A lot of League fans are casual players who want to hop in a game, make some cool plays, have fun with their friends, then leave. Many are actively trying to make friends in their games. Also, some people just want to play with the cool skin they just got. All understandable.
I have no problem with any of those types of casual players. I become annoyed at the fact that there are up to two maps for players to choose, and neither really support quick, non-committal gaming. Queue times may take up to ten minutes, then the somewhat long pick and ban phase, depending on how much time everyone wants to take from you, then the actual game which usually involves a twenty minute laning phase before you get to play your champion. Mind you, that would all be a dream scenario where no one dodges or decides to int, afk, troll pick, etc., and you get a normal game on Summoner’s Rift. Not to mention that there exists certain ways you should play the Rift that you may not be interested in, in reference to the skill necessary to win a game (warding, laning, jungling, the basics of the Rift).
Say you don’t want to deal with Summoner’s Rift, be it because of the map, or the longer game times and skill ceiling that it implies. So you decide to play ARAM, where you have to hope someone draws your favorite champions, playing them being the main reason you logged in, and with some luck, a teammate might swap out with you. ARAM map may not be the best, and you didn’t really wanna play Ornn, but it’s better than sitting in lane on the Rift so you get what you can take.
But with Arena entering as a permanent game mode, it offers a new way to play league champions, unrestricted from the Rift’s skill ceiling. I have the honest hope that game modes funnel those who don’t actually want to play ranked, but just want a somewhat quality game, and gives them something else to have fun doing. I would log in just to play some game modes with friends back in the day and not think twice about ranked. But now, it’s either a clown fiesta of a normal game, or a ranked game where people usually at least try to play the game. i believe that it should be a valid stance to not want to play on Summoner’s Rift, but still enjoy playing your favorite champions. Riot should accommodate those fans who want a quality game, but not at the criteria that Summoner’s Rift often implies.
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