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Social Experiment: Theoretically, let's say Teemo got a healthy rework

PutThe3dgeD0wn·12/20/2014, 11:46:02 PM·12 votes·2,192 views

No, this is not a thread asking for Teemo buffs.

(This isn't even specifically about Teemo, but about the community and their opinion on general champion balance/rebalance)

Something I've been wondering about, especially whenever I read threads (anywhere, not just these boards) about assassins or other things people deem "toxic".

Now, few people call Teemo flat-out overpowered as he doesn't have the same late-game and teamfighting presence as most champs, but just about everyone calls him "toxic", "anti-fun", the Satan of League, etc. due to his laning power especially against AA-reliant tops, and late-game mushrooms.

Bashing Teemo is just a standard, traditional thing the community does. (Although.. even Teemo will be defended by fans sometimes)

So the question I pose in this thread: If Riot took Teemo and redesigned him, giving him a healthier (and relatively weaker) laning phase as well as rebalancing his late-game and teamfighting, and he ended up being a fair and balanced champion, the community wouldn't change their opinion on him at all, would they?

35 Comments

Keevalroy12/21/2014, 12:09:16 AM20 votes

No, they would still hate him simply because it's League tradition to hate him. They have a Teemo death counter just because it's funny. He's not strong, he's not threatening, he's just annoying - and for that he'll be hated no matter what.

GhostOfShrimpmas12/20/2014, 11:48:29 PM9 votes

It'd be like the Karma rework, where the only difference would be the previously silent fans starting to complain that they ruined him.

The Whamboozler12/21/2014, 3:55:29 PM4 votes

Teemo is one of the few truly unique champs in the game due to his ability to leave long-lasting traps and play like a hunter/ambusher. Is fighting him annoying? Hell yes. Is he overpowered? Hell no. There's no need to change him at all. We need MORE champs with a unique niche like Teemo, not to turn him into another generic mid-tier champ with a generic kit.

Remlap122312/21/2014, 7:03:53 AM3 votes

I think they'd move on to be honest. We're already seeing new lingo from old champs (i.e. Better nerf Irelia has turned into Better nerf Sona now). I think if Teemo got a healthy kit, the community would move on to hating Fizz.

thePandev12/21/2014, 7:13:37 AM2 votes

Has Riot ever even had a successful rework before? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Evelynn their only decent rework ever before she got nerfed badly again?

Emperor of Arima12/21/2014, 8:54:18 AM2 votes

Strangely enough, I think the community would change their opinions, and legit wouldn't hate teemo, though as is tradition we'll still be like 'Eff dat yordle' in jest instead of actual hatred. But, right now Teemo is the adorable critter people who like cute things like to play, while he fills that void of something that needs to be hated for the rest of us. I honestly think if we gave Teemo this healthy kit while miraculously not changing his play style or identity. Teemo fans would be happy, People laning against him would be elated like 'Wow... I actually don't mind laning against this champ' and we would stop hating him...

**But hating Teemo to me is as integral to the game as aiming skill shots. If you remove the hatred of Teemo you remove a part of League of Legends. **

Sure we could move on to hating Lee Sin, or Fizz, or Heimerdinger, or Ryze, or Gnar, or Shaco, hell even Caitlyn could be a candidate for hate. But it just wouldn't fill that void right. There's something about Teemo, maybe it's the combination of cute, kind sounding little fuzzball, that's underpowered but VERY annoying to lane against (due to Blinding Dart and Mushrooms) that allows this champion to harmlessly exist as the champion that makes you want to punch your screen, that somehow strengthens your connection to the game. Like Stockholm's Syndrome.

**That's why it's healthy for the game as a whole, for Teemo to exist in his current unhealthy state. **

I could go into detail as to how i think such a rework would impact the community, but ironically, i think even if it were the best rework Riot ever did, less people would end up playing League of Legends if they did such a rework.

PrinceOfStorms12/21/2014, 9:37:17 AM2 votes

Teemo cannot have a healthy rework because his identity is "Make melee / AA reliant champions cry while flopping to ranged/mages"

Gorzke12/20/2014, 11:54:39 PM2 votes

There would be "Karma Teemo , i miss you" threads afor over two years and then he would join Karma, Skarner and Cassiopeia to the unwanted rewors team.

Well, We would need another frustrating rework (along with teemo) to have a 5 man unwanted and failed rework team!

