Lord DGAF
We all get tilted. But whether it's frustration or hyperfocus, a desire for justice or a desire to just give up, the spirit of tilt takes many forms. Take the test, learn the lore behind the four Tilt Types of myth, and see which one speaks to you.
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The Barbarian
The Paladin
What's Your Tilt Type?
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Scarred Veteran
Take the Tilt Test
Ventbot
Examples
Blinding Rage
Tiltable Moments
Tiltable Moment #2
Strengths & Weaknesses
&
EXAMPLES
Tilting Moments
“Don’t feed the trolls.” “Don’t fight fire with fire.” “Just laugh it off.” To Barbarians, it isn’t that simple to brush off disrespect. Insults, annoyances, and disappointments are felt deeply and personally.
Barbarians. This outspoken tilt type represents feelings passion and frustration in equal measure. Impulsiveness drives them to confront and challenge all external sources of tilt-- no matter the cost. Crackling with a spontaneous, driven energy, the Barbarian favors those who act first and do the deep breathing exercises later; players who feel the need to do something about it when tilted. Whether flipping a table or commiserating with a friend, negative feelings must be given immediate release. To master the Barbarian spirit within, a healthy outlet for venting goes a long way. It thrives by finding constructive releases for pressure experienced from the game and others.
Weaknesses
You’ve just been murdered under the safety of your own turret. Feeling a rush of blood to the head, you grit your teeth and clench your fist. Wanting to just move on and forget, you see a message from a teammate: “Play safer,” they suggest, and now you’re tilted to oblivion. Coping technique: PREMATURE /MUTE ALL. Few things cause tilt like having mistakes pointed out in an obvious and unhelpful way. One coping trick is to /mute all after your first silly death or accidental error. This helps to minimize stress and embarrassment and keeps you from seeing comments that make a frustrating situation worse.
Atilla The Hun
“Yeah, I like to flame a lot. I think flaming helps because it is better to unleash my rage in game instead of letting it stack inside me. If you think about it, what is so bad if someone is flaming you in game?”
A fearsome warrior and ruler of the Iceni tribe of Celts, Boudica's moment of tilt came when the Romans annexed her late husband's kingdom after his death. Vowing to “Win the battle or perish," she led a brutal rebellion against the Roman Empire, daring them to 1v1 her from atop a fearsome chariot.
Moment: We’ve all had games where it feels like we can’t be stopped, only to see our teammates drag us down. This feels almost unfair, like nothing is within our control and it doesn’t matter how well we play. Coping technique: THE 40/40/20 RULE. The 40/40/20 rule is the idea that, generally speaking, we’re going to lose 40% of our games no matter what, win 40% no matter what, with the other 20% being directly under our control. It might sound fatalistic, but accepting that we have no control over certain wins or losses is liberating and helps to keep the most painful, unfair losses in perspective.
VentBot
When fully tilted, the Barbarian Spirit goes to war, compelling us to lash out or play recklessly. Click to understand her inherent dangers.
Belly Full of Fire
Strengths
The 2nd greatest basketball player who ever lived had a famously ruthless competitive streak, often sparring with teammates if tilted.
Barbarians can often be their own worst enemies, self-sabotaging and attacking others for vengeance or satisfaction. The urge to lash out may satisfy in the moment, only to lead to tension amongst friends and teammates.
VentBot
Anger and passion can be a double-edged sword, but when harnessed by a Barbarian who’s mastered their emotional storms, they provide a clarity of purpose that helps them drive the change they want to see.
Barbarian Strengths
Previous
Meepers
Next
Feelings of Humiliation
“Hey, I’m not a Barbarian!” Narrator: they were.
Notable Barbarians
Headstrong
take the quiz
Strengths
Unsolicited Advice
Thomas Edison
Passionate • Focused • Explosive
Boudica, Celtic Queen
Others Playing Poorly
Tilting moments
Anonymous Player, 2014
Tiltable Moment #1
3
This type compels us to fight for what we want, to take big risks and defy the odds. With the right intentions, the urge to engage, debate, and challenge can be powerful and productive.
