League of Legends: Arena - A Formal Proposal
I. Summary
I. Summary
This article proposes a potential next step for
Riot Games, branching out from the MOBA genre and into the Fighting genre,
another popular genre among the e-sports community. While still growing
the League of Legends brand, it would allow Riot to expand its horizons while
facilitating e-sports growth as a leader in their industry.
II. Objectives
II. Objectives
A. Create
an Enjoyable, Well-Designed Game - Creating an enjoyable game should be the key
and ultimate goal of any game design endeavor. It is what keeps people
playing and coming back. As Riot is a facilitator of e-sports, not only
should it be enjoyable to play while being competitive, but it should be enjoyable
to watch as well.
B. Facilitate E-Sports Growth - League of Legends is already pushing the bounds of e-sports, especially in the US. By adding another game into their line, Riot will be able to further solidify e-sports gaming as legitimate sports. One game can cause the casual or non-gamer crowd to raise an eyebrow in interest, but several will cause them to take notice of the growing popularity.
C. Expand Riot Games into Another Genre - Company growth and expanding into new fields and markets is huge part of what makes today's leading companies successful. The more areas a company branches into, the more knowledge and experience base it has to pull in for any one area. By moving into another game genre, Riot would be able to grow their name while simultaneous increasing their resource pool for current and future endeavors.
D. Allow for Content to be Used in Both Games - The League of Legends heroes and universe mesh well with the fighting genre. By using these as the lore/design base, content can be shared between them, most notably the heroes, and could be improved upon for both games.
III. Why the Fighting Genre
The Fighting genre is already a well established platform for competitive gaming, however, a highly successful online system has yet to be created for this genre. Most online user experiences with Fighting games involve awkward lobby designs, poor matchup systems, and high latency issues. I believe that Riot Games is capable of pushing past these boundaries and taking the genre to the next level.
The Fighting genre is also a very exciting genre to watch. Games are quick, generally action packed, and very capable of victories from behind. There is less knowledge needed to understand what is going on, even non-gamers can understand who is winning and losing with just a cursory glance. In this way, a Fighting game that pushes the boundaries of its genre and brings it to the online field would be a big facilitator for the popularization of e-sports.
League of Legends is a highly team-work oriented game. Moving into the Fighting genre would allow Riot's game designers the opportunity to work on a product that is primarily designed for solo play. It's a perspective that differs from Riot's current work and would give the designers new insight into game creation.
As mentioned before, the League of Legends world also meshes well, providing a very large number of characters to bring to a Fighting game.
IV. Brief Lore
As the popularity and necessity of the League of Legends grew, so did the costs. Where once minor lords could settle their disputes through the League, they have been pushed out and have returned to settling their problems through war. As skirmishes among the minor lords grew, The Institute of War came up with a solution: the League of Legends Arenas. Small disputes could now be delegated to the arenas for duels and settled quickly by summoners and their champions, while the larger ones would continue to take the spotlight on the Fields of Justice.
V. Design Model
A. Smash Brothers Melee Fighter Model
i. Why Smash Brothers?
While any fighting game style can potentially work, I believe that the Smash Brothers model would work best. Though few realize it, Smash Brothers Melee pushes the boundaries of the fighting genre, taking it to new heights. Because of its more "fun" nature and its ease of picking up, not many have looked into its value for competitive play. Those that have though, see a level of depth that far surpasses that of traditional fighters. Since its release, Smash Brothers Melee has had a loyal competitive following that have continually pushed the skill level of the game to new heights. To this day, 11 years after release, playstyles are still evolving and improving. The height of competitive play has still yet to be reached.
Aside from its high competitive value, the Smash Brothers model is also extremely easy to pick up and fun to play. In terms of ease, the button combinations are simple, doing away with any complex combinations to perform a skill, and the objective is easy to understand. And, as much fun as it is to simply hit your opponent, it’s much more satisfying to watch them fly across the screen. The Smash Brother's model has also proven itself to be enjoyable by players of all skill levels, allowing modes simply for fun to also be added to the online model.
ii. Comparing the Smash Brother Model to the Traditional Model.
This is a much greater endeavor than can be fit into this proposal. If you would like to look at it in depth, please visit my analysis at http://snowspotsgamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/smash-brothers-melee-analysis-and.html. In short though, the major point of difference between the two models is that of static vs. fluid play. Traditional fighters are designed in a very static environment. Limits are placed on just about every aspect of them. The Smash Brother's model however, is very fluid and by just looking at the movement possibilities, one can see a vast range of options available to play.
