Half my ranked games are spent massaging the self-esteem of toddlers

atomicwit·May 5, 2015·146 votes·6,501 views

My team just surrendered a ranked game where we had every inhibitor turret and the enemy team had no barons. Our base was under no threat either and I was a fed AP Kog with pretty good late game scaling. We were down 3 dragons to zero and a lot of kills but it was still entirely winnable.

This happens a lot because of the pathetic whiners playing ranked and crying whenever they're behind. It's infuriating to do well and then have a team that isn't even trying just because some things didn't go according to plan.

I could have carried that game myself with a few good teamfights and my poke/waveclear could stall things out a lot too. I would gladly surrender if I were playing a champion with mediocre scaling but there was a very legitimate chance to come back here. The saddest thing is that I even see this incredibly toxic attitude from people playing champs. who are SUPPOSED to lose early like Vayne or Twitch.

I have to constantly type, "dw, it's fine", "we can win," "plz come back and don't afk" etc. to try to get these losers to actually make an attempt. Why do they even play at all?

136 Comments

aaronautumnMay 5, 201569 votes

There is nothing more frustrating that people thinking the game is over the second the enemy get first blood or a double kill. Some players just give up way too easily and their attitude influences everyone else.

Adaelphon DelatMay 5, 20157 votes

Yeah, this is really annoying. Especially when the enemy team just has a much stronger early game comp. Vayne/Janna probably won't win lane against a Thresh/Caitlin, and there's a good chance of messing up and giving one or two kills, but if you wait until late game, you'll pull ahead.

OyddAWqJ5rMay 6, 20155 votes

It's almost guaranteed really. Vayne players need to understand this: Vayne loses lane, every.single.time. It's all bout that lategame.

rtbf211279518May 6, 20158 votes

Is it wrong to give up when the enemy is up by 7 kills before 15 minutes? No salt/ not trying to be rude, just honestly asking.

aaronautumnMay 6, 20155 votes

I don't think there an easy yes/no response to this. It depends entirely on the situation. Does one champ have all the kills? How do the teams compare in farm? What caused the deaths? Was it a bad team fight that led to an ace? Was someone feeding in lane? Poor choices? Lack of vision? Do you have mostly late game champions? Is your team willing to work together?

Whatever the reason you're behind, at 15 minutes, you have 5 minutes left before the first surrender vote. Make the most of that time, if you can pinpoint why you're losing, then find a strategy that will help level the playing field. There are some games that you won't be able to win no matter what you do, it's true, but the problem is some people within the first 10 minutes of the game assume that they're in one of those games and give up and convince everyone else to do the same. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

GundayMondayMay 6, 201510 votes

Yes.

Mast3rMahanMay 6, 20158 votes

If it's ranked, you don't give up period. You end it when your nexus or their nexus explodes. Never give up free LP.

AbodyHUN666May 6, 20155 votes

You can always hope for a meteor to hit someone on the enemy team. :D

DeliothMay 7, 20152 votes

Sion Pantheon Jinx Zyra Ziggs Sion catches someone near the team, that guy's gonna get messed up.

AbodyHUN666May 8, 20151 votes

I meant the meteor hitting the guys house in real life. Same effect though, gg izi wombo.

rinsujoMay 6, 201512 votes

Upvoted, because asking for honest advice on your game shouldn't get downvoted - If they're ONLY up 7 kills, but your team has more CS or towers, then absolutely do not surrender. If they're up 7 kills and your teams are equal on cs/towers, don't surrender because you may have a lategame comp vs an early comp. The only time I'd give up at 15 minutes with only a 7 kill split is if they're a lategame or splitpush comp and your team is behind on cs, towers, and has completely fallen apart in chat. If you're coordinated.... then dont give up. ever.

LaughingStaplerMay 5, 201527 votes

Yeah, all I ask in ranked is that people try. It's fine if they feed or misplay as long as they're giving their best. Some games are unwinnable due to bad team comps and being too far behind, but don't give up on a game just because you personally did badly.

In most games, there's also some win condition that you can still achieve (maybe a wombo combo or getting a hypercarry fed etc.). I've seen some 10k gold leads thrown even in the LCS. I doubt your Solo Que opponents will ever play anywhere near that level so why not make them work for it?

