Looking for a Solution to Dynamic Queue's Problems
Whether we want it or not, dynamic queue isn't really going to go anywhere any time soon, and I doubt Riot is bringing solo queue back. This thread is to look at a real issue and explore actual solutions to at least one of Dynamic Queue's problems.
First issue I have is what effect it's had on lower ranks. I have lost more games at lower rank this season due to misuse of they dynamic queue system than AFK's, trolls, and enemy team smurfs combined. This shit needs to stop, and needs to be regulated. There is nothing more agonizing than queueing up as ADC, and getting stuck with Tryndamere, Yi, Wukong, or any other "support" that just plays the lane like they would top or wherever they actually wanted to play, or watching some lane get lost because someone misused Dynamic queue because they're impatient. People are queueing up as support because the queue times for other roles (other than jungle, maybe) are way too high in these players' opinions. Now, there are many ways to fix this problem, but the best I can come up with is as follows:
Make abusing this queue a reportable offense.
This is the quickest and easiest to implement solution. Currently, this exists in a grey area. These people who abuse this system aren't trolling or intentionally feeding, per se. They're playing their role in a different way than they should and are losing games because of it. You could argue that not getting their way is causing them to behave in a way that makes the experience poorer, but if you look at Riot's report options, this area is very grey. Unfortunately, there is no easy way I can think to automate the process (for instance, using keywords in verbal abuse reports, or having leaver buster for afk situations).
Remember, this also applies to some other roles, such as Jungle. I have lost games to people picking jungle for the lower queue times, and playing the "Jungle Yasuo that Could." If you don't believe me, or don't believe that this is an issue, just pick fill. Go ahead, I'll wait. You got matched support every time you did, didn't you? And you didn't have to wait nearly as long, am I right? In lower elo, this ruins the player experience so much. And remember, the lower elo, meaning bronze and silver, makes up most of the community, and this is where these problems are currently running rampant.
There are a few other solutions, but they are much more complicated. For instance, making support more fun to play. A lot of supports these days have issues staying relevant. Most of the time, my supports end up underleveled, with no items, and because of that they do pretty much nothing, or they have trouble keeping up. That, and with AP items being generally less powerful than they used to be, a lot of the pool of support champions is being avoided more often, because they already have less effectiveness than other ap champions out the gate, so these less powerful items, namely zhonia's, makes things even more difficult on an ap support, who were actually in a great spot before nerfs were applied.
I'm sure you could also tweak matchmaking, but there's not a whole lot I could see any tweaks to the system doing to affect queue times without solving some of the other problems first.
But, I've talked long enough. What do you guys think? I know this isn't so much of a problem in, say, gold + where I'm sure everyone has at least a decent handle on every role, and have a champion pool that's much greater than most bronze/sliver player's pool, but like I said, this problem is all over bronze and silver, from what I've been told from people in silver, and what I've observed in bronze myself.