B. Free to Play Model
A free to play model of a fighting game would be done in much the same way as League of Legends is already run. Aside from you character and skin unlocks; stages as well as items for fun play could be potential unlockables as well.
C. Game Modes
i. Tournament/Ranked Play
1. Best of X - Normal tournament model and easily modifiable for time variances. For online play Best out of 3 or Best out of 5 would keep matches around the 10-15 minute mark at max.
2. Lives - Uniformly set across all modes (except perhaps custom games), 3 to 5 lives works well depending on how exactly the game plays out. Allows a player to get behind, but still have time to come back from behind.
3. Stage Bans - Any fun stages or stages determined to be too unbalanced would automatically be removed from the selection pool. On top of that, each player would be able to remove 1 or 2 stages from the available pool. This would happen at the start of the match, before character selection.
4. Character Bans - I would choose to not include this function if possible. Fighting games tend to direct players towards having 1 main and 1 secondary character. Especially in tournament play, targeted bans would be too strong. However, with the vast number of potential champions, it might be necessary for ranked play to keep restraints on potentially unbalanced champions. Ideally though, unbalanced champions would be removed from ranked/tournament play while they are tuned and character bans would not need to be instituted. This would also happen at the start of the match, before character selection.
5. Flow of Game after Bans
Round 1: Characters are chosen blindly. Stage is chosen randomly from available pool.
Following Rounds: Loser chooses stage. Winner chooses character. Loser chooses character.
ii. Normal Play
1. Blind Picks
2. No Bans
3. Stages - Selected at random from available pool; still sticking to balanced stages only.
iii. Fun Mode
Generally how the Smash Brother's model is seen. Any stage would be open for play and items would be allowed; just a fun mode of play without competitive drive, much like ARAM or Chase the Teemo in League of Legends. Sometimes players just like to kick back and enjoy something silly. It's a fresh change of pace that has no downside. Some players even prefer to play these modes and will continue to be part of the game's player base just for these modes.
1. Blind Picks
2. Additional Ways to Play – As well as the normal playstyles, Free-for-All and Large player numbers would be available.
3. Stages – Selected at random and all open.
4. Items – Turned on and available for play.
B. Facilitate E-Sports Growth - League of Legends is already pushing the bounds of e-sports, especially in the US. By adding another game into their line, Riot will be able to further solidify e-sports gaming as legitimate sports. One game can cause the casual or non-gamer crowd to raise an eyebrow in interest, but several will cause them to take notice of the growing popularity.
C. Expand Riot Games into Another Genre - Company growth and expanding into new fields and markets is huge part of what makes today's leading companies successful. The more areas a company branches into, the more knowledge and experience base it has to pull in for any one area. By moving into another game genre, Riot would be able to grow their name while simultaneous increasing their resource pool for current and future endeavors.
D. Allow for Content to be Used in Both Games - The League of Legends heroes and universe mesh well with the fighting genre. By using these as the lore/design base, content can be shared between them, most notably the heroes, and could be improved upon for both games.
III. Why the Fighting Genre
The Fighting genre is already a well established platform for competitive gaming, however, a highly successful online system has yet to be created for this genre. Most online user experiences with Fighting games involve awkward lobby designs, poor matchup systems, and high latency issues. I believe that Riot Games is capable of pushing past these boundaries and taking the genre to the next level.
The Fighting genre is also a very exciting genre to watch. Games are quick, generally action packed, and very capable of victories from behind. There is less knowledge needed to understand what is going on, even non-gamers can understand who is winning and losing with just a cursory glance. In this way, a Fighting game that pushes the boundaries of its genre and brings it to the online field would be a big facilitator for the popularization of e-sports.
League of Legends is a highly team-work oriented game. Moving into the Fighting genre would allow Riot's game designers the opportunity to work on a product that is primarily designed for solo play. It's a perspective that differs from Riot's current work and would give the designers new insight into game creation.
As mentioned before, the League of Legends world also meshes well, providing a very large number of characters to bring to a Fighting game.
IV. Brief Lore
As the popularity and necessity of the League of Legends grew, so did the costs. Where once minor lords could settle their disputes through the League, they have been pushed out and have returned to settling their problems through war. As skirmishes among the minor lords grew, The Institute of War came up with a solution: the League of Legends Arenas. Small disputes could now be delegated to the arenas for duels and settled quickly by summoners and their champions, while the larger ones would continue to take the spotlight on the Fields of Justice.