Champion SkinMay 5, 20151 votes

Or.. well you can win the game while losing every single fight... YAY split pushing... though darn it is frustrating being stuck in the 4v5

SammystormMay 5, 20152 votes

So many games are lost from people inability to get out of the split push mind set.

the Anarchit3chtMay 6, 20151 votes

Right? So frustrating to get forced into a team fight while you're 5th member is off Split Pushing and then you all 4 die while killing like 2 of the enemies or leaving them all at low health or something knowing that you'd have been able to win the fight with your whole team and then push together with no resistance from the ace'd enemy.

PubgamerAUMay 6, 20153 votes

Stop 'getting forced' into team fights. Don't put yourself out of position. Don't try to contest dragons. Don't try to engage on obvious bait.

SammystormMay 6, 20152 votes

That is entirely dependent on the team and what the person is doing in a side lane. Is the person farming? they should just group, do they have a good engage? group. Are both outers down? group.

The problem is that many people that partake in the afk split pushes do not take into account their own team comp or the enemies and end up costing games. Split pushing is a highly specific strategy that only should be used occasionally.

the Anarchit3chtMay 7, 20151 votes

The idea behind the word "forced" is that you have no choice. Imagine a heavy engage comp such as Kalista, Braum, Yasuo etc. Kalista R into Braum R into Yasuo R... or any number of similar strategies employed by heavy engage comps. Especially if say, you're attempting to defend a tower and they know that 5v4 they will have enough damage to take you out with minimal losses.

PubgamerAUMay 7, 20151 votes

In this scenario, you spread out, don't let the entire group get engaged on. Let them waste a bit of time trying to find an opening to engage into. When they DO engage, you immediately back off to the next tower. You don't fight. You literally turn tail and run. You will probably lose that 1 tower.

During all this time, your split pusher has been freely taking towers in top or bot, without the added time wasting from someone defending it. They will at the very LEAST get 1 tower. If they get a single tower, and you've not died due to trying to fight a dumb fight, then you're even. If the split pusher takes more than 1 tower? GG, you've taken the advantage.

the Anarchit3chtMay 9, 20151 votes

I don't think you understand, apparently, what the word "forced" means. You keep saying if you didn't die "trying to fight a dumb fight" as if we WANT to commit to a 4v5 where they landed a nice engage. Sure, you can spread out, but even if they manage to catch 2 people with the ultimate, that spells their death almost instantly and the 5v4 turns into a 5v2 which also spells the death of the remaining 2 people. Then 1-2 people recall to stop the split push while the rest continue to push en masse for a much quicker and more effective push than the split pusher every did.

You act as if you have complete control over what the enemy team does and that the only way to get caught is if you make a mistake--and that's naivety at its finest. I will concede that this game generally boils down to the winning team being the one who made the least/smaller mistakes, but if both teams play "perfectly" in that they make no mistakes, someone is going to come out on top due to a.) their team comp and b.) their skill level. If you're defending a tower and the enemy decides to make a risky gambit by having say, their Braum dive the tower to get an ulti off, it can go one of three ways: 1.) it fails and you wreck Braum's face under your tower and counter his botched engage to win the fight 2.) it succeeds and his teams pushes forward and runs you over. one of those two things is going to happen or 3.) you engage in a skirmish and the teams more or less come out even with no substantial losses. with option 1 or 3, you inherently have the advantage if your split pusher was able to down a tower or two. however the 1st and last options are less likely to occur due to you being down a teammate.

Let's consider another alternative. Your split pusher is pushing top lane. The enemy gets to your tower and while 3 people push mid, the adc and support push bot, forcing you to split your team to fend off their assault or willingly sacrifice a tower and ensuing inhibitor. this puts one group of 2 at a disadvantage, unless you happen to have someone with strong wave clear who can go defend against the duo taking your bot lane tower. but even then, that's risky if they have an engage comp.

ORRRRR, you have a solid 5v5 team fight, come out ahead and push to win. it's much easier to take towers when the enemy is dead and you are pushing with teammates :) no one to stop you, and a lot more damage.

SerevasMay 5, 201516 votes

I had a similar situation last night where our jungler basically gave up because he was playing rek'sai and was "falling off", while teemo was fed(5/7/6 I wish I could make this shit up.) and building hybrid. Meanwhile I'm a super fed Cho'Gath, we have Wukong and Nunu, with a Varus who was behind and catching up.

Sure enough Wukong and I carry the game, we win convincingly because I was so fed I was practically unkillable to the tune of 3 people coming at me simultaneously just turned into a free picnic.

Took me 1 shotting two members of their team simultaneously to get him to realize the game was vastly in our favor.

