Boards›Gameplay

No respite for players who suck (A talk about normals)

FillingForever··2 votes·850 views

I've been playing this game since season 3. I have maybe 4k games on my main account and won maybe half of those games. In my time playing this game I've kept coming across the same problems more often than not in each game.

If you're one of THOSE people, then it may be relevant to say that im bronze 2. Been stuck there for the past year and cant seem to get out. Stopped playing ranked all together becuase of the same issues i'm going to state.

  1. Players who suck get reported the most: Anyone who's played a game not in bots can agree that it can be upsetting to have to play with a low skilled player. I have been that player a majority of those games played. However, people don't see players who aren't good at the game as just that. They insist that these guys have to be "Trolls" or "Intentional feeders". Why should they have to be labeled as such? Because you feel you should get back at them for them not being as good as you want them to be? Everyone has good and bad games. Not EVERYONE is good at a game. I'll be the first to raise my hand and admit im not a good gamer. If I end up feeding, it doesnt HAVE to mean Im doing it on purpose.

  2. People who do something different get harassed: If you're in a game and you're trying to do what the "Team" or the "Meta" says is best, sometimes it just doesn't mesh with what works best with you. So you go and figure out what works with you and what doesn't. If you're one of those people who finds something that works, but doesn't fit in the meta or teams expectations, then you more than likely end up getting harassed by the team.

If you're getting demolished under tower and it's still the laning phase, then perhaps going back to hugging that tower because the laning phase is not over yet maybe isn't the best move.

If you gank a lane and more often then not you get destroyed when you do it for THAT particular lane, maybe ganking that lane isn't the best course of action. But if the team keeps pinging/capsing at you to do something and you don't do it because you feel it's not going to work, then by their definition you're a troll/griefer. I understand the game is a team-based game but this doesn't mean that the team knows what's best all the time. I understand that not every choice is a good one but if you keep doing something that just doesn't work with you, then it's just pure insanity to keep doing it knowing it's not going to work. The meta doesn't work well with me personally, so yes I have to do something different to find/do something that does.

  1. Toxic players breed toxic players: A fun bit of biology really. I'm sure Riots "Experts" have said something to the same point before but this one is a personal observation. People just LOVE to be jerks to other people here. That seems to be a reocurring theme here. I can guarentee that in maybe half to a third of your games, you have at least one person who just loves to be a jerk to someone. That person probably doesnt even deserve it. These particular people I've seen love to use those 3 letter acronyms (OMG, WTF, SMH) that takes no effort to type yet conveys the biggest of messages.

I can say that when I started this game I had every intention of getting better and being a decent person to people who needs it. ESPECIALLY to those people not doing well. However due to repeated exposure to these toxic, immoral, horrid players I keep running into, the thick skin I used to have had long since wore away to them. Unfortunately I also went through a period where I was that toxic player. I felt like everyone was trolling me, took offense to just about everyone talking to me, and more often than not thought people encouraging me to be better were just mocking me to a certain degree. I guess it can be looked at as a looking down on me kind of vibe. Granted this can be applicable to any player, the vast majority of toxic players (That I've encountered) are bad or somewhat decent at this game. If you're good at the game and you KNOW that you're good, it's fairly easy to shrug it off. But when you are bad at a game and you keep running into these people who just suck the fun out of the game because they're bad, but a little bit better than you (Or using a no skill/OP champ to make themselves seem the better person) it can be very easy to get this impression that you are as horrible as this person says you are.

These 3 points are just a few I was able to find a common theme that makes being a bad player a truly bad thing to be in this game. Having played 4k games and still be maybe a halfway decent player in certain roles is not a great thing to admit. However I still truely enjoy this game. To suck at a game is no reason to not play it. It's about having fun at it. People, my opinion, have taken to winning games = fun to such lengths that they're not truely enjoying the game the way games should be played. Im sure I'm going to get a lot of hate from my next statement but this line of thinking took me out of the toxic state of mind and has been working for the past 4 months.

"If it's normals, dont play to win"

A bad thing to say I know, but hear me out. If you think about it, why do you play normals? 1) To get better at the game? Sure. What better way to test where you're strong/weak at then against other players. You can do bots sure, but bots dont do anything new. Players on the other hand can always show you a different way to do things, even if they're not on your team. 2) To have fun? A great reason. Just keep in mind that you dont HAVE to win in order to have a good time. You can have games you won but still feel angry for multiple reasons (U sucked that game, other player was dogging you all game, couldn't team fight for s**t, etc). Find the fun in everything you do. 3) For IP? You can get IP no matter what mode you're playing. Even better, YOU GET IP NO MATTER IF YOU WIN OR LOSE. Sure you get more if you win, but it's not like you get nothing if you lose. 4) To get a really high win/lose ratio on my stats? Ha hahhh. Sorry. But if you're the average player, then this would be a poor reason to play. If you think about it, what do you get if you get this? Bragging rights sure. That feeling of superiority? Ehh, that's purely subjective. You can say you won a lot of games but you cant really say that it's all you. I have a 50/50 win/lose ratio and I can say for certain that most of those wins were not won purely from my efforts. So other than those to things, what do you really get from having that win/lose ratio? Not much from my perspective.

