The second iteration of 2v8 is now LIVE - find out more information here: https://forums.bhvr.com/dead-by-daylight/kb/articles/480-2v8-developer-update

Why is this game so hard?

I'm on the verge of tears. No matter how good I play, no matter what dirty strategies I try, no matter how many meta perks I bring, no matter the killer I play, I can never get more than one single kill. It makes me so upset that my favorite game is also the game I hate to play the most. I have started playing killer more because I can usually only play this game every Sunday at 7:00-10:00 P.M. and survivor ques at this time take from 1 to 1 and a half hours at the rank I'm in. This makes it so I just play game after game after game of red rank survivors on terrible maps like Ormond and Badham Preschool and get absolutely stomped. The survivors don't even have the common courtesy to wait at the exit gates and let me get hits before they take off. They just leave. I hate that I have an addiction to this game and I'm so super bad at it. I look at videos on how to get better, I look at videos on what I'm doing wrong, I ask people what I can do to get better and they all say the same things: "Get better at looping", "Know when to leave a survivor", "Spread pressure when you're able to." None of it helps. My Undying and Ruin get broken immediately at 5 gens so I try and tunnel to make sure I can at least get one kill. I do t understand how people are so good or why people are so mean. I just want to have fun and this game just makes me mad and lash out. Please tell me what to do this game is ruining my life.

Comments

  • HarlowXRaven
    HarlowXRaven Member Posts: 191

    What killer do you play I used to suck also try to play doctor hes op also try playing trapper IDK how much of the game changed but both are very decent to me. Dont tunnel either if I were you Id try to collect blood points and upgrade some of your killers and get chase perks ruin and undying aren't that good tbh I Haven't played in a while but maybe when I get on I can tell you the perks I used on my killers. Also what rank are you at?

  • Dwight_Fairfield
    Dwight_Fairfield Member Posts: 7,019
    edited November 2020

    I don't know if that last line was hyperbole, but if its actually ruining your life then stop playing it. Anything having that much of a negative effect on you needs to be abandoned pronto.

    There's no quick fix solution to getting better as killer. It just takes time and practice. We've all been there where we struggled to get more than one kill. Its like with most things in life, you just need to keep investing time and effort, and eventually you'll hit your stride. There's a lot of good killer guides out there on Youtube that give great tips on how to improve.

  • Eleghost
    Eleghost Member Posts: 1,190

    i'm curious as to what region you're playing or if you have crossplay off. I've tried my hardest to lose using add-ons with penalties to me and using really stupid perks and i still can just run through people at rank 1. I wasn't expecting to do as well as i have but after probably 6-7 matches with matchbox and dull bracelet nurse, t1 myers, and placebo tablet blight, all ending with 3-4k i don't really understand how survivors can play as bad as they do.

  • HarlowXRaven
    HarlowXRaven Member Posts: 191

    Try playing survivor also if you get good as survivor and know how to think as a survivor it'll be easier to win as killer.

  • yobuddd
    yobuddd Member Posts: 2,259

    I highly recommend playing Hag.

    1. You get lots of hits and have near-constant opportunities to be in chases for practice.
    2. You’ll start looking at maps and survivor-pathing more critically when you strategically place your traps. This helps you improve mindgames.
    3. You’ll learn to let go, which seems to be a big one for you. Trap triggered? Teleport and attack. Doesn’t matter if you’re chasing. Doesn’t matter if you just downed someone. Teleport anyway. Spread the pain around. Make them think you’re everywhere at once! This increases your pressure, helps you to not tunnel, and quite honestly improves your enjoyment of the game dramatically.
    4. Even strong teams can be humbled by Hag, but she’s not the oh-so-hated Spirit or Freddy.
    5. This was the first Killer I actually got a high kill ratio with. Not at first, mind you, but give her some time. You learn so much playing Hag! I bet you’ll start seeing consistent 3 to 4 kill games after 10 to 15 practice matches. (Space Coconut has good tips for perfecting Hag play too)
    6. Above all, enjoy! Give yourself goals like getting everyone injured at the same time. Suddenly you’ll realize that these injuries are becoming downs, then hooks, then sacrifices.
  • meatisadelicacy
    meatisadelicacy Member Posts: 1,920

    Why are you playing a game you hate? If the game isn't fun, stop playing. I took a break at the end of the first rift and I just came back because challenges made the game unplayable as a solo survivor. Are you kidding about survivors giving you pity hits at the end of games? Why should they? They don't owe you anything. And if you're Undying and Ruin are found immediately, try Corrupt Intervention and Pop instead. They can't be cleansed.

