@ Riot: Ideas on how you can add summoners back. I am not criticizing your current decisions.
I hope a Rioter reads this!
I posted this on a previous thread, but will add it here.
I think this is completely stupid.
Riot didn't have to delete summoners from the lore. Instead of making us the all-controlling deities they should have made us as assistants to these champions.
For example, while the champion you work for is fighting he will depend on your spells for healing him in battle, resurrecting him, buffing him, or debuffing his opponents. This way summoners could still be part of the lore.
Think about in some animes like Naruto or Bleach. You have your Captains, Vice Captains and then the rest of the flock. The captain and vice captain are the main ones that fight while their followers support them by either opening up gates (to teleport them), or deny enemies escape.
Here is an example scenario:
You are a summoner working for Demacia. Garen has requested your summoning magic to take him to X place to investigate Y anomaly. Garen is trusting you to safely teleport him and aid him should he need aid. Once there he encounters a Noxian, like Sion (who is being aided by another summoner from Noxus). Sion immediately charges at Garen plowing him through some walls. Garen's sword falls the instant he gets hit. You notice he's unarmed, so you summon back his sword and Exhaust Sion, slowing him down, draining his strength. Garen uses this opportunity to call forth his Demacian Justice, impaling Sion giving him extra time to escape or continue the fight.
This would be a more ideal way to keep summoners relevant to the lore.
To extend this further, every faction could be given different types of summoners. For example:
Hecarim, Karthus, Thresh, Mordekaiser, etc would use Necromancers to aid them. Necromancers would use equivalent dark spells to those of other summoners.
Rek'Sai, Cho'Garth, Vel'Koz, Kha'Zix, etc would use a Void Thrall. A Runeterran who practiced magic, but enthralled by the void, similar to Malzahar.
Mechanical beings, like Victor, Blitzcrank, Orianna, and some of the Mecha and Battlecast members would use a Technomancer. Someone who uses technology that mimics magic. Like teleportation devices, Exhaust and Ignite grenades, and magnetic abilities to levitate their champions or repair them(maybe with nano bots).
Ionians would use Monks
Zilean and other time-based champion would use Time Lords to aid them.
Plant/Animal based champions like Zyra, Maokai, Lulu, Udyr, Volibear etc would use Spriggens, or Forest Spirits/Fearies.
The great thing about something like this is that champions would still be the center of attention. They would still be in control of their own destiny and not enslaved to an institute.
Talking about the "Institute of War", instead of making it a place where summoners control champions like puppets. It could be a place to diplomacy. Similar to the UN, but instead of enforcing rules for all nations, it is a place where contracts and agreements could be sign
Okay the first part says its stupid, but what I am basically suggesting is that you guys can still make summoners relevant and reconnect the lore back to the game by reassigning our roles in lore.
Instead of making us the gods you portrayed in your early cinematic videos, you could still keep summoners by making us aids to champions. Instead of us controlling them through magic, we could instead assist them in battle with our "Summoner Spells".
Also, instead of making us intrusive and always in our champion's business, you could make us contractors. This way, when a champion request a summoner's assistance, he contracts one of us and isn't forced into always having one. This could help out with untameable champions like those of the void, Gnar, Shyvana, etc.
The Institute of War could be a negotiation place in which powerful summoners aid factions or individual champions in brokering deals. We do not go on the offensive, we simply are the middle-man.
All of this is free to Riot. Please consider it though. Thank you
