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Between Two Turrets - Come chat with WookieeCookie! [COMPLETE]

RiotA Small Man··12 votes·56,103 views


Welcome to the latest installment of Between Two Turrets, a Q&A series through which we connect you with various Rioters to chat about League, life, and anything in between. You can expect an installment every two weeks or so, with Rioters from all over jumping in to spend some time with you on the Boards.

This week, we’ve got Player Support Lead Rory “WookieeCookie” Ball!

Heyo!

I’m Rory, but a lot of you probably know me as WookieeCookie. I’m a Player Support Lead for the NA region. I’ve been at Riot since 2011 where I started in Player Support, and it's been nothing but positive since. Over the years I’ve worn many hats including supporting our tech, player behavior, and forum initiatives.

Before coming to Riot I worked at Disney providing support and moderation for their virtual worlds. If you ever played ToonTown Online, Pirates of the Caribbean or (my personal favorite) Pixie Hollow Online then hopefully you never had the misfortune of running into me, because that means I probably banned you. RIP

But don’t let that give you the wrong impression! I’m not all smites and ban hammers, in fact that is probably the least favorite part of my job. My passion is helping people, whether that’s getting past a technical issue blocking their loading screen or helping someone adjust their own behaviors in game to move past ever having to worry about a ban. I just want to see people enjoy their time in League.

So with all that aside, what do you want to know?

296 Comments

Lvl 100 Keemstar12 votes

whats the funniest thing u have seen in player support for a reason someone got banned

RiotWookieeCookie13 votes

{quoted}

whats the funniest thing u have seen in player support for a reason someone got banned

That's hard to say. After awhile the things you see just seem to make you desensitized. If I'm not careful when I'm talking to my colleagues here at work I might tell them a story very casually about something I read or saw earlier that day. I end it with a chuckle and look at them thinking they'll understand the humor amid depravity, instead they just respond with a look on horror on their face.

Out of game though, someone who was angry with us added a pretty cool GIF of a dick pic that ended with "a particularly creative use of skittles" --- Edited by suggestion from ADillonMostDirty ---. I thought it was a lot more interesting than the typical dick pics we end up with.

He still didn't get his account back though.

Kaicou11 votes

Is it actually fun at Riot? Or are they just holding you by gunpoint, forcing you to do this Q&A?

RiotWookieeCookie39 votes

{quoted}

Is it actually fun at Riot? Or are they just holding you by gunpoint, forcing you to do this Q&A?

Hey that's a really good question Kaicou. Everyone here at Riot loves it, the job is wonderful. Lately it's hard to leave at the end of the day because it's so much fun. People tell me they don't see me as much as they used too, but it's worth it!

SirPuncakes6 votes

Again we gotta remind ourselves he could be at gunpoint right now...

Nuyinto4 votes

LOL

look how forced that looks. just look at it

halcyonharbinger40 votes

it spells HELP down the left side! we're coming wookiecookie!!!

SonofMoses9 votes

excellent eyes, help is on the way! Braum

Chiken Overlord3 votes

Logged in to up vote this lol

ModWuks7 votes

Word on the street is that Wuks was named after WookieeCookie ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

disregardable6 votes

When using the support system, most of the time you need to go through 2 people to get a relevant response to your problem that isn't copy and pasted, and sometimes you can't even get that. Why is that acceptable to Riot?

RiotWookieeCookie10 votes

{quoted}

When using the support system, most of the time you need to go through 2 people to get a relevant response to your problem that isn't copy and pasted, and sometimes you can't even get that. Why is that acceptable to Riot?

That's actually a good question Disregardable!

To start though, I wouldn't say that it's acceptable at Riot. It's really quite the opposite. We hate it!

But I think your question digs into the main challenge that we (or any large company for that matter) is trying to solve.

We get a lot of requests in a day, a really ridiculously large amount. It just so happens that the majority of these requests can be solved in just one response. We call these "first response" or "tier one" tickets. (Pretty basic Customer Service stuff here)

Because the player base has grown so big since we started we've since opened up new locations that focus on Tier 1 responses. (It wasn't physically possible for us to continue to grow here in Los Angeles at the same rate as our playerbase)

The main challenge to solve with these new locations: how do we get a response that is both fast and effective to players. The good news is that as a a result of this strategy the large majority of player questions and problems can be solved a lot faster today then ever before in Riot's history.

On the other hand though, this created a growing pain for us as a department when it comes to more complicated tasks. Where as 4 years ago we were all working out of the LAX office and getting an escalated answer was as easy as talking to the person next to you, now our department is spread over more than one location.

In the phase that we're at now we're looking on how we can get better "self help" to players. Meaning, if you have a common question or tech problem why should you have to wait for us to respond to you at all? If we can get that information to you quicker (perhaps with a better support site, or some degree of automation) then you'll never have to wait a long time to get back into League.

