The obvious solution to SWF

We can punish people who want to play with their friends. Just make it a gen speed nerf. Just because you want to play with your friends doesn't mean the killer should have to suffer an unfair advantage against people who actually play the game seriously. We do that because it's impossible to separate the ones who "just want to play with friends" aka those who claim they don't care about winning, and those who play SWF just because it gives them an unfair advantage and they want to win. You can't balance the game around survivors who don't care about winning.

I don't mind survivors playing with their friends. I just hate the current meta and the vicious cycle that buffing solos indirectly buffs SWFs harder, just as buffing perks buffs blight and nurse. Ever since I started playing last year we've gotten buffs to Borrowed Time, Dead Hard, pallet hit evasion, the crazy boil over meta, Circle of Healing, that whole month of december where snowmen made some killers impossible to play, undying nerf (which i'm fine with), and a slew of changes to killers that made them even weaker while nurse and blight consistently got buffs. No one thought Deathslinger was top tier. Twins nerfs were unjustified. Did Blight really need adrenaline vial to give him everything?

In return killers got uh, the hatch change. And proposed demo nerfs. And a bunch of addon changes that virtually did nothing but looked like the killers were getting some TLC. And the decisive strike "nerf" that just meant it wasn't a wow style paladin shield for 60 seconds. And none of these changes happened without some sweeping buffs to survivor perks around the same time. DS change led to BT being always on. There's no counterplay to it. Stealth killers now have to deal with deep wounds and body blocking. Teleport characters can't outplay it. Hatch change coincided with a huge announcement around it for survivors to use their keys and Boon: Circle of Healing immediately followed.

It's like BHVR has two children and one of them is very upset when the other gets a present so they also have to get a present. Speaking as a killer main, I don't feel like we're even asking for much. We would just like to be able to play who we want and not feel like an idiot when RNG/strong metas prevent us from using over 95% of our options. We have limited options to do fun perk synergies while remaining competitive, and almost all of them are doubly busted when used on nurse/blight compared to "normal" killers. While off the top of my head I can think of 3-4 perk combinations that become viable just because you're now on voice comms with your teammate. Flashlight/break out saves. Boil over/sabotage bullying. Circle of healing/body blocking builds. Circle of healing/anything builds.

So if I pick pinhead, and I get Lery's I'm statistically not going to have a good time because my power won't even work on it half the time. If I'm a survivor and I have 3 friends with me, and on the off chance we're not burning realm addons, if we get Lery's it's not a big deal. In fact I can't even think of a map right now that's tilted anywhere towards Killer advantage.

The problem isn't SWF. The problem is 75% of the killer roster isn't even viable to begin with and then it keeps getting worse while the two killers who are viable in 99% of scenarios just keep getting buffs to keep up with the survivor buffs.

Anyway just my two cents, <3

No one lol. Cause they know it's useless against swf. 🤣

True true, lol

There is a power imbalance with SWF against killers and the main thing that creates this is the ability to communicate freely and plan ahead/ in the moment. I don't really like pulling peeks into the equation to fix any gameplay related issue because forcing or requiring a meta of perks to fight against something that's usually hard to realize before hand isn't fair on any party. People should be able to play in the styles they want with out forcing a meta.

Having seperate queues is a good idea but I think it would just add to the problem of even longer queue times than we already have to suffer and could end up alienating SWF as killers will be more inclined to choose solo queues for easier gameplay, some enjoy the challenge but I think most do not.

I think there should be an in game voice communication, both mic and what was suggested in the Player Satisfaction Survey in the form of a ping wheel of sorts. Although this will ultimately create an influx of reports due to toxic behaviour, communication bans would be easy to implement anyway. I've always found the idea for proximity chat to be a fun addition for both the survivors and killers to have banter etc but some would just take it too far and I think that's probably the main reason we don't see it.

If we gave all survivors the chance to have fair communication it would ultimately lead to killers needing to adapt to be more on top of things and to become more unpredictable.

