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Suggestions – StrategyZero

Suggestions

 

Please tell us what you would like to see on StrategyZero.

 Posted by at 19:54

  111 Responses to “Suggestions”

  1. can you doing a skins review of karthus plis!!!

  2. Can you please make a skins review for Miss Fortune? Thanks!

  3. Hi! Can yiu please review the Victorious Janna skin? ^^ Thanks

  4. Hello,Can You make a skin review for karma’s skins?Thank you 😀

  5. Please review Kennen’s skins!

  6. can you do taric.

  7. HI,

    Any chance you could create a page or section of the website where you can look through certain rated skins?
    e.g. look at all 5 star rated skins or all 4 star rated skins

    • A sortable list with all skins is certainly something we have planned. The idea is to be able to check by name, price, rating and champion. After updating all skins’ prices, due to the skin price changes, we’ll move onto the list’s preparations.

      Thanks for the reminder and if you have any ideas about other sorting criteria please drop us a line.

  8. Would be a fun feature if you could list each champ in a graph top to bottom on how many skins they have. More the higher.

    • Interesting, we could implement it as part of a section that shows statistics about champion skins. Thanks for the idea.

  9. There are new Bundles!
    So can u make new Reviews for them please?

  10. Can you add skin review(s) or in-game picture of the classic skins as well?

    • Reviewing classic skins is an idea we’ve received but are still wondering how to implement. Skins are reviewed by comparing them to the classic one. Therefore, we’ll need an additional point of reference to review them.

      Nonetheless, we could add an in-game picture of the classic skin in the reviews to make the base model clear. Thanks for the suggestion.

  11. Any chance to review default skins as well ?

    • The main problem is what to compare them with. Purchasable skins are readily compared to the classic one but with classic skins we lack a reasonable frame of reference. We could compare them to each other but then new champions will easily display their technical prowess and old champions, pre-visual-upgrade, will show their age.

      It’s an idea we have been thinking for a while as it has been requested before. Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly how to develop it. Besides, we question the usefulness of reviewing them alone. Because, after all, a full review of the whole champion would be a better option. However, at that point it can be a matter of personal preference and knowledge of the game.

      We could analyse how well a concept is implemented by a champion. Then, how powerful the champion feels. Regardless, it doesn’t seem convincing because it doesn’t have a very practical application: it seems rather theoretical.

      In the end, a skin review provides advice on what to expect of a skin and whether it could be a worthwhile purchase. What about a champion review? It could tell how good a champion feels with regards to the intended fantasy. Nevertheless, champions can be unlocked without spending money and there’s a lot of subjectivity due to the complexity of a full champion.

      A skin review is a much more focused affair: do the changes with regards to the classic skin justify a skin’s price?

      It’s definitely an idea we haven’t discarded but also one we need to define well. A champion review should have a very specific aim. Once we know what question a champion review answers then we can decide if it’s useful and interesting enough.

  12. Hey Zero, when are the Rek’Sai and Bard Skin Reviews coming?
    It’s been a while since they where released especialy Rek’Sai 🙂

  13. May I ask for your opinion on the new project skins (mainly Fiora)

    • They look good, including Fiora, but we’ll need the skins to be complete because we can be more specific. From what we’ve seen they could be great skins or feel overpriced. It could be that they have some interesting extras that justify their 1350 RP price or they could offer just as much as a skin at 975 RP. For that reason we need more concrete data. They are looking good but they should offer more than just a nice model and particles at the high price the will have.

  14. I just noticed that Team Spirit Anivia is listed as Limited on the skin list but listed as Legacy on her actual review page.

    • A little oversight there, Team Spirit Anivia was moved to the legacy category along the other Winter Games skins. Thanks for the correction.

  15. Did you ever thought about expand your site to other games?

    You do an awesome job here and I’d love to see reviews about Heroes of the Storm skins.

    • Glad that you like the site.

      We have considered expanding but we lack the resources to manage several games on top of the ludicrous amount of LoL skins. It’s something to consider if the site ever gets going as a viable endeavour. In that case we could invest resources into the maintenance and improvement of the site and dedicate ourselves to reviews. It’s certainly not out of the question but, as things stand, not yet possible.

  16. With the legendary snowball coming up, maybe do a legendary skins review in one article so people dont have to jump around to look at all of the legendary skins.

    • You can get a quick look at all the legendary skins a the skin list. Regardless, it’s not a bad idea. Having a legendary skins’ review, like the legacy skins review, could help have all in one convenient place. Thanks for the idea, we’ll see what we can do.

  17. Unfortunately, Zero, your most recent requests were largely unavailable due to legacy territory. I at least managed to get the shots of Warmonger Sion, and additionally more complete shots of Primal Udyr since his current ones only include two forms.
    Warmonger Sion:http://i.imgur.com/YRZArEP.jpg
    Primal Udyr: http://i.imgur.com/X2tfAZw.jpg

    • No problem and thanks for the new images. We’ll get to the legacy skins when possible then.

      Another request came to mind: Poppy. She got her visual upgrade but were only able to procure model viewer images. There are some that aren’t legacy and it would be useful to have at least the available ones with new images.

      Thanks for all the help.

      • Thankfully, all the Poppy skins are currently available on the PBE. Here you go
        Noxus Poppy: http://i.imgur.com/SK8PGQS.jpg
        Lollipoppy: http://i.imgur.com/dkhWY1U.jpg
        Blacksmith Poppy: http://i.imgur.com/wGjhBBr.jpg
        Ragdoll Poppy: http://i.imgur.com/MMIpElp.jpg
        Battle Regalia Poppy: http://i.imgur.com/XkwMJaE.jpg
        Scarlet Hammer Poppy: http://i.imgur.com/62ePlbJ.jpg

        Also, an added bonus: Updated shots of Foxfire Ahri (these displaying ALL changes): http://i.imgur.com/Uww6RN4.jpg
        These Ahri shots really got me thinking how such an old skin can still look so good nowadays, even without a recall animation, new sounds and even no changes to E.

