Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.1

I. Observation
Observation One: Roles
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Champions in League of Legends by Riot Games
Relative Background Information: Before I discuss my observations in this research paper, let
me give you a brief but somewhat detailed background of the game League of Legends. League of
Legends is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) that was initially released on October 27,
2009. Since then, the game just started flourishing, thanks to Riot Games, the developer of the
game, which made this awesome game possible. According to the League of Legends website,
League of Legends is a fast-paced, competitive online game that blends the speed and intensity
of a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) with Role-Playing Game (RPG) elements. Two teams of powerful
champions, each with a unique design and playstyle, battle head-to-head across multiple
battlefields and game modes. With an ever-expanding roster of champions, frequent updates and
a thriving tournament scene, League of Legends offers endless replayability for players of every
skill level. (Riot Games, 2016). Personally, I think League of Legends is a friendlier and easier
game compared to other MOBA games. The way the developers designed this game is a just a
perfect fit for gamers like me. Since Im talking about the champions (characters) in League of
Legends, can you believe that there are currently 129 champions in the game as of February 2016?
They dont plan to stop so the number is still counting. Another interesting thing about the game
is the fact that you need to buy the champions to be able to play them. Its different from other
MOBA games since theirs are free but I like the idea of earning the champion so that youll play
and learn more. They have a free champion rotation every week though, so youll still be able to
play some champions even if youre a new player. Some terms might be vague and confusing but
I will discuss everything as we go along.
Actors:
Ranz Ransley Saturinas: I listed myself because Im the one playing the game. Im the
summoner (player) on this observation which plays an important part. I control the
champion that I chose on every game I played and was able to observe them. Im a transfer
student who plans to major in Software Engineering. Im also a big introvert who loves
playing League of Legends. Ive been playing this game since season 3 which was on 2013.
Thresh: A support champion that somewhat acts like a tank for the team. He shines on the
bot (bottom) lane with a marksman by his side. He is reaper who collect souls from his
victims. Hes notable for his ability that hooks enemies called Death Sentence. He is also
known for taking the soul of one of the champions wife which led to their rivalry.
Jinx: A marksman that shines on the bot (bottom) lane with a support. She is known for
being a psychotic criminal. She loves to wreak havoc on the City of Progress, Piltover. She
is famous for her ability called Super Mega Death Rocket where she shoots a huge rocket
to her desired direction. She also named her weapons, which is kind of cool.
Azir: A mage that has the ability to control sand. He is an emperor in Shurima, a desert
kingdom, which was resurrected by him after falling long time ago. He excels on the mid

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.2

(middle) lane. He is known for his ability to summon a Sun Disc that acts like a tower.
Hes very interesting due to his bird and human features.
Artifacts:
Laptop: My laptop is a Lenovo Thinkpad W520 with a processor of Intel Core i72760QM CPU @ 2.40 GHz. I used this device to play League of Legends so that I can
observed the champions stated above. Its a refurbished laptop that also has Intel HD
Graphics 3000. It is not a gaming laptop but I can play decently with average settings on
this one.
Weapons: These are the items that the champions used for offense. This may be a sword,
staff, gun, rocket, etc. Thresh uses a weapon that resembles a kusarigama, a chain with a
hook at the end. Jinx uses a minigun and a rocket launcher. While Azir uses a staff. These
weapons also defines the champions themselves.
Internet Connection: I included internet connection because Ive mentioned on my
relative background information that League of Legends is an online game. The game
requires an internet connection for players to be able to play. It is an important part of the
game since it will make or break your matches. A good connection would be result to a
great game experience.
The Observation:
The observations that Ill be explaining is not specifically marking time because Im not going to
talk about the gameplay itself. Im tackling about specific champions and their background and
physical characteristics doesnt change over the span of the match Ill be playing.
I logged into the game and went directly to the list of all champions section. They might not be all
available to play since you need to earn or buy them but you can check them out. I also played
series of games and observed the champions. The champions in League of Legends are all unique.
It means that no one is like the other. However, the developers categorized them according to what
they specializes at. This category is called roles. I played different champions that has different
roles in the game. Thus, I was able to conduct this first observation based on the different playstyles
these roles have. There are 6 roles in League of Legends, namely Assassin, Fighter, Mage,
Marksman, Support and Tank. Each champion fall into these categories. They are categorized
according to their playstyle, different abilities and attributes.
Assassins are champions that specializes in hunting targets in an instant. They are very
agile that once they locked their eyes on their aim, they just vanished in a blink of an eye.
They usually pick their aims when they are alone. They also hide at the side lanes and kill
the fragile champions that are usually at the back of a team. They are really strong but to
keep things balanced, they also have downsides. Assassins are squishy. They need to
carefully select the right opportunities to eliminate their target or else it will cost their life
instead. They might have the absolute power, but their defense level is the opposite of it.
Fighters are considered versatile champions in League of Legends. They can either be the
one who deals a ton of damage in a team or be more of a defender-type that protects the

