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Poll: State of the League

slôw·1/31/2016, 3:08:36 AM·4 votes·1,082 views

I have been a player of league of legends since season 1, mid of season 1.

I have logged thousands of hours into this game, and I have suddenly realized that this game resembles nothing of even season 4 due to the amount of changes (good, or bad) and realization that this was exactly the same path that starcraft 2 went down and caused a massive chunk of the player base to stop playing completely.

My question to you is,

In your opinion, how has league deteriorated in FUN and DEPTH in this season (and maybe the last?) and if it hasn't, explain why and your experiences with the game.

My thoughts on why the game has very quickly become a vastly inferior game is

  • In the interest of evening out viable picks, they have completely watered down the champion pool.
  • Champions like shen, garen, renekton have been touched so much that they can do just as much damage as a rumble, karma, wukong, darius
  • Due to the mastery changes, any champion can be tanky, any champion can do damage, any champion can do anything they want to do.

This hurts the strategic depth a great deal because why would new shen ever need to fight with a team (teamwork) if he can simply do damage on his own. In comparison, old shen simply just couldn't fight without his team so you could abuse that and it would create meaningful interactions.

Next point:

*Meaningful interactions are completely gone. Since everyone does about the same amount of damage regardless of stats (ratios and base damages are extremely tangled, leading to not knowing how much damage anyone does until seeing the damage they do) *This means that fights are quite literally throwing abilities around at the closest or most fed target and killing in that order every single fight. *Now, in contrast with old league of legends, there used to be champions that couldn't dash a full screen length as many times as they want and gap close to any target instantly. Which now if you look at it, EVERYONE, every single champion besides the old ones (who will be reworked soon, and will probably be the death of this game (my opinion)) has tons of mobility, tons of cc, tons of damage, tons of tankiness.

Champions without:

Bard - a champion built around pure utility, which means can only do well in higher tier play, terribly designed.

Vel'Koz - probably the best example of a balanced champion, and to everyones suprised is not super good at everything.

Thresh - great champion design, as such is one of the most fun champions in this game to play and one of the most balanced.

Nami - same as janna.

Kha'Zix - Not super tanky and not much utility, but lots of damage and mobility, true assassin, although heavily watered down.

Zyra - Great utility, great damage, not very tanky, requires teammates.

Leblanc - Clear what abilities do, not tanky but very mobile. Their changes hurt this champion's strengths a lot and buffed the weaknesses, leading to a watered down champion with less polar identity and kit.

Fiddlesticks - very clear how to play against this champion and if you do it badly you will be punished, "meaningful interactions"

Singed - He does no damage, but he will probably be reworked soon so he can have mobility, damage, tankiness, and of course utility.

Janna - Well designed, shields a lot, great utility, can be tanky, very mobile, needs teammates to be effective, very clear what the abilities of this champion do and they require timing and a bit of skill to pull off, along with communication.

Veigar - Well designed, does lots of damage, not tanky, not mobile, some utility, needs teammates to be effective, very clear what his abilities do without a PhD.

Anivia - not mobile

Examples of champions with Damage, Survivability, Mobility, AND Utility. EXCLUDING ADC, a different problem entirely

Illaoi Kindred Tahm Kench Ekko Rek'Sai Azir Gnar Braum Yasuo Aatrox Lissandra Zac Quinn Vi Zed Elise Syndra Rengar Diana Jayce Darius Hecarim Lulu Fiora Nautilus Ziggs Sejuani Viktor Ahri Volibear Fizz Shyvana Graves Xerath Riven Talon Skarner Wukong Leona Yorick Orianna Vayne Rumble Brand Lee Sin Nocturne Jarvan IV Maokai Karma Renekton Cassiopeia Trundle Irelia Lux Swain Urgot Mordekaiser Garen Kennen Akali Malzahar Shen Malphite Ezreal Udyr Nidalee Nasus Poppy Gragas Pantheon Vladimir Heimerdinger Cho'gath Nunu Olaf Tryndamere Zilean Morgana Jax Warwick Alistar Master Yi Kayle Ryze Sion Teemo Soraka Evelynn Twisted Fate Kassadin Gangplank Corki Xin Zhao Taric Sona Dr. Mundo Karthus Galio Annie Amumu Shaco Rammus Blitzcrank

Now, you may be saying "Hey, some of these are older!" Yes, some of these are older, and the older champions benefit so incredibly much from the new mastery system (probably the biggest failure this season?) that it changes the champion a great deal.

