I still don't understand why letting a survivor live is considered 'strategy'

So everyone says if theres a loop you can't beat as a certain killer (IE huntress at a long wall) you should just abandon chase and let the survivor go but I don't understand how that helps the killer at all? Like survivors can just run back to the loop whenever they want so how does abandoning chase help?

Comments

  • Mat_Sella
    Mat_Sella Member Posts: 3,552

    while that one survivor is at a good loop, odds are 3 survivors are on gens, possibly together. you better hope you can snowball off that one hook after those 3 survivors finish those gens.

  • Zeus
    Zeus Member Posts: 2,112

    Your objective is to pressure gens first. If someone is in a loop far away from a gen better let him go and you go back to the gen. There is a chance you can find someone outpositioned there for a free injure or a down.

  • MadLordJack
    MadLordJack Member Posts: 8,814

    Because that's a strong part of the map, not the map as a whole. Sure, plenty of maps have broken buildings and areas that survivors can run to when you hit them, but for the most part it's better to leave and catch someone else off guard, because most strong buildings aren't so easily accessible.

    Of course, there are exceptions. Badham (all variations), Haddonfield, Grim Pantry and Disturbed Ward have broken buildings that are pretty much always there, and you don't really have a good choice. It's either leave them so they can do free gens and heals, or chase them and force them to use up the pallets.

    Shout-out to whichever Badham map has the House of Pain chained to the Two Story chained to the Preschool.

  • johnmwarner
    johnmwarner Member Posts: 3,793

    I get what you mean, I’ve been on some maps as survivor and killer where there was an amazing set up in the middle of the map that I could run to from basically any gen and make it safely and waste the killers time

  • kate_best_girl
    kate_best_girl Member Posts: 2,184

    Yeah and then when the survivor just runs straight to it?

  • kate_best_girl
    kate_best_girl Member Posts: 2,184

    Exactly lol we shouldn't have amazing set ups that certain killers straight up can't loop unless they waste time or are a good killer like Spirit/Hag/Nurse

  • kate_best_girl
    kate_best_girl Member Posts: 2,184
  • kate_best_girl
    kate_best_girl Member Posts: 2,184

    Not sure what to do at certain loops where most killers just cant counter it and its easily accessible in all areas of the map

  • malatruse
    malatruse Member Posts: 784

    It's a matter of cutting your losses. The best example I can think of is this video:


  • mydogmax19
    mydogmax19 Member Posts: 266

    Because not all 4 survivors can loop the killer at the same loop at the same time so most likely they'll be far away from said loop anyways doing a generator or something allowing you to chase someone else. Also, abandoning a chase may be detoriating at first but prioritizing objectives like making sure generators dont get done and actually sacrificing survivors is more important than chasing that one survivor for the duration of the match because that's how you'll get a 0k. Break away from chases when it takes too long. Itll be okay, hopefully.

  • Dsalter
    Dsalter Member Posts: 239

    if someone is considered a "runner" you do NOT want to let them loop you at places THEY know well, if you recognise this person is a runner from stuff like lithe, deadhard, sprintburst etc, ignore them and kill his gen jockeys because 1: this guy isn't doing gens his goal and job is to make you waste time and 2: killing his buddies forces him to come take hits ruining his "hahautoslowlolloopyloop" plan these guys get especially tilty if you tunnel their gen jockey.

    you will know if you found his gen jockey when suddenly 2-3 people swarm to try body block, clicky click etc while you tunnel him, persist and camp the hell out of him, its scummy but if you dont they will be back to square one.

  • Dwinchester
    Dwinchester Member Posts: 961

    Basically, horrible game balance forces you to abandon chase so you don't lose the entire game 4 minutes. If you encounter a strong looper at a strong loop, go for someone weaker. If you get 4 strong loopers, go stand in a corner, because you're not going to win. Seems perfectly logical to the dev's and survivor mains to have one side be unbeatable, but it's all good because you "rarely" encounter a team that can do that. Now here's a new skin, pls give the dev's more money.

  • MusicNerd_TC
    MusicNerd_TC Member Posts: 3,099

    Killer is all about time efficiency. Dropping a chase that might go for too long, to go and pressure gens is better than a drawn out chase. I go by the fungoose 15 second rule. If I don't get a great pallet or a hit within 15 seconds, I drop chase. Or, if the survivor is running to a very strong place in the map, I drop chase.

  • EuphoricBliss35
    EuphoricBliss35 Member Posts: 875

    This is an asymmetrical game. 1 v 4. Playing killer requires (1) time management (2) pressuring gens. That’s how you have to think. Your primary focus is not “hook survivors/kill survivors,” that’s just part of it. Complaining about perks, maps, buildings, fences, does not help you in a game with #1 or #2.


