All the good things Riot has done for us.

Hey all,

We criticize Riot a lot about changes they've made or new things they're trying out, but I don't think we praise them enough for what they've done for us. If you skim the boards, all you see is negativity and complaints. (mainly in the gameplay section) However, Riot has made a lot of good changes and I think they are getting canceled out because of all the negative feedback.. so I've decided to take this time to appreciate the good that Riot has done, and say thanks for it.

1. Skins and Splash Arts/Updated Splash Arts- I had to start with these because no matter how much you dislike the game's state at the moment, the skins are just getting better and better. Riot has been doing a wonderful job keeping the skins looking amazing, and the splash arts that come with them are something to be proud of in the loading screen. Also when they take the time to update old splash arts (like currently Miss Fortune, and Varus) they look and feel so much better.

2. New Champions, and Keeping Things Fresh and Different- Even if the balance isn't always perfect on the new guys, you have to admit that there is always new designs and abilities that we've never had in the game before. Zoe and Ornn might not be my favorite champs to go against, but their qualities are so unique and interesting which anyone can appreciate considering how many champions we already have. I can't think of anything negative to say about champion design lately and y'all need to know that you're doing a great job with that, so please keep it up!

3. Riot IS Listening and Changing Things- The consensus on the boards is that Riot doesn't care about the players anymore, and all of our criticism is going unnoticed, however that is not really the case. Things ARE getting nerfed and fixed, even if it's not at the speed that some of us would prefer. We don't work for Riot so we don't actually know how much work and decision making is involved to make even the slightest change. Klepto got nerfed, Ezreal got nerfed, Vayne got nerfed, Malzahar got nerfed, ADCs are not using Relic shield anymore ( I think), targeted spells now officially draw minion aggro, and bugs are continually being fixed.

4. Awesome CGI videos, Having Fun with the Community- I think most of us can agree that "The Climb" video was awesome, and most CGI videos they've made have been very enjoyable to watch. I hope this doesn't change because I actually do get a little pumped everytime a new video pops up for us to view. As for having fun with us, Riot does post in some threads, like memes and games or general discussion to just connect with us and joke around about the game we have all become so passionate about. I don't play many other games at the moment, but when I was younger, the game's staff never really did that, and I personally love to read Riot's responses to fun threads, just to remind us that they are human and they are like us, they love the game and the game's characters and storylines just as much as we do.

5. eSports Hype- Ok ok, before I hear the "it's a business, they do this for money and profit" argument.. yes you may be right, but when you do get into it, it's a very fun concept. A good number of us probably don't enjoy sitting through a 3 hour long football game or basketball game, but when LCS or Worlds comes on, we can sit still for hours at a time. I've always been annoyed about the debate on whether video gaming could ever be considered a sport, because frankly, who cares? I do like conventional sports like hockey and football, however I have a hard time sitting through a full game without getting up and doing something else. The League of Legends pro scene; although criticized at times, gives us gamer nerds that feeling that sports fanatics get when we root for our favorite team or players; the excitement, the heartache, and all-around good time. Also even though it can be a little cringe at times (haha) the videos which include the League pros acting like badasses, it still does get you motivated to watch again!

6. Quality of Life Improvements- Honestly, I could probably name a hundred different things for this one, but I'll just give you a few that I've really enjoyed. Let's start with the most recent change where you can now see your teammates skins in champ select, right before the game starts.. how cool is that?! The first time I saw that, I was in a bleh kind of mood and it put a cheeky smile on my face lol. I have also grown fond of the new font our usernames have in-game, and the plants (the popup one, the one in river that heals you, and the quick line of vision you get from hitting the blue one.) The client looks fantastic, and every little sub-menu it has from patch notes, to emotes, to the skins tab, just makes everything so much better. I'm a firm believer of the statement "It's the little things that count" and Riot has been doing a great job at fulfilling this.

7. The Community, and The Family- Omg don't attack me, hear me out :) . Yea I know LoL is known for having a not so friendly community IN GAME, but outside of the game, on the boards or reddit, or friends you meet in real life, the community is an amazing group of people. So many of us have had memorable experiences, met friends through league that have changed our lives, and some of us have even started relationships that are still going on today because of this game. We've met streamers that have brightened our day by making us laugh, or even some that have given us life lessons that should always be remembered. As much as people think the game is going downhill, or that it's not the same game anymore.. it still is. We have Riot to thank for this, and deep down I don't believe for one second they want us to be miserable, I think certain things just aren't as easy as they seem. Oh and the reason people are so toxic in game, comes down to passion.. people are just passionate and want to win, it happens.

I felt the need to write this because we need to show some support for ol' Riot Games. Think about it, if someone constantly belittled you and told you what a horrible job you're doing, would that help you be better? No. You'd probably become bitter or unwilling to do better out of spite... or you'd take the other route and become depressed, insecure, and thinking that you are just horrible at your job and it can't change.

So on behalf of everyone.. Thank you Riot!!!

TLDR: Too many negative posts on the board could be canceling out the good things Riot has done, and the good changes they've made. They should be acknowledged! 1. Skins and Splash Arts/Updated Splash Arts are getting better and better. 2. New Champions, and Keeping Things Fresh and Different with unique abilities that we've never seen before. 3. Riot IS Listening and Changing Things, even if not at the speed some people prefer, things ARE getting fixed. 4. Awesome CGI videos, Having Fun with the Community. 5. eSports, although criticized is a way for gamers to enjoy what sports fans do, in our own way. 6. Quality of Life Improvements, all the little things that make the game prettier, or feel better constantly being added. 7. The Community, and The Family.. although league is known for being toxic, outside of the game, I love this community and all they do for this game.. and the in-game toxicity is just passion!

[sg-lux]