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I feel like the majority of the playerbase wants a game health chapter instead of more characters
The game reached a point where there's so many killers and survivors and a lot of people are quitting because of the poor state of the game.
I've quit the game and I dont think I will come back until they change the system of releasing new characters every 3 months instead of fixing the game and focus on the things everyone complains about.
At this point I think a lot of the playerbase that play dont have any fun anymore,they just play because the game its addicting and its an easy way to pass time.
Comments
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I want both. I think there is still a lot of room for new stuff when it comes to powers, perks, characters, etc.
However I probably wouldn't mind if we have more mid-chapter updates (focused on balance of the game and QoL stuff) and bit less new content.
Also keep in mind that not every mid chapter is big or do a lot. The last recent one was about as big as bigger hot fix patch. The first mid chapter in 2022 was also nothing exciting since it only nerfed some addons and buffed few perks which one of them had to be hotfixed (Boil Over) for how OP it was.
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Yeah, I've stopped playing a lot. Now I barely play. If there was some health updates I'd be good with that. Deal with some bugs, cheaters, current killer and survivor balancing, map balancing.
We can deal with new cosmetics and stuff. I'm sure we'll survive with no new updates that aren't health related.
Maybe they'd even decide to compensate Slinger for killing him.
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I think it would be good if they cut 1 chapter a year in favor of a larger balancing pass/game health update. Once they get some of the core issues under control, they could use it to refresh the meta every year. It'd go a long way in keeping things interesting.
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Funny thing is that once we got health midchapters in the past most people complained because it was a boring a update that doesn’t include enough content/new stuff.
imagine those people if instead of a new chapter there was another midchapter like update without new content in between two midchapters.
problem is, that BHVR set a pattern with new big contents that the playerbase got used to it to the point where they don’t even realize it
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3-month cycle isn't gonna change. DLC and skins make the money, so those take priority over all else.
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I've been saying it since the Oni chapter that it would be a great idea to focus on ironing out the game mechanics instead of flooding it with tons and tons more variables that they have to control.
I don't need new killers. Heck, I still only really play the original ones. Only newer one I like is Blight.
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I would absolutely love a game health chapter rather than another character.
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The “health” chapter came last summer with the perk overhaul and the prestige changes. And DLC’s are gonna continue to come every 3 months or so because of the money grab.
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This is a good ideea,there will come a time where there will be too many killers and survivors at this rate.
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That's what the mid chapters are for. Every patch always comes with many bug fixes. You already get your health chapters.
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That lame excuse of a health chapter did jack for the game.
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They released a huge Game Health chapter in June, they are working on many additional changes too.
They wont sideline an entire chapter for rushing these changes.
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The game actually floating on positive merits would make even more money, but people are extremely shortsighted when it comes to money.
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There are barely ever meaningful changes or fixes.
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And you think the devs doing more mid chapters will change that?
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I think it would be nice to have a couple of chapters that 'only' have either a survivor or killer, and also comes with a few map reworks plus some general game health updates and QoL features.
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To a degree, yes.
A lot of the dev time goes into playtesting and bug fixing (which is still not enough in some cases evidently), but a lot of the playtesting and quality control is centered around new features, new killer powers and new perks. Take out the 'new' stuff and you can focus a lot on the existing stuff.
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The problem with that is they didn't really focus on "health", they skipped right to perk changes. So all they did was change which perks weee used to achieve the exact same meta. That's why people are bored.
I think you're right though. When it comes to the money, they're not gonna change their release pattern. Whales will keep em afloat until it's too late to salvage the game.
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I thought I did for a few weeks but it seems as if we have a new meta like we see a lot of the same perks most games just not as before.
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I think there are three issues with "game health chapters"
a) as mentioned DLCs mean money. A game health chapter doesn't really drive sales.
b) it doesn't even guarantee improved player retention; game health means changes that are good for the game overall - but people rarely like change. Especially if something they like gets changed. --- Add to that, that the community can't agree on what it likes or wants, or maybe rather that there are mutually exclusive opinions on what consitutes a "healthy game state" I don't see that working very well.
c) purely technical issues; just looking at some of the bugs that somehow exist makes it seem rather difficult to tweak - let alone fundamentally change - the technical side of things without essentially breaking the game.
