LoL and the surrender button.

[Lovely Mixture]

For regular games. Not sure, the option is nice for extenuating circumstances. If people really want to leave they'll quit anyway, so it doesn't really make a difference.

LoL's community (like many) is known for having tons of assholes, trolls, and idiots. Sometimes you want to leave and still have the option to play further (for those who don't know, quitting a game gives you penalty).

For bot games. Why not? It's training.

 

[Gatx]

It's my understanding that in RTS and MOBA games, surrendering is a demonstration of good sportsmanship. Unlike a fighting game where a last minute comeback is always possible because no matter how badly you're losing since your character performs the same, as you lose in a MOBA, the other team keeps getting stronger, and in an RTS the resources on a map are finite. So if you see a situation where it's impossible or even just very, very unlikely, surrendering rather than dragging it out and wasting both your and the opponents' time is a "gentlemanly" thing to do.

 

[drivebymessiah]

The basis of MOBA games is a mismatch that will exist in spite of the skill and effort of any one player. This characteristic, to my thinking, is the reason for their popularity and existence. The human being's high level of response to random reward schedules as opposed to fixed rewards is why this gets such a high response.

Back when I was playing Warcraft 3 prior to the the momentum of DotA allstars the most common game-type was the basic, ladder style competition of Warcraft 3, the RTS. In that game, the bulk of which being played as 1v1 and 2v2, each player had a very direct reward of winning and losing based on individual skill and effort. Once DotA allstars came on the scene, players flocked to it for the chance of going 20 kills and 2 deaths with little to no opposition and the fact they only had to micromanage one powerful hero. Sure, the very unskilled DotA player probably won't stomp an entire match very often but it has a chance of happening in a DotA match much more so than it did a Warcraft 3 ladder match.

The surrender option exists to save players on a disadvantaged team from the very design of a MOBA game. Dota 2 opted to not allow players to quit under any circumstances; instead adopting the maxim, "Stay right there and take the punishment for the next half hour so that someone else can have a good time. Eventually the roulette wheel will land on you." MOBA games are far less balanced than other game types that don't have a buildup of stats and items making one opponent greatly advantaged. I would much prefer to seek the matches that exist in that narrow grouping of "even match-ups" and have the opportunity to opt out of those matches that clearly aren't that.

On another note, as someone who has played a fair bit of LoL, I have to ask how often are these surrenders occurring? After reaching max level and mixing in some ranked play with standard games: the number of games ending in early surrender have been, for me, around 1 in 8. Large mismatches and surrenders occur more often when I queue with less skilled acquaintances. I regret the implications I am about to make, but I have to ask: are your friends making a legitimate effort in these games?

Quitting is a time honored staple of pragmatism. Here's a very good song about this idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK71zjFc_yw

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Just finished a match in DOTA2 that would not have happened with a surrender vote.

I failed in my lane. Gave first blood, then got zoned out... as a Nightstalker = I'm useless. Then they fed on me thanks to global initiation (Spirit Breaker and good rotation from their team). Lost all outer towers and mid rax. Team was in a down phase, flaming started.

Then we won a teamfight thanks to good use of ultimates. Then we did it again, I was the only one to die. And again. And again... and then we pushed in mid and won the game. And ym contribition was being a glorified ward and drums.

http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/631913116777694365/39D641A4B66BC4F82114B90024A08DC1846B4AAD/

I was on Radiant, the morale was down at minute 20. Still managed a turnaround.

This is the argument against surrender, and I appreciate it. I've only played ~180 or so games of DOTA, but I've had a half dozen or more stirring come from behind victories that would've never happened had there been a surrender option. And I've played a lot of close or decent games that probably would've been abandoned 2 minutes in when someone gave first blood, or a particularly sore player died early.

That said, there's a middle ground that needs to be found, because the number of games that are settled early and then drag out for another 30-40 minutes is WAY too high. Losing in a MOBA tends to be a snowball affair, and the misery just piles up. The other team prances around jungling, killing Rosh or graveyard camping and does anything but push the game to a fast conclusion, because winning is fun and they want to prolong their enjoyment.

I'm not sure how you'd accomplish it. Perhaps a 5 person vote to surrender where everyone has to turn their bloody key or something, and it's only available once a certain number of towers are down.