Red Post Collection: Gameplay Thoughts 9/6, Runes Corner, World Championship News & Updates, & more!

Posted on at 4:59 PM by Moobeat
This evening's red post collection includes Meddler's quick gameplay thoughts for September 6th, a new hub for updates on the 2017 World Championship, a preview of the upcoming SG Ahri mini, a Runes Corner preview of more Precision runes, and more!
Continue reading for more information!

Table of Contents


Quick Gameplay Thoughts: September 6 


Here's Meddler with his quick gameplay thoughts for September 6th, covering Runes numbers, possible Janna changes in 7.19, Ornn, and more:
"Morning all, 
Usual Disclaimers 
These posts will often contain talk about future work we're doing, or planning to do, that isn't yet guaranteed to ship. The nature of the work could change or, depending on what we discover, projects mentioned may get put delayed or even stopped. 
If you'd like to see a Tweet whenever a new one of these posts goes up: https://twitter.com/RiotMeddler 
Runes numbers aren't final 
In another note on runes - important to stress that any numbers shown aren't necessarily final ones. Maybe Ultimore will be really overpowered at 20% when fully stacked? If so 20%'s not the number it should be. Pretty confident at 5% fully stacked for example it wouldn't be worth taking, so if 20% does end up being too high let's find that sweet spot in between the two. Important to distinguish between concept (invest some of your pre-game power into a rune that lets you use your ult more) and details (X champion can cast their ult every Y seconds and that's busted). 
Possible Janna changes in 7.19 
We're taking another look at possible Janna changes, with much of the focus there still being on adding a bit more skill expression for Janna and counterplay opportunities for her opponents. Things currently being tested include Q uncharged being weaker/charged being stronger (faster for one thing), E having a longer CD until max rank (windows of vulnerability in lane), longer AA range (incentive a bit more risk taking and active play on Janna's part). Work's still going through quite a bit of iteration, so nothing final yet, hoping to have something in for 7.19 though. 
Ornn 
For anyone that missed it there was another Ornn micro patch to give him a bit more power last week. We're still monitoring that. In 7.19 we'll at least be making some changes to how his item upgrades work (minimum level needed, plus the addition of a new item or two). Possible we give him a bit of extra power in some other regard too, getting to the point though where we also need to be extra careful not to over buff him. We're still seeing a lot of Ornn players struggle, but some of that's still learning curve not kit, and successful Ornns are starting to do quite a bit better."

Meddler replied to a comment on Ardent Censor:
"Quote:
Hey Meddler, are you going to go take another Look on ardent this patch? There are many supports they dont want to play support because everything is played around this item, and it does not makes much fun.
Likely will in 7.19, details to follow on more of 7.19 in general later in the week."

Meddler commented on Evelynn:
"Quote: 
hey meddler is evelynn in full on close enough you cant talk about her status if not what can you say? also about the safe cracker splash since its the one i havent really heard anything about and has twitch in it. is a new splash being made or just added to the splash?
Not much I can say about Eve in general sorry, besides that she's pretty close. Let me get back to you about the splash art, safe cracker in particular, though, should be able to find and share some details on that once I'm in at work."
Reav3 also replied:
"We will just be updating the current safecracker splash to match her new visuals, rather than making a new one from scratch"

Reav3 also commented on the Tango Evelynn splash:
"Quote:
What about for the tango splash?
It will be new, so TF will also get a updated splash with it :)

On the possibility for a shared recall for Tango Evelynn and Tango Twisted Fate, Reav3 responded:
"Quote:
Do you know if the team considered adding a joint dance with Evelynn and TF with this update? I know it's a bit beyond the normal scope, but it feels like if there was a time to do it this would be it.
While this is cool, it wouldn't really work without the joint recall ability and we would never add a ability like that to a skin. The problem being that if they don't recall at the same time then the anim would break when whoever started to recall first, recalled. It would also be really hard for enemies or allies to tell at which point in the recall both players are.
On Kayle, Meddler commented:
"Quote:
Any possible things for Kayle that could add a bit something more interesting or skill expression to her kit since atm she kinda has the case of, win by out statting everyone. Or would it be better just to wait on a VGU for her
My inclination is to leave Kayle roughly where she is until we can do larger work on her. Agree with the stated problem where she'll often just right click people often without the positioning risk other AA dependent champs have to manage. Would be hesitant to try and do small scope work on her however because for a somewhat problematic kit she's not currently causing major problems, so risk of creating some by trying to make improvements on a small time budget's pretty meaningful."

