Suggestion for Free Champion Selection

Ayeohewe·Dec 18, 2014·38 votes·2,653 views

I haven't been playing for a terribly long time, but I've noticed that when the free champions are announced there are quite often several comments complaining that "I wanted to try out , , etc....." and that they haven't been available in forever.

What if every summoner was given the normal free champions, but also 2 "credits" each week that they could use to try out that champion they've been hoping would show up for the last 3 months? Just a thought!

27 Comments

ModThe DjinnDec 18, 201422 votes

I think a "play this guy for 1 game" credit could be really interesting, definitely. The only issue there is that there ARE casual players who might only play 2-4 times a week, so you'd have to weigh that in the balance to see what this would do to Riot's profit margin.

I suspect they could tailor it by games played though...perhaps something like the ARAM re-rolls, but with more game investment required, and it triggers a "free champion this game" credit that lets you select a champion you DON'T own (non-ranked games only) and confirm the selection.

Perhaps give them more frequently to newer players (under 30) so they can experience more of the roster and get a better idea of who they want to play.

Remlap1223Dec 18, 20149 votes

Or, they could allow them to try every champion in a practice mode like they do with Smite. Actually, I don't even have to worry about that either because I own all the gods in that game from now until the game finally gets its plug pulled. That's two things I think Riot can iterate from other ARTS:

Buy ALL champions now and in the future with a FLAT MONEY AMOUNT. NO RP.
Allow summoners to practice with all champions in a designated practice mode for no money.

There's no reason not to do this. Most people buy champs with IP (unless you're bundling skins like I did with Braum and Gnar ), and it will allow people to realize what champs they truly enjoy, meaning more skins. Speaking of skins, Rito, Challenger Ahri , my body and wallet are ready.

MynxaeDec 19, 20144 votes

Sounds like the "Try" mode in Heroes of the Storm (Blizzard's MOBA), which is kind've like a sandbox mode where you can toggle minions/towers/forts on and off, laning etc, as well as level up with the click of a button to try out talents and such.

^ Something like this would work quite well I'd think. Perhaps on Howling Abyss?

Remlap1223Dec 19, 20143 votes

That's what I was thinking. I mean the Proving Grounds don't exist anymore, so why not?

I Main SwainDec 19, 20142 votes

"Most people buy champs with RP"

Im not really sure about the whole player base in general but as far as myself and everyone I know we all use ip....

Remlap1223Dec 19, 20141 votes

Sorry typo, meant IP. People don't buy champs with RP unless they're bundling skins with it.

League of PotatoDec 20, 20141 votes

You can't assume that. Some people don't have time to play all day every day, so it would take forever to gather enough IP just to buy one champion. Some people buy champs with RP whenever they're on sale. You can call it being impatient, but I along with many others don't have time to play hours on end (which is a big reason why I don't play ranked, as much as I want to, it's too much of a time commitment).

TairuSzoolaDec 18, 20145 votes

Or giving us a voting option to vote for 2 champions to be on rotation that were not on rotation for the last two rotations so the players get a chance to really have a say on who they want to try. Would be pretty cool if we had some sort of system like this.

TeemoHunter1337Dec 19, 20145 votes

as long as u cant choose the same champions 2 weeks in a row. (so you cant cheese the system and basically own 2 champions without buying)

TerffDec 19, 20144 votes

Yorick is perma off the free list until he gets his rework. But I like the idea

Kitsuki05Dec 18, 20143 votes

I've seen temporary purchases at a greatly reduced cost (both with game-earned currency or purchased currency) being implemented in some new free to play games, and there's no reason that can't be implemented and shave off some of the cost of buying the champ permanently if you decide you like them enough.

serpensortia1Dec 19, 20144 votes

I like this idea, you can pay 5% of the purchase price to unlock that champion for 1 play. Not sure if a price reduction is necessary, maybe only with RP.

With this, people could try out whatever champ they wanted to see if they should buy them. Try out the new release without dropping a large sum, or play an uncommon champ that you don't see a lot so you know what they do if you ever face them.

