User blog comment:XelNecra/Image and Role of Support/@comment-60764-20121116134543

A good article in many cases, but I feel I should voice my misgivings concerning this.

> The visual design, and thereby the image of most supports, is unappealing, prejudiced and outdated to major parts of the community.

Get off your high horse. I say this because I happen to be some of those "outdated concepts" that I should be offended about, and feel that a statement like that crosses over into derptastic territory.

The visual design of the support has one thing in common more often than not (in Dota, LoL, or HoN): Gentleness. It doesn't matter if they're male, female, feeble or strong, they tend to lean toward the kind of people that know how to help people (even formless masses like Wisp or Blitz(notcrank)). Since some people play games to be more than just the chap with a gentle touch they gravitate away from these roles (Carries, Bruisers, or Gankers). That's human nature and how most support aestetics end up being what they are.

There's also the fact that (speaking from playing MMOs for awhile as well) not everyone knows how to or likes healing/support. Those that do can usually play other roles just as well (not always) but choose support/healer 'cause a) Someone has to do it, b) it's fun to them, and/or c) they're able and willing. Saying that "It's unfun for everyone" undermines those that genuinely enjoy playing and what it tends to entail.

On the NA thread as well, this is true for LoL (after playing support for sometime in game).

"1. A great support is not going to be able to make up for an awful adc like a great adc will be able to make up for an awful support"

Playing a support when your team has no idea what they're doing won't automatically make them suck less.

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Things that DO need to change are that supports need to have their skills scale with with AP in a non-suck fashion again (what killed supports initially way back when), as well as have valid, non-heal based supports able to play in the League (like the old Support Sivir).