RIOT, could we have better Custom Game Lobby Navigation for people to find ACTUAL Custom Modes?
As someone who both plays and hosts a lot of Custom Games, finding ACTUAL Custom Game MODES rather than regular Private or Practice Matches [without Passwords] is very slow and annoying. When you open the Lobby, a good 95% or more are just Games with Default Names by People looking to host a Private Match but forgot to put a Password (or simply don't know they can). Join pretty much any of these and you get Booted instantly. Host an Actual Custom Game, and your match's name will be lost in oblivion if it's any more obscure than the name of Urgot's Ultimate.
...so... Here are a few Simple Ideas:
- Make ALL Custom Games PRIVATE BY DEFAULT - that way Private Matches don't get mixed up with Public Matches, and also to let Players browsing for Matches know that they're Actual Options - rather than joining and getting Booted because the Host didn't know there was a Password Option. Just a Check-Box for "Public" will be enough to largely solve the issue.
2.** Add a "game" Filter to the Search Options** - as this will get rid of 95% of the "Custom Games" that are just Private Matches - because, unless Hosts are actually doing something Unique, nobody really bothers to change their Game's Name beyond the Default, which is always "<Summoner Names>'s game" (for example: if I host with the Default Name, it's just "Shard1771's game"). Add this option, or make it default, and it will be an almost as effective fix as the above suggestion - leaving Players with only the Games where the Host actually wants something different than a Practice Match.
3.** Add Tags & Tag Filters to Hosting & Search Options ** - this will allow Players to sift through the Tags they want - Tags like, Private, Custom Mode, [Team Size], Tournament, etc. Just, even here, make the Private Tag the Default.
Riot, do any of these, and you can help foster the Custom Game Mode Community without much as lifting a finger. These are such easy fixes and they will help so much.
It's called the "Custom Game Lobby" - Not the "Unprotected Private Practice Game Lobby". Riot, please make this Happen!
EDIT 1: As The Shady Minion pointed out, this will help everyone, including Players who don't want Randoms dropping in.
EDIT 2: If Private is set to Default, then there should be a Password Prompt before creating the Match. This will prevent ALL Hosts from accidentally forgetting about the Private/Public System.

