Want change in LoL? Consider Resources.
Tl:DR -- You can trace the base SR meta to resource placement and allocation. We should consider tweaking/changing them.
The roles that champions play (and are now designed to fit into) was originally dictated by resource allocation on the map. The reason top and mid are solo lanes are because minions give exp in an AOE and is shared if multiple champions are there when it dies. The reason junglers are even a thing (they weren't back in the day because the jungle was brutal af) is because they were out of lanes and still needed a way to generate gold, and jungle monsters, while tough as hell, gave gold and experience. The reason two champions went to bot lane was to make sure Dragon was given high priority because it was such a large amount of gold and exp. Their placement on the map was dictated by resource efficiency -- I mean, yeah, champions give gold and experience when they die as well, but you can't control your opponents. What you CAN control/count on? Minions and Objectives.
The champion types that went to those positions on the map were then more or less dictated by what was needed for a successful team composition. Tanky types in the top lane (since they need to survive in a long lane by themselves), mobile bursty AP mages and Assassin (who can push quick and roam to other lanes for advantages and objectives) and auto-attack focused ranged character for rapidly pushing objectives and the support to make sure that ranged character gets to their power spikes. The type of champions in those lanes/roles can ebb and flow with patches (save for ADC/Marksmen, at least historically) but regardless if you take Daruis, Riven, or Teemo top, the REASON you are alone in that lane is because of resource efficiency. This is so ingrained in the game that it is officially supported by Riot, who requires that you PICK one of those locations (not roles, mind you, but locations) to play on the map before a game starts.
Riot can change items, champions and runes as much as they please, but the game will continue to be played the same way irregardless of those changes simply because the most effective way to gain priority and power in the game has been solved. Imagine what would happen to the game if resources worked differently. Imagine if experience wasn't granted in an AOE, but instead like gold currently is. Imagine if Jungle camps didn't give experience at all, but just gold. What if minions also spawned and went into the jungle?
Changing those things would be insane, of course. Riot has pointed out time and time again, change for the sake of change isn't something they strive for. And I agree with that! But I would argue that, while we're thinking about giving towers additional shields and probably a plant that works like a Thresh lantern, maybe we should take a look at WHY we play the game like we do, and if adjusting some of those things might bring the breath of fresh air that a lot of players are looking for.
(Do I have suggestions for what those changes/adjustments would look like? No idea. Cept for that Thresh Lantern Plant. That sounds like a keeper.)
