Behavior Worthy of a Champion
Here I will post the Behavior Worthy of a Champion Riot support article, which provides guidelines for sportsmanlike play which promotes a positive atmosphere that results in winning more games and both sides enjoying League more (and not getting reported). I frequently give this article to players struggling to find enjoyment in their matches due to toxic behavior on their part, but this is good for everyone so I will paste it here in full.
One of the most common questions we receive in support is how to NOT get reported, especially while dealing with the challenges of Ranked Play.
To sum it up, the best way to not get reported is to prevent toxic situations from occurring. There are two main reasons for it:
- People tend to have more fun in a friendly environment
- Toxicity-free teams win more games
But what can you do when someone else starts acting poorly? Is it even your responsibility? Why would you even care?
Thing is, when a boat starts sinking in the river it represents the danger for all of its occupants, not just the ones on the lower levels. You don't want the boat to sink. The water is cold and Baron Nashor eats people regardless of their Summoner skill.
So save the (metaphorical) boat and win more games as a result! Hopefully the ideas below will help you prepare for the task ahead.
#THE PATH TO VICTORY
There are a lot of situations where games are not lost because of an engagement gone wrong or someone being caught out of position early but because of team’s lack of desire to go on with the game. It is understandable that people naturally look for instant gratification that a quick victory provides, but that does not mean that the game is decided in the lane phase or at first blood.
No one deserves to win a game by simply playing. Winning takes a lot of work and coordination and you are just as likely to get cooperative teammates as your opponents. It is fine to try your best to win every game you play, but don't expect it to turn out that way every time.
Every team has different strengths and weaknesses and it’s counterproductive to stick to a specific play style or strategy after the champions are locked in. To paraphrase Charles Darwin, it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but rather the one most adaptable to change.
Our statistics show that chances to win decrease by roughly 10% for each toxic player on any given team. The opposite is also true, as the chance to win increases significantly with each positive person on the team. Being that beacon of positivity is often the difference between a victory and defeat.
As human beings, we are often quick to judge but slow to praise, especially when it comes to strangers. Try turning that around – highlight and compliment achievement of others during a game. It does not matter if the achievement is game changing, or even significant. It encourages people to play and perform better than any critique ever could. Positive reinforcement wins games more than any champion, skillshot or ultimate. Also, you are nearly twice as likely to not get reported while engaging in positive reinforcement!
Everyone has a bad game every now and then. I am sure you will remember a few games where things did not go as planned and you handed the advantage to your lane opponent. It is very likely that you have received some negativity from your teammates, which probably did not make you feel any better.
So why inflict this on someone else? Statistics show that people perform consistently WORSE under pressure. Losing a lane is already stressful and adding more negativity to the situation is only going to make that player perform worse.
Not dealing with the frustration of your teammates often leads to in-game toxicity. Let's say a lane is at a disadvantage because a player in that lane gave up a few early kills to the opposing team. That player is really frustrated right now because they feel they will have no impact on the game and will drag their team down if they don't catch up.
For example, did the lane get ganked by a jungler? Ward the lane for them. Did the lane get pushed directly? Gank the enemy champion. You might spend 75 or 100 gold on a ward, miss a wave or maybe even give up your own tower, but you will help the struggling element of your team catch up, and most importantly, relieve some of the natural stress that comes from losing a lane. Remember, of all the resources in the game, your team's morale is the one you cannot afford to lose!
Let's be honest, situations where the teams are uneven (due to a summoner leaving the game, for example) suck. That is why we have a Leaverbuster system implemented to punish leaves, as well as after game reports.
Frustrating as it may be, a 4v5 situation is not necessarily an automatic defeat. The person who dropped out might experience an intermittent connection issue and could return shortly. Here are some tactics that you can employ in the meantime:
- Contest objectives
As you will experience more lane pressure, you will need to catch up in gold quickly. You are forcing the opponent to fight at objectives rather than pushing your towers, thus dictating where they focus
- Ward your jungle
This helps setup up ganks if the opposition is pushing all lanes equally or alternatively will help you to dictate the place of engagement if the enemy team does not have the vision in your jungle.
- Engage on your own terms
Attacking an enemy from a position they do not have vision on will help enormously with target focus and dealing an extra chunk of damage in a pinch.
- Kill the carries first
Even if you are unable to win a straight up teamfight, if you can catch the Marksman/AD carry on their own, you will slow the enemy push considerably, buying time for your team mate to reconnect.
- Do not be that guy
Remember, the opponents cannot see disconnection messages on your team, so DO NOT BE THAT GUY:
https://support.riotgames.com/attachments/token/hhobamubsxzpxvy/?name=archleaver.jpg
- Never give up, never surrender
Perhaps you won't win this game and even choose to surrender. However, if you end the game with a positive outlook, the enemy summoners will know that brave champions stood united, that they were not fazed by overwhelming odds, and before the battle was over, that even a numerically superior team can see gray.
#OTHER STUFF YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT
##TEAMWORK OP Amazing video with in-depth breakdown of positive behavior and its impact.
Click here for the video! (or watch it in the client)
##TACTICAL TEAMFIGHT (COURTESY OF CIDERHELM) In-depth breakdown of dynamic team coordination its impact on the game.
Episode 1 (you can watch it in the client too!)
Episode 2 (and this one!)
