Graham McNeill Has been hired as the new senior narrative writer! An amazing writer coming from the amazing world that is Warhammer 40k is just what we needed :D As I think 40k has some of the best lore out there, this is sure to be the turning point for the League's lore.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/03/warhammer-writer-joins-league-of-legends-narrative-team
Vistha Kai42 votesPROOF RIOT ACTUALLY STARTED WORKING ON ANY LORE
ftfy
Eyrgos41 votes[{quoted}](name=Vistha Kai,realm=EUNE,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=P5iN5p04,comment-id=0000,timestamp=2015-06-03T20:33:18.275+0000)
PROOF ALL RIOT HAS DONE IS HIRE SOMEBODY TO START WORKING ON LORE, WHO KNOWS HOW OR WHEN.
ftfy
SpaghettiTime18 votesThey actually hired him as a janitor
l Pyro l16 votesMaybe he can clean up the lore while he's at it
MeesterMoo8 votesAt this point a janitor could write better stuff then the current team.
arc9514 votesdont care until i actually see some lore that isnt garbage <---blunt but the truth :P
ShaftyMegee9 votesThey still have a narrative team?
Edit:what does ftfy mean?
GhostOfShrimpmas4 votesThey still have a narrative team?
Edit:what does ftfy mean?
For Thee, For You
ShaftyMegee3 votesThx!
RasCaelestis10 votesThey have one, though it doesn't put out much content... Only on champion releases, then the character and the rest of the game's story is dropped entirely. There is no actual 'story', just a few random blurbs about characters that can kind of be smashed together into one very loosely-defined world.
Ftfy = Fixed that for you.
BIAKaboose8 votesSo somebody will probably get all ticked about what I'm about to say, but I truly believe everything that I say.
The old school lore junkies don't want "good" lore, we want the old lore. The lore where characters could be factionless and it was fine, back when plot holes were all part of the fun, where it felt like in a strange way everyone had a purpose, even the players had a place in the world. Riot has killed off the old Runeterra and is just using the name because it still sounds good. Hell I'd say we wanted the League Judgments or the Journal of Justice back, but at this point I'd settle for the League simply existing again, Riot has retconned the lore so haphazardly that the map of Runeterra THEY RELEASED to the public is no longer even considered accurate and cannon. Trundle, Udyr, and Gragas were all dragged into the Freljord with their lore retconned just so Riot had an excuse to make nice things for them so they could make money off of new skins and the champs themselves getting publicity. Sivir got the same treatment when she got tied into Shurima for some reason.
It isn't that Riot isn't making "good" lore, it's that Riot has shown blatant disregard for the lore they created and that everyone for the most part enjoyed the hell out of. I used to be able to recite some of the League Judgments word for word from memory, and now I can't even be bothered to read the lore anymore, Riot is more concerned with creating lore than a huge variety of people can halfway relate to instead of making characters unique so that individuals can have strong connections with them. They removed the League of Legends from the lore so that they would no longer have to justify why champions would even bother joining and fighting because it was far easier to just say "Here's a character with half a backstory, go kill people now". Lore and such at this point has just become indiviualized marketing campaigns and I for one hate it with a passion. Don't get me wrong "Seconds" was very cool to watch, but it gave very little information about who Ekko was, he was just some kid with time traveling tech and a weird beating stick fighting somebody many times larger than he was. The child with the goggles in the mural was completely unexplained until people asked Riot employees specifically who the heck it was in the AMA and then the Chronobreak comic came out and it was explained. Having him in the trailer was a marketing strategy, make people wonder about something and they will excite themselves until they have to have it.
Tl;Dr Riot makes "good" lore already, but they make safe lore, money making lore. They've destroyed Runeterra and Valoran as it was and ticked off a lot of long time players simply because they've forgotten how to make bold jokes with the lore, they've tried to remove the hidden darkness behind champions to make the lore safer for younger audiences who might stop to think or dig deeper. Riot is very good at being a business, but they've destroyed the magic of Runeterra, and I don't think it's ever going to be put back together.
Astral Zephyroro3 votesSnip
I totally understand what your saying but from an objective standpoint the lore was a metaphysical trainwreck. The League was there to prevent more damage to runeterra so each faction would send their best heroes/champs to participate for their own reasons? I can get behind it I guess until war still starts breaking out and then you see the league intervene. Was the league the highest/strongest governmental force? Why send someone to the league at all if their best generals are all there thats the perfect time for an assault. Then you have all the random people that showed up without a backing, what purpose would it serve for the league to accept them in?