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.3

fragile teammates. It is most effective for them to adjust according to what the team needs
so they usually fill the demands of a team. Some summoners (players of the game) build
both offense and defense. It is possible to do that and I must say that they are really
annoying. They deal damage and they are hard to eliminate.
Mages are spell-based champions in the game. Distinct effects are present on the spells
they cast and give tons of impact. These effects are also unique which may include damage,
stuns, roots, healing and many more. Some spells also has a combination of two or more
effects. How cool is that? But as what Ive said earlier, the developers try to make this
game balanced so even if some spells has lots of effect, the damage might not be that
massive. They might also have tons of stuff in their bag but mages are really fragile. They
are usually the target in a team fight so right timing and accuracy are some keys for them
to survive. I personally like playing mages but they are really tricky since they are squishy.
Marksmen are what we call mid to late game monsters. They are the ones who supports
usually protect. They deal tons of steady and rapid-fire damage to enemies. They are rangetype champions and normally deals damage from a safe distance. Since they give tons of
damage, they are also fragile champions. Since the beginning, marksmen and supports
always go together because they need each others abilities. Marksmen needs the help of
supports to get stronger over the course of the game. It might take some time for them to
get stronger but they are the center of the team. In the current meta, marksmen is my
favorite role to play. Riot Games buffed them this season, thus making them fun to play
and theyre really strong.
Supports are utility-based champions. They provide lots of serviceability and helps the
team to succeed. Since they are utility-based, their spells are really practical and efficient
such as shields, stuns, heals and many more. They often start the team fight and they need
to set up a good one to the teams advantage. Their goal is to help the team and let them
deal the majority of the damage. I must say that even though they provide the least amount
of damage, their presence is surely a game changer. Always thank a support and never
leave them behind since they have huge chances of making or breaking the game.
Tanks are the sturdy champions that leads the team fight and usually on the front lines.
They are never afraid of anything and might be glad if they are taking all the damage. They
might be really firm and hard to kill but they dont deal that much damage. Like supports,
they also start and pick fights. Their goal is to take all the damage away from the fragile
damage-dealers on their team. They also act as a distraction for the enemy team. If they
succeed in protecting the team, the damage-dealers can do their goal which is to do all the
offensive stuff. Tanks are really annoying especially if the champion has all the resources
it needs to be beefy.
All of the 6 roles play an important role in a team. No one is better than the other one. They are all
connected and should be played accordingly. Roles are made for people who has a preferred style
of playing. Also in League of Legends, there are 4 lanes where champions usually go. These are
the top, jungle, mid (middle) and bot (bottom) lanes. They can go anywhere they want but theres
a structure where people usually follow. One example is Marksmen and Supports go together in

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.4

the bot lane. Im not going to talk about lanes but I just want to point out that some roles shine best
in a specific lane. League of Legends is a team-based game so all people should have a common
goal, which is to win. You just need to select a role that fits perfectly for you and everything else
will follow smoothly with proper skills, mentality and team spirit.
Observation Two: Lore
Friday, February 5, 2016
Champions in League of Legends by Riot Games
The Observation:
I already told you what League of Legends is and we also talked about the roles each champion
plays in the game. This time Im going to touch the fables in League of Legends. The storyline of
the game is still evolving. Tommy Gnox, Riot Games narrative lead, pointed it out that League
of Legends constantly evolves, and, as it does, its narrative needs to evolve as well. (Tommy
Gnox, Dev Blog: Exploring Runeterra). I was able to conduct this second observation through:
playing specific champions, gathering information about them in the game, watching official
videos from the developers about the champion and reading some notes that was released and some
are present in the game.
Valoran is a continent in the world of Runeterra where the great organization League of Legends
resides. Conflicts has been present in Valoran due to different interests of the tribes that later
evolved into city-states. However, the war never changed. Magicians gathered to stop the war but
couldnt find any solution even with the help of magic. Finally, the organization named League of
Legends was formed to be a platform where city-states would battle in the arena, the Field of
Justice, to resolve their conflicts. Since then, a large amount of champions joined the league for
various reasons. And each champion has their own story to tell.
I only picked 3 out of the 129 champions present in League of Legends as of the moment. I was
able to read their lore and observed how they act in the game based on their story. I also picked
these champions because theyre my favorite and they have good story to tell.
Thresh, the Chain Warden He was once a jailer who enjoys torturing his prisoners. He was then
hanged using his own chains by the prisoners whom he tortured. Now, he roams Runeterra in his
new form to search for certain type of victims. He loves strong-willed individuals and that are
skilled. Thresh relishes tormenting his victims until they lose all the fire inside their hearts. He
then hooks the souls of the victims while the hook and chains tears and crushes the body of the
poor individuals. Thresh collects the souls and puts it in his frightening lantern of souls.
Heres how Riot Games expressed Thresh, Sadistic and cunning, Thresh is a restless spirit who
prides himself on tormenting mortals and breaking them with slow, excruciating inventiveness.
His victims suffer far beyond the point of death, for Thresh wreaks agony upon their souls,
imprisoning them in his lantern to torture for all eternity. (Riot Games, 2016). He also has allies
which are also members of the Shadow Isles namely Hecarim, Mordekaiser and Karthus. His
greatest rival is Lucian.

