How do people play in Silver? This is more or less a luck game against Riots matchmaking.

It's not that the games aren't winnable by normal means - I've already rose five divisions since my original placement. It's that the games at this tier have 0 consistency - your fighting the matchmaking system not other players.

I get that Silver is where most placement games take place but I'm often spending up to 10-14 minutes (Up from the 3-4 last season) trying to get into a match from people not locking in there choices. Why there's 16 chances for a match not to start is beyond me...

There's been two Afks on my team over the last two games alone (Enemy team has had 3). I'm not 100% complaining a few of my wins this season have been handed to me by the matchmaking system alone... but ranked shouldn't be based on flipping a coin to see if everyone's going to be there. It's a huge issue in Silver right now with people making new accounts for ranked/trying to get a better initial placement and since Riots ban policy promotes creating throwaway accounts if you get banned... there's little to no care.