Champion VO's Make No Sense

Penta Penguin·May 31, 2015·64 votes·15,270 views

They are becoming more and more detached

You press an ability and they say "Welcome to Zaun" or some shit

You issue a move command and they start babbling about random non-sense

119 Comments

CupcakeTrapJun 1, 201528 votes

{quoted}

You press an ability and they say "Welcome to Zaun" or some shit

I literally lol'd. +1 to you, my cupcake friend.

EDIT: I was just moping around after ranting about the new Runeterra and felt like I needed a laugh. I opened up this thread again, and once again burst out laughing at that quote. Thank you. I'm like imagining a Disneyland costume version of Ekko waddling around proclaiming "WELCOME TO ZAUN!"

Caitlyn sips tea Garen We must talk. Caitlyn I was wondering when I'd be hearing from you. Noxus isn't— Ekko If you can't make the most of the time you've got, then you don't deserve another second! Caitlyn What? Ekko Make me repeat myself! Garen The aspiring Champion from Zaun. Called Ekko, if I am not mist— Ekko WELCOME TO ZAUN! Caitlyn awkward glance Garen shrugs

EDIT2: HOLY HELL HE ACTUALLY SAYS WELCOME TO ZAUN. I thought you were kidding, OP. But no. I looked at the wiki. THIS GUY ACTUALLY SAYS WELCOME TO ZAUN WHEN YOU RIGHT CLICK A MINION.

I can't stop laughing. It hurts. Please. Help me.

BetaDude40Jun 1, 20158 votes

I would try helping you if I understood the exact mechanics of how a sentient cupcake trap is capable of laughter...

I would also jokingly make a lore parody of Rammus's lore featuring you, but you also did that in some other place...

...

Well, I'm pretty useless just standing here now, aren't I?

grabs popcorn and lawnchair and watches as friend suffers

RiotOpeliJun 1, 201520 votes

This is really interesting to me because when I was writing VO for champions last year (I moved to Dev Management so I can't speak for the team nowadays), the writing team and I made a deliberate effort to go away from old quotes like "I will not falter," "it ends here," "into battle," and generic shit like that. The original/old champions are filled with those kinds of VO lines.

I'm not saying you're wrong; it's interesting because of what players perceive as nonsense.

HellioningJun 1, 201517 votes

Those are, at least, reasonable things to say in a battle situation. Or at least it's a reasonable thing to say if you were a fantasy character getting into a fight.

There is no reason, for example, for Ekko to say 'Welcome to Zaun!' as he hits someone with a giant key unless he was ACTUALLY in Zaun and he was trying to make a point (welcome to zaun! We beat people's heads in for annoying us!)

There's also the fact that it really seems like Narrative is trying to have more of a champion's entire story in their V.O. instead of just their personalities, which results in almost all of Azir's lines having 'Shurima' in it.

CupcakeTrapJun 1, 201545 votes

{quoted}

Those are, at least, reasonable things to say in a battle situation. Or at least it's a reasonable thing to say if you were a fantasy character getting into a fight.

There is no reason, for example, for Ekko to say 'Welcome to Zaun!' as he hits someone with a giant key unless he was ACTUALLY in Zaun and he was trying to make a point (welcome to zaun! We beat people's heads in for annoying us!)

There's also the fact that it really seems like Narrative is trying to have more of a champion's entire story in their V.O. instead of just their personalities, which results in almost all of Azir's lines having 'Shurima' in it.

Ekko WELCOME TO ZAUN! MINION: . o O ( What? We're not in Zaun, we're—) kaching sound MINION: dying . o O ( My existence is an absurdity! ) Ekko Make me repeat myself! And I thought Ez was annoying. Ezreal Someone should get this guy a ma— —sssssh. Calm your goggles, Princess. Ekko WELCOME TO ZAUN! This ain't Zaun, short stuff. We're not in— Azir SHURIMA!!! Cait, thank you so much for convincing me to join the League. Azir SHURIMA!!! Really broadening my horizons here. Seeing the world. Or at least hearing people shout the names of parts of it. Caitlyn Maybe you'd see more of it if you weren't banned from two of our ally states. Is this about Demacia again? Because that was— Kalista srsly so unfair Kalista there just gonna farm u Kalista u shuld show them Kalista was that caster minion like ur friend or sumthin Caitlyn Oh, look. She's trying to tempt the minions into a vengeance pact again. Kalista u shud avenge them Kalista aVENGE them League ain't what it used to be. Caitlyn The entrance requirements have become rather more liberal of late, yes. Kalista vengence