The list can go on for reasons to play normals. In the end it's the reasons you play the game that can cause the most damage when you're trying to have fun. "Dont play to win" By having this in mind, you can take away the condition "Im not having fun unless I win" By taking this condition out of equation, you see the game just as a metaphorical playground. You can find fun in ANY part of it. From doing well in a lane, to a sick play that was done (By you or the enemy) to thinking you're about to destroy someone and 3 people come out of nowhere to evaporate you. Because in the end, what did you really lose? Nothing. You didnt lose the ability to get IP. You didn't lose anything by losing a game. You didn't lose anything even by playing poorly. Because you're not here to win. You're here to have fun. If you get better at a game, then by association, you can have more fun. But until then, don't worry about it. Play to have fun.

23 Comments

Maximum Morde7 votes

TLDR.

Trídent1 votes

Same.

FillingForever1 votes

I do apoligize for that. Im not all that good at organizing my thoughts. But if you read even just the points in the list, it gets my general thoughts across. Sorry for the inconvenience.

AyRe CoNteMpT2 votes

here ill make a list of solutions for you:

  1. become a stronger person
FillingForever1 votes

There are many definitions of strength. Being more flexible with the actions of others can be a type of strength. Seeing someone doing poorly and not jumping to conclusions that they're just there to feed or be a troll, that's a strength of mind that few possess. By adopting the condition that winning isnt everything, I turn my attentions to the experiance to the game itself, not just the destination.

AyRe CoNteMpT1 votes

get more self-esteem and you'll have all different types of strength at the same time. enjoy your digivolution bro, you are almost rookie level.

FillingForever1 votes

Well, that's part of the issue of being a player who sucks at the game. There are plenty of times when I really do my best but end up falling short. Unfortunately the biggest result of being worse than the other player bad players are laned against is a barrage of insults calling you a troll or a feeder. All of them normally ending with saying to report the bad player. Had this happen earlier today where I was adc graves and I had a terrible early game. Died maybe 5 times in first 12 minutes and support ended up leaving lane at the 6 minute mark (He was the abuser this game) last 10 minutes of the game I was going 7/6/4, evaporating their damage dealers and that exact same support who left lane dogging me all match changed his tone when he realized I was demolishing their fed assasins/adc. Im not lacking self-esteem. I know that I suck. 2 seasons, 4k games played, half won and still bronze 2 shows that I truely do suck at the game. There's no problem with being bad at a game. It's just the behavior of most other players that leads me and other players who suck to not want to really try at the game anymore. Granted I took a different path as to still play the game normally, it takes a different appearance as players who truly don't make any effort and go out of their way to sabotage their own team. That's the road that I hope to get even a few people out of by starting this thread.

AyRe CoNteMpT1 votes

well i always have the chat off completely, if that helps you. just drag it out of the screen and you are good.

DREADN0UGHT2 votes

Tl; dr.

Mute them.

ModKnightsKemplar1 votes

I'm confused about your point with this post. Are you primarily trying to open a discussion about the poor environment for players who are below average, or are you trying to open a discussion about playing to have fun? The title and the closing paragraph have disparate messages.

FillingForever1 votes

Could it not be both? Yes, the environment for those who are below average skillwise, but the aspect of players in general having fun can be equally applicable. I've put down several examples of things just about everyone can relate to when they've done badly at a game and gave a solution to those who know that they've just about hit that point where the game stopped being for for them. What causes a bad environment for players is a purely subjective perspective. I understand that winning a game is the basis of all games, but to understand that you cant win them all can make any game fun. If people can adopt that idea, then the toxicity to all players would possibly go down. If the majority of toxic players are those who have below average skillsets, then showing them that winning isn't everything in normals could change their mindset as well. Repeated good influences can be a great changer. Much like the toxic community's repeated bad influences.

ModKnightsKemplar1 votes

It could be both, I guess... Your post is just really long and rambly. I have little to no issue with anything you said, it's just generally unfocused.

