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Alternative Lore Consistent Game Mode Idea

SilverRain007·10/21/2013, 9:23:56 PM·6 votes·231 views

http://forums.na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3857007

Originally posted here but it was suggested that I put it in the Community Beta area as well and I wasn't sure where to put it so this seemed like a good place for it.

So I've been giving this some thought and I honestly don't know where else to put it (so if it belongs somewhere else please let me know). But I think a game mode that was Lore Consistent could be really interesting and be lots of fun. Also if it were officially adopted stats could be kept about different factions and how they're doing and that could easily be translated into future lore (just an idea).

Okay so here goes.

This mode can be played on any of the current maps (SR / TT / HA / Dom)

You start by queing for a specific faction (Demacia / Noxus / Piltover / Zaun / Shadow Isles / Ashe's Freljord faction / Sejuani's faction / Lissandra's Faction / Bandle City / Ionia etc. you get the idea)

Once you get into the game champion select is then limited to the champions that belong to the faction you choose. Where it gets interesting though since we remove the pick / ban phase, is we implement a "subsititon" phase. In this substition phase your team can take two champs from another pool (given that its lore consistent and i'll get into some examples of this a little more below) and substitute them into your allowable champion pool.

So lets say you're Demacia. You have a number of champs to choose from but your team doesn't really like the idea of having Quinn at AD for instance. Well in your substituion phase you might choose to add a different AD to your allowable pool (and there are no duplicate champs in this mode). So your team decides to pick up Caitlyn from Piltover. That's one of your two allowable subsitions. Now here's the thing, you don't HAVE to use your substition (Clarification: You pick your sub you don't have to run them in the game, i suppose you would also have the option to not use substitutions like you don't have to use bans but this isn't initially what I meant). This adds a mindgame element. If you're Noxus and you've got Urgot at AD, you have to now consider both the quinn and cait matchups and decide if you're going to sub someone in yourself. This also can act as a ban in that once a champ is substituted it makes sure that the other team can't get it. The other thing to note, is that since both sides know who their opposing faction is in the game, and know the allowable subs, it functions like blind mode and you do not get to see which side picked which of their champs until load screen, this i believe increases the 'mind game' element of the substitution phase. (Both teams still get to see which champs they decided to substitute like you would get to see which champs were banned but not which champs they actually end up choosing, hence you can't assume that just because they sub someone that they're using the champ)

Well at this point we need a number of rules on substiution to make sure its Lore Consistent. Here are some of the ideas for rules I've been thinking about in my head.

Each champion group has an identified opposite faction. YOU MAY NOT SUBSTITUTE A CHAMPION FROM YOUR OPPOSING FACTION. So lets say its Demacia versus Ionia. Demacia can NOT substitute a Noxus champ. PERIOD.

Then there would be champion specific rules based on their lore. For instance, Kayle and Morgana could NOT be on the same team. Once one is substituted the other can NOT be substituted by the same team. One idea I'm throwing around is that in situations like this the team AUTOMATICALLY gets the option to pick the opposing champ. Kayle / Morgana, Lucian / Thresh, Viktor / Jayce and the like.

Lucian would not be substitutable on the Shadow Isles team. Likewise if he is substituted ONTO a team no other shadow isles champ can then be substituted. Likewise if a shadow isles champ is substituted first then Lucian couldn't be substituted for your team but would be immediately available to the other team.

Individual rules might come into conflict and would need resolution or might become automatically available.

For instance if you're team shadow isles, maybe the other team automatically gets Lucian as a free substitute or something since he's hunting thresh ALL THE TIME.

Obviously some teams on the surface would be stronger and have deeper champion pools but I think that's what the substitution rule is so critical. It gives teams more flexibility while striving for a lore consistent mode.

I've had some different rules that I've thought through but I wanted to at least put the IDEA out there and see what people thought. Anyway good luck and have fun!

NEW! Individual Sub Rules for Champs & Base Faction Affiliation if Applicable.

Champion List and Associated Faction (If Applicable) w / special substitution rules attached (also if applicable). If no specific sub rule exists, subject to standard substitution rules. If SUB RULE states 'automatically available' it should be assumed to mean that the champion is available to the team OPPOSITE the team that made the original substitution that puts the rule in place.

Some champions you'll notice have rivalries within their own faction. For instance Miss Fortune and Gangplank. If you're playing Bilgewater they can be played together. If their faction is not in play, then default to their substitution rules.

Also, for now, I'm counting all Mt. Targon champions as unaffiliated

Aatrox - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: If Aatrox is substituted, Tryndamere automatically becomes available.

Ahri - Ionia

Akali - Ionia / SUB RULE: All three ninjas of balance (Shen / Kennen / Akali) can be substituted by any faction which has a losing record in a given week even against home faction.

