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Your Shop got me thinking about my problem with skins

Nagoh Shan·9/20/2017, 6:55:55 AM·15 votes·2,522 views

So the 'Your Shop' is back up and I decided to take a look, and I got this:

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/nagohshan/Lolshop.png

Now this would normally be incredibly good. Considering I have all the skins for Viktor, I would say that it's a skin each for my next 6 favorite champs after him. Some of them being ones I've actually wanted. However the problem is and I apologize ahead of time for the rant, but maybe someone will be entertained by my annoyance...

I don't buy skins anymore. I refuse.

I don't see a reason to invest money in skins anymore. I used to. I used to buy skins. I loved them. I still love them actually, but I don't think it's worth buying them.

They're supposed to be an investment in something fun or interesting that you like to look at, or that catches your eye. Or lets you show your style. But I don't see how it's a reasonable thing anymore considering the willingness to completely change these skins, that people payed their money for, without regard for the expense people payed for it.

The least expensive skin in there is $3.12. They're priced to be fluff, they're entertainment, but when I'm spending the money on RP, that's money I don't get to spend other places. Movies, games, or hell small things like snacks or energy drinks. Just frivolous things. It's a zero-sum equation.

And when things like the Fiora VGU happen, where the skin updates were virtually universally criticized, and the most Riot got out of that was they needed to make her base splash prettier, I get concerned about the stability of my RP purchases. I could spend money on other things and feel better about the consistency and stability of the purchase.

Right before the Fiora VGU, I had just managed to buy the last Fiora skin that was available at the time. Nightraven Fiora was my favorite skin in the game. I felt burned. A skin that was my favorite, got changed into something horrible. I hate it, and I hate that I spent my money on something that was so good just to have it changed into something I can't stand to look at.

The refusal to make traditional skins anymore for champs like Sion, Fiora, Galio, or Yorick. Considering older traditional skins mistakes. The heavy push for something to stick out of Warwick's back, which ends up drastically changing skins such as feral and hyena, despite heavy negative feedback and the fact no one gives a damn about where "His new power is coming from".

There are too many examples of Riot seemingly deciding that player investment, in this case monetary, is an impediment to their desire to simply change everything, and so they decide to just ignore that impediment. It feels like player purchases mean nothing.

It has been shown so many times that money spent on RP is unstable. The thing that you bought and enjoyed could, and is likely to, be taken and changed into anything else at the whim of an artist or designer, and that's just not worth it. Skins are supposed to be frivolous fun. That shop I got is at least a 5/6, possibly a 6/6 buy depending on how I felt about Steel Legion Lux at the time I was buying, but now I just don't feel like there is respect for the money people are spending. I want these skins, but I have no clue if they'll still be the same next month, so why would I risk my money?

Until some stability manages to come, it's just not worth it to take my entertainment budget from other things onto league. I don't want what happened with Fiora to happen again. That was infuriating, and it seems like not only could it happen again, but that it's likely to.

And that's a God Damn shame.

35 Comments

Swarovsko9/21/2017, 2:40:45 AM4 votes

Janna changes are gonna make me stop playing Janna, and you know what's sad? I spent 15€ for forecast Janna and now I won't play Janna anymore. I love Janna, I love her kit, quotes, lore etc... I was expecting a W complete rework + a passive mini/complete rework with a big E nerf, instead, they made Lulu 2.0. Your reasons and this one are also why I stopped buying skins. I'd like to keep supporting the game buying something I like, but it's just not worth for skins anymore.

Placentas9/20/2017, 10:40:19 AM3 votes

"It has been shown so many times that money spent on RP is unstable. "

I mean...ya. That goes for about any currency that you buy with in real world currency. You're renting, you're not owning. Please understand this before making future purchases and then ranting about it.

You should be buying RP with that in the back of your head, otherwise you're not an educated consumer and it's ultimately your fault.

ZER0 29/20/2017, 6:12:37 PM2 votes

Hi, As a person who buys skins and begs for skins 90% of the time, and will continue buying them anyway: This is a really really really good post. The Evelynn rework is coming up soon (Probably next Tuesday/Wednesday tbh) And I got Masquerade Evelynn in my shop (A skin I've always coveted for her), I bought it in a heartbeat, but the very next thing I thought was "wow I hope I still like it after her rework". I think this is something players don't really think about too much until it happens to them (in your case) or until a rework for their favourite champs are announced. Commendable, good job on getting people thinking. [sg-ahri-2]

Ahris9/20/2017, 11:14:51 AM1 votes

You got rlly nice ones. I got:

https://imgur.com/a/xb4TI

Disgusting. I don't want any of them. I don't even play like more than half of those champs.

ChompyWulf9/20/2017, 4:19:38 PM1 votes

Sadly art is subjective. A skin may change for better or worse with an update. I think the best thing would be if Riot refreshed refunds for accounts every year. At least one or two refunds a year isn't unreasonable, especially if they keep cranking out reworks.

GreenLore9/20/2017, 8:13:09 PM1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Nagoh Shan,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=aVn1Pts3,comment-id=,timestamp=2017-09-20T06:55:55.181+0000)

The refusal to make traditional skins anymore for champs like Sion, Fiora, Galio, or Yorick.

You know that these wouldn't fix your problem right? The traditional skins are pretty much just a skin for the updated champ that is based on the old one. But it is not the same as the one before.

