User blog comment:ND999/Lore of LoL - Blast from the past: Doran/@comment-26815373-20151225002122/@comment-24385282-20151228170010

I think the key difference is that specific roles, especially supports just don't have any space for Doran's items. First they need gold generation and a Sightstone, and from there they need items with supportive effects - CC/shield/heal actives, auras, passive boosts to heals/shields. I doubt your Doran's Ring upgrades will be able to hold up as even a situationally okay item for supports without being effectively useless on the mages who would more likely want it, unless you just throw in a random "+10% boost to healing and shielding" after a generic stat group of AP, CDR, and mana regen.

And even then, anything that builds from Doran's Ring without losing stats is essentially worthless to a resourceless AP assassin without being potentially OP on a mage. Sure, Akali buys Lich Bane sometimes, but that's about where mana-less carries stop buying mana items, and near none of them bother with anything that offers mana regen. I'm just not sure that it's possible to create a bunch of items that upgrade from the Doran's items sensibly while making sure that every role has something for themselves.

Unless you start branching out, but Doran's Ring alone would likely need 3 max-tier upgrades itself (utility supports, resourceless AP carries, and mana AP carries) while Doran's Shield and even Doran's Blade would probably only need one each. Doran's Shield fits for tanks, and juggernauts or fighters that are more defensive, while Blade does the same for marksmen, AD assassins, and juggernauts/fighters that are more offensive.

I guess the problem is that certain champs in most or all cases would just never buy Doran's items, even if they could get huge upgrades, unless those upgrades were more powerful than other available options. The only way to make that balanced is to give them high costs in terms of purchasing, but the power to make any ally have the options to just have a better build than their opponent no matter what is overpowered, even if it does come at a higher cost. And besides, a higher cost wouldn't fix any problems for the supports.