@Riot: Clarity and 2017 Preseason

With updates to the New Player Guide and work getting started on preseason concepts I wanted to take some time to toss out some ideas relating to clarity and simplicity. Some of these things are things I struggled to grasp when learning how to play and others are things that just don't sit right with me down to this day.

TERMINOLOGY:

MAGIC POWER in place of Ability Power- I believe the term Ability Power originated at a time when it was meant to enhance one’s abilities (QWER), whereas Attack Damage was to strengthen one’s Auto Attacks. Now, abilities are enhanced by everything including Attack Damage, Health, Mana, Armor, Magic Resist.

PHYSICAL POWER in place of Attack Damage- In step with the above reasoning, Physical Power more appropriately describes how a build effects both one’s Auto Attacks and enhances one’s abilities.

AUTO ATTACKS:

Even though I’ve read the math somewhere, I’m still not certain what damage auto attacks do. What would a world be like where auto attacks deal damage equivalent to their Physical Power plus their Magic Power? The Physical Power would deal Physical Damage, and the Magic Power would deal Magic Damage. I realize this change would effect many things across the game. Things like Armor and MR would need to be adjusted on things like towers and jungle monsters I’m sure. More importantly Magic Power in general would probably need to be ratio’d down. It would build too strong for inclusion in Auto Attacks. But lowering the level of Magic Power purchased with items and raising the ratios on any champ abilities should keep it balanced equally.

ITEM COORDINATION:

COLOR COORDINATION: From base items to advanced items, it would be helpful to be able to tell at a glance what stats items grant. Even if it is simply the background color.

WEAPON COORDINATION: Similar to the color coordination, it would be helpful for the base, and to whatever extent possible, the level 2 items to have corresponding weapon families.

OFFENSE- Warm Colors -- Physical Power: Red, Sword -- Magic Power: Yellow, Wand -- Attack Speed: Orange, Bow -- Critical Strike: Pink, Gloves -- Cooldown Reduction: (color), Hat -- Armor Penetration: (color), Axe -- Magic Penetration: (color), Book

DEFENSE- Cool Colors -- Health- Green, EMERALD Crystal (because health is green) -- Health Regen- Pale Green, Emerald Charm -- Armor- Teal, Vest -- Magic Resist- Purple, Cloak -- Lifesteal- (color), Whisp? -- Tenacity- (color), Sash?

RESOURCES -- Mana- Blue, Sapphire Crystal -- Mana Regen- Pale Blue, Sapphire Charm -- Movement- Brown, Boots

BUILD PATHS AND SIMPLICITY:

It would be good to expand build path options centralized around the base items for each stat. For example, all Physical Power items start with a Long Sword.

Catalyst of Aeons is a good example. Built out of a Health Crystal and a Mana Crystal , it provides Health and Mana. It also has a named Unique effect: Eternity.

Chain Vest is another good example. This item is doubling down on a base item, Cloth Armor . Instead of combining the two, it is a straight upgrade. It also has no Unique effect.

Mirroring these two build path styles across all base items would make for a more expandable, easy to learn system. Each base item could be upgraded to double down on that stat. Doubling down on this tier 2 item in turn, could create a tier 3 item that offers a percent increase of that stat. ( + =) Each combination of any two different base items could form a tier 2 item that has a unique effect. This unique effect would carry on to a tier 3 item.

Remove duplicate base items: -- Pick Axe -- Amp Tome - Replace with Blasting Wand (because its a wand) -- Cloak of Agility

Add missing base items: -- Armor Pen -- Magic Pen -- CDR -- Tenacity

Repurpose as tier 2 items: -- BF Sword -- Needlessly Large Rod

COOLDOWN REDUCTION is in a weird spot where it seems like every build maxes out your CDR without trying. There are at least 11 items that have a unique passive of CDR seemingly just tacked on. Perhaps CDR should have a base item that builds into advanced items just like every other stat. This would seem to provide more meaningful choices in builds.

UNIQUE EFFECTS:

The best example of clarity in a Unique Effect is Last Whisper. When I buy Last Whisper , I receive a unique effect named Last Whisper. When I upgrade it, it retains the unique effect Last Whisper. Perhaps other tier 2 items could mirror this pattern.

Once a unique effect is possesed, gray out the description when shopping for items that have the overlap. Just like mana items for a mana-less champ.

Boots have been restricted to not allow duplicate purchase. A unique effect (Enhanced Movement) is no longer necessary.

IN-GAME SHOP:

New arrangement of Item Categories:

• OFFENSE: Physical Power, Magic Power, Attach Speed, Critical Strike, Cooldown Reduction, Armor Penetration, Magic Penetration

• DEFENSE: Health, Health Regen, Armor, Magic Resist, Lifesteal, Tenacity

• RESOURCES: Mana, Mana Regen, Movement, Vision, Gold, Consumables

FILTERS: Add a filter in the All Items tab for recommended items. Remove the recommended page, and hence the tab functionality. Selecting the new filter Recommended Items would clear all filters and show the champ’s recommended items. You would also need an All Item filter

I'd love to discuss these ideas or others further if anyone's interested.

---

B0b0mb