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Matching beginners with higher level players is creating a toxic environment

cyorir·8/11/2016, 9:06:55 PM·8 votes·3,843 views

Ok, so I'm not very good at League. I readily admit it, and won't pretend otherwise. Yet for some reason, all of my recent games (playing in normal draft as a level 27) have seen me matched with players at a very wide range of skill levels - including Golds, Platinums, and Diamonds, in addition to the bronze and silver players who are closer to my skill level. This leads to a pretty wide skill imbalance, which is frustrating for both the lower level players like me and the higher level players playing with me. It almost always leads to someone raging about how trash I am. Of course, some players will offer advice, but they are in the minority. Is this matching of lower-skilled champions with higher-ranked champions a mistake, or purposeful? If it's purposeful, I feel to see the point - it would be great if the better players offered constructive criticism, but that's sadly not something most League players do. I am being notified that a lot of my reports are going through, but I can't help but feel like matchmaking is lacking at the moment.

24 Comments

Beerstein4/27/2019, 5:42:25 PM3 votes

{quoted}

Ok, so I'm not very good at League. I readily admit it, and won't pretend otherwise. Yet for some reason, all of my recent games (playing in normal draft as a level 27) have seen me matched with players at a very wide range of skill levels - including Golds, Platinums, and Diamonds, in addition to the bronze and silver players who are closer to my skill level. This leads to a pretty wide skill imbalance, which is frustrating for both the lower level players like me and the higher level players playing with me. It almost always leads to someone raging about how trash I am. Of course, some players will offer advice, but they are in the minority. Is this matching of lower-skilled champions with higher-ranked champions a mistake, or purposeful? If it's purposeful, I feel to see the point - it would be great if the better players offered constructive criticism, but that's sadly not something most League players do. I am being notified that a lot of my reports are going through, but I can't help but feel like matchmaking is lacking at the moment.

I've had a lot of friends join league and leave before getting high lvl for this reason. A LOT. I'd duo with them (I've never been above silver) and we went so far as getting matched against someone in Master league with their new friend.

It's always been a problem, along with permabanning (instead of perma chat banning) players. Basically, new players get the worst of the worst scum of league, and quit. I'd say the population is likely half (or worse) of what it would otherwise be if Riot actually tried to address these issues.

SamwiseGC5/1/2019, 4:24:23 PM2 votes

soo 3 years and no fix i dont duo... i keep getting matched with 100+ people im not a smurf and new to the game...

Morality Coach8/11/2016, 10:09:11 PM2 votes

When you hit 30 you will be matched with all developmentally disabled people and you will miss getting plats on your team in norms.

Enjoy it for now, and if everyone is pro on your team pick a tanky char and focus on CS and not dying.

Remember you don't have to "win" your lane. You just have to do better than the other lane or go even.

MagicFlyingLlama8/11/2016, 9:26:51 PM2 votes

I am silver II currently, and have never even _seen _a diamond player, in four years playing league (maybe a dozen plat players in 2000+ games ARAM, TT, teambuilder, drafts, ranked).. Are you sure you are not mistaking mastery levels or other banners for ranks?

Typically the people that cry about other players the most are also the worst. They cry to draw attention away from how absolutely horrible they are. Just calmly and politely point out how they fucked up and /ignore @Name if they continue to spew salt.

420 grams8/11/2016, 9:12:03 PM2 votes

Play 3 v 3. The game really isn't as different as you'd think, and people are usually nicer in my experience

Gary B Enkelis8/12/2016, 3:05:09 AM1 votes

As soon as you hit 30 and go to rank maybe you'll find more balanced games.

NoRunesMasteries8/12/2016, 3:09:16 AM1 votes

This used to happen to me in normals against golds/platinums/diamonds. Some games I did great others I did terrible.

I think this is a way Riot figures out your MMR if you decide to rank. I placed 5-5 as Silver 3 and now currently in my promos to Silver 2.

Either that or Riot just loves messing with us. They done got us.

SlySi8/13/2016, 6:31:32 PM1 votes

I think some of it is due to arranged teams. If it's norms, I guess high elo players don't mind playing with their low elo friends...

It does suck, I've had it happen to me.

milky968/30/2019, 11:36:33 PM1 votes

3 years and still nothing? figures, it kills fun, makes me want to quit the game as a begginer. i keep getting flamed from my team and mocked by the enemy team, camped, made fun of, even if i mute it doesnt help, just because the matchmaking made me play with silver, gold and higher players, its just not fair and its demotivating to see that 3 years later it still isnt fixed

IFeltLikeAGringo8/31/2019, 12:04:44 AM1 votes

I recently had a game where we were all silver, and they had 4 plats and a silver, and we somehow still won! Felt good, aside from my team constantly taunting them about it. Its more about MMR than how far you managed to climb the ranked ladder minigame. Thats how this happens, but its still weird that it does happen.

Ciobitto209/3/2019, 6:35:38 PM1 votes

this system is so bad like im lvl 400 plat 3 if it matters and i get in drafts with lvl 20 is this even ballanced and fair for me ?[sg-janna] riot pls fix this and fk the lux skins

71883083DEL18/11/2016, 10:43:04 PM1 votes

I felt the same way, found out there simply isn't enough players around your level range (right now you are lvl 27) so they match you with players who are higher lvled.

bloodybadger18/11/2016, 11:11:27 PM1 votes

Yes, it is a problem. Smurfing is an issue that is very hard to solve. When a newer player feels frustrated like you have been and the older, more experienced, players have to play with someone that is not at the same level, toxicity runs rampant. Once you get to a certain level you expect things that newer players may not do or understand. This is most easily seen in the bot lane.

It is frustrating, but I don't see any way around it. However, once you hit 30 your normal mmr will hopefully level out a bit and you will see more stability.

xXI3ADI3OYXx8/12/2016, 1:02:20 AM1 votes

try a bronze match i had when i was up against pretty much all smurf accounts, and im lvl 20 lol, ok good job on not giving me a chance on my first ever pvp match, the match was a total failure and i was a reason of it, if your gonna give your newcomers a chance RIOT you need to better queue the lower ppl,

Or was it cause i party with buddy n i ended up playing with smurfs rather than if i solo queued?

Hinu Hyuga8/12/2016, 1:12:19 AM1 votes

I'm in Bronze 5 (Yeah I know) and I hardly see anybody higher than Bronze when I play. The only time I really see Gold or higher is with my friends. Which are on my team anyways.