Bitter about Honor

Pepperpwni·Jan 31, 2015·5 votes·1,360 views

I remember being excited for the Honor System when it first came out. I'm a positive player and looked forward to having a crest somewhere down the line and telling other players they were awesome. A lot more games later and I did get one!

But college was a thing and I didn't have much time for LoL. So I played Co-op vs. AI Dominion for quick, 10-minute first wins. Nobody in the chat typically says anything, we just go and stomp bots. Lo and behold I lose my crest in a week or so because I haven't been receiving honor.

Now at this point I'm bitter about honor. Whereas before I was more than happy to be supportive and friendly and didn't care if anyone said thanks, not receiving any honor after such actions feels lousy. I will continue to be positive because I know it makes a big difference, but the honor system has kind of created this expectation in me that my positive actions would be acknowledged. When I didn't expect a thank you I was a bit happier actually.

17 Comments

CharQueenJan 31, 20156 votes

The Honor System is a complete miss. Riot needs to up the bonus given to GOOD players. As well as up the punishments for bad players.

I say Riot introduces the Wood Chipper for punishments. And as a reward, good players can toss toxic ones into it.

KinjishiJan 31, 20154 votes

"...but the honor system has kind of created this expectation in me that my positive actions would be acknowledged. When I didn't expect a thank you I was a bit happier actually."

No, you're wrong. The honor system didn't create an expectation of anything. You created an expectation for yourself because you were consistently receiving honor. Once you stopped receiving it consistently, then you became bitter. You shouldn't expect a thank you. Once you start expecting things, then you set yourself up for disappointment. As you said, you are still being positive, so your actions didn't change - your situation and time to play has. Don't blame Riot and the honor system for changes in your life - thus losing your honor crest. That's not their fault.

PepperpwniJan 31, 20151 votes

I agree that it's ultimately up to me whether I feel jaded or indifferent to the honor system, but I do not believe the system was designed so that my situation would happen. Firstly, the honor system does create expectations. For instance, toxic players who see the system should, in theory, resolve to play more sportsmanlike and expect a small reward; even though the reward is largely inconsequential.

Secondly, if the system is to work, we need to have expectations. Honor is "fake currency" and players need to treat it as worth something for it to be worth something. Putting honor in low regard hurts the whole system. I'd imagine if a player was honored after the game, they'd feel encouraged to honor someone else worthy in another. And the process continues. If players do not deem it worthwhile, then little honor gets passed around. And the more games you play and do not receive honor, the more you are hurting yourself in terms of getting a crest. I don't want to ham it up and draw attention to myself just so I might get one Friendly; I just want to be myself. I understand the reasons behind this methodology, but it still makes me anxious after every game if I'll see the little window pop-up after I exit the results screen. Every time there isn't one, I know I'm farther away from a crest than before!

The end result is to give up on the honor system or just set very low expectations. I didn't want to and I still don't want to, but I do think it needs some fixing. How to do that, I'm not quite sure.

Remlap1223Jan 31, 20153 votes

The honor system sucked from the beginning, due to how easily exploited it is.

Hell WeekJan 31, 20153 votes

Don't worry bro, don't change that good attitude just because people don't honor you.

PepperpwniJan 31, 20152 votes

Haha, certainly! Lulu

Hell WeekFeb 1, 20152 votes

that's the spirit :)

Spacesuit SpiffJan 31, 20152 votes

Honor just wasn't a very good idea. Maybe it was different when it came out (I think I had a crest at some point) but now the only way to get Teamwork is to win a game with one of those people who honors everyone when the game goes well, and you're only getting Honorable Opponent if you hypercarry. In theory you could get some for sticking up for people who are being raged at, but they usually just click right out of the post-game screen anyway (and with good reason).

Tin TarantinoJan 31, 20152 votes

I haven't seen anyone with a crest in a while, I've got quite a few honors myself and never had a crest, not sure how many honors you need to actually get one.

aaronconlinJan 31, 20152 votes

I used to have an honorable opponent crest, because I tend to be respectful to my opponents during the game and end screen. Then I had the green crest (can't remember which one that is since I never see them anymore), and now they're just gone. I see one crest on someone maybe once every twenty games.

AerothalFeb 5, 20152 votes

i had all 4 badges and i lost them all. they decayed because not many ppl honor anymore. And i only play the rift!

TheSkimekJan 31, 20151 votes

So you want to get honored for playing against bots and stomping them? Thats not the idea behind the Honor System dude....

HOWEVER: I know what you mean. When i played my first levels in LoL 5/10 people had a badge minimum. Thats because everyone thought a double kill was something REALLY big and honored the one getting it. (NOT saying that it isnt but i hope you get the point). We all were "naiv" and honored so many times (at least i did). Going up the levels, losing the badge, you realize people dont honor you anymore for anything.....Be positive and helpfull? MAYBE get one "friendly" honor, but compared to getting 5 almost every game at low level, thats nothing. I think the requirements to get a badge are to hard to acomplish in higher levels. Not saying it should be easy to get it, but it is almost impossible to get one, shown by the number of badges i see these days: Havent seen someone with a badge since i got Silver 5 in beginning of S4.

So why not do this RIOT: Add the counter of honors (that everyone can see, when they go on your profile in the client), to the loading screen? Still give out the badges with a LITTLE lower requirement, but show the number of honors we got so far in every category.

PepperpwniJan 31, 20151 votes

To comment on your first point, no, I don't want crests for stomping bots. But certainly don't want the nature of short, informal bot matches to be held against me! >_

TheSkimekFeb 1, 20151 votes

In what way are they held against you? You dont get honors there (better said: even LESS then normal), so you dont get a badge. Simple as that. I dont see your point.

And just make it clear: I dont want to flame you or anything. But you cant expect getting badges for Bot games. Badges are earned by getting honors. And honors for playing good in a "short, informal bot match" are just.......not logical.

PepperpwniFeb 4, 20151 votes

You must be awarded honor on a consistent basis to earn a crest. So if you are earning it erratically, then your chances of getting one are diminished. Short (bot) matches tend to yield no honor; to clarify, I don't even expect to earn honor for these matches. Meaning I earn honor inconsistently (which lost me my crest).

So if someone wants to earn/maintain a crest, they can pretty much only do PvP since those matches are more conducive to receiving honor. If you get shorter matches, whether it's against bots or the opposing team surrenders at 20, players do not have as much time to earn honor; which hurts your ability to earn it consistently.

tl;dr You cannot get honor consistently to earn/keep a crest if you play short (bot) matches; that is how they are held against me. So you are disincentived from playing them at all.

TheSkimekFeb 10, 20152 votes

Ok i see what you mean now. But to be completely honest: When you play only with that crest in mind ("Must play good to get honored and maintain the crest") you play it wrong. It is not about crests or the border you get at the end of the season. For me it is already a honor when my team say i pulled of a good play in chat ("Wow good job Thresh." "Wp" or something like this). Because then i know i made an impact. I dont need that badge to show it beforehand in loading screen. Others might.... but as i said before: You CANT expect to maintain (or even earn) a crest for playing a bot game or a short game where you stomped. Whats the point of that?: You get badge one time in a normal and then only play bots to maintain it? It IS a PvP game and these badges are there to show your performances in these PvP games. And thats why you see it as if Bot game are being held against you. When you dont have time to get consistent honor you shouldnt be able to maintain badges by short bot games either anyway.

Matthias9119Jan 31, 20151 votes

They're supposedly revamping the honor system as part of the tribunal rework. They know it's not working as well as they hoped -- because it doesn't give tangible rewards and its hard to get and keep a crest, people got bored with it.