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PSA: On the New Player Experience

DOUBLE TAPPED E··1 votes·434 views

Hey there folks! I just wanted to take some time away from League to tell everyone a little story about my adventures in low level.

I've been playing this game for a long time. I want to say late season 2 was when I started but don't quote me on that.

Anyway, I recently tried out the new Katarina (I was pretty salty about the rework and I just assumed I wouldn't like it, boy was I wrong! GJ Riot!) and I decided "You know what? I may be Silver, but wouldn't it be fun to level an account playing only Katarina, and work on my mechanics all the way til 30?" I also enjoy playing with new people and helping them get a handle on the game / mechanics / lanes etc. I may not be a pro but I have a fair amount of game knowledge saved up after all this time and I like to think I have been of some help to at least a couple people.

So I made the account, logged in, chose my name, played a few bot games until I got the BE for Katarina, then continued playing bots for a while because I noticed there are quite a few people using "AFK bots" that just execute in the jungle repeatedly, meaning the game is basically a 4v5, and it's fun to carry people on Kat!

Then, I was having such a blast with all these friendly people in the bot games that I decided "Hey let's go see what's up in normals! I'm sure that'll be a hoot!"

I was quite wrong.

Low level PvP is incredibly toxic. Several people admitted to having been banned for extended periods due to toxicity. In fact it seems like this is what every toxic player does when they get banned.

They make new accounts, and end up playing with new players, and ruining the games for them by trolling, flaming, inting, and so on.

After this discovery I decided to get some new player opinions on the matter, so I went back into bot games and started asking people if they had tried PvP yet.

Most had, and most were turned off of PvP because of the incredibly toxic atmosphere, so they returned to bot games. These are the resilient players. I'm sure a very large number of players go into their first PvP, do poorly, and get flamed into quitting the game forever because of the dregs of the League community.

I even experienced this firsthand: I got stuck with support because I was slow on the draw shouting out my role, so I said "I'm playing only Kat on this account, could you pick an aggressive ADC? We push for lv 2 and all in"

I didn't get a yes, but I also didn't get a no. Everyone locked in and the game started. According to my plan, which nobody had disagreed with, I started pushing for level 2. Jinx was quite upset by this, and started flaming me incessantly, calling me a troll, among other things, and eventually leaving bot lane after we got 2 kills. Apparently her and our mid Zed getting a kill each was not proof-of-concept, so she left me in a 1v2 as an under-farmed Kat against a Soraka/Ezreal bot lane.

Needless to say I got dumpstered, and then the real flames came on...

Anyway, I let their words get to me for a bit before muting everyone, I definitely said some angry things, though it felt like I was defending myself. I felt like I was being backed into a corner by an angry mob, and lashed out to defend myself. I'm not proud of it, but it happened. Anyway, I say "anyway" a lot.

So where was I? Oh yes:

I feel like there should be a more permanent solution when a person has been banned for constant, repetitive toxic behavior. I would suggest IP bans for the duration of their punishment. Them being able to make new accounts is costing you actual new players who will be willing to spend money on the game after they fall in love with it. I fell in love, and I have been a loyal, paying customer for the long-term.

The toxic players are getting in the way of the development of that love.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Looking forward to the discussion that follows! :D

14 Comments

Chermorg2 votes

Low level PvP is incredibly toxic. Several people admitted to having been banned for extended periods due to toxicity. In fact it seems like this is what every toxic player does when they get banned.

This is, kinda, the goal. The matchmaking system is much better than people give it credit for. As someone who's been playing since Season 2 timeframe (as you claim), you're eons ahead of true new players - even if your level may be lower. You will always be matched with players of your skill level - and at level 1-25 or so those players will most commonly be smurfs as well.

DOUBLE TAPPED E1 votes

{quoted}

This is, kinda, the goal. The matchmaking system is much better than people give it credit for. As someone who's been playing since Season 2 timeframe (as you claim), you're eons ahead of true new players - even if your level may be lower. You will always be matched with players of your skill level - and at level 1-25 or so those players will most commonly be smurfs as well.

Fair enough, but I'm talking the first couple games were like this. Doesn't MMR take a few games to kick in?

Chermorg1 votes

Well, MMR can be determined through how good you perform in the first couple games. I'm not trying to say you didn't experience some toxicity - just trying to make sure we don't forget that it's designed that you'll be matched with smurfs, many of whom may be toxic (or banned on other accounts).

