Red Post Collection: Reminder: Choose the Next Tristana Skin, QGT: March 6 & More

Posted on at 9:18 AM by Aznbeat
Today's red post collection includes a reminder on the final hours to vote for a new Tristana skin, Meddler's quick gameplay thoughts for March 6th, the recent Ranked /dev update from SapMagic, and more!
Continue reading for more information!


Table of Contents


Choose the Next Tristana Skin


Now's your time to make your voice heard and vote for the next Tristana skin! Voting  ends at 11:59 PM PT on March 6th (tonight!):
"It’s been over a year since you helped us choose Illaoi’s next skin, and we’d like your help again. This time, it’s for Bandle City’s spunkiest gunner: Tristana. 
We explored a wide range of possibilities for Trist’s next skin, and we’re down to the three concepts we’re most excited about. Now, the decision is in your hands. Vote on which skin you’d like to see us create. If the results are super close, we’ll look at the preference of Tristana mains to help us make the final call, so make sure your voice is heard. 
After the winner is announced, we’ll update you regularly on the skin’s development via Nexus. Every two weeks we’ll post pictures, videos, and words about our progress—and get your reactions and input along the way. 
You have until 11:59 p.m. PT on March 6 to vote. Everyone who weighs in will receive an icon when the skin goes live. 
Here are the concepts! (These names aren’t final… none of this is final.) 
“Sugar Rush Tristana”
Armed to the sweet teeth with a mighty gumball gun, Sugar Rush Tristana protects the Candy Kingdom from unsavory forces. 
“Galactic Gunner Tristana”
Two extremely dangerous Exosuits have gone missing, and the bounty on them is only getting higher. Galactic Gunner Tristana has a solution for that: shoot first, ask questions never, and cash in. 
“Little Demon Tristana”
Sometimes being mighty requires a little bite. Little Demon Tristana is a master of mischief, ready to jump into any heated situation… or cause one of her own."

Quick Gameplay Thoughts: March 6

Here's Meddler's quick gameplay thoughts for March 6th, including thoughts on Clash tests in BR and LATAM, more Ranked news, and more:
"Hi folks, 
Usual Disclaimers 
These posts will often contain talk about future work we're doing, or planning to do, that isn't yet guaranteed to ship. The nature of the work could change or, depending on what we discover, projects mentioned may get delayed or even stopped. If you'd like to see a Tweet whenever a new one of these posts goes up: https://twitter.com/RiotMeddler 
Clash Tests 
It's been a bit since we talked about Clash, work continues though to get ready for a full release. The next major step are some upcoming tests this coming weekend in BR and LATAM. Those are focused on testing two things primarily:
  1. Tier based phasing. Matches for different skill tiers start at different times of the day to spread out how many players hit the servers all at once basically.
  2. Caps. There's a limit to how many teams can compete each day. The limit's very large, so shouldn't be hit in most servers. We do believe it's better to stop taking new teams into a Clash tournament if a server gets really full than to let a few more players in at the expense of degrading game performance for everyone already there. 
Ranked Update 
As you might have seen already we put out an update on how Ranked's going last week, talking about both what seems to be working well and what isn't: 
https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/developer-corner/voxV8l2u-ranked-2019-dev-update-3 
This Friday we should have follow up on the things that aren't working well enough, including details on what we'll be changing as a result. 
Urgot 
We've got some meaningful changes to Urgot on the PBE at the moment. Some are just straight power (he's on the weak side now as expected since we hit him with some meaningful nerfs). Wanted to talk through some of the changes that might benefit from more context though: 
  • We testing moving his shield from his W to his E. Goal there is to make so that if Urgot wants to trade using his shield he has to put both of his defensive tools (dash as well) on CD. That increased risk to his trading then means we can probably give him power in other regards.
  • We're increasing his ult range noticeably. In retrospect we were potentially overly cautious on the range restriction originally, especially given it's easy to block or miss.
  • We're making AD builds less sub optimal, with the aim of opening up his itemization a bit more. Goal is still to have him as a juggernaut who tends to want to build fairly tanky. Would like to narrow the gap in effectiveness between AD and tankier builds though. 
We're looking for a few associate designers 
More details in this Twitter thread in case it's of interest and you haven't already seen it:

TLDR - we've got a few open spots right now for associate game designers. These are roles aimed at people with moderate or no games industry experience. Things like having worked on big mods, making your own game projects, CS degrees and professional experience in other analytical fields (sciences, engineering, law etc) are meaningful pluses if you're thinking about applying!"


