I'm so sick of "smurfs" in ranked

MonkeyMadness·Jul 17, 2016·14 votes·2,705 views

Our lucian decided that our blitz "allowed him to die" (he went to clear wards up river, after even announcing it in chat, and lucian kept shoving the lane and got ganked). At this point, he announced that he would be feeding, and did just that. When the enemy team started asking what was going on, they announced that they would be reporting him, to which he replied that this was a smurf and he cared neither about winning the game nor whether or not the account got banned.

I'm so sick of smurfs (or self proclaimed smurfs) ruining the game. I work hard to get and maintain my rank, only to have it tarnished by players like this. I think anyone that smurf and anyone claiming to be a smurf should be banned. These people do not contribute to a positive game experience in any capacity, and in many cases, solely contribute in a negative manner.

25 Comments

BIue MonkJul 18, 20164 votes

Actually, high elo game quality got rekt by Riot with early DQ, so people started smurfing pretty hard, so it ruined even more BOTH high elo (because there are less people for the matchmaker to generate balanced matchs at high elos, when it's already low populated, so the match quality goes down quickly, and this effect snowballs by itself) AND it ruins the elo where the guy will smurf. People getting rekt at the smurfers's elo will start smurfing themselves because their own elo became unplayable, and the whole ladder got fucked with that Domino effect.

MonkeyMadnessJul 18, 20161 votes

ik I've been saying that a while now. No one wants to believe that smurfs are a real issue to begin with though, so this DQ complain falls on deaf ears.

SwiftKitten88Jul 17, 20163 votes

the problem with smurfs is that the whole "bronze to diamond" makes it hell for players the 99( of people who arn't diamond) because no one at that elo stand a freaking chance, and its unfair for the other team who get an automatic loss when a high lvl smurf is on the other team

EedatJul 17, 20161 votes

the likelihood of you having a Diamond smurf in a silver game is extremely low. So low its pretty much negligible.

MonkeyMadnessJul 17, 20161 votes

Happened to me. They have to start out somewhere, and that start point is defined at 1200 mmr, or silver.

EedatJul 17, 20161 votes

Again, the likelihood of you getting a Diamond smurf in a silver game is extremely low. Pointing to 1 example of it (which you can't even confirm because they fed) while ignoring dozens upon dozens of other games where it didn't doesnt prove your point.

Yes, it happens. No, it doesn't happen that much.

MonkeyMadnessJul 17, 20162 votes

I don't care if its "unlikely" to happen. The fact is that it CAN happen and therefore DOES happen. And when it does happen, it ruins the game for 9 other players (obviously the 5 that get stomped, but even the 4 that get carried have a less meaningful experience, in that their contribution to that win is diminished). It's bad on principle alone, even if it doesn't happen much.

TreeofwarJul 17, 20162 votes

no why should people be banned for having a smurf if they dont troll? bjergsen has tons of smurfs and play legit on them but he has them so he wont get trolled because he is TSM and anyone who hates TSM would just throw the game for him. Not every smurf is bad you just met a bad one riot will not get rid of smurfing because 1. it brings money in if they buy skins. 2. it puts their player base up or at least it makes it seem like it. 3. it would be too hard to catch a smurf from someone who is just really good at the game.

MonkeyMadnessJul 17, 20161 votes

This is actually the worst kind of abuse that a smurf account can cause. He is a professional player, meaning that he is virtually guaranteed to win literally every game he plays until he gets to ~high diamond. That literally destroys to purpose of fair play for everyone that has the misfortune of getting matched against him. And the absolute worst part about bjergsen having smurfs is this: if/when he does get these smurfs to challenger (and I'm sure he has more than 1 account there now) it causes another challenger-deserving player to be kicked out. This effect will be felt to some extent (though not nearly as bad as in challenger, due to the severely limited number of players there) at all ranks. To allow one player to camp a tier on multiple accounts at the expense of other players is bordering on unethical. Also, you bring in riot's business reasons. If you base a ranked system on how much money it brings in, then what is the fucking point of even pretending to maintain competitive integrity. If riot prioritizes money more than it already does, this game will be dead and gone by season 8, guaranteed.

TreeofwarJul 17, 20161 votes

{quoted}

This is actually the worst kind of abuse that a smurf account can cause. He is a professional player, meaning that he is virtually guaranteed to win literally every game he plays until he gets to ~high diamond. That literally destroys to purpose of fair play for everyone that has the misfortune of getting matched against him. And the absolute worst part about bjergsen having smurfs is this: if/when he does get these smurfs to challenger (and I'm sure he has more than 1 account there now) it causes another challenger-deserving player to be kicked out. This effect will be felt to some extent (though not nearly as bad as in challenger, due to the severely limited number of players there) at all ranks. To allow one player to camp a tier on multiple accounts at the expense of other players is bordering on unethical. Also, you bring in riot's business reasons. If you base a ranked system on how much money it brings in, then what is the fucking point of even pretending to maintain competitive integrity. If riot prioritizes money more than it already does, this game will be dead and gone by season 8, guaranteed.

