http://dbd.game/killswitch
Some ideas on balancing
Ok, so this is a subject near and dear to everyone's heart, and there are a lot of great ideas on the forums, but I would like to submit mine for consideration
The real problem with balancing a game like this is that it is, at its core, imbalanced. Being 1v4, first person vs 3rd person, and wildly different and directly opposed objectives. In addition there is the skill level of the players to be considered.
Since there is a ranking system and since people have pointed out that ranking seems not to have value anymore let's use the ranking system to introduce balance. Increase or decrease map size based on killer rank, increase or decrease loopable tiles based on survivor average rank. Increase or decrease base wiggle effectiveness based on rank gap. Even increasing gen repair time or skill check frequency based on survivor rank. All of this and more could be done so that the environment balances to skill in ways that account for the role rank.
Also, I personally would love to see that the core mechanics of the game get more challenging as I progress, rather than just the randomness of my opponent(s)
Thoughts?
Comments
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The game would be way more balanced if maps were smaller.
Maps like Coal Tower are a perfect example of what maps should be. Small enough for killer to pressure everywhere pretty easily. Enough pallets/windows for survivors to run from a killer.
That's all that really needs to happen. Maps like Mother's Dwelling/Temple are MASSIVE and thus the only killers that even stand a chance are ones with insanely high map pressure like Billy or Freddy. If you play Huntress and get these maps it's basically GG from the start because there is no way to even get across the map before a gen is almost done.
Similarly, maps like Pale Rose need more pallets/windows. This map is a complete dead zone for survivors. The only places you can run from the killer are the boat, shack, and the dock. Everything else is just empty space basically, which is certain death for survivors if the killer is good.
Ward is another example of a piss poor map. It's way too big and the main structure has way too much safety around it. Heck even as Spirit I have trouble on this map. All a survivor needs to do is run here, drop a pallet or vault a window and you don't have enough phase to get around it unless you bring MDR or something.
Wretched Shop is another example of a (mostly) fair map. It's small enough that the killer can pressure everywhere quickly, but has enough pallets/windows for survivors to run. The only issue on this map is the main building has a double window setup that is really hard to deal with on most killers. But rework this structure and the map would be very well balanced.
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Totally agree that map sizes are an issue. I did some back of the napkin maths (with guessing a 50/50 ratio of 16 and 32 meter tiles) and concluded it can take a 4.6mps killer 74 seconds to cross the largest map. But if you are a rank 20 survivor in a sack full of fellow potatoes then there is every chance that once the killer crosses that distance you are getting hooked and may die on first hook. So, while the map size is a problem once you can play the game, for low ranks it makes for a nice training ground to learn skill checks and what to watch out for.
I dont claim to have this fully fleshed out, but it seems to me that rank should determine a lot more in base game
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With around 700 plus hours into this game I can say killer is underpowered the redder the rank
And survivors is harder the less experience they have
The game is made on teamwork and survivor mistake.
If you dont hide when you hear the heartbeat or move from cover to cover killer is gonna get you just like any movie will show...
But if they never make the classic slasher mistakes... the killer even touches them.
The game isnt built for it. As your lvl goes up you should unlock things for characters rewarding you learning their powers or skills... and higher lvl players shouldn't be matched against lowers
Low lvl killers wouldn't have ruin unlocked to terrorize new players but... they nerfed that because it did...
Rank should increase gen time
Perk slots should restrict what you have in them... you wouldnt be able to run ruin and bbq if they are both 4th slot only. That's a interesting choice.
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Interesting point on perk slot restriction. I'd like to see how that plays out, but I'm thinking everyone (killer and survivor) would throw a fit on that one. I imagine it would be based on perk rarity, so a serious rework on that would be necessary to make it worth while. Definitely an idea to try out in a dev environment and test for viability.
Killers being underpowered I think comes down to map size and gen times, but as you mentioned those really become problematic for killer as survivor ranks increase. Lower ranks just haven't learned enough to really abuse these things or get jaded enough to just run to a gen and start pounding out great skill checks even when spine chill lights or terror radius is present
You mention teamwork as a mechanic, which raises another point. SWF should apply buffs to killer based on the number on the team. 2+ team should show an icon on the portrait to inform the killer of the situation, 3+ killer should get permanent bloodlust, 4 man killer should get aura reading when gens pop just like dark sense. A lot of people talk about buffing solo to even up with SWF, but with SWF being so survivor sided I think it better to buff killer when teams are in play
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