More seriously, I think this is a good example of why the aggressive removal of Summoners is problematic. Having the pretense of dialogue between the player and the character allows for more interesting writing. It's a nice callback to Warcraft and such, and it just feels appropriate for Swain to respond to your suggestion with, "How OBVIOUS!" I like it when Lux encourages me to stay positive, or when Cho'gath says he sees stains on my soul. I like it when Veigar accuses me of denying my own true power. It's immersive, and quite directly so.

DecritJun 1, 201511 votes

Kalista vengence killed me :O

NorthernDruidJun 1, 201519 votes

The mindlink feel is one of the most immersive parts of the game on the champions who do it right.

Special mention to Sona here, the way her voice is made makes her feel like she's just a voice in your head.

PrimadonnaJun 2, 20155 votes

I'm CRYING...

Vistha KaiJun 1, 201528 votes

http://i.imgur.com/Wl2tCgU.jpg

Tesla EffectJun 1, 20155 votes

{quoted}

This is really interesting to me because when I was writing VO for champions last year (I moved to Dev Management so I can't speak for the team nowadays), the writing team and I made a deliberate effort to go away from old quotes like "I will not falter," "it ends here," "into battle," and generic shit like that. The original/old champions are filled with those kinds of VO lines.

I'm not saying you're wrong; it's interesting because of what players perceive as nonsense.

Will we see future VOs for old champions, and if so will they be at the same level of quality as the newer champions have? One of core gripes with the old champions is that their lines are generic to the point of making the characters look like caricatures and pop culture references (Gangplank is a pirate so he says typical pirate stuff, Shaco is a jester, so he says typical jester stuff...) I would like to see the old characters to be as fleshed out with the VO as all the newer ones are, hopefully that will eventually be achieved.

RiotOpeliJun 1, 201511 votes

Although I don't work on the relaunch team, I can say with confidence that any champions that receive updated VO will match the quality of today's champions.

ETA: the generic factor is a big motivation in updating VO. When you look at old VO sets you wouldn't be able to tell who is saying what because those lines can be planted on any champion, which removes some uniqueness from our otherwise awesome champs.

KrizalidJun 1, 201519 votes

Vladimir is my favorite and one of the oldest champions in this game. "I'm a universal recipient." "Care to make a donation?"' "The clot thickens." "Please, let it all out." "You look like someone who's got a lot going on beneath the surface." "Go ahead, be negative. You'll be just my type."

Cmon. This guy is the best thing happened to league and he needs some more love. I'm hoping that he will appear in the next CGI video at least.

MerxamersJun 2, 20158 votes

Vlad's puns approach dad-levels XD

MerxamersJun 1, 20155 votes

let's be honest though- if Gangplank were any less of a pirate we would all be inconsolably devastated. I love his ultra-piratey VO :)

Tesla EffectJun 1, 20155 votes

{quoted}

let's be honest though- if Gangplank were any less of a pirate we would all be inconsolably devastated. I love his ultra-piratey VO :)

I dont. It doesnt tell us anything about him other than his incredibly generalized "Im a pirate", and nothing else.

MerxamersJun 1, 201510 votes

:( You have no joy in your heart, sir! What, pray, would you rather hear him say? 'Welcome to Bilgewater!' 'My family is dead!' 'I eat oranges to prevent scurvy!'

67450548_DELJun 1, 201517 votes

[deleted]

MerxamersJun 1, 20152 votes

but.. he sounds like a pirate with those quotes- how exactly are you disagreeing with me?

FinnicalJun 2, 20154 votes

Completely agreed I'm afraid. I respect Denivir but I don't think you have done a very good job illustrating anything. The only lines that stand out are the ones towards Miss Fortune and Twisted Fate, and that's simply because any champion interaction line is instantly interesting since they are so rare. I do think they may be a little better than the current VO, but only because they are slightly longer.

