Make support great again (solutions for support role)

Darkcoming·6/30/2016, 1:35:39 AM·2 votes·828 views

I know I know you might say that support never been that great in the league history. But anyway here is what I was thinking regarding to the issue:

Indtroduction: Dynamic queue has brought solutions for alot of issues but also highlighted some of the fundamental problems, one of those problems is regarding to the role picking. In an ideal system each role picking rate should be around 20% but because of the special type of playing experince provided by each role players tend to favorite some roles on the account of others. Currently I don't have statistical data about the role pick rate but when you play ranked depending on the wating time you can tell that the lowest picked role rate is support, the other roles tend to feel around each other except for mid which maybe has a slightly higher role picking rate.

Solutions: There can be many potential solutons but not all of them might work or be effictive enough to make support picking rate close to 19-20%. There can be compined multiple solutions at diffrente levels or single solo solutions but I'll write my ideas:

  1. Try to make the role rewarding: means that make the players who play support role get some kind of special rewards that playing other roles won't offer the same rewards. This might help players discover support role and will rise the number of supp mains. Regarding to the rewarding system, RIOT has shown us a good level of creativity so I'm sure they can find a good way. But the most simple example is IP points or other game points. Or the essense points.
  2. Fundamental changes of the game play to support role: If we want people to adopt support we need to make them enjoy the role. One of what I call fendamental solution for example is implementing new challenging tasks for support to make the role more active and effictieve, for instance in league matches often team coordination is missing or there is no leader role , so for example we can making the support as the leader of the team and make him able to give instructions and make decsions and coordinate the team. Deeper an example of team leadership in the game play the support decide that the team should push top, to help the team comiunicate with him in late game he the can chose that a supper minion to charge top lane (this just an example). Inorder to make the compititve game more objectives oriented. Ofcourse such a role change requires a lot of working and developing and alot of orginal ideas but I left this here for the long term targets.
  3. -This solution might make feminist hate on me :P - Advirtise the game for female players: This might offer a solution for the problem above and also can be a good business oportiuntie, by expanding the gaming market to reach girls. I think that about of 70% percent of the female players tend to pick support as it's some times fits theire play style. This might fire back at so many levels but you can just put it in considaration for the long term goals.

There can be other solutions but for now those were the ideas that I could summrise up.

As I said before those ideas are just to give an insight of the possibilties Riot team has. I also expect them not even read my post but as I said it worth giving it a shot sharing with you guys my ideaa since I think this it is a serious problem the wating time and the unliked support role.

24 Comments

Environmentalist6/30/2016, 1:38:02 AM3 votes

Too long didn't read, but a reply to your title: Support is fantastic. If you learn how to play it properly and successfully it's a blast, and super rewarding. Having your team go "omg best Lulu ever" or something along those lines after pulling off some S+ grade moves is wonderful.

Beldair6/30/2016, 7:15:33 AM1 votes

The reason why most ppl don't play Support is the same as why ppl don't want to play the Healer/Priest/Cleric/Paladin/Templar on mmos. Most ppl prefer to play those high damage lone wolves.

KONO RUBICK DA6/30/2016, 10:06:16 AM1 votes

{quoted}

I think that about of 70% percent of the female players tend to pick support as it's some times fits theire play style.

doesn't mean that the majority of support players are female players