AFKs in Ranked

Fat Bald Jax·Mar 4, 2019·0 votes·2,210 views

Riot should make it so that if a team with an AFK player loses, the active players don't lose any LP. It's pretty much always a loss if you have an AFK player in a ranked game, and it's not fair that the active players lose LP for a loss they couldn't inhibit. It's an easy issue to fix, it's so unfair that 1 player can AFK for whatever reason and have 4 others who are trying to climb lose LP, or in the worst case, a promos game. The game can identify AFK players, thus treat the game a certain way such that if the AFK team loses, the active players aren't punished. There really isn't any problem with this, and I think it's fair if Riot refunds a loss in some way if they notice this happens.

24 Comments

AeroWaffleMar 4, 20193 votes

To make sure there was no LP inflation Riot would have to also make sure that the winning team doesn't get any LP either.

Are you prepared for that? Do you want to go through a game and not get LP because that enemy lane that was getting their face pushed in left the game?

Fat Bald JaxMar 4, 20191 votes

They could make a system such that if a player that actively leaves a ranked game, they are punished a lot harder. It could detect bad performance, the opposing team performing a lot better, toxicity, etc. Also, the non-AFK team doesn't need to win their normal LP gains, I think it's fair if they win a fraction of what they normally get, like an "AFK victory LP".

Krissi2197Mar 4, 20193 votes

Honestly I just think LP gains should be halved for the AFKer for the next 5-10 games depending on how many times they go AFK.

Fat Bald JaxMar 4, 20191 votes

I think that's a good idea for a punishment condition. Though I'm concerned about the teammates of the AFK player. They lose ranked progress for someone else's wrongdoing. The idea is somewhat abusable from the ideas of others I discussed with, but I think certain tweaks could make this idea viable.

SustainmentMar 5, 20191 votes

[deleted]

Fat Bald JaxMar 5, 20191 votes

It's not only one game. People who grind and play more encounter this more. Regardless of how it demotes you or anyone else, a system that prevents any deficit for innocent players would be favorable.

The EcdysiastMar 4, 20192 votes

They do refund losses in a way. By relying on the inherent randomness, the chance that you'll encounter an enemy leaver just as often as an ally or leaving yourself.

Fat Bald JaxMar 4, 20191 votes

I've never had a loss refunded for an unfair game. Although you're right about the randomness being a fair chance, I think it's be much better if they implemented a system that relieves active players from losing ranked progress from AFK players, 100% of the time.

CharDeeMcDennizMar 5, 20192 votes

what would stop players, specifically premades, who think that the game is a total loss so someone agrees to go afk to save the other people LP

very easily abused

Fat Bald JaxMar 5, 20191 votes

I feel like you're thinking of it like dodging. You nor anyone would easily volunteer to AFK for solo queue teammates. Voluntarily leaving ranked games already has harsh repercussions. Activity like that puts the account in low priority queues or eventually starts to get suspended if it's abused. This is only meant for solo queue. Although the idea is initially abusable, a better punishment and restriction for abusers could be implemented. The idea isn't fully troubleshot, but victims of AFK players would agree to have some LP gain/loss tweaks when they encounter and AFK player.

CharDeeMcDennizMar 5, 20192 votes

did you miss the part where i said "specifically premades"?

if a group of 3 or 4 is getting stomped it's perfectly reasonable that, under your system, 1 person would go afk and save the others LP instead of all 4 losing LP

this game is 50/50

for every game you lose due to an afk, odds are you've won one as well, this is just a tilt post

Fat Bald JaxMar 5, 20191 votes

I don't think you finished my reply. I said it's only for solo queue. You can't run more than 2 players in this queue. Although it may be 50/50, some players don't get that luck and end up with more AFK losses than potential wins. Regardless if a team is losing pretty hard, I don't think people would like to suffer penalties on their accounts, even for a duo friend.

CharDeeMcDennizMar 5, 20192 votes

so you want them to implement a new system ONLY for solos and ONLY for they extreme few whom the MMR algorithm doesn't work perfectly on?

yikes man

[slayer-jinx-unamused]

Fat Bald JaxMar 5, 20191 votes

Solo queue is where players want to win and play seriously. I don't expect a player with a full ARAM match history to understand, but Riot balances the game and makes gameplay changes mainly for players who play ranked. They don't solely focus on solo queue entirely, but fairness and game balance are priorities here. MMR also isn't the issue here, the entire post is about AFKs and how they impact their teams unfairly. I don't know where you got your data from for how often there are AFKs, but I and many of my friends happen to encounter them more often than we should. Riot also previously did implement something for AFK victims, which was the remake system. If you play ranked to win you would understand my point of view more.

CharDeeMcDennizMar 5, 20193 votes

oh so everyone who plays this game only has one account right?

congrats, whatever discussion you wanted to have is now pointless bc you couldn't resist trying a (weak as shit) personal attack bc your actual argument made no sense

keep crying over lost LP, see ya*[slayer-jinx-catface]*

Fat Bald JaxMar 5, 2019

You're angry at me for some reason LOL. My argument about you not understanding was valid because you don't play ranked. You don't understand the frustration of AFKs. I wasn't even trying to attack you, you took that as offensive for no reason.

This is literally the first time I tried to make a discussion on the boards and people don't even want to see the point I'm trying to make. They find small factors that I argue against and then reject my points by saying I cry too much or I'm dogshit.