V. Design Model
A. Smash Brothers Melee Fighter Model
i. Why Smash Brothers?
While any fighting game style can potentially work, I believe that the Smash Brothers model would work best. Though few realize it, Smash Brothers Melee pushes the boundaries of the fighting genre, taking it to new heights. Because of its more "fun" nature and its ease of picking up, not many have looked into its value for competitive play. Those that have though, see a level of depth that far surpasses that of traditional fighters. Since its release, Smash Brothers Melee has had a loyal competitive following that have continually pushed the skill level of the game to new heights. To this day, 11 years after release, playstyles are still evolving and improving. The height of competitive play has still yet to be reached.
Aside from its high competitive value, the Smash Brothers model is also extremely easy to pick up and fun to play. In terms of ease, the button combinations are simple, doing away with any complex combinations to perform a skill, and the objective is easy to understand. And, as much fun as it is to simply hit your opponent, it’s much more satisfying to watch them fly across the screen. The Smash Brother's model has also proven itself to be enjoyable by players of all skill levels, allowing modes simply for fun to also be added to the online model.
ii. Comparing the Smash Brother Model to the Traditional Model.
This is a much greater endeavor than can be fit into this proposal. If you would like to look at it in depth, please visit my analysis at http://snowspotsgamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/smash-brothers-melee-analysis-and.html. In short though, the major point of difference between the two models is that of static vs. fluid play. Traditional fighters are designed in a very static environment. Limits are placed on just about every aspect of them. The Smash Brother's model however, is very fluid and by just looking at the movement possibilities, one can see a vast range of options available to play.
B. Free to Play Model
A free to play model of a fighting game would be done in much the same way as League of Legends is already run. Aside from you character and skin unlocks; stages as well as items for fun play could be potential unlockables as well.
C. Game Modes
i. Tournament/Ranked Play
1. Best of X - Normal tournament model and easily modifiable for time variances. For online play Best out of 3 or Best out of 5 would keep matches around the 10-15 minute mark at max.
2. Lives - Uniformly set across all modes (except perhaps custom games), 3 to 5 lives works well depending on how exactly the game plays out. Allows a player to get behind, but still have time to come back from behind.
3. Stage Bans - Any fun stages or stages determined to be too unbalanced would automatically be removed from the selection pool. On top of that, each player would be able to remove 1 or 2 stages from the available pool. This would happen at the start of the match, before character selection.
4. Character Bans - I would choose to not include this function if possible. Fighting games tend to direct players towards having 1 main and 1 secondary character. Especially in tournament play, targeted bans would be too strong. However, with the vast number of potential champions, it might be necessary for ranked play to keep restraints on potentially unbalanced champions. Ideally though, unbalanced champions would be removed from ranked/tournament play while they are tuned and character bans would not need to be instituted. This would also happen at the start of the match, before character selection.
5. Flow of Game after Bans
Round 1: Characters are chosen blindly. Stage is chosen randomly from available pool.
Following Rounds: Loser chooses stage. Winner chooses character. Loser chooses character.
ii. Normal Play
1. Blind Picks
2. No Bans
3. Stages - Selected at random from available pool; still sticking to balanced stages only.
iii. Fun Mode
Generally how the Smash Brother's model is seen. Any stage would be open for play and items would be allowed; just a fun mode of play without competitive drive, much like ARAM or Chase the Teemo in League of Legends. Sometimes players just like to kick back and enjoy something silly. It's a fresh change of pace that has no downside. Some players even prefer to play these modes and will continue to be part of the game's player base just for these modes.
1. Blind Picks
2. Additional Ways to Play – As well as the normal playstyles, Free-for-All and Large player numbers would be available.
3. Stages – Selected at random and all open.
4. Items – Turned on and available for play.
iv. Team Play
Not the main source of competitive play for the fighting genre, but in the few that do have it, it is still fairly competitive and fun. To note, the internet meme and video fad "Wombo Combo" game from a competitive 2v2 tournament for Smash Brothers Melee.
1. Available in all Modes
2. Bans – In Tournament/Ranked play, the number of bans would not increase.
3. Character Pick - In Tournament/Ranked play, champion selection would rotate in non-blind picks, with the first player to choose on a given team picked at random. No character swapping.
v. Offline Play
The fighting genre is currently mainly played in an offline setting. Friends get together and play while sitting next to each other. It creates a different kind of atmosphere than online play and a lot of players like this. As it would only require two people and one screen to play, creating a way in which offline play is possible would have several benefits to a game of this nature.