There's a lot of growth to go still, so I wouldn't anticipate change overnight. But our commitment to reduce the overall wait time it takes for players to get the answers they need is strong, and we're making some good strides so far.

WIMDSS6 votes

Do the banned players have main champions that get banned the most? INB4 Riven

RiotWookieeCookie26 votes

I don't believe we've found a specific connection between champions played and rate of punishment.

With that said, I'm never surprised when it's a Riven.

dovahkiincutie5 votes

are any of the hats you've worn, i don't know, silly? silly hats? if you could describe riot lyte in one word, what would it be? if given the chance to crash any party, whose party would you crash?

Deep Terror Nami5 votes

If you weren't Player Support at Riot, what position there would you want? (even if you have no experience with it)

RiotWookieeCookie4 votes

[{quoted}](name=Deep Terror Nami,realm=NA,application-id=cIfEodbz,discussion-id=JLiGXn2u,comment-id=000a,timestamp=2016-03-01T19:29:49.130+0000)

If you weren't Player Support at Riot, what position there would you want? (even if you have no experience with it)

I really like back seat driving when it comes to story! I've come up with (fan) backstories for various champions that don't have as much depth to them at the moment and love thinking about how our characters and story could come across in other media like books, comics, other video games, or even a movie!

I have a lot of respect for the Rioters here working on story. There are so many people to please and there can be some very big expectations! I'm excited for the things they're working on though.

I have zero experience in the field though, and not that much time to try and pick up the craft with all the support stuff going on. Sometimes though we have the opportunity to do something a bit more creative with our messaging and add some lore flair to it, those are always fun!

mrbaconator5 votes

Do you put your flash on the correct key or D?

RiotWookieeCookie23 votes

{quoted}

Do you put your flash on the correct key or D?

It's called Flash not Dash!

HarrasmentFord4 votes

You are in the midst of a Wizard Battle. What mystical artifact do you wield to protect yourself from the constant onslaught of reality-warping magicks?

RiotWookieeCookie8 votes

[{quoted}](name=Ford Trucks,realm=NA,application-id=cIfEodbz,discussion-id=JLiGXn2u,comment-id=0009,timestamp=2016-03-01T19:27:24.054+0000)

You are in the midst of a Wizard Battle. What mystical artifact do you wield to protect yourself from the constant onslaught of reality-warping magicks?

Lightsabers are mystic right?

jdizzle3674 votes

Can we bring back the unskilled player report category. It did nothing and didn't affect the reported player but there was something cathartic about reporting the 1/18/2 AP Wukong even though he never technically did anything wrong. You don't even need to record those reports just let me push the buttons they make me feel better inside.

Shogeki3 votes

I'm 1684 RP off a legendary skin. Anything you can do for me?

HarrasmentFord6 votes

I am going to guess that they aren't in the business of giving out free stuff.

SaurienTheGreat5 votes

Better start making some good art on ms Paint bro.

dubiousscientist2 votes

Whats your favorite champion?

RiotWookieeCookie7 votes

Sooorrraaakkkkkaaaaaaa!

XVI Jake IVX2 votes

WookieeCookie,

Hey! My name is Jake. I just wanted to know if you could possibly add me in game :) I tried adding you ,but your friends list is maxed. Anyways I got some challenging questions for you if you feel like trying them out!

1. How do you make life changing decisions? 2. Do you have any regrets in life if so can you give advice? :) 3. Can you give me/others advice on how to stop being toxic in games?

If you have received a 14 day banned back in 2010 or 2012 is your next banned: Permanent?

Easy question: Whats your favorite thing to do in your free time <3

Edit for community: What changes would you like to be implemented into league of legends. [slayer-jinx-catface]

RiotWookieeCookie4 votes

[{quoted}](name=Whirly Twirly,realm=NA,application-id=cIfEodbz,discussion-id=JLiGXn2u,comment-id=002c,timestamp=2016-03-01T21:48:46.339+0000)

WookieeCookie,

Hey! My name is Jake. I just wanted to know if you could possibly add me in game :) I tried adding you ,but your friends list is maxed. Anyways I got some challenging questions for you if you feel like trying them out!

1. How do you make life changing decisions? 2. Do you have any regrets in life if so can you give advice? :) 3. Can you give me/others advice on how to stop being toxic in games?

If you have received a 14 day banned back in 2010 or 2012 is your next banned: Permanent?

