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What about instead of just adding more bans, we add bans AND unbans?

Mgumbo·8/11/2015, 3:50:25 AM·1 votes·445 views

I frequently see posts here (and occasionally on reddit) where people ask Riot to implement more bans. While I personally don't have a problem with 3 bans per team, I do think the diversity and multitude of champions has reached the point where adding more certainly isn't unreasonable. So here are my thoughts: what about increasing the number of bans, but also add the option of unbanning (in place of another ban) as well?

I would imagine it as something along the lines of each team having (and this number is just an example) 5 selections. Each selection could be used to ban a champion, or unban a champion that the other team banned. This means that there could potentially be a whopping 10 champions banned...or none at all.

Yes, this allows for a potential increase (or decrease) in the number of bans that happen in a game, but also calls for a more strategic approach to picks and bans. They banned your favorite champion? Unban that champion if you really want to play it. Sure, they can ban that champion again, but now they're wasting multiple bans on that one champion (which means you've got a higher number of bans than them now!). Or perhaps, the enemy team banned Nidalee, but one of your teammates really wants to play her, because she's "just so OP." You unban her for your teammate and he/she carries you to victory! Groovy.

I also think this opens up some more variety even in the pro scene. We see fairly often specific champions being banned against specific players, but with an option to unban, teams could divert resources toward getting those banned preference-picks back. This also allows teams to use such scenarios to pressure the enemy team and see how badly they want certain champions out of the game. It makes picks and bans a much more intensive part of the match (although that's not to say it isn't already).

With all of that in mind, what are your thoughts? I understand that this idea is not flawless by any stretch of the mind, so I'm certainly open to (constructive) criticism. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading.

5 Comments

Cheeseyoger8/11/2015, 4:54:15 AM1 votes

Hmmm... I like the creative approach, but it only addresses some of the concerns mentioned about adding bans.

1.) Adding bans requires each player to have an even larger champion pool than right now. -- Totally addressed, A+. Got banned out when considering your other good champions have been requested by other team mates? Just request an unban. Sweet

2.) Picks and bans already feel like they stretch on for quite a while, especially if you had to requeue once, twice, or even more times because of dodges and canceled queues. -- Still an issue since not only are there more bans/unbans to do but most likely, the chat would be thicker with people trying to communicate what they want and don't want banned.

3.) Does it add to competitive play or just add to the number of features in the game? -- I'm unconvinced. I see how unbans can change strategy, but do they really add to it or is it more a case of, "AH, but I know that you know that I know that you know that I know you're bluffing, therefore..." I'm just concerned it may add a level of complication to strategy without adding much value to strategy.

Thoughts?

Project Riven8/11/2015, 4:58:28 AM1 votes

{quoted}

what about increasing the number of bans, but also add the option of unbanning (in place of another ban) as well?

I can already imagine that most matches, red team will just unban every champ that blue team banned just to troll.

Cheeseyoger8/11/2015, 9:09:26 PM1 votes

Personally, I like the suggestion someone made of allowing each player to make one ban. That way if there's something you want to try, but there's one thing you REALLY are not ready to deal with, ban it. If you're totes comfortable, ask someone else if they'd you to bans something for them. It lets everyone have some say in what their game will look like without making the number of bans too large. Now, I don't see how this helps us with unbans. But I think it's simple, has a sound reason to be a feature (give everyone a chance to prune the champ pool), and meets that purpose well, so it may be worth thinking about for inspiration