The Loading Screen: A Story of Wasted Potential

NoxiousIce·8/9/2014, 5:39:05 AM·112 votes·2,757 views

For a long time now my father (whom I introduced to the game over a year ago) has been complaining to me that the load screen is an area rife with wasted space, and potential. I've been putting off posting this for a long time, but I agree with him entirely.

Back when he was new to the game he had to learn a LOT of champions, and spent the loading screen of every match tabbed out and looking at the wiki to see what the enemy team could do. He did this because if he just read through the entire wiki, he would have to sit down and dedicate a lot of previously free time to the game, and then when he got to the game, there would be no guarantee that he would remember any of it, so doing this during the loading screen was the ideal time. It was time that he had already decided belonged to LoL, and he could immediately go and apply his knowledge solidifying it in a much more permanent way.

But that's just it, he had to go tab out to do this, and while he is one of the fortunate people who have and know how to effectively use two monitors, not everyone can do this, and additionally it seems silly to both him and I that he cant actually acquire this information in game during the loading screen.

We're not asking for anything complicated in terms of visuals, or CPU heavy. The change that we're asking for could be as simple as making the ability blocks - that you see while hovering over champions in champ select - appear during the loading screen while hovering over an ally or enemy.

Not only would this feature seriously improve the loading screen experience, but it would also impact the game experience for newer players. Instead of being raged at for feeding a champion they know nothing about, now they could perhaps have a fighting chance. Bad players will still end up losing, but the burden of knowledge for the game would be a much easier thing to overcome with this ultimately small change.

TL:DR - Loading screen does nothing, make it to where you can hover to see a champions abilities to make life better for newbies.

41 Comments

ArtoriusIV8/9/2014, 7:27:56 AM24 votes

I love this idea, as the knowledge curve for league is massive, this feature would be very nice, even for veteran's after a patch/rework or seeing a uncommon pick(urgot, yorick anyone?)

Ryjax8/9/2014, 4:01:13 PM14 votes

This and add a simple chat bar along an edge and that'd be awesome

Syvenon8/10/2014, 2:57:40 AM3 votes

More than anything I'd just like chat. It would make lane switching way easier to pull off in solo queue.

Quantum Weeb8/9/2014, 7:19:42 PM3 votes

Great idea, although I would like an option to turn it off. While I wouldn't use it, I cans see how handy it would be to new players.

MugyvrNinja8/9/2014, 7:19:29 PM3 votes

This is a great idea +1

GidoMeta8/9/2014, 3:40:24 PM2 votes

Geniussssssss haha

CupcakeTrap8/9/2014, 5:30:06 PM2 votes

Personally, I'd also like to see a graph of physical vs. magic damage. Easily computed from actual match data (physical damage dealt to Champions, magic damage dealt to Champions).

Wullf8/10/2014, 9:51:02 AM2 votes

I would also appreciate chat window on loading screen

exiledFromBadmen8/10/2014, 2:24:39 PM1 votes

Great idea!

FantasySniper8/11/2014, 7:25:31 PM1 votes

The time is nigh for Rito to work on an interactive load screen.

And for them to allow use to exit the client without having to kill our computers.

Demonsolder218/12/2014, 1:20:26 AM1 votes

I'm with everyone riot please implant a chat thingy within the loading screen.

iRetribution8/23/2014, 3:34:04 AM1 votes

Would be awesome, but one of the last few patches (cant remember which) reduced the loadscreen times, and I think what Riot ultimately wants to do is remove the loading screen so people can get straight into the game. Not official, of course, but I would hate to see this put into loading screens and then have loading screens become so fast that the information would hard to grab in the short time span.

SolidPooh10/23/2014, 11:29:23 AM1 votes

Im all for this, add a chat pop up for the lobby and rune select until every player equates to 80% loaded and were in business lol

Teemo Zalium4/29/2015, 6:58:22 AM1 votes

I really love this idea. I think even some of the more veteran players could use this for champs they don't see as much. I have hence they recently added a background the SR load screen. I would just be patient new things are being added all the time and riot does read these types of threads imo contrary to popular belief.

Leaf of the lake4/29/2015, 7:07:19 AM1 votes

I think even more than this, players need to be able to chat with their team during loading screen. They could solidify team strategies during this time, establishing a strong basis of teamwork before the game even begins. This would be far better than possibly talking about team strats during team select, being forced into a several minute long loadscreen, and then expecting to continue that conversation when the game loads. It would also give a lot more time to figure out if a team wants to invade or lane swap or something, rather than trying to get stuff like that done in the 15 seconds before the gates open.

Lord Gallizum4/29/2015, 8:47:32 PM1 votes

I think we may see this someday or at least more features hence they add skin names and a background. I wouldn't rule that riot may add more features some day. We should be patient.

Music Hypes Me8/9/2014, 11:49:07 PM1 votes

I love this Idea! Something simple, when you hover over the champion you can see ability facts or just simple tips! It would help lots of newbies and I believe would also help lots of low elo players too, to understand what they are facing up against.

TysonDragonica8/10/2014, 1:12:08 AM1 votes

I think that the loading screen has a lot of potential for not only giving simple information but also things like allowing a few extra seconds to chose runes and masteries or things like that. I was even thinking about the idea of having a simple chat box in the loading screen to allow more time for team strategy discussion or even small talk between teams. Over all, it's just a lot of wasted potential.

XNasusXDeathyX38/10/2014, 1:54:20 AM1 votes

riot should make a sexy Nasus loading screen. pls roit

Berz3rker4Life8/10/2014, 2:44:12 AM1 votes

I have the same thought, But i wish if you hovered over a character you could read a little lore if you wanted, some tips on how to play or either fight them. Idk Just something new and I would love to see something change with loading screen. In that time I just like to sit on youtube and listen to songs and decide which playlist to listen to. Other than that it's either getting up and walking around or just sitting, and waiting while nothing happens but a number goes up... 1%-100%

F0ND8/10/2014, 4:38:49 AM1 votes

Holy amazing post. I wholeheartedly agree and support this, it's always nice to read a bit about a champion youre facing, and considering I've been trying other MOBAS I know how frustrating it is to have no idea what the enemy team can do.

DeadIsTaken8/10/2014, 7:34:41 AM1 votes

This would be awesome. As someone who is still trying to learn league, it would be a godsend to not have to alt tab during the loading screen because I don't know Nautilus's passive, or

something like that.

Drogeist8/10/2014, 8:34:02 AM1 votes

An awesome idea. I like it, and think at least something could be added to loading screen. I've always wondered about team-only chat to help plan pre-game strategy (like invade and buff warding).

Only potential downside I can think of besides resource demands on low-end machines (they are trying to making loading faster not slower!), would be that it potentially takes focus away from champion splash art which is part of what makes Riot the most money (paid skins).

Regardless, neat idea.