Where does Riot stand on the summoner Flash?

Phife·Oct 19, 2013·2 votes·151 views

Im just wondering... because i have heard all of GD's opinions and they are quite repetitive.

I just think its much like barrier whereas its too much of a saftey net to fall back on.

12 Comments

ZielmannOct 19, 20136 votes

Riot quit responding to threads about flash a long time ago (at least just my assumption). Way back when, there was a lot of good discussion about flash, with Riot's participation. They probably just don't have anything new to say about it at this point.

Basically, flash is in a much better place than it used to be. It's been nerfed a number of times now, both in distance it takes you and the cooldown. Oh, and don't forget that it used to break incoming projectiles, too...

It's got a significant enough cooldown at this point that being able to get the flash out of a champion provides a significant advantage in itself. Not every gank needs to get a kill to be a success. Sometimes just getting the flash out of your opponent is good enough. It'll force them to play more passive while it's down, or else be vulnerable to another gank for a few minutes.

All things considered, it really is in a good place. And yes, the game is balanced pretty heavily around the existence of flash at this point. It would be a huge task to re-balance things if flash were removed.

PhifeOct 19, 20131 votes

they nerfed flash because its always had the same problem, but the solution was never 100% valid to start using something to replace flash.

ZielmannOct 19, 20134 votes

I don't think that they have had any intention of expectation that flash would become optional. Simply put: the ability to instantly move yourself from one location to another is far too valuable. The spell would have to have to be absolutely useless in order to take something else over it. At which point the spell might as well not exist. Hence having to massively re-balance the game for the disappearance of flash.

I still feel flash is in a pretty good place right now. But maybe part of that is because I've seen how much it has changed from back in the day, and can appreciate that it's not obscenely OP like it used to be.

Bubble Butt LuluOct 19, 20133 votes

The game is balanced around flash. If you remove it, lots of champs get fucked and champs with built in blinks fall into favor.

PhifeOct 19, 20133 votes

if flash is removed, there should be tweaks and fixes to champion kits w/ and w/o flashes in their kits.

thats just implied.

silverbaconOct 19, 20133 votes

But some champions would have to be significantly changed for that be worked into their kits. Syndra for example. None of her skills allow for mobility. You would have to alter Force of Will or Scatter the Weak, neither of which would be very appealing. Plus it would almost certainly make her OP too if she could cast it every ~10 seconds. Then before long they would nerf her and ruin a champion who's current lack of mobility provides some balance to her high damage output.

PhifeOct 19, 20131 votes

what? they shouldnt change champions that already have no mobility... they should change the ones with leaps / engages...

Ex.) increase CD's and reduce range of the leaps / jumps.

silverbaconOct 19, 20133 votes

Okay. But without Flash, low mobility mages will become assassin food, even with the assassin nerfs. Ganking them is already easy. Removing one of their most depended on escapes would make them too risky.

I don't think increasing the CD or reducing the range would work. Too many champions that have those abilities depend on them as they are in their current state. LeBlanc would become OP should Flash be removed, but nerf her Distortion as a result and she'll be completely broken.

SmokingPuffinOct 19, 20133 votes

The last time I checked, they didn't like Flash being so dominant among summoner spells, but any attempt they can think of to remove flash from that position makes the game worse.

PhifeOct 19, 20131 votes

why would it make it worse?

PhifeOct 19, 20131 votes

anyyyyyyyyyyyone.