Why is the player base so against playing the game in the most optimal way?
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Hello,
Something I've noticed in post-game chat and also in Dead by Daylight discussions online is that players are very angry when the opposite side plays good and employs smart strategies. For instance I was playing deathslinger and I slugged pretty much the whole game because it was the best play. I was able to down all four at 1 gen remaining in a 3-gen setup barely turning the game around. If I went to hook someone, then decisive strike, endurance, we'll make it, and whatnot would all come into play and stop me from snowballing. Not to mention the time lost in trying to actually hook someone. So I slugged for a chance to win. But for some reason some players get mad at the PLAYER rather than the gameplay itself.
On top of that, people will say that the other person is unskilled because they had to 'resort' to such and such. I guess the assumption is that there's only one way to play the game: the basic 12-hook process.
If that was the case, why does the game have a hook countdown timer forcing the survivor to progress into death if they stay on a hook for too long. This means that you don't need to hook someone 3 times to actually kill them.
Why is there a dying state where the survivor is unable to do anything productive and can eventually die from.
Why is there a generator repair action that lets you escape the trial if you finish all of them (basically what does genrushing even mean?)
Why are there perks added specifically against such strategies?
If the gameplay was really constricted to ONLY 12-hook gameplay, it would be very very boring and many perks would have to be reworked.
It doesn't make sense. What would the player be expected to do, just continue playing like an NPC and hand over the win? I can't think of any other game where people get so mad at their opponents for playing smart and blame them as if they're guilty for playing within the rules. Generally, if a strategy exists that someone may not like, they would complain to the devs for change, adapt, or practice good sportsmanship and commend the opponents for playing well.
Basically I don't understand it when people say "I don't camp", "I try not to tunnel", "If killers will keep tunneling, then I will keep genrushing" (in other words: I will keep playing Dead by Daylight) or "cheese tactics". Most of these strats is literally just playing the game as allowed. In my opinion for something to qualify being called a "cheese", it has to be something really stupid like pre-2.7.0 legion with his moonwalk strat that literally required you to not chase a survivor by game standards, but in fact you were actually chasing them just looking at the floor. Now that's a cheese tactic, not changing strategies and prioritizing one player out of the game, or focusing on generators instead of healing against legion.
What do you think, why is the community like this? Is it due to lack of action by the devs or the game's unbalanced nature? Or do you think that these strats are indeed cheesy and shouldn't be a part of the game?
Comments
personally i believe optimal play is fine. but many people in many different games dont enjoy it because they claim it takes the fun easy going nature out of the game. i can understand that but at that point i think they are playing the wrong games.
Im constantly getting people saying "git good" "learn to play" or accusing me of toxic play because i used the most efficient way to achieve my goal. This happens when i play killer and survivor. i understand they are likely venting out of frustration which is why i can sort of look past their flawed logic of telling the winner of the match to learn to play when it should be the losing side that would need to learn to play.
some people think mind gaming shows skill or looping shows skill and if no skill is shown you dont deserve to win but both survivor and killer can win showing no skill. How? the answer is play smart which in my book is playing good. do what you need to do to pick up the win (within the rules of the games terms and conditions).
Because the game has outgrown the initial design and is failing at almost every single aspect of actual gameplay, but continues to be propped up by license accrual, that's why. BHVR has refused to actually balance the game and create new mechanics/fix old ones that aren't serving the game or the community, just so they can keep selling DLC's to keep their studio afloat. I mean why do you think that every single other game they've created has been a financial flop? Because they really aren't good Devs and got lucky being one of the first "horror" asymms and the first to use established IP's.
I mean you stated it yourself, why is tunneling/slugging/camping frowned upon when it's the most optimal playstyle? Because it removes the core gameplay experience for Suvrs the same way that SWF ruin the core gameplay experience for Killer. Sure, both are playing optimally, but that's because BHVR has refused to create a new game design to update the game to keep in line all the content that has been released.
i don’t camp tunnel or slug, or 3 geni just don’t have any joy in doing it. I feel like people who slug and 3 gen are wasting everyones time. I’ve been in 10 - 15 minute survivor queues where i’ve been hard tunneled out of the game, which also again just feels like I wasted my time. Camping just feels like im giving up pressure when i could be in another chase.
I guess at the end of the day slugging, 3 genning and tunneling just wastes peoples time over all in an activity we’re all supposed to be enjoying, time is more precious than anything.
I'm sure the guy with 2 posts REALLY REALLY can't figure out why people hate being slugged for minutes at a time. Totally asking in good faith.
10 - 15 minute survivor queues where i’ve been hard tunneledIm in 1 minute even less killer ques and then everyone rushes gens like crazy when Im not going for staright tunnel or slugs, even if I dont have to wait same as you but its not fun to get 1k on 6 hooks even if I know I had good start and just got destroyed by rng with ruin, pain res and then just predropers no solid loopers with decent mindgames so tell me is it worth not to play dirty and have more better game then try to play more fair and getting slaped by genrushers and toxic tbags continuing with toxic endgame chatt with gg ez or baby killer?
Sad part is if the changes went live but with not so busted tunneling punishments I would have better games with basekit pop and barbeque but in this state its just huge time waste spreading hooks and just giving survivors dead hards and ds they weponize against me with forced bodyblocks.
I mean, you did choose to slug. It's not like the game just did it itself. Camping, slugging, and tunneling might be possible in-game, but you still have to actively choose that route.
Its becasue despite the VERY loud minority….most people dont take this game that seriously. This isnt e-sports comp stuff and when ppl act like it is and say its "optimal" it makes people roll their eyes. its akin to taking mario party too seriously, it ruins the vibe for everyone because one person is hyper-focused on winning rather than casual enjoyment.
Its a consequence of comp vs casual gamers and the comp scene. Its also incredibly unfun for everyone but you. Its frowned upon because it is the selfish playstyle of someone whose ego depends on a win. Winning aint so deep you have to ruin everyone elses time to do it.
The "optimal" playstyle (slugging and tunneling) is also viewed a problematic to the devs. hense all of the nerfs to it and the extreme update that almost happened but is still coming in the future with more adjustments. So the question you should be asking is "why is winning so important that I sacrifice the enjoyment of others and play in a way even the developers dislike?" The ONLY people who don't have a problem are those not on the receiving end of it and do it themselves.