What does Rek'sai say in the end? "So much ksing in this game"

Sinister SnailMay 5, 201513 votes

Some people have so much salt in them I'm surprised they haven't exploded from the blood pressure.

atomicwitMay 5, 20159 votes

Maybe Riot should give 10% more IP for games where you came back from a greater than 5k deficit. That would motivate people to give it more of a shot.

It could be listed as "Comeback King" or something like that and tracked separately. The bonus should increase to 20% if you managed to win vs a team with 5 Dragons and Baron on top of that.

BlackthepwnerMay 5, 20151 votes

{quoted}

Maybe Riot should give 10% more IP for games where you came back from a greater than 5k deficit. That would motivate people to give it more of a shot.

It could be listed as "Comeback King" or something like that and tracked separately. The bonus should increase to 20% if you managed to win vs a team with 5 Dragons and Baron on top of that.

I love that idea. Obviously it would probably mean some people would try to exploit it (Such as smurfs, or if you manage to find your opponents to be people on your friend's list.) or if it worked in customs, but still a great idea.

BrothaMay 5, 20159 votes

That same thing happens to me far too often. Had a game last night where our toxic Lucian wanted to give up literally right before laning started because Riven died to Hecarim before minions spawned. Like he literally stood under the tower bitching about how we have a Nidalee mid and a feeding Riven top, and how he should just afk. Thankfully I was playing Velkoz support and everytime Lucian ate a binding I could combo both Jinx and Morgana for half their health. Got fed and helped my team snowball to a victory.

End game screen Lucian : "WOW YOU GUYS SUCK YOU LOST TO A FEEDER RIVEN AND A VEL'KOZ SUPPORT LOLOLOL"

Re-fucking-ported.

PanwarMay 6, 20152 votes

I would just like to say that Vek'koz support is so fun. I think it is just uncommon enough that people don't know what not to do.

Enemy laners : Let's charge at velkoz, he's slow and squishy! Vel'koz:EWQWR Enemy Laners: Noooooo!

Spacesuit SpiffMay 5, 20156 votes

Then you get the support who afks because the jungler smited the wolves he was soloing.

I'm never gonna understand why those people even play.

PeponiPoroMay 6, 20156 votes

I myself hardly ever say yes in surrender votes even if everyone else does and my friends often get mad at me for it. The thing most people seem to forget is that LoL is a game, and there has be a loser. 50% of the people playing have to lose. It is ridiculous to get upset over something as unimportant as being crushed like a bug in a 1v1. Learn from your mistakes and except that they won that round. Then dust yourself off, get yourself fed, and kill them.

The only time I surrender is when everyone is toxic and I have them muted, just to get out of this hellish thing called a team. A real team doesn't whine cause their losing. They pat eachother on the back and say better luck next time. It is an indisputable fact that someone has to lose. Everyone has someone who is better at LoL than them, except for that one person who is better than us all. I sincerely hope that people can ACCEPT this. Toxicity has made me so frustrated, because, as I have said, IT IS JUST A GAME!

SpecterVonBarenMay 6, 20151 votes

{quoted}

I myself hardly ever say yes in surrender votes even if everyone else does and my friends often get mad at me for it. The thing most people seem to forget is that LoL is a game, and there has be a loser. 50% of the people playing have to lose.

Isn't this just making a case for accepting when you've been defeated.outplayed/outscaled ect. and surrendering?

PeponiPoroMay 25, 20151 votes

Well, no, I'm pointing out that their has to be a loser, and you shouldn't get upset about it. A game can be turned around... I'm also saying that most people that do this do it for fun, and how is it fun to just end it. I enjoy a game, even if I lose. NO ONE ELSE SEEMS TO! I mean, what isn't fun about these amazing graphics, always finding little hidden things Rito has done to the map, and roaming around killing minions? HA! Beating your enemy is just a bonus that some people take way to seriously.

Because this seems to be the greater majority of Riot's clients, I doubt I'll change anything, but I just wish people realized they have ruined someone's day when they start getting nasty in the chat...

lDontLiftIcarryMay 5, 20155 votes

because riot hasn't hard reset the ladder yet so all these people that belong in low elos just whine and gripe their way to anything above gold.

I see it all the time now. People rage on both sides for some of the stupidest shit. I stole a voli's blue and red at level 2/3 and he didnt afk. Infact he said "god damn, thats some nice counter jungle" and lost like a man. I apologized post game and we laughed about it and went our ways. Honored eachiother etc. Wheres that kind of player? fucking losers ruin his elo because they bitch piss and moan and afk.

