Boards›Player Behavior

Smurfs are killing this game

Tanxme·11/11/2018, 9:08:02 AM·9 votes·5,658 views

There needs to be something done about all the smurf accounts. A new player like myself are left with three choices;

Play bots which even at the hardest setting are pitiful and pose no challenge.

Play PvP matches where 1/20 players are new and the rest are smurfs. Which then basically we just watch the game get played out by kids that have nothing better to do than ruin the game for lower levels because they want to troll.

Oh wait that's those are the only options..other than play another moba that actually balances gameplay.

Yes, yes i know I'm going to get flamed... "oh you just suck" blah blah blah. Say what you will, I know I a "noob" and that's my problem. I don't have a medium that allows me to learn vs players with my similar amount of playtime/skill level. It's the reason i quit playing years ago, but now a group of my friends are picking it up again. I want to play, learn and catch up to them. But it has been nothing but smurfs match after match, not just on the opponents side but also my team. Which they flame and dis players for sucking, while they solo carry the whole game which is fun for nobody other than the "pro".

So anyone have any suggestions to help me with this issue other that "git good"...?

25 Comments

ShroomMaster11/11/2018, 10:00:01 AM4 votes

Lack of actual new players is what is killing this game.

The fact that all you encounter are smurfs and XP bots anymore is a clear sign that the game isnt pulling in any new blood which is why its steadily becoming even worse as time continues.

Nobody actually wants to play League anymore due to how annoyingly shit it is unless they're players that were already addicted to it before Riot started ruining it.

Der Lindwurm11/11/2018, 9:18:00 AM4 votes

I've been trying to tell Riot for years, any time I get one of their surveys, that smurfs are the main reason why the game is currently inaccessible to new players. I don't think they know how to solve the problem while keeping the game "free to play", however, and I don't see much evidence that it's much of a priority in the first place if their idea of creating a better experience for new players means airing some silly ads on YouTube.

Probably they need a lot of actually new players to let them know what a horrible experience it is. If experienced players do it they think it's just speculation that it's actually negatively affecting anyone. I'd go through support from the main webpage rather than posting about it on the boards where it's easily overlooked, though.

MyAccountStolen111/11/2018, 9:59:12 AM3 votes

The truth is simple and hard to accept. RIOT bans experienced players, they immediately get a new account and smash low level players. Im happy RIOT loses business TBH. They deserve to.

doiminat0r360011/11/2018, 10:04:16 PM2 votes

Matchmaking generally puts you where you are supposed to be in a matter of a few matches.

Those first few matches might be hell, but after they've determined where you go, it's much easier to play fairly.

Bad Ol Putty Tat11/11/2018, 9:35:20 AM2 votes

Eh, I've made a smurf and I've had fun playing with new players. I always ask if they need help or give advice even if they are on the other team. Not everyone is like that. I do think smurfs are ruining the game for other reasons though. Such as people are making accounts just to "flame" on and then it gets banned so what they get on just to troll. RIOT doesn't do a good job of giving people "fun" they have their core game which is fine and all but that's not always about just having a laugh.

They need to implement a custom game mode where players can set whatever settings they want and then have others join. Before anyone says anything about that not being good, that is where ARAM came from. There are plenty of fun games on Customs currently but the problem is that they are managed by the players in it. For instance if you want to play Hide N Seek custom some people have perma bans others don't most people so only CC abilities but then others flame get mad and just start killing people. If there was a setting where they could set things to be disabled then HnS would be fun. Same with having a Custom URF. I've heard people say that it would take so much work to do that with custom games, my response is give me a break. Overwatch has it, and are you telling me it doesn't take work to make Nexus Blitz? Odyssey? RIOT refuses to do what the community wants, they refuse to release URF as a permanent game mode and their reason? Because they notice a drop in players after URF leaves, that's because people who barely play league come back for URF then leave when it's gone. No one will ever convince me that TT is more popular than URF. I play with several people and none of them play TT, ever.

AeroWaffle11/11/2018, 9:45:54 AM2 votes

The issue is, how can Riot realistically keep smurfs away from actual new players or prevent smurfs at all?

