Boards›Gameplay

As a PBE tester, I am ashamed to be one of the "very informed" who destroyed skarner's balance live

Boohya·9/9/2015, 7:35:08 PM·117 votes·14,948 views

"It's tough. We also listened to the "very informed" testers who told us Skarner was weak. Feedback is always contingent upon the choices made by the playtester. In Mordekaiser's case, I felt the playtesters were not making the right choices but that over time they would begin to make them. I was incorrect. "

  • CertainlyT

**very informed. **

This. this here hurts. Riot trusted us on the PBE to give informed data and feedback but we... no, I did not look at all the angles. I was one of the major voices on the forums that influenced the rework. I assumed my winning on the pbe with new skarner was not because he was unbalanced or broken, but because I lived and breathed that champion on live. And as one so used to that specific champion I never once took into account "how would someone with NO experience with Skarner do?". I now assume that this was the same mindset of the rest of the PBE testers as well.

I have only played one game of skarner since he came live since then, and that was back when the win % hadn't become apparent. i couldn't even look at him after i realised what we had brought to LIVE. i dont know if ill play him again.

I have not been able to log onto the pbe forums, maybe my account got removed. And honestly? I deserve that if it is the case. We failed to give proper feedback from all the angles and now skarner will be dealt with accordingly .

I'm sorry CertainlyT, I know you are not quick to take advice from the forums and one of the few times you do you get this... thing. Had to get that off my chest. that is all.

Good luck on the fields of Justice!

104 Comments

RiotRiot Scruffy9/10/2015, 4:37:05 AM43 votes

Balancing for a game like LoL is a tough job (i've definitely been there and you're getting a small taste with pbe feedback). For a tester playing one game is very anecdotal: when you win, it feels like it was "all skill" but when you lose it feels like the champ is broken underpowered and there was nothing you could do.

This is why we try our best to be scientific and consistent with our approach. Do we think X is OP? Let's dig deeper and see why or how that may be the case. Are PBE testers saying Y? What is causing that feeling, real power or just a bad game?

Either way OP you're still great, and you should pick up skarner again he's fun!

redniwediS9/9/2015, 8:24:38 PM42 votes

I've said it ever since I first was allowed on the PBE; the PBE is not a good place to judge live balance. I've played Garen for about five years and after testing the juggernaut changes I figured his win rate would bump up from 48% to 49 or 50%. As we all know this didn't happen.

Everyone makes mistakes, and given the wildly different meta (or partial lack there of) on the PBE everything that comes off of it should come with a "results may vary" tag on it. Mistakes are part of the learning experience.

I really hope CertainlyT didn't intend for that bit quoted to sound the way it does, because it reads as if he is trying to shift blame away from the balance team and onto the testers. I'll say it again, mistakes happen, and no one is truly to blame for an honest mistake.

Changes were made, feedback was given, and it was a bad fit for the live server environment so future corrections will likely happen. End of story. There's no need for finger pointing. We're all adults here after all.

And if you didn't mean it this way CertainlyT let me be the first to say I'm sorry for jumping to this conclusion.

Matezoide9/9/2015, 7:45:57 PM17 votes

tfw nobody listened to me when i said Skarner was incredibly powerful.

I take responsibility for Garen though. He is definetly stronger than anyone expected.

Whats the context on that quote, anyway? Is CertainlyT saying the Mordekaiser players were right all along? Or that they were (and still are) incorrect?

Tails Doll9/10/2015, 2:21:21 AM17 votes

"We also listened to the "very informed" testers who told us Skarner was weak."

This line right here. This makes me hate CertanlityT even more than I did before. Shit happened, YOU guys were making HUGE changes, some to champions that didnt really needed them (Garen ), and YOU made HUGE game play changes to Mordekaiser Skarner and a very limited player base has to test them in very short period of time. And PBE=/= LIVE in anyway shape or form, you cant compare them and actually KNOW how they will behave.

PBE should be used for BUG testing (MANY bugs that are reported are not fixed till they hit live Azir ) and if you are going to use it for BALANCE changes you cant 100% rely on PBE testers, because they will only tell you THEY feel about the champion.

PBE players SHOULD try to give the best feedback possible, but they SHOULD NOT be held responsible for YOUR screw ups, not even if it's a small insinuation.

YOU are the one getting paid, YOU are the one making the decision and YOU are responsible for what ever the fuck goes to live (And I'm talking about any Rioter that has any influence on this game balance) so if shit goes down it's your own goddamn fault. So be a MAN and take responsibility for this bullshit that is Juggernaut patch. And you CertanitlyT take responsibility for all the shit you have created that is unhealthy and un fun to play AGAISNT.

Mordepool9/9/2015, 8:50:13 PM13 votes

That post wasn't about skarner

it was a deflection statement by certainlyT. Looking to give an excuse for his total failure to address feedback from Mordekaiser mains and pbe testers. Sry certainlyT be a professional and address the concerns of the masses that's how you earn respect. Not hiding and ignore till patxh day

Vellich0r9/9/2015, 10:53:38 PM11 votes

Honestly, as much as I know that it is partially the playtesters fault (though I personally argued to the point of fighting with anyone who told me skarner was weak, kindly informing them how broken he was going to be) that whole certainly-T quote just sounds like him being an ass hole. "we did all we could to keep playtesters informed but this proves that like always I am right and the entire player base is wrong. K thx."

5050BS9/9/2015, 9:28:17 PM3 votes

So the other issue here is that the are looking at win rates of champs that take advantage of the BROKENESS of Sated Devourer. You CANT balance champions when this insanely broken item is in game.

Penns9/9/2015, 8:59:08 PM2 votes

Well Rito could just test their reworks on their own too. Or at least nerf them now that everyone knows theyre too strong lel.