Riot: Please remove "Unskilled" report option

arcticturtle·8/22/2014, 9:16:37 PM·43 votes·4,032 views

Every now and then, you see people say "report XXXX" in chat, not because the player XXXX did anything wrong, just because they are having a bad game, and died a few times too many. I usually respond with a "you can't report people for having a bad game", because it's in the summoner code that bad gameplay isn't a reason to report / punish someone.

Then today after the above happened, I get slapped in the face with "if report for unskilled is in the options, then of course you can report for bad gameplay". Well, as I understand, the "unskilled" option doesn't do anything. But having people say "report this person" when they are playing bad certainly contributes negatively to the atmosphere in a game. So it seems having the option there is entirely negative.

Can you motivate keeping this option with it having some positive functionality? In that case, fine, whatever. But if there is no good argument for a positive functionality, then to get less people shouting about reports on unskilled players and displaying a negative attitude, please remove the option.

EDIT: What I mean is; having the "Unskilled Player" as a report option seems to be in violation of the summoners code in itself. Furthermore, it creates a negative atmosphere in games.

39 Comments

Sir ArmaMalum8/22/2014, 9:35:15 PM15 votes

From what I understand reporting for unskilled has no impact on your behavioral record, you cannot be banned or otherwise for unskilled reports. I also heard (but cannot verify) that unskilled reports actually takes your MMR down a small notch under certain circumstances, to better place people getting consistent unskilled reports with their level. (Someone could have simply had a few lucky games and got placed way above their head.)

Naturally I'm not a red so take everything I say with a grain of salt it's all second hand knowledge.

Sire Hippington8/22/2014, 11:14:40 PM11 votes

I would look at it from a different perspective: The player who reports for unskilled would probably report anyway for what ever, just to deal with his frustration of an eventually bad game. If the unskilled player option, which hardly does any harm to the reported player, wouldn't exist, he would probably report for feeding/assisting enemy team which eventually leads to a tribunal case.

BibleGirl6668/22/2014, 9:49:53 PM5 votes

I really do hope that this kind of report does not harm players. My young cousins and I are recently new to the game and haven't really been doing well, we don't feed to the extreme but we do what is expected of new players, the thing about this game that I dislike is that in PVP everyone is expecting us to know everything. How else will beginner players like us learn to play this game if all we have are bots who do things predetermined. I'm scared to go into ranked matches if PVP would be any indication.

Anyone know how PVP Normal match ups even work? Do new players get paired with people around their skill level or is it all randomized?

Worgslarg8/22/2014, 10:19:27 PM3 votes

All the report unskilled function does is slightly lower MMR.

If you lose all your games for a very long time your mmr will drop to a point where you are facing opponents of your skill level ( on average).

If everyone reports you, it's just a quicker journey.

MarhsallLee678/23/2014, 1:30:14 AM3 votes

My guess is that the only reason such a report option even exists is to let angry 12-year-olds who think they should be challenger blow off some steam.

EMOFRATPARTY8/22/2014, 10:05:58 PM2 votes

I'm hoping a Rioter sees this, because it would be great to know why this type of report option is implemented. I'm trying to think of counters and just can't help but come up short.

EzraTwitch8/23/2014, 7:12:04 PM2 votes

Whether or not "Unskilled" is actually bannable, having it in the report options sets a terrible precedent, they should get rid of it.

Deep Terror Nami8/23/2014, 1:12:32 AM2 votes

I feel like it's a "general -1 to their reputation" report option rather than a "I hope they ban you". Like when you ask them to ward several times and they don't ward once, you ask them to play passive in a bad lane matchup but they engage in 1v3's over and over, or they build items that make no sense whatsoever.

Of course imo, they have to be non-toxic, not seem to be feeding on purpose, and also be a ranked match before I'd even consider it.

8BittRonin8/23/2014, 8:40:48 PM2 votes

You can't be banned for reporting on unskilled. It's only there, for if many reports go in on the same player, it lowers their elo in normal game matchups. Which is why I don't understand why people report for that in ranked. Anyone who announces that looks like a moron in my personal opinion anyways.

buneter8/24/2014, 8:43:17 AM2 votes

unskilled just means that your mmr will drop which if it is a bad game it won't affect them because their have a couple of easy games and their mmr will get back to the right level and if the report was right then he at the right mmr now so they shouldn't delete it they just need to let people know its there I forget about it all the time Thats what I read on it once

Zanphyra10/4/2014, 11:58:58 PM1 votes

Well yeah it's mostly useless because it doesn't actually do anything.

I wish they would remove it because it's supposed to be based on behavior, not how good you are at the game.

MyAccountYouGuys8/23/2014, 1:51:43 AM1 votes

As far as I know the, "Report-Unskilled" option is there as a false-reporter trap;you hit that, and it's YOU that gets the penalty, not the reportee.

ynthrepic8/23/2014, 4:42:49 AM1 votes

I understand it would be logistically impossible to implement, but if there was a way your 'unskilled player' reports could reduce your chances of being queued with the people you report, that might actually be useful.

ModUlanopo8/23/2014, 5:03:48 AM1 votes

Reports for Unskilled have no effect on your MMR. It's a legacy category from when they used it as a check on the matchmaking system. Lyte has mentioned on at least two occasions that it is likely to be removed when they do an update to the report system.

World Eaters8/23/2014, 9:44:06 AM1 votes

dang I hadn't even thought of this before but it is absolutely true all it does is cause tension in the end of the game with no positive effect at all

Touvan8/23/2014, 2:27:30 PM1 votes

I bet they put that in there to cut down on reports of bad play that show up in the normal report queue. It's better to have an option they can just ignore for all the rangers and crybabies to use, rather than having them report under a valid option and gum that all up.

As for the players that whine and cry - mute early and mute often!

A lvl 80 Shoe8/23/2014, 8:23:16 PM1 votes

Report unskilled player takes away the ability to be queued with that player, it's basically a list (don't quote me on this I'm not sure I'm correct)

iTakers8/23/2014, 9:38:37 PM1 votes

Well i think that the unskilled player option is there for only one reason is which that you don't get matched up with that player again.

Narcos Cosinus8/24/2014, 10:22:07 AM1 votes

110% Agree with you. When someone spamming "Report X for feeding" it just demoralize that player and he doesn´t want to play anymore. Even worse is when someone type it to all chat.

Jinxed Amulet8/25/2014, 4:56:22 PM1 votes

Yeah I have no idea why this is even option because they don't punish anyone for these reports.