As for Caitlyn, Meddler replied:
"Quote:
Meddler, do you have any thoughts about Caitlyn? She doesn't feel like she's in a good spot right now.
We'll be taking a look at Caitlyn during the 7.19 cycle, not sure on details beyond that yet."

On Azir and Karma, Meddler replied:
"Quote: 
Hey Meddler, seeing as you've chosen the lower range option for Azir, has anything been done to improve the feel of his E when used offensively? The removal of the knock up (although necessary at the time) did make the spell feel significantly less satisfying to use offensively. 
Also, any update on what's going on with Karma? A 42.5% win rate in mid seems a little gross at this point...
Offensive Azir E - Now scales with AP, generates a soldier on hitting an enemy champ (tentative mechanic, but testing well), shield duration lower. 
Karma - Still expecting we'll work on Karma, likely earlier part of next year. Pro versus regular play balance has been an issue with her balance wise, as has lack of a both sufficiently distinct gameplay identity and thematic delivery. Some form of gameplay update is likely, not planning a VGU or art overhaul however. 

Reav3 commented on previously mentioned splash updates:
"Quote:
Hey meddler, any news on the Miss Fortune splashes?
tried contacting Reav3 but he hasn't responded yet
They are currently on hold while the splash team focuses on Eve"

Meddler also answered a commenter's questions on Sterak's Gage and a toggle for 'target champions only':
"Quote:
Is sterak's gage gonna get buffed/reworked?
Can you change the "target champions only" hotkey to a toggle please?
We'll take a look at Sterak's soonish (before pre-season).
I'll pass the champions only toggle suggestion on, suspect it's on a list already but deprioritized versus other UI/engineering changes."


Runes Corner: More Precision Runes

Here's Riot Reinboom with more Precision Runes:
"Hello! Welcome to this week's Rune Corner! 
I'm Riot Reinboom, a Tech Game Designer on Runes Reforged. Today, I'm bring you a glimpse into the legendary Precision style. 
WIP DISCLAIMER: Runes are in active development. This means that names, numbers, icons, game rules, or pretty much anything you can see can change before release. Of course, if there’s anything that you really like in particular make sure to call it out. 
Today I'll be showing you the entirety of a Precision regular Runes slot, the "Legend" slot. To start here's Legend: Alacrity: 
Legend: Alacrity  
Gain 5% attack speed plus an additional 3% for every Legend stack (max 5). 
Gain Legend stacks for every 30 points earned:
20 points for champion takedowns
20 points for epic monster takedowns
4 points for large monster kills
1 points for minion kills

All 3 runes in this slot share two qualities: 
Contrasting to many of the recent reveals, these runes offer a relatively straightforward stat.
The legend mechanic. 
Even within the context of stats, nuanced and interesting decisions can be made that drive two playstyles apart. Even in the old runes system, Quintessences showed some of this. The difference in a Jinx taking a bit of extra Attack Speed to harass more regularly or taking a bit more Life Steal to carry her into the mid game reveals two very different types of Jinx play. But not all stats carry this same level of contrast. There is a subtle difference for a Jinx when it comes to Lethality versus Attack Damage runes, but for most players these two just play out as a very subtle math optimization game, and most players will let a guide get them through. 
For Runes Reforged, we want to capture the interesting stat decisions here without the ones that are more prone to being math problems. So, Attack Speed and Life Steal are good starts: 
Legend: Bloodline 
Gain 1% life steal for every Legend stack (max 5).

But what's with that Legend mechanic? 
One of the largest issues we face with stats is what happens you start the game with a lot of it. Too much early Life Steal can make a lane drag on forever. Too little and it's just not very effective by the time mid game rolls around. Attack Speed can define jungle clear speeds, which means we could never offer enough to make it exciting elsewhere without making it mandatory for junglers. 
Legend is our take on making these decisions fully enabled by mid game, while having relevance throughout most of laning phase. At the same time, they also offer a way to show off your strengths over your opponent and get rewarded for it, speaking to the skillful and precise play the Precision path highlights. And of course, by slowing opening them up, we give a chance for laners to adapt to some stats that would otherwise be a bit more hard countery. 
Legend: Tenacity 
Gain 3% tenacity plus an additional 5% for every Legend stack (max 5).

We'll be hanging out in the comments section for a while to answer questions. :) 
You can check the previous Runes Corner posts here:

Riot Reinboom replied to a commented asking about omnivamp:
"Quote:
IMO legend:bloodline should give omnivamp instead of lifesteal
Precision is the attack centric path. 
There is a rune in another path that offers omnivamp."

