I think BHVR needs to start balancing with SWF in mind.
Let's be honest, balancing with the intent that survivors can't communicate with each other while having a system that pairs you up with friends you can communicate with is a little dumb.
The exsistance of SWF alone makes the Survivor role more powerful.
Killers right now... Aren't being treated too kindly. With the abusable ranking system, stacked perks, and again, the ability to communicate with your team, BHVR should be well aware that their "Have fun and play with your friends!" system has turned into a system that goes against the core elements of the game.
"It's a competative game, though... Right?"
That's why I'm asking to balance around the existance of SWF, or AT LEAST high level play(which many SWF groups reside, soooo). Collect data from both solo and SWF play, and if there's a noticable difference between the two, start balancing to close that gap.
TLDR: Survive with Friends, in my opinion, is antithetical to the game's mechanics. But instead of getting rid of it, we should make use of it. Balance around the thought that the survivors can communicate and coordinate.
Comments
The game should be balanced for SWF. Solo players should get a lot more information so that they get closer to SWF-level.
I'm not sure why they don't, All they need to do is buff solo survivor to the level of information sharing as SWF this could be as simple as adding icons next to the survivors in the bottom of the screen to show their current action or something else. and then all that needs to be done after that is buff each individual killer accordingly.
Once that's done the game can finally be balanced.
The reason they aren't and haven't as yet is due to over 50% of queues having solo players in them.
Swf is only really strong in a try hard group of 4 or 3 which the isn't really the norm.
The problem is if they balance around swf then a large portion of the userbase is basically nerfed and adding all the information needed can never happen as it removes a lot of the suspense solo players enjoy.
Adding icons to see if someone is in a chase, totems etc won't do anything to combat on the fly Information swf have as even those two things swf can say where they are which an simple icon doesn't saving lots of time hunting or moving due to a heartbeat.
Then there is the pallets, how do you combat solo v swf when it comes to "shack pallet has been used" for example, "dead zone over by the main house".
Saving, how to give solo the same info where someone is going in and can see the killer and then get someone to try and distract them to open up the save.
I'm opening the door near the (state area on map), I'm running towards it can you take a hit, yeah sure.
Swf isnt just strong because they know who is in a chase, where totems are etc they are strong because they can react to all the Information as it changes for every aspect which notifications simply can never give.
It's the harsh reality of comms usage in the game.
They can't yet as Solo players aren't receiving the same amount of information as an SWF team.
You want to know why they are adding little things like Hex indicators and the moving talens around the obsession when they are chased? It's the devs attempt to start feeding the solo player the same level of information an SWF has.
They're doing this so they can be free to start balancing the game with that level of information in mind. They've been doing this for a long time now. It's just taking a very long time because that's how these devs roll - very slowly.
@NothingButFeedback why would a SWF group need bond or empathy?
Noooo pleeeeaaaasseee.
This makes the game super ######### boring. The lack of information is very appealing to me. I have 0 issues playing solo and can get to Rank 1 relatively easily on my own.
Why don't people realize this will just buff SWF as well? Lmao
-Let survs see other survivors loadouts in lobby
-let kindred be basekit
Two steps forward to close the gap
They said several times that if people can't make swf, they will search themselves and lobby dogde until they're together
They have been needing to do that for years....
Amen, @Peanits take notes. You want and desire community feedback? Here you go. Killers get mowed down by the SWF on voice coms. They need to help aid killers instead of creating things that SWF can use to ruin a killer's day.
I honestly think that the matchmaking system needs some sort of reworking to account for SWF. I'm currently at rank 10 killer, and I've had matches where there are players that are actually at my rank, but then because all the players are lobbied up, I get red rank players in my lobby too. I know it would make playing with friends more difficult, but I think there should be some sort of system where friends need to be close to each other in rank in order to party up.
Hah, i think most want them to do that.
Won't happen though. 😅
Or rather: "We're working on it."
In the meantime though, they'll make sure there'll be more Perks in upcoming chapters that will definitely make playing SWF even more beneficial.
Then they need to address lobby dodging. Instead of saying "well, people just be like that", they should take measures to stop people from being like that.
Make it so that a SWF group is matched with the highest rank, not the lowest rank, or the average. SWF team constantly rig the matchmaking, by including a lower ranked person, so they get paired with a lower-skilled killer.
I'm with the people that feel like having all of the information comm teams have would just throw a wrench into the core experience of playing survivor. I think it should be balanced by the way of limiting perks, items, and flat out restricting duplicate skins between SWF players, and adjustments in emblem scoring when playing SWF to discourage cheap tactics. Not just for the killers but the other nice chunk of survivors that play solo such as myself when I feel like taking on the role. Solo players at any given rank are going to most likely be better than people that got there playing SWF but that isn't going to reflect when the scoring is the same for both.
SWF, especially with comm is always going to give the edge to the people using it but beings there's no way to stop it there should be other measures taken to at least even the playing field a little without making SWF feel non-rewarding, or hurting solos in any way. Well I guess it would be non-rewarding in a walking all over the killer gg-ez sort of way for some people but I mean making it rewarding for the people that actually want competitive games.
And then I find it funny when I get a group of survivors 8-15 as a red rank killer and they rage at me. Either matchmaking in general is broken because not enough people play so they shovel off people against the wrong rank or swfs skew it. Maybe a mix of both, but I shouldn't be seeing yellows and barely greens in my lobby. Nor as a solo survivor should I paired with killers grossly different from my rank.
I'd be happy if I just got bonus BP for putting up with it, like 1.2x for 2 man, 1.5x for 3 mn, and 2x for 4 man.
I'd be wholey okay with that.
BHVR needs to start balancing with skilled players in mind.
I agree.