  • TheClownIsKing
    TheClownIsKing Member Posts: 6,278
    edited November 2020

    Howdy.

    First, I know exactly how tilting this game can get, so I sympathise.

    Secondly, you need to focus on some self care by doing a few things you absolutely know are good for your mental health, and know from experience will lift your mood.

    Thirdly, it’s ok to take breaks/breathers from this game from time to time. DBD is my favourite game too, but like others sometimes this game also drives me crazy. So I’ll have a break when my head gets that bad.

    And lastly, set yourself gaming sessions where you stop focusing on winning. I went through a frustrating period with Clown at one point where I had to “go back to the drawing board”. I started playing him without any perks or add ons, and just committed myself to one thing only to practice. I was doing this before cross play so I could message the survivors and explain what I was doing, and ask that they use all their best chase skills and to not go easy on me.

    One gaming session all I did was practice direct bottle hit accuracy for every game in every chase. Never hitting. Never downing. Just practicing how to be accurate at a distance while still chasing.

    Another session I just focused on how I can best use a bottle at every loop to guarantee a hit before the survivor can do another lap and either vault or pallet stun me.

    Another was focusing on predicting where ahead of survivors I should throw bottles.

    Eventually it led to a whole new set of skills and understanding of Clowns power.

    Sometimes it’s also healthy to periodically play matches where I do nothing but be stupidly silly in the match. They de stress me A LOT.

    Despite everything I’ve said here it’s extremely important for mental health to accept that this is the sort of game where it doesn’t matter how good at it any player gets, no one will ever get so good that they’ll never lose again. An expectation of getting so good you’ll normally always win will only lead to frustration and misery, because it’s simply not possible with all the random factors that contribute to how a match will play out.


    Hope this helps. Wish you the best. Be kinder to yourself.

  • yobuddd
    yobuddd Member Posts: 2,259

    As many have said already, if you need a break, take a break. I’d like to recommend Farming Simulator (I’m being serious). It’s very engaging and challenging, but without the win/lose mentality.

  • TheClownIsKing
    TheClownIsKing Member Posts: 6,278

    My current “I just need to chill right now” game is No Man’s Sky.

  • 2LuvRias
    2LuvRias Member Posts: 352

    Look man I'm also terrible at this game, on both sides. If you're really struggling with something try to remember. "Always rains before the rainbow" Truetalent, otzdarva, no0b3 even other people on this very forum(I think?) were likely not that good when they started. But as the hours build up and you learn from the mistakes you made. You'll notice a change. Maybe small at first but as time goes on and it builds bit and bit at a time you'll improve. It's all trial and error but you'll get there. If you need help improving try this...


    1. Record your games (Easy on consoles although I'm not sure about PC)

    2. Play said game

    3. Pay attention to the results (they're not very accurate but better than nothing)

    4. Watch the recording of your game and annalise it. I'll give an example. For said example it's a survivor game vs Freddy, you're his obsession and he has the black box. (Permanently asleep)


    You're in a chase vs a Freddy, you're injured Look at when you went down... You had a choice, vault the window to get away or drop the pallet. You drop the palket and its a fake. What went wrong?


    Well you can chalk this up to lack of awareness. Think back to when you weren't in a chase, did you see any snares at the windows? Maybe over some pallets? Means either two things


    1. He's useless with Freddy by not utaliseing his power


    2. He has dream pallets.


    (Sorry this example wasn't perfect but I'm sure you know what I meant)


    If you still find yourself struggling watch Uncharted, you'll learn some interesting chase tips from him. Especially with Killer,


    Le derp

  • megswifey
    megswifey Member Posts: 826

    Hey honey pie! I know how you feel, I have anxiety and depression and sometimes being able to escape or be good at something can help you feel more in control, but I took a well needed hiatus from this game-- just a week or two-- and I have been feeling less enraged. I needed some time to realize that while this game is fun, you are playing with real people who may not be playing fair or even well, and that, in turn, effects you. It's okay bubbale, and I encourage you to get some water and eat your fav snack and just find something to do for a few days, yeah? And reply to this comment if you need any help or want a check in, because I promise there are kind people in this community who are probably feeling the same way. It's easy to latch onto this game, but sometimes it's hard to get out of it, and the community can be lovely! I always advise people to engage with users like @Slashstreetboy @Jyn_Mojito @Buttercake and many others who I'm too exhausted to @ right now haha! But stay safe and please, please take this advice and work on being happy <3!

