The basic concept is using %gold on hand (unspent gold) as a variable (dmg, time, cooldown, etc.) in a new champion's kit. There would need to be a %gold upto a maximum amount, because late game unspent gold can get extreme.
The champion concepts involving the accumulation of gold without spending it could be interesting as well, such as a thief, CEO, merchant, banker, dragon, leprechaun, diplomat, vault keeper, Scrooge McDuck, etc..
Testlolla2 votesLike it. It will affect the game less if use it as a damage source, yet balancing will be a problem. Use it as types of mana maybe better, but he needs easy ways to gain money. By the way if there is a champion like that I suggest his name to be Trump.
FloRaider421 votesUse it as types of mana maybe better, but he needs easy ways to gain money
Wouldn't that be even less unbalanced? He just doesn't cast spells for a bit and suddenly he is fullbuild?
Starshard1 votesWould depend. If parts of the kit use gold like mana, it would need to be appropriate for the ability. Imagine a sustained AOE like Anivia's that costs gold instead. It might take a while to recover from that.
FloRaider421 votesThe AOE would need to be quite powerful to compensate for that, unless the champion has easy access to gold. If the champion has easy access to gold it waits until fullbuild and then burns up all leftover cash.
Testlolla1 votesWait if you keep getting killed because you want to save your money? That puts you behind. And there can be lots of ways for you to get money, not just but time, their way to get money can attack the champion with the ability that spends money, so it's like gambling, you lose money or you gain alot.
Oleandervine2 votesThis wouldn't work for the game, because it'd really only be relevant late game, considering that any time before then, you need gold to buy items or you will die. It would also genuinely suck for the player to have good stats if he's gotten an assist, only to have to dump those stats and bonuses when they have to go back to buy stuff. Novel idea, but can't really execute very well in a game that relies on you to make purchases to do well.
FloRaider421 votesWhat about making it like Gangplanks silver serpents and have it accumulate with normal gold?
That way it's easier to balance (ratio of silver serpents gained compared to gold), stats don't get lost for buying items and you could still allow for the champion to play around with gold by exchanging those silver serpents with real gold (would have an exchange ratio).
Oleandervine1 votesThat's a little more possible. Though, the champ would need hella low ratios on all their scalings not related to gold, because if they're allowed an excess of gold, items would have to be worth a lot less to them in terms of how well they can utilize them.
Starshard2 votesHow about a champion kit that rewards staying in lane with the unspent gold? I think it could be balanced to force the strategic decision of staying out and receiving the benefits versus recalling to spend it on items. These could be abilities or passives that receive some sort of boost based on unspent gold. For example, maybe there's a boost to a stat, stats, a passive, or an ability starts to function one level higher than normal, whatever. Those types boosts wouldn't be a direct %gold variable and would instead have a gold requirement to become available. BF sword gives 40 AD and costs 1400, but what if the champ got a 40 AD boost for having 1400 unspent gold instead?
A completely different way it could work would be activated abilities that consume gold as part of the cost, just how other activated abilities can use mana, health, or any other resource pool. But if parts of the kit use gold like mana, it would need to be appropriate for the ability.
Bârd2 votesLook up "The Gambler".
He was a hero in the original Dota who scaled with gold.
There's a reason that concept doesn't come up again.
Starshard1 votesI guess I don't see the concept in my OP working in the same ways as implemented in Maverick. Also, that's DotA and I think MOBAs have come long way in the care that is given to balance champion kits.