Smurfing, my first look
i decided to make this post after i saw riots comment on smurfs (and because i just so happened to make one for reason i will soon discuss)
i have been playing league for 3 years i started in season 3, and my skill is between silver 3 and gold 5.
now until last tuesday, i had only this account.
but i thought it might be informative to create a new account to see what this whole "smurf issue" really is about.
regardless to say.. i did NOT even remotely expect it to be ANYWHERE near as bad as it currently is.
so here are my impression (my smurf account is currently lvl 10)
the first day went rather smooth, i started bots as i was forced to
and i noticed that "rotating champs for "free week" only become available at lvl 6 the champs for level 1-5 are the same regardless of the free week champions
i noticed that the game is VERY unclear about telling you that your in game name would be different than your account name. in the fact that you arnt even TOLD it will be different until you sign in for the first time and are told to create a summoner name
the first few lvls in bot games were uneventful, me and sometimes 1 or 2 other players were smurfs, (in a bot game with 5 people this is 2 or 3 out of 5)
but considering i had to be a smurf to even see i not sure i can count myself
overall about 25% of the new players that are not smurfing were very willing to ask for and accept help and were willing to try to take advise and learn from better players.
however i noticed that over HALF of the new players, (who as far as i can tell by their build's and mechanics in game, were not smurfs) were VERY hostile we not willing to take advise, and had no intention as playing as a team and refused to listen to you when you told them things like. "hey we dont have anyone in bot lane, do u want to cover that? and i get responses like "do it yourself @$$hole" really now? there is no need to be offensive...
now if this was one or 2 people i wouldn't find this an issue.. but a LARGE majority of new players are simply put.. jerks...
but, it wasn't until around lvl 7-10 that i starting seeing the REAL issue
at around playing PvP i started to notice something very wrong.
usually 1 or 2 players on EACH team were nt only smurfs but HIGH lvl smurfs
1 or 2 players on each team were actaully NEW players and were up against players who are gold and higher.
and the last person is a player who is NOT a new player but is a COMPLETE, and i mean worse than i can describe here on a forum to put it lightly,, probably someone who had their main account banned the way they are acting
so.. if i WAS a new player.. what would i see?
i would see myself, not knowing how to play against players who are CRAZY good, 1 or two new people (like myself) who sand no chance. and a complete and utter waste of a human life as the last teammate.
up against a similar thing.
now the high lvl smurfs are playing to win at all costs to level up faster, and absolutely DESTROYING the new players, (and as a silver player making my life rather difficult) the new players players must feel completely worthless as instead of trying to learn against people who are ALSO new, they are facing crazy good players that they would most likely NEVER face when they reach lvl 30 and their last teammate is a complete jerk
overall the life of a "new player" while lvling to thirty... is HORRIBLE.
but what i feel is most important is this...
Based on what i saw as a "silver" smurf lvling to lvl 10 in 2 days i would have said "screw this game.. its horrible"
Riot right now your are making some decisions that are costing you players that used to really love your game. this is ALWAYS a bad thing.
But when you add the fact the experience for first time new players, is bad enough to make a player who LOVES this game feel that they would not be playing if they had to go through what my smurf to to reach lvl TEN let alone thirty. you have a MUCH bigger issue on your hands
because i can say with CERTAINTY if that smurf was my main account and i had NO idea what league was like at lvl 30, i would have just quit right then, and would not be playing today.
i don't remember much about lvling to thirty when i joined in season 3, but what i do remember was it was still FUN. right now? its HORRIBLE and i would NOT be playing this game now has i decided to try to "today"