User blog:LivesByProxy/Ward Variety & Sight Options

This is part of my quest to promote the vision game as an element worth exploring mechanically. I would love to see Riot embrace sight, stealth, detection, and denial, and hope to get the LoL community to realize how much fun this could be (and, subsequently, to demand it).

The vision game in League right now isn't the most exciting - it works, but it could be so much more. Being able to carry more wards, or have more wards out at any given time won't make League more fun though. It could, IMO, be made much more exciting if the wards our opponents use were actually fallible. I've stated before there there is very-little-to-no counterplay inherent to wards. There just isn't. Why? Ask Riot.

There is effectively one type of ward, and that is the: 'circle AoE of vision' with the ward at the center of that AoE. Nothing is wrong with this in and of itself, but when you consider the sheer number of cool and unique abilities champions have, and active item effects in the game, it's odd to see wards not following the same trends. It'd be the equivilent of every spell being a targeted point-and-click. Yeah, it might work, but things like skillshots and telegraphing and animation delays add so much excitement to the game.

To quote gypsylord, "I think missing is important." I agree. Missing is important. And it should apply to wards. Having wards that offer the possibility of safety but are not guaranteed to catch the enemy (because he or she can play around them) is necessary to make the vision game all it could be. Fun.

Snitch
Stats: Invisible. 3 HP. Costs. Lasts 180 seconds. 1200 Range.

Special: Does not grant any vision. Instead, it emits a visible / audible ping whenever an enemy champion enters its range. Enemy champions near the Snitch can hear it when it pings, but recieve no visual indicator as to its location.

Beacon
Invisible. 3 HP. Costs. Lasts 180 seconds. 1100 Range.

Special: Can only be placed on terrain. Grants in an AoE around it. Can be damaged only by ranged champions and targeted abilities. Instead of being destroyed, however, it will be captured and converted.

Observer
Invisible. 3 HP. Costs. Lasts 180 seconds. Infinite Range.

Special: Grants in a thin straight beam - from ahead and behind - that continues indefinitely, only being blocked by units, terrain, brush, structures, etc. The beam itself is visible to enemies.

Sentry
Visible. Infinite HP. Costs. Lasts 180 seconds. 1000 Range.

Special: Grants in a 60 degree cone, that rotates around it. It completes one rotation every few seconds. If it catches an enemy in its sight, it will follow them until they leave its range. Attacks will temporarily disable the Sentry.

Beholder
Visible. 5 HP. Costs. Lasts indefinitely. 800-1100 Range.

Special: Grants in a moderate AoE around it. Additionally, the Beholder will periodically 'sleep' for a few seconds, during which time it grants no vision. Upon awakening, it has greater vision range, but this range decays down over the next few seconds and only outlines enemies, rather than revealing them.

Maybe one day a Rioter will come along and see this and say, "Y'know, I wonder why we don't play with wards and stealth and sight in such a way." And slowly ideas like these will worm its way into Riot's heart. <3