Trying to fix this game
I'm not sure where this would go and I apologize if I put it in the wrong category. I also apologize for the long post, but this is long overdue.
So recently I played a game and one of my teammates fed then brought us down and we all started doing horribly, despite my best efforts to keep the team focused. We lost the game and in the post game lobby, he said we were all worthless and told me that I and my parents should kill themselves and that I and my family were all worthless pieces of shit. Now, being the smart ass that I am, I just goaded him to make him angrier. I know how to deal with these people; in the end they get angry and try to insult and offend someone but, when that person doesn't get angry, the only one left feeling like shit is themselves. My point is that, since it was in post-game, I couldn't report him. Before you all say "you know you can just leave the lobby right????" yes I'm well aware but it wasn't like he waited a few minutes, this happened right after the game ended. And whether or not you're required to see it is irrelevant NO ONE under ANY circumstance should be able to say something like that or have to read something like that. A newer player would have been immediately turned off to the game and probably never played again. I know because, even as someone who has been playing since season 2, I am now looking to get out of the game. I am certainly not going to invest any more money if nothing changes, and I will uninstall eventually if it continues. League isn't the only MOBA out there. So, if someone like me who has invested so much time and money already, is considering getting out, imagine how hard it would be for a newer player, who isn't used to this, to play another game. I would've been able to report him if it happened in-game but it was post game. In game the only thing he did was have a negative attitude; he wasn't offensive, just negative.
Now, how do we find a solution to this problem? I've thought about it for a few days and have come to a conclusion that I think would be satisfactory: record pre and post game chat. This way there is a record of that and actions can be taken accordingly. However, this poses another problem: it is a common consensus among players, myself included, that reporting DOES NOT WORK AT ALL.
So how do we solve this problem?? It's simple, and almost every other competitive multiplayer game I've played does it. When you report someone, and in the end it is decided actions are needed, and are taken, a little popup would come up on the home screen saying: "Actions have been taken against a player(s) you have reported for conduct. Thank you for helping us make the community a better place." and that's it. Now people who see that would think: "hm wow. They actually do pay attention. Reporting really does do something." I remember coming across some post somewhere about privacy concerns and this is why they didn't implement this in the first place. I just have one question, where do you see any information about anyone at all in the popup message? Well, reporting is only half the battle. Though RITO is lord and fuhrer of the rift, they can't do it all. Which is why they set up the tribunal in the first place. But, again, it is a common consensus among players, myself included, that the tribunal is a joke and no one goes on it.
So how do we get people on the tribunal and actually help RITO improve the game? This can be answered in one word: INCENTIVES. There is just no reason for people to sit on the tribunal and help. None at all. Some might say that the incentive is helping improve the community. To this I say, with no reassurance that anything is actually being done, we all think that every report is routed directly to RITO's garbage can. So why the hell would any of us waste any time at all sitting on the tribunal, actually caring about these cases, to have them be thrown out? The first thing I would suggest is implement the popup "thank you" message. See if maybe that would be enough to get people on the tribunal. If not, I suggest an incentive. The one I came up with that was most balanced and fair was this: review 20 cases per week, no more and NO LESS, and be awarded 100RP for that week. I don't think this would be a bad business decision and here's why:
- you are giving away currency that you created, that can only be spent on cosmetic affects for your game.
- you are encouraging players to ACTIVELY help improve the game, thus encouraging newer players to stay and, eventually, invest their own money.
- you manage to keep old veterans like me who have invested money and would continue if there was something done to help improve the game.
- YOU SHOW YOU ACTUALLY CARE Plus, 1 skin is an average of 975RP, and most are getting higher than that. Which means that someone would have to review 20 cases per week for 10 weeks to get one skin. That's 200 cases. 200 INSTANCES WHERE YOU CAN IMPROVE THE GAME COMMUNITY FOR 1 SKIN. And if they don't get 20 reviewed by the end of the week, they don't get any RP. Also, if the RP award is implemented, I think that people who are reported and have open cases should not be allowed to be on the tribunal until a decision has been made about their case.
The one thing I want to mention is I don't want to improve just the punishment system. I want to instill systems to encourage those players who are negative and abusive to change their behaviour, and be rewarded for continuous good behaviour and teamwork. I also want to reinforce the fact that the tribunal DOES work, reporting DOES work, behaviour like this is NOT accepted. Right now, from where I, and many others, stand it's the exact opposite. The tribunal does NOT work, reporting does NOT work, and behaviour like this just gets swept under the rug.
I want a BETTER community, I WILL work for it, and I WILL HAVE IT!