Ragequitting

 Ah, ragequitting. For those of you who are familiar, it is the purposeful act of disconnecting and removing yourself from a current game, typically of the online multiplayer variety, because you're so frustrated you forget that you're playing a game for fun. This is usually a result of being incredibly agitated to the point where a player decides to just give the fuck up.

 Until I started playing League of Legends last year, I never really had exposure to ragequitting. I've always been more of an MMORPG sorta guy, and there isn't too much ragequitting in that sort of environment (or at least, not in the games I personally played). It both amuses me, and saddens me greatly, that gamers allow themselves to get so legitimately angry at the game that they turn into absolute jerkwads (given the fact that they weren't jerkwads, already, mind you).

 First, it begins with a simple comment, usually blaming someone else in the team for their own death. "You weren't doing so-and so!", or "Why didn't anyone help me?" -- It's always everyone else's fault for whatever caused their character's demise (mind you, I often am guilty of this initial step, but I tend to realize it before it gets out of hand). Soon thereafter, the trash-talking commences. This part always makes me giggle inside, because the person doing badly ends up being the one who is insulting the team who is doing well, which makes absolutely no sense to me. I can somewhat understand a bit of competitive-speak if you're kicking ass and taking names... but when you're the one doing horribly, you don't really have room to throw childish insults and whine (or as it's more often called in-game, QQ).

 Of course, this is a snowball effect. More often than not, this player's attitude causes them to make irrational decisions and play even worse, effecting both their team's morale and ability to work together, all the while the raging player is bitching and complaining about both teams, at this point, because he/she is the only person in the world who knows how to play the game, supposedly. If for some reason, the player still hasn't ditched their team by quitting, they probably will, soon.

 Even more intense is when the team happens to be voice chatting together, say, through the use of Ventrilo or another program like that. Some players go absolutely berserk, screaming and yelling and cussing and making an absolute ass of themselves to the rest of the team. My question... is it really worth it?

 What is the point of playing a game -- which is meant for entertainment and ultimately, fun -- if you're going to get legitimately upset over dying a few times? Yeah, there are always going to be players who are better than you. Yeah, it can be incredibly frustrating to lose. But letting it effect you in such a way that you get outraged and lash out on others because of it? I just don't understand. Nor do I understand why players quit a match just because losing is inevitable. You're still going to get a loss, as well as get a leave on your record. Grow up and be a big boy (or girl), now. Learn from your mistakes and work on being more of a team player. Stop placing the blame on others all of the time, and take responsibility for your actions. If you made a slip up, learn from it. If you think something a team member could've done to help avert the bad situation, tell them in an optimistic manner. Shooting down your teammates and causing their morale to plummet will do nothing for your teamwork, trust me.

 I say unto all of you, you self-righteous, big-headed ragequitters... chillax, yo. Just have fun with it. It's a game. Don't make it into something it isn't. If you're more relaxed and just laugh it off when you don't well, you're sure to be less of a nuisance to others and prevent a ton of unnecessary stress from eating you alive.