devtrackers.gg → RiotJag
RiotJag

RiotJag



08 Jun

How does riot decide if a champion has mana or manaless?

Comment

Simplest answer: how do we want this champion to be subject to attrition? Are they easily pokeable (like most melee) and so their resource gating is on Health, instead of say mana?

Longer answer: what will feel right for this champion? Every champion has to be balanced, and being resourceless is almost always a large amount of power that they'll have to pay for somehow.

For example, Katarina definitely benefits from being resourceless in terms of being able to farm for a long period of time, but as a result the poke power of her Q is just really low (as otherwise she would be too overbearing in the attrition war). So she gets more tools to scale in exchange for decreased personal snowball power in lane.

As with a lot of design decisions, it's hard to say that's objectively good or bad - there's tradeoffs - but ideally it fits the play experience that Kat players are looking for.

Upcoming Mobility changes to Patch 11.13

Comment

Originally posted by Peaky_Blinders

whole balance team smurfing lately, now buff ap items

okay but only because you're being nice


06 Jun

Out of the 10 most played champions on Mid right now, 7 are assassins, 3 are Vlad, Yasuo and Yone

Comment

Very much on the radar.

1v 5 Aatrox outplay

Comment

noice


03 Jun

Ask Riot: More New Items When?

Comment

Originally posted by TerenasIII

Last question, are you taking over the comms on gameplay design choices since Mark is moving to the MMO?

No, but you'll probably see a little more of me over the next few months.

Ask Riot: More New Items When?

Comment

Originally posted by TerenasIII

Thank you for the insight! Considering that there is much discussions around these two items, but it’s hard to grasp their strength only from their ideal design description, when will we have the chance to have more infos regarding them?

soontm

Ask Riot: More New Items When?

Comment

Originally posted by TerenasIII

You probably already asked the pro teams why the Shen change wasn’t valued as highly. Is it one of those cases where something is clearly strong but pros ignore it for a long time? (Example of this, Censer untouched for 31 weeks then nerfed to the ground in season 7)

We strongly suspected this wouldn't be a pro-facing change when we shipped it.

Pros use R much more pre-emptively - more of an initiation spell on an ally that's already at full health - and tend to de-value the actual defensive power of the shield. Whereas in Solo Queue it's used far more reactively on a target that is under threat of death from the enemy's initiation, and so the shield is disproportionately more valuable there.

Ask Riot: More New Items When?

Comment

Originally posted by ZeysarSama

I am really excited about the new tank item. It's innovative without breaking champion classification boundaries (unlike Stridebreaker). It sounds like a macro-based item, can't wait! It might also be introduced to counteract the Sanguine rework against splitpushers.

As for enchanters, I expected a tank mythic before another enchanter one but here we go. I am wondering when the balance from tank supports to enchanters will finally tip over in pro play. Especially with the new tank item this could be the case since the engage can be shifted to toplane again or jungle.

I am really disappointed that there will be no new mage items though. Not mythics per se, but the selection of legendaries feels more like what is the least bad choice instead of strategically itemizing.

Enchanters in pro probably need help sooner than the point of Mythic item completion. Something we're looking at, but isn't simple to change without a high chance of collateral damage.

edit: "collateral damage" was a bit vague - mostly referring to excessively inflating enchanter solo queue power level there.

Ask Riot: More New Items When?

Comment

Originally posted by HOWDOIVESTS

anti-splitpush tank item

Prepare for 100% presence shen

That was what everyone said with the last R buff we did too.

He had 0 picks at MSI.

Ask Riot: More New Items When?

Comment

Originally posted by ThaKinetic

The zhonya-ish enchanter item sounds uh... Interesting to play against. I'm not calling it broken before it even hits PBE, but "kill the soraka" is difficult enough as it is. If assassins can't reliably blow up squishy supports... Let's just say I hope they learned from Yuumi in that aspect.

The tank item that reduces damage is going to be pretty interesting. I honestly think its these kinds of designs that Riot should be going for. Instead of making broad "Everything is sunfire" items, making niche items that players can choose to opt into on a game-per-game basis just seems like the right way to go. This item (hopefully) cannot be built every game but in some games its optimal.

The change to make sanguine blade 1vX seems to indicate that it's not going to lose its power if multiple enemies arrive? Which is honestly huge. Not sure about the "more damage to towers if a tank is nearby" thing is going to be fun at all. This item might end up being giga toxic but we'll...

Read more

Yep, we're aware that these burst resistance item spaces can be tricky/risky, so we're making sure the that supports who opt into this are incurring a major opportunity cost (should feel like a major loss of output to not get Ardent Censer or whatever instead).


27 May

Wukong with Divine Sunderer + Black Cleaver Buffs

Comment

As far as venting goes, I thought this was quite level-headed!

