Make it so lvl. 5 and below cannot send friend requests. But they can still **receive **them. This way, new players can still play with their friends, but spam accounts (that are typically lvl 1) will have a harder time sending requests.
Deep Terror Nami3 votesnew players can still play with their friends
So what about all the friends who start at the same time? There should never be a barrier for friends to group up.
There needs to be a different solution that doesn't hurt new players so much.
If you get a request you don't recognize, take a look at the account online (such as lolking or op.gg) and make an educated guess based on that. Don't just accept them blindly, and this won't happen to you often.
GaleWinUnleashed1 votesJust search their profile on the League client, it works just as well. If they're level 1, with no games played, it's a bot. If they're any other level, and have played exclusively Dominion custom games, it's a bot.
Deep Terror Nami1 votesThat doesn't mean it's a bot. You can only see Ranked games in the history of someone who isn't your friend.
GaleWinUnleashed1 votesCombined with the facts that the summoner name in question has not appeared in any of my recent games, and that I am not currently expecting a friend request, it's a very safe assumption.
I've so far received requests from a great number of level 1 accounts that have 0/90 experience, and one from a level 10 I've never met before, whose entire match history consists of only Dominion custom games. I can only assume these games are populated entirely by bots for the purpose of leveling up accounts.
Deep Terror Nami1 votesIt's a safe assumption, not an infallible one. I denied multiple requests from a Rioter trying to talk to me because I couldn't find him in my history and thought it was a troll or spammer... there goes safe assumptions.
GaleWinUnleashed1 votesTrue enough. I don't think I have yet blocked anyone that's not a bot yet, though. Lately I've been getting requests within a timeframe of roughly 2 or 3 hours every afternoon, all from names I do not recognize. Anywhere from 1 to 5 requests per day. It's getting quite annoying, but there's not really anything that can be done about it until the incentive for botting is removed somehow.
Eleshakai1 votesIt wouldn't get rid of the requests... most of the people sending these requests are the same ones botting accounts to 30. They'd just wait to send the request until the account hits 5 in stead of doing it at 1.
redniwediS1 votesSpammers will just install bots on those accounts. This just delays them a bit, it doesn't get rid of them.
Sukishoo1 votesMost of the time you can tell it's a bot without even adding it... they usually have "LOL" or "Elo" or something obvious in their name. Like come on, is it THAT hard to tell what isn't a person?
Drunk12YearOld1 votesOk, you all have great points. Thanks!