FIGHT ME RIOT

Now that I have your attention... I wanted to share with the community an e-mail I sent out to Riot support recently.

A Specialist responded right away with positive feedback and was cool enough to suggest a League-Themed Wedding with Poro outfits for our pets. (They make that stuff?!)

Her advice: "I do agree with you when you said that we should offer additional litter boxes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions as well as your suggestions. I can't really pass feedback reports directly to the development team, but I recommend posting to the Boards. The team is always looking at the Boards to get a feel for what parts of the interface players think could be improved."

> Dear Riot,

> I love your game League of Legends. My friends and I are enthusiasts... and I met the love of my life on here. We're engaged and happily working towards our wedding day, living with two cats and a chihuahua. <3

> My question in all seriousness is to whom it may concern, whether or not you've considered the social, emotional, and mental conditions of the millions of players you have on your game?

> I write to you to advocate giving summoners a choice to say no to bullying! A chance to give summoners powers to leave game and know that another summoner will take their spot at lvl 1 and if no summoner available, an AI bot until a summoner will quick load in. A chance that summoners who leave know that they will be facing the possibility of a quick load queue that will take them lvl 1 into a possibly lvl 18 late game. Rather than trapping a person for the next 20-40 minutes in a game where the bullying can become extreme and damaging harassment, give them the option to leave!

> The Behavioral Initiatives are equivalent to Kitty-Cat-Litter-Box training No-No's. They punish the actions of players acting out, rather than aiding the ailment for what causes the bad behavior. These initiatives currently instilled are reflections of our symptom-based, "pain- management" societal practices rather than holistic views directed towards a "cure" [i.e. Eastern vs Western Medicine].

> It's very common for angry owners to spray, punish, yell, and isolate the bad-kitty who pees outside the litter box. However, the kitty's consequential good behavior is not a "fix"; it's only temporary. One reason is because the cat becomes afraid of the authority figure and avoids the areas to avoid the owner, but will continue to pee outside the box once the owner is gone.

> People act differently when queued with a summoner name marked "Riot." However, as a frequent player, I've seen really awful things.The instances I can name are numerous and common. One person, shared that he had just recently recovered after receiving chemo and was just coming back to the game. Unfortunately, he played poorly, therefore teammates told him that he should have just died from cancer instead.

> Another instance, a veteran playing the game, suffered a migraine and nearly passed out. Teammates made death wishes and raged afk reports. Due to my background in Alternative Medicine, we were able to control his situation and stabilize his condition with simple reflex point therapy.

> And what can Autistic players do other then bang on their desks and shout into their isolated hermit environment?

> Cats pee outside the litter box due to stress. Yelling at them, punishing them, creates more stress, and feeds the behavior. It never truly stops.

> Ragers and Afkers who are punished, may have windows of calamity but will make new accounts, or come back with a vengeance. I've met so many players who say "I don't care if they ban me. I'll just play on another account." The toxicity just keeps resurfacing.

> So how do we truly rehabilitate a kitten properly? First we identify the core issue and that is stress. Whether it's from a UTI needing veterinarian care, limited litter boxes, or behavioral stress, it all stems from stress.

> League is a stressful game. But it's EXCITING! However, for those that have anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other behavioral disorders, this very exciting fun game, can become a playground breeding their worst nightmares. That's when stress becomes toxic. What happens in a playground where a kid who is singled out, can't escape and can't get back up? They become bullied. The detrimental effects of bullying are well known in our today's modern society. Bullying can afflict scars the can lead to self-esteem issues to suicidal thoughts and serious depression.

> You are all responsible for the space that you create. So with the creation of a competitive game that fosters teamwork, fosters adrenal rushes, there will be stress.

> It's NOT Riot's job to take the players to the doctors for their disabilities and emotional struggles, but it CAN be your job to offer more litter boxes: A choice to say no, to bullying, and move to a different box! Rather than trapping a person for the next 20-40 minutes in a game where the bullying can become extreme and damaging harassment, give them the option to leave!

> Nothing feels worse than muting the team, because subconsciously, it's an act that represents the idea that alienating oneself from society is the best solution. It's known throughout history, that Humans are SOCIAL creatures. Let's not support the notion of self-alienation!

> There's a reason for ragers and leavers. People are trying to escape in-game-stress! Trapping people in a stressful environment is the complete opposite of fixing the problem because a disabled animal fights for its life, while enabled animal lives its life.

> Having the choice to walk away from harassment, embarrassment, and stress will allow hurting summoners to walk away from damaging experiences that can lead to emotional sickness. This choice also comes with the knowledge that resulting consequence is being instantly queued as Lvl 1 into a already running game, encouraging sincere players to take their parts seriously and complete games. Ragers, leavers, and toxic players will be the ones at the level disadvantage, forcing them to work to come back.

> This may not be the exact solution, but I sincerely believe that pro-choice, rather than pro-banning & pro-isolation, is the best way to consider the social, emotional, and mental conditions of the millions of players you have on your game.

>With warmest regards, > Bunny

[Thanks to my fiance' for the title heading]