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I'm not getting that vibe at all. I think that when BHVR asked if we wanted a health chapter update vs new shiny #########, the majority said they wanted new shiny #########. This is the casual market we're talking about. Most people put in a few hours a week and probably tap out after about a hundred, maybe two. For those people, this game truly is fine, and the reality is, that for most veterans, it's good enough to play-- even with all the wackness.
I've been conditioned to get a new DLC, quarterly. I get over the hype after a few weeks. The only reason why I keep playing is because of friends, and even then, interest dries up well before the next DLC even hits. If I had to wait another month for new content, I might not feel like coming back-- and I think BHVR understands that. Haha.
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I think the Dead by Daylight devs succeed when it comes to "listening to player feedback". The only problem is they are absolutely horrid at "knowing when to ignore the fan base". Ever since I started playing this game, the motto seems to be 1 step forward, 2 steps back. Sucks to say, but at the end of the day, I really wish this type of game with so many well-known characters was in better hands.. :/
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You say that but gamers nowadays have short attention spans. For live service multiplayer games, going months without new content is just asking for bored players. DBD doesn't have enough content (only one game mode for example) to go through months of no new chapters to keep up player retention. Maybe if bhvr released some new events alongside the project health update, it could be bearable.
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A plurality of Killer powers need a quality of life suite of tweaks, at least half need substantial numerical tweaks, and more than a few need a total power overhaul.
I would very much welcome a dev cycle entirely devoted to making killers feel fun to play, so the game actually feels like you're going killer vs survivors, instead of killer vs the horrible power controls welded onto their ankles like a pair of shackles.
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I have been saying this for literally years.... they have made some great changes but the current Eruption based meta desperately needs attention. Though we wont see much until the new year I would say
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The problem is that "game health" changes the devs make actually end up making the game worse. The devs don't understand their own game.
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DbD's game health isn't even on the back burner for BHVR. It's that mold filled container in the back of the fridge that no one wants to touch. When the fridge starts to stink they slap on a layer of duct tape and maybe swap out the box of baking soda and hope the smell goes away.
They gave game health a fleeting mention during the anniversary stream and put it on the road map but it seems like nothing is being done.
If game health is so low priority, where does that leave quality of life changes? Just farts in the fog after 6 years.
At this point it looks like they're all in on Meet Your Maker. If that turns into a grand success I imagine they'll announce lessening or ending content updates altogether for DbD.
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Literally just got the twin's bug that make them unplayable. Hopefully they release more fixes.
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It does guarantee sales,people would want to play a game that's not broken more than a game with a lot of broken content lol.
And lmao at the people not wanting change,you think the community like to play the same game mode with barely no changes?It takes only that much until you get bored,the vast majority are bored with the game,they just play it because its addicting
Then I expect the game to not last many more years since this tactic will just worsen the game more,more added content that is unpolished in a very unbalanced game that lacks basic qol features.
Other games will be released that have all this and if they get the formula right,they will have what dbd doesn't.
Same,I like the content,I just dont like the gameplay.
The only fun aspect of the gameplay is the chase,which is nonexistent in the current meta with killers kicking gens and leaving,and survivors holding W and genrush
Balancing the game and adding qol features is literally new content,new content doesn't always have to mean new killers and survivors,you cant get bored with so many killers and survivors in the game at this point.
Maybe if you actually made those killers fun to play and go againts,and make playing survivors and killer more fun,you wouldn't have to release content every 3 months for short playerbase boost,just so that most of them leave right after because of the poor state of the game.
Rainbow six did that instead of releasing new content,and even though they lost players at first,it was what saved the game in the long term.
Dbd is gonna last only until the game gets too frustrating because of the limitations,that players will flock to a game that does not suffer from these problems.
I doubt BHVR want to end dbd as a whole,if anything,if dbd dies,they will just make dbd 2.
But the fact they are focusing on a new game could mean bad news for dbd.
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Honestly, I don't think they need to go for one huge game health chapter and instead tweak some little things every midchapter. I understand that new content earns money but the more people actively play the game, the more potential customers you have. We saw that they can do game health improvements in the past, it just doesn't seem to be that high up in priority.
