What Wild Ideas Did TFT Developers Experiment With?
The Experiment Trait in TFT Set 13 introduces an innovative mechanic centered around positioning units on Laboratory hexes for maximum power. These unique hexes offer Experiment champions additional health and the ability to share each other’s bonuses, which creates synergy effects that scale based on the number of Experiment units invested in. Notably, as the number of active Experiments increases, so does the effectiveness of this trait, ultimately doubling the bonuses at the highest level.
Specifically, the Experiment is made up of five champions with a 3, 5, and 7 increment trait. This means that players can achieve considerable power with five Experiment units while still utilizing other carries due to multiple open and flexible slots. Additionally, with two spatulas, players can also opt for seven Experiment units to achieve a large bonus!
- By maximizing Laboratory hex usage and leveraging the trait’s scaling bonuses, players can create potent synergies that strengthen their entire team.
- Experiment units can be highly adaptable and impactful, especially at higher tiers where their shared bonuses reach full potential.
- Experiment champions offer several options to extend the trait web through their secondary traits:
- Zyra (1G) – Sorcerer
- Urgot (2G) – Pit Fighter + Artillerist
- Nunu & Willump (3G) – Bruiser + Visionary
- Dr. Mundo (4G) – Dominator
- Twitch (4G) – Sniper
Furthermore, the Experiment trait also rewards careful positioning. Experiment units on Laboratory hexes not only gain health but also enable the Experiment bonuses. The Experiment Bonus activates after eight seconds or upon death, summoning a copy of the unit with 60% max Health.
Notably, Twitch gains a percentage of attack speed, infinite range, and replaces the attacks with a piercing bolt targeting random enemies. Bolts deal physical damage, reducing by a percentage for each enemy they pass through.
Recently, a new trait known as Draconic Origin has also been revealed. This trait will place dragon eggs on a player’s bench that will hatch into new units.
In conclusion, the Experiment Trait adds a fresh layer of complexity to the gameplay. Players are currently exploring various team compositions that are both fun and effective. Check out the crazy team comps made by the community, which can provide inspiration for your games!
Unrevealed Innovations in Teamfight Tactics Development
Inven Global had the chance at an exclusive peek behind the curtain at the making of Magic n’ Mayhem, the latest and most whimsical set for Teamfight Tactics (TFT).
We’re thrilled to have with us two key developers behind the magic: Matt Dunn, Gameplay Designer, and Dan Townsend, the Lead Game Producer. In this interview, we dive into the challenges they faced, from conjuring up enchanting new mechanics to integrating beloved champions from other Riot Games titles.
Throughout this time, we also looked for new opportunities to utilize more of our available intellectual properties and worked with our other TFT teams to showcase brand-new content.
- Norra from Legends of Runeterra, a new 5-cost Portal Mage, was a perfect example of this.
- We collaborated with the gameplay team to understand what assets we had available.
- We ended up with a robust roster of 60 champions including 27 traits and 3 new characters.
All of these elements came together to fit into the world of the Magitorium, and hopefully our players will feel immersed in our storytelling.
We really wanted to be mindful of complexity. For example, with Charms, we limited our tooltip length to just what would fit on the shop card itself. This limitation helped ensure that players could easily see what a Charm did at a top level, as opposed to burying the text somewhere more hidden.
We knew that anytime someone saw a Charm, they would need to read it, understand it, and then make choices about if and how to use that Charm.
Charms are magical effects that you can buy. They appear in your shop just like champions do, and they each have a cost in either gold or player health.
- On their shop card, where you’d normally see an image of the champion, you’ll instead see a description of what the Charm will do when you buy it.
- There are a number of outputs Charms can have. Many will give you some sort of bonus for your next combat, like Summon Voidling, which will add a Voidling to your army for the turn.
- Others can give you more long-term benefits by conjuring things like item anvils or Champion Duplicators to use.
- Some present little mini-games, like Minor Gambit, which gives you gold if you win your next fight.
- Additionally, you can see Charms that let you fill your shop in specific ways, that transform your champions, or that even let you cheat death for a turn.
