The Ranked System Scoring, is providing a stressful environment. (Solution to it)

TL:DR - The Ranked Scoring system should not be based on if a team wins or loses. Because an individual player is ultimately, not responsible for how the other teammates play. Other sports, have it to where the player is looked at based on his/her performance, and that is how other teams make there decision on rather to want them or not. I understand putting this type of system in the game is a challenge, however, leaving it like it is, is ultimately a grab bag for the entire ranked system, and is like climbing a mountain with rusted tools that could break any moment. The current system is a shot in the dark all the way, and the reward for it, is not worth it.

-Thanks for reading, and more details are in the post below.

Hello. As of now, I use to be interested in Ranked matches. I enjoy the strategies, itself, when going against skilled players(When I say "skilled" i'm meaning players who know their champion well enough, to perform advanced mechanics, compared to your "average" player. Only) And was trying to move up in ranked, to continue to better my skills. Just to make clear of things, so everyone is on the same page that I am coming from; by GENERAL* standards, and you can take professional basketball players (or any professional sport). A person, in a higher rank or division, is more skilled than ones who are in lower tiers. Now, to make that clear, I do not believe you should rely on rank to determine rather a person is good in any sport. BUT what I am saying, is the general formula of how rankings are.

Now back to me, wanting to move up in a higher rank. As I continued to play, some games yes, I did make mistakes and made some wrong calls that did cost my team game (and by no means am I trying to say any or all of this to cover that up). However, in games where I did perform well, my other teammates did not do so well. (not complaining, stay with me.) And yes, I do agree Ranked games or “skill matches” do more coordination than playing a game with more so, casual players. I did try to coordinate and listen to others suggestions. Overall in THAT specific area, it has been 50/50 or more so, a grab bag (I’ll explain that more so as I go on)

I had teammates, who were willing to cooperate and did. And I’ve had teammates who either did not care, did not talk at all in chat (and I cannot fault that person because there are reasons why that may be) or who disagreed and did what they wanted to do and in result, cost the rest of the game. Ok, so pause there, take all that in, and on to the next part. So I did continue to try to coordinate, however I found that it takes a LOT of energy to do that, game by game, with teammates, whom you do not know. And let me explain that part.

I know I’m semi-jumping around a bit but please bare with me. “Professional” players/teams, are a group whom is skilled, more so, than your “average” person in that given area, then you are. Now, by balance, a team who is professional already has the skill game down, HOWEVER, they learn and grow to learn other strategies, skillsets, coordination and other things. Ok, compare that to being put in a random team and you don’t know a thing about those persons. Now, let’s look at how the ranked system is given in this game. I’m going to skip formulas (and you’ll see why) on how the points based on your rank is broken down.

Basically, depending if you lose a match or win a match, you gain league points, that eventually, if successful, promote you to the next tier. Ok, here is where I’m going to combine everything I said above and give my point. The ranked system, and you can break down the formula and mathematics if you want, is more so based on how well your team performs, more so than the individual player. The problem with that is, the system punishes the player, if the team loses, but however the individual player performs well. Now you may say “well you gotta coordinate” I hear you on that. However if you’re playing more than one game and you do try to coordinate that is a LOT of energy to be put out for a team whom you do not know and may very well not listen to you. To break that down even further. It’s a 50/50 like I said in the above paragraph.

So, you have the possibility itself, of losing a match before you even que up. Now, you may also say “well find friends”. Well three things with that;

1. Just by how the world is and current scenarios, not everyone has “friends” or may have something or struggle with, that prevents them from socializing. Please realize that, because, even myself I have made mistakes and have been a part of the whole ‘Playing league makes real life stop and real life problems just cease for that moment and everyone you come across are just perfect people(there is a contradictory statement within that)’

2. Even when being in a team, you still have to practice together. And you may say “well whats your point, you know everyone like you said above”, however the PERFORMANCE and SYSTEM STRUCTURE, still punishes the individual player who did perform well. And also DUO Quoing, still puts you in the same scenario. You and your duo partner may click, but you have three other teammates, whom you do not know.

3. Not everyone is an extrovert (extrovert is someone who likes being more social, introvert is someone who is prefers to be more quiet and kinda keep to themselves, and there is nothing wrong with that it’s just two different personalities. And you do have some people who are both) and they may want to just play by themselves but however, the system still punishes.

Alright, take a second, get all that in (really, just take a second if you need to (not saying that with pride)………and lets go.

Alright, so lets look at how the NBA rankings go;

NBA: http://stats.nba.com/league/team/#!/ (safe link) Ok, so they have team stats

And also individual stats: http://stats.nba.com/league/player/#!/

Ok, so there are two separate ranking systems: One depends on how well the team performs and the other depends on how well the player forms. However, in the NBA and in fact most professional sports, THE PLAYERS, INDIVIDUAL RANK, is not effected by how the team performs. Players are drafted BASED ON INDIVIDUAL SKILL, NOT team scores/stats. Because the player is NOT responsible for how the rest of the team performs.

In League of Legends, the current rank system is just that. It scores based on how well the team performs, not so much YOU. And as a company (please, when I say that, I’m not going Anti-Riot Games) they have it out there to do skill matches and move up to possibly become a professional. But, that contradicts the reason. Because even if you look at Professional LCS players, they’re scored on how well THEMSELVES, perform. And in the ranked system itself, it’s a grab bag, because you can try it but you have four other teammates who you don’t know and can perform well or not (and reasons can vary) and it punishes the INDIVIDUAL player when they don’t perform up to the level needed, to win that match,.

To expand on that, and you have memes/a community wide mindset of players making fun of each other or a player making fun/judging another player who is in a lower rank. And it’s even promoted because of content that is highlighted outside of the game and videos that are put up, re tweeted or whatever it is shared. And that doesn’t make ranked fun anymore, it makes it, by nature, a stressful environment. Ok and there are millions of other players who may be frustrated because of not being able to move up, but yet not know it’s not their fault.
The solution, should be how most of the professional sports are. In detail, have it reward the player based on how they perform as an individual player, NOT, the team. Because (and I don’t say that is to offend) right now, Riot, you guys have a system that gives an opportunity to become professionals or get better. It’s like climbing a mountain, but your gear may just somehow despawn at any moment. I don’t say this all to complain out of a vendetta. But to bring this to the surface.

-Thank you for reading.