Laughing FishJun 1, 20158 votes

I just want him to to say "I ate an orange and it was k"

Penta PenguinJun 1, 20153 votes

Thanks for the response

RiotOpeliJun 1, 201510 votes

Hey, of course! It's posts like these that make us question our assumptions.

StarlighteJun 2, 201516 votes

{quoted}

Hey, of course! It's posts like these that make us question our assumptions.

Why is Riot making assumptions? You guys are trying to be "the most player focused company in the world" and yet, you have forums... You can ask the players, "Hey, do you like it when the VO's directly talk about you, the player?" and get feedback. I don't see any reason why posts like this would need to make you question your assumptions, as you shouldn't be making them in the first place.

Or am I missing something here?

MerxamersJun 1, 20158 votes

I'd like to mention something- IT IS OK FOR LINES TO BE CHEESY! I don't mind that GP is absurdly piratey, I love that Taric obsesses over how fabulous gems are, and i (used to) love Sion's 'Ahnold' puns (until he became a '90s 12-year-old's idea of 'cool'). We don't have to give the Frank Miller or Rob Liefeld treatment to every champion.

I will very sad if i play GP post-rework and no longer hear his goofy pirate laugh or the line 'SHIVARR ME TIMBARRS!!'

Tesla EffectJun 1, 20152 votes

{quoted}

I'd like to mention something- IT IS OK FOR LINES TO BE CHEESY! I don't mind that GP is absurdly piratey, I love that Taric obsesses over how fabulous gems are, and i (used to) love Sion's 'Ahnold' puns (until he became a '90s 12-year-old's idea of 'cool'). We don't have to give the Frank Miller or Rob Liefeld treatment to every champion.

I will very sad if i play GP post-rework and no longer hear his goofy pirate laugh or the line 'SHIVARR ME TIMBARRS!!'

If we were like that we would still have the golden age Batman, and never experienced the modern age Batman cause we think stuff should stay silly, generic and in caricature, rather than make them actual characters.

NorthernDruidJun 1, 20156 votes

We still have golden age batman.

Or atleast it's possible to preserve and reexperience golden age batman if you still have the golden age batman comics/stuff.

Not so much with any champion who's VO gets replaced outright.

sp441Jun 2, 20155 votes

Golden Age Batman killed people.

Also, character development and sillyness aren't mutually exclusive, you can have funny and deep and engaging characters.

lightdragoon88Jun 1, 201514 votes

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xaf1/t51.2885-15/s320x320/e15/11235913_1381318965501016_262663068_n.jpg

ElJanitorFrankJun 2, 20155 votes

It makes me sad not everyone will get that yet.

TerraRisingJun 2, 20159 votes

{quoted}

This is really interesting to me because when I was writing VO for champions last year (I moved to Dev Management so I can't speak for the team nowadays), the writing team and I made a deliberate effort to go away from old quotes like "I will not falter," "it ends here," "into battle," and generic shit like that. The original/old champions are filled with those kinds of VO lines.

I'm not saying you're wrong; it's interesting because of what players perceive as nonsense.

This is endemic of the disconnect between Riot creators (especially Narrative) and their fans.

Instead of telling a story through words and pictures, your teams chose to tell them through blurbs, comics, music videos and hard to replicate in game voice over taunts. Instead of easy to digest "walls of text," your team chose to "let players fill in the blanks." Instead of full stories, your company told champion expositions and abandoned them soon afterwards for reasons that still baffle. Instead of giving us content that we could digest and discuss, you took away what we loved and put nothing in return. Then, you switched departments and let the new guys deal with the messes you left behind.

Note that this isn't just about you, Opeli. Kitae, Runaan, Entropy, TommyGnox and everyone else involved with League's lore up until the Retcon are equally to blame for the mess that is League's current story. All of you destroyed what little was there and created a gulf between the fans and the company, then ran away to let others deal with.

I'm glad you're still poking around the boards, Opeli. Then again, that's just my opinion.

