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Disappointed by Senna's voice interactions with Lucian

SpyroTF·10/24/2019, 9:07:06 PM·17 votes·13,062 views

I don't want to seem like I'm bashing on Riot's writers, because they often do a stellar job when it comes to writing amazing lines and interactions (my favorites being Swain, Yorick, Rakan & Xayah, and, most recently, Pantheon). Yet the writing for Senna felt very lacking to me, especially the way she interacts with Lucian.

I get the idea behind their interactions: they both feel super akwkard after being apart for so long, and don't really know what to say to each other, just because they both changed so much and have a lot of doubts on their mind. That really makes sense, and I fully support the idea.

However, I don't think that "awkward" should mean "literally all of their interactions are (somewhat cringy) jokes". Don't get me wrong - funny banter is a very natural and important part of a romantic relationship which makes it more lively, human and realistic. But there should be other things besides just banter. I expected Senna and Lucian to be more mature in their interactions, but instead they sound like a pair of corny teenagers aka Rakan & Xayah 2.0, which I really disliked. It felt baffling hearing them just joking as if ever nothing happened. Once again, I am NOT against joking - them being all dark and brooding about everything would've been just as bad. But I expected at least a 50/50 split of jokes/more serious interactions. Those are two deeply traumatized people, and that fact should still be visible even behind their awkward attempts to break the ice.

I wrote a couple of additional interactions between Lucian and Senna to better illustrate my point. I don't claim to be a good writer myself, but I just wanted to give an example of lines I would've expected to hear from them. For instance, I had an idea that Senna can barely feel the physical world anymore, like losing the ability to sense smells, temperature, taste, etc; and Lucian would describe these for her. It would show how she's not really alive and not really dead, and give us a reason why Lucian feels conflicted about her, while also being an insight into Senna's current state.

"Your hands are... cold." "I feel warm. That's what matters."

"When we find this monster, I--" "Lucian. We don't have to think about him anymore. We can think about us." "...Right. Sorry."

"Senna? Is... is everything alright?" "Oh? O-oh. Sorry. Was I staring?" "Um... kind of, yeah." "I just... I almost forgot what you looked like. I want to make sure I didn't."

"What does it smell like?" "What?" "The air here." "Uh... well... you know. Dirt, dust, salt... and the delightful hint of rot." "(chuckle) Thanks."

9 Comments

mrmeddyman10/24/2019, 10:04:03 PM10 votes

I disagree. They're not not EVEN CLOSE to the level of obnoxious in Xayah and Rakans' VO.

CaptainAntiHeroz10/24/2019, 9:39:10 PM10 votes

I think it makes sense that they're cringy

Imagine if someone you cared about dies and then comes back magically years later and is now half dead

Plus i think its pretty cool that they updated Lucian too

Tsingani10/25/2019, 12:27:55 AM8 votes

While I agree with OP that the lines are missing something, I don't necessarily think they're cringy. Lucian and Senna can't really be compared to Xayah and Rakan because the way they interact with their S/O is completely different.

Lucian thought Senna was dead for what, six years? And now she's suddenly alive again. Not to mention that Senna definitely takes her duty seriously while her marriage and partnership to Lucian is almost an afterthought.

Rakan and Xayah have never really been separated for more than a day and do almost everything together. They work and exist basically as one unit with each other's safety overriding whatever freedom escapade they're on.

With that being said, I do think that OP's additions to Senna and Lucian would be a good bit of diversity from their current lines.

GenoXx10/24/2019, 9:58:11 PM3 votes

I'm not sure i can trust Riot to make a competent story line again at this point. They seem to somehow in someway make it less interesting with each update.

Clint Orris10/25/2019, 12:31:02 AM3 votes

Wait isn’t Lucian only like 25?! We’re not that mature 😂😂

Wayward Fish10/25/2019, 5:13:58 AM3 votes

Xayah and Rakan are puppy love, whereas Lucian and Senna display a more seasoned and adult relationship to me. Something weathered, tested and true. They don't have to be constantly talking to or about each other to know that the other one cares for them very much. I actually love how subtle their lines together are and how they reflect where they are in this stage of their life. Confident in the other but also a hint of awkward or longing because of the time apart/circumstance. But still knowing that that didn't break 'them'.

I really like the writing here. But maybe that's because I've been married for some ten years or more and its refreshing to see an iteration of love that isn't utter infatuation.

RacoonHunter10/25/2019, 6:30:07 AM1 votes

To be fair, she has been inside of a lantern for a while.. interacting with people can be difficult coming back from such a horrific place. I really hope that the voiceover released was an earlier tone because some of her inflections are WAY off. For instance, the joke about yummi, while funny, just doesn't pace well when said. there's a couple of other lines in there that seem.. off from a listener when you compare them to other voices throughout the game.