How many champions is too many? And how will you eventually deal with the ever looming problem?
So with the release of the new champ rapidly approaching it got me thinking, how many champions is too many champions?
The steady stream of champions that riot release every 2-4 months will one day hit its wall. I'm not talking about a design wall (though it may be that) but a practical wall. League is beginner unfriendly enough at the moment but what about 2-3 more years from now with +20 more champions.
Its hard enough for new players to memorize champion's kits, limitations, strengths and weakness with the current champion pool let alone another 20 champions added onto that. Overwhelming to say the least.
There is another practical wall that will need to be addressed as well. That is how many champions are just too many? with the frequency of patched and drastic balance changes that they bring you need to account for the subsequent reactions of those changes for every single champion. Thats one thing riot games has never done well.
Take the latest patch for example:
intended effect: help ap junglers.
actual effect: break nasus gankplank and ezreal being the ones that we know of.
Now imagine this but with 20+ more champions and another 10-15 new items.
You have to account for every instance of use for those new items(and item changes/reworks) on every single champion and the impact that may have on the game. Its something that you have honestly been lacking and allways have been lacking, don't even get me started on the horror that is jungle Vayne on PBE.
What is want (and the community in general) is to know how you are going to handle the future of our much loved game? It must be contently on the minds of rioters as well, what if the bubble pops? How can we prevent that from popping? What i'm talking about is the eventual logistical impracticality of designing more champions and skins(maybe not so much skins). Because lets face it, most players live for the next champion (not saying you all do, i myself am content with the current champion pool) but what happens when we are not content with the champion pool but its just impractical to design anymore. Just one more will turn into another one more and so one
How will you deal with it? Do you have a solution or ideas?
I would much like to hear back from you. Cheers.