Improvements to the Teambuilder experience.

MrSc0tty·7/24/2014, 6:37:37 PM·13 votes·1,429 views

Team builder was billed by riot as a way for players to escape the traditional meta and play whatever they'd like. In theory, that's exactly what the game needs. In practice, though, more often than not it goes like this:

"Id like to try out a game as Mid Support Lulu. Since well be giving up a jungler, I'll take smite to leash jungle camps and buffs to my laners, and try to make the gold difference up from me being mid by zoning out the enemy mid."

This idea worked amazingly well, but it was nearly impossible to try explaining that to any botlane teammate who joined up. I was reduced to typing. "Wait listen!" Before they decided to leave.

Same thing when trying to queue up. Even playing traditionally "underpowered" champs like Ashe or slightly off meta supports like Zilean makes the wait times give times what they should be as everyone who plays TB to get Lucian/Lee Sin/Braum/Ziggs/Yasuo every match rejects you.

WHAT WE NEED:

  1. insta-dodge delay if the team has fewer members in it. 30seconds max ( only the host there) down to "you may insta dodge" if there are four other team members.

  2. slight IP incentive to queuing as the most needed role. +25 IP "fill bonus" would do tons to reduce queue times.

  3. a 300 character optional chat bubble to briefly explain your goals with your champ choice if you're off meta. This would appear beside your portrait when your host is looking to accept or reject you.

TL;DR: fix team builder by making it harder to queue hop, incentivizing filling roles, and allowing you to explain your pick before people reject you.

12 Comments

RiotRiot Baconhawk7/26/2014, 12:32:28 AM7 votes

Love #3, the chat bubble. Yes, I am playing Karma jungle. Yes, I am serious. Yes, we are going to win. #freelo

Flamecowz7/25/2014, 3:45:29 AM2 votes

This is an amazing idea. I always hated it when I wanted to try something new but no one would accept you. I think the chat bubble thing would be a cool way how to fix this but i have a feeling that some people wont even read the message and just be like, "ugh, a zac jungler, I don't want this guy." And they will say that before they even read the message. And the sad part is, Zac is a jungler and people still don't let me play him.

Matthias91197/25/2014, 5:43:58 AM2 votes
  1. insta-dodge delay if the team has fewer members in it. 30seconds max ( only the host there) down to "you may insta dodge" if there are four other team members.

I don't think this is really the way to go. If they don't want to play with you, forcing them to sit there doesn't make anyone happy. They're stuck, and you're waiting longer before you could potentially get a replacement for them.

They do hit players who leave teams repeatedly with a time penalty before they can requeue. Maybe that needs to be adjusted.

  1. slight IP incentive to queuing as the most needed role. +25 IP "fill bonus" would do tons to reduce queue times.

I'm not sure if this might lead to lots of "Support Darius", etc., but it might be worth trying.

  1. a 300 character optional chat bubble to briefly explain your goals with your champ choice if you're off meta. This would appear beside your portrait when your host is looking to accept or reject you.

I don't see any harm there, so sure. :-)

Ultimately, the issue is that most people want "meta" teams and aren't particularly interested in trying off-the-wall strategies. (Which is fair sometimes, like if someone's trying to practice a particular champ/role for Ranked play.) Players in a less popular role have plenty of teams to choose from, so they can afford to be picky.

Which is not really something Riot can directly fix with the structure of Team Builder itself. It's the community that has to change.

Worgslarg7/24/2014, 8:25:43 PM2 votes

You make some good points.

However, this is league, and people will reject a non meta role regardless of an explanation.

For playing outside the meta, the best solution is simply to find open minded friends.

Linna Excel7/26/2014, 12:50:17 AM2 votes

I'd like to see how much demand each lane has, not just for 4 top required combos.

ïîï8/19/2014, 4:35:21 PM1 votes

"Hi im Cape I feed, plz take me as a Sona Jungle" lol

The trolls will have fun if they added this one

sleepymike7/27/2014, 12:30:45 AM1 votes

I see teambuilder as ive always seen the game, but in this case i take it as a lower chance of trolling. The longer the wait the better sometimes because impatient people would never wait 10 min for a game or might rush things >foreshadows gamemaply style< i do see the log bubble and the instaqueue join like a good idea, but i think the "ip fill boost" is the best, although i dont think 20ip or 50ip will do, i think you should start with 100 for 10 games, then work it down if it gets overused or abused. There are many good changes that could be embedded into this system, but i dont see riot paying much attention to it, much like twisted treeline and bot/ practice gameplay.

Sluiceway7/27/2014, 7:18:03 PM1 votes

Forgive me for linking this through your post, but I think my suggestion to enable team builder in coop vs ai games would also improve team builder. http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/summoners-rift/hAonpJna-extend-team-builder-to-ai-games-please

Shoken7/24/2014, 10:12:59 PM1 votes

I like the bubble chat thing.