The support role needs changes

IcyPepper·Feb 28, 2017·3 votes·612 views

It's not just about items.

It's not just about specific champions.

The role itself needs looking at.

12 Comments

Big LincolnFeb 28, 20172 votes

support should be confined to bot lane until the ADC leaves it

IcyPepperFeb 28, 20171 votes

Um, thanks for the example I guess?

RalanrFeb 28, 20172 votes

When the support role was powerful, people asked for dumb shit like anti-shield items.

When they are weak, regular supports are ignored for mage carries.

It's not just the role and champions that need changes, it's their impact.

IcyPepperFeb 28, 20171 votes

Is that something that can be adjusted, or is that only determined by how the meta's figurative wind blows during the season?

And if so, how can the impact be changed to be "healthy," if it isn't already so at the moment?

RalanrFeb 28, 20171 votes

Off topic: What's the Fantasy of being a top laner? How about a midlaner or adc?

IcyPepperFeb 28, 20171 votes

Really depends on the cha--Oh I see what you did there.

RalanrFeb 28, 20171 votes

Yeah. The problem imo is that the basic fantasy of the support isn't really there.

You don't get the white mage fantasy of deciding who lives or who dies. You don't get the tactician fantasy of deciding how fights go.

You get the babysitter fantasy. Something that some players find demeaning.

IcyPepperMar 1, 20171 votes

Isn't that something worth investigating by Riot then?

Granted, some items have been overtuned whenever they tried changing it, but...

Is the role doomed to stay just that, or can Riot actually change something? It seems like every time someone deviates from the babysitting (like, say, a roaming counterjungler like the recent Nunu guy who got banned), people throw a storm about it.

RookPusherFeb 28, 20171 votes

{quoted}

When the support role was powerful, people asked for dumb shit like anti-shield items.

When they are weak, regular supports are ignored for mage carries.

It's not just the role and champions that need changes, it's their impact.

Which is the problem. They keep asking for supports to impact other champs. They need to interact a lot more with the environment. Towers, traps, wards.

Moooose3Feb 28, 20171 votes

No, it's fine.

IcyPepperFeb 28, 20171 votes

I dunno, all the conversations about autofill, mage supports, off-meta-fotm-guy being banned, etc etc say otherwise.

I'm saying "the role should be looked at," not "this role is in the worst state it's ever been in."

I do not consider it "fine," but I don't consider it a state of emergency. Regardless, I'd like people to converse about it, but "It's fine" just doesn't really work.

HlkTFeb 28, 20171 votes

This could all be said about any role, Players follow the OP champs at the time. The ones who do climb the ladder faster and flash more e-peen. The ones that don't settle in for a long stay in Bronze/Silver. Obviously not in all cases. But I am a Supp main carried myself to gold leisurely. I enjoy the support role, regardless of what its defined as by Riot or players. In my head it is to protect the ADC, and help the team win through vision control, initiating, tanking, disengaging, crowd controlling, buffing, debuffing, healing, champion scaling etc... Which is determined by team comp. Some people just look at support role and say "must be played by champs x , y , z" because of their current power states, instead of looking at team comp and saying what do I need to make this team complete. And in ranked if you dare ask what the team would prefer in champion to round out the comp, you will be met with immediate anger, or "play your best". Which is not a bad idea, but it could be if you sacrifice having a tank, CC, adc protection etc... That is how I look at the support role.