Rift is undergoing a massive rework!
I know this doesn't sound like a great thing. I totally understand that. I myself am a little frustrated with the extra time that will be required. However, it has become clear to me that the detail in the Champions is both an asset and overdone. There are simple, universal changes I can make which will streamline the experience for players - especially players who are not familiar with the source material.
As I continue to develop this game it is fitting more closely as a vehicle I can use to convey the fourth act of my story: the period of time between the Death of Magic and the Entanis Perling saga. I've been working on a concept for a TCG that is also an RPG for some time now, and one of the weaknesses in the concept has been the combat system. Rift has filled that void for me and become the vehicle I can use for game combat.
This means that I am more committed to the idea of reworking the entire game based on my IP instead of Riot's. This, then, consequently means that I will be undertaking another version of the game in the near or distant future. I am going to be using the card design of the LOL-based Champions as a framework for determining what elements work in a game and what elements do not work. This should give me the starting point that I've been needing.
I don't want to get too sidetracked on that thought, though.
I decided the first focus of the rework should be to consolidate all effects that were similar into a single effect, to reduce any confusion. For instance, I had MARK, ELECTRIFY and FROST. All three of these effect are types of MARKs. The benefit of keeping them separated is that it prevents too much Champion interaction and gives a means by which I can ensure there aren't too many blatantly overpowered team compositions. However, one theme that has stood out in the play tests is that the strategic options I've built in are working, but not in an overpowered way and there are frequently compositions which prevent the synergies I was hoping to provide. I think some "cross-pollination" of the effects might help to alleviate this. Yes, it is at the potential cost of a team composition being too dominant, but I think overall this is going to be a good change.
To that end, then, I've reduced the number of effects from 14 to 7. But cutting it in half, I think the game will be greatly improved.
I've also simplified effect tracking! All effects are now removed at the end of the recipients next turn (1 round) instead of at the end of the source's next turn. This moves agency for managing effects into the hands of the person managing the Champions and also stops penalizing players for moving their Champions during the Move phase (or giving them unnecessary additional benefit if they move them the other direction). The only exception to this rule is for MARKs, which remain on the Champion until they are consumed. This improves the experience of setup Champions like Kennen or Vayne. These Champions tend to die too faster to gain any real benefit from the MARKs they apply, making it feel like an unnecessary disappointment rather than an interesting mechanic. Having MARKs remain persistent should improve this experience.
Another huge change is that I've taken my game experience from the play tests so far and applied it to every single Champion's abilities to streamline their description and mechanics and make them work better with the game. Some Champions have proven to be unexpectedly overpowered. Some have proven to be much less powerful than originally anticipated. This is fine, but there are some rough edges that had to be removed (hello Ashe). I've also made the mechanics less fiddly anywhere that I could.
For instance, Lissandra formerly would gain FRIGID (a status) the first time she killed an enemy Champion. This status then protected her from her first death and essentially wiped whatever lane she was in when she died. It was a very binary mechanic, though, and only had counterplay when the opponent properly understood what was going on and prepared for it. This felt fine for players who knew Lissandra and had some idea of what to expect, but for players with no familiarity it felt needlessly punishing.
To streamline her abilities, she now no longer gains a frivolous status in FRIGID. Instead, the first time she kills an enemy Champion, she doubles her maximum health. Whenever she has more health than her maximum, she loses 2 health at the start of the round and deals 2 damage to all units in her lane. This retains her lane clear identity, but gives the opponent a clear indication of the cost of placing minions in that lane while she is still interacting in this way. I think it should open more opportunity for counterplay while retaining a lot of her strength. Yes, there is room for abuse, as Lissandra can then move from lane to lane and wipe out the minions for as long as this status lasts. This could make a Lissandra+healer combination possibly too powerful. It may still need change. Even so, it is easier to understand, avoid and execute in this new iteration.
Finally, and I know this has been a long post, I am reducing the default sets. Champions are being reduced from 55 to 27. I will still be updating the other 28 Champions, just not immediately and possibly not until after a few rounds of play testing. Items are being reduced from 26 to 15. Summoner spells are being reduced from 8 to 3. This is not due to balance issues. It is just to simplify the game for starting out.
Here is the list of the starter set Champions:
Ahri
Akali
Anivia
Ashe
Blitzcrank
Braum
Gangplank
Garen
Gnar
Jax
Kayle
Kha'Zix
Lissandra
Miss Fortune
Nidalee
Poppy
Pyke
Rek'Sai
Rengar
Sejuani
Shen
Shyvana
Soraka
Tristana
Twisted Fate
Vayne
Warwick
And here is a list of the starter set Items:
Hextech Protobelt
Executioner's Calling
Locket of the Iron Solari
Mortal Reminder
Righteous Glory
Rod of Ages
Adaptive Helm
Death's Dance
Rabadon's Deathcap
Spirit Visage
Thornmail
Warmog's Armor
Banshee's Veil
The Bloodthirster
Zephyr
Lastly, the list of starter set Summoner Spells:
Cleanse
Flash
Heal
The bright side of this reduction is that it will cut production time and cost (not quite in half, but close).
Addendum: It has been noted by my good friend Jon Blycker that removing the Summoner Spells from the game would take quite a bit from the game and I am given to agree. All of the Summoner Spells will stay in the game (there are a couple that are altered, but for the better I am certain).