The SoulforgedDec 19, 20142 votes

Yorick takes a lot of skill?

windwolf777Dec 19, 20141 votes

No. But riot hasn't put him on the free list because of "reasons". (I've heard over powered, I've heard rework in the process, I've heard heavily glitched with his ultimate, I've heard a bunch of reasons. Just don't know the right one)

Remlap1223Dec 19, 20143 votes

Most toxic champion in the game. One thing I completely agree with Riot in terms of balance, Yorick can go soak his head. Riot doesn't want him played. Ever. I only play Yorick every so often because he's so goddamn boring, and afterwards I have to take a shower to get all the toxic gameplay off my skin.

windwolf777Dec 19, 20141 votes

What about him is so bad though? I've heard that the zombie AI is terrible and that's honestly it. His ultimate just seems like a bad Zilean ulti. I only ask because reading his skills from the wiki doesn't make him seem that bad

Remlap1223Dec 19, 20144 votes

Yorick is like a perfect storm of bullshit. Let me explain. Yorick's kit revolves around him summoning ghouls to attack and weaken your oppoent for you, so you can eventually whittle them down and kill them. The problem is that it is very feast/famine. It's the Gangplank problem, either you run out of health, or he runs out of mana. And by the time Yorick builds tear, he gets to ghoul spam indefinitely, and becomes impossible to engage. You can't all in against a Yorick because it's basically a 4v1, and you can't poke him down because of his sustain. He literally has no counterplay. And by the time he hits 6, even if you do manage to kill him, he ults himself before that happens, and then takes you with him.

After the laning phase is over, however, he brings very little to teamfights, outside of ulting the AD carry. The best way to describe Yorick is "win lane, lose game." Because he ranked #1 on the list of most frustrating top laners to fight against (to put this into perspective, Teemo was like #2 or 3) and because he's anti teamplay, Riot said, and rightfully so, he's a failure in every possible way in terms of good design. And that's why you can't play Yorick unless you buy him with RP/IP. I didn't get Yorick until the Karthus VU when the Pentakill bundle came out, but I can safely say that even to this day, Yorick still hasn't changed as the textbook definition of toxic champion.

AbodyHUN666Dec 19, 20141 votes

Not only this, but his ghouls bring lots of invisible power too (as I know increased armor and resist for each ghost?). And when he summoner 6 +Q+ item 3025 +slowing ghosts your adc in a teamfight you can start digging his grave. Like an Udyr with ranged slow.

Ariel the CruelDec 20, 20142 votes

5% flat damage reduction for each ghoul alive.

TussDec 19, 20142 votes

To clarify, the reason his teamfighting sucks is that his ghouls die very quickly, what with all the skill shots and such flying around, so they can't stick around for full effect like in laning, and he's pretty lackluster otherwise.

windwolf777Dec 19, 20142 votes

Interesting. Thank you for explaining guys.

JunkοDec 19, 20142 votes

I think it would be better if the free champion rotation was actually random and not decided by Riot. Because atm we have Kha and Rengar on the same rotation every few weeks, while champs like Urgot are on a rotation once per year.

chumblerDec 20, 20142 votes

Better suggestion: All champions are unlocked for all players permanently.

BresnDec 19, 20141 votes

Or stop pricing champions at random prices. Give all champions a price base on skill level because it basically looks like Rito trying to make people buy new champions with RP.

Cheap MasterYi Fairly cheap Sion Wallet breaking Yorick

The Red WardenDec 19, 201410 votes

The champs are based on release dates, not random. Also every time a new champ is released 1 or 2 others are dropped in price a week after the release. This is seen in how Sejunani's price was dropped after Rek'sai's release and Xin was lowered to 1350 RP from 3150 RP.

The 450 champions were all released at the very start of the game and are generally quite simple to play as (except Poppy who is getting a rework soon). If you price the champions by skill level all it does is encourage a company to make the OP ones pricy while the cheap ones are near unusable.

Do you really want to pay over $5 for a champion that was released 3 years ago with usually confusing or broken mechanics or a new exciting one made with the interesting, brand new ideas that are only possible now due to new technology.

supersayingodDec 20, 20141 votes

There not based on release dates however when a new champ comes someone loses their chance and the have it set so if someone starts league at the beginning ofthe year they have had a chance with all champions dont know why jannas on all the time tho

League of PotatoDec 20, 20141 votes

Actually they are based on release dates, there's things you learn after playing for a while.