That guy deserved to be diamond just as any other good tempered man does.

2pudge1cupMay 5, 20155 votes

The same people who are told they are winners their whole lives can't handle it when things go a little south.

Jarrito232May 5, 20154 votes

Never play during the hours of 4pm to 9pm.

Marinaras TrenchMay 5, 20151 votes

Most people can only play during those times because of work/school. Or is that your point. That all kids are terrible

Jarrito232May 6, 20153 votes

Yeah its when little kids get out of school. Elementary or Middle schoolers are more likely to throw a game than a college student. Not that there are exceptions for both.

ayNigerianPrinceMay 6, 20155 votes

{quoted}

Never play during the hours of 4pm to 9pm.

^^^This I can only play after AT LEAST 11:00pm, but on the rare occasions Im able to play during the day, I spend the whole game trying to figure out what the fuck my team is doing. But I've also noticed that I ward twice as much during the afternoon. No idea why. xD

I mean, the drunk people at night player better than these kids getting home from school. :P

VekknaMay 6, 20153 votes

Brb, going to quit my job to get better League hours.

VerxintMay 5, 20154 votes

Too many people think that if they can't make plays or 1v1 people, the game is lost, despite the fact that there are 4 other people to work with. People just think it revolves around them.

shark musicMay 6, 20154 votes

The problem is that when you watch the pro games, they say stuff like, "Did that just cost them the game?!" about every five seconds.

LoL's biggest problem, in so many ways, is that the little kids who play it, be they 12 or 22 or 32, can't distinguish between the ultra level pro play they watch on streams, and the actual game they show up to play in the real world each day. If you went to play basketball at the park, and tried to play and lawyer and strategize and take everything super seriously, like you were in the NBA, everyone would just tell you to get the hell out and never come back. Yet, somehow, that incredibly absurd scenario is something you encounter daily in League.

Crede777May 6, 20154 votes

It's like I become some kind of a hostage negotiator. I have to try to read their states of mind and figure out what I can say which will keep them from blowing everything up.

Void BeingMay 6, 20154 votes

I understand this post 100%.

A lot of people are way over-sensitive (sadly), you can be doing well with a KDA of 17/1/20 (for example) and everyone else with 1/20/16 (or something similar); then you attempt to lead with words like "hey Shen, can you please get pink wards?", "hey, Lucian, if you just ward you won't get ganked so easily", "hey Renekton, if you look at the mini-map you would have seen Diana in trouble and could have saved her by just walking just 50 units to the location"; "Hey Diana, I got the inhibitor turret, follow me, let's get that inhibitor I almost got it down!", Diana then proceeds to recall just to buy 3 health pots (yes this happened, health pots were more important to her than an easy inhibitor, I have it on video).

Then guess what happens? You get yelled at "YOU ARE BEING TOXIC AF", "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO", "I KNOW HOW TO PLAY MORGANA, STFU"; "REPORT HIM" (oh the reporting system is just another bad idea in my opinion, I'll tell you why in a bit). And I'm just like, wow, how is asking someone to get pink wards or asking someone to help destroy an inhibitor toxic?

The reporting system, that's another huge mistake by RIOT. It makes people over-sensitive and abuse it hard-core. "Oh this guy chose a champion I hate, REPORT HIM, REPORT HIM", that person then proceeds to do 100% better than the complainer. "You took ONE MINION FROM ME, REPORT HIM!!!!!!!!", it gets old quite fast. I could say a whole lot more on this but there is no need I feel.

And sadly, it then become to frustrating you tend to just not speak at all in chat, and/or become so fed up you just don't care anymore.

GingivitsMay 5, 20153 votes

I know the feeling. I was a fed hecarim top once (before LCS started playing him top) and LB died to yasuo twice. She kept saying that we should just surrender and that we weren't going to win. I kept reassuring them that I was getting extremely fed and will out-tank and out damage them, just follow up later in the game. With their pessimistic attitude though, they died 16 times because they didn't want to play the game anymore, they fed other lanes as well.

Even though I was extremely fed as hecarim that game, because of their attitude, we lost. It was frustrating.

GuiltyGeckoMay 6, 20153 votes

One issue is that there are some many people that feel like "If we aren't stomping, we aren't winning." I've had games were we were up in objectives and gold, and then there's that one guy that did poorly during laning phase that is just constantly complaining because THEY don't do well. Well news flash, just because YOU aren't stomping, doesn't me WE aren't winning.

