In defense of Indoor Maps (Including Hawkins)
So, we have only two weeks before the Stranger Things chapter becomes unavailable and Hawkins is completely removed from the game. And I see a lot of people in the forum saying they are happy with the map going away, which I find disappointing, but not surprising, considering the hate indoor maps constantly get in this game.
However, I must say I completely disagree with this hate. I play this game since 2017, when Treatment Theatre (Lery's Memorial Institute) was the only indoor map in the whole game, and had also been recently released. And I mostly love when a new indoor map is added (okay, the ONLY exception was RPD, for how big and confusing it is. I still love the visuals, though). They are actually among my favorite maps in the game, and I'm about to explain why:
First off, I'm a killer main. So yeah, it makes sense for me to enjoy maps that have been killer-sided for most of this game's lifetime. Of course, this is recently changing. Gideon Meat Packing Plant is survivor-sided since its rework. RPD is quite survivor-sided (even though is unfun for both sides). Hawkins is about to be removed, so... out of the 4 remaining in the game, two are killer-sided (Lery's and Midwich) and two are survivor-sided (Gideon and RPD).
But this maps being killer-sided means they were better places to be in comparison to the many survivor-sided maps in the game. Haddonfield, any Coldwind Farm map, Gas Heaven, Blood Lodge (which used to be hell for killers before the rework), Groaning Storehouse, Ormond (which also used to be WAY WORSE than it is today), Disturbed Ward... and the list goes on. And considering how safe the loops in this maps used to be for a long time, Lery's, The Game and Hawkins were almost like safe havens from the stress you would potentially get on most other maps. Even today, Hawkins and Lery's still stand among the best maps to play as killer.
And there is a thing about this maps I always loved, and is the reason why a map being indoors makes it a bit better for killers in general: survivors have less information on them. When you're in an indoor map, survivors can't see where the killer is coming from. They hear the TR, but have little clue about the direction. This is something that helps killers A LOT. It allows you to get close before they run away. Which means... know the famous boring "Hold W" meta many killers complain about? It's not that much of a nuisance on indoor maps, simply because the survivors can't see where you're coming from and there's less spaces in straight lines for them to run.
This also helps a bit with the horror aspect the games lacks so much. Tell me, would Halloween still that good of an horror movie if Laurie could see the Michael coming from miles away? Because that's what happens in most DbD maps. The survivor is in a wide open outdoors area, sees the killer coming for them, runs in the opposite direction while keeping a safe distance. No surprise, no tension, time to prepare for it and prevent it, no fear. On indoor maps, even though the game still isn't scary, it's definitively closer to it than other maps. You hear a TR, you know the killer is close, but you don't know where they will come from. On top of that, there's the potential for jumpscares.
But then lets talk about the negative side: killer powers that don't work that well or are harder to use on indoor maps.
Killers that are harder to play at indoor maps, but can still be quite strong in it: The Nurse (with information perks she can still be quite deadly on them), the Blight (skilled Blights can still nagivate through them without many drawbacks), The Oni (with the control he has over his dash, you actually still can navigate quite well on the maps if you're used to it), The Trapper (the only problem is the lack of grass, but he still gets the benefits of the map. Uh... but he is not as strong in general as the others here, obviously)), The Plague (it's a bit harder to land frequent purges on the survivors when there are so many walls, but she is better than other projectile killers at this map).
Killers who get a disavantage at indoor maps: The Huntress, The Deathslinger, The Trickster, The Hillbilly, The Cenobite.
Now, killers who get benefits and are therefore stronger indoors: LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE. But specially The Hag, The Shape, The Pig, The Ghost Face, The Wraith, The Nemesis.The Executioner (if he's using aura reading perks), and any killer who's gaining the Undetectable status effect from perks or add-ons.
So there are 9 killers with drawbacks on indoor maps, 4 of them still being able to work around the drawbacks, and 16 who are actually stronger on this maps. This means indoor maps are good for 64% of all the killers in the game. 16% of them are harder but can still be good on them, and only 20% get huge drawbacks for it. For stealth killers then, indoor maps are great. Oh, so your main's power doesn't work so well on Lery's? Michael Myers, Ghostface and The Pig suffer that on most other maps. Try sneaking up on someone in Ormond, Blood Lodge, Shelter Woods, or in those generators at very open areas on maps like Azarov's Resting place. And considering the stealth killers are underpowered in comparison to most killers in the game, they both need and deserve maps that are better for them. Also, that makes indoor map offerings ideal for sneaky killer builds, like the famous Jumpscare Myers, Amanda's Letter Pig, Red Moss Demogorgon, Silencing Cloth Twins and Serotonin Injector Nemesis.