The Red WardenJun 1, 201518 votes

"Well the quotes have to explain the characters now because the bios aren't allowed to" -Riot

Same problem with Azir's endless "shurima" shouts. They needed to add detail about the character somewhere but because the bios are now required to be generic, the VO is where they dump all the details.

CupcakeTrapJun 1, 201525 votes

[{quoted}](name=The Red Warden,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=ZkvcPBKA,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2015-06-01T02:40:38.844+0000)

"Well the quotes have to explain the characters now because the bios aren't allowed to" -Riot

Same problem with Azir's endless "shurima" shouts. They needed to add detail about the character somewhere but because the bios are now required to be generic, the VO is where they dump all the details.

Thank you, Azir. I now know you are from SHURIMA. I was a little confused.

The Red WardenJun 1, 201527 votes

Kalista vengeance Kalista I am Oprah now Kalista you have some vengeance, and you have some vengeance, everyone get some vengeance Kalista Look under your seat to find some nice, fresh vengeance

Azir replace "vengeance" with Shurima Ekko replace "vengeance" with Zaun

Jeddy017Jun 1, 201532 votes

Garen DEMACIA!! Azir SHURIMA!! Ekko ZAUN!! Kalista VENGEANCE!! DrMundo MUNDO!! Draven DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAVEN!! Taric GEMS!! Diana MOON!! Annie TIBBERS!! Leona SUN!! Rammus Ok. Sona ...........!!

Doctor IvelliusJun 1, 20155 votes

Which is dumb because anything happening in the game has to be non-canon, so the VOs don't represent the actual characters speaking.

StrawberrycocoaJun 1, 20159 votes

Ekko yells "Welcome to Zaun!" as he throws his mad science time-gizmo at his enemies.

He is using a weapon of Zaunite origin and design while ensuring his enemies know a member of his homeland just used their unique machinery against them. It's nationalist pride as a battle cry, what's not to get about that?

HellioningJun 1, 20156 votes

Wouldn't 'This is how we do it in Zaun!' or 'Taste Zaunite ingenuity!' make significantly more sense, in that case?

StrawberrycocoaJun 1, 20156 votes

I think smething similar to "This is how we do it in Zaun!" is one of Ekko's quotes.

But "Welcome to Zaun" still works in a action-movie-trope way.

Like, if Batman punches a dude in the face: "Welcome to Gotham".

HellioningJun 1, 20157 votes

Well, yes, but Batman is actually IN Gotham, usually. Ekko, in game, is not in Zaun; it therefore makes no sense to welcome people to a place that they are not.

StrawberrycocoaJun 1, 20154 votes

"Now you're fighting me on the battlefield of magitech with which I am highly familiar and awesome; welcome to Zaun!" shrug

HellioningJun 1, 20154 votes

I still don't see it. And honestly, even if that is a good explanation, if you need to explain it that much, either I really suck or the line isn't that great anyway.

MatezoideMay 31, 20157 votes

The game isnt canon anymore because Summoners are kill, so who cares?

Penta PenguinMay 31, 20159 votes

If it's not canon then don't force the canon shit into it

Legacy of XionMay 31, 201541 votes

{quoted}

If it's not canon then don't force the canon shit into it

"We're divorcing Lore and Gameplay!"

"We're putting Lore clues ingame!"

Alice, meet your new Narrative Team.

Darrosh JewfistJun 1, 201524 votes

It's also pretty sad most of our insights on champ personalities have to come from champion Q&As rather than... you know... the actual lore materials.

Like we have to be told there's not much of a past between Jinx and Ekko, instead of being shown it - which kind of makes the whole VO line about having a crush (implying deeper connections) pretty stupid.

ShínyJun 1, 201523 votes

Or even better was when we learned about lissandra's past with the ursine from just a random forum post.(Y'know the really important detail that she was blinded by them?)

Darrosh JewfistJun 1, 201516 votes

It's precisely this sort of stuff that makes the whole League lore and narrative feel so utterly amateurish. It feels all these details, relatively shallow things that we SHOULD KNOW, are thrown in at a whim in forum posts.

MatezoideJun 1, 201514 votes

Lissandra "I see things clearly."