Alistar - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Can always be drafted AGAINST Noxus.

Amumu - Bandle City

Anivia - Freljord (Ashe) / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Freljord (Lissandra) and Freljord (Sejuani) and becomes available substitution if either Lissandra or Sejuani are substituted.

Annie - Unaffiliated

Ashe - Freljord (Ashe) / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Freljord (Lissandra) and Freljord (Sejuani) and becomes available substitution if either Lissandra or Sejuani are substituted.

Blitzcrank - Zaun

Brand - Unaffiliated / Controlled by League

Caitlyn - Piltover / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Jinx is substituted by other team.

Cassiopeia - Noxus

Cho'Gath - Void

Corki - Bandle City & Piltover / SUB RULE: If Bandle City vs. Piltover - Unselectable

Darius - Noxus / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Cassiopeia or Katarina are substituted by another team

Diana - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Autmatically available if Leona is substituted

Dr. Mundo - Zaun & Noxus

Draven - Noxus / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Darius is substituted

Elise - Shadow Isles

Evelynn - Shadow Isles

Ezreal - Piltover

Fiddlesticks - Unaffiliated

Fiora - Demacia

Fizz - Bilgewater

Galio - Demacia

Gangplank - Bilgewater / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Miss Fortune substituted

Garen - Demaica / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Katarina substituted

Gragas - Freljord (Ashe)

Graves - Bilgewater / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Twisted Fate substituted

Hecarim - Shadow Isles

Heimerdinger - Bandle City & Piltover / SUB RULE: If Bandle City vs. Piltover Heimerdinger is unavailable.

Irelia - Ionia / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Noxus

Janna - Piltover (Unofficial) / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Zaun

Jarvan IV - ******bag junglers not allowe... ugh... fine... Demacia / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Swain is substituted

Jax - Ionia (Personally I think unaffiliated but that's what it says...)

Jayce - Piltover / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Viktor is substituted

Jinx - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Piltover or if Caitlyn or Vi are substituted

Karma - Ionia / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Noxus

Karthus - Shadow Isles

Kassadin - Void

Katarina - Noxus / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Garen or Swain is substituted

Kayle - Demacia (That's what it says... I'm thinking of going unaffiliated here with her being shared across 'good' factions) / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Morgana is substituted

Kennen - Ionia & Bandle City / SUB RULE: If Ionia vs Bandle City available to team with worse record. All three ninjas of balance (Shen / Kennen / Akali) can be substituted by any faction which has a losing record in a given week, even against home faction.

Kha'Zix - Void / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Rengar is substituted

Kog'Maw - Void

LeBlanc - Noxus

Lee Sin - Ionia

Leona - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Diana is substituted

Lissandra - Freljord (Lissandra) / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Ashe or Sejuani are substituted

Lucian - Demacia / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Shadow Isles and automatically available if Thresh is substituted

Lulu - Bandle City

Lux - Demacia

Malphite - Unaffiliated

Malzahar - Void

Maokai - Shadow Isles

Master Yi - Ionia / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Noxus and automatically available if Singed is substituted

Miss Fortune - Bilgewater / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Gangplank is substituted

Mordekaiser - Shadow Isles

Morgana - Noxus (again I'm thinking of making this independent) / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Kayle is substituted

Nami - Unaffiliated (Thinking of making this bilgewater for balance purposes)

Nasus - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Renekton is subsituted

Nautilius - Bilgewater

Nidalee - Unaffiliated

Nocturne - Unaffiliated

Nunu - Freljord (Ashe)

Olaf - Feljord (Sejuani)

Orianna - Piltover

Pantheon - Unaffiliated

Poppy - Bandle City & Demacia / SUB RULE: If Bandle City vs Demacia, Poppy is unselectable

Quinn - Demacia / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Talon is substituted

Rammus - Unaffiliated

Renekton - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Nasus is substituted

Rengar - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Kha'Zix is substituted.

Riven - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Noxus / Automatically available if Singed is substituted.

Rumble - Bandle City / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Piltover

Ryze - Unaffiliated

Sejuani - Freljord (Sejuani) / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Ashe or Lissandra are substituted

Shaco - Unaffiliated

Shen - Ionia / SUB RULE: All three ninjas of balance (Shen / Kennen / Akali) can be substituted by any faction which has a losing record in a given week even against home faction.

Shyvana - Demaica

Singed - Zaun

Sion - Noxus

Sivir - Unaffiliated / SUB RULE: Automatically available against Noxus

Skarner - Unaffiliated

Sona - Demacia & Ionia / SUB RULE: If Demacia vs. Ionia Sona is unselectable

Soraka - Ionia / SUB RULE: If Warwick is substituted, Soraka is automatically available

Swain - Noxus / SUB RULE: If Katarina or Cassiopiea are substituted, Swain becomes available

Syndra - Ionia / SUB RULE: If Syndra is substituted, Karma becomes available to other team.

