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On Thematic Unity and Galio's Rework

ModCaptainMårvelous·3/7/2017, 7:27:53 PM·15 votes·2,093 views
https://puu.sh/uynL8/49b0b8a6c1.jpg

Understandably, a lot of people are upset about Galio's change in terms of (if nothing else) color design and model design. What we have to make note of, however, is that thematic unity is something Riot has been trying to achieve for a while now with reworks and model updates. So, real quick, let's go over some examples:

#Noxus https://puu.sh/uys5R/17bb99eb0e.jpg https://puu.sh/uysb3/37f788dc0b.jpg https://puu.sh/uyscz/1a6508b2d0.jpg

Noxus, from an aesthetic point of view, has very dark and often muted colors. Swain's cloak might be green but it's not a bright, neon green or a brilliant jade. Rather. it's muted and reflects Noxus. Noxian champions have dark, permeating colors.

#Ionia

https://puu.sh/uysnT/fbc0038c63.jpg https://puu.sh/uysp2/ffe1adc303.jpg https://puu.sh/uysr0/9a168a953a.jpg

While Ionia has more color variation, colors that stick out are often soft "pastel" colors that mix with the darker or lighter shades. It reflects Ionia's nature as a peaceful place that prides itself on balance.

Rather than tug out more pictures and bloat the page, some quick additions:

  • Shadow Isles: Ghostly teals and blacks. Made to look horrific and spooky.
  • Piltover: Muted colors and lots of industrial greys/browns.
  • Zaun: Whatever you find in the gutter.
  • Freljord: "Cool" colors that are darker and reflect the icy climate.
  • Shurima: Brilliant and bright golds/silvers.

So now we get to Demacia. Demacia, as a country, is a "holy" place. Bright whites and complimenting colors like blue, gold, etc. It's where you think a paladin would be born. Current Galio looks like this:

https://puu.sh/uysRj/bc13a89441.jpg

Now, does that really fit Demacia?

Before all you snarkily go "Well of course", hear me out: His colors are a teal blue and muted gold. He doesn't look like a statue carved to fit with Demacia's architecture nor the general style of how Demacia makes things. When you put him in a line-up with Garen's bright blue/silver, Lux's sparkling white and Jarvan's gleaming gold? He stands out as the outcast. Even Poppy, who is more a visitor, represents Demacia better even if she's trying to emulate Demacia rather than actually emulating it. (Hence why she has some gold/white but it is muted comparative to Garen/Lux/Xin/etc.)

All that said, I do think Galio should have a chroma or something to better mesh with his original color design. But if you really compare to those who are meant to be his city-state peers and allies, this Galio makes far more sense as a Demacian golem than the current Galio.

29 Comments

Veraska3/7/2017, 7:37:06 PM9 votes

Agreed. Old Galio was a gargoyle New Galio is a demacian gargoyle protector, he's league of legends' gargoyle. Embrace archetypes and make them their own in the mythos, I think that's riots biggest strength character design wise

Dabrick013/7/2017, 7:29:37 PM7 votes

Is design makes way more sense when you look at it that way.

There are still people who are going to hate it for what it is now.

People refuse to be open to new things and it is their fault.

Ebonmaw Dragon3/7/2017, 8:01:28 PM5 votes

Even if i understand the point of this thread and it makes sense, i think that the main problem about the new Galio is that he is not a Gargolye.

Sure, you are totally right about "makes far more sense as a Demacian golem than the current Galio"... because the current galio isnt supposed to represent a golem (even if he is, technically). Gargolyes are grotesque carvings in stone that are located in the top of a building... and the new Galio is bigger than the building itself and its not grotesque at all. That is not a Gargolye at all.

Right now he is a golem with wings... and to be fair, we already have golems in the game... but, Imagine if Riot changed Twitch from a Rat to a Kangaroo and instead of releasing a new Rat champion to fill the niche of a Rat, they wouldn't because Twitch exist already, even if he is a Kangaroo now... and i can bet that it will happen with the Gargolye theme.

It was really necessary to make him a giant creature just to be cooler?

Recuro3/8/2017, 7:43:15 AM2 votes

I dislike this argument for a few reasons. First because it implies blue isn't a demacian color... Garen Lux Quinn Sona Vayne XinZhao - all from demacia and wear blue.

Another thing is that this entire update was focused on making him more Demacian. As people have said nothing about his old look was Demacian so... why is he still Demacian at all? People are acting like that was the single most important aspect of his character and are seemingly willing to scrap everything else to fit that mold. Personally I would have rather changed him to not be Demacian anymore than change his entire look to match it.

Finally, and people may disagree with me on this one, was this update's main goal to make his lore fit better? I know there are people that like the lore but in all honestly a lot of people don't really care about it that much. I myself am sort of interested in the lore but I'm mostly here for the game. I think the lore should be molded to match the champion, not the other way around. If Riot wants to make new lore that's fine, but don't do it at the expense of already cool designs.