PSA: I JUST GOT A 14-DAY BAN!?!? (Q/A compilation)

MadMad Sickness·11/12/2017, 4:45:17 AM·8 votes·1,023 views

Questions answered are in this order:

I was just given A 14-day ban!?!?
How did this happen?
But I don't think this ban is fair/just/valid...
But, I haven't been banned in other games before, why was I banned in a game that's actually known for its toxicity???
But other people didn't get punished and I was the one who was punished... I feel betrayed...
But I was instigated into being toxic by feeders and trollers, so why am I the one that deserves to be banned?
But I spent alot of money/time in the game, and I have dedicated alot of my life to league... but I was still banned... why?
But I use this language every day in real life... I use it with my friends, family, coworkers, everyone...
My chat-logs legitimately show that that I was not all-that toxic in this match, so why was I still banned?
Can I get my ban lowered or lifted? I've seen other people who have done the same thing and gotten away with it...
How do I reform, and how do I avoid being banned from here on out?

This short Q/A was made to help provide a quick summary of things that I thought were useful responses. Please use it to help yourself get better and to avoid getting a perma (because that would definitely suck for you)

Feel free to reference this or any of the created threads. Also, feel free to ask any questions if you end up having any.

Q: I was just given A 14-day ban!?!?...

Dude, you are seriously, seriously on the edge here. you are literally 1-2 mishaps away from a full, full perma-ban.

If you do not reform quickly, and do better: you will lose your account. You will lose all the time you put into the game and all of the personal things you've bought: skins, wards, chromas, etc, etc

To be honest, you need to be on good behavior for the next several months and for the next several hundred games. If you aren't, you'll quickly be given the door. You need 3-6 months to drop a tier of punishment. SO, you need to clear that at the very least to drop down to just receiving a 14-day. To be totally safe I suggest you should avoid being punished for the next 1 yr to 1.5 yrs (this will almost completely reset your toxicity). I know that may seem like alot, but keep in mind that your account is on the line here. Anyway, if you can make it that long then you are practically reformed.

I advise you to take your ban seriously and work on reforming. Read through the rules and understand how you can avoid losing your account and everything you own on it. By receiving a 14-day, you probably didn't understand what caused you to work your way up the toxicity tiers and how you actually got 14-day ban. And if you do not understand how you got your ban, then you will probably receive a perma-ban as a consequence of not understanding the rules.

Avoid this at all cost and reform.

Q: How did this happen?

Understand that this ban system is alot like filling a bucket. Once you fill the bucket, you receive your punishment. Additionally, once you fill a bucket you work you way towards filling the next bucket, and the next bucket, and so on. Working your way up the punishment tiers is the same as fulling multiple buckets. Some behaviors fill the bucket quickly while others do it slowly. Some behaviors can even fill a bucket instantly. And if you are especially careless, some behaviors can fill several buckets. The punishment tiers are as follows:

First Offense: 10 Game Chat Restriction
Second Offense: 25 Game Chat Restriction
Third Offense: Two Week Suspension
Fourth Offense: Permanent Suspension

SO, if you've received a 14-day ban then you've filled 3 buckets already and you are working your way towards filling the 4th and final bucket.

Q: But I don't think this ban is fair/just/valid...

if you have questions about the validity of your ban then either contact Riot, get help from a moderator, or post chat-logs here on player Behavior and make a new thread. Also, please tell us if you have been restricted before. There's no way you have received your ban without either 1. having chat restrictions first or 2. triggering the IFS.

Just keep in mind, we aren't going to take your own words about your behaviour. Unless there's evidence that justifies your beliefs about your own behavior, we are just going to assume that Riot's evidence against you is correct. This is because your own perception of your own behavior is not reliable. You need to get chat-logs or no-one can help you.

Q: But, I haven't been banned in other games before, why was I banned in a game that's actually known for its toxicity???

You probably have behaved differently in this game than you have in other games. Also, your idea that this game has an inherent toxic environment is encouraging your own complacent attitude towards your own toxicity and is probably why you escalated your punishment. (or simply put: "just because you think that the game is toxic already, does not mean that you can also be mean and toxic to other people")

Other games also vary in what rules they decide to enforce; they have their own rules that they want their own players to follow. Those rules tend to be different then what Riot wants from their own players. Also, the community is the one who set the standards in this video game, and this is why Riot is enforcing the rules to be tough on toxicity.

