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Legends of Runeterra | Posted by | 5 years, 11 months ago
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Unusual idea for balancing Ezreal/Karma

Hei, folks! So I've had this idea for quite some time (and was actually inspired by Aviana and [Hearthstone Card (Kun the Forgotten King) Not Found] in Hearthstone) and wanted to see what other people think of it. Quick disclaimer: I barely play any ranked, so I can't exactly tell how broken the combo actually IS. I just want to start a discussion about an idea I've had.

So, there are 2 ways problematic cards are dealt with in card games, depending on the medium. In physicals CGs, if a card is problematic, it is either limited to a smaller number than usual, or outright banned from play. In a digital CG, it is nerffed anywhere from 'more reasonable power level' to 'completly unplayable' (RIP, Warsong Commander). This is all fine (for the most part) when only one card is the problem, but it feels a lot worse when a only a certain combination of cards is broken, like is the case here. Is it fair to punish one or both cards, in the process potentially killing them in any other decks?

But I think there's another way. What if instead of banning/nerffing any of the cards, you instead banned their combination. Simply declare any deck that runs both of them invalid. (you'd also do this in a digital CG, since changing the cards only when those two are around would be too confusing)

What do you think? Is this a viable alternative to banning/nerffing? Or is it too convoluted?

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  • Hei, folks! So I've had this idea for quite some time (and was actually inspired by Aviana and [Hearthstone Card (Kun the Forgotten King) Not Found] in Hearthstone) and wanted to see what other people think of it. Quick disclaimer: I barely play any ranked, so I can't exactly tell how broken the combo actually IS. I just want to start a discussion about an idea I've had.

    So, there are 2 ways problematic cards are dealt with in card games, depending on the medium. In physicals CGs, if a card is problematic, it is either limited to a smaller number than usual, or outright banned from play. In a digital CG, it is nerffed anywhere from 'more reasonable power level' to 'completly unplayable' (RIP, Warsong Commander). This is all fine (for the most part) when only one card is the problem, but it feels a lot worse when a only a certain combination of cards is broken, like is the case here. Is it fair to punish one or both cards, in the process potentially killing them in any other decks?

    But I think there's another way. What if instead of banning/nerffing any of the cards, you instead banned their combination. Simply declare any deck that runs both of them invalid. (you'd also do this in a digital CG, since changing the cards only when those two are around would be too confusing)

    What do you think? Is this a viable alternative to banning/nerffing? Or is it too convoluted?

    Staff

  • Im not sure if it is needed in this case per se, but i do like your line of thinking, that could be a pretty cool way to negate the problem without destroying the individual cards.

    One problem i see with this is, both HS and LOR are trying to appeal to a broad casual audience and i dont see a good way to telegraph in the game that this card cannot be in the same deck as that card, let alone explain why. Genn and Baku are kinda examples of this, or highlander cards, but all of them have their restriction listed on them, so it is clear as to why is that.

    Staff

  • Yeah, sharing that info could be a problem. The best I can come up with are a pop-up when building the deck, and a list somewhere on the main screen where those bans are... well, listed. 

    Then again, MtG and Yu-Gi-Oh have been using nothing but a list on a site somewhere, and they're doing fine!

    Staff
    • Quote From Nirast

      Yeah, sharing that info could be a problem. The best I can come up with are a pop-up when building the deck, and a list somewhere on the main screen where those bans are... well, listed. 

      Then again, MtG and Yu-Gi-Oh have been using nothing but a list on a site somewhere, and they're doing fine!

      Those games are not the best comparison for LOR, nor HS. Like i said, HS and now LOR are trying to cater to the broad casual audience to get a huge playerbase and with that comes "dumbing down" of the mechanics, so they are easy to pick up and understand. Which is fine, but then stuff like what you suggest does not fit into that philosophy. MTG can afford this, because it has built its playerbase over literally decades and id argue that the majority of the playerbase is anything but casual :) (or rather the now-casuals are old hardcore players who know the mechanics or can easilly get back to them without being confused by them)

      Staff

  • Even if It could work well for a couple combos... someday there would be so many it would be hard to remember.