Chat is a Battlefield
1
Feel the urge to type something...not especially positive? Need to blow off steam after a frustrating game? Take it out on Vent Bot instead! Vent Bot accepts your salt with open arms, and doesn’t judge. Gain catharsis by screaming into the proverbial void!
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The Barbarian
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BOEEEOEEPEkfldsfjlsdf
Infamous conqueror and noted Barbarian Atilla the Hun earned the name “scourge of God” after running his tribal armies down the middle of the Roman empire.
Strengths & Weaknesses
1
Weaknesses
Focused, passionate, and intense, famous inventor Thomas Edison became so tilted by Nikola Tesla that he embarked on a lifelong crusade to destroy him.
Barbarian Weaknesses
Furiously Focused
Tiltable Moment #3
2
3
TILTING MOMENTS
Anonymous Rioter
Confident and motivated, the Barbarian represents a strong sense of self and unwavering conviction. They trust their intuition, relying on their gut to discern right from wrong.
Succumbing to the Barbarian's dark side heralds a shift in focus away from the big picture. Small slights become monsters of frustration that devour your good time. When the moment gets heated, it feels like it's the only moment that matters. Anger is tricky like that.
Michael Jordan
Weak Kneed
The Barbarian Spirit has many beneficial aspects that inspire us to compete and defy the odds. Click to understand her innate strengths.
Previous
You’re behind in CS and the enemy jungler is pitching a tent in your lane. You aren’t playing poorly, but you’re still behind and each brutal gank makes you more and more tilted. You want to stop the bleeding, but it feels like an impossible waste of time. Coping technique: LOSE LANE GRACEFULLY. Knowing how to play from behind - sometimes really behind - is one of the most underrated skills in the game. Instead of giving up or trying to force the issue, learn the art of defensive play. If done well, this calculated adjustment may even cause your opponent to tilt worse than you.
2
The Scarred Veteran is the patron saint of poor sleep habits and 4:00 A.M. marathons, where chants of “just one more game” echo through the night. Beware of burnout!
BOEEEOEEPEkfldsfjlsdf
3
Tiltable Moment #3
Scarred Veteran's Weaknesses
Taking breaks can be a good way to reset after a tough loss or clear your head. To encourage this habit, try setting alarms, reminders, or consulting an intricate flowchart like the one below!
FLOWCHART
Examples
The Scarred Veteran possesses many admirable qualities, including a hyperfocus on their goals that can block out any distraction. Click to understand their innate strengths.
Some folks jump from one interest to another. Scarred Veterans are more selective, preferring deeper investments with a clear path to mastering them.
Focused • Resilient • Obsessive
Losing Lane
Anonymous Rioter
The Scarred Veteran
Trance-like Tilt
Atlas
France had been fighting England for a very long time, and everyone was tilted. After 100 years of war the French were getting ready to take a break when Joan of Arc, against all odds, inspired her team to play just one more game.
Tiltable Moment #1
“Honest Abe” went through a lot during the American Civil War, and while stoic and resolute on the outside, he frequently struggled with inner turmoil.
2
Losing streaks
Nikola Tesla
FlowChart
Strengths
Examples
1
Abraham Lincoln
2
Anonymous Player, 2011
3
Flow State
Next
1
Previous
Suppressed Suffering
Your eyes are strained after focusing on the screen for hours. Letting out a tense sigh, you realize you should probably eat dinner after this next game. You’re not having fun exactly, but you queue again. Coping Technique: Alarms! Set an alarm on your phone that goes off once an hour, reminding you to do a quick mentality check with yourself. How are you feeling? What’s happened since the last time the alarm went off? Interruption mechanics like this can help us reset and re-assess.