    It’s about knowing when to abandon chase, which is a skill believe it or not. The person I’ve seen explain this most clearly is FunGoose. In terms of learning how to play killer in general, and the specifics of each killer, he’s one of the best teachers. I don’t really watch streams in general anymore, but food for thought if you’re struggling playing killer

  • kate_best_girl
    kate_best_girl Member Posts: 2,184

    Yeah but whats stopping all survivors from just running to that loop?

  • RareMeowSalt
    RareMeowSalt Member Posts: 2

    I dont know about strategy, but as a game, it ruins it when people abuse 360 and circles, its essentially forcing a killer to tunnel and camp, yet people cry when you do either on your own.

    Your option is tunnel and camp the 1 person, or let them free to do whatever they want as you head off to try find another. I tend to see them when in grouping, so im just gonna find their buddy, who's gonna do same thing, cause generally, they're only ones who compete that hard.

    I think it makes little sense for a killer to leave. I rather take out the 1 person, if they're wanting to play such games, clearly they want to waste time so others can be free, so give them what they want. Once i get, only way to make up the time is camp the hook, and can knock down 2nd in about time it would have taken to leave, and find 2 others.

    I think basic formality is always leave chance to win. I dont stay at a hook, and give 5 second gap to leave chance, and as survivor, dont wrap a spot more than 5 times and hold. If you're not choosing to make moves, leaves minimal to zero room for error, and if survivor isnt running to escape, leaves no open chance for killer to do anything, and forces their hand.

  • mentalpopcorn
    mentalpopcorn Member Posts: 181

    Your goal as killer isnt "kill one survivor" it's preventing all survivors from escaping. The best way to do this is by not wasting time tunneling 1 or 2 people. If a chase is going to take too long just give it up and move on to the next couple survivors to prevent them from progressing gens.

  • coolyoster
    coolyoster Member Posts: 17

    I like the way Otz puts it, where if you can't accomplish something in a chase for 15 seconds, you shouldn't go for it because you are wasting too much time. I play mostly survivor and man have i seen some killers not know when to give up on a chase. It can be one of the most detrimental things in the game.

  • johnmwarner
    johnmwarner Member Posts: 3,793
    edited July 2020

    Oops wrong thread lol, anyways about this I know it stinks to spend 20 seconds and let them get away, but spending 2 minutes for one down isn’t going to win you any games.

    I see players who chase someone for the first 4 minutes then complain about “gen rush.” What were the other 3 players supposed to do?

  • PalletsAndHooks
    PalletsAndHooks Member Posts: 989

    Move away from that loop. It's not about letting the survivor go, it's about admitting defeat to the loop.

  • Xbob42
    Xbob42 Member Posts: 1,117

    Well, if you know you're not gonna get them all because they're strong loopers, might as well guarantee the ones you can get. Let the memelords complain in the post-game chat, but you can only do so much against a really strong team, especially since it also depends on the map you get, the killer you selected (and the combination of these two can dramatically swing the outcome towards or away from your favor) and all that good stuff.

    Sometimes you just know you don't stand a chance, so take what you can get. If they don't like it, who cares?

  • johnmwarner
    johnmwarner Member Posts: 3,793

    This. Also it’s very rare for them all to be strong loopers, most teams even of 4-man SWF have a weak link. Once you find him and hook him it gives you a chance because he’s bait.

    Now the better loopers have to come to save him, hopefully you can put him on a dead zone or away from the strongest loops.

    This is one reason Object is so strong, and why some survivors click to get your attention. They know they’re the best looper on the team and they want you to chase them.

    Basiavlly all survivors are equal when it comes to holding M1 on a gen, so your goal is to let the good players hold M1 and chase the bad ones at the start. That isn’t an insult against survivors either, just a fact that the skill isn’t in the gen it’s in the chases.

  • rob_agau
    rob_agau Member Posts: 4

    Made an account just to reply to this.

    Firstly it's about time management and map pressure. I can't get you here, there are 3 others I need to pressure.

    Secondly it's about making the survivors waste time. I have a higher base movement, and don't need to worry about getting spotted moving back to gens you do. I abandon you, you need to path safely back, spending time. Meanwhile I pressure others.

    Thirdly it's about cutting losses, if an area of the map is untenable, I void it to survivors and focus elsewhere. If I'm lucky this results in the survivors 3 genning themselves.

    Last point, I often will abandon untenable chases after an injury. It's easier to find you again, you waste time healing or are vulnerable elsewhere. This allows me to spread my pressure, meeting the previous three points.

