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Philosophy behind the new leavebuster

Cutepoledancer·6/17/2015, 12:23:44 PM·4 votes·942 views

As much as I agree a teammate leaving a game can be frustrating, I am actually concerned about the way Riot is dealing with the whole issue.

First of all, the punishment system in place is purely there to punish people to teach them a lesson. Anybody saying otherwise isn't aware of the large pool of people playing the game (refuting the argument: "By punishing people with a bad behavior, we won't play with them again).

Personally, I don't believe in the "teaching a lesson" philosophy. However, it has shown some results throughout history in various real life situations, so I don't deny it's efficiency. This thread isn't about this.

I am making this thread to talk about an issue related to it. As a big player of League (1 to 5 games a day, everyday), I spend an enormous ammount of time on the rift. So of course, as nothing is perfect, I'll sometimes experience a technical issue (3 times last month according to the riot employee I've had the pleasure of chatting with for a few days via e-mails). That's roughly 4% of my games, I had to disconnect. Yet, everytime I came back and did my best to salvage the 4v5 I left behind. Thus, showing an intention of playing, and not simply showing bad behaviors.

However, I was still put in a lower queue. I can wait out that time: simply turn on youtube or my favorite TV show and here I am telling my team if they don't let me fill I'll afk. The problem I have with this, is that I was punished, not for my intentions, but rather on situations I have no power over (unless you tell me I can guarantee my ISP to never have a hick up). It is extremely frightening Riot has came down to this: punishing "criminals" and "innocents" alike because on their logs they show similar behaviors. It would be simple to adjust the leavebuster so it doesn't punish people coming back to play, yet they haven't put that function in. Which tells me it's working the way they intended to. In Riot's mind, it is perfectly acceptable to punish people with no ill intent in a quest to punish those with one.

On a side note, people with ill intents sit at the fountain and walk around while watching youtube videos to avoid such consequences (most of the time). I doubt Riot isn't aware of that, but it seems like it doesn't matter.

Last thing, when I came back to play a few days ago and had a 20 minutes queue, it put me in an extremely bad mood (being punished unfairly is extremely irritating to me), thus causing me to be extremely displeasant with my teammates. This system isn't providing us with a leaver-free environment (they find ways to avoid it as I've explained above), it's creating an unhealthy community based off blind punishment for the bad and good alike.

In the end, it is a terrible system.

20 Comments

Eleshakai6/17/2015, 1:13:26 PM1 votes

Riot doesn't care about your intentions. They just care about placating the whiners who complain about leavers. They want those people to stop whining that Riot isn't doing anything about the leaver problem, and they don't really care who they hurt along the way.

I'm sorry to say it, but this argument has been done to death. I've given up fighting it and just quit the game. But I agree, it's morally wrong for Riot to punish people based off of circumstances they had no control over. Punishment should ALWAYS take intent into account, and any punishment system that is incapable of measuring intent is inherently flawed and immoral.

But Riot doesn't care. All they care is that the whiners who were bitching about how little Riot was doing about leavers are happy now. They care about enabling the poor addicts with the bad attitudes, about encouraging their unhealthy approach to the game and keeping them happy and paying. That's all Riot's PB team cares about these days, I'm afraid.

Frikgeek6/17/2015, 5:18:43 PM1 votes

Intentional or not, you are ruining games for others when you leave, you deserve to be banned or put in a lower priority queue. Intent is completely irrelevant here.

If it takes you more than 2-3 minutes to come back the game is probably already lost and the 4 people on your team have every right to report you.

EL HAMSTERO6/17/2015, 6:07:43 PM1 votes

although i somewhat agree with you, there is no way for riot to determine your intent when you disconnect from the game.

they are trying to punish ragequitters. even though, as you said, ragequitters now just feed or afk farm the jungle, riot will point towards fewer leavers overall and claim the leaverbuster is a great success.

Cookie Troll6/17/2015, 6:25:24 PM1 votes

You are playing a game that creates a competitive environment. When you dc from the game no matter how long it takes you hinder the competitiveness of your team. Yes you are meant to have fun but peoples versions of fun differ - some just enjoy the game while others take pride in being the best they can. When you dc your hindering that person from being his best because he now has to take into account they are at a numbers disadvantage. An assassin thats been wrecking now has to take into account that you wont be there for follow up providing that damage he might need to survive or get away. I understand we cant control everything but when your playing on an unstable ISP you should be put with others with the same issue in low priority as to not hinder those. Its not a totally fair system but nothing is. You might try your hardest but one misplay while your gone and you being there could have changed that misplay. Okay you come back and try but you still cost your team.

SmokedAlmonds6/17/2015, 8:57:41 PM1 votes

Leaverbuster is just as much about punishing frequent connection issues as it is rage quitters. Queuing knowing you having connection issues is not being innocent and 4% is an extremely high % of games have issues in. If everyone left 4% of their games then basically 40% of games would end 4v5.