Hardcore Mode: Addressing SWF Balance
This is a game mode idea I just thought of when discussing ways to address balance around SWF groups using comms. Just some background on my DBD experience and opinions before I get into the game mode idea:
I only play solo queue when I play as survivor. The game was designed to be played as a solo queue survivor and is balanced around it. I don't believe there should be any disadvantage to playing in a SWF group, but I do acknowledge that SWF groups that use comms through some 3rd party tool have an unfair advantage. I think it is a natural flaw that the game has that can not be fixed. The only objective way to balance this issue would be to enable comms for all survivors, even in solo queue. That change would destroy most of the core design of the game and in order to redesign around that, it would be an entirely different game. But, any other changes to nerf SWF or buff solo play would be subjective and discourage playing with friends.
I think the only reasonable solution to allow killers to know they are not going against a SWF group would be a separate game mode. I know the community is split on how competitive DBD should be, and I thought the idea of a more competitive mode with restrictions would be interesting (Something like Confogl in L4D2, or ProMod in CoD4 are similar modes I can remember playing that are similar to this idea). Here's the ideas for the mode:
- Can only enter as solo queue survivor
- Banned perks/items/add-ons
- Limited map pool
- Separate rank from normal DBD
Several other aspects that could potentially be modified:
- Restricted hatch mechanics
- Reduced item charges
- Bloodlust changes
- Potentially something in a lobby where survivors can ban certain killers/perks and killers can ban certain survivor perks
Tons of different things could be modified, but the idea itself is to provide a mode for players who want to be competitive, since I believe there are wayyy too many aspects of the normal game that prevent it from being super competitive. I do not believe having the killers know that they are going against a SWF group or not in the normal DBD mode is a change that should be made. If killers want to make sure they do not play against SWF, they would have an option to play a separate, more competitive mode.
What are your thoughts on the idea? I know personally, I would love to play a mode like this as both survivor and killer. In what ways do you think this would positively/negatively affect the normal DBD mode?
Comments
I personally wish this game had an option to have the hud disabled would really make the game look nice imo
That's true, but I do not know how much more the HUD could be limited. Like, you need it for skill checks and such. I think it would be reasonable to hide many of the sound bubbles that occur during event's like a survivor being hooked. When the killer is using 3rd Seal it's rough, but you can skill play with it.
I realize that this is a stretch goal, and would take quite a long time to develop, but It's the best solution I can think of for addressing SWF comms.
" I know the community is split on how competitive DBD should be"
this game isnt competitive xd its party game to have good time xd in this game rank doesnt mean anything (100h surv can be R1, 150h killer can be R1)
there were couple attempts, maybe you remember those twitch things that was based on emblems in X games but it still was mostly for fun (at least in those communities that i belong to)
well maybe in your opinion community is split, its split like 6 to 1 because maybe you wont believe me most players are casual players that dont even try to get better in this game xd its as competitive as dont starve.
but im all about doing another que to keep all sweaty i mean competitive players away from myself, because playing vs "competitive" tunnelers off the hook is quite boring you know? but i would rather have casual que and ranked que (for those that still believes R1 will give you bigger E-pen) but without special treatment because i dont think with this polarized community it would pass (at most i would make sth like you cant bring add ons above green to casual Que)
and about "this game isnt ballanced around swf" well tbh this game is ballanced around having 1-2 bad players in your team that will die in 20sec to give killer time or lick walls for 1min, and funny enough when youre doing swf most of the time you wont get those bad players because maybe its weird but someone that knows you wont leave you on hook to 2nd phase most of the time wont just throw himself into random billy that is passing by with chainsaw
I don't believe DBD as it stands is a competitive game, but a there is part of the community that wants it to be, and plays like it is. I think it would be interesting to see what the game would look like with in a much bare bones setting. Possibly even no perks or something like that.
I find that I struggle to rank up at the top ranks of killer because I usually give the last person hatch, I don't proxy camp, or use perks that are frustrating to go against. But I think having a mode like this would make it so I wouldn't feel bad about trying hard.