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Between Two Turrets - Come chat with L4T3NCY! [COMPLETED]

RiotA Small Man··5 votes·55,422 views


Welcome to the latest installment of Between Two Turrets, a Q&A series through which we connect you with various Rioters to chat about League, life, and anything in between. You can expect an installment every two weeks or so, with Rioters from all over jumping in to spend some time with you on the Boards.

This week, we've got Featured Game Modes Lead Designer Rowan “L4T3NCY” Parker!

Heya everyone ^_^/

My name's Rowan and I'm the Lead Designer of our Featured Game Modes in League of Legends. I've helped ship all our game modes from the Doom Bots of Doom onwards and also driven various other experimental LoL features (Finishers in URF, Poro Skins in Poro King, Mark/Dash in ARAM, Skin boosts in ARAM, Perfect Ascension icon). If you're interested in more detail of how we design and build featured game modes, I've written a couple of dev blogs in the past.

The Making of Featured Game Modes

The Featured Game Modes of 2014

As for non-Riot stuff, I'm Australian, but have actually lived most of my adult life in Japan, working in games. I usually play a heap of stuff at once in parallel. Right now it's Final Fantasy XIV (PC, Faerie), Secret of Mana (SNES), Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi (PS4) and of course LoL (One For All testing on PBE).

Non-game stuff, I've been training parkour for about 9 years. I got into it back in 2007 in Tokyo and haven't stopped training since. A highlight would have to be when our crew helped facilitate the Red Bull: Art of Motion Yokohama in 2011 (those guys were inspiringly good). o.O. In LA I often go to the Tempest academy for some funtimes or just train down by the beach on weekends.

Feel free to ask me about Japanese games, indie games, or any non-game related stuff (parkour, anime, surprise me). o^.^O

-- L4T3NCY

189 Comments

Vikíng20 votes

How about a game mode where you can pick any champion, but their skills are completely random? It would be fun having an Ashe with a Bard ult, a Draven with Garen's E, or a Darius with a Vladimir W.

WickedJoker912 votes

imagine you walking along with low health, then suddenly you get devoured by a Teemo with Chogath ult

Öi Josuke3 votes

That would be so funny, Imagine if you got a Garen With Caitlyn Ult and he just shot his blade at you xD

DahDuff2 votes

When a champion is using an ability there has to be some kind of animation to support the damage applied. You can only imagine how much work it would take for creating new animations for every combination of skills in the game. I'm talking about years, and we all know that is not possible for a game mode that's supposed to be temporary.If there weren't any animations on the other hand the game would be unplayable - Imagine a darius using fizz's pole trickster, how would you do that in a programming way that allows for counterplay? You wouldn't know he is untargetable to stop attacking.

Flash442 votes

If they save an ability's animation to a file and seperate it from the champion movement during channel/cast/etc. then it might be possible. It could then generate a randomizer to pick one ability out of a pool of abilities per key (Q,W,E,R) Some champs' abilities would have to be disabled (like fizz's e) because it would be too confusing and hard to program. But other ones could be done I think :) L4T3NCY am I correct in stating this?

LimpoNmbr1FeeDer2 votes

Hahahaha that would be awesome!! Albeit full of surprises:). Lol it would be like playing a champ with a hidden ult lol much harder to play against if u don't know who's ultimate they have :). Great idea:)

lightdragoon885 votes

  1. Top 3 favorite game modes and why?

  2. If there was one you could make permanent, what would it be and why?

  3. Favorite JRPG?

  4. Any chance you we can vote on returning game modes or you make a list of what ideas you have for future game modes and we can vote on what we like to play first?

RiotL4T3NCY1 votes

-- **Ascension **- Anti-snowball. Equal XP & gold all game = equal chance to win any fight, any time. Just skill difference. -- Doom Bots - Super fun to make. Even more fun to watch everyone's reaction streams & videos. :D -- **URF **- Higher skill ceiling gives more room for skill gap to dominate.