The top 200 players get challenger if he can play multiple accounts at the same time and stay in challenger then anyone he kicks out does not deserve it. He can maintain both ranks while the 1 person he kicks out can not keep 1 account in challenger then it just sucks for him. Smurfing is a thing in every game literally every game has smurfs. WoW has smurfs, overwatch has smurfs, blade and soul has smurfs. You cant say they dont because there are videos of pro players playing on a new character and just stomping other players in lower levels. You cant really get rid of a smurf and it is very hard to prove he is a smurf since all he has to say is no this is my first account you cant ban someone for being good

MonkeyMadnessJul 17, 20161 votes

You are categorically incorrect based solely upon your own statement. The top 200 PLAYERS deserve challenger, not the top 200 accounts. These are your own words, you have disproven your own point. Your logic allows for a single player to potentially camp the entirety of challenger. While this is entirely impractical, the fact that it is even remotely possible makes smurfing bad for the game on principle alone.

Also, smufs in an MMO are an entirely different concept, as they do not ruin the game for other players, they simply make the game easier for the player who has them. Also, while Overwatch may have smurfs, the fact that you have to buy the game to make a new account limits that number, if not completely eliminates it.

MonkeyMadnessJul 17, 20161 votes

also,

it would be too hard to catch a smurf from someone who is just really good at the game.

Riot already has smurf detection protocols in place, according to this http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/news/community/q/lets-talk-smurfs-snow-and-bans-ask-riot

TreeofwarJul 17, 20161 votes

{quoted}

also,

Riot already has smurf detection protocols in place, according to this http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/news/community/q/lets-talk-smurfs-snow-and-bans-ask-riot

the thing is to by pass that detection is to just lose games over and over which would stop you from getting matched vs smurfs. Its easy to just "be bad" on a low rank account claiming you dont know what you are doing and then stomping when the detection tool puts you with new players. The riot members also said that not all smurfs are bad that some want to climb from 1-30 again or try and climb from bronze and silver to see how hard it is because not everyone gets placed in bronze or silver on their placements.

MonkeyMadnessJul 18, 20161 votes

I don't pretend to understand how it works, but my guess is that it's more sophisticated than that. Also, perhaps Riot should start IP tracking accounts so that if someone is playing on multiple accounts they will be immediately labelled as a potential smurf. Then a more formal investigation could be launched to see if it's just multiple people playing from the same IP address.

TreeofwarJul 18, 20161 votes

{quoted}

I don't pretend to understand how it works, but my guess is that it's more sophisticated than that. Also, perhaps Riot should start IP tracking accounts so that if someone is playing on multiple accounts they will be immediately labelled as a potential smurf. Then a more formal investigation could be launched to see if it's just multiple people playing from the same IP address.

the thing is you could have 2 diamond players in the same house hold or 2 gold players or even you know what an LCS team that lives in the same house and many other esports players that are not LCS players do play league and live in the same house so that could hold a lot of complication because some of their account would get punished because they would be considered smurfs. You could say that to fix that situation you would submit a ticket saying that you have 2 good players in the house or you live with a lot of people but anyone can do that without much proof. This is a lot of work for riot just because people like you dont like smurfs on the enemy team but i bet you would not complain if the smurf was on your team and its a free 20 lp

MonkeyMadnessJul 18, 20161 votes

did you read? I clearly said that when 2 accounts are being accessed from a common ip address that this would cause a more formal investigation. obviously the cases you pointed out would be discovered. please read before you comment.

TreeofwarJul 18, 20161 votes

{quoted}

did you read? I clearly said that when 2 accounts are being accessed from a common ip address that this would cause a more formal investigation. obviously the cases you pointed out would be discovered. please read before you comment.

what the hell do you prove it? like what investigation can 100% prove he is a smurf you just cant prove it plain and simple. Riot knows there are smurfs and they will try to make it a bit more fair but they wont insta perma ban every smurf in the game. Riot cant determine who is just naturally good because if you didnt know dota 2 is pretty similar my friend is new to league but he stomps every game hes in because he has over 1k hours in dota 2 and known how to cs and knows how to just play a moba. So i can guarantee you that riot wont ban a account for being a smurf sorry to tell you that.

MonkeyMadnessJul 18, 20161 votes

I never said that Riot is currently banning smurf accounts...you seriously need to read. I'm suggesting that riot start to track smurfs (which they can already do efficiently) and stop them from ruining the game. Perhaps a ban for more extreme cases of smurf toxicity. However, if they are just playing the game without the intent to ruin the game, then riot should have the ability to sync their rank with that of their main account, so that diamond players aren't playing in games with silvers and golds.

