The Support Lyfe: Plz Rito (Warning Long)

I feel like there has to be creative ways that promote actually being a support that wouldn't be abused by other lanes.

I don't buy into the argument that Supports shouldn't have gold because they would become too powerful. That is an indication of something wrong with the class / champions. Having gold is way more fun than not having gold, I think it adds a lot more dynamic to the game if the support role wasn't artificially held back as much as it already is.

Let's look at the prime causes as why people aren't fond of supporting and the reasons behind them.

---

You are pretty much going to be 2-3 levels behind the rest of your team

Cause: This is the price of having two people in one lane. It also basically means junglers / other lanes do not want you around early so you aren't sapping EXP from them. It also promotes staying in your lane, and not venturing out into the map too much.

Why is this a Problem? it pigeon holds supports to staying bottom lane in order to stay up on levels or puts them even further behind in levels. It drags the game out unnecessarily. Being down a few levels as any champion just makes you feel weak.

Resolution: This is a complicated issue, as I see it there are two solutions, both are on the drastic side, so neither will ever be considered. HoTS's shared EXP is actually something I enjoyed a lot. The entire team shares exp and levels up together. This promotes doing well for the team in order to contribute EXP, and it prevents one lane or a jungler from simply gaining 4-5 levels on everyone and wrecking faces, making everyone else feel powerless because some other lane 'fed'. It also helps other lanes that are potentially behind benefit from other lanes doing well (for whatever reason).

OR. There needs to be more ways for a support to be able to gain EXP. Masteries, Runes, Clearing wards, etc. Bard has a mechanic like this that allows him to roam the map without falling to far behind.

What does this do? It creates a more dynamic game when supports aren't strictly beholden to bot lane. It may even allow for scenarios where supports can be for the mid laners, especially immobile mages (think Ziggs or Veigar) who suffer in an assassin meta. Where champions like Ezreal / Corki / Lucian are already pretty safe picks and shouldn't need to worry about ganks as much. It also would let the support go to a lane that may not be doing well and help out for more than a few minutes without the laner / jungler falling behind in levels. It lets the support play a more active role, and support the other 3 team mates instead of baby sit the Marksmen.

You aren't going to be getting nearly as much gold as anyone else.

Cause: No minions for you! Basically unless you are getting lots of kills, stealing CS, etc. You simply aren't going to have the gold other lanes will have.

Why is this a problem? Not having gold makes you rely on cheaper items which generally make you feel less powerful because they other classes generally aren't going to buy them. You have to focus your items on what is helping the team the most with indirect benefit to you. Let's be honest here? Would supports complain if they got as much gold as their lane mates if it meant the cost of some support items increased? No. It also lets riot actually balance items across the board instead instead of tailoring them to specific classes / being abused by other classes (FROSTQUEEN'S)

Resolution: There simply needs to be more ways for a support to generate gold for doing support oriented things. This would probably be best done in the masteries section. How about a 5-10% discount at the shop for supports who upgrade their sight stone? How about a keystone mastery that grants more gold for Assists, but less for kills? Make GP10 a real stat that can be put onto items, and balanced properly. I think there are a lot of ways to increase gold generation that are just being flat out ignored.

What does this do? Make the role more fun to play because more items are more fun than less items. It makes champions like Thresh, Janna, Alistar, who need to be crammed with utility, just as viable Morgana, Kayle, Nidalee, Karma support who need more gold to be effective.

You're responsible for the majority of the warding.

Cause: Riot can't make up their mind about vision. Sight Stone Exists.

Why is this a problem? Vision is insanely impactful, and was the best way for a support to impact the game previously. The vision changes in the game benefited everyone EXCEPT supports. So now the vision control of the game was taken out of your hands, spread among your team mates, so everyone can contribute. Except they usually forget / don't. Now you can't even realistically do it for them because you are limited to 3 wards on SS. Vision can dictate the flow of the game, and as it stands right now a lot of that power was taken away from supports which makes the experience (not that warding was super fun to begin with) even less great.

I actually think riot took a lot of good steps towards vision, but there is still some work to be done.

Resolution: Remove Sight Stone. Yes. Remove it. The item can never be properly balanced because of its impact on the game. It is simultaneously too powerful (vision on demand) and also feels awful because you HAVE to buy it, making it just obscenely good on some supports (braum) and less great on people like Sona. Everyone else gets to use the yellow trinket (lol "use", more like have it sitting there on 2 unused wards).

Instead of forcing SS onto people, create ways for the support to complete their job, Summoner Spell for vision? How about a keystone mastery that upgrades the trinkets?

What does this do? FUCK YOU LEE SIN! HAHA! Finally Vengence!... ...Fuuuuuu. It actually means the rest of the team will have to make meaniingful / decisions about their trinkets, or even toggle them from time to time depending on the situation. Supports should have good Vision options available to them from the get go that they can increase in power to combat the sweepers / blue trinkets.

You're not suppose to get the kills and are instead making sure others can do their job effectively.

Cause: Other Lanes need the gold from kills to make them more effective. As a support your job is to assist them.

Why is this a problem? Because killing people in this game is fun, and that person gets all the attention. No one notices your life saving heal, or your ward that gave you the vision that allowed a counter gank. Just makes you feel like you are standing in the shadows.

Resolution: How about some stats at the end of the game that actually show off the support? Wards Placed / Cleared. Shielding Done. How about Assist streaks with gold rewards? How about if someone Tele's to your ward and gets a kill, you get an assist? Not getting the kill is fine and is usually your duty as the support to help others get ahead. The lack of recognition is what makes the whole experience lame.

What does this do? Showcases the impact of supports so that 'support secondary' isn't designed to make you a support main.

To be continued:

Your life is considered worth significantly less than a carry / jungle. Cause: Why is this a problem? Resolution: What does this do?

Your performance is basically tied directly to your Marksman, something not entirely under your control. Cause: Why is this a problem? Resolution: What does this do?