I Have an Idea for Riot Concerning Negative Chat
I'm not a game developer or programmer, so I may be completely ignorant of how resource-intensive my suggestion may be, but I have an idea for a new game feature.
It doesn't have to be a complicated algorithm or anything. For the last 10 games, League could track each letter, word, or 'string' that you type in to chat, and from a library of words it would assign you an "Aggro Score" or something. Also, if you've been reported several times.
Words like "you're trash", or "Fuck you", "you suck" or "uninstall" would increase your aggro score. This 'score' would be in the background, not shown directly to you or anyone else. It would simply be used for the last 10 games you played. Players with low or zero aggro scores could:
- Have a badge on their character portrait either in loading screen or champ selection denoting their positive personality and assuring other players that they have a recent history of NOT being toxic, being reported, or spewing negative comments at other players.
- They could have their badge, or a meter, or score displayed on their summoner profile.
We don't need tons of badges for every level of aggro score. It should be simple. If you're below a threshold, you possess a badge. If you're over that threshold then you don't own a badge. You don't necessarily own a badge that says you ARE toxic or negative player, you simply don't HAVE the positive badge. That's enough. WHERE that threshold is, is up to you.
I know we all complain about negative players and derogatory comments. Riot doesn't need to change the world, the internet, and human nature, but within the context of the game-world, they should at least make each player OWN their consistent negativity on their profile. This is a big topic, but due to being anonymous, we don't have the social risks of being nasty to other human being in this online environment.
Unless our profile displays some kind of measurement of our past history. Then everyone owns it.
Again, it need not be complicated. We don't need different kinds of badges or whatever. If you are rarely or never reported, and rarely, if ever, use offensive language, then you receive a "TeamPlayer" badge on your portrait, or whatever you want to call it. If you're reported a couple times, you don't automatically lose it, it just increases your aggro score a bit.
You aren't punished outright for text that you type in chat by being banned or suspended, but you do now own your actions by NOT having a badge. The goal is, to have a badge.
How would this actually deter negative comments? Well, think down the road. If this was implemented, Riot could give EVERY single existing or new account the teamplayer badge. When you see a player without one, you know that they had to have LOST their badge from a consistent HISTORY of being negative. The ones without badges will stick out more, thus increasing the effect of having one in the first place.
This seems like an easy way to mitigate some of the toxic behavior/language that only happens because of anonymity. Make our profiles or portraits reflect our interpersonal communication history for our last 10 games. Hell, throw in an incentive and make it so that when you have the badge (low or zero aggro score) that you receive 2 RP a game, or 10% more IP a game, or a higher chance for loot, or something if you think a badge is silly. Or if you think it wouldn't actually accomplish anything because it doesn't truly punish players for toxicity, then fine, make those that don't have a badge lose out on something or are blocked off from some game feature. You decide.
Make people own it with a visual display. Not too harsh, but it lets other people know what they're in for. Simple. And besides, gamers love badges and achievements anyways. Why not?
