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I just had a thought about the Lore team

Linna Excel··4 votes·569 views

I was reading this thread and while I was reading it, something occurred to me. Is it just me or is Riot's lore team sometimes acts kind of like a bad comic book writer that Linkara sometimes complains about. I mean they don't get what makes some of the champs they work on interesting, screw them up for a bunch of people (mainly their fans), and then retcon the whole thing whenever it is convenient for whatever new idea they need to pigeonhole the champ to later on.

I mean they can be pretty good when they are creating a new champ from scratch, but when they have to deal with an existing champ, they are just as likely to screw the champ up and do things that leave some of the fans scratching their heads or gnashing their teeth as they are to do something the fans like. I mean when the OP in that thread started calling Leona Linda because this feels like a totally different person, I can't help but think of Linkara referring to ASBAR's Batman as Crazy Steve because frank miller screwed the character up that much. So when someone makes me think of riot's lore team as frank miller at his worst, I've got to say something.

Old Leona: "I'm a protector of the innocent" New Leona: "I AM the GD Leona! HUMANITY is for P------S and WEAKLINGS!"

So, if you guys in the lore team are reading, can you stop messing up champs and retconning everything? I really can't take you all seriously anymore because GD Leona. Poppy used to be a determined, gritty underdog, now she's too moe. Even the League got retconned out of existence. I'm sure other people can list how you guys kind of didn't get their favorite champs right as well.

9 Comments

Ralanr4 votes

Poppy is still determined, she doesn't have as much confidence since in her eyes she is constantly failing at her intended task.

And at least now she doesn't have a stick up her ass. We already have enough gritty serious champions in Demacia.

Warlord Dienekes2 votes

Just as we already have enough happy go lucky and a little out there yordles.

Personally I preferred old!Poppy. At least her entire personality didn't revolve around one tired joke (we get it you don't know you're the obvious champion, would you shut up about it?)

But I know others prefer the new version. Probably not those who were drawn to the old champion but Riot is a business so if more people like the new to the old then they've made a beneficial business decision. Even if it annoys me.

Ralanr2 votes

I mean, if you just look on the surface, then sure she revolves around one joke. But her quotes also showcase that her rather odd view towards other Yordles and that she would prefer to avoid violence if possible in confrontation.

Old Poppy didn't really have much character to me. If anything, she was a rather violent emissary for Demacia.

Warlord Dienekes1 votes

You are right to call me out that there was more to her than 1 joke. I however find that joke so tired and just not funny that it colors my perception of her. And that joke is a very major portion of her character. The other thing is, I'm really not a fan of characters that the writers seem to be trying so hard to appear cute or adorable. As such old!Poppy was one of the few yorldes I actually liked.

However, Old!Poppy I find did somehow fit a lot of personality into her what? 30 seconds of dialogue? However, a lot of that was because she played off the expectations of a yordle. Old!Poppy was a true outsider to her people, was one of the few who were somewhat practical, she also had a bit of duality to her. She was the ambassador, but she spoke with a barely contained anger. Even the mere fact that she doesn't know any jokes and seems somewhat ashamed of that informs us of her character. Even her title "The Iron Ambassador" brought about perceptions of her character, and drew comparisons with Otto von Bismarck of all people.

And then we get to her actual story role. She's a diplomat. How many diplomats do we have in LoL? One? Ok. There are amazing stories you can tell about diplomats, maneuvering through the political world in a foreign nation, having your allegiances tested, figuring out what is best for your people or yourself. There is so much to do there, diplomats have been the people that have saved us from wars and caused a few throughout recorded history. There's the murder of her father. There's how she reacts to having to leave Bandle City. There is so much there to work with.

But we instead got another wandering hero archetype. Of which LoL already had plenty. Yes, new!Poppy does it a bit differently than Braum, Fizz, Olaf, and the others, but when we already have so many characters in one narrative space and only one in another, it just seems strange to me to remove the unique one and replace her with a character that is put in the already filled role.

Which isn't to say I begrudge new!Poppy existing. Actually, that people like her is fine. While she doesn't interest me, I can see why people like her, and would have had no problem if they introduced a champion with her personality and story. I just don't like that we had to lose the Iron Ambassador to get her.

Ralanr1 votes

I don't think Braum and Olaf are wanderings, at least not with the war going on.

I do apologize for how you feel about what Riot did to Poppy.

Warlord Dienekes1 votes

Last we checked up on Olaf he was all the way in Bilgewater, evidently completely ignoring any war and looking for something to kill him.

Braum's wandering is a bit more localized in Freljord, but every story we've gotten about him so far is he just sort of moves around and saves people because he's that awesome. Even if he does hold allegiance to Ashe.

Also no need to apologize, it isn't your fault.

Or is it?

Ralanr1 votes

Fair point.

Talos of Altmora1 votes

Yeah I have to agree, I was even thinking about comic book retcons while reading and writing that post. I was also hoping to get a red on my post (because I feel that the lore team should take a look at how people react to their decisions and there is a lot of interesting discussion going on) I wish you luck in getting an answer.

PapaGreg211 votes

There is hardly any lore for the old champs that I am fine with them actually trying to create something new. Something is better than nothing, even if it is disliked.

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