Charms allow us to give more bite-sized rewards that might otherwise be hard to find a home for. Due to their smaller nature, Charms create more fun, magical little moments throughout the game.
Lastly, I’m going to take some time today to talk about three of our TFT design pillars: mastery, playful competition, and discovery.
Abecassis reflected on three principal elements of Riot Game’s auto battler, how the team innovated in each of these areas, and what these innovations taught.
Behind-the-Scenes: Crazy Concepts That Eluded TFT Players
Set Three of TFT replaced the elemental theming of Set Two with a sci-fi futuristic theme. This meant using various skins for each champion that had some kind of cybernetic feel to them. Unfortunately, this was an immediate problem for Set Three that never went away with time.
Visual clarity is a big deal in a game like TFT. The player needs to be able to recognize each unit on the battlefield and also while scrolling through them quickly in the store. However, this caused two issues in Set Three:
- The champions didn’t look the way that they normally do in League of Legends.
- The champions were difficult to distinguish from one another.
Moreover, the designers made other tweaks to the base gameplay that made little sense on paper. They changed the player damage formula, which had been pretty much universally agreed to be working well during Set Two. This change was drastic, as it removed almost all of the damage caused by the number of surviving enemy units and shifted it instead into base damage for the stage in which combat took place. In other words, it no longer mattered very much whether a fight was a narrow loss or a complete blowout; the damage taken would be nearly identical in both cases.
The biggest innovation for Set Three were the ‘Galaxies’ themselves. These were various rules that changed up the gameplay of TFT for that particular game in some kind of unusual fashion. Set Three ended up with about a dozen of these in total, with a number of galaxies added and removed over the course of its patch history. While these galaxies shifted up the gameplay in different ways, they all had serious issues and didn’t particularly make TFT more fun to play.
As a notable design blunder, they made a Disco trait with Space Groove skins but did not include Disco Nunu. This was considered unforgivable by many players.
Only by scrapping a series of failed design elements and implementing several improvements were the designers able to get me to come back to TFT for Set Four.
TFT Development Insights: What Were the Missed Opportunities?
Insights into the missed opportunities in TFT development include several key discussions among players and developers:
- Reynad noted that they haven’t been able to attract much of TFT’s player base, humorously calling them League of Legends addicts. Consequently, he asked Shurkou for insights on what TFT does better. Shurkou mentioned that TFT’s anomaly system and cash-out traits are particularly enjoyable. He suggested adding features or items in The Bazaar that reward players for losing streaks.
- Reynad expressed frustration over Super Auto Pets and Backpack Battles adopting The Bazaar‘s asynchronous matchmaking without acknowledging them. Shurkou reminded him that this matchmaking approach was initially mocked but later proved successful in other games, potentially complicating matters for The Bazaar.
- Shurkou criticized Reddit users for their overreactions. He provided an example where they prematurely dismissed the pufferfish item as useless, only to later claim they “always knew it was overpowered” when it turned out to be broken.
- Reynad agreed on the difficulty of upgrading items. They plan to introduce more opportunities for item upgrades and make the process smoother. For instance, if a shop roll hits an upgrade, it will automatically ‘downshift’ to make the upgrade easier. However, this still needs adjustment to work with certain merchants.
- The discussion around Protector’s Vow yields a variety of sentiments. Some experienced players emphasize its utility in the right contexts, stressing that it can be a game-changer when a champion needs early mana to secure their crowd control and turn the tide of battle. A user neatly articulated, “An Elise 1 may not be tanky enough to cast before dying. This helps.” It’s fascinating to see how the perceived value of this item can sway based on the character it’s paired with and the overarching team strategy. However, skepticism arises primarily due to alternatives like Warmog’s Armor and Dragon’s Claw that are often considered superior. As noted by a seasoned player, “Sometimes you just don’t have the components to make those items,” highlighting the aspect of item economy.
