Over 4 years and still don't own all champions

TheLaughingHyena·Oct 16, 2019·1 votes·939 views

I don't know how after well over 2000 hours on this game I still haven't earned enough points to get all the champions. I'm not even sure if I ever will. I avoid ranking my mastery up any just so I can buy them. How can Riot justify having their players work for so long just to get the basic package for the game? Not even cosmetics, just the champions. It seems like a massive oversight to me at least.

Beyond that I've recently been leveling up another account and I'm realizing more and more how terrible the new player experience is. I can't even figure out what got me into this game in the first place with the rate at which you earn champions. It's no wonder less and less new players are joining this game. I'm actually kinda impressed at how terrible the new player experience is compared to how many people actually play this game. I understand this game isn't for everyone, but you make it so much less likable than it could be.

I think if Riot takes a few seconds to think about how absurd the system they have been implementing is and do something to make this game not take a large chunk of a persons life or wallet just to unlock the champions it would go a long way to getting newer people playing, make leveling new accounts more exciting and let those of us that have been playing for years finally finish off our rosters. Not to mention that I could finally start saving for Urfwick, although I gave up on that dream long ago...

12 Comments

JamareeOct 16, 20191 votes

Because it's a free to play game and they need to make money, because you won't even play half the champions in the game, you will likely play 15 to 20 tops. Yes, the grind is there on purpose, they want you to spend money because once again, free to play game.

TheLaughingHyenaOct 16, 20191 votes

I've got thousands of hours in the game and have spent hundreds on events and cosmetics. I'm pretty sure if I spent this money on any other video game I would have everything unlocked at this point. I also do play all champions (that I can), and I assume most people that have over a thousand hours in the game do as well.

I don't think your arguments hold any weight. I can't imagine having a system that makes it so difficult to earn champions is good at all for business considering how many cosmetics you will not be able to purchase because you don't have the champion for them, and how many people will drop the game due to not being able to play champions they think might be interesting without waiting for them to go on free rotation. I think I could go even further to suggest that the champions should all be unlocked to begin with.

JamareeOct 16, 20191 votes

{quoted}

I've got thousands of hours in the game and spend hundreds on events and cosmetics. I'm pretty sure if I spent this money on any other video game I would have everything unlocked at this point. I also do play all champions (that I can), and I assume most people that have over a thousand hours in the game do as well.

You don't play a lot of free to play games do you? Free to play games all work on one of these axis to make money. Also, like I said, you only REALLY play around 10 to 15, no one plays every champion.

You have your games like League that allow you the opportunity to get quite literally every piece of the content in the game for free, HOWEVER, the grind will be so long and hard in hopes that you pay to get them, look at Warframe for another example.

You have your gacha games that generally are free to play and give you a shit ton of shit at the start hoping to draw you in but put exclusive, rare, or powerful drops behind low chance loot drops enticing you with their power and/or spectacle and/or limited time to get and make you spend generally not even allowing you to spend the free currency to get it.

You have your free to play games that cut off major parts of its content until you pay up, like your Runescapes.

Then you have the free to play games that put in blatant pay to win options, generally without giving any option (usually) to get it without spending to get it, basically any Korean MMO fits this bill.

Pick your poison.

I don't think your arguments hold any weight. I can't imagine having a system that makes it so difficult to earn champions is good at all for business considering how many cosmetics you will not be able to purchase because you don't have the champion for them, and how many people will drop the game due to not being able to play champions they think might be interesting without waiting for them to go on free rotation. I think I could go even further to suggest that the champions should all be unlocked to begin with.

There are post talking about how a decent chunk of their revenue comes from champion sales, so again, doubtful.

TheLaughingHyenaOct 16, 20191 votes

You don't play a lot of free to play games do you? Free to play games all work on one of these axis to make money.

DOTA would like to have a word.

Also, like I said, you only REALLY play around 10 to 15, no one plays every champion.

I actually do play all champions. I don't know why that's a hard thing to accept. I enjoy learning the mechanics of every champion in the game. If you are talking about frequency, then sure some champions I play more than others, but why would I not play them all?

There are post talking about how a decent chunk of their revenue comes from champion sales, so again, doubtful.

I would ask for a link but I'm not sure it would matter either way. It's not really going to tell much in contrast to a hypothesized model.

IMO people will tend to spend more on a game they enjoy. Making a game more enjoyable by reducing the cost of champions I think could be a very reliable way to achieve that. Not to mention that the cost of champions hasn't ever dropped in my time playing. Adding more champions without decreasing the cost increases the overall cost.

AeroWaffleOct 16, 20191 votes

{quoted}

Not to mention that the cost of champions hasn't ever dropped in my time playing.

If you've been playing for four years this is very false.

https://leagueoflegends.fandom.com/wiki/Price_reduction_history

TheLaughingHyenaOct 16, 20191 votes

thanks for correcting me

JamareeOct 16, 20191 votes

{quoted}

DOTA would like to have a word.

Them too, can you get every one of their cosmetics for free?

I actually do play all champions. I don't know why that's a hard thing to accept. I enjoy learning the mechanics of every champion in the game. If you are talking about frequency, then sure some champions I play more than others, but why would I not play them all?

ARAM doesn't count.

Not to mention that the cost of champions hasn't ever dropped in my time playing. Adding more champions without decreasing the cost increases the overall cost.

That statement...is just outright false?

TheLaughingHyenaOct 16, 20191 votes

Them too, can you get every one of their cosmetics for free?

No, that's how they make money. And that's absolutely fine.

ARAM doesn't count.

Why not?

That statement...is just outright false?

you are right about that

JamareeOct 16, 20191 votes

{quoted}

No, that's how they make money. And that's absolutely fine.

Also, the reason they can do that is because they are owned by Steam.

Why not?

Because you are forced to play every champion, there is a reason why people have accounts were they only buy champions they specifically want to play.

AeroWaffleOct 16, 20191 votes

I don't think I have over 2000 hours and I have every champion. I doubt I have even 1000 hours. I only vaguely remember buying the old champion bundle early and maybe one more champion with real money.

For a time, you could buy random champion shards for 1700 IP. You could use three champion shards to get a random champion. That means 5100 IP to get a 6300 IP champion if all you had to unlock were 6300 champions. I made sure to use up all my IP to start unlocking everything that wasn't 6300 when this popped up. Then it was nothing but shards while it lasted.

Riot refunded all my IP spent on runes when they switched to the BE system, many of which I bought at a discount when they were on sale. I'm still riding on the boost that gave. As of now I'm only ~300 BE short for the next champion once they lower to 6300. The boost has finally run out.

If you had been playing for years these opportunities were available to you as well.

New players are given some free champions and tons of extra BE at the early levels. Will it allow them to unlock half the roster? No. But it's still a pretty hefty boost.

TheLaughingHyenaOct 16, 20191 votes

I don't think relying on niche mechanics to fill a roster is a legitimate refutation to the difficulty in getting the champions.

AeroWaffleOct 16, 20191 votes

{quoted}

I don't think relying on niche mechanics to fill a roster is a legitimate refutation to the difficulty in getting the champions.

It's not difficult to get any champion. It's only difficult to get all the champions. If you're not willing to take advantage of time saving opportunities, then guess what, you don't save time.

As a new player, this would mean picking the free champions that are worth the most. Saving any champion shard for champions not owned and using BE to get the discount through it instead of junking it for the pure BE.