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Brainstorming: How to encourage playing with what you get?

Naramiel·1/21/2020, 6:29:57 PM·1 votes·872 views

So part of the theory of TFT is "roll with what you're given": if you're given 3 copies of a champ first level, maybe build around that. This is supposed to be better than forcing a particular comp every game.

I'm fine with that idea, in theory: adaptability should be a relevant game skill. The problem is, though, that say you're given 3 Glacials early and go with that: it is entirely possible, indeed common, to not be given another for the entire game! So in practice, forcing a comp is often the best way to go, since at least you can get very skilled at what exactly is needed for that comp: what items to prioritize, when to econ and when to roll, what add-ons work best, etc.

Can anyone think of a way to help that original vision along? To give the player an advantage for playing different games differently?

  • Just giving a bonus to the chance on champs you already have doesn't really help, as it equally encourages forcing a comp.

  • You could give each player a separate bonus to particular origins/classes at random: this game you have a double chance of Shadow, Woodland and Mystic, and a reduced chance of Inferno, Glacial and Assassin.

That latter idea maybe has potential, though I think if you do you have to tell the player up front?

It would still tick people off if they didn't like the bonuses they were given, or if even with the bonus they still didn't get enough of the "favored" types. But it might help.

Any other ideas?

5 Comments

Sirfetchd211/23/2020, 11:31:02 PM2 votes

The biggest thing that could help with this is the ability to dismantle items. Items play a massive part in your team comp. If you don't get great rolls and a clear comp idea early game then you're doubly screwed because you won't want to make items which might be better as something different later. Instead the best option is to hoard but then your team is so weak that you lose every game. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Xhaiden1/21/2020, 7:07:09 PM1 votes

Unfortunately, there is such a thing as meta (what works best since latest patch - the strongest comps - if you will) -- and going with anything but those comps - puts you at disadvantage (like playing with handicap). Best case scenario - while choosing the weakest comps in the meta... you get 3rd or 4th place if you're lucky enough to bump some units to level 3. Tho, it helps to be lucky for the right items drops as well - or you could get 6th place even with 4 units lvl 3.

With every patch release - the meta dictates what works and what doesn't. And this season... the meta goes against variety - or at least with the changes brought by this patches - Riot discourages it (as mentioned above - going against the meta is like playing with handicap).

Naramiel1/21/2020, 7:56:19 PM1 votes

It's certainly the case that some synergies are just Bad compared to others, but it's not like only Blademaster Azir is winning games: there are 4-5 high tier comps out there.

Now, that IS still maybe too few to really encourage a lot of versatility, since it wouldn't be really helpful for the system to say "play Crystal Assassins". But I still feel like there's some room for a mechanic that rewards people who mix it up more, rather than effectively incentivizing people to play the same comp as best they can every single game.

RavenMagus1/22/2020, 2:59:28 AM1 votes

The game mechanics don't lend themselves to actually playing with what you're given.

You might as well just force a comp with some of your first few units or whatever you like to play because everything else is pure RNG.

It's not like an MTG draft where you can read the signs on what you're passed and make decisions based on that. If you hit refresh three times and you see a Veigar each time, you're either already committed to mages or it doesn't matter to you at all; the Veigars you passed up aren't any more likely to come back around than anything else in the shop. You can't make a decision to switch to mages based on that if you passed up the first two already.

Heroboy101/22/2020, 9:19:24 AM1 votes

{quoted}

if you're given 3 copies of a champ first level, maybe build around that.

This will encourage player to roll-eggs more than now.

I like more the idea of changing comp from 1-3 tier to 2-4 and then from 2-4 tier to 3-5 tier.

I like your second idea by giving each player a separate bonus to particular origins/classes.

{quoted}

It's certainly the case that some synergies are just Bad compared to others, but it's not like only Blademaster Azir is winning games: there are 4-5 high tier comps out there.

I don't see late game synergies bad compared to others. IMO woodlands, predators should to be good for early-mid game.

But late game I see now a lot of good synergies and combinations such like:

  1. lights + soulbound (a little nerf is needed here)
  2. blender X blademasters (nerf Sivir's ultimate is necessary)
  3. blademasters + assassins
  4. 3 shadow + 3 inferno + 3 summoner + 2 ranger
  5. 3 mages/inferno + 4 oceans
  6. 6 mages/inferno
  7. rangers + poison (singed)/warden
  8. assassins + summoner
  9. Olaf (berseker, glacial) + poison
  10. electric warden (zed)
  11. Tier 5 units with items (can replace entire comp)

Also these can be combine with Lunar and Mystic.

Of course always there will be a meta (that beat the others) after a patch of nerf and buff.