Ranked /dev Update #3

Here's the most recent update on Ranked from Riot SapMagic:
"TLDR: The core Ranked changes have been well-received and positional matchmaking is an improvement in several areas. However, reception of position ranks hasn’t been as positive, and we’re investigating issues with Diamond+ matchmaking/ranks. We’re exploring fixes for these, but if they won’t yield significant improvements, we’re considering ending the position rank previews and partially resetting the top of the ladder. 
Hey everyone, Ed “SapMagic” Altorfer here on behalf of the Ranked team. We’re a month into Season 2019 and today I want to share an update on what issues players are still experiencing, our thoughts on fixing them, and a timeline for next steps. 
But First, the Good 
So far, we’ve been happy with how some of our core changes were received, especially the placements rework which has led to a more transparent and less stressful experience. We’re also excited about the potential of splits and the ability to grant rewards that dynamically evolve with you as you rank up. 
We’re happy with the impacts of positional matchmaking—not to be confused with position ranks—as well. Queue times have improved for many players and off-position win rates have gone up. On top of that, primary position rates have improved and autofill rates have gone down with a couple exceptions—we’re looking at you, Mid/Fill and Mid/Support players. 
Position Ranks 
Positional matchmaking aside, we’ve seen a pretty mixed reception when it comes to position ranks in North America and Korea. Despite the work we did to address several key pieces of feedback before the feature was released, we’re still seeing frustration in these areas:
  • Too Grindy—When we designed the feature, we were targeting players who feel stuck right now because they have to specialize in one position. Position ranks opens that up, but the feedback is it takes too long to pursue those different paths to mastery.
  • Doesn’t Feel Rewarding—On top of slower progress for fill players, we’ve heard feedback that it doesn’t feel like there’s much payoff for ranking up in multiple positions. And—for specialists—it doesn’t feel like you make enough progress toward your main position when you win off-position games.
  • Lower Competitive Intent—Some players feel negative splashing hasn’t proven to be strong enough of a punishment to dissuade others who are committed to ruining games when they play off-positions.
We’re investigating how we can solve these, including further changes to splashing and bigger bonuses to your main position. Based on the feedback and reception, we’re also evaluating whether we should end the position rank previews and go back to a single rank. If we do this, players in North America and Korea would retain their highest position rank and all progress toward split rewards. We'll detail the actions we’re taking here on March 8. 
High MMR Matchmaking/Ranks
Unrelated to position ranks, we’ve been seeing issues that specifically affect players in Diamond and above. These feel related, but the underlying issues are varied and don’t affect every region in the same ways.
  • Players in Master Who Shouldn’t Be—We’ve seen reports about low win rate players managing to get into Master+. Most of this appears to be due to how we did the season reset in some regions and how we determine LP gains.
  • Incorrect LP Gains in Diamond and Above—Several weeks ago we identified and corrected an issue that was allowing some Diamond+ players to get to higher ranks than they should’ve been able to. Some of those players feel stuck after our fixes since they’re losing more LP than they gain, and we’ve heard feedback that the top of the ladder feels less legitimate.
  • Master+ Players Matched with Low Diamond Players—We identified an issue where Master+ players can sometimes be matched with lower-skill players even after short queue times. While this sometimes happened normally even prior to Season 2019, it’s occurring more frequently right now due to a bug that can result matchmaking for Master+ players prioritizing shorter queue times over tighter skill matches. 
We have a lot of options for fixing issues like this, ranging from changing matchmaking configuration values to making decay more aggressive. In the worst case scenario, we could consider some form of partial reset aimed at Diamond+ players, but we wouldn’t do that unless we can prove there’s a widespread issue that can only be fixed through such drastic action. 
We know this isn’t the most satisfying answer for players who are experiencing pain now, but we’ll provide another update on this on or before March 8. We want to be sure we pick a solution or set of solutions that help the most players without hurting others who have just been doing their thing and climbing the ladder. 
Meaning of Diamond and Above 
Even after we resolve the high MMR matchmaking and rank issues, the ladder will look different from last season. This is because when we added Grandmaster, we recalibrated the top tiers, including Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger. 
Previously, Diamond represented an extremely broad skill range, meaning players in Diamond V and Diamond I looked totally different. Many Diamond players looked a lot more like Master players, and some Master players looked more like Challenger players in some regions. 
Going forward, we’ve adjusted the number of spots in Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger to smooth progression, reflect actual player skill, and adapt to the size of the active Ranked player base in each region. We believe these changes more accurately reflect skill at Diamond+, but in practice it means it’s not super meaningful to compare Season 2018 and Season 2019 ranks. 
What’s Next 
It has been a bit of a whirlwind so far and we still have some pain points to fix. We’ll be back with another update on March 8. In that update, expect us to share: 
  • Specific solutions to the problems with position ranks and high MMR matchmaking
  • Exact timing on when we’ll be making changes
  • How the changes will affect you 
Until then, if you’re seeing any other issues that aren’t captured here or you just have feedback about the system, let us know in the comments. Thanks for all your help and patience, and we’ll see you on the Rift."

