Why would I play LoL over other games? A question to the Narrative team.

As a person that loves lore and story, the lore-rework is something I'm following closely (and so far, and for far too long, disappointingly). The reasons for it are sound - the Institute of War and League of Legends does indeed limit character interactions, and Summoners as a group were far, far to strong. I can happily get behind the idea of better stories for the large and impressively cool cast of characters in League.

But at the end of the day, those stories don't matter in the slightest if they don't affect the game I'm playing.

Take a look at Heroes of the Storm. Each of the characters in HotS has an impressive backstory of accomplishments and narrative reasons to enjoy playing as them. They, of course, have the benefit of being already established in their respective universes. The real draw, to me, for HotS is not the cast of characters, though: it's why they're now in a MOBA fighting each other. Each map in Heroes has specific narrative reasons to 'win' the engagement, and there's narrative reasons for enemies to work together. They are flimsy reasons, granted, but it's _there _.

The new LoL has no reason for Lucian and Thresh not to kill each other the moment they meet. You could make the coolest, most engaging, incredibly story about Lucian and Thresh individually or as a group - but that only adds to the mental disconnect I feel every time I support a Lucian as the Chain Warden. It doesn't make me want to play those champions. It makes me want to read about them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for amazing characters with fully fleshed out stories - of which there is also a distinct lack - but when these amazing characters have zero reason to exist in the game, why should I play the video game League of Legends instead of just reading about the characters?

The Institute of War was a limiting foundation for stories, it's true. Summoners were unhealthy to character development. But they gave me - as a player that loves lore and looks for narrative reasons to play games - a reason to enjoy playing on Summoners Rift. The first champion I ever bought was Morgana, and it had nothing to do with gameplay. I loved the idea of this "fallen" angel, plying her powers to gain political influence for her supporters - whilst also increasing her own power to one day win her war. The Institute and the League, and even Summoners, gave me a specific reason to connect to Morgana, in the game. I could understand her desires and sympathize with her goals. I could feel her passion and disdain for Kayle; moreover, I was a part, if only a minor one, in her storyline.

I don't have that any more. Morgana, like every other character in LoL, is now completely meaningless to the game itself.

So, the question: Why should I play LoL over, say, HotS? HotS has an epic class of characters too, and reasons to play in them in the game. Flimsy reasons that are ultimately unsatisfying, but they exist. That's important to me.

I don't play much League anymore. I only do so, really, when some friends with whom I don't otherwise interact invite me. I have no reason to care about League, as a game. I like the game, and I like Riot as a company. But I have no interest in its characters, no matter how cool they're made to seem.

And that's too bad. Because some of these characters are really nifty. Yasuo's story is something that just excites me every time I see him in game, or hear his vo. I absolutely adore playing his High Noon skin simply for the harmonica. But when nothing I do in game has the slightest difference on his story, well, frankly being able to play a harmonica is not enough of a draw.

Tahm Ketch seems really interesting (and hilarious). His story is compelling, and I love his ironic contrasts. I want to know more about him. I don't want to play him. Why should I? Nothing he does in game matters. His gameplay seems fun enough, and I'll certainly play around with him on the rare occasions I boot up League with friends, but he has nothing to connect me to him as a character beyond said gameplay.

I know full well that Riot is working on answering this question. I know they're hurting lore in the short term for the long term health of the game. I know these kinds of things matter to Narrative just as much - and likely more - then me. I don't even want the Institute back, because it was unhealthy. But there has to be some thing, some reason, some connection to me as a player to these characters. When I ask myself "Why play LoL over another MOBA, or any other kind of game?", I have no answer in terms of narrative. And to a player like me, that means, more often then not, that I'll be playing something else.

So you tell me, Narrative team. Why should I play LoL when other games actually reward me for caring about their characters and stories? I want to want to play your game. Just give me a reason.