User blog comment:Lykrast/Runes: why I hate them/@comment-5605969-20140326234557

I believe I can be of some use to add diversity to the answers below mine (didnt read all, but read some and kinda know what people said). I believe purchasing runes with IP has the objective of getting you better at the game, giving you better feelings of the champion, and giving you options to mitigate certain drawbacks you feel on your champion.

Lets use the example of a player who only plays co-op vs ai. He takes a LOT of time to get IP since begginer gives lowest quantity of IP (on SR). However, it offers the least of evolutionary experience. So by making a player buy those small stats with IP, the player will soon see that the method he's using is the least efficient, which will make him go to play against people, which will make him improve in skill since he'll be paired up with better (or worse) opponents and sometimes unpredictable behavior, not to mention increased team action.

Now imagine that, like you, the player wanted all champions. In co-op vs ai, it doesn't matter what you play. All champions feel rewarding regardless of where you play them or what you build them (yes, even AP Zed). But each lane has a play style. Each champion has a playstyle. By playing online(I'll use the term online to refer to PVP) you will start to realise that. If you fall in love with Support roles, and are a passive player, what reason would you have to buy Mordekaiser? Everyone finds that one champion they all love, and they soon find that champion has strengths and flaws. Runes help you accentuate strengths, reduce flaws, both, or none. Thats what makes their Ezreal different than my Ezreal. I may feel like Diana needs more AD in my playstyle, while you may prefer to spam from afar and decide more mana regen is better. And it makes you analyze your opponent before engaging. This adds diversity in matches, even against same champ.

Finally not all champs are the same. Some have high movement, others high range. Some have sustain, others dueling power. So preparing to fight these guys is common. Imagine you are a Riven going VS an Olaf. Olaf is a classic counter to Riven. We have one manaless champion, and one sustain champion. If I give Riven lifesteal, and Olaf Mana regen, I reduce the differences, and make the matchup more stable. Where as I give Riven more AD, and olaf more AS, and I get a completely new match up, even if by slightly.

So I do believe there are good reasons for people needing to BUY runes.

PS: if you think masteries dont have that big of an impact on games, then you really play too little of this game.

PPS: farming IP is as simple as playing the game. You don't need to do extra quests. Just enjoy the game. Ofc the more you play the more you are rewarded.

PPPS: if you barely have enough IP to buy a champ in a month, you'll never get all champs without RP.