So, Kai'sa (and a rant about character themes)

Onotori··5 votes·524 views

She's fun, she's really strong once you get the hang of her, she fits my playstyle... but I hate how she looks. She's overly sexualized (a girl living off scraps like that is not goinna have giant boobs and a giant-er ass, sorry), she's not monstrous (like she acts like she is), she doesn't look like a fighter, she doesn't look like a survivor... she's just a Barbie in a skin-tight purple suit with things floating behind her.

Basically, she's generic and boring.

So hopefully you fix that with skins. Though I kinda doubt it, given the shape of her model.

In the future though, look at your champ's personality, where they came from, what they've gone through, and incorporate that into how they look / act. A lot of the ADCs are really generic, just guys / girls with a ranged weapon wearing a jumpsuit or ordinary (skimpy) clothing. Tristana is one exception, since she's supposed to be all hyperactive and cocky -- her playstyle fits that, the giant cannon that's twice her size is perfect, and people typically associate lolis with hyperactivity and positive attitudes. She has character.

Someone like Vayne, on the other hand... a ripoff of Bayonetta + Bat Man? She's boring and acts all weirdly stoic, she has very little personality in her kit, her fighting style is generic, her outfit is like something out of an 80s movie... it just doesn't feel right. Vayne's kit would imply she's ruthless and dogmatic, like a Van Helsing type character, but she's nothing like that. Instead she's a generic edgelord wearing a skinsuit.

Maybe I'm just being picky. But don't do generic champs. ADCs are the worst offenders when it comes to being generic, but there are other champs that are boring and bland as well.

12 Comments

SEKAI2 votes

I think Vayne is supposed to be a living irony of sort just like Batman also kind of is. In many stories of Batman, he is implied to be unconsciously hypocritical in his beliefs, and noting that he may himself have mental issues and criminal tendencies; maybe Vayne is to have that as well.

While I also have many issues with Kai'Sa, such as how the skin is alive and is its own thing despite being supposedly adapted from voidling corpses (unless I read it wrong), how the 2 even communicated to form their mutual existence and all, things like how did Kai'Sa survive the time before coming into contact with the void suit monster, or how she has suffered no void related mutation or psychological effect from being so close to a void portal for so long (I believe it's said that Kai'Sa was never actually in void itself until having the suit where it allows her to traverse the void for short periods without harming her. But still, she lived literally next to the void portal)... That being said, Kai'Sa does have 1 interesting story point, she's fearful of what may happen to her if she does not continuously hunt voidlings to feed the suit; it would seem her mutual existence also means she has hold herself as a hostage in exchange for power.

Onotori1 votes

That's shown in her new lore, but there's nothing to show that in-game, is what I'm talking about. She's just a generic, boring Barbie with very little personality or flair. Sure she's old, but even her new skins are more of the same (even Project).

I know Kai'sa has interesting lore points, but they don't mesh with what she is in-game at all. There are other champs like that, but, as I was saying, ADCs are usually the worst offenders.

Maybe I'm just holding League to standards of other genres and newer MOBAs -- but some champs do have a lot of personality to them in-game, and they're endearing in one way or another. Then champs like Vayne just totally drive me away.

The Whamboozler1 votes

Yeah... if you care about lore this probably isn't the best game for you.

If you care about characterization and well-written characters and stories... this isn't the best game for you.

If you care about interesting visual design that tells you about those characters, Kai'sa isn't the champ for you... and this isn't the best game for you.

This game is for people who only care about racking up kills on each other while yelling memes or flaming each other over deaths. It's for people who feel all a "good character" needs is to be hot. It's a game for wannabe bros that like boobs and anime, and that will drop cash to secure skins for all their favorite edgelords and waifus.

Onotori1 votes

Yeah, I know this game isn't that great if you like lore or visuals that make sense. But any game I used to enjoy is gone now, and newer games are all garbage, or they're little indie games that last a few days at best. While I can't stand League for several reasons, the base game is somewhat enjoyable, and it scratches that itch I had from quitting all the MMOs I used to enjoy before they were ruined.

I'd quit in a heartbeat if an enjoyable MMO came out again, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen.

The Whamboozler1 votes

I feel like we have a lot in common... because I kinda agree with everything you just said. I have no idea what sad turd is running around downvoting us both and scampering off without saying anything.

I used to love this game and now any time I feel compelled to play I remember why I hate it now.

The Whamboozler1 votes

Yeah... piles of protests to Kai'sa came out when she did saying a lot of the same things you just did OP. She's bland, she's boring, she's lackluster, there is no strong theme or tone to her design or VO.... she's lukewarm water when she could have been an ice cold beer (or whatever it is you drink). They took the idea of "a woman trapped in an alien hell hole for years, forced to bond her body to a bug monster and give up some of her mind and humanity to survive" and they made it BORING. How the fuck do you even DO that?

But see here's the thing. They did it because it worked. 95% of the people playing only cared that her kit was decent and she was pwetty. Riot doesn't care about lore, tone, themes or good characters when they can just slap a chick in a catsuit and she'll be super popular with 14 year old boys. Oh sure, they'll toss out a Rek'Sai or a Illaoi out every so often (Although Illaoi is still quite hot she's just.... tall) to claim they're being progressive and try to buy some cred with the PC crowd... but ultimately they don't give half a shit about lore when it bumps up against their bottom line... and a less gorgeous Kai'sa might not have made as much money.

Onotori2 votes

That's most of gaming these days though. A shift away from quality in favor of doing what sells.

The Whamboozler1 votes

Ayep. Sad but true.

Alex h87211 votes

I'm surprised you didn't mention the worst offender (and a skin favorite for riot) Tits McGee, ahem, i meant MissFortune. Seriously though i was introducing a couple friends to the game last year and when my friend john first saw MF he said "thats tits mcgee right there"

SEKAI1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Alex h8721,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=isO0hw3t,comment-id=0002,timestamp=2018-03-16T07:32:59.051+0000)

I'm surprised you didn't mention the worst offender (and a skin favorite for riot) Tits McGee, ahem, i meant MissFortune. Seriously though i was introducing a couple friends to the game last year and when my friend john first saw MF he said "thats tits mcgee right there"

I assume you mean McCree from Overwatch?

Shouldn't it be the other way around, that McCree is a "Tit-less MF"? But seriously tho, McCree is a cowboy, MF is a pirate, I wouldn't put them so close to each other tbh, at least not when the character with the closest playstyle to McCree is definitely Jhin, who even has a cowboy skin too (though that's not referencing McCree, but the initial champ design concept "Cyborg Cowboy" that was meant to be Kindred but then divided and became Jhin).

(Unless you're not talking about McCree and I got it wrong, then mb)

Onotori1 votes

Oh I wanted to. But I figure everyone already knows about how bad MF was designed.

Busty Demoness1 votes

I'm able to defend her appearance. Or at least, I was until they made it clear she never actually survived the void itself. Rather just survived underground against a ton of void creatures.

What I can't defend is her background story and resulting character.

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