I totally agree with you on this @EfficientLazy, however, if you take a look on this board in specific, a lot of players actually believe that it is wrong (?) to retaliate.
It is a mentality that I find quite bothersome because I, myself, have been the target of many micro aggressions in the past through the game and due to my temperament, almost always flame them back or troll them back (ONLY AS A FORM OF RETALIATION).
The amount of incidents that are actually instigated by me is close to zero and I take great pride in that, because of the community that we're in.
It is quite worrisome to me that, in this 'perfect world' that we are supposed to play games in, that we cannot respond to negativity in our own way. I live in the real world where retaliation is acceptable. It is the world that I was born into. It is hard for me to grasp this idealism, this utopia that the vocal minority who posts on this board, thinks that this game should be.
The people who are like me and who are like you too, @EfficientLazy, are probably not on this message board to defend themselves. I have found my posts to be unanimously downvoted whenever I discuss Riot's failing disciplinary system. I have only recently found myself to come back to this board because of a chat ban that I had incurred. If it was not for that ban, I doubt that I would even be here typing this.
I have accepted my punishment since the moment that it was delivered to me. I didn't come to this board in my own defense in the slightest. What is actually keeping me on this board is fighting against this rampant idealism that some are trying to sell.
I have played League since 2010 and have enjoyed the many ups and downs that it has given to me.
I don't want to live in a perfect world. I don't need a safe place.
and I think those that do need to find a different game. not for my sake, for their own sake.
It has been a challenge for me to grow and evolve with this community and I am much better than when I had started, but I don't think that it will ever be this fairy tale world where everyone gets along nice and agrees with each other 100%. It's just not realistic.
Disagreeing and arguing and having our own opinions (even when they are wrong) is what makes us all individuals, and I think some of these vocal minority people are going to find out is that not everyone will be able to fit or want to fit into your idealistic 'box.' So stop trying to shove them in.
The other point that is normally argued is Riot's rules and regulations of the game we all love to play.
A lot of people here bring up the 'Terms of Service' and the 'Summoners Code' when dealing with disciplinary issues. I realize that I don't have any rights when it comes to ownership of my account, and if Riot or Tencent deemed it necessary, they could ban my account for my 'indiscretions,' (in other words, I am not entitled to play League of Legends, and neither is anyone else,) but I tend to believe that violations of a verbal nature are taken much too seriously on this board. Chat banning is the appropriate measure for those violators. What does concern me are Elo Boosters, AFKs, People who legitimately try to throw or rig games, Cheaters, et cetera. But the majority of the complaints on this board are about people who flame or who are being flamed.
Why are the people here focused on such a minor issue? The game even comes with a mute function so that you don't have to see what other people are typing. It comes at a cost, though. If you don't want to be a part of bad discussions, then you choose not to be a part of good discussions, either. Maybe just laugh it off when someone calls you something racist or sexist or whatever, because they don't know you, and they know nothing about you. How can it be offensive unless you are one that is looking for reasons to be offended?
Anyway, I realize that I am not a very Politically Correct person and that my opinion may not appeal to everyone, but if there is one thing I am, it is that I am real. I am not afraid to fight back, I am not afraid of toxicity, and I am not naive enough to believe that handing out chat bans in a game that people play some of the time will amount to any kind of change in their actual behavior.
tl;dr, @EfficientLazy, thank you for your post, you really helped me understand why that I instinctually retaliate to negative behavior, and to others, stop looking for reasons to be offended and just enjoy the game. The community will never be perfect, no matter how many people are disciplined. Love League of Legends for what it is, a great game! Because the ideal game with an ideal gaming community doesn't exist yet (and probably will never).
