Are you being threatened, Narrative Team?

TheUnendingVoid··31 votes·1,684 views

Because it just seems like your only job nowadays is to plan for these 'events' that are honestly more focused on cool art and gameplay than actual lore. As Darrish Jewfist recently mentioned in a discussion; there has been a dramatic turn from long-term cognitive engagement to short-term emotional engagement. So what happened?

Did a big ol' company executive come to the Lore department one day and say, "You know, our audience just cannot physically read anything longer than two sentences. In fact, you all can pretty much just stop writing altogether."

"But sir, isn't writing information about backstory exactly the definition and job of the 'Lore' department."

"No, no more writing or you are fired."

C'mon Rito. Why is the best lore that's come out recently (Azir /Kalista /Ekko short stories) only available in the depths of the Story and Art boards? Why is there no backstory to the universe in which these characters exist? Correct me if I'm wrong, but at this point the Lore Department is actually the "Character Introduction and Gameplay Event Department". If I'm right, then can you at least admit it? There's nothing wrong with cool character intros to grab attention and make money, but at least be transparent about it. It's not fair to your community to continually give false hope.

10 Comments

Jasiwel4 votes

I'm curious what would happen if there became a bi-weekly League Manga or Comic. Nothing ridiculous or super polished like we saw for Ekko's, but something to expand on Lore. I know the JoJ was discontinued due to Riot ultimately not liking its narrative process, but I do think SOMETHING needs to be done to expand on the League universe because right now it feels a lot more shallow than it used to.

That's not without saying that what has been produced so far since the Lore rework isn't grand. I've enjoyed all of the new stuff for the new champions greatly; new champion content is well-done. The problem is that there is still nothing to fill the gaps between old lore and new lore. What IS Demacia now? What IS Noxus now? We've been told they're more-or-less the same, but that holds no weight when the rest of Runeterra is almost completely different.

OuttaControl561 votes

Heck, it wouldn't have to be that complicated, right? Just have Katarina kill some poor hapless soldier, maybe have Xin Zhao sparring against some random Demacian grunt. Have Teemo and Ziggs try and invent some new Mushroom of Mass Mutilation. Even that sort of short-comic of 5 panels would be a great morsel of canon and characterization.

I feel like its low-hanging fruit, and it can be said that fan-comics like Tales of Valoran already fulfill that role.... Although Tales of Valoran kinda treats the IoW as canon @_@

I dunno though, there may be complications we may not be aware of.

Jasiwel2 votes

Whatever it does, it lets us know that Runeterra still has daily events happening. The fact that the Institution of War is no longer thing makes everything ridiculously confusing and there is no organization/direction for imagination. What the hell is a summoner? What is the point of Summoner's Rift? Why the hell is Garen fighting Darius in said location instead of a battle somewhere else? The old lore answered these basic questions and Riot's new direction has not remotely touched it yet.

Legacy of Xion3 votes

Because lore and gameplay are divorced.

Anything that happens on Summoners Rift is not canon.

You're not playing Super Smash Bros MOBA:Runeterra Edition.

DwarvenGiant3 votes

Well, the short lore entries that have been appearing in the client, replacing the old, longer stories, are supposed to be the in-client lore, or more of summary(?) that would be linked to the actual, longer bios, either somewhere on the site or a in a bigger lore tab in the client maybe? These are, I assume, the said 'tech issues' that Riot have been working on for a while now. I mean, if these are supposed to be just a summary sort of thing, and if it's supposed to be bundled with longer lore entries, why are Riot releasing them now? It's like doing only half of the job, really.

NorthernDruid4 votes

The tech issues do not excuse the lack of a basic briefing on the vital core setting details they claimed they were gonna replace for their new non-League related setting however.

They never got further with that than saying "everything's still the same except everything!"

NorthernDruid1 votes

It would be better for all parts if they could just admit that they're no longer doing lore, but rather doing random character expos and related setting exploration. And then could point the way to Factions for the people who want a story actually connected to the game they're playing in any way shape or form.

Factions is way overdue for a Community spotlight.

Fried Noob1 votes

Can these threads wait until the end of the month, by which point Riot will have delivered in their promise of the actual lore and not the short summaries everyone is getting their panties in a twist over, or they will drop the ball again and you can continue to butch about it.

Dextix LT1 votes

Well we have waited for 10 months already....

Nuff said.

CithriaC1 votes

Wait, azir has a lore? I thought he was just a man wanting to bring back Shurima

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