        Also, while I am at it, I want to express some other thoughts that have been on my mind for a long time…
        Don’t you think nowadays you are being a bit too strict with your reviews? I mean, come on, there is not a single skin above 975 to have 5 stars, and I feel like there never will be. Yes, flaws you list are often correct, but still, nothing can really be perfect, and I feel like a 1350 or above skin needs to be ABSOLUTELY perfect for you to give it 5 stars. I think it being close to perfect is enough for it to get 5 stars, especially considering you have skins at 5 stars with equal if not more flaws than some 1350 skins.

        • Thanks for all the images, they are well done and very useful.

          We have noticed that trend but you have to consider that skins are nowadays more expensive than they used to. For example, a few years back, we sound old already, you could get a good re-model for 520 RP, at 975 RP you’d get what you often get nowadays for 1350 RP and 750 RP didn’t exist.

          Conversely, currently, you have to pay 750 RP for a re-model or less. They don’t go as low as a re-texure but sometimes there are only a few model changes. Also, there are some re-textures or skins with minor model changes at 520 RP that are great. At 975 RP you can still get good skins and we have highlghited them; like Challenger Nidalee recently. However, there’s a tendendy to have skins with features that fit at 975 RP at 1350 RP for no perceivable reason.

          We are sorry but at 1350 RP we just have to strict. It’s only a few RP short of a legendary skin and if you are going to spend that much then you might as well go for a legendary. Of course, at 1350 RP they can go no sale and that’s taken into a account. Still, we have to insist: why are we paying more for the same features that are expected at 975 RP? Unless it’s a stealthy price rise we don’t see the reason. Fine, things change but aren’t skins supposed to get better and offer more as Riot gets more proficient at making them? That was the case until the new pricing scheme appeared.

          The higher the price the more strict we get; we think it’s only fair. After all, skins are already quite expensive so they should do all they can to justify their price. Lately, we notice a trend of skins laying closer to 1350 RP whenever possible. Besides, the huge amount of skins already present means that there’s usually a better alternative for champions with some time in League.

          Add to that the fact that recent skins can feel like they aren’t doing their best. It’s more like they are covering the usual bases to present the theme with nothing new added to the mix. With some many options present, knowing how far an execution can go if Riot wants and seeing how something could’ve been done better by just using assets in a different way we think that there’s room for improvement. If a skin isn’t as good as it could be and also faces alternatives that do try to be the best they can then we have to note the difference.

          It could just be us. We try to be objective but that’s an ideal to aim for not an objective that can be truly achieved. Still, we often wonder what’s the point of another skin with a different theme when there’s a previous skin that is simply better done or has a more suitable theme. We understand that the business is all about releasing more content to sell. Fair enough, but it has to be good and actually have worth in comparison with what’s already available. As you note, Firefox Ahri holds up pretty well despite its flaws. New skins have to take what’s already present and make an effort to stand on their own.

          We don’t make any claims as to the fairness of our reviews. We do try our best but we are fallible like anyone else. Regardless, that’s how we see things nowadays and we prefer to hold an unpopular opinion than to give advice that isn’t trying to be useful, first and foremost. Our idea is to guide in the purchase of skins, we aren’t trying to gauge quality; that’s why prices are so important in the reviews. We are open to discussion and changing our mind. We just don’t understand why prices rise while skins give the same or less. A lack of evolution and improvement is not something we can condone.

          • I understand. Well, I think what we really need is a second skin price rebalance like the one we had years ago.
            Anyway, continuing on topic, here are some updated in-game shots of the Annie skins that need them, including Hextech Annie if you end up needing it.
            Goth Annie: http://i.imgur.com/KEqcHDS.jpg
            Red Riding Annie: http://i.imgur.com/h3rDjxT.jpg
            FrankenTibbers Annie: http://i.imgur.com/4s36gxt.jpg
            Hextech Annie: http://i.imgur.com/vI3ZBNO.jpg

            Do keep the requests coming.

          • According to Riot’s Guide to Skin Price Tiers we aren’t being that unreasonable. Regardless, skins should improve and offer more so perhaps a rebalance that makes allows skin tiers to evolve and have more features is necessary; as you mention.

            Back to the matter at hand then. Thanks for the images, they’ll make the review more useful. We’ll see what to do about Hextech Annie. Stealthy releases certainly don’t help make either crafting or the skin more exciting. It feels like a wasted opportunity.

  18. Hello. I was wondering if you’ll ever do a review on the chromas?

    • It’s one of the many things in our to-do list. We plan to review them and we have a good idea about how to review chromas for classic skins. For paid skins we still have to work out a few details. If you have any specific doubts we’ll be glad to help in the meantime.

      • No doubts. It’s just that, it’s been a while since the chromas have been released but then again I’m guessing you have a lot on your plate right now. Also, I was wondering since some of the splash arts have been changed, would you be updating your review on the updated splash arts?

        • The updated splash arts is another thing we are currently doing; though more slowly than we’d like. The main problem is that there’re a lot of champions and skins so keeping everything up to date takes quite a bit of time. Regardless, we haven’t discarded anything so when we are able we’ll try to have more content. That’s the intention at aleast.

  19. Are you going to re-review all the skins that gained new splash arts?

  20. Zero, I’ve been meaning to ask this for a long time now…
    I feel like all the new skins that come out have in-game shots that are not of the highest quality. I can tell you create them yourself using shots from the brief video demonstrations Riot provides of the skins. (Which they used to provide simple but adequate images of before, like Galactic Azir and Jade Fang Cassiopeia)
    To be honest, I wouldn’t mind going through the trouble of getting you higher quality versions that display the abilities in just as if not better ways. Additionally, there are some which are not in desperate need of replacing but could do with an update that shows things better, like Jade Fang Cassiopeia and Mythic Cassiopeia. What do you say?

    • We are grateful for any help we can get. We work with what we have and we are aware that editing images is quite time consuming. If you don’t mind the time and want to update the images we can only say thank you. We’d advise to start with the ones in more dire need of an update. Specifically, the ones with screenshots from model viewers like Surgeon Shen. There are others that are simply outdated with images taken before minor model or texture changes or gameplay updates; like the marksman or mage updates.

