@Riot What is the goal with Karma?

IxtaliKing·5/31/2017, 11:57:01 PM·75 votes·3,662 views

Nerfs:

  • E) 70/100/130/160/190 > 70/95/120/145/170
  • RE) Nearby allies gain shields that absorb 50% > 30% as much as the initial target. Really? Might as well just give back her RE damage.

I have to ask, because it seems like everything that's done with Karma is done in a vacuum with zero discussion and little to no context.

  • You were scolded when you half-baked her rework in 3.5 and took away her fans. Most people got over it, but many still regard this as a mistake as you didn't even bother to follow through with the twin dragons.

  • You were warned about her 5.10 changes lowering her skill ceiling and homogenising her Mantras, initially solidifying RQ as the go to Mantra as the other 2 at the time were garbage. RW became an emergency heal only, and RE was largely a waste of time. The 5.10 iteration of Karma could only ever have been good if she was numerically superior to her new found competition, that's just straight up bad design.

  • You were warned about over buffing her shield in 6.6, when pretty much all the Karma mains on her said it was unnecessary and entirely the wrong thing to buff. Putting so much power in the one part of her kit that can't fail was never gonna end up well.

Between 5.10 Karma and 6.6 Karma had been nothing but buffed and buffed into relevance, and now people are finally tired of her. Since 6.6 it's a steady stream of nerfs (rightly so), but never addressing her issues. Up until now everyone has been saying Karma is in a good spot; best she's ever been in. Clearly not? As a Karma main I could definitely see nerfs coming.

Every buff that was given to Karma slowly eroded the counterplay you tried so hard to give her in her rework. Now Karma is too good in pro play because of her super reliable RE spam. Say what you want about her shield bomb, but at least that spell was balanced by the fact it wasn't binary and it could fail.

Up until now I thought that you wanted Karma to be a shield bot, like Janna and Lulu. I thought your vision for Karma was to step all over their pretty little toes, but now I'm not so sure. Can you tell us once and for all what the deal is with Karma?

This is what happens when you don't COMMUNICATE.

98 Comments

Winterkill6/1/2017, 1:56:43 AM21 votes

I've been playing since season 2 . . . . on several different accounts over the years. (I can never remember my passwords and emails). I voiced my opinion when they took away her fans and couldn't be bothered to fix it. I am still waiting for a champion that uses fans like they promised. I voiced my opinion with the entire kit and the shield bomb removal. Here we are and I called it. They were going to nerf it and continue to tell us that Karma "is an amazing champion and in a good spot right now."

Honestly, I think they are delusional at this point. They are so warped in their heads . . . . that the only thing these Developers care about is what new shield enhancing item or mechanic they can integrate into the game to make Karma relevant again. These Developers don't care. Do what I did and uninstall in the game and don't support them. Continue to make threads and reply but don't support this Development team that cares about Ryze more than the champions they have no problem ruining.

Honestly, the nerf is justified. Unfortunately, it is another realization that they refuse to do anything on her for 4 years now.

Catastrop6/1/2017, 1:22:50 AM11 votes

Honestly, as sad as it makes me, I've long since given up on even playing Karma anymore because she just keeps moving farther and farther away from the thing I played her for, her utility based battle mage playstyle. They keep saying they apparently want her to be more of an enchanter but at this point, whatever enchanting she could do is so far down the gutter you'd be better off just picking someone more specialized like Lulu.

I'm not even joking when I say I've given up on her, the other day I decided maybe I should try her out again in Ascension for some fun, ended doing horribly because I was so out of touch with her and no fun at all because my abilities felt like they had no impact on anything. She's been pretty much replaced by Swain in my general champion pool.

DonatellaVersace6/1/2017, 6:59:56 AM10 votes

I just want her fans or twins dragons tbh

Hochelaga6/1/2017, 6:31:34 PM7 votes

I miss her old personnality :c

She felt more feminine with those 2 fans and how she walked. She was like a big mama

crzymdscntst6/1/2017, 11:14:22 AM7 votes

I still miss Karma ward bombing and tether clotheslining. (R>E on a stealthed ward.)

ZapMyHeart6/1/2017, 5:04:48 AM6 votes

Why would they communicate about Karma?

Doing so basically reminds everyone that they messed up and admitting changes means that poor Scarizard's ego is going to get stepped on.

