The Importance of New Game Modes and Events for Players
Hey there all, I've been pumping out some ideas and I'm taking advantage of the fact that not many players use this medium of communication yet. So I can post something constructive that won't be pushed to the bottom immediately like in other instances. So sorry if it seems like I'm spamming but I feel this is a good topic.
ARAM. Why did it become popular? In many games I have played, the game itself is can be stressful. Maybe you feel you aren't so great. Maybe you feel that there's no way you will ever be recognized for your abilities. And maybe you're so frustrated you just can't see yourself getting any better. Everybody else thinks you suck and the toxic guy in the last game really gave it to you. Enter a trolly game mode. No expectations to win because WTF you can't choose your champ? Now it's just silly and we can all have random fun. :) None of the other stuff really matters anymore.
Of course that's not the case in 100% of situations but I believe it is the main reason we saw a rise in popularity with ARAM. I say this because in previous games I've played I've done similar things.
For example in this game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z5b05hgRjA
Small community, not as competitive, but a lot of toxicity.
Over the year the game was around, I held events such as this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdxgKPGPNYk
What I saw was that players who never got along began to have fun together. The machismo that everybody was trying so hard to flex went away and people let go to enjoy themselves. That's what a game is about, right? So I held multiple events over the course of the year and it forced the community to familiarize with its people. People understood what my events were about. I uploaded them online so we could watch them when we wanted to be nostalgic (they were like home videos). It connected and united the player-base in a short amount of time and set a standard for the community of how to act.
So what am I trying to say with all of this? That we should invest in newer game modes that aren't so much about serious competition but about hilarious, zany fun. The One for All matches are a good sign that Riot is already invested in this. But I wanted to reiterate its importance so everybody understood the possible rationale behind it. We have a big community and, while impressive, it is also a major weakness because we have a harder time developing a relationship with the community. You don't have time to get to know every player. You may never see the next guy you play with in-game. There are not many chance run-ins.
Events
It isn't just the game modes themselves but the events that are organized. If you host an event, you have the power to decide how the atmosphere goes and what the expectations are. In that way, you are in control of the environment. So you can remove toxic elements and also provide players an experience where they don't need to always be number 1.
Suggestions for Riot:
-
Hire people to think of some cool events where players can receive prizes every week.
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Create innovative new game-modes that aren't just of the MOBA type. My favorite idea is a Mario Party themed mode where you engage in various mini-games in a random fashion. Example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12mjeEr5RQA
Hungry Hungry Blitzcrank anybody? :)
- Keep in mind that there should be more than just competition in mind. I know we want League of Legends to be a serious sport but even the most serious sports have some variation to them that isn't so much about winning but just about having fun.
Currently I'm working on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsfJxOTd5dM
This project is based on the ideas I've been presenting in this post. So far I've had positive response with the group I've been working with and hope to expand this a little further to newer players. :) It definitely has made my league experience more interactive and I'm slowly creating a small sub-community of my own.