Scarred Veterans are goal-driven. By thinking long-term and remaining focused on the bigger picture, it’s easier to compartmentalize and quickly move on from small annoyances and missteps.
Weaknesses
take the quiz
Joan of Arc
Few things spread tilt like a horrible losing streak. The more we try to force things and break the curse, the worse we play. Those favored by the Scarred Verteran know the depths of this desperate, sinking feeling well. Coping Technique: MIN-MAX YOUR BREAKS. Momentum matters, and just as the numbers show it’s beneficial to queue up immediately after a win, doing the same after a loss makes us play worse the next game. Structure breaks after losses, giving yourself a chance to clear your head and improve the odds.
While some channel their frustrations toward others, the Scarred Veteran presses forward and inward, suffering the slings and arrows of solo queue with grim determination. This spirit whispers that the only way to not tilt is to ignore it. To play another game. To stop on a good note. To get better teammates. The Scarred Veteran of tilt finds themselves alone at 3:00 AM, in the zone and desperately trying to break a loss streak. Who needs sleep when there's a win just over the horizon? This spirit craves balance and healthy routines. Learning how to manage a state of hyperfocus is key to avoiding the habits that make an already-tilting situation worse.
Concentration, steely determination, and hyperfocus can be a double-edged sword for this type. If the object of your attention is stressing you out, it’s better to walk away and focus on something else.
Constantly challenged by the tilted Thomas Edison, revered scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla always felt like he was just one invention away from victory, continuing to play the game of wits with his rival until he suffered a nervous breakdown.
You miss last-hitting a cannon minion. Wincing in shame and frustration, you vow to get the next one, but you’re so tense and focused that you don’t notice the gank coming until it’s too late. “It’s only going to get worse from here,” you think to yourself. Coping Technique: BABY STEPS. Scarred Veterans are creatures of momentum, and when one thing goes wrong it feels like a chain reaction has begun. Forget about winning or losing, and set a few incremental goals for the next few minutes. Don’t worry about winning lane -- focus on getting even in CS. Ignore the chaos in bot lane for now -- focus on getting your top laner ahead first.
Tilting moments
When fully tilted, Scarred Veterans can start to slip without breaks and mental resets. Click to understand a Scarred Veteran's potential pitfalls.
Previous
“It’s so late and I feel like I'm about to die, but I can't go to bed without a win when I have been playing all day, I just can't.”
Tiltable Moments
Tiltable Moment #2
Flowchart
TILTING MOMENTS
Strengths & Weaknesses
Tilting Moments
&
Strengths & Weaknesses
Scarred Veteran's Strengths
Mastery
Meepers
Notable Scarred Veterans
"Four losses straight. I've been demoted. But what do I do? Queue up again... I can turn this around. I'm two ranks away, but somehow it feels even closer."
A sense of effortlessness, of complete control, when time flies by as you’re immersed in something you enjoy. These feelings can help you own the moment and achieve a state of flow.
Level-headed
Weaknesses
Miserable Momentum
Next
Tilt is like quicksand: the more you fight it, the deeper you sink. The same impulse to press on through loss and frustration could also enable Scarred Veterans to ignore its slow, self-sabotaging symptoms until it’s too late.
Strengths
Atlas, a titan punished by Zeus, is required to hold the heavens on his shoulders. Only once given a break by his gaming buddy Hercules, Atlas was then tricked into pressing the ‘play more’ button again, continuing his never-ending struggle.
take the quiz
Bad routines
3
Next
Strengths & Weaknesses
Paladin Weaknesses
The spirit of the Paladin embraces the “try-hard” title others bestow upon them, and shakes their head at those who use don’t show effort in improving or fixing mistakes.
TILTING MOMENTS
Petty Power Struggles
2
1
The Paladin represents responsibility, order, and accountability for all. Click to see some of their innate strengths.
Tilt has a way of sucking us in, monopolizing our attention and stressing us out. Music can be a great way to subconsciously soothe frustrating feelings, while amplifying positive ones. Put on a playlist like this in the background next time you game, or create one from music that sparks good vibes in you.
