Does this bother anyone else?

RaptorKarr·Nov 30, 2015·3 votes·785 views

While playing a match as Riven a thought came into my mind, she took part in a war with Ionia that was 20 years ago, but she looks like she's in her mid twenties, by all accounts Riven should be what forty or fifty years old? Why the hell does she look like she look so young then? I have three explanations for this.

The ageing process for people on Runeterra is REALLY slow.
Riven was actually part of a battle over one of Ionia's smaller islands and not the war twenty years ago.
I'm going to keep to myself because that would make for an AWESOME fanfiction. In all seriousness though why is this?

21 Comments

MarbelaraNov 30, 20153 votes

In Noxus, any citizen may rise to power regardless of race, gender, or social standing - strength is all that matters.

It was with committed faith in this ideal that Riven strove to greatness. She showed early potential as a soldier, forcing herself to master the weight of a long sword when she was barely its height. She was ruthless and efficient as a warrior, but her true strength lay in her conviction. She entered battles without any trace of doubt in her mind: no ethical pause, no fear of death.

Riven became a leader amongst her peers, poster child of the Noxian spirit. So exceptional was her passion that the High Command recognized her with a black stone rune sword forged and enchanted with Noxian sorcery. The weapon was heavier than a kite shield and nearly as broad - perfectly suited to her tastes.

Soon after, she was deployed to Ionia as part of the Noxian invasion.

Is this helpful? It basically states Riven was so exceptional, she was send into battle as a child, as per Noxian tradition of 'If you're strong enough, you can'.

Think Annie with a giant sword. It's nice to remember her parents were from Noxus, as well.

Lithium RosaNov 30, 20152 votes

I think this explains

RebonackNov 30, 20151 votes

{quoted}

Is this helpful? It basically states was so exceptional, she was send into battle as a child, as per Noxian tradition of 'If you're strong enough, you can'.

Think with a giant sword. It's nice to remember her parents were from Noxus, as well.

Even with this, Riven should probably still be in her early thirties at the very least.

I just chalk it up to people looking young in video games.

League of OriDec 1, 20151 votes

{quoted}

Is this helpful? It basically states was so exceptional, she was send into battle as a child, as per Noxian tradition of 'If you're strong enough, you can'.

Think with a giant sword. It's nice to remember her parents were from Noxus, as well.

^ this plus Riven likely takes great care of her skin, thanks to having access to special facial creams exclusive to Ionia.

SharjoNov 30, 20152 votes

Well given the fact that the IoW's gone, the actual nature of the Ionia invasion is kinda up in the air, ESPECIALLY when it comes to dates. I'd assume that if it's still twenty years ago then Riven joined the war effort late in to the invasion when she was practically a teenager, but even then there's still over a decade of time to fill there.

I assume some things are gonna change about how the war played out when the time comes to visit Ionia in a lore centered event, which I'd imagine is sorta high on the list considering that Ionia has many glaring question marks and is one of the big undefined locales in Runeterra right now. We know so little about Ionia's actual culture and history right now that it's hard to make assumptions.

My own personal assumption has always been that they were just gonna redo the invasion and use Ao Shin as the crux for it to happen and resolve as we'd expect; Ionia repels the invasion after being occupied for many years.

RaptorKarrNov 30, 20151 votes

If Ao Shin is going to be the crux then were going to be waiting a long time, he's said to be released in 2016, which granted is 1 month away but we don't know WHEN in 2016.

SharjoNov 30, 20152 votes

Well it's also been said that the engine literally can't handle animations necessary for Ao Shin to work anyway, so even 2016 is debatable. I'd like to imagine that he can appear in the lore long before he's ever released as a champion, if they get his theme nailed down, but who knows really.

RaptorKarrNov 30, 20151 votes

I heard they really don't know what to do with him, they have Ideas but they're just not sure what would work best for him.

Wind WhistlerDec 2, 20151 votes

{quoted}

I heard they really don't know what to do with him, they have Ideas but they're just not sure what would work best for him.

How could the people who have been working on him be dumb enough for this crap? They need to have better people working on him. I'd LOVE it if the people who worked on Tahm Kench worked on him.

GreenLoreNov 30, 20151 votes

Overall in the case of Ao shin I guess that the question is more when and not if. I doubt they'll scrap the concept of a chinese dragon completely,but it may take some more years until they get him right.

I mean they once cancelled a water elemental champ because they couldn't create any good water particles,but now we have Nami in the game(and Zac who is also a liquid champ even if he isn't made of water)

However one should be aware that it is useless to always ask about him.....

DreamspitterDec 1, 20152 votes

{quoted}

Well it's also been said that the engine literally can't handle animations necessary for Ao Shin to work anyway, so even 2016 is debatable. I'd like to imagine that he can appear in the lore long before he's ever released as a champion, if they get his theme nailed down, but who knows really.

What if..........what if there WERE no model to animate, and they made his body nothing but particles?

Wind WhistlerDec 2, 20151 votes

{quoted}

Well it's also been said that the engine literally can't handle animations necessary for Ao Shin to work anyway, so even 2016 is debatable. I'd like to imagine that he can appear in the lore long before he's ever released as a champion, if they get his theme nailed down, but who knows really.

Personally, I think that's bullshit. Look at how slender and wiggly Illaoi's tentacles are.

SharjoDec 2, 20152 votes

Different animation needs; making a wiggly Tentacle work in game isn't the same as making a flying serpentine creature work in game.

Wind WhistlerDec 2, 20151 votes

{quoted}

Different animation needs; making a wiggly Tentacle work in game isn't the same as making a flying serpentine creature work in game.

Don't exactly understand. Do you know WHAT it is in particular that they can't animate? I thought it was wiggling like Vel'Koz or something.

SharjoDec 2, 20151 votes

It's not that it can't be animated specifically, but that the tech within the game itself isn't there to support the animations. We saw it when Vel'Koz was initially released; his tentacles went a bit wild with auto attacks because the tech that supported his animations in game was a bit skewed. You don't just stick visual effects, models and animations in to games and expect it to work; you have to make sure all the things mesh together properly and support each other. This is especially true for a champion like Ao Shin who would need extensive animation work across the board regardless, due to how much real-estate his body will take up.

Essentially, the tech's there to make it, but not support it in game.

RalanrNov 30, 20151 votes

I'm betting February.

Wind WhistlerDec 2, 20151 votes

{quoted}

My own personal assumption has always been that they were just gonna redo the invasion and use Ao Shin as the crux for it to happen and resolve as we'd expect; Ionia repels the invasion after being occupied for many years.

Ao Shin wouldn't cause the invasion. It's stated that he comes to AID Ionia in its greatest time of need.

sealustNov 30, 20152 votes

For all of her experience Riven should be middle-aged. Honestly, I would chalk it up to the whole baby-faced bullshit a lot of games pull, even if they did make her look her age the community would be up in arms about how 'ugly' she would be. :/

RaptorKarrNov 30, 20151 votes

Maybe but the way I interpret Riven's lore is that she was so badass she was able to lead troops at a young age which one of the reasons I think she was made the poster child for Noxian Spirit, because she was doing things that most take decades to do.

LankPantsNov 30, 20151 votes

My assumption would be that fighting and resistance continued long after the original invasion twenty years ago. Since the retcon it makes sense that fighting would have had to continue for Ionia to regain its independence anyway, since they have no League to fight in.

To me it seems likely that Irelia, Riven and Yi would have fought only in the later parts of the war where Ionia began to turn the tides on Noxus.

Lithium RosaNov 30, 20151 votes

i don't think it's twenty years ago tho. Where is this stated?