Most people here are unranked, so I don't expect sympathy. But why do you go onto the boards and try to discuss issues with no real argument or experience, and try to find small things to get emotional over and use that to close out the discussion?

CharDeeMcDennizMar 5, 20192 votes

[{quoted}](name=Equus Bass,realm=NA,application-id=ZGEFLEUQ,discussion-id=tNmv1Zq3,comment-id=00040000000000000000000000000000,timestamp=2019-03-05T13:57:53.720+0000)

you don't play ranked. on this account

ftfy, dont be so obtuse

Fat Bald JaxMar 6, 2019

I don't expect anyone to agree with the idea anymore, I guess that's the community response I needed. But since you do play ranked, I thought you might have understood my point of view.

Just out of my curiosity, what is your rank?

Krissi2197Mar 5, 20192 votes

I agree with everyone here honestly. The system of preventing LP loss for the other players is really easily abused. Yes, you'll lose LP unfortunately due to a leaver/AFK in your game, but there are going to be games where you're on the opposite side of the coin and the enemy team has the AFK/inter/person with 1000 ping. It goes both ways.

I still stand by my suggestion to give the AFKer a LP penalty for a few games. Maybe for the first offense or two just get hit with the leaverbuster warning (accidents do happen and random DCs/glitched out PCs do happen) so first time offenders are fine, but after 3 or more just half their LP gain for the next x amount of ranked games (solo or flex, depending on which queue they were in when they AFK'd).

Yes your teammates still take the hit but the person who AFKs constantly will ultimately receive a bigger hit in the long run. So far this season I've had about 2-3 AFKs on my team and 2-4 AFKs on the enemy team, and I've played almost 200 games give or take already. It happens so rarely that the LP loss doesn't matter in the long run because if I'm meant to climb, I will gain it back in no time.

FioraWillCarryMar 5, 20191 votes

If you're playing on NA you really shouldn't be complaining about AFKs. If you want to know just how bad it can get, try playing on LAN. 3/4 of all matches, ranked or otherwise has an AFK, someone disconnecting half way through the game or someone lagging so bad, they might as well be AFK and eventually they actually afk.

I never knew how nice we had it here on NA until I played ranked on the LAN server. You see an AFK like once every 100 games on NA instead of almost every game.

Fat Bald JaxMar 5, 20191 votes

Regardless of how often it occurs, the issue is still solvable. In this case, LAN players would enjoy not losing LP if they lose unfairly because of an AFK player. I'd also say AFKs occur more often than once every 100 matches on NA. I'm not sure about LAN, but based on your experience, they would probably appreciate some treatment to their frequent AFK issues.

FioraWillCarryMar 5, 20192 votes

[{quoted}](name=Equus Bass,realm=NA,application-id=ZGEFLEUQ,discussion-id=tNmv1Zq3,comment-id=00030000,timestamp=2019-03-05T03:43:24.008+0000)

I'd also say AFKs occur more often than once every 100 matches on NA.

More realistically, I'd say 1 in 20 games.

I've played several dozen games the past week on NA. I could only remember seeing an AFK in one game. In contrast, I'd see AFKs 2-5 times daily on LAN. AFKs are extremely rare on NA. NA players complain about it because they have no alternate experience to compare the NA experience to, so 1 in 20 feels like a lot. But trust me, if you spend a week playing on LAN, you'd very quickly realize just how rosy the NA server is.

Also, despite numerous AFKs over there, it's still extremely possible to climb there. Frustrating as it was, it didn't make laddering any more difficult in terms of winning games. Since my experience on LAN, I've never found reason to be frustrated at AFKs on NA again.

[{quoted}](name=Equus Bass,realm=NA,application-id=ZGEFLEUQ,discussion-id=tNmv1Zq3,comment-id=00030000,timestamp=2019-03-05T03:43:24.008+0000)

Regardless of how often it occurs, the issue is still solvable

Thing is, it happens so infrequently on NA that it's of little consequence in the grand scheme. But I do agree that something needs to be done about the LAN server though.

Fat Bald JaxMar 5, 20191 votes

Your right about my feeling about AFKs, I've only ever played on NA. I don't I'd last on LAN for even 3 games. It does seem like I'm complaining when it's not even that bad for me, but it would help for the times and AFK does lose a players game. Even if it doesn't have a great impact on NA, it sure could help regions like LAN

FioraWillCarryMar 5, 20191 votes

[{quoted}](name=Equus Bass,realm=NA,application-id=ZGEFLEUQ,discussion-id=tNmv1Zq3,comment-id=0003000000000000,timestamp=2019-03-05T04:03:42.093+0000)

I don't I'd last on LAN for even 3 games.

The only reason I can tolerate playing over there is ping. I get 150 ping on NA which was never a problem. But when I played LAN for the first time a few months ago in preseason, I discovered just how beautiful this game feels when played at 60 ping. Playing at 150 ping is torture now after playing for so long at 60 ping. My LAN account is currenlty on a 14 day ban which is why I'm playing on NA these days but when that ban is up, I'm gonna be playing there a lot more.

However, if I had 60 ping on NA, I'd never choose to play on LAN. The ridiculous amounts of AFKs make it a very grueling experience and being the only English speaker 95% of the time can be a bit trying as well.