Boards›[ARCHIVED] Miscellaneous

Longtime player, truly disheartened

Nonameguy·3/10/2015, 4:29:08 PM·3 votes·563 views

Well, this might be a self serving post to let frustration out, but I want to put my thoughts out there just in case they impact someone at Riot in some small way.

The short of this story is, after ending last season Silver 5 (personal milestone) - going 7-3 in placements, I'm Bronze 4 now.

I'd use words like crushing or devastating.. make impulsive posts like I QUIT or F RIOT, except that I'm pretty realistic about this game. It's a game, and it's a title within a game. I've played for years now, not since beta like some, but long enough to have all the runes and skins I want to use on a pile of champions. I love the game, the only other game (franchise) I've put this much time in is the NHL console series.

So I'll say it this way..

Disheartening. Very, very disheartening actually. Every year I do poorly in the placement matches. I accept it and expect it. Whatever. I'm no pro. Here's some numbers: S1 - 630 solo ranked games. S2 - 560, S3 - 645, S4 - 484. 99% of them are solo (not duo), and 95% of them are bronze. It's tough, it really is. I've read arguments for and against the existence of Elo hell... I'm not here to debate it, I believe it exists. I also believe I actually am better, and understand the game better than where I play the majority of my games. Maybe I'm deluding myself, the proof might be in the pudding; maybe the ranking mechanics work and I'm where I'm supposed to be -- but I don't buy it exactly. I've played my share of unranked games with people of all ranks and the decision making (or lack of decision making), as well as the execution really shows who belongs where. Those 2 criteria really seem to be the difference between all the tiers in my eyes. Do you make good decisions? Go in or back out, defend or push, help or let someone die, etc. And when you make your decision (or someone makes it for you), can you execute? I'm pretty good with the decision making, not bad at executing. A bit better than the average bronze, I think?

So last season I set out to show it to myself. I put the thousands of hours, games, lessons to use and buckled down and made a mission to get out of bronze. It's not easy. It just isn't. For the average player, who might be just a little better than average at the game.. it's a grind, a major grind. I did it! After spending the last few seasons with getting out of bronze as my goal (the first few were spent learning the game), I did it at last. Quite satisfying.

Right now would be a good time to ask you to view the .JPG I attached to my post... because, I don't think much more needs saying. Having the game tell me, "You've been placed in Bronze 4" was disheartening enough. When I went to lolking and visualized it, it really put things into perspective. I put a lot of effort into working towards repairing 2+ seasons (1200 games) worth of not knowing/caring about ranking.. and having that work not just pushed to the side, but dropped right off the edge of a cliff is really, really disheartening.

4 Comments

Thryale3/10/2015, 4:47:08 PM2 votes

It sucks mate, I know. Spent all of S2 and most of S3 in bronze. Finally got my act together and clawed out at the very end of S3 only to get placed in bronze2 as soon as season 4 starts. It really felt like a slap in the face. But there's nothing to do other than hit the grindstone once again and tell yourself, "I did it once before, I can do it again. Again and again and again."

If it's motivation you need, then I'll share with you this:

#If *If you can keep your head when all about you *

  • Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, * If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
  • But make allowance for their doubting too; * If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
  • Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,* Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
  • And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:*

*If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; *

  • If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; * If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
  • And treat those two impostors just the same; * If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
  • Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,* Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
  • And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:*

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

  • And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,* And lose, and start again at your beginnings
  • And never breathe a word about your loss;* If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
  • To serve your turn long after they are gone, * And so hold on when there is nothing in you
  • Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’*

*If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, *

  • Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,* If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
  • If all men count with you, but none too much;* If you can fill the unforgiving minute
  • With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, * *Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, *
  • And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!*

--Rudyard Kipling

Grashnim3/10/2015, 4:44:44 PM1 votes

I feel you man. Last season was my first season playing LoL. I placed into Bronze III during provisionals. It took a long time to climb to silver, but I spent it learning quite a bit about the game and the mechanics. What I was capable of, when to make certain calls, and most importantly - Work with what you're given, not what you want. So you got morons on your team, do your best with them. Someone won't group with the team, get everyone to follow them instead. I've also completely disabled my in-game chat client so I can focus on the task at hand and not all the troll typing. The practice of getting out of ELO HELL, which is precisely what Bronze is, requires skill and some luck. You get a lot of AFK, feeders, trolls and other nightmares in bronze that make the escape difficult.

Last season I climbed into Gold, got near Gold | by the end of the season. Due to some disputes with RITO, they revoked my status. Did provisionals this season, placed into Bronze I, I think. I've climbed back to Gold V at this point in time, a long ass ride and absurd. I'm matched versus Gold II people consistently and yet only am in Gold V. (Was getting around 25 elo per win - high)

It comes down to a poorly designed "elo" system that really needs to be based off of "MMR". On top of that, ranking a solo/duo queue game based on just a "team" win/loss is silly. MMR would need to take into account both wings and performance on some metric. Creeps/minute, KDA, etc... Alternatively, you could take the route of making a legit 5v5 or 3v3 team and perform there.

Hopefully RITO continues to see posts that represent this struggle and decide to change a poor system into something a little less nightmare oriented.

Good luck to you man, hope it works out and try to have fun even if it can be painful at times.

GetBoomedOn3/10/2015, 5:06:36 PM1 votes

Went 2-8 last season got silver five. Went 8-2 this season got bronze 2. How.

Sirsir3/10/2015, 5:09:49 PM1 votes

Yup, for some reason Riot likes to drop everyone a rank or so when the reset happens. Why ranked resets at all makes zero sense to me.