Good to hear from you, Bio. So I'm going to respond to all of this. Now I don't know if you know who I am. In fact, I'd be surprised if you did, since I'm just 1 of literally thousands of people on this board. But I know who you are, and let me tell you I would never "shoot the messenger" especially if that messenger is you. You have been nothing but polite, friendly, and professional in any post of yours I have seen. Also, we share a liking of maps. I have numerous negative qualities, but I would not attempt to belittle a man for engaging in the manner you have.
Besides shooting the messenger is only useful as an act to start a war. And since I am already fighting one war I'm going to lose on this board, why would I ever start another one?
Now among my previously mentioned negative qualities I tend to create overly long posts. Know I am trying to be direct and clear with my writing. But I have been informed that what actually comes across is accusative and mean. That is not my goal. When reading what I'm about to write imagine not a screaming child, but your most boring professor you have ever had talking in a monotone about a topic only he is interested in. That's far closer to what I actually am, so let's go from there. A warning, this has been split into 2 sections. I’m a wordy bastard.
I think you're asking the wrong question. The damage is done. And it's Riot's fault, so I don't know what you expect to come from it. So, from your idea. Would Atreus coming back be better than what has currently been written? Yes. I actually expect that to happen in one form or another, since Jaredan himself responded after the initial shitstorm when the new lores were released that "Atreus' story is not over" pretty much tipping his hand on that reveal. But does that make it good? No. It's still missing the point entirely from the old character, and replacing him with a possessed zombie god.
Riot has repeatedly done this with their lore rewrites. When reworking a piece of lore, instead of looking at what has been written before and saying "How can we take this, but more awesome?" they have gone "Ok, well, I don't want to do this, how can we change it to something better?" This is especially the case with characters that seem more 'generic.' Warwick isn't a werewolf anymore, that's boring. That's been done. Now he's a chimera with a robot arms! Gangplank isn't a pirate. That's boring. That's been done. Now he's a pirate with a robot arm! Galio isn't a gargoyle. That's boring. That's been done. Now he's the statue of liberty that punches people! Pantheon isn't a Spartan. That's boring. That's been done. Now he's a space god! That’s all way better, right?
Thing is, there are people who like Spartans, far more than any of that space mumbo jumbo nonsense they've now saddled him with. Now the Gangplank, and Warwick examples sort of work, because they still kinda deal with pirate and werewolf themes. Warwick is still a transformed human, just through tech and not magic. Or magi-tech I guess would be more accurate. And the most famous pirates in fiction are missing limbs, replacing them with hooks and peglegs. And it's not like the robot arms do anything. They're just an aesthetic to make them look like Riot Products instead of just a pirate and a werewolf. Which allows the creation of skins to appeal to the old aesthetic, Captain Gangplank and Grey Warwick, in this example. Galio just got the short end of the stick here. Really, his lore doesn't even make sense. Why would anyone make that design for something that's supposed to be moved with an army? Holy cow that's idiotic. That would destroy the mobility of any army Demacia had sent forth. Any other army could maneuver around them. Who thought this was a good idea?
But going by story. What does Spartan have to do with an extradimensional alien that possesses people? Nothing, as far as I'm aware. It was a change just because the writers wanted the change, they didn't think Pantheon fits the setting they're trying to make. Unfortunately, that leads to a small problem. You'll get people who do not care about the setting Riot is trying to make. Like me. I have read what they're making, and I think it's nonsense. With no understanding of how economics, politics, and armies function at an even basic level. Which is fine. Not all fiction needs to be catered to me. But that doesn't mean I want something I like to be changed into something I dislike in order to make it fit something I don't care about.