Riot, from making masteries matter almost twice the amount I'd argue, have watered the game down even more.

The warding system was also watered down, if you look at challenger minimap vision and silver tier minimap vision, it is becoming closer and closer every single season.

They've shifted all the power, strengths, and weaknesses of champions closer and closer together becoming more and more of the same, leading to a watered down game of more similar matches, less strategies, and a system that reinforces the idea of a "best item" or "best mastery" because they are all the same and it becomes really clear which is the best choice, if it ever really mattered. Example: Thunderlords decree(want damage?), grasp of undying(want tank?), Rapid firecannon(ranged AD?), youmuu's ghostblade(melee AD?).

Riot won't change anything and I'm not asking them to. I'm simply asking you guys if you agree with the across the board watering down of all the champions, items, masteries, mechanics, and even the jungle monsters.

TL;DR

Do champions, strategies, items have any trade-offs, specific strengths, specific strategies compared to season 3, or is everything becoming closer and closer to the same and "watered down" into this compound of over-complicated systems leading to overflowing kits and taking away the skill cap of traditionally important and difficult mechanics like warding, peel, engaging, and poke. I'd like to be wrong because Id enjoy this game a lot more.

14 Comments

ZT Xperimentor1/31/2016, 7:29:27 AM5 votes

I'd say their biggest problem is their double standards; giving new champions significant power that older champions cannot compete with, but aren't given any compensation to keep up. However when someone finds an exploit with them, riot nerfs them so hard that the champion becomes more obscure than before. Favoritism is everywhere; and their obsession with reworks have destroyed several beloved champions, making even more players avoid their most used champions. Their constant balancing around the 'pro' games have left the common games in shambles; with the matchmaking system still picking low levels against high level players. The removal of the tribunal for an easily duped automated system has made the game exponentially toxic, driving away even more players.

I wouldn't say it's falling fast, but it's decline has become increasingly noticeable over the years.

Talkrr1/31/2016, 3:42:11 AM1 votes

Bard isn't terribly designed lol, either way I see where you're coming from, but things change. If you don't like the changes you're not asked to stay. Alas I know you are saying you aren't but I've only been playing for about a year and a half but I enjoy the changes that are made, things need to change in order to create a better environment for everyone.

blfUvZ8Ybu1/31/2016, 7:16:14 AM1 votes

Example;Azir. He is still so weak but Riot didn't buff him.Also Lux is op for months but Riot didn't nerf her.

Dominick Destine1/31/2016, 7:21:34 AM1 votes

Biased poll.

It should have an option that says "It's gotten better", which it has.... people love to see the past with rose tinted glasses but , aside from... some bullshit in recent times (COUGH Rengar / Zed COUGH), the game has stabilized quickly in S6 and become probably the third most balanced / diverse / interesting period in League of Legends history.

I'd say #1 was around last season during the era of... Somewhere between late S2 and early S3... slightly before and slightly after Zyra release during/between that time period. It 'felt' the most dynamic, most balanced and interest. I'd say #2 was League of Warmogs. 3 is right now. 4 which is very debatable, was League of Cleaver since it brought back a lot of champs that were prior to that , considered unplayable (Ex: Pantheon).

In my opinion the absolute worst the back-to-back release of Thresh and Yasuo.... seriously CertainlyT? you broke the game during that entire period so ridiculously hard....

Fashion Mage1/31/2016, 2:20:25 PM1 votes

So you think Soraka has damage, survivability, and mobility.