Anonymous Rioter
Responsibility • Justice • Overzealousness
PLAYLISTS
Martin Luther
The Paladin
Athena, Goddess
2
Overzealous
Others Playing Poorly
Wu Zetian was an empress of the Tang Dynasty who would frequently and ruthlessly dismiss, exile, or execute those who stood against her in-game calls (reporting didn’t exist back then).
Empress Wu Zetian
BOEEEOEEPEkfldsfjlsdf
1
Tiltable Moment #3
Examples
Criticizing someone’s build order, second-guessing a teammate’s decision, refusing to let mistakes go: these are symptoms of tilt and exasperation in a Paladin, and are ultimately unproductive diplomatically. Having realistic standards for teammates is vital for a healthy mindset.
“I’ll do it myself!”
While many people on the internet don’t take well to the Paladin's unsolicited advice and feedback, it’s often well-intentioned and valuable (and usually correct, of course).
Accountability
3
You recently reported several players who clearly deserved it, and one day you decide to check their match histories to see if any punishments were handed out. When you see they’re still active, you become frustrated at the system and the community. Coping Technique: FOCUS ON THE LONG-TERM. While reports are the most effective way to hold unsportsmanlike players accountable, it’s not a perfect system and, for minor offenses, works best over time (which isn't exactly satisfying in the moment). Try practicing a more long-term view of justice, and see your reports as crucial pieces of evidence in a larger case rather than a smoking gun.
Anonymous Player, 2016
Previous
Strengths
Weaknesses
One of the most influential figures of the French Revolution, Robespierre’s overzealous interpretation of justice led thousands of perceived trolls, inters, and feeders to the guillotine.
Tiltable Moment #1
take the quiz
“When people are deliberately ignoring my pings and then blaming me for their deaths, it causes me to get frustrated and that can lead to tilt on my part.”
Against all odds, The Paladin tilt type believes reason, order, and logic should win the day online. Honorable, and with values rooted in fairness and responsibility, a tilted Paladin views mistakes or willful ignorance as an ultimate evil, and evil must be judged. This can lead a team to victory...or alienate it through criticism and mass-report threats. Not everyone is aligned with the sometimes overzealous ideals of this type, and when fully tilted, its disciples are fueled with feelings of resentment, exasperation, and the need to exert control. Those who master the Paladin spirit learn to accept and make the best of a chaotic situation, using strong strategic and leadership skills to steer a sinking ship to victory.
One of your teammates seems to think they’re in charge: bossing everyone around, spamming pings, insisting on strategies you know won’t work. Feeling like this person needs to be called out, you engage in a “spirited” debate with them that leaves you utterly tilted. Coping Technique: TACTICAL SPORTSMANSHIP. When a team is about to self-implode due to bickering, try the most calculated and cunning tool in the toolbox: positivity. Even if you feel nothing but disgust, say “good job!” anyway to subtly influence your teammates' mental state - especially ones who seem like they’re on the brink of tilting themselves. It may seem forced or fake, but deliberate positivity is a strategy that disarms and disrupts those vicious, argumentative cycles.
Tilting moments
Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, also dabbled in some competitive games. She was finally defeated in one such contest, but not in a way Athena deemed acceptable or proper, so she turned her opponent into a spider.
Previous
Sometimes Paladins can rise above others’ attempts to derail them. And then sometimes they feel the urge to cleanse the fields below with the flames of 10,000 offensive player reports in the name of justice. Sadly, retribution won't prevent tilt.
In 1517, Luther, tilted by a system he believed was broken, nailed his famous 95 theses to a church door, sparking the Protestant Reformation. His targets included the clergy, which he claimed didn’t do enough to punish bad in-game behavior.
In their most tilted form, the Paladin may resort to condescension, lectures, or threats to punish others. Click to see some potential drawbacks.