Riot Reinboom also confirmed there will be a way to track rune stats:
"There will be a way to track your stacks in game, as well as track many other Runes specific things."

 Riot Sparkle commented on designing runes to give different playstyles:
"Quote:
That would make it so that there's basically no difference between you playing a champion and anyone else. Item builds largely are the same in every game, except for maybe one or two situational items. 
And the whole point of these runes is to offer different playstyles. So yes, there may be one setup that gives the most damage, but then it lacks any kind of defense or utility. 
This is a good question and your answer here touches some of our thinking. 
From a design perspective, we do find value in having a distinct pregame space where we ask you to make decisions about how you want to play or how you think you'll play. We call these "predictive" decisions and many of the new runes touch on that space. A lot of that is where the "playstyle" questions about how you want to play vs. other people come into play - I want to play Morgana support instead of mid and I focus on the shield vs. the pool, etc. 
Many items ask you to make "reactive" decisions instead, asking you what you'd like to do based on the state of the game - they have a fed Tristana so I will buy a Thornmail, etc. Not that all items are reactive, something like Dark Seal would be considered predictive as well for example. Items are a great point of mastery in this case - learning and adapting item builds are one of the ways you can get better at mastering League (runes too we hope!) 
Basically, we think both types of decision making are valuable and fun for players (and good for the game!), but they're slightly different kinds of decisions."

The 2017 World Championship news and updates

With Worlds 2017 fast approaching, a new hub for Worlds news and updates is now up on the LoLEsports site and will be kept updated as the event plays out:

"Welcome to our 2017 World Championship hub. This will be your one-stop-shop for everything Worlds 2017. From player features to match highlights, we’ll have it all linked in one easy-to-browse article. 
Below you’ll find categorized lists of all the best Worlds 2017 content on Lolesports. We’ll keep it updated as the event unfolds, so don’t sweat it if you fall behind. Bookmark this page so you can always come back here to catch up on the latest Worlds action. 

News

Which Teams Are Competing in the 2017 World Championship? 
How Do Teams Qualify for Worlds 2017? 
Worlds 2017 Format, Dates, Regional Seeding and more 

Group Draw Show

Watch on September 12 @ 5:00 AM PT on Lolesports

What is the Group Draw Show?
Procedural Guide to the Group Draw

International Tickets

Wuhan (Play-In Stage and Group Stage) International Tickets 
We’ll have more info in the coming weeks on how to secure your tickets for the other stages of Worlds 2017.
More information on the group draw can be found in the Draw Show Primer article:


2017 Star Guardian Product Collection Coming

Along with the release of the new skins and content, a batch of Star Guardian merch will also be released on September 7th! 
"The 2017 Star Guardian product collection is coming September 7! Part of this collection includes the launch of our new line of Team Mini figures with Set 1 representing the first five Star Guardians (Lux, Jinx, Poppy, Janna and Lulu). 
To celebrate this special event a Limited Edition Star Guardian Ahri Team Mini figure will also be available at 11 AM PST on that day."
The Riot Games Merch Facebook posted a preview of the Star Guardian Ahri mini figure that will be released with the skins on September 7th:
"We promised an exclusive sneak peak of the Limited Edition Star Guardian Ahri Team Mini. Here she is! Ahri debuts September 7th at 11am PST in the Merch store in limited quantities to help celebrate the launch of the Team Mini line."

Quick Hits

  • Riot Zimberfly confirmed the VFX for the Star Guardian recalls, as well as spawn music, were added for each skin:
"Morning everyone! At long last, this year's Star Guardian theme music has been added to all recalls, as well as new opening spawn-in music."
"Obviously there is a huge team that all contribute to New Champs and VGUs.  
That being said the main designer of the next new champ is CertainlyT  
SolCrushed is currently the main designer on the team that will work on the VGU after Swain."
"Ornn micropatch: Q pillar spawns faster/knocks back slightly on spawn. W range up slightly. W goes further. E doesn't displace slightly now."
  • The 7.17 patch notes were also updated, documenting the following Ornn changes:

Reminders

Last up, a few reminders on upcoming and ending soon promotions and sales!
  • As mentioned in 7.17 notes, Hunt of Blood Moon returns to the RGMQ from 8/25/17 at 12:00 PM PT - 8/29/17 at 04:00 AM PT and 8/31/17 at 12:00 PM PT - 9/5/17 at 04:00 AM PT.
[BACK TO TOP]

No comments

Post a Comment