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Give survivors comms and then balance accordingly

With how hard the game is to balance around both solo survivors and SWF (OoO being a prime example, on a solo survivor it’s a risky info perk but with a SWF it lets everyone know where the killer is at all times) it would help a lot to equal the playing field by giving all survivors the option to use comms.

This would obviously be a buff for survivors, but we already have the option to go in as a full team with comms which isn’t game breaking. By giving everyone comms you would be able to balance things such as object to be more fair without having to negatively impact solo survivors.

The one downside I see with this is the expanded possibility to be toxic to teammates, but games such as R6S seem to manage fine even with the possibility of being toxic over comms, and you could always implement a mute option.

At a bare minimum some sort of communication should be implemented, if not voice, perhaps a wheel of map-wide basic messages such as “killer on me” “need healing” “safe to unhook” etc.

Comments

  • Rivyn
    Rivyn Member Posts: 3,022

    It took years for devs to address god loops, and those still exist. Can you imagine how long it would take for them to rebalance the entire gave after implementing comms?

  • NivlacACE
    NivlacACE Member Posts: 78

    It wouldn’t be rebalancing the entire game, to start with it would be just looking at some perks and perk synergies that can be abused only by a SWF.

    Plus it’s kinda weird that a cooperative multiplayer game in 2020 doesn’t allow comms by default, but still allows external comms

  • Mozzie
    Mozzie Member Posts: 618
    edited August 2020

    Don't worry. People make up the dumbest excuses because they don't want comms in the game. Which is ludicrous because the majority of my matches already consist of teams on comms. It's obvious the only way to actually start balancing the game is by adding VOIP, but the community is against it. The same community that says SWF needs balancing, when the obvious answer is staring them right in the face. The dev's won't do it, because they don't want to face hearing exactly how toxic their community truly is.


    I have never seen a multiplayer team survival game in the last 10 years not have some form of built in comms. The worst... and I mean THE WORST indie survival game companies have crystal clear voip with easy mute options. It's downright pathetic that a multi-million dollar franchise such as this doesn't have it and will never get it.

  • CornHub
    CornHub Member Posts: 1,864

    Even if they did add coms, not everyone is going to use them, or even use them properly. It would still be nice to have though.

  • The_Bootie_Gorgon
    The_Bootie_Gorgon Member Posts: 2,340

    People dnt want to hear children screaming the n-word.

    plus, not everyone speaks english.

  • Rattman
    Rattman Member Posts: 1,088

    How can you stop people from using external comms tho? Do you want devs to scan your software or what?

    Btw, "just rebalancing some perks" is not that easy. Most of aura reading perks will became completely useless, while other perks will became stupidly powerful. Easy example. Distortion. Through the match user of this perk might be like "Oh, he don't have bbq". Or "He have NC".

    Or, another example. Head on. People will be like "Killer on me, help!" and then his teammate will be "run to this locker, I'll stun him to buy you time".

    I'm not even mentioning OoO and meta stuff. Not even mentioning scenarios which don't even involve perks.

    And, believe me, I can go on. For a long time.

  • Rivyn
    Rivyn Member Posts: 3,022
    edited August 2020

    Because DbD was not BUILT for voice comms. It didn't even have a grouping system. That was added after, when players complained.

    DbD was created on the formula of limited communication. You gather info, and try and apply that to your match, while working with what your team provides. Why do you think SWF is so unbalanced? Because the game isn't meant for free communication.

    IF they give comms, an overhaul would be required. Terror radius would be redundant. Many perks would need replacing. Killer powers, such as Trapper, would need serious augments. Even loops would need to be rethought.

    I'm not saying I'm against comms being introduced. It sure would make my survivor matches easier. I'm saying that the amount of work needed to rebalance the game would be astronomical. Not impossible, but a lot more than the devs are willing to put in. Maybe if they make a DbD 2. . .

    Again, look at how long it took for them to fix god loops, at least the big ones. And certain maps. Years. If they added comms, can you expect any form of expediency in balancing it? When, at minimum, it takes them two months to implement small changes?

