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What's with the lackluster animation changes in recent Legendaries?

Sexy Jack Rabbit·8/30/2019, 5:07:31 AM·7 votes·7,223 views

This is a trend that has become so notorious over the past 4 releases it's becoming slightly obscene.

Whilst we've had this slightly in the past, like NB Yasuo re-using a Q animation, newer Legendaries just don't feel like they're trying to separate themselves from the original at all. Some prime examples being;

Pyke re-using his AA and base walk animations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnyG1wTsDqg

Xayah having no remade spell animations AT ALL. She has a few Altered AA animation, but as far as her basic abilties go they're all the exact same. Her Ultimates wind-up is slightly altered but the follow-up is the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUYcsskgY_o

Now whilst ADC's have been explained in the past as not being altered as much on purpose, Rakan has a similar problem in his basic spell QWE spell as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71b1bltIaY0

These skins are advertised as having NEW animations rigs. When the reality is they are only ALTERED rigs, and yet we're still paying the same price.

This is all wrapped up in one big final bow when you look back at Legendary skins presented in the same theme from 2 years ago; Star Guardian Ahri As a Legendary skin with an entirely remade rig and animations galore.

I'm not opposed to Riot presenting us with more content that is less in depth. After all they have new champions coming every few months that will require skins and their own content. But if they're going to cut quality I'd hope they'd begin charging us less for it.

10 Comments

Jacksin8/30/2019, 5:49:09 AM5 votes

In my opinion, I don't mind legendaries re-using some basic animations like auto attacks / walking. Personally, I thought this when they released Odyssey Kayn, as his walking animation was kinda weird and they were trying too hard to be different. I thought the skin would have been better if they just recycled the walking animation.

4 Step Cadence8/30/2019, 8:17:43 AM3 votes

Attacks are one of the few animations that depend on who the champion is. Some can change drastically while others remain(almost) the same. Its pretty much a matter of...

A.) Does this animation still make the ability clear?
B.) Does the animation need to be improved upon?
C.) Does the animation need to be changed to match the skin's theme?

Xayah, Rakan, and Pyke already have really good, clear attack animations that don't need much changing, and for the themes of the skins, they didn't really require heavy change.

And, I'm going to do what I hate when other people do it, and compare them to Dark Cosmic Jhin.

Jhin's attack animations didn't change much either, with the only real drastic changes being his AA and ult.

Instead of throwing his Q, he launches it from the black hole on his shoulder.
Instead of making it look like he's blowing us a kiss when he casts his E, he simply underhand tosses it out and onto the ground.
The only real change I notice to his W is the fact that his cane magically appears, then disappears after he casts it.
For his AA, he's not holding Whisper, it floats, and it spins and twirls when it fires.
His stance in his ult is the same, but instead of fully assembling Whisper, he unleashes his full Dark Star form as a four-armed monstrosity and then proceeds to throw entire nebulae at you instead of mere stars.

Does that lack of unique attack animations mean the skins aren't worth the price? No, as they still have many of other things that fit the price, like Xayah, Rakan, Jhin, Ezreal, and Zed's(does he have one?) form changes(I don't think Pyke has one), the other changed animations(joke, taunt, dance, laugh, recall, walk, homeguard, idle, ect), the new VO, the new visual effects, ect.

Basically, new attack animations aren't the end of the world and shouldn't diminish the price of the skin if they aren't there, because there's only so many ways you can change a champion's attacks to still make them clear, and some animations don't have to be changed, either because there's nothing to improve upon or because it would just be unnecessary for the skin to have them changed.

ModAcademy Kayn8/31/2019, 6:49:29 AM3 votes

Riot has stated that Legendaries for newer champions/newer VGU'd Champions will have less animation changes specifically because they've already a large amount of up to date animations, and don't really need new ones to help play up the theme they're being fitted into, unlike older champions. It's like revamping a car from 2000 and a car from 2018.

Zoli Ben8/31/2019, 3:35:11 PM2 votes

Exactly, and this year besides Zed , the oldest champ in legendary camp was Jhin . Ezreal Pyke are 2018 releases for example.

Infernape8/30/2019, 5:10:12 AM2 votes

Riot getting lazy. There's no excuse for it imo.

Even Odyssey Kayn had his walk cycles and spell animations changed.

Camille Ferrøs8/30/2019, 2:07:58 PM2 votes

Saving rEsOuRcES.

Kahl Drogo988/30/2019, 8:24:41 AM1 votes

hey at least you aren't a cho main that has gentleman that has no unique effects, only altered voice lines and his model is just his base with a suit and some british things (pipe, glass of wine, and monocle)