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.5

Jinx, the Loose Cannon Jinx is a psychotic criminal in the City of Progress, Piltover. The city
was once a peaceful haven where great order existed until she emerged. Destructions were
everywhere and countless crimes flourished. People never knew who the culprit is and where she
came from but sightings of the said criminal surfaced. They saw traces of Piltovers hextech, a
combination of hex and technology, in her weaponry and some say shes wearing a street fashion
from the city of Zaun. Her presence always brings havoc, so the people named her Jinx. Piltover
was in a state of emergency due to her actions. She made a close contact to Vi, her favorite officer
in Piltover, but Vi wasnt able to catch the slippery criminal. She made a great rivalry between Vi
and Caitlyn, a sheriff in Piltover.
Heres how Riot Games introduced the Loose Cannon, Jinx lives to wreak havoc without a
thought for the consequences, leaving a trail of mayhem and panic in her wake. A manic and
impulsive criminal, she despises nothing more than boredom, and gleefully brings her own volatile
brand of pandemonium to the one place she finds dullest: Piltover. With an arsenal of deadly toys,
she unleashes the brightest explosions and loudest blasts - all the better to shock and surprise the
hapless authorities. Always just out of the law's reach, Jinx's favorite game is to toy with Piltover's
finest - especially Vi. (Riot Games, 2016).
Azir, the Emperor of the Sands Azir was a young emperor in the ancient Shurima. He was
persuaded by Xerath, his magus, to do a legendary ritual. However, Xerath betrayed his emperor
and stole the power. Azir vanished and the magus transformed to a spectral being. The great city
of Shurima was swallowed by the desert sands. The heroes of Shuriman legend, Renekton and
Nasus, rushed to help the disastrous event and was able to lock the betrayer with Renekton due to
his sacrifice just to stop Xerath.
Thousands of years later, a noble woman from Noxus named Cassiopeia together with a mercenary
who holds a legendary blade named Sivir looked for the ancient city in the sands for 5 days. They
found the gate but Cassiopeia betrayed Sivir, took the key-blade and puts it into the lock. However,
a curse was triggered and a serpent statue came alive. It bit Cassiopeia and the venom burned her
flesh. The tomb doors opened and the two locked individuals emerged. Sivir was bleeding on the
side but something happened. She has the blood of the great young emperor and a weird thing
occured. Azir was resurrected in a completely different form with undeniable power. He helped
the stunned Sivir. He then ascended the fallen Shurima and the kingdom was resurrected.
Heres how the developers described Azir, Once a mortal man blinded by his own hubris, Azir
has recently returned as an Ascended being with unmatched dominion over the burning sands. He
seeks to restore Shurima to its former glory, but some dispute his right to rule them. Azirs power,
however, is undeniable. (Riot Games, 2016).

