In the feverishly contested battlegrounds of League of Legends, one issue consistently causes heated debates among players: the decision to fight or surrender when a teammate goes AFK (away from keyboard).
Summary
- The obsession with not giving up even when at a numerical disadvantage frustrates many players.
- This refusal often compromises the potential for fair play and enjoyment.
- Questions arise on the efficiency of the current punishment system for AFK players.
Despair in Disadvantage
Opelite, this post’s author, voices his vexation at teammates who refuse to surrender despite being left in a 4v5 situation due to an AFK teammate. Struggling players often echo sentiment with concerns over lost time and LP (professional points). Aly_lessard shares her similar experience and brings up an insightful point about the puzzling LP gain/loss allocation in an uneven game, a sentiment that resonates with many.
Hope vs. Reality
Stepping into TitleProfessional699‘s shoes, fighting an uphill battle against five enemies can be daunting, especially when victory seems like a sliver of hope. But hope can be relentless. Some players hang on to the thin string of possibility that the AFK player might return and steer the game towards a crazy comeback. Such occurrences are infrequent but inexplicably sweet when they happen.
Potential Solutions
While some may find humour in our plight, a la NoHaxJustJ4C0B, potential solutions do exist. Dota2 handles AFKs differently; the first player to leave is penalized, but the remaining teammates can depart without punishment according to Bakugans25. Perhaps League could consider similar approaches to handle this persisting issue.
In the throes and excitement of each LoL match, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it’s just a game. Finding solutions for AFK players is important for a healthy gaming community. However, let’s remember to take things with a grain of salt, have a laugh when we can, and keep the spirit of the game alive.