Try-hard
Examples
Playlists: Mental Music
Tilting Moments
&
Strengths & Weaknesses
Paladin Strengths
Meepers
Notable Paladins
Tiltable Moment #2
Unpunished Players
"Oh no. It's true. It's too true. Especially the alienated feeling. I have press esc sometimes to keep myself from overly chatting in-game. I deal with my tilt by trying to understand that I only know things from my point of view. I mean well, but that doesn't mean much when I don't know the greater context."
Whether it’s judging a new teammate or the effectiveness of a game’s report system, the Paladin holds others to high standards and expects things to work as intended.
Helping Others
You’ve made the call to take Baron, only to see your teammates wander towards the cloud drake instead. Baffled and furious, you wonder why they insist on being so wrong. The disorganization and selfishness we see in many games aggravates us and causes us to resent and question our teammates. Coping Technique: LEARN TO LET GO. It’s frustrating to see a situation spiral into silly chaos. But the more we try to force things, the more they slip out of our grasp. Routinely practice letting go of frustrations and anxieties related to other people, and narrow your focus to yourself and what you can control (you may have to fight your brain on this). Mindfulness, deliberate breathing exercises, and finding some dark humor in your current situation all help.
Maximilien Robespierre
Next
Strengths
Weaknesses
PLAYLISTS
When Paladins decide a match is lost and their allies are beyond redemption, they may set out on their own path, vowing to carry the game by themselves and embarking on a noble, doomed split push.
Lecturing
take the quiz
Tiltable Moments
take the quiz
"U mad?"
Random In-Game Goal Generator
Strengths & Weaknesses
&
Unsolicited advice
Lord DGAF represents feelings of detachment, foresight, and not taking anything too seriously. Walking the line between “chill” and “nihilistic,” this spirit doesn’t want their time wasted and won’t hesitate to emotionally call it quits on a match or another player, all before the five-minute mark. This intuition can be a blessing or a deceptive curse. Those whose spirits align with the tilted Lord DGAF may find themselves mentally checking out of winnable games, allowing their mindset to be affected by feelings of boredom and disgust with their own play and that of others. Masters of this spirit find ways to have fun even in the most tilting situations. Keeping engaged in goals beyond just winning is key to mastering Lord DGAF’s pessimism and enjoying the game more.
LORD DGAF has no time for boring, stressful, or doomed experiences on the Rift (even experiences that are in fact NOT doomed). What pleasure is there in a match where your feeding bot lane has already damned us all? This mindset is contagious, causing players to stop caring about the game and start caring only for their own gratification.
Franz Kafka
Strengths & Weaknesses
"If you gaze too long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." So wrote Nietzsche, the nihilist philosopher and future recipient of zero "tilt proof" honors. Surprisingly, Nietzsche developed his bleak worldview without ever visiting the internet, which surely wouldn’t have helped.
TILTING MOMENTS
Tiltable Moments
“When I want to surrender, that game is already lost, because I don't even care enough to try anymore after i put my surrender vote up.”
Tilting moments
When tilted, many who walk the path of Lord DGAF find themselves jaded, laughing at the misery that can permeate a doomed game. Click to see this type's inherent drawbacks.
Lord DGAF Strengths
Laugh it Off
Strengths
“Why should I try? We should FF. I know this is a loss,” moans Lord DGAF. Those with the intuition to see a game is lost may have trouble escaping the spiral of tilt and negative thinking this spirit’s questionable foresight causes.
GOAL CHECKLIST
You miss last-hitting a cannon minion. Wincing in shame and frustration, you vow to get the next one, but you’re so tense and focused that you don’t notice the gank coming until it’s too late. “It’s only going to get worse from here,” you think to yourself. Coping Technique: BABY STEPS: Lord DGAF tilts us by showing us the horrible implications of every little mistake. To prevent tilt, it’s important to shift your focus from long-term extrapolation to the smaller steps you can take to come back. Forget about winning or losing, and set a few incremental goals for the next few minutes. Don’t worry about winning lane -- focus on getting even in CS. Ignore the chaos in bot lane for now -- focus on getting your top laner ahead first.