      Also, there’s no need to go into big detail when a skin is only a new model. It should show any minor but relevant changes like the adapted particles for Sivir’s auto-attacks and Boomerang Blade; for instance. However, if abilities or other areas aren’t affected by the changes there’s no need to display them.

      As a guideline, the image should show what is new in the skins. That’s often the model, in at least a couple of angles so as to see front and back. Then the rest is a display of all that is different, auto-attacks, abilities and other activities. The idea of this guidelines is so that you can better focus efforts where needed and can save time with skins that don’t actually have much to show.

      Thanks again for the kind offering.

      • Well, I told you to tell me specifically which ones need new shots! Unless you do, I will just make shots of skins and champions I like. Anyway, for now, here are some, and I found out some changes to the skins as well which I have listed too.
        Surgeon Shen: http://i.imgur.com/karIWev.png
        Mythic Cassiopeia: http://i.imgur.com/nsa9sPK.png
        Jade Fang Cassiopeia: http://i.imgur.com/i4ZCt9L.png
        This skin seems to have been slightly downgraded with her most recent update. Gone are the jade statues made by her ultimate (which is why I omitted them, unsure about her death though) as well as the headpiece’s snakes’ glow when using some abilities. A pity, but it’s still a lovely skin, though I’ve always preferred Mythic because of the more beautiful model.
        Gravelord Azir: http://i.imgur.com/9iudUA2.jpg
        You forgot to mention this skin’s processed voice-over.
        Firecracker Jinx: http://i.imgur.com/V1bipJt.jpg
        Slayer Jinx: http://i.imgur.com/Qb24IyL.jpg
        This has a new animation for Zap, as evident by the picture. I also feel like you were a bit harsh with the star rating. As you mentioned yourself, it offers more of what’s already good (classic Jinx), which is what Koi Nami does as well, yet this one has only half the stars of Koi Nami. I know the price is higher but still.

        • Fare enough, we’ll accept what we can get. Thanks for the screenshots. Another one that has a model viewer image is Snow Bunny Nidalee and some of the old legacy legendaries. If we come across any other we’ll add it to a future list for when you are able to make more images.

          Truth be told it’s a thorough disappointment that every time there’s some sort of update skins lose features. In a way it punishes owners of skins as not only do they get surpassed by newer offerings but also get downgraded every time that changes are made. Specifically the headpiece snakes no longer glow with Noxious Blast and Miasma but they still do with Petrifying Gaze. Would like to know why.

          It gives the sour taste that Riot is trying to make owned skins worse so that people would buy the newer skins with new features. Sometimes new skins include those same extras that were omitted in previous ones. It’s something that only Riot can fix but they always answer with the not enough resources answer. Just disappointing.

          It’s true Slayer Jinx’s Zap! has a barely different animation as she hold the gun with both hands. It’s little but nice. The problem is that Slayer Jinx is practically Classic Jinx with a new casual style. For 1350 RP we find it too underwhelming. It’s a clear case of a skin that does to little to have such a high price. Even at 975 RP it’s rather unimaginative and conventional to feel special.

          With regards to the images, you forgot to show Gravelord Azir’s Emperor’s Divide; the ultimate. Also, there seems to be a small but present difference in Jade Fang Cassiopeia’s death and petrified enemies with Petrifying Gaze. It’s not big deal as the difference isn’t very noticeable but, side by side, it looks a bit different.

          Thanks for the images and corrections.

          • Unfortunately, Snow Bunny Nidalee was not available at this time, but I have several others ready for you.
            Alien Invader Heimerdinger: http://i.imgur.com/bCgTx6Q.png
            Snowmerdinger: http://i.imgur.com/Up2MMaw.png
            Iron Solari Leona: http://i.imgur.com/BlwBxVB.png
            Charred Maokai: http://i.imgur.com/ZVZ3vto.png
            Mafia Miss Fortune: http://i.imgur.com/5DO5Enw.png
            Road Warrior Miss Fortune: http://i.imgur.com/nIBIkEu.png
            Red Card Katarina: http://i.imgur.com/aMpY9Up.png
            Red Baron Corki: http://i.imgur.com/4dQg548.png
            Blood Lord Vladimir: http://i.imgur.com/hRhdbXp.jpg

            I do share your thoughts on Jade Fang Cassiopeia and overall the small downgrades like those that often go unnoticed. Unfortunately, we cannot do much about it, so I think there is no point in stressing over it and it is best to just look on the bright side of things. Jade Fang Cassiopeia is still a great skin, despite losing those small aspects.
            And sometimes there are really big upgrades when champion updates are made, like Xerath’s Runeborn and Battlecast skins, Yi’s Assassin skin and Karthus’ Pentakill skin.
            One final note: I’ve always been wondering why you have left Miss Fortune’s classic splash art unchanged even after her update changing it, even if the change isn’t big. It just doesn’t feel right as it is now.

          • Also, my apologies… I only now realized how I forgot about Gravelord Azir’s ultimate in that picture. I might fix it sometime in the future, but beforehand, I should ask something pretty important: Do you mind me offering images showcasing skins like Gravelord Azir, Heartseeker Orianna, the Lunar Wraiths, Elderwood Hecarim and LeBlanc… You know, all those which you yourself made the pictures for. Sometimes they just end up looking a bit messy, even if their quality is alright.

          • Thanks for the new images. You’re right, it’s beyond our power when skins lose features but at the very least we can make it known so that people are better informed. Riot should know that it’s something that matters, even if a bit, and that not everyone is fine with it.

            Sure, sometimes updates improve things but usually the net result is uneven. For example, Headhunter Master Yi lost its special particles for Wuju Style and got simpler particles for Alpha Strike. Considering that it was the first skin to offer new particles for abilities and practically prompted the advance in technical features for skins it’s like a slap in the face. Also, visual updates tend to homogenize skins too much so that they share a clear base and sometimes look too similar; Garen is a blatant example.

            On Miss Fortune’s splash art, we initially didn’t think it too relevant to change it as there’s wasn’t much of a difference. Nowadays, the lighter red of the hair is noticeable so we have the splash art in the ridiculously long queue of splashes to update. As we update splash arts the, sort of, new splash art for Miss Fortune will make its way among the others. More than a hundred splash arts were updated, and they keep updating, so patience is necessary.

