Bloodlust Free Weekend Feedback
Removing Bloodlust has always been an interesting idea to me and I'm hoping that the data shows it was an outdated mechanic. Overall, I'd be happy with Bloodlust being removed or Bloodlust 2 and 3 being removed. First of all, I worried that it was a “win-more” strategy: something that seems powerful but actually holds you back. Second, the map changes have been putting more maps slightly in killers’ favor (key word "slightly"). Third, the power has shifted over which side has more game-changing perks.
> Bloodlust: a “win-more” strategy
When I play killer, Bloodlust is usually a sign that I’ve been losing 50/50 palettes or mindgames. Bloodlust 3 is something I don’t like to see. Bloodlust 1 is something that only helps at small loops. And, for slower-moving killers like Huntress and Hag it doesn’t help them.
Most killers have a power that can be used to change how loops play out, with Wraith being the main exception. When Bloodlust was off I didn’t notice any difference in most matches, I even got Adept Ghost Face without Bloodlust. Exceptions were Wraith and Tombstone Myers, Both were painful experiences. I felt bad for the Wraiths as it was too easy to loop them. I felt real bad looping a Wraith at Coldwind Farm.
For most killers, the situations where Bloodlust would have made an impact were all after the Killer had already been outplayed. For example I would mindgame the killer and start running to another loop: If they had been accruing Bloodlust they could have caught up slightly sooner. With Bloodlust off I could chain mindgames repeatedly. Some killers would keep making poor choices and tunnel. So the theory that Bloodlust incentivizes tunneling has merit. Smart killers either won the mindgame, chewed up the palette, or rotated to pressure generators. Wraith is the one Killer I feel benefits from Bloodlust 1, and for the rest it is a “win-more” strategy.
(Also if the speed increases from Bloodlust were worth it, every killer would be running Play With Your Food).
> Maps being changed to be less survivor friendly
Sure there is still Haddonfield but most maps have had loops changed. Breakable walls provide opportunities for killers to make meaningful choices for how they want the loop to go. And eventually all the maps will be updated. There isn’t really too much to write here, but the recent kill rate statistics show quality of gameplay being better for killers than it has ever been. The changes BHVR have been making have been for the better of the game.
> Perks over the years
Looking the base killers and survivors you can see a power shift in who has gotten the more game impacting perks. Adrenaline, Sprint Burst, Dead Hard, Borrowed Time, and Iron Will are still meta for survivors and Decisive Strike came out at the end of 2016. Killer perks have been more game-changing after (and it makes sense because it is 1 v 4). Pop Goes the Weasel, Corrupt Intervention, Hex: Undying, etc. Killers now have perks that rival the game impact of meta survivor perks.
> Conclusion
I’m totally okay with Bloodlust going away as long as impacted killers get buffs. Overall I feel Wraith is the most obvious killer impacted having to play out most loops and having no power to actually change the dynamics of a loop. I’m also okay with the suggestion only for Bloodlust 1, as Bloodlust 2 and 3 are just indicators that I’ve lost the recent 50/50s and mindgames.
Comments
Ok so I'm going to go through a couple of points. Formatting them for ease of reading.
1) Bloodlust 3 should almost never be something you're seeing unless you're playing very bad or got insanely unlucky with map RNG.
2) Not every pallet or window is able to be mind gamed. There can be a map full of mostly safe pallets if the RNG says so.
3) The reason PWYF is not ran is not because the speed is not worth it, the speed is very strong. The reason people don't run it is because it's too situational and takes too long to gain stacks and too easy and quick to lose them.
4) "Breakable walls provide opportunities for killers to make meaningful choices for how they want the loop to go" break this wall or lose any chase that uses it is not a meaningful choice. There's plenty of infinites that are cause by god walls now, its not a meaningful choice to say break this or lose.
5) Updated maps does not mean good maps. A decent amount of the new/updated maps still have issues. They are better, but not where they need to be overall.
6) Kill rate statistics should not be used as a measure of the game at all as stated by the devs themselves and plenty of others. There's very big discrepancies in the kill rates and the actual balance of the game.
7) Killers do not have equivalent perks as far as I can tell, the time saved on DS is much much more than the time saved on a use of pop in most situations for example. Undying is luck based as well. Those survivor perks are still meta because they are still extremely strong and nothing stronger has come out since (not that it should). There's actually a new survivor perk in the next chapter called "Power Struggle" That has the potential to be another survivor meta perks maybe, or at least very problematic. Just because killers got some more good perks does not mean they are now on the same level.
8) Yes at the very least BL 1 should stay and BL 3 should definitely be taken out in in my opinion, but its only because the map and loop design is not quite where it needs to be. Even the new maps can spit out pretty gross layouts if RNG allows that M1 killers can struggle, or potentially even not even be able, to deal with. There were multiple infinites and pseudo infinites found during the no BL test, and one of them was even a shack variation. The game just isn't ready yet.