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.6

Observation Three: Traits

Friday, February 7, 2016
Champions in League of Legends by Riot Games
The Observation:
Weve already tackled the lore of the 3 champions that I personally picked. Now, Im going to talk
about their traits or characteristics that Ive observed in the game. This is mostly about their
appearance, the objects they have like weapons, shields, etc. and the way they act. I was able to
observed these by playing them in the game and as well as looking at their official splash arts.
Each champion in league of legends have voice actors that gave life to them. They have different
personalities as well. In League of Legends, champions also has their own quotes, taunts, dialogues
and interaction which each other. They also have their own unique dance and laugh in game.
Thresh, the Chain Warden In the game, Thresh is presented as a spirit-like reaper with a face
of a skull that illuminates green glow. On his right hand, he holds a weapon that resembles a
kusarigama, chain with a hook at the end, while on the left hand, he has his glowing lantern held
high. He is really unique since hes considered a ranged-type champion but his basic attacks are
not projectile. It would really make sense since he has chains and not bow and arrow. Threshs
voice is haunting and it suites very well with his lore and traits. I also said earlier that each
champions has their own unique quotes, although some champions share a certain quote. One of
my favorite quotes of him is I am the thing under the bed. because it reminds me of bogeyman.
Threshs dance is swinging his weapon and lantern in a circular motion, side by side. And his laugh
is a creepy loud one that sounds like it will literally reap your soul.
Jinx, the Loose Cannon Jinx is notable of being a psychopath. I personally love her because of
that. Shes a short human and probably a teenager based on how she acts and looks. She is really
pale with pink eyes and long blue braided hair. She has big tattoos on her right arm that resembles
like a group of clouds. She has two weapons namely Pow-Pow, a minigun and Fishbones, a rocket
launcher. Shes wearing a bikini type top with bullets around it and a short shorts with bullets
around it as well. Jinx also wears a net stocking on her one leg and a big boots. Her voice is a
squeaky high voice that has a lot of character in it. It suits her personality well since shes
somewhat crazy. My favorite quote of hers is when she goes back to the base and its I'll be right
back! No one die screaming without me! Jinxs dance is based on Jakes dance from Adventure
Time where. She throws her arms up on the side, pulling it down while squatting and throwing it
on the other side. Shes one of the first champions whos laugh is animated where she rolls on the
floor, holds her tummy, and kicking her feet. She might be crazy but I really find her adorable.
Azir, the Emperor of the Sands I can describe Azir as a combination of a bird and a human. He
has the head and legs of a bird and arms and body of a human. He wears a gold armor and helmet
with accents of maroon fabric, notably on his gauntlets, which somewhat represents the feathers
of a bird. He also has blue gems on his armor and staff. As what Ive said on my observation two,
Azir is known as a benevolent emperor of Shurima, a kingdom in the deserts of Valoran. He is
really a kind emperor that cares for his people. He holds a staff that is taller than him. His power
is controlling the sands and can create sand soldiers. I really like Azir because his kit and
personality is awesome. Even though hes a bird-human crossover, he doesnt have wings that
allows him to fly. Azirs voice sounds like an authority that youll really follow if he gives you a

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.7

command. He holds his staff and looks up as he laughs. His dance is a reference to Michael
Jacksons Remember the Time. It was an Egyptian themed music video and it resembles Azirs
lore which is also Egyptian inspired. My favorite quote of Azir is when you pick him to play before
the start of the game. It goes as Shurima! Your emperor has returned!
II. Interview
I interviewed one of my closest friend back at home named Charles Cuerdo. Charles is a 20 year
old college student from my hometown Davao City, which is in the Philippines. I was able to
interview him through the help of Skype and Facebook video call. He is currently a 2nd Year
Information Technology student at University of Immaculate Conception in Davao City,
Philippines. The game is at its 6th season already but he started at season 3 and hes been playing
League of Legends for 3 years now. He loves playing mages and supports. Hes usually a calm
and reserved player but when were playing the game together, he gets really hyped so it makes
our game experience exciting and fun.

1. What made you decide to play League of Legends?

What made me decide? I had fun at the champions. They looked awesome and I
love how the game progresses. It also has a fast paced gameplay. At first it was
kind of hard to get used to it, but as time went on, I had fun playing the game.
2. How is League of Legends different from other games you played?
Its different from other games because of the art style of the characters. The
gameplay is quite faster than I expected and overall there are unique champion that
you can choose from the champion pool the game has.
3. Who is your favorite or main champion in the game? Why?
Ziggs. He's a mage who uses explosives. I like mages high damage output plus
AoE (area of effect) skills are very good. I main this champ because of his love
for hexplosives (hextechnology and explosives). Actually, I got all of his skins.
4. How do you keep updated with the champions, gameplay, etc. if the game is evolving
every now and then?
I update myself at surrender@20 or the League of Legends website. Riot Games
also releases patch notes that has all the things that theyre going to update.
5. Would you recommend this game to your friends? Why?
Of course. I would recommend this game because I had fun and its easy compared
to other MOBA games I played.
III. Analyze
In League of Legends, there are certain rules and conventions that allows people for a great
experience in game. There is also a structure that people usually follow. This structure helps the
players to build their dream team. Ive already explained the different roles on my observation one
and that plays an important part in the game. Players are required to pick roles, roles that they
actually prefer and shouldnt contradict others roles. In other words, pick something that wasnt
picked yet. Before the start of the game, people select their preferred lane first. After they picked
their lane, theyll now choose the champion they want to play. Players should go to a specific lane
because there are certain roles that shines in a particular lane. Before Riot Games release a new