I can tell you that we do pay attention to the community, and we try to communicate with the community as openly as we can. Engaging in player discussion regarding changes can take just as much as implementing them, so hopefully you can believe we're doing our best with the time we have. A full patch-by-patch AMA seems like a cool idea that we could think about doing in the future. We also put a lot of time into every patch note, and it's hard to squeeze all the design considerations we make into a few words of context, but I can confidently say we're investing a ton of careful thought into each change we make to the game.

As far as Wukong goes - I can respect your vision of game balance. I will say that our approach does attempt to balance the game assuming that players will play to win, and consequently will build what is the most powerful item to enable that goal. At the same time, we also have a goal...

Read more

22 Apr

Goodbye, League: A brief love letter from a visually impaired player

Comment

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I can't imagine how difficult losing your vision must be.

Thanks for being a part of the game. League is a better community with positive people like you in it.


20 Apr

Patch 11.9 Preview (MSI Patch)

Comment

Originally posted by FunnyBunnyH

All right I am giving it my best shot on behalf of Lux-mains! Is it possible to get any buffs to her in the foreseeable future? In 11.8 she hit the worst stats as far as I can tell regarding S11, even her Mid WR dropped sub 50 in most ELO-s. Her support WR below 50% across most ELO all season.

She did not receive any reasonable changes since 10.17 (her shield nerf), but her WR-s went down significantly in both position in S11, especially support role, meaning that the item-changes and the massive meta shift kinda left her in a bad spot.

Given her being a very popular champion, I think some buffs to her would make a lot of people happy, without making her OP given how far from optimal she is at the moment in the current meta.

Any thoughts on this /u/Riotjag ?

We brought her up and she felt close to the line of buff territory. Maybe in the next few patches? Sorry, can't promise any more than that, but I do hear you.

Patch 11.9 Preview (MSI Patch)

Comment

Originally posted by MinorBones

Are you guys satisfied with Akali right now? Seems like she's finally good in solo q without being a priority for pro play.

I think so? Definitely want to see more competitive patches but she seems in a much less pro-bound spot than she was before.

Patch 11.9 Preview (MSI Patch)

Comment

Originally posted by kakaleyte

/u/RiotJag

Can I ask why Fiddlesticks didn't get nerfed? His core item got nerfed in latest patch and I though it might do it but he is still overperforming.

diamond2+

Champion Win Rate Pick Rate Ban Rate
Fiddlesticks 54.72% 4.6% 6.4%
Rumble(mid) 54.66% 3.1% 3.8%
Diana(mid) 53.90% 4.1% 12.1%

Fiddlesticks is definitely looking strong but he didn't hit our Overpowered bands this patch. Our win rate metrics put him a bit lower than what you have cited here.


16 Apr

Quick Gameplay Thoughts 4/16: How we choose lane champs for jungle changes.

Comment

Originally posted by asiantuttle

Give us a sign if Jankos is holding you hostage

LF sejuani flair

Quick Gameplay Thoughts 4/16: How we choose lane champs for jungle changes.

Comment

Originally posted by xSeeii

In the meantime, expect more systemic jungle changes in 11.10, aimed at raising the jungle floor, and not the ceiling.

Can anyone explain this in more detail? by raising the "jungle floor" isn't this suggesting raising the barrier to entry? i.e making jungle more difficult to learn/play overall?

In this case it means raising the minimum output of a jungler. Or in other words, making the worst jungler players less bad at it.

Quick Gameplay Thoughts 4/16: How we choose lane champs for jungle changes.

Comment

Originally posted by homer12346

Yetter jungle wins

just speakin the truth

Quick Gameplay Thoughts 4/16: How we choose lane champs for jungle changes.

Comment

Originally posted by GameBoy09

/u/RiotJag

f**k it.

Braum jungle.

Make his passive not go on cooldown on Jungle Camps and deal 200% against monsters.

Make it happen.

hmmmm

Quick Gameplay Thoughts 4/16: How we choose lane champs for jungle changes.

Comment

Originally posted by ThisIsSnake

/u/RiotJag

Do you think there is a way to make Kai'sa jungle viable? Would be cool to see another hyperscale marksmen in the JG.

Edit: Yeah I know Kai'sa is right a now an over picked champ that people are upset with. I get seeing her more right now might be scary, but I'd just like to remind you that JG Kai'sa was kind of one of her off roles for her first couple of patches but was never very good and dropped off.

I think it's definitely possible but far too risky.

For one, her pro presence is high enough that adding flex potential would always be dangerous; in her case it would probably be disastrous, as most of her draft responses are oriented around her lane being vulnerable.

And two, most jungle solutions would buff a pro-facing strength (Epic Monster speed).

It was really fun that she could jungle on release, and I wish we could give that back, but it's probably not great for her or the game. :(