Open letter / Feedback on player base
Dear Devs/BHVR, Dear Community,
this evening I felt the need to finally register to the forums and give you some of my thoughts on the current situation of the game or more specific: the player base.
I'm not a developer, nor a streamer or anyone who earns money from video games - just a random guy enjoying them as a hobby. I truly fell in love with this game a year ago and have been wholeheartly playing ever since. I don't mind the bugs that appear with patches. No big deal, because it can happen and it's overall a great game. I've also bought DLCs, cosmetics and such with real money to support the developers work - I really appreciate!
On that note: about attitude and our player base's behaviour.
Toxicity has always been an issue in this game as it is in every (competitive) online related video game (we get excited/upset, its the internet's anonymity etc. etc.). But this week, it has reached a new low (for me). Today, out of 15 matches, I only had one I could actually call "GG". Today I've kept count yet the last days weren't any better if not worse.
Survivor matches (the role i play the most): There has not been one match (we do swf - and we are none toxic, not even using flashlights and such) without a literal facecamp or at least the all so frightened tunnel. Not a tunnel as the killer was forced to because of gen progression, hook status whatsoever: no, it was the clear attempt to get someone out of the game in under a minute (tunnel moris and fast killers pendeling back to the hook every 5 seconds). I do not like to dc on games, but today i felt like having to, to reply to those players nasty behaviour. In after chat I asked why they did handle it that way. It's all the same insults and that it's me just crying etc. Yet I just wonder why people do not want good and fair games anymore. The issue for me as a survivor player is a rather psychological one: I would actually have a chance, but i get denied it by another player's choice. Luckily, sandbagging is not that much of an issue - it happens, but very very rarely.
Killer matches (attempt to set a positive example): I've had tbaggers, flashlight clickers (those who light on you, just to annoy you), people running around you to block you off in any possible chase, people making noise for as long as I'd take getting there (at one point I had to take my headset off) - at least one person every match. Sidenote: I do not consider flashlight saves, loops, sabos, 4 time instaheals, wiggle blocks etc. as toxic because they are game mechanics. The after chats (not many, as i play on Ps4/red ranks, if that has any value to you guys) just reflect the in-games behaviour - it is insults all over the place. But I do not expect a mannered tone from people who's only aim it is to trigger someone.
This is not meant to be a cry post, but I seriously wonder why no one is having a fun time in this game anymore (at least from my experience). Players even admit, that they want to be toxic and this week it has really reached the level of me thinking about uninstalling this game due to the players behaviour. I don't mind dying, I don't mind killing none but what I do mind is unfair and bad games. It's five people playing and not just one (whatever role you play).
In general, it appears all this happens around events. Actually that time, when things are a bit different and supposed to be more fun (exception is the Halloween event - but everything Bloodpoint related).
It might be due to the grind of bloodpoints, the aim to reach higher ranks or game balance/skill levels, but currently this is not a game to play to have some fun time. Which saddens, because before it has been.
Maybe you guys can share ideas on how to approach it or your own opinions/experiences. Maybe I just had tremendously bad luck with players, but I wish for a good and sportsmanlike attitude in an actually great game. With lots of positive intentions, Luune 🤗
Ps: Pardonme for any wrong grammar as I am not a mothertongue and cheers for reading all this, you crazy! 😝
Comments
Only you have control of your actions and reactions. Anything that gives you a rise is toxic IF you act on it. There are mechanics that can be abused, it's your choice if you do. I don't run DS though I could, because I find it toxic. It's my choice and I don't blame the killer if they tunnel me for not running it.
I think there should be some way to commend good people. The props thing doesn't feel like anything. I play on Smite and I love collecting those honors and you get stuff at the end of the season/year.
