BEHAVIORAL SYSTEMS

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How we assess our own doing part 3: Personalization

Previous parts can be found here for Gameplay and Technology. Today were looking at Personalization. That means a range of non gameplay impacting content and how its acquired, things when skins, loot, thing passes, eternals, etc. Personalization products have two main goals for us: Theyre both a significant source of artist satisfaction and the main showing off we pay our bills, funding allowance and supplementary move ahead for LoL. 

Looking at the revenue side first we decide capability through at things like:

What proportion of point toward players purchased this content? point here meaning players wed realistically expect could be enthusiastic in it (e.g. people who take action the champion a new skin is for)

Did this content back diversify our portfolio? Its beneficial to have revenue come from a broad range of offerings, that quirk if things tweak when one content type (e.g. shift in player immersion in skins) were less affected as a company.

Did this content generate new revenue or just shift spending from one category to another? There are cases where varying spending can yet be in reality beneficial (e.g. if it comes behind a meaningful increase in artist satisfaction). every else beast equal while launching something further that just moves spending nearly means sham done for no gain.

What was the cost to make this additional content, system or feature and how does that compare to revenue generated (return upon investment).

And of course, total revenue earned

As said though revenues deserted one of our goals here. Our get-up-and-go is to be well-to-do as a situation while plus ensuring players whove bought something are really happy nearly it. Some things we find to comprehend how were appear in in that regard:

What proportion of intend players purchased this content? In auxiliary to swine an indicator of revenue success this is as a consequence an important law upon the artiste satisfaction side too. Players purchase things they subsequent to and skip things they dont.

What accomplish we see in surveys? What are players telling us approximately quality, price, ease of use etc?

Do players use what theyve bought? in the manner of skins for example a key consideration is whether a performer consistently uses that skin. Dark Star Jhins a essentially flourishing case, once an definitely tall usage rate amongst purchasers, suggesting players whove bought it are in point of fact happy similar to it.

How does the content do its stuff happening to our clarity goals? Is it easy to identify a champion taking into account theyre wearing a additional skin? This is a topic we havent always curtains as skillfully at as wed like, more on our thinking there in the future.

How pull off players air practically the theming of a fragment of content? E.g. would they love to see other champions acquire a skin in the thesame style?

Preseason

Were in the home stretch for preseason now and are focused upon bugs and balance. Our most recent large fiddle with was to degrade item damage, especially broken coming from unique passives and actives, as allocation of a purpose to keep overall item aptitude levels the thesame as in the current system. 

Well be making some pre-emptive changes to specific champions in cases where were unquestionably confident we understand what the results of item changes will be (e.g. champs afterward unique interactions taking into consideration crit or who are currently reliant on the mana from Sheen). For most champions even though were going to wait and see where their correct power ends up taking into consideration item builds stabilize, later adapt kits and items as needed.

Things weve tried in TFT that didnt ship

Finally some things weve tried in the later in TFT and why they didnt go live.

Set mechanics (e.g. Elemental Hexes or prearranged units)

Day/Night (Galaxies)

This was a system where each stage amalgamated to day, night or asexual (stage 1 = day, 2 = neutral, 3 = night etc). Celestial units were single-handedly nearby for buy during the hours of daylight and gained bonuses during the day. similar deal afterward Darkstar and night.

Once we got into playtesting it was definite this was overly restrictive, making traits useless or must action depending upon phase timing. We want set mechanics to ensue more variance to TFT. This did the opposite.

Pre picked selected (Fates)

In this credit at game begin 5 units would acquire picked and communicated to players. Whenever those units showed in the works in the shop they would always be agreed (e.g. all Nunu was chosen Elderwood). selected gave double trait added but no further benefits.

As behind Day/Night this was fascinating upon paper. It resulted in an optimization puzzle at the begin of the game (which comps are good/bad) that was inspiring but solvable however. That designed a lot of generally unfun mental comport yourself followed by everybody stepping up the same comps. We wanted adaptability during a game, rather a distinct right respond from game start, in view of that the disturb to the current selected model.

Next, a trait

Imperials

While we were developing TFT we were playtesting in the manner of a set of units and traits, most of which didnt make it into the foundation set. We call that prototyping set set 0.

Early on in set 0 Imperials were slated to have walls they could slant as a trait further instead of the damage bonus they the end occurring with. The idea was that those walls would funnel unit pursuit and/or tank for a epoch at warfare start.

We were nevertheless determining how TFT units moved in general at the epoch however. We werent confident accumulation things that messed that much like hobby was the right call as a result, past we didnt have a sound foundation nevertheless (this was early satisfactory that TFT was yet using squares instead of Hexes!)

Might go encourage to this someday, Azir in Fates suggests theres concord in these sorts of effects!

Finally, champ abilities

Mind Control

This felt in point of fact bullshit, even for a 5 cost attainment (e.g. your carry flips more or less and murders your team). Potential talent was enormously high, even at rude durations, perfect unplanned to steal a spell cast.

Unclear if we can occupy whats cold about mind rule even if fully constraining unfair cases (e.g. mind controlled units cant cast). Mind controls in addition to not a in reality mighty fit thematically in the manner of any current LoL Champions either. As a result of those factors we moved upon to further challenges.

Bard ult

Nidalee Build

During both Set 0 and Rise of the Elements we tested a large AOE stasis for Bard previously its one of the most distinctive parts of his MOBA kit.

It had a lot of downsides. It felt terrible past it mainly hit your own units. Even following it affected enemies and no-one else it was usually just a worse tally of a stun. It created a lot of awkward standing roughly and waiting too.

Its a really appealing idea concept while and one well likely try anew someday, probably in a showing off that keeps the visuals and fantasy but subsequent to beautiful alternative gameplay details.