  • ComaDarkvale
    ComaDarkvale Member Posts: 20

    I'm pretty sure this post is mocking people not serious lol

  • SeeAndWait
    SeeAndWait Member Posts: 94

    the problem is that many perks that should help you learn are DLC.


    I suggest to stop focusing on kills, it could make things easier. put a maximum amount of matches per session. playing other games can give you a break. remember, player that do better tend to have high amount of play time, so for now, try no to expect yourself to their level.

    AVOID ranking up too fast. I have been playing since med-2018, and yet, the highest rank I got on a killer is yellow.


    DBD is a game where you play from time to time.

  • noctis129
    noctis129 Member Posts: 967

    I Disagree. I think he should keep playing. Everyone has those noob moments of frustration.


    At some point, u get good enough or grow a thicker skin. Camping and tunneling helps.


    And its hard to relate to top tier streamers like that when ur a noob.


    Better watch streams of mid tier killers and learn that way.

  • Clevite
    Clevite Member Posts: 4,335

    This game is not very noob friendly, it takes a lot of time to get good.

    My advice, start with survivor. It is easier and will allow you to learn the maps, loops and how survivors think. When you put in like 200 hours of survivor, then switch back an try killer. It allows you to understand the mechanics of the game.

    I also started out mainly playing killer, and it was very tough early on. The only way to get better is to play. And the more you can see it from both sides the better you will be at versing them.

  • noctis129
    noctis129 Member Posts: 967

    Yea like what others have said. Probably playing the less stressful survivor role might be Better.


    When I played killer for the first time. I didn't find anyone. Gens got done. And they all teabagged me at the gate and left.

  • Blueberry
    Blueberry Member Posts: 13,590

    Best advice I can give is to watch a really good player, whether that be killer or survivor. My friend is pretty new to the game which means he dies fast but I just tell him to spectate me afterwards to watch my loops/choices/camera angles. Just having him watch me makes him improve significantly faster.

  • WestX
    WestX Member Posts: 120

    One of the biggest issues right now are the lack of matchmaking restrictions or protections and the piss poor ranking system along with no Casual play option.

    No matchmaking restrictions means I as a yellow killer (15) frequently get matched against red ranks hell even Rank 1s at times.

    The ranking system doesn't do its job well, ranks are meant to keep players separated by their skill levels(you don't see diamond players in bronze ranks in Rainbow Six Siege after all because its not fair)

    And what you're going through I've seen occassionally myself, I'm new, I don't have any meta perks unlocked, when I get matched against red ranks running all second chance perks and bringing everything they can, I'm just screwed due to not having the tools needed to actually compete against them. I even resort to camping sometimes to get a kill if I know I'm playing against a team of people.

    It would probably help if you had more free hours, its likely your time slot just happens to be a time where you're always going to see those sorts of survivors.

  • Asssblasster625
    Asssblasster625 Member Posts: 629

    It also may help if you tried easier killers like Freddy. Games should be better now cause bloodlust experiment should be over now.

  • TheButcher
    TheButcher Member Posts: 871

    Can we please stop telling Killers to stop playing as a way to dismiss just how terrible this game is for Killers.

    Frankly it's annoying to see on the forums at this point, and I am seriously surprised the Moderator's havn't started to enact punishment for the dismissive comments plaayers get when they are only reiterating the same issue that still has yet to be resolved.

  • NomiNomad
    NomiNomad Member Posts: 3,181

    I'm not saying to quit the game. I'm saying that if they need to, take a break and do something that relaxes them. If a game stresses you out to that point, you should take a break. I even gave them some options of videos to watch on getting better.

    I quite literally never told them to stop playing. I said to "Take a break."

  • SpicySquid
    SpicySquid Member Posts: 4

    Being a Clown main let me give you some advice that the clown has taught me.