  1. I don't think any one mode is really fit to be 'permanent'. They're not designed to be permanent from the ground up (that's why we can be so creative and rule breaking with them). Any version of these modes that would be fit for 'permanence' would look little like the original. :/ How quickly we bring them back though, that's a lever we do have control of and are considering.

  2. Secret of Mana (SNES) 聖剣伝説2.

  3. Assuming we could collect global votes from every region, normalise for population difference, etc, I think it would be really difficult to set expectations for any new modes. We could make a similar case for voting on new champions, their style, kit and skill designs, etc, but (much like modes) I think the rapid iterative dev process makes it hard to not get disappointed about things that didn't quite make it. It would also ruin the surprise for any new things, we'd be unable to ever surprise you guys ever again (NURF mode :P).

ArchFiend6661 votes

what about legend of mana :(

Dylightfull5 votes

THE TALE OF RIOT L4T3NCY

Riot L4T3NCY was once a young boy living in Australia who, at the time, simply went by "Latency." He lived the normal Australian life, waking up, eating breakfast, going to school, and fighting off giant man-eating spiders on the way home. Yes, a peaceful life indeed. There was something a tad bit dull about his life, however. Every day it was the same routine- Eat, fend off all of the acid-spitting beetle monsters, sleep, repeat. He tried to pass the time by watching anime and playing on his SNES, but it all seemed a bit boring.

Except for that one time the house was invaded by 50-foot Godzilla-esque birds in the 100 degree heat. That was pretty cool.

And so one day, he moved to Japan and began to work in games. He found Japan a little odd, as in Australia, being chased by a flock of wild, flying, two-headed, heat-seeking alligators was a normal thing that happened on a daily basis, it would only happen during game shows in Japan. In fact, he began to find Japan a bit more dull after a few months as a result of less chaos.

He tried to spruce up his life. He legally changed his name to L4T3NCY. He auditioned for all of the different game shows to get a taste of the excitement he left behind. However, nothing seemed to work. Nothing was ever as chaotic and exciting as what he did before.

Then one day, he got a call from Rito Games. They wanted him to work for them and make featured gamemodes. "This is my chance!" He thought to himself, and started working on his masterpiece.

It was a cold Winter day when he showed up to the office. He opened the demo of his plans, and the rest of the room was shocked. Everything was chaotic and out of order- there was no mana, super-short cooldowns, everyone was fast, and NOTHING could stop a full AP Sona. Everyone erupted with different reactions. The music team cheered, champion development became exited, the art team recoiled in horror, the PR team gasped, the programmers were emotionless as a result of The Great Spaghetting of 2010, and the balance team took notes. After a long time, everyone reached consensus- this new game mode would be official.

And that, kids, is where URFs come from. Now it's time for the next book- "Why am I so Salty all of a Sudden? A Guide to the Awkward Stage of Ranked"

You have no idea how badly I want to see a "Can confirm, am L4T3NCY" reply.

Oh, I guess I'm supposed to ask a question. Hmmm... Have you played Undertale yet?

RiotL4T3NCY4 votes

lol wtf did I just read... :D

RE Undertale: No, not yet. Checking it out now.

Merxamers4 votes

an anime fan?! Ok, i'll bite- what favorite anime of yours do you wish more people knew/talked about? What anime are you watching this season?

RiotL4T3NCY6 votes

**Record of Lodoss War (ロードス島戦記). **

It's pretty old, but if you're into old-school high-fantasy RPGs, DnD, etc, this anime plays out gloriously just like one. Similar to how the original Dragonlance novels were based on an actual DnD game that Weis and Hickman played, this anime was originally a manga based on an actual DnD game the creators played.