Just because other games decide to hold a certain leniency towards negative behavior does not mean that Riot should hold the same standards to their own game.

Just remember that people who receive those types of escalated punishments are like .006% of the player base and you are in the minority

Q: But other people didn't get punished and I was the one who was punished... I feel betrayed.

There are people here all the time on the forums who receive just bans. The system is working, and is catching people. It's just that some of them know that their behavior was unwarranted and just move on and decide not to post here on the forums. As for whether these people deserve their own punishments, I can't tell you those things. Just be more aware so that you don't get into this situation again while working to get out of your "high toxicity" flag.

Just because the people who harassed you and instigated you did not get punished doesn't mean they won't be in the future. It could be that the guy who wasn't punished had a low toxicity rating and decided to flame/instigate toxicity for just that one game. It could be that he just hasn't filled his "toxicity" bucket yet. Anyway, the toxicity is probably catching up to him even if you personally feel like it isn’t. Just remember, if these people were toxic to you they will likely be toxic to someone else and get caught and you will be unaware of it when it happens.

Q: But I was instigated into being toxic by feeders and trollers, so why am I the one that deserves to be banned?

I did write a PSA about this topic already but the summary is basically this: it doesn't matter. Being baited or instigated into toxicity does in no way, shape, or form excuse any sort of retaliatory toxicity.

ESPECIALLY DO NOT GET BAITED INTO REPEATING TERMS THAT TRIGGER THE AUTOMATED BAN SYSTEM (HATESPEECH, DEROGATORY, OR OTHERWISE). SUCH BEHAVIOR IS HIGH, HIGH RISK AND CAN INSTANTLY ESCALATE YOU INTO 14-DAYS AND PERMAS. DO NOT FALL INTO THIS TRAP, DO NOT TRIGGER THE IFS (AUTO BAN SYSTEM).

Anyway here is the whole thing if you want a more in-depth explanation:

PSA: Toxic/griefing/feeding team made me become toxic, so why am I banned/suspended and they arent?

Q: But I spent alot of money/time in the game, and I have dedicated alot of my life to league... but I was still banned... why?

Riot does not hold partiality to Customers/Streamers/involved peoples. Even employees get fired from their jobs at Riot if they get caught being toxic in the game. And that's their livelihood, their careers, and their lives that are effectively wiped and jeopardized. So, do you think you get a pass even if employees at Riot don't get one, because you are a customer?

Anyway, as a fellow customer and player in the community I do understand how you would feel in losing your assets and your investment in the game...

As a leader in the community, or even just a participant: you should conduct yourself as a person of worth instead of a person of entitlement. Become a better person and learn that there are rules, and those rules are in place for a reason. Also, learn that deciding to break those rules come with consequences.

If you care enough about the game: learn to represent what Riot wants to do and how they want others to conduct themselves. Learn how to become that example. Thinking you get a free pass because of your purchases or because of your involvement isn't fair: it's not fair to Riot and it's especially not fair to the community.

Anyway, here is another PSA that I have written for a much deeper explanation if you are still not satisfied with this answer:

PSA: I spent alot of money/time in the game, but was still banned... why?

Q: But I use this language every day in real life... I use it with my friends, family, coworkers, everyone...

Keep in mind, Riot doesn't know who you are. They don't know if you were using language in a racial or derogatory way. I mean exactly that and I have no idea how to put it more bluntly: they have absolutely no idea who you are. SO, instances where the context may be important may not always be discernable because Riot cannot always tell if you are honestly being toxic or just joking. The only way to make it fair to everyone involved and to protect you and your anonymity is to just prohibit the language and its use altogether.

There is a 0% tolerance for hate-speech, certain terminologies, and certain actions that all have obvious reasons for being intolerable. If you are caught by the IFS, just remember that sometimes context doesn't matter because it's not obvious.

On a side note, if you want to continue to use this language with your friends, family, or coworkers "IN GAME". The only workaround is to only use this language in 5-man premades while not instigating the enemy team (as this produces the "lowest" risk).

Keep in mind, **YOU ARE DOING IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! ** If you use this language and you are reported by someone on the enemy team (or by one of your trolling friends) and are caught using it: this language violates the TOS and the evidence against you may be enough for disciplinary action.

