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Why Galio's Update is not a success

blackfootedfox·3/29/2017, 5:41:16 AM·6 votes·1,287 views

Please note: These are just my personal opinions and expressions.

Galio's update did a lot to the champion, both to his kit and to his character. I'd say the kit changes were for the most part a success, they kept the all in on ult in his kit, even if changing how to get there. They even kept his aoe taunt! The kit changes were needed for sure, as Galio himself was stuck with this odd mix of abilities (long range poke, all in ult, incredibly awesome healing and counter to damage over time abilities).

But his change of character is a failure. Perhaps it makes sense in how they made the new lore, but I cannot accept this is the character named Galio. Rioters have been repeating this idea that his prior state did not have a personality, but that idea is a rejection of the truth. Many have described their thoughts on Galio's personality, but what I take away from all this is that Riot didn't like the old Galio or understand his playerbase.

A lot of players don't care or even like the flashy playstyles and personalities. Galio's old character was an understated sentinel, he didn't need to speak much and had an internal strife that resonated well with this small group of players that felt like they shared that powerful silent angst. And now we have a loud giant with the same name, joyful yet in strife. And sure, seeing more emotions come out of this guy will make more people play him, but that wasn't what many of Galio's original playerbase wanted or even enjoyed. They liked Galio for being understated, which is something the new guy doesn't have.

You can read this and recommend other characters that fall into this trope like Maokai or the new Warwick but that doesn't fix the feeling of loss that many OG players feel when a rework happens. It happens with every rework, but the reality is that it is worse when Riot ignores the portions of the community that care about the changes, rather than the people hyping up for the new thing.

Thank you for reading.

10 Comments

Ralanr3/29/2017, 12:41:42 PM9 votes

Personally I did not see much of Galio's sorrow in his in game quotes, which I feel is itself a failure in representing his character.

Now obviously they could have gone that route and made it more noticeable in game, but they didn't. And I think it might have to do with the setting itself.

Demacia is basically anti-magic and Galio is a magical construct. So therefore it'd be weird for Galio to be an intentional magical construct for Demacia. Meaning that he can't really be made with this thought of having this one purpose (protect this one person) and then fail at it because he can't act on it as a statue.

So instead they made him a statue made of something that was beneficial in battle that fulfilled his purpose. He wasn't specifically told to defend Demacia, he was just intended for that job by existing. Him coming to life wasn't intended at all. So then his personality changes because he himself doesn't even see that he fails at his job. He wakes up with magic, then smashes it, then falls asleep.

Such a character doesn't seem that sorrowful, and if he was then he might seem kinda whiny. For someone who only comes to life on rare occasions, spending that time feeling sorrowful looks like a waste of the time. Trying to live his time out to the fullest however does not.

If old Galio could fit with new Demacia, then he probably would have stayed like that in lore. But being a magical construct in a faction against magic is difficult to justify.

GreenLore3/29/2017, 2:10:03 PM5 votes

Well that depends on how you define a successful VGU. Is it only a success if it appeals to the old playerbase?Or is it a success if it appeals to a larger amount of players,even if some old players don't like it?

Keyshe3/29/2017, 6:31:12 AM4 votes

Personally if I separate myself from my salty feelings about Galio, I end up just scratching my head trying to figure out why the major change to Galio personality, why the departure? Why was it needed and why was the rework team so set on it? What was it about the old that they just couldn't work with/didn't like? Need him to look more like the current Demacian style? Ok... that's easy to work with.... need him to not be dark/glum all the time, ok... that couldn't have been not hard....

It feels more then anything the lore team are all new, fresh out of art school or whatever with little love or connection to the original game, and thus are all too happy to build something of their own.

I've been playing since before the Karma rework, not a lot sooner, after all the these reworks/updates... from small to major I have a hard time understanding why they keep doing it. What really gained? Why did Poppy become a different girl, why is Taric no longer about gems... but stars ect .Even Thresh's lore changes... and he was part of the new lore without the league. I'd be one thing... if they built upon them and made the changes more an evaluation... rather then dropping the old. More blended... Just looking at the new lore updates along with Galio, small weird changes and retcons to Jarvan, Vayne and Shyvana. And with lux... leaving little room for other Demacian mages...

I do not see that sticking... they themselves made the removal of the League, as they didn't want to be held back in world building...

Will it keep happening every time? Will every champion and lore update end up with someone new in the old place? No stability and building upon the already 'existing' mythos and characters? Will the next time we see the Freljord... or Shurima something else is retconned??

Rosenwyn3/29/2017, 7:29:35 AM4 votes

I really liked Galio's old lore with Poppy. I thought it was really cute, even if there wasn't a lot there, and I think it would have been nice had it been developed and expanded upon. Overall I'm rather unimpressed with the Galio rework's story and the retcons to the other champion's lore; I think Shyvana's was really nice (tragic loss of a parent, a half-breed stuck in the world on her own with no family), etc. so I'm sad to see that go. Her new lore is interesting too but... I think there was a certain element that was lost in some of these retcons and while there might have not been much lore, it makes me sad.

It also makes me a bit worried about some other champions like Kayle and Morgana, too. I've always loved the duality of their characters and how you can typecast them as one thing but see other elements to there characters (eg Kayle was 'good' and Morgana as 'evil,' Kayle as tyrannical law and Morgana as chaotic freedom) and I really hope that doesn't end up lost in translation. With the Warwick rework though I'm curious what they're going to do with Soraka, though.

Sexy Jack Rabbit3/29/2017, 2:03:40 PM3 votes

I think most people have accepted that the Galio update wasn't exactly the most respectful when looking back at his old self. Really not much of his old Kit or personality shines through.

Even in cases like Poppy, where Kit-wise she went for a wide departure, Lore-wise she is still thick-headed and stubborn.

I think as a new character Galio is a fantastic champion to add to the roster, but as a replacement of the old Galio, he's not a shining example of a community most catered to.