            Due to the low resolution of some videos and the precarious spotlights of the skins the images aren’t always the best they could or should be. We would frankly prefer if Riot returned to the good old images that it released and also updated when work on skins was made. As that isn’t something under our control we are grateful for any improvement you can offer with new images. The clearer that features are displayed the better.

            Thanks for all the hard work.

  21. Alright, this is a rather large batch, hope you don’t mind.
    Battleborn Kayle: http://i.imgur.com/jDHZHp6.png
    Battlecast Alpha Skarner: http://i.imgur.com/Aa7ZUtV.jpg
    Blood Knight Hecarim: http://i.imgur.com/LkeZXOa.png
    Reaper Hecarim: http://i.imgur.com/c38QFM0.png
    Stinger Akali: http://i.imgur.com/DPRFQXV.png
    Nurse Akali: http://i.imgur.com/E8DfOfi.png
    Silverfang Akali: http://i.imgur.com/PYwntwi.png
    Battle Bunny Riven: http://i.imgur.com/varRltQ.jpg
    Candy Cane Miss Fortune: http://i.imgur.com/lwC9CRs.png
    Kitty Kat Katarina: http://i.imgur.com/a6OhXTR.png
    Pumpkinhead Fiddlesticks: http://i.imgur.com/ZOfebtF.png
    Surprise Party Fiddlesticks: http://i.imgur.com/YQnRYZ3.png
    White Mage Veigar: http://i.imgur.com/OWgCOlt.png
    Leprechaun Veigar: http://i.imgur.com/PdqyHV7.png
    Lord Darius: http://i.imgur.com/6sFNpK0.png
    Noxus Hunter Anivia: http://i.imgur.com/wiGPwUn.png
    Mafia Graves: http://i.imgur.com/Knbadz7.png
    Riot Graves: http://i.imgur.com/PljIwOG.png
    Festive Kassadin: http://i.imgur.com/KqzfAv2.png
    Dark Valkyrie Diana: http://i.imgur.com/sLH2bpB.jpg
    Cryocore Brand: http://i.imgur.com/UU9B6S5.jpg
    Spirit Fire Brand: http://i.imgur.com/8XqWmlH.jpg
    Warring Kingdoms Katarina: http://i.imgur.com/XQ9Nhl6.png
    Warring Kingdoms Nidalee: http://i.imgur.com/qCiv2NB.jpg
    Lion Dance Kog’Maw: http://i.imgur.com/MqTUTn4.png
    And last but not least, a fixed version of Gravelord Azir, this time appropriately staged in the Twisted Treeline: http://i.imgur.com/3BRcG8p.jpg

    Now with that out of the way, I have to ask two things.
    First of all, why are you no longer announcing skin star changes in the News anymore? Last time I remember you doing that was when you took a star away from Calestine Soraka and Creator Viktor. Since then many skins have had their star ratings changed, I think it is only fair to announce those changes and give very brief explanations as to why stars were added or subtracted.
    Second, I have been curious for a long while, but which server do you play on?

    • Thanks for all the images. As long the images are useful, the more the merrier.

      You’re right, we should announce it. It hasn’t happen that many times and perhaps that’s why we didn’t consider it relevant. Regardless, we should, at least, leave a note somehwere explaining why the rating was changed. It was an oversight, not intended, we’ll pay more attention in the future.

      We mainly base all work on the NA server which is, in practical terms, the main and default server. Being close to Riot, physically, and also, historically, the initial server it only makes sense to have it as the principal source of information.

  22. Zero, I cannot seem to access the latest sale article, it says it doesn’t exist.

  23. Since the patch is almost upon us, here are those in-game shots of Soulstealer Vayne. It seems they did not change anything over the time.
    http://i.imgur.com/4c1UAaz.png

    • Thanks for the image, we’ll put it to good use.

      True to its impression, the PBE is more of a way to check bugs than to improve skins, or even new content, with feedback from players. It seems a missed opportunity not to take advantage of such a resource in all its breadth.

  24. Alright, here are most of the Ryze in-game shots. I excluded Dark Crystal and Zombie for now because, well… the minions are dressed for the season, and they would obviously be my training dummies as usual, so I’m unsure if their current appearances are suitable for Ryze. What do you think? Should I make the shots now with the Pool Party minions or wait for after the event? I could also do them in the Twisted Treeline where I think there are no Pool Party minions.
    Young Ryze: http://i.imgur.com/2fzcuO8.png
    Tribal Ryze: http://i.imgur.com/jIUvKgU.png
    Uncle Ryze: http://i.imgur.com/Ev95yHk.png
    Triumphant Ryze: http://i.imgur.com/cWBYrel.png
    Professor Ryze: http://i.imgur.com/WKskEgI.png
    Pirate Ryze: http://i.imgur.com/kZhLmpI.png
    Ryze Whitebeard: http://i.imgur.com/BKDQsKz.png

    • Thanks for the images, they’re most useful. We have no problem in having minions in full pool party attire. It can be a little cameo of style in the screenshots. The only problem could be if the added clothing makes the images too cluttered. Of course Twisted Treeline is a valid alternative if that’s the case. We would recommend Dominion but somebody had the great idea of removing it so, there our suggestion goes.

      Do the screenshots at your convenience, we know how much time they take so try to choose the easier option so that you can concentrate on showing hte abilities without much trouble.

      • The screenshots really don’t take long, unless there are things to distract me then they can take up to an hour I guess. Anyway, decided to go with the Twisted Treeline for the last two skins since it is fitting for both, especially for Zombie.
        Zombie Ryze: http://i.imgur.com/BbZ3kof.png
        Dark Crystal Ryze: http://i.imgur.com/0SLFKuG.png
        I look forward to reading all the new reviews for Ryze’s skins. I have Dark Crystal from a mystery gift but will probably not be able to play him still, he’s such a complicated champion.

        • Thanks a lot, that will help make the review more comprehensive.

