On the Proposed Zoe Changes in Patch 8.17

Riot, I am reaching out to you here.

Zoe has been through a lot. She's had a painful amount of nerfs and there's always been a very vocal community against her. If you want to reduce her numbers, fine. If you want to push her playstyle in a particular direction, fine. I just have one request regarding the changes being tested in Patch 8.17:

Please, please, please do not take away the trap aspect of Sleepy Trouble Bubble.

Sleepy Trouble Bubble and its trap are iconic and an important part of who Zoe is, both as a Champion and as a character. Take a look at each of these:

https://i.imgur.com/7ZBSTIp.png https://i.imgur.com/cUMZNlV.png https://i.imgur.com/kcMem0n.png

Each one is beautiful and unique, like a snowflake. These are all so expressive and say so much about the skin associated with them, whether it be the visual effects, the animations, or the different sounds the bubble makes when it becomes the trap. It's clear a lot of work went into making each one special, and I know I'm not the only person who feels this way. To take this away from Zoe would rob her of an important piece of her identity.

If you need to make the trap more manageable from a gameplay perspective, then allow me to propose alternative options:

  1. Reduce the size of the trap----about 20% or so might suffice. This would make it easier to avoid or maneuver around, while still allowing players to appreciate the visuals of the ability itself.
  2. Reduce the duration of the trap----maybe 3.25 seconds instead of 4 seconds. It would not be an obstacle for as long as it currently is, but gives us enough time to admire it before it fades away.
  3. Reduce the bonus damage of the trap----if the target fell asleep because of the trap, they take 50% of the bonus damage that they would've taken if they'd been put to sleep by a direct hit. This may be harder to implement, but it would still encourage landing direct hits while making the trap less punishing.

Please, I beseech you, do not take this away from Zoe. Let her have this.