I agree that the lore definitely needs some sort of central tie in for all the characters or else this is just going to be one giant tarantino sequel with everyone running around killing everyone else for god knows what reasons. Do I want the old lore back? Not really (dont get me wrong I loved how in depth the old lore got in certain instances) but at least this way it doesnt pretend to have some central theme that doesnt fit.
BIAKaboose1 votes[{quoted}](name=Astral Zephyroro,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=P5iN5p04,comment-id=00050000,timestamp=2015-06-04T16:26:48.632+0000)
Snip
I totally understand what your saying but from an objective standpoint the lore was a metaphysical trainwreck. The League was there to prevent more damage to runeterra so each faction would send their best heroes/champs to participate for their own reasons? I can get behind it I guess until war still starts breaking out and then you see the league intervene. Was the league the highest/strongest governmental force? Why send someone to the league at all if their best generals are all there thats the perfect time for an assault. Then you have all the random people that showed up without a backing, what purpose would it serve for the league to accept them in?
I agree that the lore definitely needs some sort of central tie in for all the characters or else this is just going to be one giant tarantino sequel with everyone running around killing everyone else for god knows what reasons. Do I want the old lore back? Not really (dont get me wrong I loved how in depth the old lore got in certain instances) but at least this way it doesnt pretend to have some central theme that doesnt fit.
In the old lore the League was basically a legion of Runeterra's most powerful mages, banding together to stop from completely ravaging the entire planet with magical combat, hence why people actually listened, the League was run by a handful of the most powerful beings on the planet or any of the other planes of existence (Hence Nocturne being their prisoner). They controlled the flow of power so as to not overdo things and cause cataclysmic magical bull-shittery like what happened in the rune wars. As for the free agents they did tend to get explained in their own ways, for example Trundle was working with the League in exchange for research on a cure for his massively amped up disease causing him to literally rot away while still being alive due to his natural regeneration, and while it may not have been initially explained in the in-game lore, it was explained in his Judgement, same story with Vlad, though Gragas basically just enjoyed drinking and fighting for the fun of doing it.
I agree that the old lore was not flawless, in fact it was pretty dang flawed, but that's what made it fun, sure, if you apply real world logic to it why would Fiddlesticks serve as the League's battle executioner when he straight up murdered the summoner that brought him into the world in the Institute of War's basement, and then just decided to live there. Maybe the reason was kind of lame, gladitorial style combat for the sake of political ideas? Eh, sure, why not, it's a game, suspension of disbelief is one of the key things in games involving magic and fantasy creatures. It may not have been perfect, but it was Runeterra, and we loved it all the same. Unfortunately as things are, Runeterra isn't dead, but it's dying, slowly but surely.
Icestar11865 votesThey hired a new senior writer? We might actually see them write more!
Tesla Effect3 votesThey hired a new senior writer? We might actually see them write more!
He may actually be the other senior writer they have been looking for.
Cerbearus1 votesI really hope so. This guy has written 8 codexes and 28 novels so he knows what he is doing.
TheGrandAlliance1 votesI really hope so. This guy has written 8 codexes and 28 novels so he knows what he is doing.
BTW I wanted to add a follow up discussion to my previous wall of text to address an addition point: That is WHY Warhammer is "bad lore" and others, such as "Warcraft" is "good lore". Bad/Good being defined as the ability to have an approximant interest in the lore.
The reason why Warcarft lore is "good" or "epic" as been described is because, without a need to know many complicated details, you feel "a part of the world." IN fact this is the sole reason why MMORPG took off with WoW because it was able to deliver the experience that others could not. When you engage in Warcraft... you "feel" as though are you "a great Horde Warrior or a Noble Citizen of the Alliance": It is a sort of lifestyle.
Furthermore the game's core history lore... basically the invasions by the demonic Burning Legion and its fallen "former god leader" is the foundation for all of this realms lore. Each chapter is another entry into the continuous struggles between the affairs of mortals and that of the Legion who seeks to destroy everything. This lore is so easy to understand... and meaningful and when combined with strong and relatable characters it cannot be defeated.
To this point... League of Legends original lore team; before they were corrupted (blame their Chinese masters) or otherwise defeated it appears, did what Warcraft was able with even less effort. With 3 or so paragraphs (less then what most grade school kids have to do to pass written standardized tests) they were able to bring about an entire understanding of a champion. Reading the few lore on champions such as 
or 
and you feel like you "know their entire life history". They may even be your "fantasy girlfriends" as I expect many of us here are here for this true reason no doubt:)
What I am getting at is that League's lore is masterful: It is far superior to even Warcraft. It can take large amounts of information and translate it into an very understandable and relatable concept. This Grand Lore cannot be overwritten by such "retcon" and nor can someone come in and mettle with it such as this new Warhammer loremaster.
