[ARAM] Hidden Ranks

Buttered Butter·1/12/2016, 4:04:54 AM·2 votes·1,102 views

I've heard a lot of people suggest different things to try and nullify the "one sided fun" caused by ARAM smurf accounts. To be clear, it's not just smurf accounts but also just people who enjoy only playing ARAM and buy champions accordingly. The point is that a player who has 100% or close to all of the champs is at a huge disadvantage.

Previous ideas have included the ability to "lock out" some of your own champs by using rerolls. I like this idea to an extent, but in a way I do not. I actually like playing champs that are considered "bad" in ARAM or bad in general just because I never get to play them in regular games.

A "visible" rank system isn't needed and neither is two systems, regular vs ranked ARAM. Simply put, a "hidden" ranking system needs to be in place that will place people who are winning often with other players who are winning often. Players who are extremely good will be placed with others that are extremely good OR against said "smurf" accounts. As it is now, an alt account can not only consist of all the ADCs and the few other OP champs in ARAM, they can also be played by high ranking players in regulars that dwarf the skill of others.

With a hidden rank system, people who have ARAM only accounts or smurf accounts would be placed together. Those who want to play more of the champs that are not so strong in aram and those players who simply aren't as good at the game in general would then be placed together as well.

No doubt there will be a plethora of players who enjoy exploiting as that is the way with the current generation of gamers. It's not enough to exploit PvE games, they also care so little about other people that they use alt accounts to intentionally go up against lower skill level players. For that reason alone, I am positive this suggestion will have several downvotes. I do not care.

In short, we need a ranking system in ARAM for one reason and one reason only: to segregate the exploiters that use smurf accounts and those who focus only on ARAM mode to be placed together so the rest of us can have fun too.

2 Comments

Princess Emma1/12/2016, 4:50:16 AM2 votes

Aram has it's own MMR if I recall and it will sort people out at some point.

Normal accounts and Aram only accounts will still be stuck in the others queues either way since Aram is so volatile. Even if one person has an Aram only account, you can't really depend on the other 4 players on your team to have an appealing champion pool or lucky RNG all the time.

Aram only accounts can go on losing streaks and stay in normal queues. Normal accounts can go on winning streaks and end up in Aram only queues. Both sides would end up hopping between Aram only queues and normal queues regardless.

This can all be made much easier my making every champion in Aram available which would only leave your Aram MMR to decide where you go and not your champion pool.

Minarde1/12/2016, 5:10:28 AM1 votes

Every game mode, including ARAM, already has a separate MMR, which is functionally equivalent to the "hidden ranking" system you propose.