I'm in a similar situation, and getting banned has got me thinking about the Instant Feedback System in general, and how prior to getting banned I actually had no idea how it really worked. And I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way about it after getting banned for the first time. I have a suggestion that I'm trying to put out there to see what other people think of it, with the hopes that maybe Riot might do something to address the concerns.
Many people are unhappy with the current Instant Feedback System, some wish that it would simply go back to the way it was years ago with the player community tribunal. But, ultimately I don't think this would resolve the issues with toxicity within the community as effectively. Plus, this type of punishment regulation is tedious and frankly quite subjective and open to claims of unfairness. The Instant Feedback System was meant to resolve this while also giving the power of punishment to the players that had to deal with a toxic teammate(s). But this has resulted in the issues that we see today, where people still feel they have been unfairly punished only now there is no real appeal process in place to resolve it. (I'm mostly referring to extreme bans of 2 weeks or perma bans as a first time offence.) For many cases Player Support hands are literally tied in adhering to the stringent Instant Feedback punishment that was initially issued. Period.
It also feels like the current system as it stands is mostly designed to single out the toxic players from the community and remove them as quickly as possible, and seems less concerned with prevention or "reform". Negative actions and behaviors should be punished, but players should also be properly 'educated' on the types of bans and the process by which they can be issued prior to it taking effect. Especially, if they are going to be so rigid when it comes to the appeal, or lack there of rather, of a ban. In many cases players do not know what type of behaviors or acts result in which of the various punishments nor do they know the process that takes place for a ban until they have already been punished for it. And I think this is creating feelings of distrust or even some hostility within the community towards Riot, relating to the harshness of bans that are issued and their immovability with regards to the outcome. And while this thread topic is on seeing the benefit that resulted from their ban, which is great for them, others are still reluctant to do so and take their punishment with a grain of salt. And I think this is justifiable. So, to address this I think the following revisions could be made within the Instant Feedback System:
Step 1: Add in-game prevention 'tips' to loading screen. Ex., "Did you know, that excessive negative behavior can result in a Two-Week or Permanent suspension at any time without having a chat restriction on the account?" -straight from the FAQ Instant Feedback System page
Step 2: Issue to EVERYONE a one time warning, without penalty on their first offence. It should resemble the type of ban they would have received for their behavior. Ex., "14-day Suspension" at the top (if you have received a ban in the past you will know what getting that notice feels like... instant fear, panic, confusion, anger etc.,) Beneath that there is an explanation of the punishment and why it was issued. In it's place it should read something like:
"Looks like you were recently pretty negative in-game, but as it would seem you are in luck! Your behavior last game should have resulted in a 14-day suspension, but just this once the punishment has been waived. However, you are not off the hook just yet! Instead, your account will now be locked for the next 2 hours. Take this time to cool off and look over how punishment and the Instant Feedback System works in League of Legends. Remember, that even though this time the punishment has been waived, the League of Legends community is empowered to report players they believe have violated the Summoner's Code and consistently created a negative experience in games. Next time regardless of the circumstances, behaviors such as in-game taunting; harassment, offensive remarks, intentionally feeding, etc., will be reported by the community and if warranted punished by the Instant Feedback System accordingly. To avoid any future punishments, we suggest reviewing the following information:
HOW DO PUNISHMENTS WORK?
Players who are found to be causing a negative game experience are punished within 15 minutes of the games end.
PUNISHMENTS GENERALLY FOLLOW A BASIC ESCALATION PATH:
First Offense: 10 Game Chat Restriction
Second Offense: 25 Game Chat Restriction
Third Offense: Two Week Suspension
Fourth Offense: Permanent Suspension
However, it is possible to skip to a Two Week or Permanent suspension based on the severity of the behavior in the game. Excessive negative behavior can result in a Two-Week or Permanent suspension at any time without having a chat restriction on the account. --Straight from Instant Feedback FAQ page
For more details visit the Instant Feedback System FAQ Page
You can access the Summoner's Code here
If you have further questions or concerns please contact Riot Games Support
On a typical suspension notice they provide your chat log; this should stay the same.
Beneath this you must then 'accept your fate' to dismiss the notice by clicking "I understand"... (of course, now you do...) For a first offence it could say "I understand that next time punishment will not be waived" or have one of those check boxes that says "By checking this box I am recognizing my negative behavior and stating that I understand next time punishment will not be waived" and have "I accept" at the bottom to dismiss the notice.
Step 3: The account will be locked for two hours. Allowing time to cool off and look at the info provided on how bans work and what not.
Prior to getting banned I did not even know half of this information. Had I known I would have thought twice. I didn't know that you could 'skip' getting a chat restriction, let alone go straight to getting permanently banned for something other than scripting or elo boosting. (Thank goodness this ultimately wasn't the case for me >.<) Overall I think that this solution is not only fair but could even be more effective. Some might see it as too forgiving. But I actually think it is more harsh than say, a 10 game chat ban as a 'warning'. A chat ban doesn't lock you out from playing for any length of time. This would, which is more effective because it prevents you from hitting that play button again right away and hopefully allow time to reflect on your actions and behaviors for a while. It also provides a reason why you are locked out; to read the info on bans and hopefully prevent any future reports or bans. This may or may not take a full 2 hours to read, but it is a reasonable amount of time to do so and at least cool off. At the same time, it feels a lot less like punishment and more forgiving and fair to the player because its like they got a "second chance" or avoided a punishment instead of receiving one. In reality, they actually did receive one in the form of a two hour lock out. But it was not permanent, and was not a 'strike' against the account in anyway, while also being informative about the ban system. It is also 100% identical for everyone that is in the position of getting reported for the first time, regardless of the circumstances. Also remember, that this is mostly to address those that are harshly punished for their first offence. But, I do think it would also benefit everyone in the long run.
The Instant Feedback System was designed to better the community for players, and sometimes I think in our frustration with seeming "trolls" we forget that they are players too. That just might have slipped up for a game and need a reminder of the severity of their behavior and what it entails. Or need to be more informed about how bans work and what they actually implicate.
What does everyone think? Yay or Nay?
Sorry for the long post... Insert image of potato
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[sg-soraka]