Not exactly true. I regard it as toxic if you take players out instantly and not give them a chance from the very begining. Taking a whole game from a person that wasnt able to do anything as soon as he/she went down. So they basically get into a lobby, get unlucky and die within the first 2min - considering how long qtimes can take... I do not like the idea of that as it doesnt seem intended by the game design (yet i know BHVR thoughts on tunnel/camp - it just doesnt feel right). I don't know what else to call it honestly. If you go for someone else in between I dont mind it at all, but always staying close and waiting for it? Nah, I don't like that. Ofc, 3-4 instaheals suck but its like with killer OS Addons. They do not have it every game. So its hard to call it toxic to use instaheals - although i get what u mean. I know why people tunnel but i think it wouldnt change much if gens got to be repaired slower. Its just very tricky in general.
I wouldnt mind survivors not to have instas and such if tunnel wasn't possible.
Smite, League, Overwatch, ... so many multiplayer games adopted those honour systems. The only downside to it is people not honouring you when youd probably deserve it, but so what?
TBH playing as a survivor means your lkely going to die due to your team not doing their part camping hatch or simply hiding in the basement or lockers the whole time if your playing with randoms. Hopefully Devs patch game to make it less toxic experience for all players i made a forum about other modes that could be added and tweaks to fix killers and improve % of winning.
Because every time it subjective there is no counter you be the good guy you get abused you go try hard the sams ob both sides excuses i wish we could come together forget the difference but im dreamer... But im not the only one 🐷❤️
@Luune
Players will rarely rate a person they've lost to positively, even if this person played absolutely normal and would deserve a good rating.
Can only speak for me and my friends as we take the time to message people on PS4 (we have to go to their profile and open the conversation if possible and type via controller or have to open the app on the phone to text) to tell them that they’ve played well. There are lots of sour losers, but I think there are as many kind people as there are salty ones. 🤔
Common survivor mistake: killers don't care about you, specifically, unless you stand out in some way. They're just trying to win. The things survivors do that you said you didn't consider toxic, well they're not fun for killers either. So why is one side's fun relevant and the other's isn't?
The game doesn't care what is fair and what is not, only that one person lives or another dies. It's up to the predator to decide how that is done.
If you can't stop somebody from tunneling you, that's you're fault, not the kkiller.
To think otherwise is only putting mental shackles on yourself and you will never improve
Playing to win is not toxic, putting imaginary rules on the games that the code does not understand is is only what the weak do.
In the game, all is fair - you do what you must to win. It's on the devs to find a way to balance it out, not us
You literally don't read my posts. I'm speaking for both sides constantly. You are currently just picking on the tunnel. If you don't read my comments rightfully, we'll reach a dead end. And the "common survivor mistake: killer's don't care about you" is exactly the point I am making. :)
Im still refering to attitude. And I'm not talking about improvement or whatsoever. I just don't like seeing early tunnel in general. I see why killers do it, i do play killer myself and without tunneling the first one down its rough. Still: The idea of it is just what frustrates most players. As i said previously: the game says i got a chance, but im not granted one due to another players decision.
@Luune
"The game says I got a chance, but I'm not granted one due to another players decision."
Where did the game explicitly say you get another chance? Generally, when a game says you get another chance, it will actually give you another chance. Something like end game collapse for example is the game saying the last survivor gets one more chance. It does this by directly giving them another chance. Two in some cases.
Struggle phases are more of the game giving the other players still playing something to compete over. All you are is another optional objective for survivors to do and for killers to defend. If the survivors cannot or will not accomplish that objective, then you do not get another chance. If you were owed one, then the game would flat out give it to you instead of letting you die on your first hook.
The only difference between this and gen rushing is that the killer gets to keep playing the game through until the end.
@Redd
What I am saying is, that thats the point where frustations grow from or thats the mindset of someone being on the hook. This "you are potentially not dead" is prolly also the reason when survs get salty.
The hook having stages grants a chance based on the actions of others. I am salty during game when my first hook goes to second stage or outright death. People take the time of hook stages for granted, but it's part of the 'second chance' mechanic.
This is a game of choice. Do I save? Do I run? Do I hide? The players make it competitive IF they are altruistic. Most are selfish, which is understandable. Why risk a save when I'm on my last hook? They don't realize the safety that comes from having the number advantage. Having another body is always beneficial, because that person has the potential to do something. The game never 'owes' anything, even in other games. It's always been potential and that's what makes it frustrating.