We could solve champ diversity issues with more polarized match-ups

chipndip1··3 votes·344 views

We've gotten to a point where pro play see ever-decreasing proportions of the champ pool played because everyone's in a state of "We're relatively similar in power, but those guys are just better atm". As much as some may disagree, if the game had more polarized match-ups, we'd probably see more champ diversity.

Let's say...Janna, for instance. Really strong support that just sits in the backline peeling all day. What if there were a few champions that screwed her play style over more than just "Aye, I landed a pull!" (cause that'll screw anyone over early)? Then yea, she's strong like she's been for a while now, but the risk in picking her early is the threat of getting counter-picked later in champ select. If you do get counter-picked? You can have teammates attempt to balance the match-up out by picking champs that can negate the initial disadvantage.

Now, yea, I know LoL isn't that type of game, but note that there's only going to be X many different ways to viably approach a match, and when a niche/gimmick flops, we get stuff like Skarner's stupid rocks, Fiora's team-wide heal which still has me wondering why that wasn't a self-heal, or Morde's definitely-not-forced dragon passive. Maybe some champs could fill the niche of simply being really strong against specific types of champs and scenarios? You know, outside of all assassins being strong against all carries unless feeding.

7 Comments

SaltyKracka3 votes

Ugh, let's not.

Losing at champ select is absolute shit.

chipndip11 votes

{quoted}

Ugh, let's not.

Losing at champ select is absolute shit.

It is, but then again, I don't see any other viable long-term solution to top-tier champs running the whole rift as they see fit. There's too many champs that are too similar in function in what they do, and Riot's running out of useful ideas for a champ to have. Taliyah, for example, makes a big wall for a few seconds...too bad that's literally all she's good for. Her basic kit is a mish-mash of concepts forced together in a way that's overly complicated for little benefit revolving around punishing dashes (cause ever since Poppy's rework, they've been tossing around dash-centric punish moves for little to no reason), so why pick this kit over someone like Lux, who can also long-range gank, but can accomplish this without ever leaving the fog, with a zone controlling basic spell that she can detonate at will rather than waiting for someone to dash over it? They could have made Taliyah stronger when it comes to parsing champs in and out of fights, and this would make her a prime choice for peeling champs or locking in picks on those caught out, but we got...this.

Besides, LoL borrows HEAVILY from rpg elements, and a very important concept in rpgs is hard-countering. You use assassins to kill squishy key characters quickly. You use mages to bypass physical defense. You use warriors to bypass magic defense. You use tanks to take on warrior attacks (sometimes all attacks...depends on the game). You use clerics to heal sustained damage since it won't blow you up in one turn. Removing that concept sort of breaks down the structure rpgs rely on, and we're starting to see that in LoL, seeing how just about any melee champ can get away with building tank items regardless of if they're tanky or not unless Riot specifically nerfs them into a crater.

BluePolarizer1 votes

you can already lose at champ select and it happens quite frequently. rather than trying to go for an imaginary world where nobody loses in champ select, we can instead accept the fact that sometimes it will happen, and balance accordingly.

Quepha2 votes

{quoted}

Ugh, let's not.

Losing at champ select is absolute shit.

This. I would rather keep champ diversity in pro games down at mediocre levels if it means that you still have a chance to win in bad matchups.

BluePolarizer1 votes

good idea.

I'd say that having more hard counters is good. Champ select is part of the game and is part of the game's skillcap.

However, the hard counter can't be an entire class of champs, IMO. For example, Darius just destroys any melee, snowballs off it and doesn't even fall off. That's not really a hard counter to any champ, that's just incredibly binary. A healthy hard counter would be sort of like Trundle vs. Malphite, IMO. Trundle will always outduel Malphite. But, Malphite can still sort of farm (even if zoned) and can try to offset the disadvantage by making plays elsewhere with TP.

chipndip11 votes

{quoted}

good idea.

I'd say that having more hard counters is good. Champ select is part of the game and is part of the game's skillcap.

However, the hard counter can't be an entire class of champs, IMO. For example, Darius just destroys any melee, snowballs off it and doesn't even fall off. That's not really a hard counter to any champ, that's just incredibly binary. A healthy hard counter would be sort of like Trundle vs. Malphite, IMO. Trundle will always outduel Malphite. But, Malphite can still sort of farm (even if zoned) and can try to offset the disadvantage by making plays elsewhere with TP.

That's basically what I'm getting at. To have certain champs meld a niche out of being strong against certain niches, so when metas change, more champs can become strong not just because they fit the meta atm, but because they can be strong against those meta champs, allowing for more diversity in team building, and thus less stagnate champion usage over time.

chipndip11 votes

Well, I made this thread after midnight, so I'll give it one selfish bump.

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