DOUBLE TAPPED E1 votes

{quoted}

Well, MMR can be determined through how good you perform in the first couple games. I'm not trying to say you didn't experience some toxicity - just trying to make sure we don't forget that it's designed that you'll be matched with smurfs, many of whom may be toxic (or banned on other accounts).

So that thing someone suggested a while back, the "Prisoner's Island" for toxic players, where they all tear each other to pieces... it's real? I thought that idea was thoroughly denied as to being a good solution.

Kantala1 votes

It's not real in the sense that Riot created a system that does this intentionally. This is just seems like one because the IFS is good at banning repeat offenders so they're stuck in low level land due to being too stubborn to give up making new accounts.

DOUBLE TAPPED E1 votes

That seems like an issue to me, assuming the ban is designed to keep them out of the community entirely until the punishment has lapsed. Being able to make a new account at-will does nothing to prevent them rejoining the community as soon as they feel like, Riot's punishments be damned.

Hell, I would put good money on a majority of these players not even caring if they get to keep these new accounts.

I understand that some people may get banned and want to reform their behavior by making a new account and starting fresh, as it were, but I also feel strongly that this should be IMPOSSIBLE to do before the term of their punishment has expired.

Kantala1 votes

Unfortunately, that can't happen unless something happens that has every country follow in Korea's steps requiring some form of ID to link to their game account like their SSN or Birth Certificate or something along those lines. This way, if you got banned it'd be forever and you couldn't create a new one unless you did some seriously illegal stuff.

Chermorg1 votes

As Kantala said, it's not intentional. It is, sadly, a side effect of any matchmaking system. You will always have new players matched with new players and old players matched with old, based solely on their skill levels.

It would be nice if Riot could implement IP or other bans, however, due to privacy and computer laws in America and around the world nowadays, it's virtually impossible to uniquely identify and positively confirm two accounts belonging to the same person. IPs can be easily changed, things like useragent aren't very unique, and other information is dicey to use legally at best.

DOUBLE TAPPED E1 votes

{quoted}

It would be nice if Riot could implement IP or other bans, however, due to privacy and computer laws in America and around the world nowadays, it's virtually impossible to uniquely identify and positively confirm two accounts belonging to the same person. IPs can be easily changed, things like useragent aren't very unique, and other information is dicey to use legally at best.

I suppose I had an inkling as to how complicated the situation was, I just refused to let the facts stand in the way of my fervor! My logical side is ashamed. Thanks for the responses, hopefully an elegant solution will present itself someday.

Chermorg1 votes

In my humble opinion an elegant solution is certainly possible technologically. The law, however, says it's "hacking" for private companies to do things such as attempt to uniquely identify someone without their permission. And that's honestly what's blocking it - just like in the EU you must explicitly acknowledge consent to cookies before a website can use them, Riot would have to explicitly say "we are attempting to uniquely identify you and access X information about your computer for security purposes, do you consent to this?" And while most players likely would hit yes with no problem, the players who are attempting to evade such a system could do so simply by hitting "No I do not consent" - and Riot wouldn't necessarily be able to prevent them from playing.

It's super complicated and I like you wish there was some way for Riot to better punish repeat offenders (players with 2, 3, or more permanent bans). I do, however, know that many players reform after their first permanent ban - so I think this harsh "player ban" would need to have at least one more chance for a player to make a new account after a permaban. Some people need the kick in the ass of a permaban and losing everything to reform - and if they actually reform after it, I say they should be able to keep their new account.

DOUBLE TAPPED E1 votes

To note: I was actually in favor of the idea, I just wish it wasn't the default landing zone for every smurf :P I don't mind matching against other smurfs, it's fun, I just wish toxic players had less presence is all.

DOUBLE TAPPED E1 votes

Couldn't this be accomplished by IP / MAC address? (I don't know enough about networking to know if Riot's servers have access to MAC address info, but I'm sure they know the IP.)

DOUBLE TAPPED E1 votes

I'll answer my own question by saying "But then the best troll of all will be to go to an Internet Cafe and get all their computers banned from League permanently, ha. ha. ha."

Point taken.

Soulstealer Nami1 votes

I'm currently leveling this account up so I can play ranked and uh wooooo boi... The number of times I've received instant feedback reports is sadly pretty high. So much toxicity. Hoping it gets better when I get the account around level 30.

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