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Most Important Report for the Development Team – Player Feedback

pvq
pvq Member Posts: 32
in Feedback and Suggestions

Hello Behaviour Team,

I would like to provide detailed feedback on Dead by Daylight from the perspective of a player who plays both Killer and Survivor roughly equally. This allows me to observe the gameplay experience and balance issues from both sides.

1. Early Philosophy

I can empathize with Matthew Côté’s early philosophy. The original idea was that a Killer should not be excessively oppressive, so that all Survivors have a fair chance to escape.

  • This ensured that the escape experience, which is central to DBD, remained meaningful and enjoyable.

2. Current State (Patch 9.2.3)

Currently, the balance appears reversed:

  • Survivors can be disproportionately strong, creating “reverse unfairness.”
  • Killer gameplay can feel frustrating and inconsistent.
  • Matchmaking (MMR) often pairs low-skill Survivors with experienced Killers, causing unpredictable outcomes.
  • Killers may experience situations that feel unfairly weak, which contradicts the original design philosophy.
  • As a player who also plays Survivor, I have observed the loss of meaningful experience for Survivors in recent patches, where matches feel less challenging and suspenseful.

3. Structural Paradox

DBD matches are short (around 10 minutes) and repeated multiple times per session.

  • If the game truly aimed to prioritize horror and escape, matches could include larger narrative contexts to provide sustained suspense.
  • Short, repetitive matches inherently emphasize competitive win/lose outcomes rather than immersive horror.
  • This creates a paradox between intended horror immersion and the short-match competitive structure.

4. Balance Adjustments and Survivor Priority

  • Each patch seems to favor Survivor experience at the cost of Killer satisfaction.
  • Experienced Killers often face low-skill but disproportionately advantaged Survivors, creating reverse imbalance.
  • At the same time, Survivors lose the sense of accomplishment and suspense, reducing engagement from both sides.

Critical Observation: The “MMR Infinite Corridor”

Since MMR was implemented, I have observed a structural problem:

  1. Updates increase Survivor escape rates.
  2. Killers who cannot win retire.
  3. Only more experienced Killers remain.
  4. Survivors struggle to win.
  5. The cycle repeats.
  • This creates a perpetual loop of balance adjustments.
  • Behaviour must acknowledge that the MMR system itself drives this cycle and impacts player experience.

5. Developer Awareness and Data-Driven Decisions

  • Statistical data (MMR, win rates, match duration) drives most balance decisions.
  • Subjective experiences, such as Killer fear factor, Survivor suspense, and the sense of achievement, are difficult to quantify and may be overlooked.
  • As a result, data-driven changes can unintentionally weaken the intended horror experience.

6. Overall Observation

Dead by Daylight currently suffers from tension between horror immersion and competitive balance:

  1. Original philosophy: Killers should be fair to ensure escape experiences.
  2. Current reality: Reverse imbalance favors Survivors, harming Killer and Survivor experiences.
  3. MMR and low-skill player placement exacerbate the problem.
  4. Balance patches create an endless loop of adjustments.
  5. Data-driven development may overlook psychological and emotional experiences.
  6. The original design philosophy is effectively broken, causing dissatisfaction among players of both sides.

Recommendations

If the goal is to provide a true horror escape experience, this would require a completely different game design with a heavy, story-driven structure, similar to Resident Evil.

Dead by Daylight, however, should continue to emphasize competitive gameplay and focus on mechanics that make players want to play repeatedly, refining balance, replayability, and tension within the existing short-match structure.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this feedback. I hope it contributes to improving the experience and overall balance for both Killers and Survivors in Dead by Daylight.