Which brings us to change and lore rewrites. For the best example in recent history, which is fresh in all our minds, we can go to Varus. Cards on the table. I don't play Varus. I don't care about Varus. I think the cinematic you guys released with the lore rewrite was beautiful. I think Riot is about 5 years too late on creating a homosexual character, of which Varus is only about 2/3 a homosexual character, but I'm not going to get into that. But I also think, that the character that was created has nothing in common with the original Varus lore. Now, people can claim that they both share the theme of revenge. But you know what else does? Count of Monte Cristo, the Illiad, and Kill Bill. That doesn't count for much. But the writers HAD to have known there would be backlash to that change. I knew there would be backlash to the change as soon as I heard of the change. An idiot would have been able to see that there would be backlash, and I don't think Riot is filled with idiots. You don't make the most popular online game in the world, if you're entire lore team is still eating their own boogers.
But they chose to go with their new direction anyway. And now we're here with a new character and what was Varus is suddenly gone. And he apparently had quite a few followers who were happy with the way things were and now they're just as suddenly angry.
Now don't get me wrong. The new Varus lore is fine, in concept. It's about time we got homosexual characters. And the visuals are very pretty. But that does not justify destroying something that the players loved just because the writers had a new idea they thought was cool. That idea should have been placed on the next Darkin that was released, not warping something that already had a following to fit their new vision.
That's the solution. How to win the unwinnable scenario? The only winning move is not to play. Don't put yourself in that position. Develop out of the old lore, don't just scrap it and start anew.
Alright, so now Pantheon himself. Honestly, if you want to cater to the players who think the new lore is pants on head stupid. Like me. When you rework him, make sure none of his abilities really have a heavy focus on the space magic, like how none of Gankgplank's abilities use his robo-arm, and then also release a Traditional Skin that's just Pantheon as a Spartan with a spear and a shield. Preferably without any voice lines about the glory of the space empire.
Done. I can just ignore the lore completely, and go back to playing the game.
If you want ideas on how to improve the lore itself to satisfy people. I don't think you can. Here's what's important about Sparta: They're physically human. They gained their strength by training since they were 6. Their strength is determined half by their own prowess, and half because they worked as a unit better than anyone else. They're polite, but laconic. They're (unlike the rest of the world at their time) all taught how to read, write, arithmetic, and memorize the state constitution and sacred texts. But all of this comes at the cost of being disciplined above all else. Of purposely being forced to live roughly, only given 1 cloak to wear day and night, hot and cold, battle or peace for the entire year. Their goal is to make man "perfect" or at least their view of perfection. Not by some outside means, but because they've gone through that training.
That's the opposite of a space power came and made you stronger. That's a whole different power fantasy. One is strength through adversity, discipline, and rugged living. The other is strength through an outside force. Like a D&D Paladin, only funkier in this case.
Once you add the space powers, it's no longer a Spartan and no longer of interest to me. I have long claimed that my favorite characters that Riot has made are Miss Fortune and Darius. Miss Fortune beats her opponent because she trained to be the best shot she could. She outmaneuvered her political opponents and kills them with her own hand. She uses whatever is available to her and tries so damn hard to succeed. Darius is the same. He was nothing, and worked to become a general of Noxus. It would destroy either character for me, if we suddenly learn that Miss Fortune succeeded because Nagakaborous blessed her. Or she was born with the magic ability to always hit what she aims for. That's bullocks. That destroys what makes the character cool.
Targon is not shaping into a story that interests me. Targon is about the mystery of the space parasites, and has been consistently downplaying the needs and desires of people in place of the "divine.” Now, Leona, Diana, and even Taric sort of work in the new Targon. Because the first two always had their abilities granted by a divine being. And Taric, with what lore he had, was an alien. They fit, for the most part. But just looking at their lore the characters and their motivations aren't even really the focus anymore. Take the BIG MOMENT of Diana and Leona's lore. The murder of the High Priests. One, Leona was suddenly changed into an executioner when she used to be a protector just to fit the story beats. Which is odd. But, then Leona hunts down Diana. Which makes sense. Diana killed her teachers, political leaders, and priests. She should be furious. Now, it would have been better if we had made Leona act more like Old!Leona where she hesitated when she was ordered to kill Diana. Which then allowed for Diana to kill the priests.
Part 2 in response.
