User blog comment:GutsyTick/CC: Hayase, the Bringer of Solace (CB1)/@comment-533780-20150328220122/@comment-26044269-20150328231617

The thing about W which makes it so hard to balance is that, as you've correctly guessed, is that it is the only way in which Hayase can get a flow of abilities going. Without it, she cannot enter the Veto stance and thus cannot cast any abilities nor use R to enter the Venge stance or extend the chain. But to allow it to have such a short cooldown (yes, I've once considered giving it a 3.5 sec cd at all ranks once) would allow it to be exploited and increase Hayase's potential tankiness beyond the point in which I would consider reasonable.

I also rejected the idea of having an ammo system for W as it would give the ability a 'spammy' feel. The W as of now is supposed to feel very critical and game-changing. To use it defensively requires timing, whilst using it offensively (by just shooting off a Veto ability) wastes the ability's defensive capabilities. In the end, I thought it'd be suitable to give W a low cooldown of 4 seconds at max rank but have Hayase +0 mr per level to even out her (extremely) high potential tankiness. But of course, let's also talk realistically here just for a sec and not theoritically: almost noone below Dia 5 is going to be able to optimally use W even half the time in a real-game scenario.

What I've tried to accomplish with the Veto abilities were to make 'lightweight' abilities so to speak, which would allow Hayase to quickly deal damage or dash around with Q and E without having to actually have blocked an ability with W. This 'lightweigtness' would of course then come at a price of having wasted a spellshield + parry + counterattack in one effect.

As for the idea of R just empowering the next ability by having a 'Mantra' system, I thought it would just feel very unoriginal and not mechanically challenging. I wanted a R in which would allow flexibility in the kit, not just a damage boost. And trust me, you won't believe how many iterations of R I've went through to have the R as it is now.

Now for the passive: my intentions in creating Cadence was to signify how basically all of Hayase's abilities are methodical basic attacks and thus can be cancelled as such. This was to allow significantly higher flexibility and the ability to cancel combos when they were wrongly input. Also the name was to just point out how her kit should have a rhytmic flow to it. It is a bit hard to convey exactly what I have in mind with just words, but the point is that Hayase is supposed to play very rhythmically and fluidly, with her light attacks being very responsive and her heavy attacks being very rewarding (that and also how I just wanted to have a filler passive because I'm a sucker for filler passives, don't ask why).

Also on the point of her 'wind-technique' in E, there's nothing really wrong with it imo as Yasuo is stated as being the only one who's 'mastered' it, but not the only one who can 'utilize' it. It's also supposed to tie in with the lore about how Hayase and Yasuo were childhood friends (and how he was the murderer of her sister), but anyways, moving on.

I can also see where you're coming from with the idea of swapping around the Venge abilities, but I think I'll pass on that. My intentions were to have 475 range abilites tied to the Q whilst 975 range abilities are tied to E, regardless of what they do (they're mirror versions of each other anyway).

And finally for the bonuses on W and R being exclusive to the abilities themselves and not the stances: yes its true.

All in all, thanks for the lengthy feedback. Greatly appreciated. Also don't expect much from the lore. I'm a mediocore writer at best.