It's not a meme: Balance has really tamed my addiction to this game

If you check my Tristana Mastery Points, you'll realize that I've played this game more than your average League player. I've been playing since September 2012, and have never though about quitting, not even now. Yet, ever since Worlds 2018 was done and the post-season patches started rolling out, I just don't feel like playing anymore. I haven't had fun ever since the ADC massacre and Riot introducing that fake diversity they talk about, but I really wanted to get Gold (I did) even if I wasn't having that much fun getting it.

It's not a lie that Crit ADC have never been in a worse state, and I've been playing either Karthus Bot or Zoe Mid (if I can get it) in the games I've played, but I'm just not having fun. I'd make a comment about damage but I think my distaste for the game stems more from overall game flow.

Here's a realistic scenario: You're taking Drake with Jungle, AD and Mid at 21 mins. Support is warding up Baron and their Blue Jungle. Friendly Top is pushing but has no TP. Even though their Top Laner is holding back yours, you suddenly get engaged 4v3 at Drake and die. They take Drake, then summon Shelly (Herald) and push as 4. They go take two (sometimes even three) towers with that single push, while the Supp and recalling Top can't realistically defend against 4 people and Shelly. Also, since Top lane recalled to try to stop the push with Shelly, their Top now takes the plateless Top tower. Now, this isn't gonna happen every game, but it's a realistic situation and it feels HORRIBLE when something like that happens. It's just a sign of how bad the game flow can be.

League has been one of my favorite games for a very long time. One of my favorite things to do in my free time was start up League and play Normals while listening to Audio Books or Podcasts, but lately not even that I can do. I really hate the game flow right now. I don't know why make the game faster. I don't know why try to compete directly with faster paced games (Yeah, that one Battle Royale game) that are designed to be faster and be a completely different experience.

I'm not quitting the game, but I would be lying if I didn't say that because of what Meddler and his team have been doing, I suddenly find myself with time I didn't have before to do art, writting and music projects. I'm not trying to enforce a meme, this is actually what's happening: The ones in charge of game balance/design managed to break my addiction to the game, but I don't know if making people quit is what drives the balancing process. Or maybe people aren't quitting. Dunno, Riot hasn't released player stats in a while. Google Graphs show YouTube searches for the game are lower than they were for August 2010, which means people are consuming much less content about the game than just a couple years ago, and I don't know how that translates to actual active players, but that's that I guess.

For months now I've been an advocate to NOT buff Crit ADCs and instead nerf stuff around them, but I don't think it's happening. I'm not holding my breath for the future. I'll continue to play, but my addiction has been heavily tamed by the current state of the game. And just to end: People complaining is a sign that we care for the game and the direction it's going. The day complaints stop is the day nobody cares anymore, and then the game will truly be dead.

Rant over. Happy New Year everyone!

Edit: The Nexus Blitz sled is fun and cute :)