu the TigerAug 23, 20151 votes

You... do realise that the PBE feedback on Skarner was, "He's weak; you've gutted him again," right?

ElJanitorFrankAug 23, 20152 votes

I'd like to add onto this that balancing CAN and HAS taken place on the PBE (because I already know someone is going to bring that up thinking they've shot down this definition somehow).

If something is CLEARLY BROKEN on the PBE, it will be changed.

gubigubiAug 22, 20154 votes

The PBE is a pretty terrible place to judge if something is strong or weak balance wise. I played like 60 games with Fiora before she got released and I thought she was alright maybe 40-47% win rate. I knew she was on the weak side but I didn't know she would be in the 34-38% range. Its so so hard to tell what is actually strong because the match making isn't really a thing in the PBE. I'm plat on live and I was getting put with a guy who said he was like level 15 on live and was just testing skins and champions out.

For its job on catching bugs it seems to work out and a lot of bugs get caught. I reported a lot of bugs to riot and they fixed them before Fiora shipped to live. She still got disabled for what ever reason but we got most of the bugs before she went live fixed on the PBE. For balance the PBE is pretty horrible. For testing bugs its alright I guess its at least something. I am not sure what they could do to change the PBE and make it better to work out balance.

And Skarner has by far more changes than Irelia. Skarner, Kassadin, and Ryze are the gods of going perma ban to dumpster can in 1 patch.

ThePurpleKnightAug 22, 20152 votes

Skarner used to be an inescapable duelist, I don't understand what was wrong with that, punish out of position players that don't ward and watch the map. Every rework since has been trying to turn him into a tank just because some players build really tanky. Like we have enough tanks Riot! Remember when you destroyed Sions identity and made him into just another tank? We don't need that done to Skarner, damage is valuable, AS into CDR passive is valuable. Fucking shrines around the map and useless Q are ANNOYING.

Why can't we just have 4.9 Skarner with movement speed on Q and lower mana costs? I mean I love the idea of HP scaling shields and higher base AD and all, but not at the cost that it is getting, I don't want my favorite champion to become just another tank. I miss Energize and doing damage. Remember the 6 second cool down on shield? Udyr does, oh right, he did get nerfed into a tank like Skarner did so his shield is still plenty spammable. Meanwhile Skarners is fucking 11-9 with no Energize to lower it.

ModAcademy KaynAug 22, 20154 votes

Old Sion didn't have an identity. He was just a choke full of references, who could be a fighter, tank, ap burst mage, etc.

ElJanitorFrankAug 23, 20151 votes

"Remember when you destroyed Sions identity"

I'll make a list of Sion's most prominent identities:

Having no identity. Literally, that was his thing. He could bulid burst mage, bruiser, tank, melee ADC, jungler, etc. and still do OK.

Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Damn, I'm so upset they took away his 'Identity'.

ThePurpleKnightAug 24, 20151 votes

{quoted}

"Remember when you destroyed Sions identity"

I'll make a list of Sion's most prominent identities:

Having no identity. Literally, that was his thing. He could bulid burst mage, bruiser, tank, melee ADC, jungler, etc. and still do OK.

Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Damn, I'm so upset they took away his 'Identity'.

Wtf, Sion was about being an unkillable life stealing badass. Build Hydra, BT, BotRK, Spirit Visage and Randuins and pop your ult. 75 free AD on E + all the hp built up, every hit you do heals you to full, you can't be bursted due to your passive and E stacks, so the only way to beat him is CC or range + mobility, even then he does have a point and click stun to deal with that, even if you come close to killing him, his W is a shield, a bit of placeholder hp while you try and get an auto to restore yourself back to full with 150% lifesteal and 350 AD. Sion needed some nerfs, and even some buffs, so he needed a rework, but his identity as a life stealing zombie didn't need to change. Now he is just a tank. The biggest wet noodler or wet noodlers, which at the time Riot made him was something they wanted to prevent in LCS. We honestly don't need more tanks, and we especially don't need current fighters being turned into tanks.

ElJanitorFrankAug 24, 20151 votes

You know, Sion was played more as a mage than a fighter in the first place.

That completely shuts down your whole paragraph.

Variks the LoyalAug 24, 20151 votes

{quoted}

"Remember when you destroyed Sions identity"

I'll make a list of Sion's most prominent identities:

Having no identity. Literally, that was his thing. He could bulid burst mage, bruiser, tank, melee ADC, jungler, etc. and still do OK.

Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Damn, I'm so upset they took away his 'Identity'.

I think he meant old new Sion, when the rework first came out.

Sion was tagged as a 'Fighter' not a 'Tank'. His Champion Spotlight promoted building Ravenous Hydra. He has purchase quotes for item 3153 item 3025 item 3031 item 3071 item 3072 item 3022 item 3156 , all of which are Bruiser items.

He was a lane bully for a while, Renekton style. But his damage got nerfed, so people built him straight tank. Then his damage got nerfed more...

AtheosisXAug 22, 20151 votes

You can still hold out hope they won't gut him into oblivion. Well until Monday probably...

JbelsAug 22, 20151 votes

To be perfectly honest, the 5.16 PBE patch cycle was a clusterfuck of new shit, and there were only three champions that were being talked about to great length. Mordekaiser, for bad reasons, Darius and garen for mostly good some bad. I think Skarner just fell off the radar because of the importance of Garen, Morde, and Darius to everyone else.

GarurumonAug 22, 20151 votes

PBE doesn't have nearly enough players like League does in order to determine to the full extent on how strong a champion actually is or isn't.

KarKzzAug 22, 20151 votes

Because people cry and cry, saying that it's bad. Then he got buff.

Meep ManAug 23, 20151 votes

We did this to Skarner, not Riot.

Let this be a lesson Boards. This can be what happens when Riot listens to our feedback for once. This monster gets released and gets a 65% win rate. WE DID THIS! WE ASKED FOR BUFFS! There is no reason to blame Riot. So next time you complain about Riot not listening about feedback, just remember Skarner 5.16.