(Long Post) Why I think LoL is kinda wonky and how it got there.

So let's take a look at LoL. Honestly, doesn't something feel off compared to previous seasons?

We all like to target and blame something for the root of the changes. I think it was something changed quite a while ago. In truth it was multiple things combined that stuttered LoL into what it is now. But I would like to say. It really started with the removal of Tier 3 Boots. I have this theory and I will tell you why. But the removal of these boots, greatly changed the game forever.

See champions like Udyr, Shyvana, Nidalee and Elise used to roam the jungle. They still do, but as tier three boots got removed. It slowed junglers down, which isn't very fun for them. So to make it fun again, why not give the new junglers the ability to dash through walls to get to their targets quicker since running around takes so long? Well the idea kinda worked. But now the dashes have become over-used, reliant and are just excessive. Rek'sai perhaps was the start of implementing more dashes. The idea to constantly burrow and get to the other side. But then you gave a wall jump to Kindred with a low cdr. Then somewhere Talon got a mini-rework to jump over walls. Camille was implemented with the ability to dash over an to walls. Then the Warwick rework came with his new dash 'q' follow, a giant movement speed bonus and 'r' dash/jump. To take it a step further then Kayn was just given the ability to walk through the very walls themselves. It -really- outdates the old champions who can't do it like the new ones can.

The idea of Terrain blocking you is no longer respected; this in turn hurt a lot of champs.

This concept followed into Mages. Sure you had the rare Twisted Fate global ult. But now Aurelian Sol and Taliyah can easily skip over terrain. One of the best junglers atm is Taliyah because of her passive and her ult.

She can move silly fast in the jungle and her ult can send her through multiple walls plus she has fast wave clear. I love Taliyah, but something like Udyr simply can't keep up with that. You even made it so that certain champs can now boost themselves with predator. Which really isn't being used by the likes of Hecarim or Rammus that much but rather being abused more by the likes of high burst mages like Veigar or Karthus ults.

Movement speed is all wonky since tier three boots went. You tried to add it to items to compensate but that really just accelerated certain roles while making other roles who didn't build those items more immobile. CC is a bit harder to dodge and every champ practically has it built in their kit now.

Cassiopeia is in a really odd state. You took away her boots which gave her desperately needed magic pen in order to give her six items. She never gets to a sixth item; games don't last that long. So she is a bit crippled by her low MS passive, because she can't buy boots w/ pen and she doesn't become faster till later. Her damage isn't as high. Plus she doesn't have a stacking AP passive anymore with twin bite and she doesn't build most the movement speed AP items. So her MS is odd. Also so many dashes make her just about useless even with the grounded effect.

You keep trying to move; movement speed around. To liven things up and create changes. But really it unbalances the game further and further especially since so many new runes now are built expressly for damage. So the moment someone actually hits another. The levels of damage are insane.

Damage is all over the place.

Press the Attack is a mini Vayne 'w'. True damage is everywhere now. Tanks can't really be tanks.

The new Irelia is completely disgusting especially when compared to other reworks.

Look at all her dashes and stuns, her ult that disarms. I really hate that champion now. She made Fizz and Master Yi become outdated. Her dash blinks and damage reduction. All of it. She is just an enhanced version of them. Now they have to rework Fizz a bit because of it.

But you look at Irelia and then you go back to look at Aatrox or Fiora. Both of which got gutted and it seems unfair.

You even gave Aatrox a dash now, and the dash is so bad that you gave him two of them! Plus the idea that old Fiora's Ult was 'overpowered' and unfun, yet you create Irelia's new ult which is like... 100 times worse. Like new Fiora is crap compared to this Irelia.

Like if you want to make Fiora 'badass'. Just lower the CDR on her parry, then she could just block every other ability and be able to compete. Or make it so that when you block an ability, it lowers the cool down based off of the damage blocked. So the higher the ability damage blocked, the lower cdr the parry would be. If you blocked a weak attack, it might have a longer cool down. Risk vs reward.

But with Aatrox. At least give him three dashes to match his new 'q', that would make more sense with his theme because those dashes are so short and it could be a fun mini-game weaving q'e'q'e'q'e, etc . But I'd rather see his old 'Q' in action and change his current 'e' dash to something else. Aatrox should have to dive into battle, his 'q' should be like a slow train; like Sejuani. Like holy shit, I can't get this champion off of me. Help.

In simple terms, a dash makes it easier to do damage, it closes the gap. Which is why something like Pyke even came into being in this dash-centric meta; a support assassin who is nothing more then dashes and movement speed w/ cc and a high damage/execute. If we lowered the amount of dashes, we could put more MS and power back into champions where they should be and not the items themselves.

The entire idea of adding blast plants was so that some junglers/champions could compete with these dashes. But it really doesn't make the game more skillful; instead it makes it more infuriating.

Turrets are so weak at the moment. A properly place rift herald can take out a turret, an inhibitor, and both nexus towers if the enemy team is aced. There really isn't counter play. I'd give turrets two times the amount of durability and make R. Herald do half as much damage. Hell you could even make two of them spawn. So both teams might have a chance to get one.

Dragons are interesting but due to RNG, not as worthwhile in some games vs others. I'd honestly just take away the element types and give the first dragon taken gives all Tier 1 Dragon type buffs, then the next one gives all tier 2, then all tier 3 after that. Then elder or whatever. So if a team gets all three dragons, they secured a heavy win by having massive buffs in all categories.

But overall it was a massive change to Tier 3 boots that lead to an over-use of dashes and terrain hops. Damage went all over the place with new runes/keystones and they keep trying to balance champions off of what they just 'unbalanced'.

I mean, I'll keep playing LoL. I'm interested to see where it goes and what it will become.

But I can't take you seriously when you nerf Fiora like that and her ult and give something so horrible to Irelia.

I honestly miss the old runes with mixing and maxing and tier 3 boots.

I think Riot should really think about this years progress and what has worked and what hasn't and how they got there.

I'm worried for the old champs.

Akali, Nunu, Shaco, Cassio, Udyr... the list goes on.