What would mean the game is balanced to you?
Everyone is complaining and arguing about whether the game is balanced or not, saying killers are overpowered or survivors win too much. What is balanced? My main point for discussion is:
Would you consider the game balanced if the average match was 2 survivors are killed and 2 survivors escape? Thats half and half.
Discuss what the average match would have to be for you to think the game is balanced.
Im asking this because ive compiled almost 200 match statistics from rank 10 to rank 1 including map, killer, killer rank, killer perk tiers, killer add ons, whether im SWF and with how many, and how many end up surviving.
Would you consider the game balanced if the average match was 2 survivors are killed and 2 survivors escape? Thats half and half.
Discuss what the average match would have to be for you to think the game is balanced.
Im asking this because ive compiled almost 200 match statistics from rank 10 to rank 1 including map, killer, killer rank, killer perk tiers, killer add ons, whether im SWF and with how many, and how many end up surviving.
Comments
My personal definition of a balanced game for DBD:
At the highest level of gameplay, a match with 4 survivors and a killer (no DCs), all doing their best to fulfill their objectives (no farming, no screwing around, and utilizing known information to the best of their ability for sacrificing/escaping) an average of 2 killed/2 escape ratio.
Both survivors and all killers having a similar skill cap both at the high end and low end.
Solo survivors and SWF either a.) having the capability of having the exact same amount of information in any given game, (in which a performance of SWF will affect Solo only as much as Solo can affect the SWF) or b.) being separated into two different modes, with the killers having reasonable buffs in the 'SWF only' mode.
As someone who only plays solo survivor and killers, my experience is that the game with 4 solo survivors is in a pretty good place.
@CJsDBD
The biggest problem (the single biggest problem since the early days) is SWF.
If this game had no voice communication (PC/console party) and it forced survivors to play solo then I think it would be much easier to balance. Due to the huge amount of information a group is given by verbal communication the games balance takes a huge hit. Verbal communication ruins many of the perks and mechanics currently in place for the killer to use.
Personally I would like to see SWF disappear but I'll freely admit that as a Killer/Solo survivor player I am in the minority. I think in order to find a balance in this game (the best you can do being an asymmetrical game) would involve a complete overhaul of perks and the SWF mechanic, something I do not see happening anytime in the near or late future with this game.
My interest in DBD may have decreased over the past few years due to general burnout and community arguing but I do still enjoy it from time to time. In my mind I don't think the current DBD we have should focus on perfect balance because the work involved would required far to much time and effort for a game entering its later years. I would primarily focus on making DBD as "fun" as possible without taking itself too seriously and save a true "balanced" survival horror game for any sort of DBD 2.
Either way that is just my piece of mind and I'm sure many people have their own opinions on the matter. The thing is when it comes to balance and fun no one can ever be entirely right or wrong.
2 kills, 2 escapes.
It depends on how those kills and escapes happen. I think the game is in a good balance state if it lasts 12 minutes and the killer can get 8 hooks without having to tunnel. What I would suggest is Billy and Nurse and possibly spirit getting changes and generator time increased by 15-20 seconds.
A 2 survivors die and 2 live dosent mean its balanced because most players in this game like in any game are bad. Thats why the statistics of the devs mean nothing.
You could consider it balanced if in a fight between the best 4 man swf making no mistakes using voice com vs the best killer making no mistakes its 2 live and 2 die on every map and with every killer no matter what items and addons are used.
Or just longer games through other means, to take the time pressure off the killer would make killer enjoyable again.
Balanced is when a equally skilled group of survivors cant simply dominate the killer.
Btw your 2 kill average can be achieved by LF-camping the first guy and then catching the last guy with NOED. There you go, no BP, depip but you got 2 kills. Is that balanced?
If survivors were actually scared to be around the killers.
2. either tweaked or as is. You can work around it.
3. agreed, it shouldn't be a free escape one caught
11. That'd be nice for solo players
14. Yeah ^^ Everyone should try both sides and play both imo
If skill was a measurable value, the perfect balance for an asymmetrical game like DbD would be:
Killer skill equals the combined survivors skill divided by 4 (the average). If that skill is equal, the result should be 2 kills and 2 escapes.
Just looking at match results without considering skill differences is a bit risky because there is no real indicator for skill.
If the devs would implement a competitive game mode, or even just a "hardcore mode" where (only) experiences players could play at their full potential, this would help a lot to see actual balance for high skilled matches where everyone is dedicated to win.
Balance for me:
Both sides have the same strength and the same informations.
That mean 4 survivors have the same strength like 1 killer.
And i think its clear what i mean with informations.
And DbD is fun to play.
But it has many problems.
Survivors have tons of informations.
And the killer has zero informations.
And the skill cap is rly low.
I need maybe 1 - 2 h and then i can use the pig ability good.
I would like a complex killer design for all killers.
Not only the nurse.
My opinion about DbD:
And yeah grinding bloodpoints is rly frustrating in DbD.
Millions of bloodpoints and then some killers are viable vs rank 10 survivors.
And some killers doesnt have many good addons.
Like the pig.
I use 4 or 5 and the other addons are just needless.
But for my addons opinion, i have a discusion : https://forum.deadbydaylight.com/en/discussion/40202/make-pig-addons-better-my-idears#latest
DbD is a good game, but if we talk about numbers.
Then its garbage.
Survivors must only press M1 and must make good chases.
And killer is frustrating, because the most killer ability doesnt need much skill.
And the most addons just do little stuff.
I think balance is based around ability. I am very good survivor but for some reason I cannot seem to cope well against Freddy however I am very good at dealing with Nurse. Does this mean he needs a nerf and she needs a buff? No, it means my play style is no good against him and works well for her.
The only things I would change is stuff that would make it scarier but would make some killers very strong and create more issues xD
Kills do not equal fun or balance.
You should be able to play a match and, even if you didn't have a single kill, at least have a lot of fun.
I think the emblem/ranking system is partially to blame for how people play this game, and how they envision "balance". Just because the silly ranking system that makes kills 50% of your score doesn't mean that's what matters. BHVR has made an amazing game that is super fun, addictive, and different every time, but they cannot for the life of them come up with a good ranking system, or get a very good grip on how high level players play the game.