SWF won't go away as it's such a big part of the community now but creating some sort of communication I find would even it out in the essence of survivors

As for killers it's abit harder, depending on MMR the higher you are the more likely you should be placed against these as you should be capable at a high MMR to cope with such things imo, maybe extra rewards for it would encourage killers to try hard but idk. It's hard to judge a good and fair system when you're a player rather than a developer who can see it from a coding perspective

Is this not true of any killer, though? SWF or not. Most killers have clear counterplay. For instance, while hard, you can give a good nurse a good run for their money and force them into predicting where you go by being unpredictable in your movements and constantly breaking line of sight. Me, who has tons of hours into billy, can run a double engravings billy too while my team might go down in a matter of seconds, doesn't make him not good though against swf.

I don't think billy needs buffs. Adjustments, sure, but he's completely viable. I'd rate him mid a tier, no where near clown or wraith. He is one of the hardest, if not THE hardest killer to master. His chainsaw is incredibly tough to master. Again, if you are having issues with him vs a swf I'd be happy to analyze some gameplay or something, and honestly recommend watching someone like gtVel (one of the best billies around, and he is always down to give people tips or advice)

You should check out the Overwatch forums. This place is sunshine and rainbows where the happiness doesn't stop relative to that hellhole. I come HERE for the cheer. If I am in an edgy depressed move, OW is the way to go.

You can’t balance the game around SWF because killers are already powerless against SWF. I can’t imagine playing every match where the survivors have SWF potential even if they are four solo players.

Why not give killers the option to dodge swf groups?

Either by having the flagged in the lobby, or by allowing for them to be "turned off", similar to cross play.

That way killers who aren't bothered by, or enjoy being stomped can still go against them if they so wish. But the rest of us are spared the misery.

The arugement from swfs would be that it would kill swfs being a thing, but they wont ask themselves why Killers don't enjoy versing swfs, and why solo players generally don't' like being with partial swfs.

It will just provoke a response that every killer or solo wants easy mode and they should get good.

I get what you are saying but as a person who has friends who at best get silver (normally stay ash) we are not a swat SWF and being dodged would suck. On the other side I have a group of friends who I would say we are a Swat SWF group. We all are decent at looping we all know where everyone is and we know how to get a minimum of 4 gens done or almost done before the first down. This is a boring way to play and honestly half the time after the 4th gen we almost completely throw to have chases and fun. I get what you are saying about having an easy mode and the argument of get good and I see that often and have thrown it out at times. The problem is if you enjoy playing a weak killer no matter how good you are you will lose and if you resort to tunneling and camping you are trash and if you lose all 4 you are trash. The major change this game needs to do is put all survivors on par with each other and buff all killers that need serious buffs (90%ish need some help) and balance from there.

OK so you did read the part about having the killers buffed as well? Also good for you for being solo just because you are ok with it does not mean everyone finds it fun. I can't count the number of times I get placed with potatoes and die because of it. Solo q is hell most of the time and not worth playing if you are a higher MMR survivor. I AM SAYING SWFS ARE GOING NO WHERE AND IF YOU NERF THEM THEY WILL LEAVE. EITHER BUFF SOLO Q AND KILLERS OR YOU WILL NEVER HAVE BALANCE. READ THE WHOLE POST BEFORE COMMENTING ON HALF OF IT GOD!

Ok cool give up lol they will have to buff killers or the game will die. Also your reply literally ignored the part about buffing. I am saying they need to and feel like you don't have a concept of this but I am not the one making the choices I am giving an opinion. One you clearly don't agree with cause you are here only to cry and complain. Bye bye.

I'm not sure they would be. Maybe even a trial to see how it would impact.

you guys are missing the easiest solution of all. proximity voice chat that the killer can hear. it would force SWF's to watch what they say and if they're not careful it can help a killer.

What exactly am I crying about? If either of us are crying, wouldn't it be you? Mr "solo queue is too hard!!!1"

Not only, but mostly. I play mostly solo survivor, and i get so many games with decent killers, that neither camp nor tunnel, and yet my teammates wait at the gate and start teabagging as soon as the killer comes. Yes, thats toxic, and its comming from one side mostly.