In summary... What LoL has is something that he could only dream of writing. Therefore anything he will do will only serve to bring further darkness to LoL it is so.
Indeed it is so...
Bhargo5 votesThis isn't proof of anything other than Riot hiring someone. There is still no actual lore of any quality to show, so no proof.
Robert Smith3 votesWhy just now though. Does this mean they haven't started or just found it to be more difficult than they thought. Really wish we had like "what lore would look like " example
Old Man Teeto3 votesDude's gonna take a look at the lore and go
"I've seen better fanfic on Reddit then this!"
And smash the Narrative team in the skulls.
The Soulforged1 votesDude's gonna take a look at the lore and go
"I've seen better fanfic on Reddit then this!"
And smash the Narrative team in the skulls.
I hope so.
Wind Whistler1 votesI hope so.
Lol.
James Stone3 votesThink this means we actually have a shot at having Summoners and the Institute back?
I mean, if there's anyone that knows how to write good lore and story is this guy, right? Why not bring back what people are asking for?
Oh, who am I kidding? Well, a man can dream...
Solideus2 votesI'm curious if he'll write novels, lead or work on a production team. Real excited tho'!
Wickedfates2 votesi would love to believe this is proof.... but i mean outside of the community commenting on it, some news reports commenting on it, riot has been silent.... well, unless u know something i dont, an i would love to hear what that is
=^D i want to know who else can hear her now, she's gone so, so silent
GenoXx1 votesHe hasn't even started yet......
TheGrandAlliance1 votesGraham McNeill Has been hired as the new senior narrative writer!
Uhm... tell me 1 game that sold more then 1 billion USD worth of sales that he was involved in.... ....................................
Wind Whistler2 votesUhm... tell me 1 game that sold more then 1 billion USD worth of sales that he was involved in.... ....................................
Uhm..... ,,,,,,,,, .,.,;]['/.,♠┘⌠◙Θ┘▬ ╙ What does money have to do with being a good lore writer?
TheGrandAlliance2 votesUhm..... ,,,,,,,,, .,.,;]['/.,♠┘⌠◙Θ┘▬ ╙ What does money have to do with being a good lore writer?
Because Warhammer is a failed franchise... as playing Warhammer Online myself saying he is the "loremaster" for such a failed game series...
.....
Cerbearus2 votesWarhammer is not a game series... Warhammer fantasy and Warhammer 40k have been around for a loooong time. It is a universe, much like Star Wars is. It started out as a table top game, and now has extensive lore and backstory in the forms of books, games, comics, etc. If you are looking for excellent Warhammer games look no further than the Dawn of War series, and there is an MMO coming out later this year that looks promising.
TheGrandAlliance1 votesWarhammer is not a game series... Warhammer fantasy and Warhammer 40k have been around for a loooong time. It is a universe, much like Star Wars is. It started out as a table top game, and now has extensive lore and backstory in the forms of books, games, comics, etc. If you are looking for excellent Warhammer games look no further than the Dawn of War series, and there is an MMO coming out later this year that looks promising.
Yes I am aware Warhammer started before video games existed however this is my point: It is, and always has, been relegated to a tiny "nerd" population if you will. It has never in its history received wide spread adoption, understanding, recognition, or otherwise by gamers or even people who care about fantasy realms (RPG). Whereas its chief rival "Dungeon and Dragons" is recognized by a significant population; Everquest for its eventual MMORPG translation, and finally Warcraft which dominates everything even today have all been observed, Warhammer is something many people don't even know about, nor of course know any details thereof.
Indeed it is so... It has lore: Lots of lore. It, however, isn't very good... many themes are taken almost right out from other preexisting fantasy concepts (such as the map from Lord of the Rings/Tolken) and otherwise. The lore has never been recognized by any significant population as "outstanding" or otherwise "standing the test of time". Now I know people like yourself perhaps will defend it with your dying breath but my point was this dude that RIOT hired has never worked on anything that has "made significant impact in the lives of western civilization" (or I used $$$ as representative in my OP).
Is this a bad thing? Can something be good but not accepted by many? Perhaps... However given I am aware of what Warhammer is a battle between various factions; Chaos (undead), Humans, Orcs, Elves, and Dwarves, and the nature thereof: Warhammer lore is "just not as good as Warcraft" for example. Nor does it have the complex personal or individual nature of Elder Scrolls. Whereas both of these realms can have their existence summarized (history) easily... Warhammer standing over ages cannot. Thus I wonder in a game of Legends that requires major work on its individual (champion) lore and it's world lore as well that this new RIOT hire is even up to the task at hand.
