A list of things that should/shouldn't make support more popular

Shouldn't

• Removing Sightstone: Yes, this honestly won't make the class more popular. People use the argument that if they don't have to build this item, they get more freedom with their builds, right? Well, given that support builds lack freedom to begin with in most situations, what does this even accomplish? Tada, you got 800 - 1.6k more gold to spend on more heals and more shields, something this game has now been flooded with. Besides, junglers always have to buy their jg items, right? The point is that AFTER they buy their smites, their game play and build paths are still fun. There's a deeper issue to the support role than just removing essential buys from the role. Hell, if you ask me, I think it'd be better to just remove the 3rd tier gold gen items. They aren't that great in comparison to regular support items and their lesser parts build into a Sightstone at a lesser overall cost. If you need to save gold, just build an Eye Sightstone. Now you spent around the ballpark your jungler would on role essentials on top of using the same amount of item slots for that purpose. If jg can be fun while eating up two slots and about 3k gold on essentials, support should be able to as well, so let's stop pointing fingers at a freaking rock with an eye in it.

• Making everything heal/shield power oriented: Stop it. I've seen this idea going around all over the place. Stop it. If healing/shielding for 40 minutes was HONESTLY fun game play, then why would League have overtaken mmorpgs in the first place, games where you wait 40 minutes to find a healer that'll spam heals on you and your party for 40 minutes while you raid dungeons? Isn't the point that that type of game play is stale and boring? Isn't the point that League is meant to be more dynamic than that? Why is everyone so damn gung ho for forcing a boring play style onto the support class? Hell, even general action mmorpgs like Dungeon Fighter Online or Dragon Nest stray from having straight heal/shield bots...because that game play IS NOT FUN. Stop being regressives.

• Increasing gold gain: As much as I'd like to reliably afford Lich/Luden's/D. Cap while playing support...that's a stupid idea. Supports are part utility, part thing they relate to. Tank supports aren't supposed to be as tanky as solo lane tanks, and they aren't. Mage supports aren't meant to build as much ap as solo lane mages, which they don't. This should remain true no matter what happens. Bleeding support itemization into solo laner itemization isn't really a viable answer. That's like...eh...bleeding marksman itemization into juggernaut/slayer itemization so they can be viable picks in the game. AMIRIGHTORWHATGUYSIBELIEVEWEHADFUNDURINGTHATTIMERIGHTFELLASUPTOPHIGHFIVEDRINKSONME!

Should

• Make more support champs: Ivern doesn't count. Riot needs to stop screwing with us already. Ivern is extremely fun, though.

• Do something about exp gain: Support's been rather..."harsh" since season 5 ended. I can find myself a good level or two down from my adc in most matches, but I can also find me and the enemy support under-leveled in comparison to the damn minions more often than not. Exp gain needs to be addressed for real. Roaming hard is one thing, but general exp gain has been booty for a year.

• Promote proactive, aggressive play: Not because Janna has to chunk you for 800 damage with her W. Promote more aggressive builds and playstyles because we're more than satisfied on the defensive side of the spectrum. If you're a defensive player or you need defensive options for your team, WE ARE COVERED. We have tons of supports and items that emphasize healing and shielding and peeling at this point. Hell, even items that weren't defensive now are for no good reason . Well, here's a thought: What if a support wanted to tackle the game differently? What if a support player wanted to have a different play style? "Go mid or go home"? Yeah, SO NO ONE'S SUPPORTING. We have the foundation to do more with the role. We could have a tank support item that's designed with a more offensive effect that doesn't have shitty stats like Righteous Glory, so that support vanguard options like Leona and Nautilus feel better to play. We could have mage support items that aren't just "XYZ heal your ally ABC shield your ally" for those that don't want to Janna their way to Diamond. I don't know why we don't, but we COULD. Like I said, between jg and support, if you build an Eye, both roles have 2 item slots tethered to role essentials (boots and something else, right?). If jg is perfectly fine, something's wrong with the GAME PLAY of support less than it's the essential item. Give support to more play styles in the role that isn't entirely focused on defense all game, and I honestly think the role will improve. That doesn't mean "give supports a stat stack for 2.5k", because EVERYONE jumps to that conclusion when I say this. I mean give us the option to build a hybrid build if we pick a hybrid support. Give us the option to build more aggressive if we pick an aggressive one. We already have defense on lock so who's bothering complaining about that? Expand the damn role.

• Stop being assholes to people that don't want to spend all game shielding your ass: How many posts on here put the term "support" in quotations when they're talking about Brand or Zyra? Yet, at the same time, Riot's already made it clear that those champs are champs they like to see in the role. Why does everyone think that support has to be so limited in what it can do? The thing is that, at the end of the day, supports don't have to be "adc defenders". They just synergize with and work off their teammates to make gains. Why are we limiting HOW we can do this? Isn't that why Zeke's Harbringer is such a shitty item, because it forces you to work with one type of champion, let alone one teammate, rather than giving you freedom of choice to work with your other teammates? Why are we as a community doing on a broad scale what Zeke's does in-game?

• Rework low-counterplay/low interaction supports: The point of tying half of Sona's power to AAs was to make her interact more. What the hell is up with Janna and Soraka pressing E or W from the fog and climbing elo? There's a reason why Bard's considered one of the most fun supports out there, and it's because he's not so 1 note and simple. And before anyone calls me a hypocrite, I was constantly saying "Make Sona's Q a skillshot" before her mini-rework went out. No avail. Regardless, the role could use less brain dead, low counterplay design from the earlier champs in it.

Short version: Changing/removing Sightstone, shoving every support item into one niche, or increasing gold gain isn't going to make support a better role. Giving the role more champs, more exp, more build diversity, and better kits than just spamming one button all day most likely will.