1. Latency - Latency is a huge deal with fighting games, more so than any other genre. Finesse is a huge part of a fighting game's skill, sometimes wins and losses coming down to frames. Allowing players a way to play offline would let them practice in a 0 latency environment, a huge benefit for those planning to compete in tournament play.
2. Community Togetherness - An offline mode would encourage the local meetups and tournaments that players of the genre are used to. It could be used by lan cafe's or even individuals to host and facilitate these events. With such short matches, and being able to run on a single computer/screen; events could be put together with only a few computers/laptops. An offline mode could even be created in such a way as to make it easy to put on such events. Forums or a tournament registration site could be used streamline this process. Communities could be brought together anywhere, instead of just coming together during official tournaments.
VI. Point System and Champion Interaction
A. Owning Champions - Three routes are available for this. In the first route, champions would simply be owned in both games, regardless of which you bought them in. In route two, Champions would be completely separate and you would have to purchase them in each game. For the third option, a balance would be struck between the two. Champions could be purchased individually, or as a double bundle for cheaper. Owning a champion in one game would also reduce the cost of that champion in the other, but not as low as a bundle deal is.
B. Owning Skins - Any purchased skin would be usable in both games, as long as the player had the champion unlocked. When deciding to purchase a skin, players would feel as if they are getting more out of their purchase than if it was for one game. It would please players, and facilitate the purchase of skins more so than if you had to buy them individually.
C. IP Generation - Would be linked to your account, regardless of game. Playing matches in either game would earn you IP that you could spend on either game. This would give players the option to play what they wanted, when they wanted, and still feel as if they are working towards their intended goal, even if it is in the other game.
VII. Content Generation
A. Heroes and Skins - With a huge pool of champions and skins already within League of Legends, little new content in these areas would need to be created. However, when a champion was being worked on for Arenas, it would allow the art and animations teams to redo or revamp the current content of League of Legends, as well as create entirely new animations. Extra time and resources could be devoted to new champion art and animation as the results would be doubly beneficial.
B. Stages - The main source of new purchasable content. Just like heroes, free stages would rotate each week. Players could then purchase a stage to add it to their available pool, with stages they are particularly fond of being used as their ranked/tournament choices. The flow of stages would not need to be constant, and would not need to always be serious. Stages with hazards or breakables could be created for non-competitive play.
C. Items - Another "fun" content creation. The items used in League of Legends could be translated to Arena designs. As created, they could be immediately unlocked, or available for small IP purchases.
VIII. Challenges into Opportunities
A. Controller - Fighting games are typically with a controller or joystick. They are much more intuitive to the genre's style of play and allow for a precision of movement that just cannot be matched by a keyboard and mouse. This will be the most limiting factor to the success of a PC based, online Fighting game, but not one that cannot be overcome. One large benefit that a PC based Fighting game will have when it comes to a controller, is the large variety that will be available. Aside from the large selection of controllers available for PC's, hardware intelligent players have been creating connectors for years to be able to use their favorite controller or joystick setups with their games. With the rise of Bluetooth being used in most consoles today, those controllers are also readily available for use.
i. Partnership Opportunity - Aside from the already large pool of controllers to choose from, Arenas would allow Riot Games to partner up with a company (like Logitech or Alienware) to create a controller that is especially designed for this game. Riot game designers and the company’s engineers could work together on the controller's design. This would be an opportunity to create a new relationship or to improve an already existing one.
B. Latency - Latency will be another issue to overcome for an online fighting game. As mentioned before, latency affects one's ability to play a fighting game more than any other genre. It will be a challenge to create a system that reduces latency as much as possible
i. Server Upgrade Opportunity - With the need to keep latency as low as possible, the introduction of a new game could potentially be a good reason to upgrade existing servers or to put new ones in place.
IX. In Closing
As Riot Games seeks to expand their horizons, I believe that a Fighting game set in the current League of Legends universe would have great success. The Fighting genre is one that is already solidified as a competitive gaming field, yet the online market for them is largely untapped. While the implementation of a new game/genre can be difficult, this model would facilitate growth and content creation for both games, much of which would serve a purpose in both games. As an already accepted competitive genre, a fighting game would help to grow e-sports as a whole, putting another style of gaming to the forefront of competition and solidifying e-sports as actual sports in the mind of gamers and non gamers alike. A fighting game would provide Riot and the League of Legends brand many opportunities now and in the future.
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