Riot, This is Why Your Game Sucks
Riot, It’s Your Problem
Before I begin my argument about how you created your problem, allow me to provide some context. League of Legends was never my idea of a fun game, and perhaps many will not share my sentiment given the number of people who play your game. However, I am certain that there are others who share my sentiment about the “fun-ness” of league. For these players, myself included, the game flat out sucks.
We begin a game by being forced to wait. Queue times, matchmaking times, champion select times. If we want to play at all, we’re forced to wait. Mind you, I understand some people don’t mind waiting. However, I hate waiting. I hate having my time wasted.
Then, we enter a game under the premise that we’re not allowed to exit the game. In effect, we’re told that if we decide to leave, we’ll be punished. That’s negative reinforcement. And people simply mirror your system in one of two ways – they fear it and obey, or they rebel and leave either of their own accord or by being punished by your system. It’s a problem inherent in your system – it’s a negative system.
Already, just by entertaining myself with your “game”, I have two of the things that I cherish most taken away from me – my time and my freedom. By choosing to go through your gates and enter your jail of a “game”, I’ve established that I have no control over my fate and that I’m fine with that. But no, I am not. I am not fine with that.
And neither are other players who share my sentiment. Players like us understand that the world does not exist within rigid, digital confines. We understand and acknowledge on a very deep level that the world we live is continuous – so much so that there exists a limit to how much we can even quantize it. We don’t have to follow your rigid rules. And many of us simply don’t – by not playing your game.
That's your problem. You advertise that your game is for “core gamers”. I argue that it’s for leisurely gamers. Core gamers want some level of control over their environments – digital or analog. We want to be able to control our fates and master our environments. That’s why we play games. We enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the feeling of accomplishment that comes with mastering a system. I thank you for having created something great. But we're not ignorant. We’re not isolated. We know how much time something is taking us, and we know when our time is being wasted.
When we play League, we waste much of our time waiting. We waste much of our time staring at a gray screen. When we die, the learning loop stops running. We hate that. Learning in real life does not force us to sit in front of gray screens for 30 seconds each time we fail, and risk losing out on advantages if we don’t arrive immediately after a 30-second lapse is up. Learning in real life isn’t nearly as limited as learning to play your game. And most certainly, learning in real life does NOT consist of being trapped in a room of other people mirroring a system of negativity by spewing anger at each other. That’s called a bureaucracy. And if I wanted that, I’d run for Congress.
I play your game because I want to master something. But I’m not mastering anything at all. The loop is too slow. It’s crowded with negative thinkers who are the byproducts of your negative system that rewards fear and conformity over creativity and rationality. If you think I’m wrong, try it yourself. Play several ranked games and play a champion you know well and would do well with in a position the champion is not normally played in (Veigar bot, for example). Do not chat with your teammates, simply observe them, their words, and their actions. Watch as they berate you and step on you with their words.
I’m tired of your system. I’m tired of lack of control. I’m tired of your “game”. I’ve played for a long time, and I’ve gotten nothing out of it but regret. Regret that I’ve wasted my time being stuck in a hole. Regret that I didn’t do something better with my time, something that would’ve filled me with joy and learning, and lasting, fulfilling relationships. Regret that I even chose to continue. Regret that I even began.
** And regret, I will no longer.**