Talon - Noxus / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Quinn is substituted

Taric - Outrageous... TRULY OUTRAGEOUS (Demacia)

Teemo - Bandle City

Thresh - Shadow Isles / SUB RULE: If Lucian is substituted, Thresh automatically becomes available.

Tristana - Bandle City

Trundle - Freljord (Lissandra)

Tryndamere - Freljord (Ashe) / SUB RULE: If Aatrox is substituted, Tryndamere is automatically available.

Twisted Fate - Bilgewater / SUB RULE: If Graves is substituted, TF automatically becomes available.

Twitch - Zaun

Udyr - Freljord (Sejuani) & Ionia / SUB RULE: If Sejuani vs. Ionia, Udyr can not be seledcted. If Lissandra is subsituted, Udyr automatically becomes available.

Urgot - Noxus & Zaun / SUB RULE: IF Noxus vs. Zaun, Urgot is unselectable.

Varus - Ionia

Vayne - Demacia

Veigar - Bandle City & Noxus / SUB RULE: If Bandle City vs. Noxus, Veigar is unselectable.

Vi - Piltover / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Jinx is substituted

Viktor - Zaun / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Jayce is substituted

Vladimir - Noxus

Volibear - Freljord (Sejauni)

Warwick - Zaun / SUB RULE: Automatically available if Soraka is substituted

Wukong - Ionia

Xerath - Unaffiliated

Xin Zhao - Demacia & Ionia / SUB RULE: If Demacia vs. Ionia Xin Zhao is unselectable

Yorick - Shadow Isles

Zac - Zaun

Zed - Ionia / SUB RULE: If any of the ninjas of balance (Shen / Akali / Kennen) are substituted, Zed automatically becomes available

Ziggs - Bandle City

Zilean - Piltover

Zyra - Unaffiliated

That's what I've got right now. I will review this and see if I'm going to add some of the rivals that are suggested in the champion profiles but not explicity stated in their text. Like Zilean and Volibear it says they're rivals but doesn't actually say anything about their interaction in the text so I haven't put that as a sub rule.

FEEDBACK ALWAYS APPRECIATED.

7 Comments

SilverRain00710/22/2013, 2:23:21 PM2 votes

Well remember, that the substitution phase in many ways doubles as a ban phase. When you pick your faction you're limited to that faction's pool and then you only get two substitutions which can be used either as your own picks or if you're really scared of someone for denial purposes. In our limited playtesting we've seen the substitution phase be used in very interesting ways.

One thing that we do notice though is that some factions are larger than others. I'm thinking about balancing the number of substitutions by faction size but I'm not sure what the formula is yet if I'm going to try it.

SilverRain00710/23/2013, 9:46:43 PM1 votes

Always looking for more feedback or willing playtesters.

Dgreentheawesome10/22/2013, 2:04:26 AM1 votes

All I have to say, is I would play this. I think bans are still necessary. Certain factions would become overflowing with players, because of perceived "OP" champions, and their opponents would be unable to ban, say, Kassadin or Jinx.

SilverRain00710/24/2013, 9:45:15 PM1 votes

There's been some questions so I want to state a type of design theory here that explains what my goals and thought processes are for this.

Substituions are designed to accomplish a couple things from a design standpoint.

1.) Offer an alternative methodology to champion select beyond 'pick / ban'.

2.) Introduce a new way to think about team composition

3.) Give an incentive to play lesser played champions

4.) Create new team strategies around imperfect team compositions (I.E. not strictly meta-maximizing because of champion limitations)

5.) Explore new boundaries and strategies in different maps that may translate into the larger meta but possibly would not be discovered otherwise without incentives to explore said boundaries.

6.) To strive for lore consistency as a vehicle by which 6to deliver 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.

7.) (Eventually) Give Riot a new game mode to capitalize on to create additional value and open up new business model opportunities.

SilverRain00710/26/2013, 9:50:09 PM1 votes

Looking for more feedback please, bump.

SilverRain00710/28/2013, 8:03:57 PM1 votes

Updated to include Maokai on Shadow Isles since he's from TT and that's in Shadow Isles.

SilverRain00710/24/2013, 9:11:53 PM1 votes

Updated sub rule for Riven to be seletable by opposing team if Singed is picked as a substitute. If you want to make a case that should be vice versa go ahead, but reading Singed lore I don't think he cares about what Riven thinks of him, he just wants to perfect his craft, Riven was the one horrified by Singed's success.