Rito please. During ranked games, if a player goes afk in the middle of the game, that person alone should be the one to lose LP. Not the rest of the team that inevitably loses after that, or should the team that wins gain any LP bc the game is therefore handed to them. It isn't fair to any of the players to award or take away LP for a player that leaves in the middle of it.
Every keeps saying people will abuse the system, then forget that DotA2 has had the very same system implemented for years. People who afk and dc often are separated into their own MMR after a while. Honestly, we shouldn't have a community that is dishonest and unfair. So just because "people will abuse the system" doesn't mean we should let them have their way and allow them to ruin games.
So, let's say I have a premade of 1-2 people. We are losing terribly. I'm very close to starting my promos, and so is my other friend. However one guy is just halfway to his promos and wouldn't mind taking the hit. He can simply leave, and suddenly we won't lose our LP. We just abused the system. We also denied the enemy team LP even though they tried so hard before the AFK.
Also, 4v5s are winnable. Don't act like they aren't.
That's never going to work.
First, people AFK for 2 reasons:
In case 2, your suggestion is just brutal. Oh, so since I stomped my lane and got up 4-0 in the first 7 minutes and made my opponent rage quit I don't deserve my win LP? That's BS. I wasn't handed a win - I MADE him AFK. I earned that win.
The second problem is that people would be trying to encourage allies to AFK in order to save their own LP. Oh we're down 15-5 at 17 minutes, [role] you're the feeder (say he's 1/5/2) so you need to AFK and take the hit. He refuses then gets abused and the other 4 gang up and threaten to report him. It would make a pretty toxic environment.
The third reason it won't happen: Riot is of the belief that it will more than balance out for you. If you NEVER AFK, then there's a 4/9 chance that the AFK is on your team and a 5/9 chance it's on the enemy team. Which means that you'll on average benefit from other people disconnecting. Which means overall that people who AFK will slide down the ladder and you'll move up. Which is a desirable thing (having AFK'ers move down the ladder). Their belief is based on the law of large numbers, i.e. if you play enough games you'll realize it. So while it may not work out for an individual (so far this season I've had 2 ranked games with an afk [who admittedly reconnected both times] and 0 ranked games with an enemy DC, and also 3 AFKs in normals but only 1 on enemy team) but it will work out if you play enough games. It's not Riot's fault that I haven't played very many games this season. In fact, they don't want to cater to players who don't play much - they want to focus their efforts on the people who play a LOT as those are the ones more likely to spend money on the game :) It's just good business sense (and if you don't play much, you probably don't care all too much about climbing - I mean I like to climb and want to be ranked higher, but I don't lose sleep over a lost game or freak out IRL because I sucked in my placements and was dropped a whole tier from where I ended last season).
And finally the fourth reason? Those games with AFKs are winnable. As I noted I've had 5 AFKs this season. I have a winning record in those games. Easier to carry when the feeder stops feeding - if that requires him to AFK so be it (okay, just kidding, it isn't easier to carry, but it's still doable, as I've proven to myself multiple times this season).
Obviously this isn't a great reason, but winning with an AFK is a GREAT way to get in a good mindset and go on a huge win-streak. That more than anything is what makes me know I'll be able to climb, I just need to put the time in.
I don't agree that the LP should be taken away from the team without the AFK.. It's not like the LP they win is taken from the losing team or something.. Them getting LP for a free win doesn't hurt me at all.
I do agree that the AFK should be the one to lose the team's LP though. "But think of all the people who will get bullied into taking one for the team and losing 50-60 LP!" They don't exist.
Actually contrary to popular belief, it won't actually abuse the system. People who lose massive amount of LP would drops tiers and not be able to play with their friends, Also this is very easily fixable. AFK multiple games in a row or in a certain time period can mean Duo Restrictions. That's just one way. Also Dota 2 has successfully implemented this.
Thirdly. Ironic how the biggest abuse of the system ever is allowing smurfs, to roam lower tiers and duo and dynamic Q up a team of noobs. Yet nobody talks about that.
Everyone is so concerned about placing rules on AFK'ers and Trolls because people might abuse the system. Yet there are much easier ways to abuse the system currently and everyone is fine with it.