WutsKrakenMay 6, 20153 votes

Even funnier when your team starts accusing you of being salty/BM/flaming when you're the one trying to rally them =/

Happened my last NORMALS game. I had over 100 Devourer stacks on jungle Jax and sold my boots...but our Luician refused to group because he was mad at Thresh and Lulu and the enemy Nautilus continued to taunt them into fighting each other

Entire game I tried to rally and calm my team to focus down objectives. I'm a super fed jungle Jax but well, the team would rather yell at each other and the enemy team than listen =/

End game (haven't said anything yet):

"report Jax, was BM and KS'd everything" - Lucian and Katarina "Hey Jax what's the dead sea taste like? Salty? :D" - enemy Nautilus "report Jax, sarcastic attitude" - Lulu "Jax real salty, couldnt carry" - enemy Teemo "lol Jax" - enemy Yasuo

xGvPxMay 5, 20151 votes

You've left out a lot of important details, like who is fed on the other team, the exact difference in kills, your definition of being fed, and how many inhibs your team has left.

Being down 3-0 in dragons would suggest your bottom lane wasn't that successful. Were you mid AP kog?

atomicwitMay 5, 20153 votes

{quoted}

You've left out a lot of important details, like who is fed on the other team, the exact difference in kills, your definition of being fed, and how many inhibs your team has left.

Being down 3-0 in dragons would suggest your bottom lane wasn't that successful. Were you mid AP kog?

You need to go read the post before telling me what I left out.

They were up about 2-1 in kills but we did pretty well when we grouped and got a good engage. The problem was people were getting caught a lot. This is why I didn't want to give up! If we all played teamfights properly and STILL lost, then sure. When it's mostly because we get 4v5s a lot, it means there is A LOT that we can do to improve those fights (aka, having 5 people). We had a teamfight comp and I've had so many comebacks on the back of a good Malphite ult. etc.

xGvPxMay 6, 20153 votes

{quoted}

You need to go read the post before telling me what I left out.

Your original post explains nothing really except your expectations of late game scaling with AP Kog...you say you were fed and your team were babies because they didn't appreciate the fact that you were fed. There's nothing in your OP that explains who was in the game except you as Kog. So...that's why I'm asking questions. Your thread is super vague.

They were up about 2-1 in kills but we did pretty well when we grouped and got a good engage.

So...since you still didn't clarify, were you "fed" mid, based on farm rather than kills?

The problem was people were getting caught a lot. This is why I didn't want to give up! If we all played teamfights properly and STILL lost, then sure. When it's mostly because we get 4v5s a lot, it means there is A LOT that we can do to improve those fights (aka, having 5 people). We had a teamfight comp and I've had so many comebacks on the back of a good Malphite ult. etc.

Not much you can do except try your best to do some shot calling. Remind your team who to focus, things like that. Positive reinforcement will follow, or it won't work, and that's that. The best you can do is offer a strategy when everyone else feels lost. If all you do is say "We can do this," without a model of how, then you know, the problem is don't babysit. Teach.

SpecterVonBarenMay 6, 20152 votes

I've started to ask people that insist we can make a comeback what their plan is. I'm down with giving things a shot, IF, you can convince me that we either have a shot or you have some sort of plan. Unfortunately I've yet to get an actual response to this outside of generic "we got late game" or "just do better"

xGvPxMay 6, 20151 votes

{quoted}

I've started to ask people that insist we can make a comeback what their plan is. I'm down with giving things a shot, IF, you can convince me that we either have a shot or you have some sort of plan. Unfortunately I've yet to get an actual response to this outside of generic "we got late game" or "just do better"

Yep, and that's the major problem. A lot of people want to stay positive but they have nothing to offer as far as a strategy short of, "I'll carry." Being a confident solo player is great, but at some point you have to offer shot calling, initiation suggestions, objective control, and all that. If all someone can offer is a "we can do this" that even he or she doesn't believe, why should anyone vote "no" to a surrender?

LegendaryLemurMay 7, 20151 votes

Imagine if primordial species living in the soup had said "Hmm we'd like to mutate and evolve into some greater species but we don't quite know how so let's give up on sex/mitosis/whatever".

Lol, but seriously i don't see the harm in playing on a bit in most scenarios. Maybe you'll stumble on the right mix of ingredients and find a groove.

If you can offer a concrete plan, by all means, but the lack of one shouldn't automatically be a reason to throw in the towel either.