          We find that choosing each image and then editing the screenshots take a lot of time. Do you have any specific procedure or tools you use? Any tips would help as we find it quite laborious.

          From what we’ve seen, Ryze isn’t exactly difficult once you know his classic combos. Being far from experts we do know the basics. It used to be a matter of simply adding an Overload after each ability so that the basic combo was: Q, W, Q, E, Q. The final combo then would add an R to reset the cooldowns, thanks to CDR, and start anew: Q, W, Q, E, Q, R, Q, W, Q, E, Q.

          The new Ryze adds some extra utility if he uses his W and E to store charges so that Overload shields him and adds a speed buff. The basic core remains but there’s some more variety though the good old area damage and spell vamp are gone. The teleport may compensate as those are prized abilities. We’ll see how he plays now that he’s finally arriving.

          • Oh, I simply take the screenshots in the usual way using F12 while in-game, then I use Paint to take cut-outs of those images and put the pieces together, though I definitely have to say some of my older works looks so imperfect, like Darkflame and Ice Drake Shyvana. Glad I improved, I think the Dark Crystal and Zombie Ryze ones look perfect. Usually I try to leave as little empty black space as possible, it bugs me a lot.
            What methods do you use?
            Also, any any new image requests you might have?

          • We use a similar method but we find it takes a lot of time to filter through the individual screenshots and to assemble the final edited image. Wonder if we are doing something unnecessary that takes too much time. Your images look very good and they effectively show each change. We should learn from them.

            Not sure what access there is on the PBE for legacy skins but that seems to, naturally, be an area where there are many old images. Specifically, the older Harrowing and Snowdown skins like those from 2009 and 2010 and some of the event skins. The newer ones tend to have better images but these do show their age.

            There are exceptions in the newer skins but the older are the ones in more dire need. There are a few that have images made by us and some by Riot that are still useful; like Harrowing 2012. However, you’ll notice some that need help like Zombie Brand. After all, his VFX was all reworked and there’s much more to show than what Riot’s image displays.

            No rush for the images. Just do a batch, a review page let’s say, when you can and little by little we can update everything. Thanks a lot for your help.

  25. Alright, Zero, so before I get into making screenshots for some more skins, I really want you to confirm that I won’t be making anything unnecessary. From your previous comment, Zombie Brand was apparently something I should have done a while ago, but I just thought the image by Riot seemed quite efficient. I’m mostly unconfident about replacing Riot images at that quality because I don’t have the tech to take shots from various angles in-game, with which to best show the models. I think such a program can be obtained from somewhere, but for just a few images, I don’t know…
    Anyway, to the point. Here are the skins which I am thinking could use replacements but are not in dire need: Bewitching Nidalee, Definitely Not Blitzcrank, Headmistress Fiora, Headless Hecarim, Underworld Twisted Fate, Haunted and Wildfire Zyra. Tell me your thoughts.
    The ones that are in dire need of replacement, the old legacy skins, I keep in mind all the time, and will eventually have them ready. Some skins are definitely more enjoyable to make screenshots of, the more elaborate skins, of course. Halloween/Harrowing has actually always been a favorite of mine and no skins released for those spooky times have disappointed me. The zombie-themed ones from last year did come close but I like their appearance still, mostly Jinx’s since I dislike the other two champions in general. I’m excited to see what glorious horrors this year’s Harrowing brings, hopefully the traditional kind.

    • You make a fair point. The different angles help make the skins more interesting to look at and reveal things that aren’t always evident with the usual perspective. We didn’t imply that you should’ve done any images, you are not obliged to do anything you don’t want. You are doing us a favour, we are aware of that and also grateful for your help.

      In Zombie Brand’s case, after giving the image another look, we agree that Riot’s skin works well. Even though the skin has passed through a VFX update the particles have never been and still aren’t it’s strongest point. That’s actually the animations that are displayed rather nicely on the image. Your reservarions are well founded, even if there would be some improvement by displaying the particles the strong point of Zombie Brand is effectively presented by Riot’s image.

      Bewitching Nidalee’s image is one of ours but we agree that the cougar abilities could be shown in contrast to the human ones to have a more thorough look of the skin. Definitely Not Blitzcrank, Headmistress Fiora and also Haunted Nocturne, and even Frozen Terror, need updated images. Headless Hecarim and Underworld Twisted Fate as well as Hautned and Wildfire Zyra aren’t top priority but the displays are not comprehensive enough about all the new particles so we agree that more can be done.

      There’s no rush about these images or the old legacy skins. The tournament skins would also welcome new images, like SKT T1 Zyra. Regardless, there’s no need to hurry. Do what you can, we are grateful for the help.

      We’ll see what this year brings for Harrowing. If recent skins are any indication then event skins will probably be somewhat uneven. Let’s hope that they get inspired with interesting concepts and also great implementation to make them shine brighter than a full Moon.

      Finally, the LoL Replay Client allows to record replays in spectator mode against other players but in a more restricted mode against bots. In either case, it used to allow to change the camera angle so that you could pause the action and take some nice screenshots. It could be useful if you want to add some artistic flair to the images. We don’t know how well it works now as it’s been a while since we last used it: it broke compatibility with saves a few times due to big updates to LoL. In theory, this tool or others like it could help but there may be some testing involved before you can get the most of the best tool you find.

