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Why are handicaps such a huge part of this so-called "competitive" game?

Mrs Qtpie·6/17/2019, 4:04:07 AM·7 votes·3,839 views

I guess the overall argument here is that in a competitive game you want skill to be maximally responsible for the game's outcome. As it stands right now, because of the things I have listed below, skill influence on game outcomes has been reduced, which is completely inimical to balancing a competitive game.

SHUTDOWN GOLD - It scales too fast, and maximum values are capped too high. For example, if I kill you twice I am worth 450 gold and I got 570 gold for killing you those 2 times. If you kill me after getting a gank, we are back to even despite me playing better than you. Skill should most influence the outcome of a game; don't reduce skill influence by adding handicaps.

SHUTDOWN EXPERIENCE - This exists in its effects, but not by name; Riot doesn't claim that there is something called "shutdown xp." In any case, if you kill someone you get 50% of the experience required for them to level up, plus 7% for each level you're behind. At lvl 7 you require 3200 xp to level up, at level 5 you require 1700 xp to level up. If you do the math I just laid out for you, you will see that the level 5 - if he kills you with his jungler - will recieve 2100ish xp, which is enough to level him/her up and then some. Again, remove handicaps, because in a competitive game we want skill to most influence the game outcome; handicaps are inimical to this.

SHUTDOWN DEATH TIMERS - Once again, this is something that exists in every form except for by name. The gist of shutdown death timers is the fact that death timers vary with level, and not by time passed. The higher your level, the longer you wait when you die. This exacerbates the effects of shutdown xp and gold, because not only do you lose most of your lead from those 2 factors, the prolonged death timers give your opponent even more room to catch up by allowing them to deny you farm, while also providing them with the opportunity to farm for themselves. Again, why are handicaps in this game? Don't suggest that this game is competitive until you remove handicaps.

10 Comments

funkdubious26/17/2019, 5:25:10 AM2 votes

Interesting points.

I do agree that the SHUTDOWN GOLD is kinda dumb... and shouldn't exist. You're having a great game shouldn't give the whole enemy team an incentive to kill just you... nor should a random encounter with you low on health turn that lead over to a passer-by. I frequently hear the diamond youtubers say "i dont want to turn over this shutdown gold, so I dont go help the team fight" Thats so strategically selfish that it defies common sense and makes sense at the same time. As a Kayle, my ult is usually for my teammates. They get into a teamfight, and I wanna ult the guy whos getting bursted. But if I have a huge shutdown gold on me, its wiser for my teammate to be left to die?

I'm actually okay with the SHUTDOWN EXPERIENCE, I think. I dont know... not much opinion on this right now.

And I do agree about the RESPAWN TIMERS shouldn't change throughout the game or by level. It should be a flat 20 seconds always. IF you get killed eraly game, thats huge. If you get killed late game, 20 seconds is still huge. If I'm popping off as Kayle, finally at level 16, and the enemy team decides to focus me down, why should I have to stay out for 60 seconds, when all other champs that are stronger than I haven't had that same handicap??? Also, If the team gets Aced, it should be 20 seconds to respawn. Thats enough time to take objectives without a defense.

Saevum6/17/2019, 5:37:27 AM2 votes

I don't know why also first turret gold plus plates is a thing. Pair that with first blood and voilà. Chaos.

forist6/17/2019, 6:46:59 AM2 votes

So, a little bit of clarification on the concept of shutdown gold. If you are ahead in gold and kills you have an innate advantage in any fight due to having more items. It makes sense to give a reward to the player who beats you despite being at an item/gold disadvantage. You can say that catch-up mechanics like this lack skill expression, but on the flip side being able to beat someone who has more kills and stronger items than you is pretty skillful imo.

5050BS6/17/2019, 7:09:52 AM2 votes

Shutdown gold is to prevent a game from being over at 5m

It use to not be needed because damage was not so high and snowballing took more then 1 kill and only a very few champs could do it.

Now Anyone can snowball and for snowbally champs 1 kill it all it takes.