Hello Hardstyle Family
I understand where you're coming from as I myself have been toxic countless times in the past and have recently undergone in a change in how I approach each game and behave towards other players.
Regarding Champion Select: I FORCED myself a few games back to greet everyone friendly in the champion selection and see how they react. If they are silent, let it be so. Perhaps ask your support (which may have been auto filled) if they are happy supporting. If not, maybe consider making the sacrifice to take that role upon yourself if you know that you would probably be better. League of Legends is a team game, which means that sacrifices have to be made. If you make that sacrifice, people will already respect you much more for your generosity.
Regarding pre-game: I FORCED myself to start telling people in each game:"Gl and hf, and have a good day"... I know this seems stupid and needless, and it might be, but I have found that it already forces me in a positive moodset before the game starts. 9.99/10 times people will either not reply or they will wish you the same. Occasionally you will get a guy that just mocks you or something, but the key is to not let yourself be sucked in by such provocative chat. They want to piss you off, and if it will help you, feel free to mute them. It's what the function is for afterall :)
Regarding in-game: Alright so this is the hard part. You have either 1 of 2 choices:
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You can just mute everyone from the start and not be influenced by their words (Although you still need to deal with needless pings at times), and this will most likely help you to stop reflecting back to people who are trying to insult or question you with, e.g:"Wtf are you doing you [insert belittling name here]". These chats tend to get to you can be quite annoying.
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(this is the harder choice, but much more worth it) You can stick to that positive mindset you had at the start. You just wished a couple of people a good day and that you hope they have fun. With this in mind, there are a couple of things you should keep in your sub-conscious:
- All these guys are human beings, just like you - Some of them might just have had a bad day, maybe a relative died, or they aren't feeling well, or they are simply making stupid mistakes because of a bad game they are having. We all have them.
- Insulting them helps LITERALLY no one - It lets you blow off steam, but in the process you are belittling your teammates, making them disrespect you, and putting everyone in a bad mood, which just screws everything up and then you are most likely bound to lose
- It's just a game - This is also one of the most important ones. Think by yourself:"So what if I lose this game. What has it done to me as a person? Yes, it's not fun, but is it worth it to insult all these people just because I am angry at a game"
- If you are being flamed, tell them that you are sorry and that you made a stupid mistake (if you did). If you didn't, tell them why, e.g:"Sorry I didn't come help you in mid, I ganked mid and my health was low so I rather wanted to B to be safe." By just explaining your situation, most of the times it will make the flamer stop and leave you alone. Just explain yourself plainly. If they flame needlessly or it is becoming annoying and affecting your playstyle, mute them (yet again, that's what it's for).
Regarding post-game: The last part, I always try and end the game with:"gg, wp all, (and then again) have a good day)".
These are just some of the tips I use currently, and although I still sometimes feel like I want to pull my hair out, I don't take it out on my teammates. If someone else is tilting, help them. If they are flaming, tell them to stop. Who knows, you might just be helping a scrawny little guy who might be depressed and imagine how he must feel if this random stranger stands up for him, for absolutely no reason :).
So before you quickly get to insulting and raging and so forth next time, freeze your fingers..... THINK... Is this comment I'm making useful to the team? If not, then don't say it.
A quote that goes a long way here:"If you don't have something to say that is more precious than silence, then don't say it."
I know it's a lot more difficult said than done, but use your will power. You could make a lot of people's games a lot funner. Just figure out what are the right and appropriate things to say.
Good luck, and PM me if you need any help.
Rhawkie 