  26. Well, I made yet another batch, sadly Bewitching Nidalee and Definitely Not Blitzcrank were not available at this time. Added some random ones I found lying around too. I also made Zombie Brand before all of these and before you said that it’s not necessary, but you can have it and use it if you want, it’s okay if you don’t want to. Despite the basic ability particles being recolors for the most part, the ultimate and passive are cool with their slime.
    Zombie Brand: http://i.imgur.com/odhIPnp.jpg
    Haunting Nocturne: http://i.imgur.com/0hlonh0.png
    Void Nocturne: http://i.imgur.com/ykVbhWp.png
    Frozen Terror Nocturne: blob:http%3A//imgur.com/af52b00a-3f22-4105-8457-151c39b2b362
    Headless Hecarim: http://i.imgur.com/bdDhedv.jpg
    Underworld Twisted Fate: http://i.imgur.com/lIwg2lQ.png
    Headmistress Fiora: http://i.imgur.com/ooY4kFm.png
    Feral Warwick: http://i.imgur.com/W9UWy7r.png
    Bloodstone Taric: http://i.imgur.com/uarjnYN.png
    Armor of the Fifth Age Taric: http://i.imgur.com/xNwNHsl.png
    Striker Ezreal: http://i.imgur.com/NUtE3fl.png
    TPA Ezreal: http://i.imgur.com/a95JzcS.png
    Badger Teemo: http://i.imgur.com/WXyaCwn.png
    Happy Elf Teemo: http://i.imgur.com/Cld5UpJ.png
    Time Machine Zilean: http://i.imgur.com/t6Jc4aI.png

    By the way, you seem to have forgotten some images from me in the credits, like Ryze’s, or maybe I just missed them. Can’t really blame either of us, they have added up quite well and are only increasing. Since Ryze has quite a few skins and all the images for his skins are by me, saying just “all of Ryze’s skins” is perfectly fine, instead of listing each one.

    • My bad, I messed up the Frozen Terror Nocturne link. Here’s the working one: http://i.imgur.com/zvBt3rh.png

    • We apologise about forgetting to include the Ryze screenshots on the image credits section, it’s fixed now. We’d like to be comprehensive about it so that everything is in its place; as it should be.

      Thanks for the new images. We appreciate the extra Zombie Brand image too. We’ll probably add it so that it’s clear how the skin stands or staggers now. It’s embarrasing that a legendary skin receives recoloured particles after a VFX update. Isn’t it suppossed to be a protected and special tier of skins? Even Cryocore has more eye-catching particles than Zombie.

      Truth be told, the slime is too tame and the original flames had a flowing style that stood out much more than the current ones; even if the effect was subtle. A real pity but the skin wasn’t impressive initially and seems unable to improve. With more work and better promotion during Halloween it could be the star of the season. After all, every event is to have a mascot. There’s so much wasted potential.

  27. It has been a while, but here are three new in-game shots.
    Nottingham Ezreal: http://i.imgur.com/ngR1wFi.png
    Nutcracko: http://i.imgur.com/mY4rw0C.png
    Snow Bunny Nidalee: http://i.imgur.com/cqt8T1Z.png
    I’ve just not been occupied with League lately, so that’s why I haven’t been active with screenshots either.
    Anyway, the new Yorick was revealed. I find him quite amazing, both visuals and kit-wise. Will you need in-game shots of his two skins? The Pentakill skin seems to have gotten some extras to make it worth its 975 price tag, so that’s quite lovely.

    • Indeed, hope everything is alright. We understand the break from LoL, it doesn’t have the appeal it used to. Let’s sound old and say that in our time things were different…

      As always your contributions are very welcome and we thank you for them. New screenshots for the updated Yorick skins wouldn’t be a bad idea as Riot seldom offers good videos, let alone images, of any update they make. If you can make them it would be quite useful to have that covered.

      • Oh, everything’s fine, of course. League does often feel stale with the only exciting new things being skins which I refuse to buy anymore because the game overall frustrates me too often to really enjoy them in PvP, so I play relaxing bot games most of the time. On the bright side of things, Chromas for IP are here at last! Also excited for this year’s Victorious skin, the Championship one is disappointing to me, and not just because I dislike Zed. The particle colors feel mute and a really dull blue unlike previous Championship skins which had spectacular blue colors, even if they weren’t anything special they were appealing.
        Speaking of Championship skins, Championship Riven is back with updated particles. It’s nice and all, but it really makes you wonder why Riot aren’t also updating her outdated classic and Battle Bunny particles…

        • Good to hear everything’s alright. We agree, it’s better to relax with a bot game or flat-out stop playing. Nowadays, League is too demanding to be a game you can play for fun; as it’s supposed to be.

          Chromas for IP are here and so are the reviews to guide people in their purchases. Hope they are useful as we’ve had had our reservations about this. At least paying with IP decreases the issues associated with this limited customisation option.

          We haven’t seen much of Championship Zed but it seems to follow on the footsteps of previous skins. Now that you mention, the blue tones are rather dull. They lack vibrancy and aren’t as appealing. A quick look at the video with both Riven and Zed’s recalls shows the difference.

          We have no idea of who’s getting the new Victorious skin but as it’s something reserved for the ranked elite it usually leaves most players out; or so we’d say.

          Reagardless, it’s good to see that Championship Riven received some extra work. Still, it’s strange that they didn’t simply leave the old one as it is for previous owners, as a legacy, and give the tweaked one for new purchasers and old owners. It’s as if it wants to be a bit of old and new and ends up being neither. We agree, if they are going to update the particles for the skin, seeing as they are almost re-colours of the classic ones, they might as well go an extra step and update all of Riven’s VFX. Riot logic we suppose.

          • Truth be told, I was blown away when I saw Chroma reviews on the front page! Those are the least I expected to see today. I ready through all of them, and they are all well-reviewed when taking only their RP prices into account. I have only one complaint though – the color naming. In some cases, like Morgana’s third color (I see green and copper, I just cannot spot any red at all there), Fizz’s second color (I plainly see that as yellow, I see no green) and Bard’s second color (I see green and grey, no red). It can be a bit confusing. I still appreciate the Chroma reviews, having 44k IP I bought plenty as soon as they became available for IP.

          • Gald that you found the reviews useful. We did make mistakes when identifying the colour but we’re already fixing them with the names on the unpacked chromas on the store. Corrections also help in case we make further mistakes when looking at the images. Depending on the device the colours are renedered different and we make lots of mistakes on our own as well.

            That’s a lot of IP. Now it can have a good use besides being stored. Hope you enjoy the chromas.

