Why are runes even necessary?

Zach Graph·Nov 15, 2017·3 votes·305 views

I suppose I'm just putting this question out to start a discussion but without a rune system like this, wouldn't there be a more consistent focus on champion balance. All it does is add a system that can be advantageous or completely cheesed, especially in the current state of the rune rework. And I'd rather not make comparisons to other games because that would just make me look salty, which I'm not.

I'm also adding a poll just for people to respond to if they don't want to comment.

5 Comments

redniwediSNov 15, 20171 votes

The next question would be why are items needed?

Have you played Heroes of the Storm? That game starts you off with your first three abilities, and you unlock your fourth at level 10. You get two choices of ultimate, and every few levels you gain a little trait that slightly changes how you play your hero. I say slightly because for the most part your hero plays the exact same way every single game.

Champions in League of Legends, with the use of the old runes/masteries, new runes, and items, are far more flexible in what they can do. You can learn a single champion and find three or four unique ways to play them, all with their own pros and cons.

You are completely right in saying a full removal of the rune system would make champion balance easier, but for some players it would come at a very high cost. I will freely admit the new runes are far less flexible in what they can do, but they are also more flexible in what they can viably do. With all this said I ask you this, are you willing to sacrifice some build diversity in order to have more easily balanced champions?

Zach GraphNov 15, 20171 votes

I have played Heroes of the Storm, and while I agree the gameplay is only slightly varied it can have an effect on how the heroes play near the end-game.

The same goes for the shop in League, and to your question I say items are needed because in-game they're the greatest factor in how well a player can do late-game. Gold in-game is accessible, and usable for many purposes. That makes the shop necessary. But this tied with the rune system presents a problem in balance and can make a lot of difference for those already given advantages by their runes, and can make little difference for those with a less than effective rune page. In some situations, the runes can give advantages to champions already with the power to counter a laner, while in others they can be the make or break for a difficult lane.

I think it more comes down to whether players would want to give up the opportunity to make laning more fun for the sake of making the game generally less frustrating in the long run, but in the grand scheme of things I'd be happy just to see a nerf to some of the new runes.

AterpaterNov 15, 20171 votes

We can compare it to other games, why not. Let's see the two most popular competition, DotA and HotS:

In HotS you don't have items or prematch settings (like runes, masteries, whatever) but you have unique talent trees for every single hero, giving you several balanced and valid build routes on all of them. And they are even unique. In DotA you again don't have any prematch settings but, despite you have an even more complicated item system with three different shops on the map and such, you have unique talent trees for every hero what you can raise as you level up in-match and you also have three basic attributes, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, what you can use to customise your hero and playstyle.

In LoL you have none of the above but you have some prematch settings to fine-tune your champ. And the idea itself is okay, as otherwise you would have way less diversity. Imo, despite it was far from perfectly balanced, the old runes+masteries did this job pretty well, with giving mostly passive bonuses and stats. Because that's why a system like this exists and not to give stronger abilities what your actual champ abilities... I think with the new runes Riot made a mistake as they misunderstood what the community meant by "more meaningful options". As they supposed to give more valid build variety and not to give overpowered and overcomplicated new runes/masteries but mostly tuned them to pure damage output, making the window of options even more narrow. And the other, very serious issue with both the old and new systems, what you can't find at the competition above, that these features - as they're actual gameplay features with a significant impact - should be perfectly free and accessable the very same way for every single player. No payed or otherwise unlocked runes and rune pages or any BS like these. They seriously should take a deep breath and cut this crap MMO-ish grindy feature once and for all.

So, imo, the problem isn't with the very idea of runes or masteries but the way Riot designs them and the way they include it in their business model.

Zach GraphNov 15, 20171 votes

I fully agree, and do personally think the old rune system was perfect because it didn't give too large of a buff to players. And in consideration of how they've made the rune system tie into their business model, I wonder how new players just starting out will be able to work out the new rune system considering how, "everyone is on an even playing field."

I also think that creating more items in the in-game shop would vary gameplay more. Items like Gargoyle Stoneplate and even the new disposable Stopwatch impress me because they're random but do have viable usage.

AterpaterNov 15, 20171 votes

Yes, I agree. Though I'm not sure about one thing: I don't think that the real diversity comes from the number of items or talents but how meaningful and, well, diverse they are. It's like that I do think LoL already has more champs than it should as we are full of copy-paste skills and kits under different visuals.

There are a lot of options to give some bonus beside damage output. They could add CC bonuses (like increased CC duration? Or make something like "unbreakable grasp" what decreases enemy tenacity? - especially that they buffed tenacity af...), vision bonuses ("eagle eye" to give you a bit broader vision range? or something like "awareness" what let's you see hidden enemies in your vicinity? so you don't have to facecheck brushes just move close to them..) or affect minion management (like some "warlord" what gives minor damage or hp buff to minions around you or from time to time, or after an amount of CS you got, boost them more for a small period of time?). There could be so much option both for runes/masteries and items to make the game interesting and balanced for different playstyles and not just the - let's be honest pretty bland - who can deal more damage faster brawling.