For example Traditional trundle still looks vastly different than old trundle,because he needs to keep the key aspects of new trundles character model. And a traditional warwick for example would look barely any different,as the tube on his back is now a key element of his character and every new skin will have something sticking out of his back(thus a traditional skin would also have a tube)

Not to mention that these are based only on the classic model,so it doesn't even have anything to do with skins eitherway...

I mean I understand the fact that you don't want your skin to be changed,but I also understand riots side her,that they can't just keep the outdated stuff in the game. But traditional skins have pretty much nothing to do with that.

Krigjer9/21/2017, 2:59:58 AM1 votes

My problem with Fiora is that I own skins for her. (I'm going to lump Nidalee in here too, because I own skins for her too). And then both champions were changed into something that I can't stand playing. I don't even bother playing these champions anymore because I dislike their new kits. So I will never get the value out of the money I spent on those skins before the kit changes.

They really should have offered refunds with such drastic changes.

If you're not a fan of that business model, that's fine. But digital property is much more volatile than personal property, and I kinda get why Riot changes skins and stuff. It's similar to people maining a champion pre-rework but now hating them. It sucks, admittedly, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy skins. Honestly, most things that people buy last around two years, tops. Clothing, vehicles, houses, and electronics are the exception.

If something I buy breaks, that's fine. Damage happens. If I lose interest in something I own, I can give it to someone that CAN use it (or wants it). I'm not stuck with a possession I hate unless I WANT to keep it.

A skin I bought in an online game being changed to something I hated is similar to buying a red car, and then one day you wake up and the car is blue- and you didn't get a say in it. Just bam, now you have a blue car.

Whether that's 'just how businesses work' or not, you have to admit that leaves a bad taste in a customer's mouth.

But digital property is much more volatile than personal property

This would be fine to say in the early 90s when personal computers were more rare, but I think it's a little ignorant* in modern situations.

*Not saying specifically you, or other consumers, but companies as well. There are SO MANY products now available solely online, that you need a password to access, etc... Saying 'Sorry, you don't own it, we do, and you just rent it because it's digital goods!' is going to cause some trouble eventually.

Keepe9/21/2017, 5:23:43 AM1 votes

Basic economics, a skin is worth to you what you're willing to pay for it. You're no longer willing to invest decent sums into the company because you simply do not care for their choices in regards to how willingly they change things whether players want them or not, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Gosh knows I asked for a refund on my Karma skin the moment I played her in game after her rework.

What drove it over the edge for me was the issue of Championship Riven. Now I am stuck with a cheap and rather fugly crown attached to it, and frankly that annoys me.

The only skin, if any, I will ever pay money for ever again is Dragon Master Swain, and with the Swain rework/VU coming up, there's a chance that will no longer even be the case.

MountainHall9/21/2017, 7:55:04 PM1 votes

Exactly. I really liked the aesthetic theme and details of Royal Guard Fiora. It was probably my top 3 skin and it's so awful that I have only played her when forced to in ARAM, and even then with the base skin instead. The face was only slightly changed after massive push-back, but she still looks like a 50 year old lady dressed in garish colours.

Beyond future VGU's, I also worry about gameplay updates. The biggest reason I prefer certain champs is because I like their playstyles and unique kits and I've been burned a few too many times after a champ has been updated and they don't play or feel like they used to at all. I really like playing bruisers and they often fall short:

Skarner - feels nothing like before, Shyvana's passive and e adjustments, Mordekaiser, Sion, the list goes on.

There's also the overall game and meta changes affecting old champs. Power creep - especially mobility in new champions also make these guys feel awful to play since there isn't enough tenacity or sticking power to keep up with the new characters.

Warwick Main9/22/2017, 7:10:43 AM1 votes

UPVOTED FOR WARWICK. Warwick

Feral was his best skin. It made him look way more unique, and honestly like a freaking werewolf. Now it turns him into some hannibal lector wearing a tore up straight jacket and that random cannister sticking out of his back. Yeah it makes hyena pretty funny when the engine revs on his back, but its pretty ugly on most of his skins. The only salvageable skins of Warwick are now: Grey (RNG) and Marauder. Hopeful any future skins will give us Warwick mains something to wear but I am not very optimistic.

Kinjishi9/20/2017, 7:13:34 AM1 votes

100% agree

Axzarious9/22/2017, 11:52:54 AM1 votes

When it comes to how Riot trashed the real Fiora I completely hear you. The only reason I got Project: Fiora was so I could pretend it was a new champion.

The old Fiora looked way better, as did her skins - and despite that? Her new Musketeer splash art? It looks like the old Fiora. Amusingly, the pre-rework Musketeer Fiora skin looks closer to the NEW splash art than the CURRENT one. It's really too bad the current Musketeer skin doesn't resemble the Splash art in any way. Because then i'd have access to a skin that actually resembles Fiora. Until then, i'll just continue to use Project: Fiora.

Tormentula9/20/2017, 7:14:25 AM1 votes

I mean hey, if they don't interest you, you don't have to buy them. Personally league is most of my entertainment and reasons for high blood pressure so its worth it to me if the skin itself fancies me enough to buy it.

Right now I have some stuff I'm investing for so I'll probably skip all my shop reductions (sadly they're pretty good for me too which hurts).

HonestJohnTheCon9/20/2017, 10:31:47 AM1 votes

Yeah, I agree that Riot should implement a refund policy for VGU'd skins.

On the plus side: Lux, Sona, and Katarina won't be getting a VGU for a long time, as they're too iconic. Fiora got one recently. If you're worried about your purchases changing, don't get Kayle's or Morgana's.