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What is actually the incentive to climbing when the ranking system is set up like this?

Sonasaurous·5/7/2017, 7:41:20 PM·31 votes·2,527 views

I feel like this is what Riot is thinking: "Oh hey, we just noticed you just finished your promos and are climbing up the ladder. We're proud of you! But just to even the playing field, we're going to place only players who are lower ranked and on mega losing streaks on your team, and then higher ranked and on mega winning streaks on the other team. You know. Just to keep the game balanced and keep you at the 50% winrate."

Like. Ranked is so counter productive in low elo when your rank is literally just based on your luck of which teammates you get stuck with and your overall win rate. No actual skill, just luck and winrate. Except the system is actively working against you to force you to keep that 50% winrate (cuz balance?) while also assuming that three B3, a B1, and a Silver 3 on one team is somehow balanced to 2 S5, and 3 B1 on the other team.

Seriously, ranked systems for literally every other MOBA is so much better than in League. Of all the things Riot should be working on, I wish it was how ranked worked.

57 Comments

FEEDlNG TIME5/8/2017, 2:56:46 AM7 votes

And why do promotional series between divisions even exist?

If I'm gold 2 and I reach 100 LP I should be instantly put in gold 1. There's no need for all the extra games, it's a waste of time.

I understand the point of promotional series if I'm going from like gold 1 to plat 5 but between divisions we shouldn't have them.

Nosnide5/7/2017, 7:58:56 PM6 votes

Man I seriously think this is 100% true. I am pretty sure it is programmed to pair up people who are on winning streaks with people on losing streaks. I read somewhere (not confirmed of course) that Riot does this so the better players carry the losers. This way it keeps those losers from quitting, or giving up on the game. Hence, more money for Riot.

Dukues5/8/2017, 2:38:34 PM6 votes

The another part is like... you literally get nothing in league for ranking up. In HoTs and other Mobas you get other shit than just an icon or border for ranking up. There really is no incentive when you think about it. The only reason gold so popular is the skin and because not everyone gets it. But even then... people OTP to gold or use 1 super strong strategy that works for 6 months. Hell people make it even to the highest ranks playing 1 role and a couple champs but then get completely fucked playing in any other role or champ. Nothing really makes all that much sense. I wouldn't really care but at this point I just want to play some fun competitive games. Or chill games. But like... normal is just a shit show and ranked is a shit show. So where do you go to play people your same skill level?

4th Chiming Lamb5/7/2017, 8:13:26 PM4 votes

Simple: There is none. Ranked is LoL minus Fun. Just play Normals.

420 grams5/7/2017, 7:49:09 PM4 votes

Yeah, it's really discouraging to op.gg in the loading screen and see if you're going to win or lose.

MunchCrunchLunch5/8/2017, 7:23:30 PM4 votes

I looked up games after winning streaks. enemy 100+ MMR ahead of my team

I looked up games after am on the losing streaks. I am 100+ MMR ahead of enemy team.

and the pattern keeps and keeps on happening. team mates with negative winrate and losing streaks. its just all great.

I quit until they fix it. if they don't am never playing again. this whole time sink of an infinite loop needs to go away. there is nothing consistent about matchmaking. let alone the pattern shows that its rigged so that you STAY at the elo you are at.

Bârd5/7/2017, 11:05:13 PM3 votes

The incentive is season rewards and bragging rights.

Also, there is some reasoning behind this. The system tries to keep you around a 50% winrate by keeping your MMR equal to what is expected for your rank. If you are on a winning streak, your MMR is much higher than your rank entails, so they put you in games that are harder to win. You are expected to lose these games, so you lose less LP for a loss, but gain much more if you manage to win.

Everybody deals with the same system; you can't blame your teammates for every loss.

Profirix5/8/2017, 3:37:02 PM3 votes

The only reason I play ranked is because of the horrid randomness of normal draft. One game I can have a team of diamonds, the next a team of bronzes. Ranked games seem a little more consistent at the very least...but I don't play to rank up really. I've found it way too difficult as a jungle/support main when I have very little control over what my other laners do.

Fed by Snu Snu5/7/2017, 7:52:39 PM3 votes

I never thought I'd see so many ADCs being unable to hit 100 CS in 20 minutes in platinum.

Matchmaking proved me wrong.

TEA Nietzsche 5/8/2017, 12:22:23 AM3 votes

Like. Ranked is so counter productive in low elo when your rank is literally just based on your luck of which teammates you get stuck with and your overall win rate. No actual skill, just luck and winrate. Except the system is actively working against you to force you to keep that 50% winrate (cuz balance?) while also assuming that three B3, a B1, and a Silver 3 on one team is somehow balanced to 2 S5, and 3 B1 on the other team.

Yeah, everyone please focus on this part. If you truly believe that it's luck and some evil system that prevents you from climbing then this is very indicative of the real problem: you.