Easy question: Whats your favorite thing to do in your free time <3

Edit for community: What changes would you like to be implemented into league of legends. [slayer-jinx-catface]

So manyyyy questions. Why not skip to the ones you really want to hear. :P

If you received a 14 Day ban in 2010 or 2012 would your next be a perma? I don't like the way that question is phrased. The TL;DR is likely not. But it's not helpful to think about it like that. You shouldn't be "nice" because you might be permanently banned if you're caught next. You should work on being nice because it makes League of Legends (and LIFE!) more enjoyable. If you're able to adopt a nice attitude towards the game then you won't have to spend time worrying if "the next time" will be the last. Because there will never be a next time.

Saying you're going to be nice, and actually being nice are two different things though. :P The good news is in League, you don't neceesarily have to be nice, you just have to be not a jerk. At most, all that is expected is that you're neutral and not creating pain for others.

Some players get really caught up on the idea that they have to always be supportive or always say pleasant things or they will get banned. But that's just not true. I'm a firm believer in the "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all". Most games I play I'm pretty quiet, I keep it to the gg's, maybe a jungle timer, and I use pings a lot to give my team mates a sense of where I'm going. Any chatter more than that and it starts to detract from the game!

How to make life changing decisions? Think about them, weigh the possibilities, go with what's optimal! People sometimes accuse me of being a robot.

As for regrets, I don't really have any. It's challenging but I try not to focus on what I could have or should have done before. You have to think about the positive things going on in life.

Leoric21 votes

With the close of Domination, I had a lot of run-ins with bots when playing vs AI. Is there any fear that the bots will move to a different queue, like Twisted Treeline vs bots?

RiotWookieeCookie8 votes

{quoted}

With the close of Domination, I had a lot of run-ins with bots when playing vs AI. Is there any fear that the bots will move to a different queue, like Twisted Treeline vs bots?

Bots are a difficult situation.

It's likely they'll move, their behavior is always fluctuating because their creators are trying to avoid detection. So when we have a solution to detect them we know it may only work for a short time before it is becomes obsolete.

We'll adapt as they adapt and it will be a continual arms race. Big changes probably won't come until we can get to the root cause of botting in the first place. We have some people within Riot looking into possible solutions on that front, but they take time.

Just a note for everyone since it's related. Do not purchase accounts These accounts are often botted to level 30. We may not find them right away, but the majority are discovered eventually and banned. Any content you have on them will be unrecoverable at that point.

Starlighte1 votes

Do you feel bad about some of the conversations you've gotten involved in with the community, or some of the things you've said to the community over the years? Some among the frequent forum-goers might see your name pop up in response to threads from time to time and immediately have the reaction of "Oh boy, what is it now."

RiotWookieeCookie5 votes

{quoted}

Do you feel bad about some of the conversations you've gotten involved in with the community, or some of the things you've said to the community over the years? Some among the frequent forum-goers might see your name pop up in response to threads from time to time and immediately have the reaction of "Oh boy, what is it now."

No, not really. I like engaging with everyone and I'm grateful that Riot let's me do it with a pretty hand's off approach.

Unfortunately I'm called in to answer or reply when something has gone wrong or someone has messed up somewhere. That means when they see my name it's like seeing a police car or fire truck.

I do know that sometimes I might say the wrong thing or upset some people. My commitment is to be as transparent as possible with my thinking. If I do say something that turns up wrong, then the marketplace of ideas that is the internet will let me know. In a situation like that I'll re-evaluate what's going on and then I'll adjust the message as needed.

If it's one thing that interacting with the community has taught me it's to keep as broad a mind as possible and fight against the urge to cast judgement. I've seen a lot of happy/chill people interact with us. A lot of angry people interact with us. A lot of.... weird people interact with us. But something that binds them all together is a love for League. If common ground can be found then all those random groups can find a way to get a long!

HowPlayGAEM1 votes

[deleted]

RiotWookieeCookie5 votes

[{quoted}](name=OMG halp meh plz,realm=NA,application-id=cIfEodbz,discussion-id=JLiGXn2u,comment-id=0016,timestamp=2016-03-01T20:13:23.056+0000)

Hi Cookiewookie, I enjoy reading your posts where you verbally destroy trolls/griefers/ragers/etc.

Your style is a lot more entertaining than Lyte.

Also aside from those, I don't seem to see you often. Your presence is sort of limited to that role. Any plans on "increasing" your forum presence somehow?

I think participation comes in waves for me. I spend a lot of my day talking to players through tickets that they've sent to us, so it's not always a change of pace to jump on the boards like it is for other Rioters.

I'm also working to get other members of Player Support more interested in participating so it doesn't feel like PS abandons the forums when I'm not around. Both dArtagnan and Keyru are really big fans of the community and the boards, so they've taken on the mantle pretty well.

