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ELO Calculation and Smurfs Ruin Low Level Play

Supp Hero·6/3/2015, 9:49:16 PM·3 votes·1,944 views

My first time playing this game I got an account to level 30 only using AI, back then it was quick leveling and it only took 100-120 games or so. My first pvp games matched at level 30, normals, all matched against Silver and Gold players. Every game our team gets stomped almost entirely out of my control. If I didn't get brutally destroyed myself, then my team would do it for me. So obviously those matches were a bit off, so I made a brand new low level account 'smurf'.

Technically I don't consider myself a smurf because I should be playing with newer players, not silver and gold ranked players, which I find a bit ridiculous.

On this new account, played 15 or so games last week. It is very obvious which games have smurfs or not, probably at least 1/2 of them. The games without smurfs, were pretty even for the most part. The games with smurfs, my team had no chance, any attempt to poke/attack they lose half their health in an instant. They can't even farm because the smurf will instant kill them if they try.

Recently, probably a month ago, I learned that ELO is calculated based on who you won against/lost against, and does not include individual skill metrics such as: CS, KDA, Wards Placed, Damage Dealt/Received. This should be blatantly obvious that this why there are so many smurfs who get to steamroll low level teams who have no chance, and even when they win with 17/2/4 200 cs, the matchmaker ignores this fact entirely and places them with noobs again, until they have won several games at low level the matchmaker doesn't realize how imbalanced it really is.

Matchmaking NEEDS to include individual metrics with some weight, CS, KDA, Wards Placed, Damage Dealt/Received is a much more reliable factor for skill level than just going based on who you won against/lost against.

The only excuse I've heard for not including individual skill in matchmaking is because 'it would be too hard to match', which is simply not a real excuse. ELO could easily be modified to gain LP lose LP based on ( CS, KDA, Wards Placed, Damage Dealt/Received ) and also include what it does now ( who you won/lost against ).

It would not be perfect, but it would be much more reliable than just basing ELO gain/loss based on who won/lost against. I can't believe this matchmaking still exists and functions this way, it's no wonder more than 1/2 the games are a one sided steamroll.

33 Comments

Angry Monster6/4/2015, 12:14:25 AM2 votes

First off silver is considered the average. Since you never played pvp before hitting 30, it game you a baseline mmr. You have to fall or rise to your correct placements. The fact you choose to get to 30 through PVE is what caused the problem.

You know nothing about the game if you think CS, Kills, damage, ect should determine MMR. Go do some reasearch on the ELO system since it is the base system for MMR.

Koldheartedjsp6/3/2015, 11:44:08 PM1 votes

CS all game does everything in power not to die and snipe kills away all game sits in fountain with sightstone placing wards down all game builds just dps and damages minions/champions

Snowball4u6/4/2015, 2:55:24 AM1 votes

Thats why most new players are told to play bots until they are level 15-20.

My friend told me that because there would be smurfs and I would get destroyed. I didnt believe him at the time because I was a noob. So i went into my first normal game where I went 0/23 ahh i still remember that.

Anyways the point is, when you are playing on a low level account, think of yourselves playing against golds the whole time.

Also I completely agree with the elo system using cs and kda to help it out. My average kda is always somewhat 7/4 when i look on op.gg unless i have been playing lots of support. Half the games I play I lose. This is why im stuck in this elo.