    You're going to fail a lot before you get gud.

    Have smaller goals than a 4k in mind when playing. If you're main killer is trapper, learn to 3 gen the players and where to place traps, trial and error are key. If you're maiming someone like clown, gotta nail down those bottles and get creative like hitting the tops of objects shacks and trees. Make your first goals to get the basics down and learn when to stop chase (10 ro 15 sec without getting a pallet or hit/down)

    Practice your moon walking to counter spine chill

    Use all the crows and other sounds and practice looking and listening for them.

    And most importantly learn to laugh at the absurd and suck on them fingers.

  • TheButcher
    TheButcher Member Posts: 871

    No. Don't tell players to "take a break" it's only a friendlier way of saying "stop playing". It's dismissive. It's not nice. It doesn't solve the issue, that it is too damn stressful to play Killer. A game shouldn't be a way where you can play one side endlessly with ease, 0 stress, and even play just to make jokes/memes without even taking the game seriously. Then the other side you have to concentrate, strategize, basically sweat every round, and then get treated with consistent disrespect from the community after every match.

    Stop with the dismissive comments. If you don't have anything constructive to say then don't say anything at all.

  • NomiNomad
    NomiNomad Member Posts: 3,181

    I said take a break because it was clear they were very upset at the time. They said in their post that they didn't want any of the same old advice, they asked for what they could do about the game stressing them out. The simple answer is to take a break and do something you enjoy. It is not dismissive to say that, especially if the game is affecting their mental health to that point.

    If they had asked for my opinion on what makes the game that bad sometimes, I would have given it. They asked for what they could do to make them enjoy the game more, and I gave my advice. And, at the point the OP was at when posting, it was clear they needed to take a break and come back when they were better. That is not dismissive. This game has problems, but they didn't ask for the problems to be listed out for them.

    Taking a break is extremely constructive. Once you see things from a more relaxed, not so stressed light you can try and approach it again. This game is stressful, especially for killer, and they needed help with their stress. If I had said "Get gud lul" or "Play something different", that would add nothing. I gave them a list of creators that have made guides on getting better at the game. I gave them advice on both getting better, and gave them advice on how to help their mental attitude towards the game. It is never good to keep playing a game if it bums you out so much, until you've calmed down and can approach it again.

  • TheButcher
    TheButcher Member Posts: 871

    "Take a break" = "I don't actually care that playing Killer is stressful, and a terrible experience, but I understand I need Killers to enjoy the game as Survivor, so take a short break to collect yourself playing a game/role that is actually enjoyable, and then come back to continue being abused by me"

  • NomiNomad
    NomiNomad Member Posts: 3,181

    I play Killer far more then I do Survivor. I don't enjoy the Survivor role at all. I find it boring, and I find Killer far more enjoyable to play. I told the OP to take a break if it was affecting their mental health, which from the post they made, it seemed like it was. Their mental health should always come before a video game. If they had asked for my opinions on what made Killer so unbearable sometimes, I would have given them, but the OP did not ask. It's clear you don't care about actually having discussions, so I'm not going to waste my time anymore. Even though you'll probably reply to this telling me I'm terrible for the game or something, I don't really give a #########. Have a nice day.

    OP, I hope you found a way to enjoy Killer more, or learned ways you could get better.

  • TheButcher
    TheButcher Member Posts: 871

    Nice lie. A Killer main wouldn't tell players to "take a break".

  • NomiNomad
    NomiNomad Member Posts: 3,181

    I'm not lying, nor do I really have anything to prove to you. I told them to take a break because I was approaching them with empathy, not with "Oh, it's because this game is Survivor sided." That would not have helped, nor added anything to the conversation. This is the last time I'm touching this conversation, because all you do is straw-man and assume. See ya.

  • DBD78
    DBD78 Member Posts: 3,464

    Take a break and play Rocket League or something for a while.

  • APoipleTurtle
    APoipleTurtle Member Posts: 1,274

    If possible, I highly recommend grabbing a few friends to play with during your Sunday evening (or finding a group, if you've got that kind of feature). DbD is still at its best when played together with others in a more casual setting (like KYF/Custom Mode). It'd probably be a lot more fun for you and be a more effective experience for improving your own skills as either role.


