In recent developers notes there has been a very interesting announcement that will change the League as we know it. The thing I’m talking about is the introduction of the WASD movement. Which is something most of us weren’t prepared for and frankly I thought it was something that would never be introduced. Firstly it’s going to be released on PBE for an extended period before it goes to live servers.
“We believe that offering WASD controls will provide a fresh yet familiar way to play for both new players and veterans of the Rift without changing what makes League, League.”
For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, movement in League of Legends is basically your champion’s “life insurance” — if you move well, you live longer, deal more damage, and look cooler doing it. It’s point-and-click, meaning you right-click where you want to go, but the real skill is when and where you click.
There’s pathing, which is just a fancy word for “not running face-first into a bush full of enemies.” Smart pathing lets you dodge skillshots, position for kills, and escape ganks without burning Flash. Then there’s an attack moving (a.k.a. kiting), where you weave in attacks between steps so you’re dishing out damage while still keeping your distance.
And of course, you’ve got to master spacing — staying close enough to threaten but far enough to not instantly explode. In short, movement isn’t just walking around; it’s chess at 500 clicks per minute.
Long story short is that it involves a lot of clicking and if you’re new to the league or you’re coming to it from a long break, it can be a problem. It takes some time to adjust to it and for some gamers, it’s one of the things that prevents them from playing LOL. And this changes everything. Moving around and dodging skills will be easier than ever but also hitting said skills will be harder.
And if you do love point and click and don’t want to see it gone, here’s what the devs have to say:
“…don’t worry, Point and Click controls aren’t going anywhere. Additionally, we’re working hard to ensure competitive balance between the options.”
Which is the reason for this change, they’re hoping to either attract new players or bring the old ones back. Which is a valiant attempt that might be good but for that we’ll need to wait some time.
If these changes see the light of day, LOL as we know it is gone for sure. Which isn’t a bad thing in my humble opinion. For starters I think the professional scene is going to change in a sense it’s going to be even more fun to watch. Mainly because the threshold level for professional players is going to be even higher.
One thing is for sure, ADC players are singing and dancing around because of these news.
What do you think? Are these changes going to affect League of Legends for better or worse? Or do you think this will never reach live servers?
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