SmokingPuffin12/21/2014, 12:52:05 AM2 votes

So the question I pose in this thread: If Riot took Teemo and redesigned him, giving him a healthier (and relatively weaker) laning phase as well as rebalancing his late-game and teamfighting, and he ended up being a fair and balanced champion, the community wouldn't change their opinion on him at all, would they?

I think that if there was some big flashy Teemo rework that showed up one patch and gave him a totally different kit, the community would change their minds fast.

If you could somehow frog boil the community with a bunch of small changes over a few patches, the community probably wouldn't notice, at least for a while.

EffectFX12/21/2014, 3:14:30 AM2 votes

I wouldn't call Teemo flat out OP, but he's so irritating to play against with a lot champions I like playing.

Teridax6812/21/2014, 3:52:59 PM2 votes

It's fun to hate Teemo , and it's fair to say that he was deliberately designed to be annoying (though likely not outright toxic, which he unfortunately happens to be). If anything, any announcement of a rework would likely spur a new wave of Teemo-bashing, equal parts light-hearted celebration and genuine hatred.

More generally, public perception of a champion/item/feature tends to outlast any changes made to said element. "Better nerf Irelia" is still commonly used, despite the last real nerf to Irelia being in 2012 (she even got buffed), and even now people still call for reversions to game states from years ago (e.g. reverting Karma 's relaunch, bringing back Force of Nature, etc.), despite how far we've gone from them. Hating on Teemo is always going to be fashionable, regardless of how healthy his eventual rework will make him.

10110011100012/21/2014, 4:09:31 PM2 votes

I run Teemo with the intent of giving you the bitchiest laning phase you've ever had. If he got re-worked, the bitchy laning phase would probably be taken out, and I'd be sad.

There is no one like Teemo. Just buff his E if you're doing anything to him. Teemo

Dar Raksada12/22/2014, 12:29:56 AM2 votes

{quoted}

No, this is not a thread asking for Teemo buffs.

(This isn't even specifically about Teemo, but about the community and their opinion on general champion balance/rebalance)

Something I've been wondering about, especially whenever I read threads (anywhere, not just these boards) about assassins or other things people deem "toxic".

Now, few people call Teemo flat-out overpowered as he doesn't have the same late-game and teamfighting presence as most champs, but just about everyone calls him "toxic", "anti-fun", the Satan of League, etc. due to his laning power especially against AA-reliant tops, and late-game mushrooms.

Bashing Teemo is just a standard, traditional thing the community does. (Although.. even Teemo will be defended by fans sometimes)

So the question I pose in this thread: If Riot took Teemo and redesigned him, giving him a healthier (and relatively weaker) laning phase as well as rebalancing his late-game and teamfighting, and he ended up being a fair and balanced champion, the community wouldn't change their opinion on him at all, would they?

They wouldn't, the only reason people are still hating on Teemo is cause it's a tradition, there's plenty more frustrating champs these days, like Ziggs.

asktiks12/22/2014, 1:03:25 PM1 votes

no ill always hate / dodge the game when that prancing , mushroom pooping , annoying little turd is on the game

I flat out refuse to play a game with teemo in it idc if hes on my team he is the definition of a fun killer for a match to me

serpensortia112/21/2014, 5:34:39 PM1 votes

The main factor would be how similar the new kit is.

If his new kit is basically the same (shrooms, blind, poison) but with different mechanics for them, no change, he's still Satan.

If they completely change his theme, we complain about Riot removing a champion from the game to make this new piece of crap. That or we praise them for destroying the devil.

Quepha12/21/2014, 5:52:33 PM1 votes

teemo isn't OP, he isn't even toxic. his kit is plenty healthy and the hate for him is just a meme.

J3 e c k e t t12/21/2014, 6:27:31 PM1 votes

I personally think that hate will roll off to people like master yi and jax as it already has in my friends group

Kingsgrave12/21/2014, 2:02:41 AM1 votes

I mostly hate Teemo because he destroys aggression and melees without any effort and provides nothing to a team. Ive never lost to one but I would rather cut off my arm than have to lane against him most of the time.

I would like his kit to be healthier but if he remains an annoying little puffball that spews optimism Im going to hate him.

Nubeel12/22/2014, 4:50:43 PM1 votes

If by rework you mean replace him with a ward that looks like him and blinds you if you try to attack it then yes.

I am on board with this change.

AtheosisX12/21/2014, 12:36:44 AM1 votes

If he continued to have spammable stealth mines and continued to have the ability to stealth permanently by simply not moving he would continue to be seen as toxic.