Using certain terminologies that trigger the IFS is high risk behavior under every circumstance.

Q: My chat-logs legitimately show that that I was not all-that toxic in this match, so why was I still banned?

If the chat does seem to have a "low" toxicity rating (from a different person’s perspective that isn't your own): what the case may be here is that your toxicity rating is still "high" and the final case may have been what tipped you into your ban.

“The straw that broke the camel's back" is true here. The last reports may have been the final drops in the bucket the escalated you a punishment tier. You could have been toxic enough in your other games to get you closer and closer to this next level of punishment (14-day/perma) which was then set off. If you aware of those games then you already know. If you are still unaware, I would message riot to get more information about your case and other instances you may have been toxic.

If you have been reported before and have come from being punished before, then it's obvious that your ban is directly from your lack of reform and from your continual toxicity and negative attitude.

Q: Can I get my ban lowered or lifted? I've seen other people who have done the same thing and gotten away with it...

unfortunately, I'm sorry to say that they probably won't be able to do that. You can try, but it says explicitly in the terms of use that Riot's ability to enforce certain rules is independent of their enforcement of those rules.

Meaning, if they catch a person and punish them for doing something while not being able to punish another person for doing the same thing, they can still punish you for the full punishment that they deem appropriate for your offense. When you hit the perma mark it can't be undone. Mostly all bans are final and can't be reversed for the most part (except in a few very, very rare cases)

If you feel like it can help, message Riot or try to get someone to look at your ban to see if you can get a reduced sentence. The only instances I have seen that have a chance of success are those instances where:

The individual has never received a punishment prior and has a good record. OR, they have had very, very minor instances of punishment and toxicity.
The individual's Chat logs were not overly vulgar, grossly toxic, and inflammatory.
The individual was sincere about the toxicity of his Chat-logs and realized that the behavior was worthy of punishment, but was only in disagreement with the actual punishment.
The offense was an isolated incident.

If this fits you, then message Riot. HOWEVER, do not feel entitled or deserving of a smaller punishment and do not feel like Riot is obligated to lift or reduce your ban. The likelihood is very low that your case is a valid case for a legitimate reduction or a reversal of punishment.

Q: How do I reform, and how do I avoid being banned from here on out?

First, as I have said before, learn what is and what isn't considered inflammatory while combining it with your own common sense. And on another note: ACTUALLY READ THE TOS.

Also, learn how to protect yourself in game and how to respond to toxicity.

The community has different views on how you on can respond to toxicity appropriately. You can go about it in a positive manner or you can choose different ways to more "safely" approach toxicity. Some people recommend you unbind your “chat” key. Riot as the big fish in the equation has repeatedly, repeatedly endorsed the action of not responding to toxicity. There is a mute feature and a report feature for a reason and only one report is needed to flag the game (and person/persons) for review.

My own personal advice and procedure is as follows for whenever you feel the game is starting to become toxic:

acknowledge that the chat just became toxic and know how to identify a player that may trigger you.
choose to not instigate or respond to that behavior -if you chose to respond, even mild toxicity may be considered low-toxicity and can add to your toxicity rating. -If conversation is beginning to lean towards toxicity, responses can make toxic players sour really, really quickly.
Mute the behavior if you are at risk at responding in a toxic manner. -if you feel yourself being triggered, or about to be triggered immediately step away from the conversation by muting that individual. -do not let yourself be baited. -do not tell the individual that they are muted -do not tell the individual that you are going to report them -just mute them without saying or instigating anything.
Play the game out as best as you can and do your best to not even acknowledge the toxic individual, or individuals. -note: in the case of toxic premades just /muteall. even if they all decide to report you, If you are responding appropriately the system will consider your report more valid than theirs. And so, your 1 report on each teammate is worth more than their 4 reports on you because yours is actually valid and you did not instigate any toxicity.
When you get to the report screen, report all the players involved and move on.

If you choose to respond to toxicity at any point in the game, not only will you lower the validity of your reports but you will also put your own account at jeopardy.

Remember, you can always que up again. Toxicity isn't worth your account.

Again, if you have any more questions feel free to ask. I don't consider any question too dumb.

However, plz do not post chat-logs here, this is simply an info compilation and not a place to post chat-logs. The entirety of Player Behavior is devoted to helping you understand your behavior and how to improve. Thanks!