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I don't know if my three AM brain failed to make the point clear enough, so let me elaborate.
Health in this game does not drive sales.
Veteran players already have the game, ergo no profit. Veteran players have plenty shards so then can get all original chapters without spending real money, ergo no profit. The veteran players game devs do profit from are the ones that buy real money only cosmetics and the franchise DLCs. They are also the ones that would very likely stick around anyway --- at least long enough to generate the profits the company calculates per player during their time as customers.
New players that get hooked and want to play are the ones that can quickly generate a lot of profit for game companies; they want to get started quickly (aka unlock all perks quickly) so they are more likely to compensate their lack of shards with auric cells. That's quick money for the company (btw, getting one character to P1 without bringing any BP offerings takes about 15 matches as surv, apparently. Not that long).
The things that get complained about (the impossibility of SoloQ aside) are usually affecting veterans more so than newbies. Or rather: can be identified and attributed to game health issues by veterans. Newbies will first attribute it to their own (lack of) skill, missing perks and missing game knowledge - besides; they're still on the hype train for another while. Though, I do think there will be one change coming sooner or later that mostly aims at helping new survivors have fun in the game; atm the learning curve is just too steep and the experience too frustrating (once the "omg, there's therror radius, I need to crouch away edge map so I can't be found!" and "omfg where is a gen? * runs around like a headless chicken for three minutes * " is no more. Until then it's still part of the hype and the excitement of figuring out a new game.) Newbie killers already got their boost with the big changes in summer.
People do not want change was maybe a bit of an oversimplification.
- Though I think I did make somewhat clear what I meant by that: the community can't agree on what it wants. Aka whatever change happens it's not the one a good chunk of the community wants. The one exception being that SoloQ really needs changes - if not a complete revamp. I think everyone can agree on that one. And beyond that the same as above applies: vets play because they play despite the state the game is in. Be it being able to do sth with friends, to vent, to chill, doing sth they have a hang of, because they are addicted - take your pick. They gonna stay. And the new players still have plenty to figure out and have plenty money to spend before they get bored and/or frustrated and leave.
All that being said - I do think the game needs health changes. - As you probably guessed I think mainly as far as SoloQ is concerned. And probably when it comes to maps (though I'm not in the LoOpS nEed NerFs camp. I think changes to how gen spawns work and how hook spawns work would already go a long way. I also think map size is somewhat of an issue - but you can't address map size without addressing high mobility killers and terror radius related game machanics). Though I think incremental changes is the way to go - not one big fat health update that tries to fix it all at once. (Imo, even the basekit + perk rework in one was a bad idea - it should've been split in two with ~2-3 months in between; then it would have been possible to clearly differentiate the effects the changes had respectively.)
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And this is the reason why I quit,you play a game that only cares you spend as much money fast,then they dont care if you quit or not.
If you do this,there will come a time,where the playerbase will be too low that the game will just die out,if all players stick a while,buy cosmetics,then leave when they realize and experience how unpolished the game is.
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That's usually how a game life-cycle works. Very few games manage to develop a thriving comp scene where real big money is involved, even fewer games manage to continuously attract new players so they don't have to retain as many veterans and very few games manage to develop a very loyal veteran community that sticks around for years and years and invests enough time and money to make it worthwhile for the company. I don't know a single game that manages both; to attract large numbers of new players and retain a marge number of veteran players. Afaik the business models are just too different to reconcile. It's a bit sad, sure. I lost more than one game to the tone and character of the game changing to attract new players --- but that new version of the game was not the game I enjoyed playing and would not have been a game I would have gotten invested in if it had been released that way. That is how things are - and I moved on to find a different game. And i wish you all the best luck to find a game that you enjoy playing ^-^
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They already said its unlikely they will ever do the big changes thing like they did with prestige reworking it as well as changing the meta perks. So I don't have much hope if im being honest..
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The problem is, that you can get only a few people to agree what a "fixed game" is, as there are so many viewpoints about it.
I mean, half the community thinks killers are op, the other half belives survivors are op. Make them both agree to what is needed to fix the game...
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