Then you might ask: What about the survivors? Well, the huge majority of the maps in the game are bad for killers. Isn't it fair that some of them have this advantage going for them? And is it that bad that you have less information and can't just hold forward away from a killer you see from afar? And on the other hand, every single indoors map has something going for survivors too. Lery's has a lot of windows, Midwich has loops that work well for skilled survivors, windows with breakable walls and even a few god pallets. Hawkins, even though is the hardest map for survivors, still has useful stuff for them, with many, many pallets, the ones inside the rooms being stronger. Of course, there is also an insanely safe generator in one of the edges of the map.
And finally, all the indoor map designs feel unique. On every outdoor maps, even though there will be different tiles and buildings, many of the loops will still be L T walls and jungle gyms. Those exist on indoor maps, but not many, which adds something that looks different for a change.
This is why I honestly wish this game had MORE indoor maps, specially considering that recently The Game became a vering boring map with a huge amount of god pallets, and now Hawkins will simply vanish from Dead by Daylight.
Comments
Ok im just gonna assume your right.
The only indoor map I find fun to play on both sides is Midwich, but the killers I play the most are Huntress, Plague and Nurse so I'm biased.
I find Lery's to be kind of survivor sided. It has a lot of windows that connect through each other (especially if RNG hates you) and makes holding W incredible strong on it. Also Iron Will is dumb on it. I actually like when I get Lery's as survivor.
Hawkins is more killer sided but it has lots of pallets and those room with catwalks are annoying to deal with.
The Game is just a map from some carpenter simulator that somehow got into DBD. This map has no gameplay, you're just breaking or dropping wood.
RCPD also has no gameplay. I think I haven't had a single legit game on this map. Always someone either DCs or AFKs.
Too much to read. But I do like indoor maps and will miss Hawkins so there you go. Whatever point you are making you are right!
Can't wait for this map to be gone tbh.
Getting depressed when i load in on this map. Killer and survivor.
I apologize but I'm not reading all that. Indoor maps suck remove them all
Tl;dr, all indoor maps except for RPD are really good, becuase they hinder survivor intel, arguing that for most killers, indoor maps are advantagous.
Lery's has a lot of windows, yes, and RNG can sometimes be bad for you, but holding W is actually weaker because survivors can't see where you're coming from. And if they try to loop you at the windows, well, it's not hard to mindgame them. Most of them are quite unsafe.
I agree with you about The Game and RPD, but this problems are because of the layout and loop design of this maps, not having anything to do to being indoor or outdoor.
Honestly, The Game used to be a much better map before the rework. It already had a god pallet issue, but way less than it is today, and had advantages for the killer to compensate for it. I think it was the best map for killers before Dead Dawg Saloon and Hawkins got released, even the gens were slower on it because survivors wasted more time looking for them.
But now... well, now the god pallets are so many that the map has no room for gameplay and strategy whatsoever. You chase a survivor, they drop a pallet, you have to break it, repeat.
I used to like The Game before the rework. It was one of the darkest maps and it really gave the horror aesthetic. Nowadays as I said it looks like something straight out of some carpenter simulator.
I hate indoor maps since I’m bad at the game in general, but variety is the spice of life and I will be sad to see Hawkins go because it’s just one unique map that will no longer be in rotation.
Im hoping this is just part of a marketing ploy between Behaviour and Netflix and that they’ll release a new Stranger Things chapter with a new map and characters in the future (I know, wishful thinking, but would be nice).
This man is writing books in his post and not even giving a tldr lol. IDK man, even as a killer main I very much dislike hawkins, regardless of it being a generally good map for killers. It's just an annoying layout really. But RPD definitely takes the cake as being the worst
I like most indoor maps with exception to RCPD. I’m sad to see Hawkins go. I hope we get another one as good as it’s been.