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.8

champion, they usually upload a champion spotlight where they talk about the new champion
itself. This includes a brief background, the role the champion plays, their abilities and how to play
them. I wasnt able to talk about their abilities on my observations but the champion spotlight is a
great way to know their different abilities. This way, players will know a short piece about the
champion before they actually play them and will not end up dying or doing nothing in the game.
Players should watch this and not buy or pick a champion just because its new or they just like
the way it looks. League of Legends is a team oriented kind of game. One player cant win the
whole game on their own. They should work with their team through communication.
Communication also plays an important part in the game and the developers designed certain tools
to communicate. This includes the chat box, different signals or pings, the way they call these
signals in the game, and people also use skype or other tools for better communication. These rules
and conventions for appropriate behavior in the game is a key for a better gameplay and might be
the ticket to win.
List of ideas/areas of interest that stood out based on my observations:
The different strategies of the roles people play in the game.
The champions (characters) in the game are very unique which each other.
League of Legends has free champions weekly for players who cant afford certain
champions since you need to buy them if you want to play them.
How do people got hooked in the game and why are they called Summoners, players of
the game?
Converted ideas/areas of interest to search items:
League of Legends Strategies
League of Legends Champion Diversity
League of Legends Free Champion Rotation
League of Legends Summoners
IV. Chart
Search Terms
League of Legends
Strategies

League of Legends
Champion Diversity

League of Legends Free

Champion Rotation

Sources I Can Access Based on These Search Terms

Hinnant, Neal C., "Practicing Work, Perfecting Play: League of
Legends and the Sentimental Education of E-Sports."
Thesis, Georgia State University, 2013. Accessed March 10,
2016.
http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=11
02&context=communication_theses.
Ferarri, Simon. "From Generative to Conventional Play: MOBA and
League of Legends." DiGRA '13 - Proceedings of the 2013
DiGRA International Conference: DeFragging Game
Studies 7 (August 2014). Accessed March 5, 2016.
http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digitallibrary/paper_230_formattingfixed.pdf.
Lee, Choong-Soo, and Ivan Ramler. "Investigating the Impact of
Game Features and Content on Champion Usage in League
of Legends." Proceedings of the Foundation of Digital

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

League of Legends
Summoners

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.9

Games,
2015.
Accessed
March
8,
2016.
http://choongsoo.info/docs/lol.champion.usage.fdg15.pdf.
Caudill, Rodger. "Altruism Online: An Ethnographic Exploration
into League of Legends" (2015). Summer Research. Paper
237.
Accessed
March
5,
2016.
http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/summer_research/237.

V. Propose
League of Legends is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) and developed by Riot Games,
Inc. My observations were about the champions (characters) that the game has. I picked 3
champions that I personally like and talked 3 things about them namely roles, lore and traits. On
my next research, I want to dig more deeply on the changes that occurred in the game. Several
factors like the rise of popularity of the game, the updates and changes that the developers executed
in the game and the introduction of the eSports scene are going to be tackled on my next research.
To do this, I plan to consider past research and personal experiences by players in League of
Legends since they started playing. I want to gather and study as much sources as possible to be
able to present on how the game started and what it has become now.

Discourse Observation Analysis Notes

Assignment One

Ranz Ransley Saturinas, 2016, p.10

Bibliography:
Gnox, Tommy. "Dev Blog: Exploring Runeterra." Dev Blog: Exploring Runeterra. 2014.
Accessed March 30, 2016. http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/creative-spotlight/dev-blogexploring-runeterra.
Riot Games, Inc. What is League of Legends? 2016. Accessed February 3, 2016.
http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/get-started/what-is-lol/.
Riot Games, Inc. Thresh, the Chain Warden, 2016. Accessed February 6, 2016.
http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/thresh/.
Riot Games, Inc. Jinx, the Loose Cannon, 2016. Accessed February 7, 2016.
http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/jinx/.
Riot Games, Inc. Azir, the Emperor of the Sands, 2016. Accessed February 7, 2016.
http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/azir/.