Solo Ranked needs an update.
So I have seen posts, and streams, about this issue, and really just want to know where the community stands.
So Riot has been changing the game, especially with the huge overhaul to runes/masteries and its updates. It is clearly being geared toward more of a team based game, seeing as a lot of runes are most effective in team settings, especially the Resolve ones. The issue with this, as it pertains to solo que, is I feel they are still keeping the matchmaking algorithm the same where they take higher skilled players and pair them with one or two low/intermediate skilled players, on a frequent basis, to try and "balance" teams. Here is the issue with this though:
It used to be one person could hop on a hyper carry and just steamroll an entire game, essentially carrying his/her entire team. That has become A LOT harder now not only do to the shifting meta, but new runes and changes to tower health/damage early on in a game, essentially making it easier to comeback from a snowball. So you it actually takes more of a team effort to win games. The only issue with this is while it is insanely hard now for one person to throw an entire team on his back (in to late game at least), it only takes one bad player on your team to throw an entire game, even with a huge lead. Prime example my last game:
We were snowballing hard, despite our Singed top lane just farming his lane and letting his Irelia pretty much roam all over the map. Well it shifted in to mid/late game and the Singed stayed farming side lanes while the enemy team grouped as 5, essentially making it a 4v5. Despite myself (Veigar), and our Jihn melting their team, and our Thresh doing a damn good job at peeling for me and Jihn, we couldn't really do much in to a slightly fed Irelia with a Taric ult to back her up. This of course led our Voli jungle to flame, and our entire snowball be torn apart by one player. Even with our two carrys fed and shelling out stupid amounts of damage in fights.
And that is just one example of countless games one player has thrown an entire lead. I am all for the game moving in to a more team focused game, but in doing so a change needs to be made to solo/duo que. Climbing is just much harder, in this ladder, due to the changes. Not only that, but it causes a lot of players to flame or tilt harder as well as they can go 4 games where they dominate their lane, roam to get their side lanes fed, and still lose every game due to one or two players really bad macro play. I know I am not alone in seeing this game after game. I would say it is low elo specific, but it is even worse in higher elo streams I watch. even the streamers are complaining about this and a lot are sadly jumping ship as they say "the game isn't fun anymore", and I am starting to lean toward their way of thinking. I used to spend hours upon hours playing this game, and having fun, but lately it seems more like a chore to try and grind spending a day playing to only go up 10-20 lp at the end of it.
So I think there needs to be some kind of change to solo/duo that at least makes it more fun then going in to a game and wondering if you will get competent teammates that game or have that one guy that throws it all. I saw a very interesting post where a guy put forth an idea to offer little missions in game that would help to garner more lp if you win, or lose less from a loss, while at the same time sort of teaching people to be better at the game. Things like cs goals, objective damage goals, dragon/baron captures, etc. And they all be role specific.
Either way I believe something needs to change as everytime I scroll the boards, I am seeing more and more posts of people talking about how League is changing for the worse, and the fun they once had is diminishing. (Despite things like Clash being thrown out there to try and breathe life back in to the general populace of the game.) I love this game, and I don't want to see it be taken over by another MOBA.
Anywho, feel free to leave your thoughts on the matter. I am open to discussion.