Dedicated to OldManCheung (NA)
A priestess of Apollo, she was given the gift of prophecy...but it came with a price. Able to see the future tragedies of her team, but unable to get them to believe her, she saw the failings of her games over and over again until she went mad.
You’ve played enough to know when a match is over before it even begins. Whether it’s a botched jungle invade, or a teammate’s “avant-garde” support pick, nothing tilts you more than having your time wasted. Coping Technique: PLAY WITH FRIENDS. Rationally, you can try to remember that every comeback starts somewhere, and that nobody’s 100% accurate when it comes to predicting losses, especially when tilted. But the best antidote for the feeling of wasted time is to play with friends. Their presence can help alleviate feelings of boredom and impatience, and if things are actually going as poorly as you feared, it’s a great way to turn the misery into merriment.
You have seen the many ways this game can go, and are levelheaded and ready to help others. You have walked the twisted, tilted path and are willing to help newbies learn the ropes.
Tilting Moments
Meepers
Tiltable Moment #2
Previous
“I’m a total Lord DGAF. I tilt easily, and I feel like I know the outcome of a game within the first 10 minutes. But I’ve learned to channel my tilt into actively improving game over game. I focus on small victories that prove to me that, even though the game might be a lost cause, I’m still getting better."
Notable Lord DGAFs
Next
A Healthy Outlook
Weaknesses
take the quiz
Weaknesses
The brilliant, despondent Kafka was frequently tilted. His surrealist writing criticized life’s inherent alienation and despair, and he frequently called for early surrender votes.
Tiltable Moment #1
Nihilistic Existentialism
Next
Lord DGAF
Examples
Cassandra, Cursed Princess of Troy
Friedrich Nietzsche
3
GOAL CHECKLIST
Tiltable Moment #3
2
You’ve just been murdered under the safety of your own turret. Fed up with the game, you sigh and try to avoid alt-tabbing. Wanting to just move on and forget, you see a message from a teammate: “Play safer,” they suggest, and now you’re tilted to oblivion. Coping Technique: PREMATURE /MUTE ALL. Few things cause tilt like having mistakes pointed out in an obvious and unhelpful way. One coping trick is to /mute all after your first silly death or accidental error. This helps to minimize stress and embarrassment and keeps you from seeing comments that make a frustrating situation worse.
Lord DGAF Weaknesses
Examples
1
LORD DGAF’s children know the best way to tilt an already-enraged foe is to ask if they’re mad. But while this tilted spirit can give you the courage to not care in the face of frustration, it makes for an ultimately unfulfilling experience.
Previous
Anonymous Rioter
Easy-going • Fickle • Detached
Does the game feel over before the three-minute mark? Is all hope of winning gone? Use these goals to shift your focus away from imminent doom and towards self-improvement and keeping your head in the game.
When mastered, people who fall under the Lord DGAF spirit are easygoing, helpful, and emotionally grounded. Click to learn its innate strengths.
BOEEEOEEPEkfldsfjlsdf
Losing Lane
A Learned Advisor
Anonymous Player, 2014
“It’s just a game,” Lord DGAF firmly reminds you. “”You can always try again with a different strategy! Gaming is about getting better and having fun.” Depending on your perspective, this is a maddening refusal to admit one’s mistakes, or a wise and valuable reminder.
1
Surrender-happy
Queen Isabella I
2
3
Strengths
Lord DGAF teaches us to laugh at ourselves, understanding the best way to get over accidentally flashing into a wall is to acknowledge just how hilarious it looked.
Wasted Time
Although she may have thought Christopher Colombus was trolling, this Spanish monarch said “whatever” and financed his off-meta strategy to discover the New World anyway.