  28. Ah, the Chroma reviews are much more clear now. There are still a few inconsistencies, like Morgana’s Pale chroma being called blue-green and the Toxic one being called red, but I’m sure you’ll have those rooted out soon.
    Before your reviews, the ones that caught my eye the most were the Cassiopeia ones, the Koi Nami ones and the Morgana ones. I see my tastes go well with your reviews. Although, despite hating Yi a lot, I actually found his Strike chromas to be quite appealing. I can’t wait for future Chromas and their reviews, and also the more closely approaching Arcade skin reviews. Ezreal finally gets a skin with particles despite Pulsefire’s current outdated state, it’s certainly a time to be alive. I personally adore the Ahri one, they made quite a few improvements to it on the PBE, such as whiskers and tail sparkles, and after all those the skin felt complete.

    • More mistakes and we did check everything before re-publishing. Sadly, after a while all text starts to look alike and we probably didn’t see them even if they were right in our field of vision.

      We also found the Headhunter chromas interesting but they are too closely based on the classic style of the skin. In fact, skin chromas tend to be very conservative with their changes; too much we’d say. Base chromas make more interesting changes and are more appealing. However, as expected, Riot will focus on skin chromas. We’ll at least there are a few of them.

      The Arcade skins are rather nice. We didn’t always find them as satisfying as they could be but thery are all quite nice. We didn’t notice any whiskers and tail sparlkes on the Arcade Ahri video released by Riot to present the skin. We’ll have to give it another look it seems; last minute changes perhaps.

      Thanks for the corrections, we’ll get down to them right now; they shall not escape us.

  29. Here are the in-game Yorick skin shots, plus a bonus Sion shot, sorry they were a bit delayed.
    Undertaker Yorick: http://i.imgur.com/ItlOWuh.png
    Pentakill Yorick: http://i.imgur.com/Asee8A5.jpg
    Hextech Sion: http://i.imgur.com/oS7kNrm.png
    Also, the new Yorick review is well done. One qualm I have though is about Pentakill Yorick’s particles. I feel as if his mist walkers, the Maiden as well as the W wall are all new models and not particles, and that is why they are not modified with new fiery colors. If they were, the particle department would probably feel more like a generic fire skin. I think fire and black is quite fitting together, though sadly the mist walkers are gray which works less well, but is still fine in my opinion. Their spiky armbands are a nice addition.
    Overall, I think it would be suitable to change it to simple “New fire particles for his abilities” and, either in particles or model, minor model modifications for the Maiden and mistwalkers. New particles for the Maiden perhaps?
    On a side note, only after completing the screenshots of the skin did I realize the character inking feature makes the maiden’s clothing, the ribbon-like strands at the back, look a bit strange.

    • Thanks for the images, they come really in handy.

      You’re right about the Mist Walkers and Maiden of the Mist: they are models so the particles of the abilities are, technically, different. They still feel like partial changes as the abilities rely so much on the Walkers and the Maiden but that’s another matter that should be expessed in the review and not the description. Thanks for the correction, we’ll modify the review to make it more clear.

  30. Are you planning to review the more recent Chromas (Arcade Miss Fortune, Battle Bunny Riven, etc.)? There are quite a few since they are not in bundles anymore, but I would really love reviews on them, especially on the Battle Bunny Riven and Lunar Goddess Diana ones which I will most likely get most of in the next IP sale.
    Also, what are your thoughts on the expansion of the Star Guardian skin line? I find Janna and Jinx, especially Janna, to be fabulously stunning, Lulu great and Poppy good but only model-wise, her particles are a disappointment because of having to retain “clarity”.

    • We certainly will review the new chromas. We are currently knee-deep in Star Guardian stuff but once we are able we’ll try to review the new chromas. We can assure that by the next IP sale all chromas that can be purchased with IP will be reviewed. After all, that’s the main objective of the chroma reviews.

      Thematically, the Star Guardians are a great option to step outside of the usual tropes while still retaining a fantasy feel that fits the game. We like Jinx quite a bit as it has a cohesive design that ties the familiars to her weapons and also incorporates them into her ultimate; as well as emotes and recall. Janna we find very interesting but lacking some extra work to fully round the new identity. The same applies, to an extent, to Poppy. The warrior-magical-girl idea works but doesn’t step beyond the clear boundaries of what’s expected. Lulu is charming but seems to lack impact while diminishing her mischievous aspect without adding anything else to fill in the empty space.

      Overall, we like the skins but, legendary aside, they don’t manage to define a new identity for the respective champions. For that reason, the lore attached to the skins seems disconnected to the actual reality of the skins. Each Star Guardian is to have a unique personality and role but that seldom is conveyed in the implementation of each skin.

      • Well, the new homeguard animations are a nice touch at least, plus the special music when you start a game (Though I think that will be temporary, or tied to the Star Guardian minions perhaps?). I do understand what you mean though, but they don’t add less than the Lux skin I think.
        Oh, and it’s funny how not long after I wrote this, Star Guardian Poppy got proper particle effect colors on the PBE! Now they are blue and look so much more fitting, definitely brings the skin to a new light for me.

        • The homeguard animations are a fine touch and the music would be a welcome complement but, apparently, it’s only available during the Star Guardian event; which includes new minions. Star Guardian Lux, on top of the expected changes has a few noticeable animations which many of the other Star Guardians forgo.

          We haven’t seen much blue in Star Guardian Poppy’s initial particles so the new colour lets the ability to feel different to the classic ones. It’s a good addition that helps give the skin its own identity.

  31. Hey zero can you do a review of the new baron nashor pre order figure

    • We haven’t considered reviewing figures but we can give you our impression of it. We gave the figure a look and we don’t find it particularly special. It’s a comical take on Baron Nashor that costs quite a bit, thirty dollars to be specific, and that also asks for quite an array of piruoette’s to pre-order it. It wouldn’t be surprising if there’s also a limited amount of figures to purchase normally eventually. After all, some have been discontinued as far as we know.

      Provided the one we saw at LoL’s Merch Store is the one in question we find it an acceptable item for dedicated fans of the game. If you aren’t really focused on LoL then it seems like an expensive memento.

  32. Is there any chance you could do a pass on the champions that have had their splash arts updated?

  33. Great review sites for all the lol skins, small suggestion here maybe add short icons / chromas / emotes / ward reviews too? Would totally like to see that in addition to all the skin reviews. Cheers!