In summary... although I do not know enough about the personal nature of this lore writer in order to be able to make a final assessment on the matter: Alas if League of Legends had its Lore "retecon'ed" to make way for a new "Warhammer Reality"... well dark days are upon us no doubt...
Xulsigae2 votesHave you seen the book sales of Warhammer 40K? More people read the books and play the video games than play the table top game. It's not quite the 'tiny nerdy' population. Where do you base that on?
TheGrandAlliance1 votesHave you seen the book sales of Warhammer 40K? More people read the books and play the video games than play the table top game. It's not quite the 'tiny nerdy' population. Where do you base that on?
The relative sale or commercial success of the products... Warhammer vs Dungeons Warhammer Online/Games vs Warcraft, Books vs other books (Warcraft series for one). The people who read there are indeed the limited population... and a subset thereof.
Precise numbers are hard to come by but if I can find them I will update this post. The general idea is that "many casual players" such as complete nongammers probably hear of things such as DoD, WoW and things like Pokémon and Super Mario... but never heard of Warhammer.
**UPDATE: We can compare a few of these because they are publicly traded companies: ** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_Workshop http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard_Entertainment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot_Games
Although not everything each company does is purely related to this discussion... it is clear that the sales of Warcraft products alone vastly outweigh Warhammer. And in my OP I mentioned how he has yet to work on a "billion dollar franchise" which asset wise and perhaps even revenue wise is accurate.
Also worth noting... LoL's revenue according to numbers here is at least 2x that of Warhammer (approx. 663million USD vs 123.5 pounds)... and of course with far less lore and content. The "dollars per capita of content" for LoL is very massive... and is quite high given its a F2P game.
67450548_DEL1 votes[deleted]
TheGrandAlliance2 votesI've barely heard of Warhammer myself, but until I see it with my own two eyes, I reserve judgement.
This logic I am using is not unlike the idea that the New Star Trek (and probably soon to be Star Wars) was "ruined" by the director. The same can be applied in this case.
Furthermore if we believe the old lore was fine... a change to it would be bad. Furthermore the removal of summoners... and even the League itself cannot be justified as "good" in any consideration thereof.
Wind Whistler1 votesUhm... tell me 1 game that sold more then 1 billion USD worth of sales that he was involved in.... ....................................
League Of Legends.
TheGrandAlliance1 votesLeague Of Legends.
Uhm... tell me 1 game that sold more then 1 billion USD worth of sales that he was involved in....
English is a skill... Key Word: WAS
Tesla Effect1 votesUhm... tell me 1 game that sold more then 1 billion USD worth of sales that he was involved in.... ....................................
League is free to play you know.
EDIT: I guess you dont know, lol.
TheGrandAlliance3 votes[{quoted}](name=Tesla Effect,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=P5iN5p04,comment-id=00110002,timestamp=2015-06-10T01:54:29.213+0000)
League is free to play you know.
EDIT: I guess you dont know, lol.
Simply because it is "free" doesn't make it free.... something called "Riot Points". And they make tons of $$$ off of people who buy them...
Cerbearus2 votes40k isn't just a video game series, it's a whole universe masterfully crafted over the years with deep rich lore. This guy specifically has worked on 8 different codexes and written 28 novels. If this guy can't fix Riot's lore team, idk what can.
Rabid Husky1 voteswarhammer like lol has a team of writers just one isnt gonna mean a Renaissance of lore it may mean well get revisions to lore beyond 3 sentences or lore that isnt describing a thing that happened 
lore is cool n all but it says nothing beyond he made 
crap himself cuz was mean if i wasnt here for 
release i wouldnt know 
imprisoned 
and 
volunteered to gaurd him then went insane or how 
was became a snake after being curse poisoned after betraying 
hell i had to have my friends point me in the right directions to find this and wasnt even out yet on top of that i wouldnt know was related to and if i didnt read the old lore i wouldnt know that was sister can we get actual back storys and maybe clear relationship charts or something maybe even updated jokes or taunts like 
could say to as a joke ah my love th-...wait why are you on the enemy side?! or could say as a taunt i told you our marriage was just political didnt i? rito plz!
Kouga1 votesYeah, but they also paid Morgan Freeman to star in "The Big Bounce", which was terrible. And if you've never heard of The Big Bounce, a movie with Morgan Freeman in it that is the problem. Just because you have the tools doesn't mean you know how to use them.
The Soulforged1 votesWhat if he was hired a while ago and Jaredan is actually the real Graham McNeill D:
Xano5011 votes[deleted]
TheGrandAlliance1 votesGood lore can be with
x
She don't want to be human anymore because she fall love with him.
I question this logic actually... because he is an animal type as well.
