Why losing mana pots ticks me off so much

slippykitten·Oct 30, 2015·9 votes·554 views

It isn't about effect it will have on early game mana hungry mages, because Riot can always buff their mana regen to balance them.

The issue is in choices.

League SHOULD be a game of choices, where I outplay and outsmart my opponent. League has been continuing to make choices that favor reaction time and button mashing over deliberate, tactical decision making. Losing mana potions is just another one of those changes. The mage that bought mana potions instead of boots has made a tactical decision that should be rewarded or punished.

We shouldn't be removing depth from the game. We shouldn't be removing meaningful choices from the game. We shouldn't be simplifying the game just for the sake of simplicity.

You see the mana pots aren't about the mana pots, it's about a philosophy that seeks to continually obliterate everything that made me enjoy this game in the first place.

9 Comments

Penguin EclipseOct 30, 20154 votes

The lack of choices doesn't bother me though I completely get your point. What bothers me is that I have to play against champions that don't have to worry about mana and without mana pots I am fucked in the early game. Sure I can take even more mana runes. But that means my laning opponent will have runes that are actually relevant beyond level 6 and I won't.

PyrodiniumOct 30, 20151 votes

I find your comment very intriguing.

How is it different to start with a disadvantage in Runes to a disadvantage in Items(as your gold is spent on Mana Potions)?

RetroRage96Oct 30, 20152 votes

I completely agree. Someone downvoted, I think I'll just cancel that.

Dorans ShurikenOct 30, 20151 votes

{quoted}

I completely agree. Someone downvoted, I think I'll just cancel that.

someone down voted you, so i feel obliged to compensate

RetroRage96Oct 30, 20151 votes

Thank you, kind sir.

KazaashiOct 30, 20151 votes

You will have flasks that will regen mana and refill upon recalling. There will also be upgrades to them. There will be even more choices than before.

So, sure you are losing the 100 Mana pot that costs 35 gold, but getting one that give 60 mana 3 times, recharges when you go back to base, and whatever the upgrades will do for it. Seems like a good trade.

Also, champs will get a mana sustain buff to compensate.

kJsOct 30, 20151 votes

League of Legends was very similar to DOTA in that it borrowed the idea of health and mana as well as health potions and mana potions. Champion resource bars or lack thereof are designed around their abilities.

With that out of the way you can start to appreciate that it would be far easier to balance the whole roster of champions when mana potions don't exist. I think that the removal of mana potions isn't game breaking because there is no fun or strategic standpoint about spamming mana potions, no one's going to bother thinking about it once the proper compensation in champion and item mana regeneration has been applied.

Flask (or a Season 6 equivalent) will probably be the go to starting item for a lot of mages because it gives so much safety and sustain.

slippykittenOct 30, 20151 votes

{quoted}

League of Legends was very similar to DOTA in that it borrowed the idea of health and mana as well as health potions and mana potions. Champion resource bars or lack thereof are designed around their abilities.

With that out of the way you can start to appreciate that it would be far easier to balance the whole roster of champions when mana potions don't exist. I think that the removal of mana potions isn't game breaking because there is no fun or strategic about spamming mana potions, no one's going to bother thinking about it once the proper compensation in champion and item mana regeneration has been applied.

You said it exactly right, and while i respect your opinion, i cannot disagree more.

"No one's going to bother thinking about it anymore" is right, and that's my problem. I liked this game because it made me think, it is doing less and less of that these days.

McprowlingtonOct 30, 20151 votes

The mage that bought mana potions instead of boots has made a tactical decision

does this ever actually happen?

deliberate, tactical decision making.

mana potions REMOVE decision making. Most of the time you won't back and choose to get potions instead of finishing a major item. Much more interesting decision making should be something along the lines of "If i can succesfully land one more Q, I think I can go all-in and finish that laner, but i don't know where their jungler is and I'll be oom if i don't finish them"

Or for a support, the decision for a janna or lulu to expend their mana on constant poke pressure in exchange for safety, not having enough mana to fully peel if the jungler makes an appearance.