@RIOT Games, @Meddler: Simple question regarding annual changes and the massive issues they cause
I'd appreciate knowing what the thinking/motivation is behind the large annual changes to LOL please. Changes which are in my own opinion cause most of the problems and frustrations people have with the game.
Let me explain:
Step 1: Season ends & Preseason starts - The game receives massive changes to items, champions, masteries and gameplay like for example S7's tower and Jungle changes. It's huge and everyone Bronze to Challenger struggles to adapt. I awtch many streamers on Youtube and Twitch and even high elo ones have been particularly frustrated the past season or two.
Step 2: Season starts & the next 8 months are spent balancing the game because many champions were all buffed or nerfed to suit last seasons changes. People get angry and frustrated non stop for the next 8 odd months or more because the changes to the game have vastly changed their champions place and/or ability to play with them this season. 8 months of clown fiesta play testing makes people int if I'm honest with you.
Step 3: The game settles and 'finds it's balance' towards the end of the season. It's not perfect but after** 8 months of public beta testing** RIOT's balance team starts to get on top of things
Step 4: Season ends. See step 1 & the process is repeated over and over.
Why though? Yes, nobody wants the game to go stale but why all these rage-inducing titanic changes which wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact we all know every change has a passive knock on effect. Each champion is built and suited to a role and place in the game any change to items or gameplay affects them. For example: Nasus had his place in S5/S6 - bad early strong late - but when you nerfed towers for S7 with the short games he became utterly useless. NOW you buff him with what? 1/2 months left in season and only to compensate for the fact there is no late 40+ minute games anymore. Didn't you consider this before making the S7 changes? You basically threw him in the trash after making huge changes to the game without considering the knock on effects and instead left us, the players, to waste months playing champions like him and pointing out your mistakes.
So back to my original question: Why? You're a multi billion dollar company who regularly talk about using analytics to balance the game but then why make so many large, random & uncalled for changes and leave us to suffer through them for most of the year wasting hat amounts to weeks of our lives wasted? What you do year on year is like FIFA suddenly saying "ok you can now pick up the ball with your hands this year but we're going to also make the goal nets smaller"
Why not actually poll the community on seasonal changes? Or even only change one thing per season ie: Rework masteries one year, jungle the next ? Or even hold off all changes and have them every 2 years instead, this gives two full years to perfectly balance the game.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to suggest something: Have all 10 players before they pick their champions in ranked vote on whether to play a game with tower health as is is or trebled. At the end of the day it's just simple code saying health is something like 1000 or 3000 so not hard to implement. I understand you enjoy LCS spectacles but if you give players the option of choice, like champion bans, it will help ease our suffering. I'm certainly not alone when I say 25 minute curb stomps are infuriating.
Fingers crossed for a response. Thank you.
