@ Riot: Olympics & New Lore

I just wanted to suggest something interesting. So I bring something up. I feel it's a good idea for the game world, removing the Institute of War because it allows conflict to happen without having the world dominated by a organization of uber mages that can intervene (as in Kalamanda with a time bomb nexus dropped on clashing armies) dictate how conflict happens. HOWEVER -It doesn't feel right not having Summoners Rift or the the things that happen there be relevant or exist in the game world. I feel the IoW and the current direction of lore are two extremes on opposite ends of a spectrum, and I what I suggest below is the middle ground.

I. Look at the REAL world.

Conflict an war happens all the time.

That doesnt mean that nations cant compete against each other even in times of (relative) peace. We see this in the Olympic Games. And politics gets mixed up in the games too. Just one example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Summer_Olympics

In far more recent times you've had issues of:

• Unholy buttloads of money spent on hosting the games in X city? It could mean wasting lots of money that should be spent on public issues, though it can make lots of money as well
• Thuggish government forces like Chengguan (China) and B.O.P.E. (Brazil) clearing out poor neighborhoods, ghettos, and favelas

http://gizmodo.com/make-way-for-the-olympics-the-paramilitary-clearance-o-1443885960 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batalh%C3%A3o_de_Opera%C3%A7%C3%B5es_Policiais_Especiais

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Urban_Administrative_and_Law_Enforcement_Bureau#Criticism http://www.chinasmack.com/tag/chengguan

• Demolishment of peoples homes http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/06/05/us-olympics-beijing-housing-idUSPEK12263220070605

Conflict doesn't just happen between nations and factions.

It happens within them.

If the battles of summoners rift represented some kind of organized, international competition in the game world, the location and events there would be relevant without removing "real war" from the gameworld. It also lets you explore all kinds of other issues. You can also sell map skins that represent equivalent Fields of Justice (or whatever you want to call them in different parts of the world).

Furthermore, approaching lore this way lets you take care everyones "Why did you join the league?" MOST characters will probably want to represent their nation, Garen being a good example. Noxus would want to do the same, and perhaps see the games as a way of "testing" the strengths of their greatest warriors against those of other nations. While some individuals like Draven...may just want to be superstars. But it lets you take care of other things too.

II. Factions & Groups

A. The Void

Cultists like Malzahar and his associates could travel to the fabled ruins of Icanthia, establish a base their and use summoning magic to bring creatures like Vel'Koz, Kog'maw, and Cho'Gath into the game world. Ocassionally you might have leaks in reality that allows such entities in like Kha'zix. These cultists seek to establish themselves as a political power, and of course...that means participating in world events.

B. Criminals, Outcasts, & Exiles

The likes of Twisted Fate, Graves, Jinx, Shaco, Yasuo, Riven, Mundo, and Singed.

There's a fair amount of characters with Criminal pasts. Some like Vi have legitimately "redeemed" themselves, but there are others that are still shady. Supposing that these legendary criminals and outlaws were apprehended....wouldnt suppose that some of them might want to shorten their sentences? Or....more interesting, that SOME nations would seek them to better their chances of winning the games? This could also create some dissent within nations as well -DO YOU want criminal scum representing your nation? Then there are others -mad scientists notably who have committed crimes against humanity. Singed had his own equivalent of the Wrath Gate event (Ghostcrawler and WoW fans will understand) which killed Noxians and Ionians, and Mundo has had numerous charges of kidnapping and murder in Zaun "in the name of science" leveled against him but none of them have ever stuck. What if....their respective nations see them as too useful and to valuable to let go? And what if these scientists see the games as a means of showing their discoveries to the WORLD? Some characters like Yasuo and Riven are disillusioned, and can switch alliances to escape from the past.

C. Edge Cases

You still have a few like Nocturne, and Fiddlesticks. If they MUST be allocated to an existing power, the Shadow Isles seems the most likely to accommodate them.

All this aside, I want to talk about something else too.

III. Friendships & Relationships

Now with summoning magics presented as they were in the past iteration of league lore there was no problem teleporting people from around the world.

But.....that means they only interact on the Field of Justice and might have hundreds, or even thousands of miles between each other, they dont have much time to sit, have a beer, share thoughts.

Well.

What does the olympics have?

An olympic village.

If you remove the extreme long distance, instant transportation element of magic it means characters have to travel to compete, and that means they need somewhere to stay. This lets characters from different nations have "down time" with each other, where perhaps they talk, or they train.

And you know what the olympic village ALWAYS runs out of?

Every. Single. Year?

Condoms.

There. I said it. AND it's true. http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/story/_/id/8133052/athletes-spill-details-dirty-secrets-olympic-village-espn-magazine

They keep adding more, but they can never keep people supplied.

So with this lore direction, you could friend/ship any characters you want together, giving more freedom.

Maybe that Garen x Katarina thing Riot introduced in the past can actually have a future in the lore?