This anime is every classic high-school DnD game, realised with gorgeous art and hauntingly good music.

http://www.animeyume.com/record_of_lodoss_war/rlwovagroup.jpg

Deep Terror Nami5 votes

Dragonlance and Record of Lodoss War so good :D http://i.imgur.com/FjNEbWG.jpg

RiotL4T3NCY3 votes

Whoa.. what are those fancy new covers? o.O

You need these. :) Larry Elmore originals.

http://www.kpalexander.com/wp-content/gallery/basement-stuff-2a/img_4121.jpg

Its a Watermelon2 votes

U like oldschool Animes if i am right? what is ur favorite from new animes and old?

I am a Big fan from Berserk ^^

RiotL4T3NCY4 votes

I guess I've just been listing more old ones. :P "New" stuff? It's from 2011 but,

Nichijou (日常)

Never will you laugh so hard. This is the funniest show I think I have ever watched.

https://youtu.be/0zfFEQKFuZw

R2D202 votes

this post, it's like my childhood.

xenoHR1 votes

Great show. I was introduced to this by a fellow army buddy about 8 years ago. Agree on if you like the RPG adv. DnD stuff great show!!!

humphreydump4 votes

how did you get into game designing?

RiotL4T3NCY8 votes

The same way I think anyone gets into it, just loved playing games. <3

I played a HEAP of games like most of my friends during high-school, but I also DM'ed a DnD game for about 5 years at the same time. During that time, the world-building, the story telling and modifying/messing with systems is probably what pushed me beyond just a player and to think, "yeah, I wanna create experiences for people and watch them smile and have fun playing it". I think it's probably common across any creative industry, but it's super satisfying to make something and see people have a passionate reaction to what you've made.

Back when I started though, there were no dedicated 'game design' schools or any real clear pathways for 'how to break into the industry'. I just went to Japan with $3k in savings and YOLO'd it. It worked out, but not a recommended strat. ^_^;

Gregar5432 votes

Hey! I've got a question for you about getting into the industry. Games are my passion, however I'm pursuing a degree in computer science so that when I graduate I will won't be locked down in one area. Will gave development still be a serious option for me?

Flash442 votes

Personally, I want to go into 3D Design and animation. My goal is to work for Riot Games! I am going to take all my available art classes through High School and go into college courses in the same area. Any advice or warnings for me, L4T3NCY?

RiotL4T3NCY2 votes

I'm not an artist, so can't speak directly to how they're hired in the industry. Modelling and painting every single day like you're possessed is probably a good starting point though? :P

Some of my artist friends are really into 'spit paint' or speed painting. They say that the daily 30min 'spit paints' help them build speed and efficiency while still having to paint something orsum using a supplied topic. I guess their thinking goes, "Given enough time, we could always achieve cool stuff, but in the industry the challenge is doing it on a timeline."

You should reach out to as many artists as you can and hear all of their opinions though! :D

RiotL4T3NCY2 votes

Sure, but you should also make some games. Like, right now! :D Go and download Unity or Construct or GameMaker and make something right now. Join a gamejam. Do Global Game Jam every year in Janurary. Do Ludum Dare whenever they pop up. Just make stuff. :)

KingTyrion4 votes

Hi L4t3ncy,

First off great job to yourself and the rest of riot for the leaps an bounds league has made through the years. I have watched it transform and develop into a beautiful, polished well-oiled machine that generates interest and player base by the day. You've made a hard job for other game dev's as I feel I compare my experience of each new game to my league experience and not much measures up. Especially when you factor in how little you "demand from us" monthly fees, time invested daily and mandatory money spent to not fall behind.

My question is has there been any talk of having a selection of these game modes be permanent residents? I know this was addressed probably a year ago when we were told we want to keep game modes fresh and vibrant, and not get stale. I mean, have we come to a point where we feel urf, or doombots etc will be solid enough that we can make it a permanent resident? or maybe with some minor tweaks they could be?

The other bit that I wanted to touch on was something a little out of left field. I'm just curious about the creative side because I've done some simple brainstorming of my own to feel out what might be a great game mode. Has anything come up for you guys where you have considered something with multiple teams? have 3 or 4 teams with more emphasis on competing for neutral objectives.

