Clubs and the Honor System

So, I had this idea a while ago, and I thought it high time I shared it, what with the revamping of the honor system looming.

One of the driving factors in human behavior is acceptance by peers. In essence, being outside the group is disadvantageous compared to being inside it. One great fear that most people share is a fear of making a mistake that threatens one's position in the group, thereby losing acceptance. It is with this understanding that a person can be coaxed into behaving in a different manner so that they can retain their lot in their group.

League, like much of the internet, features a large group of anonymous people with no real connection to each other outside of the game. Sure, you have your IRL friends, but when playing, more often than not you find yourself in a game with "randoms". With virtual anonymity, there is no expectation of maintaining your social position: the randoms are frequently not considered peers. This causes people to tend to selfish actions that end up hurting others, not caring about the consequences because the game will soon be over and all 5 of you will be on your merry way.

So where in League do you have a group of people who's opinions about you that you care about? Clans. Why join a clan if not to be with a group of people you respect, at least at a basic level? Clans are the basic grouping of peers in League of Legends. Of course, there is your friends list, but oftentimes, those are packed with randoms you played a game or two with, but have since to do anything with them. Also, the flowing nature of friends lists lack the structure and rigidity needed to coerce people into behaving themselves.

They are also independent of other variables. Unlike Ranked teams of old, where the group was mostly homogenous in skill, clans are composites of people you simply like, whether one is Diamond 2 and the other is Bronze 3, so long as you like each other, that's all the more reason to be clan mates.

So where does this leave us? Well, 1st, that clans are the structure and peer pressure needed to impress ideas in the general player population, and that honor can utilize this peer pressure and structure to incentivize better interactions between players. One thought is that there can be a hidden honor ranking system, with an annual, or even quarterly rewards for clans with honorable players. Another could be that highly honorable clans can be recognized with a small piece about the people in the clan on the home screen.

With this tool at their disposal, I am hopeful that Riot can make an impactful difference on the attitudes of the players.