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Feedback: Dissapointed with Sona and feeling left behind

Minandreas··6 votes·840 views
Sona Update

I haven't played in a while and saw the e-mail about the new summoners rift and came to check things out. Things look great! It's really awesome to see Riot is keeping on top of their old content and not just pushing out the new. So many champions have been visually updated, the rift itself is way cooler, and the new champions put out really seem awesome in the creativity of their kits and concepts. You've come a long way from pure blasty blasty Annie and Ryze Riot.

I don't think I'll be sticking around though, mainly due to my favorite champion getting altered in a way I don't like. I read the linked article explaining the changes to her and I was really disappointed. I understand what you were going for, and you guys definitely accomplished what you aimed to accomplish in regards to making her less passive. But some people like that. I loved how Sona played. I loved skirting the back lines, hammering out song after song after song and providing constant buffs to my team as I looked for openings to throw a power chord, crescendo, exhaust, or item active in to the fray. I loved the war of attrition. The way I could keep my team out there pushing the line long after the enemies have had to retreat for healing and mana.

This new Sona is a big disappointment to me. I'm not saying she's bad or underpowered. I just got back. I wouldn't know. I'm just saying I liked the passive war of attrition play style. And with so incredibly many other champions to choose from, I feel like you could have just left her alone. If people want to play a more aggressive "moments of power" support, there are plenty of other champions they can choose to play. I just wanted to give this feedback to try and remind you guys over at Riot that not all of your players are clawing at the walls to be the star hero that makes the plays. *Some like passive. And that should be ok. * Especially with such a humongous list of champions to choose from. It shouldn't be that hard to leave a champion for people like me.

Keep up the good work. You guys still have an incredible game, and it gets better every time I check back in on it.

edit: I saw that your goal with this preseason is "strategic diversity". War of attrition is a strategy. =/

7 Comments

RoyaiChaos2 votes

I blame the loud minority of Sona or support players that cried too much that they felt unappreciated. Also the people who didn't realize how much Sona's passives actually helped and kept asking for buffs.

Minandreas1 votes

I'm really not looking to point fingers at anyone with the post. More just tap Riot on the shoulder and remind them players like myself are here. I don't blame other players for wanting to play Sona and do so in a way they enjoy. I have always loved the idea of a bard. Music used to magical effect. It's the whole reason Sona was one of my very first champions, and is a large part of why I continued to play her, as well as why I'm so disappointed by the changes. That other people would want to play a character with such a theme, in the style they enjoy, is completely understandable.

But Riot shouldn't be treating more passive, sustained play styles as if no one wants to play them and are something to be rooted from the game. I think the proper approach should have been creating another champion with similar themes. They have so many at this point, and so many counterpart champions to original ones, I don't see any reason they couldn't make some kind of skald spin champion. One that supports with song, the same way Sona does, but is much more combat focused. Not passive. Make them a loudmouth too for fun. What with Sona being mute. Why not?

Anyways, my point is I understand they can't please everyone. But the raw quantity of champions they put out and have out should allow them to do so pretty effectively without just kicking an entire play style to the curb and saying it's undesirable.

RoyaiChaos1 votes

The problem was that Sona's power was invisible, as in you didn't feel that you were contributing as much as you actually were. And I always played and saw the old Sona played extremely aggressively, although she could have been played passively as well. I see your point, but invisible power is a problem and Rito simply doesn't trust us to be smart enough to understand that her auras can actually turn fights around, combined with the fact that it doesn't take skill to produce an aura.

Old Sona was just way stronger than most people realized, and got nerfed for it :C

SecretAgentHulk2 votes

(Psst...Soraka is the new old Sona. Check her out.)

Minandreas2 votes

Huh, I will have to check her out then. Thanks for the tip!

Epilogue of Life1 votes

But she gives so much sustain, peel, and heal, and assassins are already being analed hard every patch

Wheatloaf1 votes

A war of attrition is (usually) not fun for either side. WWI is a perfect example, where sometimes the line of skirmish wouldn't move for months, because everyone was stuck in holes lobbing explosives at each other, occasionally feeding a few soldiers into the no-man's-land of barbed wire, mines, and machine guns. A war of attrition is a war of resources, and generally not very engaging (which usually isn't good for a PvP game, though it may be a perfectly valid - if not efficient - military strategy). I liked old Sona, and part of me will miss not really even caring where I stood so long as I could get a good Ult off and not die, but the new Sona's play pattern isn't all that different from the old, and you can really feel the impact of every spell cast.

Even if you don't stick with Sona, I hope you stay with the game. If you're still looking for a champion that's good at wearing down opponents from outside their range, Xerath and Vel'Koz are both very solid (but also very mid-lane) picks. If you're still looking for a support along those lines, SecretAgentHulk already suggested Soraka, who's healing power can be taken either bot, where she can epically extend the laning phase, or mid, where the sheer value of the heals you put out can save your squishies through 2 assassins and an ignite.

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