LP gains/loss rework theory.

TL;DR Read it you spud, you have eyes and a brain for a reason.

It has come to my attention, and most likely yours as well, that climbing the ranks in Solo Queue is excessively more difficult than it should be. While it shouldn't be easy peasy lemon squeezy, the current system has a large focus on the volatile variable we know as Luck. Games become less and less about actual in-game skill and more about "Will I get the champion/role/lane I need to do well?", "Will my teammates not be braindead/trolls?", or "Am I going to be placed against/with a smurf?".

These are negative variables that will affect not only your progress, but up to 10 other peoples' progress during the game. Sure, it's impossible to control all of these variables, however when these affect players in conjunction with another negative force, such as losing a game, you receive a system that is drastically flawed. Currently this system heavily favors the team that was lucky enough to not get the short end of the stick in the above mentioned situations.

The result? People losing MMR, League Points, enjoyment, etc. for losing a ranked game but playing well.

I can't tell you how many times I've lost a close game in Solo Queue where both teams played very well. It makes for a great, intense game and I'm usually really happy about it because I feel I've been playing against my current team's equal. However, all semblance of satisfaction is removed when I see that contemptuous red - 21 LP glaring at me in the post-game screen.

"But... I played well!" I mentally stammer in dismay.

"I warded frequently in the right spots, I found and destroyed enemy wards, I knocked down a bunch of turrets, slew many Dragons, and this is how I'm rewarded?"

I'm constantly bewildered by how this system works. That said, I certainly don't think you should GAIN League Points for losing a game. But the fact of the matter is that people are being punished harshly for playing well. It's like making something a great drawing only to have the toddler in the room take a poop on it while you're in the kitchen getting some orange juice.

Enter my proposed reworked LP loss theory!

Ultimately there are many in-game factors that determine a good player:

• Warding
• Good Creep Score
• Positive or neutral KDA
• Objective capture
• De-warding
• Healing or supporting your team

These are just a few of them, but they are highly indicative of a good player if they are able to accomplish these things.

My proposal is that these stats be factored in to mitigate the harsh LP losses from players who lose games but can accomplish these goals for the betterment of their team and by extension, the game.

Example:

-Player A and B are on the same team. They have the same Matchmaking rating and both have 50 League Points. -Player A manages to acquire a good Creep Score and wards his lane, preventing him from getting ganked, thus maintaining a positive KDA. -Player B does not acquire a good Creep Score as he does not focus on last-hitting. He fails to ward and gets ganked frequently. -Players A and B ultimately lose the game. -Player A lost, but managed to have a good Creep Score, ward effectively and maintain a positive KDA. He loses 18 LP rather than 25 LP. -Player B lost, did not have a good Creep Score, did not ward and died frequently. He loses 25 LP.

Should these have some value in determining how much LP is lost, players who actively participated in these tasks would suffer less of a punishment for losing than players who were unable or unwilling to. For players who feel they are 'stuck' in a specific rank because they can climb no further but won't descend, having a mentality focused around these in-game factors will help them become a better player as well as ease the burn of losing a game.

Frankly, there's no reason this addition to the LP system wouldn't be possible. The match history and in-depth page has more than enough data to make this effort system a reality.

All it would take is some time and the motivation to make League of Legends a better, more user friendly game.

Please leave your comments, questions, concerns below.

Oopsie Daisies