    • Glad that you like the site. We have chroma reviews for base skins and paid skins. Links are available at the end of the Review Index page.

      As for other content we have seen that they are simple enough that you can get a good idea of what they are without a deep analysis; even ward skins. Still, it’s something to consider for when we are able to expand the site.

  34. Esteemed Zero,

    could you review ward skins as well?

    Best regards,
    Zero

    • We’ll have to add it to the to-do list. If you have any specific questions about ward skins you can drop us a line. Still, we think that wards are much simpler than champion skins so it’s much easier to see all that they have to offer. That’s one of the reasons why we centre on champions skins instead of wards.

  35. Hey, have you thought about revamping your website to allow people to give their own review and scores (and a better UX, Im getting kinda lost sometimes) ?

    • Sorry to hear that. How are you getting lost? We always thought of the Review Index as a sort of main menu to get access to the review. Doesn’t mean that it’s clear enough, though. We know that the actual menus at the top aren’t that good and the site would benefit from being as easy to access as possible. Any suggestions you could give?

      The idea of reader’s reviews and scores is good but we don’t know what we’d need to allow that. Probably a good infrastructure so that they can be aggregated, sorted and accessed. It’s a tempting idea if it could be done but it should be done in a way that is easy to manage for all involved. Again, we welcome any suggestions.

      • Hey, just saw your reply, thanks. I’m currently starting coding a platform idea related to LoL. I could help you if you need some technical advice.

        Some suggesions:
        It’s mostly about the fact that a skin link does not directing directly to the corresponding text in the champion page, and I sometimes found skin reviews that are not in the index. Also I’d be interested to know on which patch the review were done (as skins can evolve) and maybe a more visual notation, to understand more quickly why the score is given and have a better way to compare different skins of a champion.
        I also have problems with your RSS link sadly 🙁

        • Skin links simply direct to a review page because we don’t have tags on each individual review. At the time we didn’t think of it because champions didn’t have that many skins. Now it would be a great idea but we are talking about over a thousand tags to add. Without a good and safe method of automating it the idea is out of our range. By safe we mean simply press a button and problem solved, without additional errors added by the automation, which as anyone knows, is only wishful thinking.

          Reviews, unless we get delayed, always refer to the last changes the skin received. When a skin is modified in any way we always check and make modifications to the reviews as necessary. Sometimes there’s nothing to add and other times the changes merit a new review, as in the case of a visual upgrade.

          What do you refer to with regards to a more visual notation to understand the score. We tend to justify the rating in the conclusion section with a small summary of the feel of the skin at the end. In truth, we could make a pros and cons of the skin as well as an analysis of how each affect the adaptation. However, with so many skins changing everything would be a monumental task. In fact, the blog could be improved in innumerable ways but we have to use our resources, time in this case, sensibly.

          You’re right about the RSS feed. We had a problem with widgets in the past and when we re-did them it seems that something didn’t work well. We’ll check it, thanks.

          • Hey, thanks for the reply and the information.

            There’s no ‘one button pressed’ solution to the first problem, but automating such a process would be quite easy. From what I see, your reviews are always coded with the same HTML structure (p and tables). I could try scraping your skin champion pages and create a Google Sheets table with all the data, see if there are any errors. Then if you want, you can then just use this data with a datatable and have a more flexible design (with maybe some kind of filters if we want the best skins at for a certain amount of RP).

            About the visual notation, it’s sad that it has to take so much time! I sometimes find the final rating inconsistent and the text not explaining enough why such a rating. Is it the concept that didnt fit with the champion? The quality of the model, or particules that are giving a bad whole? The value/price ratio (should it be even taken into account)? etc. And how all of this is weighted. I was thinking like 3 or 4 public rating, then a final one being a weighted sum of these 3/4.

            Also, the website is currently with an all black blackground for me at the moment (can not see the text).

          • We checked with three different browsers and the site seems to be working alright. It could be a temporary issue or an incompatibility. If it persists sends give us as much information about the problem and we’ll check it out.

            With regards to HTML code we prefer to keep things simple. We do use mostly tables and simple formatting for the reviews. The sortable table is the most dynamic assortment of the reviews we have but it only links to review pages it doesn’t include the reviews. We could add some filters, in fact the site could do with a modern redesign. The problems is that it’ll make the site more complex and lower compatibility, increase load time and also more prone to issues.

            The reviews try to explain the reasoning of a rating but lately we find that the problem is the lack of depth in adaptations. As we write the same thing many times we probably end up not going at length into it not to repeat the same argument so much. We are thinking of making review more concise when we start again. Advice and feedback are always welcome, thanks.

          • Hey, here’s the scrap I’ve done. Think it’s quite correct
            https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bQLtpyao-yHXkvoEOuUxP7XgwhMT54bwv9_TWcNhHMM/edit?usp=sharing

            There are 919 skin reviews but only 910 on the skin index (missing ones below).

            You don’t have to publish this message and I’ll delete the file once you’ve seen it.

            If you’re interested in a partnership with our project or some contributions to your website, contact me by mail!

            Missing skin reviews in the skin list:
            Blitzcrank Langer Rogue and Paragon
            Cassiopeia Eternum
            Kog’Maw Hextech
            LeBlanc Program
            Nami Program
            Poppy Hextech
            Renekton Hextech
            Rumble Badlands Baron

            Also Reksai skins in the skin list redirect to Rammus!

          • That’s interesting. We’d like to know how you did it but we wonder if we can easily employ something like that. What sort of project are you involved in.

            Thanks for the corrections. There’s always some that slip through the cracks of our tightly gripped iron fists. As if that would actually help with reviews, well.

          • Hey, could you send me a mail so we can discuss this further? You can PM it to me on Twitter, I’ve sent you a tweet.

          • We’ll try to get in touch as soon as we are able.

  36. I love that you guys are still updating skin reviews. I discovered this site when I first started playing back in 2015. It was very helpful to help me figure out which skin to buy. I hope you guys keep up the good work and thank you for the skin reviews.

    • Not at all, glad that you find the reviews useful. We’ve slowed down a bit recently but we do intend to keep the site up to date. We may not be able to do as much as we want but we will try.

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