Taking Preseason for Granted - The Dramatic Change Shifting Back into Ranked

I had a strange experience with league this preseason... Something that felt so strange and foreign to me. I found myself confused, but welcoming it quickly. Game after game, regardless of the outcome or team... I actually had fun! Win or lose, the people I would play with seemed to be genuinely enjoying the game and having fun. Everyone was having a good time. Sure, there would be the occasional sour puss who was dead set on winning if the match went south, but for the vast majority it felt like everyone was playing this game together, as a community, and breaking the stigma that looms over this game (one of trolls, poorly placed jokes, and rage).

I was actually excited once ranked came back. Maybe... just maybe this change would spill into the ranked community too.

Well... after a season of working from B4 to G5, trials and tribulations, trolls, feeders, afk, harass, the whole nine, I can say that nothing has changed. The glimmer of hope felt in the preseason was exactly that, a glimmer. And it has faded. I currently sit at 3-5 in my placements, and if what I'm seeing from others is true, will most likely be placed in Silver or Bronze even if I break even, and that's a pretty heavy if, considering 2 matches (both losses) came as a direct result of:

Recent Loss 1) Riven top all chatting that she is throwing and feeding 11 kills, while cursing the team out and trolling with her duo partner (our adc). Recent Loss 2) A team hellbent on throwing a 12 kill, 2 lane pressure lead to 4v5, then raging at me for not wanting to participate in 4v5 tower dives at 30 minutes. Of course followed by a Lee Sin filling chat with a mixture of spanish, chinese characters, and "lol noob" until the match ended.

League doesn't change. The community doesn't change. The concept of "Oh games like that happen to everyone, just move on." is only accepted in online gaming because developers don't want the backlash of inflicting harsher punishments. If a wide receiver caught a pass, handed it to a defensive player, and let him run it back for a touchdown, effectively costing his team the game, he would face public shame and severe repercussions. If an MMA fighter punched a referee or hit his own cornermen between rounds, he would face punishment and shame. Any other method of competition faces harsh punishment to those who sabotage their teammates.

But not League. Never League. It's accepted that "it just happens" or it requires repetitive offenses before an individual is punished. Hell, last season I played a particular match with a Graves who trolled and intentionally fed. Harassing us, swearing at us, etc. I did my best to ignore, but eventually gave in an compared him to a crying child, and I got a 14 day suspension. No prior chat restrictions, no prior 7 day suspensions, one argument with a kid throwing a game intentionally, I choose to speak up against him, and I get dragged down with him, effectively loosing what I'd worked hard all year to attain.

Riot will never stop this, it's just up to the players to accept the aggravation that infects their games. It's up to the players to accept behavior that wouldn't be tolerated in other games. It's up to players to accept that this is the face of their community because those at the top refuse to get their hands dirty with cleaning it up.

Here's to another season of grinding. Good luck everyone.