FillingForever1 votes

Yeah. Im not the best essay writer. Being an army brat, I was brought up to ramble when it comes to writing things. But hey, the goal of the ramble isn't to prove a point. Just to open up possibilities to people who are willing to take a different approach to the game.

Weathered1 votes

There is a difference between being unskilled and feeding 0/10 top lane because you wanted to split push on their inhib tower alone 4 times in a row. Each of those times, your 20/3 Vi is telling you over, and over, and over not to nicely. Some players are bad, but I draw the line when players repeat being bad multiple times in the same scenario after being told multiple times that it is not a good idea.

Ravenhale1 votes

I'd say around the 0/5 mark that player has essentially become useless and if they can split push, they might as well. I'd be more upset with a 5/5 player that keeps splitting even since they are resetting their bounty and dying (likely with assist gold).

FillingForever1 votes

That's a common mindset to have. However, even players who go 0/13 have the ability to change the game. Otherwise there'd be no purpose for having supports who, according to the meta, are not allowed any kills or cs. Something I've done in those games if I'm ahead of other players is I'd get them to come to a lane and have them farm it. I'd be there to make sure if they get ganked, I can step in and protect them. If they're behind, keeping them behind does not help them help you.

FillingForever1 votes

Every experience is different. That much is certain. If someone is doing something and you know it's not going to work, sometimes telling them it's not going to work will not get the message through. Especially when all you have to do is mute someone if you feel they're being annoying. If you know something that's been happening over and over again is not working, sometimes you have to step in and create change. If he/she is pushing over and over again and isn't warding, go ward for them. You have trinkets. If they're going by themselves, go with them. Even just being in the jungle where you can jump in at a moments notice can change the outcome of them just going to a lane by themselves. The possibliities are endless. Dont just talk about change, do it. Just remember in the end, you lose nothing even if you lose the game. It's just normals.

Weathered1 votes

The problem is, I do ward in the area or ping when I know they are about to come (and I'm not spam pinging) in the hopes they will actually realize it. I can't go and help them push myself because half the time, or in the case of that game, I'm pushing mid inhib with the rest of the team or taking an objective.

The person wasn't listening because they were so convinced that their pushing was carrying the game. They tunnel visioned on the one tower they got the whole game and kept rationalizing that it was the reason the team was winning, and that the pressure was causing their team to be distracted so that we would win.

FillingForever1 votes

Then you've done all you can at the time. If it's normals, then just remember that it doesn't matter that you lost the game. You lose no ranked points in the loss. You still get IP after the game is finished. It's not so much the end of the game you should focus on, it's the time in between the start and the end that makes a game truly fun. If someone gives you crap, know that their words are empty and mean little unless you let them.

If you feel upset about something that happened, know that everything is a learning experience. Even the player with the tunnel vision can provide a good opportunity to try some new things when trying to make things work with such players. Whether it's learning new ways to ward, different positioning to counter gank the enemy thinking he's going to be an easy kill, or just how to take advantage of opportunities given when they decide to 1v4 that lone person like taking a tower they are not guarding by being all top lane. You lost nothing by losing the game.

Weathered1 votes

Not so much that I'm upset, but just usually confused about how people think. I'm sure you could write an entire psychological textbook on league players. Thanks anyway.

FillingForever1 votes

I think that by itself is actually easy to explain. Because the community puts so much emphasis on reward the good players, punish the bad players, it gives very little to be desired to be that bad player. I'm sure you at one point had a game where you were THAT bad player and had some jerk call you whatever pops into his mind and resulted in saying to report you for some bogus reason. For most people that turned toxic, it's this never ending cycle of being that bad player and getting so much crap for it that puts them into a constant cycle of self loathing that they feel that they should behave in a negative way. If you get so much hate for trying, then why bother trying? A rather simple but understandable answer.

cuddlykitten41 votes

Reported

FillingForever1 votes

Please do so. If you feel you've been offended or slighted, then you should not feel like you cannot voice your opinion. If a negative action was done, then the ticket you file to Riot will show it.

More from Gameplay

3 Refunds per season, upvote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay764 comments
7,167
votes
3 Refunds per season, upvote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay156 comments
3,510
votes
UPVOTE FOR URF
Gameplay606 comments
2,440
votes
Yes plz.
Gameplay456 comments
1,721
votes
3 Refunds per season, up vote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay114 comments
1,716
votes
When is ANYONE at riot going to address the awful new player experience?
Gameplay634 comments
1,383
votes

More by FillingForever

What part is Verbal abuse?
Player Behavior13 comments
2
votes
Looking to fill any role
[ARCHIVED] Player Recruitment0 comments
1
votes
Looking for people who tolerate negative player
[ARCHIVED] Player Recruitment13 comments
1
votes