    I am for OPs suggestion at an emote wheel, however. That would be nice.

  • Buckoben
    Buckoben Member Posts: 351

    Maybe it's time for a massive meta change. Personally I'm sick of this area we are in where the devs won't commit to the direction for the future of the game. Whether they want to keep it a casual or start going down a competitive path and don't care which they choose, but they need to choose one. can't have your cake and eat it.

  • Rattman
    Rattman Member Posts: 1,088

    Devs just buffed Bubba, nerfed Billy and changed 4 perks. I've had some tinkerer plays already.

    The cake is a lie.

  • Buckoben
    Buckoben Member Posts: 351


    Coming from a fighting game community. This game is nowhere near competitively viable. There need to be a ton of features added to get it close. For example a map editor would be nice to make maps reliable for comp. play would be the bare minimum required for this game to have any competitive base.

  • NivlacACE
    NivlacACE Member Posts: 78

    As for “but comms would make such and such OP” it already is OP because SWF is an option. The only way to fix this interaction is too give everyone comms and then nerf the problem areas.

    The fact of the matter is that comms are already in DBD, the only limiting factor is being able to assemble a group to play SWF with. It’s absurd to say that this benefit shouldn’t be extended to solo survivors when it is already being used quite thoroughly by SWFs.

    and sure DBD isn’t built around comms, but it’s too late to change the fact that comms very much are a part of the game now. Removing SWF isn’t at all a viable solution, and there aren’t any other ways to return DBD to a pre-comms stage.

    The best thing to do now is to give everyone comms going forward, the lack of comms is an outdated remnant of a type of game DbD no longer is.

  • Aven_Fallen
    Aven_Fallen Member Posts: 16,047
    edited August 2020

    Yeah, and DBD is not a competitive game. Comparing it to Fighting games is simply wrong.


    "Because DbD was not BUILT for voice comms. It didn't even have a grouping system. That was added after, when players complained."

    Can we for once stop with this? Devs have said that SWF was planned from the beginning but they only had time to either implement SWF or KYF from the start, and they went for KYF.

    Even thinking about Developers creating a Multiplayer Game where you cannot play with friends is...eh. SWF was always planned. The non-existence of SWF in the first version does not mean the opposite.


    @Topic:

    Multiple things against built-in voice communication:

    Languages-->Not everyone speaks the same Language. It MIGHT work for the US, because there should be only one language, but not for Europe, we have quite a bunch of Countries and not everyone speaks English well. It is quite common to see Russian Language in the EU Chat for example.

    Existing Voice Comms-->If someone is SWF, they will already use Discord. And they wont switch to DBD Voice Comms. If they are a 3 man SWF, they might not want to talk to the Solo. But the Solo is now without communication in a game balanced around communication. (of course the same applys to Language - why should the 3 Italian players talk English with the Russian player?)

    Solo Experience-->Not everyone wants to play with friends or talk while playing. There are players who want an immersive experience. Forcing Voice Comms on them either means they are not able to do it, or, once again, are without communication in a game balanced around communication.


    And well, Devs also stated that they are not planning to add Voice Comms.


    You would rather get the same or a similar effect with stuff like Indicators in the UI (Indicators for doing Gens, being chased and so on) or a Totem Counter. But since Devs are against making Kindred Baseline as an example, I doubt that they want that.

  • The_Bootie_Gorgon
    The_Bootie_Gorgon Member Posts: 2,340
    edited August 2020

    Stop trying to make dbd into call of fornite champions ed 2....

  • Buckoben
    Buckoben Member Posts: 351


    YES, but BHVR so desperately want it to be an ESPORT (fighting games are apart of that) and the frustrating part is they CAN do it but they are too indecisive in adding functions that could help it. If I could run a tournament for DBD I would, but the tools aren't in the game. That includes voice chat for the survivor team (coming from a killer main).