Thanks so much for your time, and I look forward to the great work you guys will inevitably produce.

w0nky d0nkey3 votes

What's your favorite anime to get people into that aren't into anime? I haven't watched much, just some Trigun and Black Heaven. Where do you watch anime (youtube, netflix, etc.)?

Khada Jhín3 votes

TELL EVERYONE, There should be skins for maps... oh right question. why did the butcher's bridge get removed. will it ever come back and why arnt we able to equip it like a skin, HEY thats a good idea, skins for maps wink wink

RiotL4T3NCY2 votes

Butcher's Bridge was SUPER NICE. o.O I can't believe how detailed they made that map. I like nice things! WE SHOULD HAVE NICE THINGS! >o</

Hellioning2 votes

Why don't you guys always have a featured game mode going?

I don't mean 'WORK FASTER I WANT NEW STUFF' but I would have thought it would have been logical to have either a rotation of game modes so that one is always live, or simply not removing an old game mode until a new one is ready. I totally agree they should be temporary, and I can see them become less popular as time go on, but I honestly keep forgetting the featured game modes team actually exists when we have a long drought of nothing, like recently.

RiotL4T3NCY4 votes

Having a more reliable way to access featured game modes on a faster cadence is something I'm personally pretty interested in.

Sometimes I just want to chill with a One For All game of 5 x Alistar. :) We're definitely not against doing this. Meanwhile, we do our best to make sure you guys never go longer than 2 months or so without a fun game mode to play! o^_^O

Cuchulainn012 votes

Do you know of any badass samurai anime other than samurai champloo?

Darkai2 votes

boku no peepee

Öi Josuke2 votes

How long are the Ranked team skins out? i want that TPA Ezreal

RiotProtoShredanoid2 votes

Secret of Mana = Best action RPG ever?!?

RiotL4T3NCY2 votes

"Secret of Mana = Best action RPG ever"

FTFY

patmax172 votes

I'm both a fan of Nintendo and of RPGs, now you're making me curious. Why do you think SoM is so good? What are its merits and flaws?

EDIT: I own a SNES, so you know... :P

RiotL4T3NCY2 votes

Gameplay: Basically forged the 'action RPG genre'. In an era of 'ATB systems' and turn-based RPGs, here was a game where you mashed buttons to chop things, cast spells and do combos! The game also rewards you for how you choose to engage with it. You like brawling with swords? You'll get stronger at that. You like kiting with a bow or shuriken? You prefer fire magic? Get stronger at that. I rekon Kingdom Hearts probably owes a lot to Secret of Mana.

Music: The music is stunning. There's a reason Square made many piano sheet music books for just the Secret of Mana games. When the intro credits come up, the 2nd name that appears is the composer, Hiroki Kikuta. He's the 2nd name?! In the credits of a JRPG! They gave mad respect and elevation to the music.

Ring Menus: During regular play, there's no UI's, no interface (other than your little health bar). The screen is just full of GAME and you fall into it. When you pop a menu, it's fast, responsive, and right there on your character. No immersion breaking. Probably still the best example execution of ring menus to date for me.

Drop in / drop out co-op: Your friend comes over and wants to play too? Press 1-button, BAM! They're in! Playing with you on the same screen chopping stuff together. Oh, they need to go grab snacks? Press 1-button, the AI takes over again. So simple. So good.

Secret of Mana pioneered a lot of things other games take for granted or have since expanded on. Some games like that age poorly, but over time it has still held up as an epic RPG. <3 Has a solid place in my Top 5 games.

zackfersgaming1 votes

no, chrono trigger

TerraRising1 votes

One of the most annoying things about Ascension was that Yorick, my favorite champ, was instantly banned from the mode because he broke it. (Broke it like a koala breaks a eucalyptus tree after a three-day fast.)

So, my snarky question would be: How much testing do you actually do before releasing a game mode? I kinda fear for the servers if 10 Bards make magical journeys and cross their streams multiple times. It might be... "bad."