- Edge of Night emerges as a hot topic. It’s viewed as a sneaky life saver that can genuinely alter battlefield dynamics for champions that tend to dive back lines. One commenter pointed out, “Edge of Night drops aggro so the enemies would target someone else.” This capacity to redirect attention can turn fights, especially for melee assassins. Players advocating for this item emphasize strategic misdirection, supporting those willing to think outside the box.
- Steadfast Heart and Crownguard are surprisingly well-regarded by some commenters. Steadfast Heart is often paired with champions who have sustain abilities to maximize effectiveness. A player mentioned, “It turns gloves into a defensive item, which can be frustrating when you have nothing but offense items.” This capacity to create a defensive strategy out of underutilized components is freeing for players finding their footing. Crownguard, on the other hand, has carved out a niche for certain AP bruisers. One insightful post suggested it’s “generally more of an AP Bruiser item,” hinting at maximizing both survivability and damage output with champions like Rumble or Swain.
- The exchange around item usage in Team Fight Tactics reflects a vibrant and informative community that fosters learning and experimentation. Beginners often gather knowledge from seasoned players who gladly share their insights and experiences. The discussion emphasizing utilities and strategic applications of items highlights the necessity of understanding item economy and the situational nature of various components.
- Such insights illuminate the reality that in TFT, situational awareness and adaptability are often the keys to success. Relying on rigid item builds may lead to missed opportunities.
How Did Development Challenges Shape TFT’s Unique Gameplay?
Team Fight Tactics (TFT) has emerged as a beloved auto-battler game that continues to evolve with each set. Players report feeling overwhelmed by various compositions and strategies, indicating a steep learning curve with the new set.
Significant discord in player experiences suggests that while some find the set easier, others struggle with excessive damage output and uncontested strength. The community is seeking guidance and sharing experiences, hinting at a need for better understanding and adaptation.
- Castamaer opened the floodgates with a candid description of their gaming experience. They mentioned how they typically enjoy a more casual gameplay style and often face challenges adapting to competitive compositions.
- Players have varying opinions on balancing issues in TFT sets. Some feel the current set is offering a more dynamic gaming environment. The discussion about balance precipitates a larger conversation about how players navigate this auto-battler game, making strategic decisions that can either make or break their game.
- A significant point raised relates to the damage output in the current set. Many players feel overwhelmed by the pace and aggressiveness of matches, potentially alienating casual gamers looking for a more strategic approach.
Adaptation appears to be an ongoing theme, as various users are either adjusting their strategies or still trying to find their footing within this new set. Concerns over technical challenges, such as anti-cheat systems and payment methods, have also been raised.
Indications show that creating a separate client isn’t a straightforward task. However, others remain optimistic, believing that the change could enhance the overall gameplay experience and lead to better features and performance.
- Many users have presented valid concerns about accessibility, particularly for casual players. One commenter argued that “the casual part of playerbase, which is the vast majority of TFT enjoyers will drop in numbers because…having to go through another client installation is something that a lot of people won’t be bothered to do.”
- There’s an enthusiastic vibe about how a unique client could potentially pioneer new features and fundamentally transform the TFT experience for the better. Players are talking about how, with the dedicated client, they could implement better anti-cheat systems or faster updates without relying on the overarching LOL infrastructure.
- The existing barriers make it clear that while the prospect sounds appealing, the logistics might not make it worth the challenge for the developers. Riot Games has certainly been known for investing time and resources into their existing platforms, and simply changing horses mid-way could raise more questions than it answers.
The role focuses on building TFT’s events and modes for players to enjoy and master, both in and out of game. Game design in TFT poses unique challenges: each piece touches every other, with endless combinations and ripple effects for players to puzzle through, represented in dramatic, exciting team fights every round.
Moreover, the pace of TFT is pretty unique since it alternates predictable periods of downtime with periods of fast-paced decision making and sometimes even high APM. By learning to use the downtime efficiently to gather information and plan out future actions, players can enable themselves to make better decisions during the fast-action periods.
This presented a unique challenge for the TFT art team. It resulted in some creative adaptations to Fortiche’s designs — little changes in styling or detail that help communicate important gameplay elements effectively.