  • BananaBlooD95
    BananaBlooD95 Member Posts: 555

    They can dream all they want, there's way too much RNG in the game for it to be viable as an esport. Some totem spawn are a joke, most are easy to find, while in some indoor map like Lery you can get some pretty strong one. That's not counting loops.

  • Eleghost
    Eleghost Member Posts: 1,098

    I feel like people forget this game isn't a competitive game. But it is at the same time. also comms are not super important and most people would not use them and also would be a whole new mess to implement.

  • Buckoben
    Buckoben Member Posts: 351

    Dude the fact that you missed my first post where I say this game needs a map editor in kyf is telling.

  • Buckoben
    Buckoben Member Posts: 351
    edited August 2020

    I also do not see the logic of leaving something that has been an industry standard since the PS2, and I ask myself that question a lot when I play DBD.

  • TheBuddo
    TheBuddo Member Posts: 21
    edited August 2020

    I really don't want comms on DbD. Why? As what many people have brought up when ever this gets discussed constant slurs, hate, screaming, people telling me how to play, somebody's mom yelling in the background, people spewing hate/sexist remarks toward female players, people playing music or just somebody's fan/AC in the background.

    I can already sense people typing, well there will be a mute option! The thing is though I went into Friday the 13th with comms open and played with my sister. The amount of constant crap spewing from people mouths towards not just me but towards my sister was absolutely sickening. So we went into every game from then on in a private chat. Then the sandbagging began because we weren't using our mics in game.

    I'm aware I'm lumping the people who are respectful on random comms into the disgusting filth pile but I actually want to enjoy my games and not hear racism, slurs or sexist remarks. And to not be sandbagged because I'm not using my stupid mic. The only why to do that is to mute all comms or not have comms at all.

    Not to mention but having in game voice comms would open up a whole new reason to report. Thus clogging up reports with something that shouldn't be happening anyway and taking away from the real reports, like cheating.

    I'm quite happy with DbD the way it is and I want to continue playing it with my sister without hearing disgusting sexist remarks and being sandbagged because I'm not using my mic.

  • ALostPuppy
    ALostPuppy Member Posts: 3,398

    Since when have the Devs desperately wanted DbD to become an esport? They've funded 1 tournament since the game has launched which was a complete disaster, and their latest killer and map designs tell me they're going for a cool visual and casual experience than a competitive and balanced one.

  • Deadeye
    Deadeye Member Posts: 3,627

    It's not even the RNG, it's basically about the bugs. Balance would also be nice but having nurses blink into several walls or survivors get catched by hills or wraiths get completely wrecked by flashlights kinda makes it useless. Not even talking about hitboxes and latency. Like 50% of really tournament level games would be decided by bugs

  • TheMonadoBoi
    TheMonadoBoi Member Posts: 346

    Literally the one solution to all of this game's problems but people act like voice comms is the only way they could be implemented. A comms wheel like Overwatch and other more competitive games would be SO EASY to implement yet the devs will never admit SWF is stupidly powerful, and most people can't think outside their box of "euheue dOnt want to hEar kiDs sweAring at me."

    You don't need voice chat to make the game a more fair experience for solo survs.

  • Dr_Loomis
    Dr_Loomis Member Posts: 3,703

    DBD survivors with built-in comms would be a game breaker.

  • Mozzie
    Mozzie Member Posts: 618

    The only way to balance the game would be to add comms or divide swf groups from solo queue completely. Those are the only two options. SWF was added very near launch of the game, if memory serves correctly 1.03. Seeing as SWF has been in the game for almost as long as it's been out and discord, ts, vent etc have been out long before it was a foolish move not to plan on VOIP being in the game. Obviously with swf people were going to be on comms. I disagree with your assessment that it would require a massive overhaul. A weeks work of tinkering with numbers at best by a competent developer. You act as if they don't already plan for swfs on comms when they release and attempt to balance content. That isn't true. A large portion, dare I say majority, of red ranks are of some level a swf . That being said they still often get 4k'ed even given the state the game is in now.