I know this doesn't sound like a great thing. I totally understand that. I myself am a little frustrated with the extra time that will be required. However, it has become clear to me that the detail in the Champions is both an asset and overdone. There are simple, universal changes I can make which will streamline the experience for players - especially players who are not familiar with the source material.
As I continue to develop this game it is fitting more closely as a vehicle I can use to convey the fourth act of my story: the period of time between the Death of Magic and the Entanis Perling saga. I've been working on a concept for a TCG that is also an RPG for some time now, and one of the weaknesses in the concept has been the combat system. Rift has filled that void for me and become the vehicle I can use for game combat.
This means that I am more committed to the idea of reworking the entire game based on my IP instead of Riot's. This, then, consequently means that I will be undertaking another version of the game in the near or distant future. I am going to be using the card design of the LOL-based Champions as a framework for determining what elements work in a game and what elements do not work. This should give me the starting point that I've been needing.
I don't want to get too sidetracked on that thought, though.
I decided the first focus of the rework should be to consolidate all effects that were similar into a single effect, to reduce any confusion. For instance, I had MARK, ELECTRIFY and FROST. All three of these effect are types of MARKs. The benefit of keeping them separated is that it prevents too much Champion interaction and gives a means by which I can ensure there aren't too many blatantly overpowered team compositions. However, one theme that has stood out in the play tests is that the strategic options I've built in are working, but not in an overpowered way and there are frequently compositions which prevent the synergies I was hoping to provide. I think some "cross-pollination" of the effects might help to alleviate this. Yes, it is at the potential cost of a team composition being too dominant, but I think overall this is going to be a good change.
To that end, then, I've reduced the number of effects from 14 to 7. But cutting it in half, I think the game will be greatly improved.
I've also simplified effect tracking! All effects are now removed at the end of the recipients next turn (1 round) instead of at the end of the source's next turn. This moves agency for managing effects into the hands of the person managing the Champions and also stops penalizing players for moving their Champions during the Move phase (or giving them unnecessary additional benefit if they move them the other direction). The only exception to this rule is for MARKs, which remain on the Champion until they are consumed. This improves the experience of setup Champions like Kennen or Vayne. These Champions tend to die too faster to gain any real benefit from the MARKs they apply, making it feel like an unnecessary disappointment rather than an interesting mechanic. Having MARKs remain persistent should improve this experience.
Another huge change is that I've taken my game experience from the play tests so far and applied it to every single Champion's abilities to streamline their description and mechanics and make them work better with the game. Some Champions have proven to be unexpectedly overpowered. Some have proven to be much less powerful than originally anticipated. This is fine, but there are some rough edges that had to be removed (hello Ashe). I've also made the mechanics less fiddly anywhere that I could.
For instance, Lissandra formerly would gain FRIGID (a status) the first time she killed an enemy Champion. This status then protected her from her first death and essentially wiped whatever lane she was in when she died. It was a very binary mechanic, though, and only had counterplay when the opponent properly understood what was going on and prepared for it. This felt fine for players who knew Lissandra and had some idea of what to expect, but for players with no familiarity it felt needlessly punishing.
To streamline her abilities, she now no longer gains a frivolous status in FRIGID. Instead, the first time she kills an enemy Champion, she doubles her maximum health. Whenever she has more health than her maximum, she loses 2 health at the start of the round and deals 2 damage to all units in her lane. This retains her lane clear identity, but gives the opponent a clear indication of the cost of placing minions in that lane while she is still interacting in this way. I think it should open more opportunity for counterplay while retaining a lot of her strength. Yes, there is room for abuse, as Lissandra can then move from lane to lane and wipe out the minions for as long as this status lasts. This could make a Lissandra+healer combination possibly too powerful. It may still need change. Even so, it is easier to understand, avoid and execute in this new iteration.
Finally, and I know this has been a long post, I am reducing the default sets. Champions are being reduced from 55 to 27. I will still be updating the other 28 Champions, just not immediately and possibly not until after a few rounds of play testing. Items are being reduced from 26 to 15. Summoner spells are being reduced from 8 to 3. This is not due to balance issues. It is just to simplify the game for starting out.
Here is the list of the starter set Champions:
Ahri
Akali
Anivia
Ashe
Blitzcrank
Braum
Gangplank
Garen
Gnar
Jax
Kayle
Kha'Zix
Lissandra
Miss Fortune
Nidalee
Poppy
Pyke
Rek'Sai
Rengar
Sejuani
Shen
Shyvana
Soraka
Tristana
Twisted Fate
Vayne
Warwick
And here is a list of the starter set Items:
Hextech Protobelt
Executioner's Calling
Locket of the Iron Solari
Mortal Reminder
Righteous Glory
Rod of Ages
Adaptive Helm
Death's Dance
Rabadon's Deathcap
Spirit Visage
Thornmail
Warmog's Armor
Banshee's Veil
The Bloodthirster
Zephyr
The bright side of this reduction is that it will cut production time and cost (not quite in half, but close).
Addendum: It has been noted by my good friend Jon Blycker that removing the Summoner Spells from the game would take quite a bit from the game and I am given to agree. All of the Summoner Spells will stay in the game (there are a couple that are altered, but for the better I am certain).
Thanks for the detailed post!
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