You really need to focus in improving rather than on external factors. Others have managed to improve, you will too once you actually try. Source: I coached low elo. You will climb if you deserve it. No, you are not an exception.

MysterQ5/7/2017, 7:46:25 PM3 votes

I just want the free champ (and skin). Literally I want to quit ranked once I hit gold for that champ (I better not own it!).

At the same time, I could understand if ranked games are more fun because MAYBE people are less likely to give up/troll. But for me it isn't worth the stress/worry of if I am good enough. Just let me play normals for fun and to enjoy my freetime.

Low ELO rank should honestly have a different system from high ELO rank. I only say this because high ELO people will get involved and just insult bronzes or say the ranks are different. You only play vs your rank. None of this MMR matchup stuff. You always gain more than you lose. It doesn't matter if the system thinks you should be low rank, you won so give me the LP. Promos are not some crazy match (some people say get rid of promos).

Needs a way to get rid of smurfs though. People who just want to feel good for beating players.

RookPusher7/20/2017, 8:03:47 PM2 votes

The problem with Riot and the community is that they don't think there's a problem with the following scenario:

You can carry games easier with these 15 champs, so just play those.

When everyone says "You can carry yourself out if you're talented enough" they don't mean "with any champ" they mean with a select few champs that have an easy time walking off with wins. Which might be true, but is also a really horrible way to create a game. Not to mention, it's like the UN security council with 5 non-permanent members rotating off each patch and with 5 more coming in.

That is not a good system.

Who is Taliyah5/8/2017, 8:11:51 AM2 votes

while also assuming that three B3, a B1, and a Silver 3 on one team is somehow balanced to 2 S5, and 3 B1 on the other team.

Most people in silver got there by luck and or not falling down to bronze in their placements. The skill difference between bronze 3 to silver 3 is really small, almost like gold 1 to platin 4. Practically non-existent.

Good player can be on a losing streak, by having a bad day. Bad player can be on a winning streak by having a wonderful day.

Dukues5/8/2017, 2:33:15 PM2 votes

Yea the system has always been this way and I am over it. After getting completely fucked in my placements I am just done. Just trying to get back to gold I guess for pride LOL? Free skin? Honestly... I don't even know anymore. But yea definitely done giving a F about ranked once I get back to gold.

I have done placements on 3 accounts this season all at the start. 2 were gold last season and 1 was silver 5. All 3 ended up in bronze after placements. Which you can say "makes sense"... but does it really? How can 3 accounts all with different mmrs start off at the same rank? On top of their completely shit match making it just makes ranking up boring. I literally played vs a Nasus yesterday that had 9.1cs/min. Don't think I have ever seen anyone have that high of cs in my gold/silver/bronze games besides an obvious diamond smurf. Was this guy smurfing? Idk... he has lots of games played in silver. Just think he doesn't play ranked a lot and is a good nasus player. But you know how infuriating it is to be on a bronze account (with like silver 3 mmr) playing with and vs a bunch of brain dead players but auto losing because your top lane afk bot player gets crushed by some player who is completely ranked wrong and should be a much higher elo. Also brings up the great invention Riot has with "unlimited scaling champs" but w/e.

Not that it is worth ever looking at players ranks before games (I used to but quit since all lit does is tilt you) but its especially retarded to look in low elo. No ones ranks probably mean shit. We all put such an emphasis on ranks but like.... they really don't mean shit lol.

grug5/8/2017, 12:05:04 PM1 votes

a tip for all you low ELO guys: start screening your teammates to see if you need to dodge and also dont be afraid to dodge your promos from time to time to abuse promo helper. its the only way i was able to keep my sanity while getting to gold.

at least 50% of the time in my promos, i had some completely new ranked player on my team or some mega 10 game loss streak tiltlord which were no-brainers to dodge. Rather dodge than play these games out.

of course this only works if you yourself are decent enough to climb, sometimes you'll be the one that is to expected fail spectacularly in an outclassed matchup.

Laxfan525/8/2017, 7:33:02 PM1 votes

But if you manage to get out of bronze then you get to make fun of everyone in bronze

WingsofGulgazor5/8/2017, 7:37:17 PM1 votes

I think the purpose of this is that if your say gold 3 mmr it will start matching you with say gold 4 players and match you with lower mmr players because if we were to say you have plat 4 skill then you will be able to carry and winning these games will make you raise elo faster if you win. But if you lose it sucks and you won't raise as fast since your win streaks are countered by lose streaks but you will still raise elo over the course of multiple games. Which sounds bad but if your true skill isn't really very massive you will get to it fairly quick and if it is far apart from your true skill you will be winning most the games and your mmr will raise super fast.

At least that's what I think since when I go on win streaks my mmr starts gradually raising faster.

khorney7/20/2017, 6:29:52 PM1 votes

what riot does by this is saying you can make other players win becuase your winning...or is getting carried a better

ChargeItDownMid5/8/2017, 8:08:18 AM1 votes

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