9.5: Lore Update

Here's Riot Ashekandi with a lore update for patch 9.5:
""Hey everyone! Last time we escaped the clutches of Volibear and the Ursine and now we’re on our way to Demacia for today’s Lore Update!

New stories have come to light that should give a bit more color to Kayle and Morgana. Alongside those, we also have a long lost epic poem about the twin sisters that was recently discovered in the Crownguard Family Library in High Silvermere. Finally, we have updated biographies for two other Demacian favorites: Galio and Shyvana.

Let us know what you think in the comments, we’re always looking for feedback on how these Lore Updates are written.

Let’s dive in!" 
Ashekandi 
Color Stories
NEW Canticle of the Winged Sisters
Born beneath the vault of stars,
one in Light, one in Shadow.
Kayle and Morgana,
Sisters by Fate, joined hand in hand.
Kayle, Morgana, Demacia, Epic Poem 
NEW In the Fires of Justice
- by Rayla Heide
But most fearful of all was the burning in her eyes, gleaming and grave with uncompromising wrath.
Kayle, Demacia 
NEW Prayer to a Crumbling Shrine
- by Rayla Heide
Guilt can teach many things to a heart humbled by intent.
Morgana, Demacia 
Bio Updates
Galio: Updated Bio
Get behind me, Demacian! You may not have noticed, but I’m very large.
"We've streamlined Galio’s bio to help better position him in the world of Runeterra as the protector of Demacia. With this, we’ve also worked to add more descriptive language which should help to give more life to the great winged, stone protector." 
Galio, Demacia, Bio
Shyvana: Updated Bio
I am of two worlds, yet I belong to neither.
"An update to Shyvana’s bio keeps the main story intact, expanding on the circumstances of her birth and her timely encounter with Prince Jarvan, which would ultimately lead her to earn a place as one of Demacia’s most trusted guardians."
Shyvana, Demacia, Bio"

ARURF Extended for 4 More Weeks


Here's Shio Shoujo with a reminder that ARURF has been extended for four more weeks:
"Hey all you ultra-rapid-manatees! ARURF will be extended for two more patches (9.5 and 9.6) as a gift to all those who've been enjoying the game mode. Existing members of the Golden Spatula Club will get to keep their benefits throughout the next four weeks, but players will no longer be able to enter the Golden Spatula Club unless they purchased their admission before February 15, 2019. Head on over to the Patch 9.5 Notes for the latest balance changes for ARURF. 
Happy ARURF-ing!"

Miscellaneous

"In this series, Rioters interview other Rioters about their work, all while locked in a battle to the death on Howling Abyss. Riot QA analyst Chris Roberts and game designer August Browning chat about their work on the new Kayle and Morgana update while playing Kayle and Morgana. Come for the questions, stay for the chaos."
"Initiating. . .PROJECT: MERCH. 
PROJECT: Vi, Leona, Vayne, Ekko, and Fiora have arrived on the lit up streets of Piltover and Zaun as set #06 in the Team Minis line. 
Full PROJECT: Collection: https://riot.com/2Nzeo0F
"The Creator Spotlight is our way of featuring a variety of different talented League of Legends creators. This time, we’re diving into the mind of the master educator and Challenger top laner, Adrian. Read more to find out how Adrian got his start as a YouTuber and streamer, and maybe you’ll pick up a tip or two on how to improve your gameplay."




Reminders

To round out this red post collection, here are a few reminders on current promotions or limited time events!

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