-Email accounts are easy to make, thus even if Riot were to limit accounts to 1 per email there would still be plenty of smurfs. -Riot can try their best to match smurfs with smurfs, but this matchmaking is never going to be perfect.

If there was some sort of barrier to entry on the game it would be easier. But any new barrier to entry with the purpose to prevent smurfs also becomes a new barrier to entry for new players as well, which would defeat the purpose of preventing smurfs for the sake of new players if Riot prevents new players as well.

CharDeeMcDenniz11/11/2018, 9:10:51 AM1 votes

actually the MM does a pretty good job of putting actually new players with others and smurf with smurfs before too long

it sounds like you're playing in games of higher skill than you due to your group, idk

Tanxme11/14/2018, 10:18:00 AM1 votes

And then this was a fun game...https://matchhistory.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/#match-details/NA1/2909681947/203322443?tab=overview Not sure how long that link will work if it even does.

ı Sona ı11/11/2018, 10:23:36 AM1 votes

Well, when players get banned, they make new accounts.

Also, tough opponents not only challenge you to do better but teach you by proxy, letting you watch and learn from higher level players first hand.

HavokDash11/12/2018, 5:59:03 AM1 votes

I actually just got out of a disgusting match. I am in normal draft and was jungle while we had a Lux Mid KogMaw & Thresh Bot lane.

Lux spends the entire game harping on Thresh for how "garbage" he is. And KogMaw spends the entire game kissing lux's ass who seems to brag on and on about how "I have all the kills", not having ANY interest in the towers.

But the disgusting thing is How Kog repeatedly used "I am reporting Thresh for inting, he is 0 and 6" and used threshes KDA as a threat. The kicker is...Thresh was a NEW player, Playing a NEW champ for the first time. He said he had never played thresh before, and his gameplay proved it. But alot of these players are so stuck up and full of themselves, that despite it being normal draft where people are LEARNING new champs. This community insists on acting like people arent allowed to actually be inexperienced at a champ.

The entire game, lux and Kog bragged about all thier kills, how "only kills matter" and how "Garbage" the thresh player was. Repeatedly calling for reports on the "inting" Thresh. This is why people hate the league community, the level of snobbery to where players arent even ALLOWED to be new. They are expected to play at a challenger tier skill level from GAME 1, with a character they have NEVER played before, Know nothing of.

and If they do poorly? They are reported for INTING.

and yes, I know, "False reports will be thrown out". I get it. But spending the entire game listening to the arrogance and demeaning/degrading and overall "Im above you" attitudes of this community being puked out towards players who have maybe ony been playing a week, a month...a day... All because this community has thier head shoved up thier ass, is disgusting.

And the worst part about it, which i know from personal experience...including the previous game...is that people like lux will be given a free pass. Oh who cares if they spend the entire game demeaning and degrading a new player, threatening to get them banned for underperforming on champions they have NEVER PLAYED BEFORE. The community will still act like KogMaw and suck up to them, give them a free pass because they can "Solo carry", because they have "all the kills". WHo cares if the game is lost, The kogmaw was quite open "Im honoring lux because only the stats matter"

New players are not allowed to make mistakes, Not allowed to actually learn. Lest the "pro" players who come to draft decide to call for reports and try and get a new player banned for...being new and inexperienced. Great game Riot, keep rolling out those skins while your community chases off every new player with arrogance and smug overconfidence

HeyBigGuyHeyBudd11/12/2018, 6:06:03 AM1 votes

I created a smurf account specifically to smash and abuse new players after I tilt from ranked on my main. To my behest, after about literally 5 games I was matched primarily with other smurfs to which I got smahed again.

Pandemic Punch11/12/2018, 12:46:36 PM1 votes

Just play the game until you are a high enough level to play ranked. Then play nothing but ranked until you end up in the division where you belong. You won't have a smurf problem anymore after that except for maybe RARE occasions. If you think someone is good enough to be a smurf, just use that as an opportunity to learn from them and get better.

Outside of that, you could start playing Top lane where you get raged at the least. Play a champion super simple like Mundo.

Tanxme11/12/2018, 12:54:54 PM1 votes

Thanks to some of these comments, it kept me playing some more matches. Not sure if the MM system caught up or I'm starting to get better or even a little of both by my last few matches were rather enjoyable.