Talk:VPBE/@comment-3308937-20150114081335

This is a pretty big patch, all things considered, so I'll just leave all my views here:

Bigger than the Trist rework for me is the removal of DFG. I've been wanting this item gone since before S2 and am happy that Riot finally realizes that it just throws champion balance out the window. It's less of an issue now than it was back then (you could make any champ a 100-0 ap burst champ with a DFG and LB, even a champ without ap scalings) but it's still quite the issue when you take a step back and realize just how much it affects certain champions and their build diversity.

Two of the most recent examples of champions who have been completely changed because they build DFG are and. Ahri used to be an AoE mage with some assassination potential but now it's the other way around because of the terror of DFG Ahri 100-0'ing people without even needing to land a skillshot. Instead of re-tuning DFG they basically had to balance Ahri around the idea that she would be picking up DFG with the intent of being an assassin every game. They did this by basically making DFG a mandatory pickup (ruining other potential builds) because that's what she was balanced around, DFG became a part of kit and her kit was balanced around that.

LeBlanc is a similar story, her entire kit is balanced around the idea that she will pick up a DFG to make her 100-0 potential that much stronger. I used to love utility LeBlanc, a champion who, with a bit of skill, could silence for up to 8 seconds or root someone for 6 while dashing around the battlefield but this build option was completely removed to make room for DFG QRW 100-0 LeBlanc. DFG is now LeBlanc's greatest strength and her greatest crutch, it's essentially become as much of her kit as her Q and if you aren't building it you might as well not even be playing LeBlanc.

With DFG removed they can finally balance champions around the champion themselves, not the champion+DFG. This is a good step to making the game's balance more manageable and hopefully opening up build paths for AP assassins.

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Without actually playing her I'm liking the Trist changes but I'm not sure if they'll be enough to get Tristana to where Riot wants her to be. There's a couple points to talk about with these changes:


 * AP Tristana has been reworked more than AD Trist
 * AP Tristana's build path has opened up with the removal of DFG which means she can be more than just 100-0 burst mage
 * AP Tristana now has mixed damage kind of like AP MF but much more heavily favoring magic damage in a full combo so her build path shouldn't be as awkward as MF's
 * More interaction with an enemy, no more just 100-0'ing and then being useless without resets, this should open up more gameplay paths
 * AD Trist
 * A bit more interaction if you want to maximize your damage is always good
 * Her old oppressive early game seems toned down now that she has to commit to getting her damage out instead of just E the enemy and going back to CSing
 * Not sure if just nerfing her base attack speed without touching her passive will be enough to warrant a gameplay shift once mid-late game comes around
 * Healing reduction being removed plays around a bit with bot lane dynamics but in a way that should be good, you shouldn't be picking Trist just for her healing debuff, she should be picked for her unique power curve compared to other carries

My viewpoints will probably change once I see her in action but those were my initial reactions. Visually I don't have much to say other than I like it, it's good, it's a step in the right direction for yordle kind with it's new brand of cute yet feral-ness and Riot Girl Trist is her new best skin.

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Skins & VU's

Firecracker Jinx really feels like a Jinx skin, I like the cartoon-y style that the explosions have, the model looks good, the particles look good, overall it just looks good. If I had to have a problem with it it's that it's basically just Jinx playing dress up, very safe skin choice.

Warring Kingdoms Katarina is lacking model-wise for a 975 skin, then again there isn't much you can really do with Kat without doing something drastic. When I go to choose a Kat skin it basically comes down to what do I want my Kat's head to look like and I think this skin could be taken further into the Warring Kingdoms by giving her a more unique hair style. It, again, just feel like the champ playing dress up. Particles are ok, not great, but it is 975 and it is Kat. Recall animation is the best part of this skin and if there was any reason to use this skin over any of her other skins this would be it.

Warring Kingdoms Nidalee is just completely gorgeous model-wise in both human and cougar forms. This is the level of quality that Riot should be aiming for with their skins, you really get that Warring Kingdoms theme when you look at this skin, not like she just went to her closet and picked out something different. The only thing I'm not in love with when it comes to her human model is the bit of blue sleeve around the elbow, it seems out of place, wouldn't mind seeing it made to match the color at her knees. The particles are nice for a 975, I really like the swirl on Jav Toss, could use a bit more. Unlike Kat's skin this really stands out as unique in Nid's skin roster with clear reasons to pick it and I look forward to picking this skin up.

Arbiter Vel'Koz is my favorite of the new skins. I'm a big sucker for champion redefining skins, something that takes a champion and gives you a new spin on them and I'm a huge fan of that justice-y gold and white look (one of my favorite skins in the game is Justicar Syndra). I wouldn't mind the metal pieces around the eye being made more white or lightened up a bit as I feel they hold the skin back by darkening it more than it should but that could just be my love of gold and white. Particles are really nice, just the right amount of softness to make them ethereal but still laced with enough tangibility to look damaging. Ult could use some works in giving it the oomph factor that it deserves but I think that might be more of a sound thing than a particle thing. Recall (and death) animation is inspired and really gives extra depth and character to the skin through the whole piloting eye idea.

Vayne's texture update is good. I like how bright Dragonslayer is now but Aristocrat seems a tad too muted now, especially in the boot area.

Nunu's is alright but his model and animations are the biggest things holding him back, he won't look as out of place but he still needs work. Nunu Bot is definitely the skin with the greatest update here, I didn't realize just how flat the skin looked before.

Yorick's texture update is fantastic, it doesn't even look like it's the same model and it's a great example of how less can be more when it comes to the little texture details. Classic skin seems like it's even better than the skins now.