Because in his eyes, Karma's rework was a success. Despite the fact that he was new at the time, rushed her rework when Guinsoo himself was still not halfway into the project, and gave her multiple buffs in successive patches to bring her released state's pitiful low 40% winrate up higher to try and justify that the kit was good.

Two words: It wasn't.

The amount of time and energy spent trying to maintain this blandness they call a champion throughout the years could've been better off spent creating a new kit that actually players want.

P3rro6/1/2017, 4:09:29 AM6 votes

Riot seems to never communicate what they want with Karma. Nerfing her shield's power not only nerfs Karma/s supporting in the bot lane but also her battle mage strengths when played in the mid lane. Another problem I've noticed is they push Karma into the support lane only to have Lulu practically do exactly what Karma does but better and with less weaknesses. I think Riot needs to make a better niche role for Karma, more damage and disengage potential to better further her from Lulu might be a good start.

Shablagoo6/1/2017, 3:28:13 AM5 votes

Man Riot does this to champs they rework them and leave them in the shitter, whats worst is because Karma has good shields and this is a sheild meta, she gets nerfs. EVEN worse is the fact that ppl in the LCS use her because of her nice shields, but what about the mains why do they ignore the mains? Shouldnt they be the first priority if someone puts their heart and soul into mastering that champion shouldnt they be the first ones to be talked too?

Healurownbum6/2/2017, 6:38:40 PM4 votes

Weird an other Karma post that's well written about to vanish :o

Awoof6/1/2017, 6:43:14 AM4 votes

{quoted}

I have to ask, because it seems like everything that's done with Karma is done in a vacuum with zero discussion and little to no context.

Most things that ricklessabandon does are.

Healurownbum6/2/2017, 8:04:48 AM3 votes

I do not think we will be getting a reply a bout Karma she is still someone they tend to avoid a bit cause of the backlash I am guessing.

Healurownbum6/1/2017, 4:14:42 PM3 votes

I can't find the post. But awhile back I think it was Meddler he said they would look at Karma and try and make her slightly more like her old self.

Where I personally would love to have my Karma back to me. I also know they would end up pissing off a lot of the current Karma players.

I just miss playing her I know she was overall unhealthy and boring for most but I did love her personality looks and gameplay. Current Karma to me is plain and looks to me very (no idea how to say this nice...) skanky. I miss her still. (I know need to get over it....)

But If someone else might be able to find that post of a other maybe rework planned I'd be grateful.

Just I think it would be a good thing for ppl to keep in the back of there minds as they might end up losing the current Karma cause of that reowrk and get someone else in return.

Masala Chai6/1/2017, 4:16:51 PM3 votes

I'm pretty pissed. Riot does not care about the opinions of the players by gutting core identities (see Karma), shafting and dumpstering too many champs that weren't even good (see Diana and Karthus) or leaving champs that were competitively dominant for a season to rot with sub 40% winrates and 0 competitive play (see Azir, Ryze and Kalista) while little miss Lee Sin gets love tapped.

Krys Star6/1/2017, 4:30:53 PM3 votes

Honestly, they should just revert Karma's rework entirely.

Niaphim6/1/2017, 8:21:24 AM3 votes

With these changes Karma will simply become a worse version of Lulu. There is going to be zero reason to pick her when Lulu can do the same job better, and also fits the duality fantasy much better.

The problem for me personally is that she is going to lose one of her very few "oomph" moments in the game (I'm talking about R-E). I can see where these nerfs come from (too much shields is not exactly fun for everyone), and I am open for some changes, but those nerfs alone would make the champion just a bland shadow of her former self.

Poske6/1/2017, 9:13:33 PM3 votes

dont forget the e denying favorite part of her removed

Shadòw6/1/2017, 3:43:38 PM2 votes

or she is getting nerfed cause she is broken?

SilverSquid6/2/2017, 6:30:31 PM2 votes

https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder830/52974830.jpg

On a more serious note; how long did it take you to write this post?

Maddened King 6/2/2017, 9:33:41 AM1 votes

I am pretty sure the nerfs to the shield are because of the Athene change. She will get so much AP off one single item. It is a core build for her mid and they don't want mid Karma to become broken? Idk, just my guess.

Tobias Brackner6/1/2017, 8:05:58 AM1 votes

I can see the nerf. Her shield can be really bullshit esp when you get high CDR. As for RE I can also see that because the AoE speed boost can be really nasty.

AirKingNeo6/1/2017, 10:26:46 PM1 votes

This is supposed to be a nerf. Why would she receive compensation buffs?