It's important to note that there are 3 kinds of smurfs in this game.

people who just want another account for shits and gigs. These people are generally fine, they might stomp people for a while, which sucks, but they will be up in their correct mmr soon enough.
people who create smurf accounts for the sole purpose of "playing with" (ie boosting) their lower ranked friends. Ban these accounts, boosting is NOT ok I do not care how nice you are trying to be to your friend, you are completely raping the competitive integrity of the game.
people who make smurfs for the sole purpose of fucking with lower level/ranked players and having fun purely at the expense of others. in this case, the main account and any other associated account needs to be tracked down and permanently banned. This kind of behavior is currently the singular reason why league of legends has hard plateaued in terms of number of players. with no new players coming in, and a daily exodus of people for games like overwatch, these are the people that are actually destroying league, and should be responded to in kind.

Truli91Jun 28, 20191 votes

{quoted}

no why should people be banned for having a smurf if they dont troll? bjergsen has tons of smurfs and play legit on them but he has them so he wont get trolled because he is TSM and anyone who hates TSM would just throw the game for him. Not every smurf is bad you just met a bad one riot will not get rid of smurfing because 1. it brings money in if they buy skins. 2. it puts their player base up or at least it makes it seem like it. 3. it would be too hard to catch a smurf from someone who is just really good at the game.

So lets asume im diamond, i make a smurf account and play against bronze players and crush them. it that fair?

BGHJul 17, 20162 votes

They should make it 1 account per IP address. That would stop the numerous smurf accounts.

TreeofwarJul 17, 20162 votes

{quoted}

They should make it 1 account per IP address. That would stop the numerous smurf accounts.

what if you have brothers and sisters who play the game do you now share the account? The one account per IP is not a good idea no offense

MonkeyMadnessJul 17, 20161 votes

Then force all accounts not linked to an active email address to be deleted. This would be a good first step, as many people I know that have smurf accounts used a fake email address to create them.

And by active email address I mean that Riot should send out email confirmations to all account-bound email addresses. Any account that is not verified within a predetermined period is deleted. Only the most tryhard smurfs would be left, and then we could look into whether or not it's worth stopping them, as well.

TeslynJul 18, 20161 votes

if i understand.. you are in G1... you where P5 last season.. this lucian was G4

This lucian has played 134 games and he just made G3..

when you think someone is a smurf or .. people claim to be a smurf.. do you think they are better skilled players or lesser skilled players..

like i tried to make a smurf.. .. seriously .. in 80 games it is P3 right now..

there has to be a better name for people who make alternate accounts but they are actually close to their elo anyway.. like.. when does a smurf just become an alternate account?

how do people maintain lower level accounts? do they lose on purpose so they dont climb?

also .. if they some how climbed .. like barely climbed .. they may make another account just to see .. but in reality they just had some lucky games that got them over the hump, but they are tired of losing because they cant play at the higher elo level.
they may just not want to have their account demoted so they make another account so they can say they are something, but they sit on the cusp of that elo.

some people have been banned and they make another account.. most of those people do need to start over. they cant handle the higher level play.

it makes me wonder why Riot doesnt do a hard reset and start everyone fresh so they can climb at the same level verses separating them from the start.
if they did that there would be a good amount of people place bronze instead of silver because the higher elo players would skew the MMR of the other people pretty bad... but some people would be shifted down from their higher locations that they only nurse instead of climb.

MonkeyMadnessJul 18, 20161 votes

It really doesnt matter what you call them. They are playing on accounts other than their main and they are ruining the game for other people. Also, based on how many actual smurfs I've seen lately, I get put on tilt just at the mention of the word, as I'm sure some others do, as well. If you use smurf status (even if you are lying abut smurfing) to try to garner yourself some kind of report immunity, you deserve both the smurf and your main (assuming you actually are on an alt) to be permabanned.

ExtrasolarJul 18, 20161 votes

Funny, the exact same thing happened to me in ranked a couple of days ago. I was playing support Janna to Vayne versus a Lucian/Braum lane. As she started to CS, I moved forward in lane ever so slightly (through the bush), trying to get some autoattacks off on each to make use of Frost Queen's Claim. IMMEDIATELY during the lane phase (I mean, we hadn't even hit level 2 yet), this Vayne types in "wtf are you doing?" IMMEDIATELY afterward, and I mean IMMEDIATELY, Vayne gets hit by Braum q, Lucian dashes forward and procs the stun. Immediate first blood. Stunned by the irony, I type "wtf are you doing?"

Vayne responds that she's a smurf, and that she doesn't care if we win or lose. Right after respawn, she heads into the jungle, killing our Evelynn's jungle camps, and going top, thus taking away our Naut's experience and farm, and dying three/four times to their Renekton. Everyone else on the team asked Vayne to go bot again. She didn't.

We lost, quite unsurprisingly. I completely understand where you are coming from.