RiotL4T3NCY2 votes

I was so sad that Yorick ended up needing to be disabled. :( We spent special effort getting him working (Ascended zombie god edge cases), did extensive testing on him, but even then, a bug got introduced that blind-sided him and we had to switch him off. I can go into more detail, but, tl;dr, no-one got to enjoy the wonder that was Ascended God-Yorick. :(

If we ever bring Ascension back though, Yorick will be there. Shiny and golden. Witness him. >o</

Dylightfull3 votes

We need a Mad Max themed Yorick skin now. Name it "YOU WILL WITNESS YORICK MORI" and make him say "OH, WHAT A LOVELY LANE!" and "SHINY AND UNDEAD!"

ralsei1 votes

1.) Do you have any funny stories when you were in development in a new game mode or game mode feature?

2.) What was you favorite game mode to create :o

3.) Are there any non-league games you're super into right now, or super into in general?

RiotL4T3NCY4 votes

  1. While making Doom Bots we scrapped a Doom Ashe bot, but not before this bug happened. The idea for her Doom Crystal Arrow was that it would 'turn corners' and be homing. Yeah. :) So during one game Doom Ashe fires her arrow at someone, they flash dodge it, and it flies off bottom of screen. Phew.. safe. Then it re-enters from screen-right and nails him, like a cartoon. And then we scrapped Doom Ashe. ^.^;

  2. Doom Bots was pretty fun. See above. :D

  3. I'm playing Final Fantasy 14 atm, but I always come back to something PvP eventually. Samurai Gunn. So good. :)

Deep Terror Nami1 votes

Oh ya L4T3NCY I forgot to ask; Not sure if it is already in here, but...what are your thoughts on having a Featured Game Mode rotation, with one mode available one week a month or the weekend every 2 weeks?

A new mode being available for a long period of time can cause people to get burned out of the game and quit for a while (which is bad for business), but 3-7 days each month seems alright. We could see Doom Bots, One for All, Ascension etc. more often than once a year (or longer or never).

RiotL4T3NCY4 votes

Totally up for it. The exact cadence, rotation, content, etc would need some solving but, I think it would be pretty cool. We could keep the temporal advantage of play modes but increase up-time of availability. ^_^b

NaturesMayhem1 votes

I cant wait till One For All comes out. I want to do a full Teemo team. I can just imagine it like from a war movie, a group of Nidalles on the prowl and all of a sudden one of them hits the first shroom and chaos occurs. Their running in all directions hitting every shroom possible whilst the Teemos just sit there and fires down poisonous darts. Now that I think of it.... I can already see 4 Teemos setting up in top lane in the first bush and the other one takes tower damage on purpose early and the darius comes out and chases Teemo all the way to his turrent and that is when he realizes his mistakable.....

RiotL4T3NCY1 votes

We'll be disabling Teemo & Karthus for One For All, as we did the last few times around. We tried some balance tweaks to make them viable but, the nerfed shell of them that remained was just sad. :( The way their kits synergise with One For All means that any version of them which isn't absolutely broken, is just something that isn't fun to play at all.

EG: The One For All fantasy of Karthus is "Everybody press "R" and we'll ult them at the same time!". This originally insta-wiped the enemy team. So we could nerf it, but then it just does nothing. So now the whole reason we picked Karthus is meaningless. It's feast or famine, and either way, 5 weren't having any fun. :/

NaturesMayhem2 votes

Will Ahri be removed beacuse of the fact that a full team of charms on one enemy is kind of OP. And can I suggest a combo of One for All and URF mode in one gametype?

EvilMerodach2 votes

{quoted}

Will Ahri be removed beacuse of the fact that a full team of charms on one enemy is kind of OP. And can I suggest a combo of One for All and URF mode in one gametype?

Lots of skill stacks could be OP. Fiddlesticks fear/drains, or ulti's, SOOO much damage in a short time. Malphite wombo combos Morgana snares, as if 1 didn't last long enough....

That's kind of the point of the mode..but just remember that the enemy can stack stuff on you too.

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