A thought about lore updates - What people want.

** TL;DR: Fans who are into the lore, want ways in how a character's story can be developed, not into how it can be replaced. Especially when you consider the contrast between the reception of Bilgewater's update and Varus' lore updates. Unfortunately, Yordles could be given similar treatment to what Varus has recieved.**

I've been pondering a lot lately on how such mixed reactions we get from the the lore updates as of late, which I've been in deep thought about since we've had the Bilgewater updates surrounding Miss Fortune, Graves, Twisted Fate and Gangplank. Their lore updates were pretty well received from what I remember! I don't even recall anyone complaining about the fact that Graves and Twisted Fate went from being enemies to allies. But since Varus' lore update and how some of the Yordle lore updates are getting such a mixture of reactions, I soon learned something. Particularly when you compare the Bilgewater updates with Varus' lore update.

First, lets go over Varus' old lore, in short, the old Varus was the tale of a dying man who lost everything, he stood guard to a sacred temple as his friends and family were killed after Noxus invaded his homeland, Varus went inside the temple he was guarding and became the monster that some may consider him to be. He continues killing, because he knows he'll die anyway. Now, Varus is an entity of three people: A darkin and two lovers who try to create their own sense of justice, whilst fighting their own battle; 2 v 1. Needless to say, those are two different stories. Now, I know I'm creating a very simplified description of the lore, but it doesn't take away from that fact that the only parts that really stuck, was the fact that an invasion took place in Ionia and Varus is swearing vengeance against Noxus (though there's more complexity to that part, too).

Now bare that in mind whilst we go over the Bilgewater stuff, mind you, I'll be focusing on the characters I mentioned before: Miss Fortune, Gangplank, Graves and Twisted Fate. Again, a very simplified description on both sides.

Miss Fortune didn't have a lore that was too different from what it is now, she was still a bounty hunter, she was still after the person who killed her parents (which _may _have been GP) and she still strived for a better Bilgewater. Now, Miss Fortune did her bounty hunting so she could gradually get to Gangplank, slowly take away everything he had, before sending him to his demise as she continues her adventures to do good for Bilgewater.

As for Gangplank, he didn't have much of a character to begin with, as Riot said, he was pretty much "Mr Pirate McPiratey Pants" or something along those lines. But, the main concept of his old lore, was that he was a very dangerous and violent man and became one of the most feared pirates known in all of Valoran; a Pirate king you might say. Which he still is! ...or rather, was. After all, the only difference now, is that he's been made ship wrecked, and now vows to take back Bilgewater.

Graves and Twisted Fate, partners in crime until Twisted Fate seemingly betrayed Graves, and have since became sworn enemies. Now, after their involvement with Gangplank and Miss Fortune, they've settled their differences, and now commit thefts together like they once did.

Do you see the pattern here? Do you see how this differs from Varus' lore update? Bilgewater was well received because the story had a chance to continue and give the fans something fresh. Varus didn't get any sort of chance, his story got replaced entirely.

I will say however, it's not a terrible replacement, but it does leave a bad taste in people's mouths since the old lore was also something which people deeply admired. SpecterVonBaren is onto something when he says we can still have both sides of the lore: https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/story-art/nAElN1pa-there-is-a-way-to-have-both-old-varus-and-new-varus This is a genius way in how Varus can have development, instead of replacement. You don't have to fill in all the gaps to fill such a narrative about Darkin, Varus himself or even the couple that fell into the well. Because that's what development is for, it's to be told along the way, not from the moment you fire the gun.

Which brings me to the Yordles. If I'm going to be blunt, the new updates surrounding some of the Yordle character's updates, feels a tad lazy to me. Or at least from what I've been seeing. For example:

Veigar's old lore was basically along the lines where he was abductedwhen curiosity got the better of him, he was left to go crazy and sooner studied the dark arts in his craze to force conflict on its knees before it gets worse, which may have been fueled by Tahm Kench, a demon who gives you what you desire the very most, whilst coming at the cost of the consequences of your wishes. Veigar's short lore now, is that he studied magic an awful lot and proclaims he's evil, though it's like he may have a lot more morality than what he admits to.

The fact that Veigar could be lying about being truly evil is fine with me, in fact I applaud it. But this is the problem we're going back, it's exactly what people were complaining about with Varus' lore update: Replacement over development. If we were to take a leaf out of Specter's book, why can't we have both? Why can't Veigar learn his morality along the way, after going through what he went through? What if he learned about Kench in his studies about demons, and then vowed to take on Kench when he comes back for Veigar? There are so many more options than what's being planned for Veigar, lore wise. He might be a Yordle, but that should add to what makes him interesting, not to what makes him funny or quirky.

Ziggs could be given similar treatment, his old lore? Ziggs wanted to be just like Heimerdinger, a hugely successful inventor, but was left heartbroken after the Academy that would've helped made him into something, made him leave because of his foolhardy behaviour regarding safety. Before he left for home, he learned about how Zaunites were kidnapping the professors of the Academy he has such high regards for, where they were later kept in captivity. Piltover couldn't do anything until Ziggs went on to save the professors with the explosives that later made him famous. Now? Well, if the comic is anything to go by, he'll pretty much go from being Heimer's colleague/student/whatever you want to call it to being Jinx's physical conscience, whilst still blowing stuff up.

If this comic is all there is to it, then Ziggs lore in a nutshell basically went from being a hometown hero who made his dream come true through heartbreak and demolition, to essentially a sidekick who became someone else's sidekick. This in particular, feels very lazy.

However, The solution is simple. Why can't Ziggs simply go from his old lore to this new lore as a way of showing that the dream he had, may not have been the dream he necessarily wanted. He got the chance to join the Academy, but never got Heimer's approval after saving his peers. So he went with Jinx, and is now finding a way to manipulate Jinx into reeking havoc in Zaun instead (At least if I'm reading his short lore on the wikia right).

But I will wait until the full update surrounding Yordles is complete, first. For all we know, what I just mentioned could be exactly what they're doing. Hell, this comic might not even be considered canon. I will admit it's probably too soon to say whether these changes to specific Yordles are set in stone, but I do wish Riot takes this mentality with lore from now on: Don't fix what's not broken, add to what's already interesting.