I will be honest here. I was ( and still am ) actually fine with paying for runes. It means that if you wanted the most out of your champion, you had to work for it. You couldn't just first buy it and try it in ranked. You had to spend time and effort into maximizing its full potential and then some.
So when I see post about "Make runes free." I feel a bit... meh... I personally don't see all the hype.
Is it just me?
Kloqdq1 votesTL;DR - 1. Grinding for the needed tools are stupid. Imagine trying to play baseball without a bat and the only way to get a bat is to hit a homerun. 2. There shouldn't be any grind for tools in an eSports game. Everyone should be judged on skill, not what they have to buy. 3. Stupid prices that prevent getting ever important champions and the variety of niche runes that only work on very few champions.
There is a few inherit problems to runes being locked behind the IP system.
First, the grind is unacceptable for necessary tools is far to punishing in most cases. This has been a problem for a long time. Runes are basically tools needed to make champions, and to greater extents, roles, function. Try jungling without a full page of runes then with one and you'll notice a massive difference. Or play without attack speed runes then with them as AD. The difference between the two are massive and it's why a bunch of champions are nearly unable or a lot weaker without them. The actual function of buying runes isn't terrible but I can safely say it took me nearly 3 years of playing numerous games a week, not just very casually but hardcore playing, to get to the point where I have all the runes needed and the pages with it. A casual player as such will take even longer to get what is needed to make champions work.
Secondly, the grind for a game trying to promote it's ESports scene shouldn't be so restrictive. This is again back on grind but when a player is grinding, they should be grinding and practicing their skills, NOT grinding for their runes. Every player should have the equal chance to play against the best, and the only thing that stops them is their skill and knowledge. Runes as is, is a massive road block for numerous players that stop them from being on that 'Equal footing". You can say, "well sports have you buying equipment, blah blah, etc." but even that is argued. When it comes to sports the equipment and tools shouldn't stop the player from advancing.
Third, the prices were completely outlandish. Come on, 6000 ip for 3 runes that may not do anything? 3 runes that only work on 2 champions? Like the prices of these things are completely ridiculous when you consider the amount of games needed to actually get them. Once you add in rune pages to the mix you start to see the sheer amount of grinding that is needed for players to get all the tools they need. Due to their prices they also brought out two massive problems.
Because a player is having to buy runes they lose out on getting other champions that they may enjoy. Due to the nature of runes as well, players can't get stuff like Movement speed runes which only work good on like 4 champions. This brings out a massive issue with players being unable to try different things and change their champions style. Runes at the core were designed as a way to customize your champions and what they can do but currently, they are required stats that completely determine what your champion can and cannot do, as well if they are even playable.
All this gets brought down to you being unfairly placed in a position with a stick against a person with a sword. You are probably going to lose with the disadvantage majority of the time.
I can see your point of them being something you earn and a way to show you maximizing your full potential with the effort you put in but it's not really about you 'achieving your potential' but rather, you are playing to get the required tools. Imagine trying to play baseball without a bat and the only way to get the bat is to hit a homerun. THAT is the current rune system. When the player wants to make the most out of their champion it should come down to how they play and what they learn/achieve, not what they have to buy.
I hope that makes sense. This is basically a general overview of why people don't like the current system, at least what I have heard from others.