    If that's really not something that would work for you though, I 115% recommend checking out some online guides and trying to apply some of those tips & tricks to your own play.


    Otherwise, if DbD and the players you're encountering in it are really stressing your mental/emotional health, then a break (however long or short) may be more important. Maintaining a clear head in trials will go a long way towards helping you to play more effectively and have a better experience. I don't know about you, but there's only so much of DbD's nonsense I can tolerate in a short period before it becomes difficult for me to not get upset with dumb things in the game, so I take occasional breaks to spend time with other games that cool my frustrations.

  • chargernick85
    chargernick85 Member Posts: 3,171

    Great advice. I also do the "lets just have some fun game" here and there to decompress. Really easy to do when you careless about rank. Ive noticed that as Ive been doing this it has carried over just a little bit into my regular games and this game/survivors/killers do not bother me the way they used to. now I just have to teach my rage quiting dc happy son who just got grounded AGAIN for dcing in a match. Ya that's right I got your guys back for real dc in my house = grounding.

  • megswifey
    megswifey Member Posts: 826

    Ah, I can't speak for OP, but if a game is stressing you out a lot it's good to stop playing for a few hours or to take a day off. I have done it before and I have a hard time keeping myself from playing, and it's refreshing to step back. You're telling someone to play as a virtual killer in a video game even when this person said it's stressing them out more than being fun. Please be careful in saying stuff like this, as it can encourage poor coping skills or make this person even more frustrated. They never said they should stop playing-- Have you ever taken a lunch break at work? You go back after like 15 minutes, it's not forever lol

  • Yamaoka
    Yamaoka Member Posts: 4,321

    Haven't read the comments so not sure if someone else asked but anyways:

    1) What killer do you main

    2) and what's your usual build?

    3) Also if you have clips of a match people could possibly give you some advice on what you could do better.

    4) how many hours do you have in the game? It sounds like you can't play regularly which obviously makes it harder to improve and be consistent performance-wise.

  • JoeyBob
    JoeyBob Member Posts: 477
    edited November 2020

    Because youre a bad player.

    And matchmaking.

  • TheButcher
    TheButcher Member Posts: 871

    This is a game - not a job, but how Killer is right now I can see why you compared it to taking a break from WORK.

  • megswifey
    megswifey Member Posts: 826

    haha, okay. I know it's different, but I'm gonna drop from this chat. This is coming from someone who was in the same position as survivor, and go ahead and say it's easier, but it's difficult when you play competitively. So, OP if you are reading this, I guess it's your choice, but please take care of yourself and don't push more than you can pull <3

  • Kazim
    Kazim Member Posts: 229

    I think if you're playing in the red ranks but only on Sundays that's not enough practice you should understand that you're playing vs survivors who play every day and where the role of survivor is easier than be killer, I would say give it at least a 3 game a day or lower rank, but if you don't want to lower your rank because of your ego, then you will continue in the same way if you really like to have fun while playing you will not give importance to rank.

  • Dabihwow
    Dabihwow Member Posts: 3,409

    Yeah I learned that the hard way, thankfully it doesn't affect me as much anymore

  • Grum_P
    Grum_P Member Posts: 79

    I wish I could play Freddy but I play on Switch and until they fix the lawsuit issue I can't ever play Freddy.

  • AskingForHelp
    AskingForHelp Member Posts: 103

    I definitely can tell you that it is not the game it is you. The killer is actually the most overpowered player in the game. Supposed to be due to 1v4 but even for that 5 gens is a lot to do in a small map with fast killers that down quickly and kill quickly. Killers need a nerf or map size needs to increase in size imo

  • Felnex
    Felnex Member Posts: 334
    edited November 2020

    "Please tell me what to do this game is ruining my life."

    This is over-dramatic. If a silly game makes you feel this way I've got news for you, STOP PLAYING IT. It's not for you and that's okay. You should not be experiencing so many negative emotions over something (when you think about it) so meaningless.

    "It makes me so upset that my favorite game is also the game I hate to play the most."

    This also doesn't make sense. I hate to break it to you, but you don't actually like playing DBD. Probably a lot of the distress you're feeling is stemming from an inability to accept that and walk away to greener pastures. Be free, I say to you! Find a hobby you actually like that doesn't put you on the verge of tears. That's not healthy and you can treat yourself better.