    PS. If I'm running STBFL and PWYF and you're the obsession, I'll either stack a couple chase and let go tokens or only injure and take a token loss on one to gain the other.

  • doodledot
    doodledot Member Posts: 70

    I can tell ur one of the people that say toolboxes r overpowered and gen rushing is to fast.

  • mentalpopcorn
    mentalpopcorn Member Posts: 181

    Survivors that complain about a killers playstyle are so stupid. I understand hating actual face campers, but survivors act so entitled. They act like it's the killers job to let them win, and if the killer goes for anything other than a 12 hook they're a "tunnelling camping noob"


    Survivor complaints in post game chat makes about as much sense as a killer crying about survivors progressing gens. Survivors literally ask killers to not do the thing that is their job.

  • mentalpopcorn
    mentalpopcorn Member Posts: 181
    edited July 2020

    Gen rushing is actually completely fair and a necessary tactic against some killers. What's not fair is gen rushing in sfw parties. They have too much info and can complete gens waaay too fast because of this.


    That being said sfw parties that use voice chat for the express reason of communication/transfer of information is extremely unfair.

  • mentalpopcorn
    mentalpopcorn Member Posts: 181

    Easiest way to beat a survivor who is better than you. Go after the weak link, hook them, bait the better one out for the rescue.

  • ChunChunMaru
    ChunChunMaru Member Posts: 52

    Honestly, the average game time should be around 2-3 minutes longer than it currently is. I feel like it'd be much healthier for the game because yes, on certain maps, or certain tiles, you pretty much start with a 40% chance of winning that quickly diminishes depending on how you play the first minute of the game. But people used to defend infinites and call it a "survivor nerf" because they thought there should be areas where a killer is completely powerless sooooo.

  • mentalpopcorn
    mentalpopcorn Member Posts: 181
    edited July 2020

    Even things that aren't true infinites can be insanely broken. The loop on crotus prenn asylum with the window vault in the building where a gen will often spawn too. It's way too safe and easy, plus it's a relatively long loop making it take SO much of the killers time. I'm a hag main so this loop really doesn't effect me as a killer but boy when I play survivor do I feel like a stinky piece of ######### for using it.


    If you're against a trapper or hag the loop isn't great, and a good spirit might be able to outplayed there, but if you go down in this loop against any other killer it really doesn't speak to how good the killer is, it just speaks volumes on how bad that survivor is. There shouldn't be loops like this. Loops where it relies entirely on a survivor making a dumb mistake to get a hit. When I loop here often times on the 3rd go around killers will just give up the chase because of how unfair it is. Not only this, but if it was just one window that's fine. Get the survivor to use it enough to be blocked. But there's another identical section on the other side of the building! So you can loop that one until the other has become usable again.

  • WokenHavok85
    WokenHavok85 Member Posts: 4

    And for reasons like what people have posted in here is why I play The Doctor. Map control killer especially with the right add ons for Static Blast

  • WokenHavok85
    WokenHavok85 Member Posts: 4

    For my Doctor build I use Distressing, Overcharge, Discordance, and PWYF

  • Kind_Lemon
    Kind_Lemon Member Posts: 2,559

    it completely depends on where the loop is in relation to objectives like generators and things like injured, hooked, or dying teammates. You have to make judgments on whether it's worth your time to chase someone down right then and there or force them to come back to where you and the objectives are so you have an easier time dealing with the survivor later on.

  • TwinnedHawks8772
    TwinnedHawks8772 Member Posts: 50

    would you rather chase a survivor for 2 minutes when there's 3 other survivors working on gens or chase the same survivor later in the match when they're at a different spot and they can't do their infinite or they're at the same spot and they're the last one left so they're not getting anything done by looping, only giving you bloodlust.

  • Zerog
    Zerog Member Posts: 27

    Basically what everyone else said, you waste too much time chasing one survivor gens will just fly, now yes you may abandon them but they wont always be in that powerfull area and position, you are setting yourself up for better chases in the long run

  • Reaver_Raziel
    Reaver_Raziel Member Posts: 400

    Ignore any survivors that run to that loop (there arent that many left in the game though), kill everyone else, if they all run to that loop, well that sounds like a gg ez because now none of them are doing gens. If you know a certain area, like that long wall you described is a hellscape to get looped around then try to let the far off gens get done and to let the gens around the long wall stay. So you can pressure multiple people at once while chasing someone around that wall. Its not easy, but gives results.

    Besides there is in fact not a singe place in the game, where a killer wont win a chase. The only reason why you abandon chases is because winning the chase would take so long that too much time would be wasted doing it.