Piltovers Zyro1 votes

Any team fire skin release date for Diana? :'( I was so happy when Diana won, but she hasn't won yet item 3070 Pretty please? [zombie-nunu-tears]

RiotWookieeCookie4 votes

{quoted}

Any team fire skin release date for Diana? :'( I was so happy when Diana won, but she hasn't won yet item 3070 Pretty please? [zombie-nunu-tears]

Sorry, I don't follow heretics. Leona

SirAwesomePossum1 votes

Just out of curiosity, do you guys keep a history of everyones report history, like wise if someone got banned? [zombie-brand-clap]

oh and how's your day ^.^?

Chaoticbanana1 votes

Thoughts on apples?

RiotWookieeCookie16 votes

{quoted}

Thoughts on apples?

http://imgur.com/gallery/rYpbbeJ

boredfatdude1 votes

If you get banned do you lose all the RP, and skins you bought on the account? summoner 30

RiotWookieeCookie3 votes

{quoted}

If you get banned do you lose all the RP, and skins you bought on the account? summoner 30

If permanently banned, yea. We can't transfer content from a permanently banned account to a different one.

Lv100 Venonat1 votes

Dear WookieeCookie, Please hear me out. Do you have any advice for someone who has played the game for over 4 years.. doesn't rage but loves to talk and say bad words to people online., its what i live for. Im probably by my 12th account, it doesn't seem to stop any time soon. i would like to play the game i love the way i want it, (but riot doesn't like that) i was just wondering is there anything in the works for people like me? maybe an option to completely mute myself. ( not others, MYSELF). even tho i love to talk i want to play the game at lv 30. FYI i never troll, afk, and always try my hardest. and if it wasnt for chat i would still have my main. any response would do . thank you for your time. Sincerely Venonat,

RiotWookieeCookie3 votes

[{quoted}](name=Lv100 Venonat,realm=NA,application-id=cIfEodbz,discussion-id=JLiGXn2u,comment-id=003c,timestamp=2016-03-01T23:09:13.963+0000)

Dear WookieeCookie, Please hear me out. Do you have any advice for someone who has played the game for over 4 years.. doesn't rage but loves to talk and say bad words to people online., its what i live for. Im probably by my 12th account, it doesn't seem to stop any time soon. i would like to play the game i love the way i want it, (but riot doesn't like that) i was just wondering is there anything in the works for people like me? maybe an option to completely mute myself. ( not others, MYSELF). even tho i love to talk i want to play the game at lv 30. FYI i never troll, afk, and always try my hardest. and if it wasnt for chat i would still have my main. any response would do . thank you for your time. Sincerely Venonat,

I'm a big fan of self-muting, especially if you have enough awareness of your own limitations. Unfortunately last I checked the "enter" key is one of those hard coded entries in League of Legends. It was explained to me that the key can not be unbinded. Spaghetti Code, RIP.

BUT! I don't think that has to be game over for you. What drives you to type? When I want to say something snarky or unproductive I just say it out loud. I get the satisfaction of voicing my concerns without the problem of hurting the morale of my team mates. It takes adjusting, but anyone can do it!

If you're really desperate though I've heard of a few people physically removing the Enter key from their keyboard.

Fear the Zero1 votes

I was wondering what positive players (other than the honors system) could look forward to in terms of cool stuff, because ribbons are cool and all (And rare), but it's kinda got no incentive right now.

RiotWookieeCookie5 votes

[{quoted}](name=Fear the Zero,realm=NA,application-id=cIfEodbz,discussion-id=JLiGXn2u,comment-id=003e,timestamp=2016-03-01T23:12:31.116+0000)

I was wondering what positive players (other than the honors system) could look forward to in terms of cool stuff, because ribbons are cool and all (And rare), but it's kinda got no incentive right now.

Well, I mean.... ideally you don't NEED an incentive to be nice. [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

But, in the past year there were some events like an icon and a mystery skin for positive players. Lyte is really interested in pursuing various options when it comes to promoting positive behavior, I don't think they have details yet to share though.

thomasblod1 votes

who thought it was a good idea to give zed 2 ultsitem 3147 ? how could a item that gave you essentially a zed ult be balanced? Zeds ban rate will skyrocket any thoughts to how something like this got out of pbe? [zombie-brand-mindblown]

RiotWookieeCookie5 votes

{quoted}

who thought it was a good idea to give zed 2 ultsitem 3147 ? how could a item that gave you essentially a zed ult be balanced? Zeds ban rate will skyrocket any thoughts to how something like this got out of pbe? [zombie-brand-mindblown]

I dunno! If it makes you feel any better I don't like Zed either!

SirPuncakes1 votes

What are the best fresh spookiest dank memes you have seen lately?

RiotWookieeCookie5 votes

{quoted}

What are the best fresh spookiest dank memes you have seen lately?

IMO Kazoo Kid is my current favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-sgw9bPV4A

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