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What is a "crutch"?

How do you define a crutch?

I've seen a few popular definitions.

1. Something that lets you play above your skill level and gives you rewards you didn't work for.

Now, far be it from me to ask how you can arbitrarily define someone's skill level and how much they do or don't deserve a perk's rewards. But isn't this what literally every perk does? Adds rewards for things you're already doing? At what point do you suddenly stop deserving the rewards, and who's the judge?

2. Something that helps in literally any tangible way.

An opinion I'm sure we've all come across a couple times. Even if it doesn't make sense. Especially if it doesn't make sense. Flip flop? Crutch. Third seal? Crutch. If you can't play perkless, why are you even playing?

3. Something that's annoying ME at the particular moment.

This one's an interesting one. While what annoys people is usually something strong and you'll hear the same old perks being yelled about, the quiet seethes against weaker perks does make itself known sometimes. To moderate confusion.

4. Whatever I can say you're mad about losing so I can ignore whatever you say.

This one's gotten popular the past few days. Schadenfreude is apparently a good community building exercise.

As for my personal opinion about what a crutch is, I'd have to say a crutch is Jesus Christ shut up and let people use good perks without shaming them to salvage your brittle ego.

Comments

  • Brokenbones
    Brokenbones Member Posts: 5,629

    I always thought a crutch was something that helps newer/inexperienced players but halts or doesn't help them get better.

    Like, in a metaphorical sense when you have an injured leg - you use a crutch to help with your mobility and to make it less painful but when your leg is healthy, you don't keep using the crutch

    Actual crutch perks in DBD are stuff like Unrelenting or Technician - they have effects that only help you when you're making mistakes that a good player typically wouldn't. Running these perks as a good player makes them useless

    I think DH and IW were perks that made medicore survivors do better but it wasn't because they were a crutch, it's because they were so strong they were substitutes for playing well. Same thing with NOED.

    That's how i see it, at least

  • Bwsted
    Bwsted Member Posts: 3,452

    It's something you don't want your opponent to use. So, you try to shame them into not doing it.

  • EvilSerje
    EvilSerje Member Posts: 1,070

    A crutch (in games) is something that allows you to do things you don't deserve. Cheesy tactics, some exploits, abusing some imbalances, etc.

  • Sadako_Best_Girl
    Sadako_Best_Girl Member Posts: 662

    If you are using NOED I will also call it a crutch. It's no double standard.

  • dspaceman20
    dspaceman20 Member Posts: 4,699
    edited July 2022

    That's weird because I only see killers use the word crutch only at survivors and not the other way around.

    Why's that

  • Aneurysm
    Aneurysm Member Posts: 5,270

    I mean if you're seriously asking I'd be inclined to say something you run often and struggle to do well without. But then again that could apply to perks people might run for accessiblity like shadowborn or spine chill, and it feels kinda rude to call those crutches in a case like that.

    So...idk. Whatever a crutch is it's not a good reason for nerfs anyway, things that are overpowered and/or obnoxious more so

  • Mister_xD
    Mister_xD Member Posts: 7,668

    Mate the term "crutch" describes something someone overrelies on that singlehandedly carries them to a level of play they should not yet be on.

    It is an universal term that can be used for both sides respectively.

    And the reason why you saw so many more people complain about Survivors here is because Dead Hard was probaply the biggest crutch in DbD history with the only thing being even comparable to it being Nurse (who is complained about very frequently), so it's obvious that you're gonna see more complaints about that.

    Literally no one is going to fight you when saying that something like an Omegablink Nurse stacking 4 slowdown Perks is using crutches to win - because she is. (there are going to be some ofc, but we also had some call DH balanced so...)

  • Phantom_
    Phantom_ Member Posts: 1,413

    Agree with your last sentence.

    Who here is deciding what someone deserves or doesn't? That's such an arrogant mindset. Even if the majority thinks that still who cares? Opinions aren't facts.

    If it's an issue of something actually being imbalanced then it's on the game, not the person using the tools they got.

  • dspaceman20
    dspaceman20 Member Posts: 4,699

    I'm glad you apply it fairly I have seen mostly people apply the word to survivors

    It's a bit unfair

  • Gladonos
    Gladonos Member Posts: 392

    I bet you 60% minimum of killers will attack you for saying that.

    Nope, a crutch is when survivors have something good. When killers have something good there is no problem because they are "the power role" and deserve their 4k.

  • dspaceman20
    dspaceman20 Member Posts: 4,699

    I'm curious will I get the same reaction if I apply it to killers?

    For now I will retract my us vs them post. Sorry

  • Friendly_Blendette
    Friendly_Blendette Member Posts: 2,923

    Since nobody has done it yet

    image.png


  • Cybil
    Cybil Member Posts: 1,163

    Anything I'm tired of seeing and makes me mad in that moment.

  • Mister_xD
    Mister_xD Member Posts: 7,668

    The Nurse community will, 100%. After all I did just call their character a huge crutch and no one likes hearing that.

    But no, I don't think a lot of Killer players are going to argue against that. There might be a vocal minority (there usually is), but as a Killermain myself I can guarantee you they don't speak for all of us.

  • Laluzi
    Laluzi Member Posts: 6,233

    I'd call a crutch perk a perk that carries you past your skill level. It gets you results you couldn't achieve with any other build, and when you take it off, you're not capable of playing at the level you're used to.

    Mostly I would have saved that designation for DH and NOED. Old DS as well, the version before doing a generator turned the perk off, but that's long gone. At the moment, I think only NOED might qualify, and its effectiveness at this stage remains to be seen.

  • Aneurysm
    Aneurysm Member Posts: 5,270

    Can already hear in the distance a series of angry blinks and an increasing default terror radius

  • EvilSerje
    EvilSerje Member Posts: 1,070
    edited July 2022

    It's called "Common sense", you should try it sometimes.

    When I start playing some game, I cannot beat the endgame boss right of the bat (unless I'm super skilled and/or beatend this game numerous times). Using cheat or exploits would be crutch.

    I cannot compete against world class MMA fighter, unless I'm myself. But bringing shank or gun to a fight would be a crutch.

    I cannot enter the university if I'm not educated enough or not educated enought yet. But my big-pockets daddy could grease some hands and I'm in - that's a crutch.


    The problem is that crutches are allowed in some areas, intentionally or not. So yes, crutch is a crutch. And I can decide what crutch is, just as a member of society and human being. Who are you to prohibit me of speaking my mind? People can agree or not, but that's my point, you can argue, but definetely not point me where is my place. Ain't that arrogant? Definetely not your place to do that.

  • EvilSerje
    EvilSerje Member Posts: 1,070

    Imbalanced perk can be rendered as exploit if majority of people agree about that. Same as level design or AI flaws in some games. It's there and it can be abused, making it unfun for others (and the last one is the most important thing when we are not talking about singleplayer game).

    If I come to the pool, let's say for TikTok content, and piss in the water, everyone will curse me, because I spoil the fun for everyone. Is it OK behavior or not? Nothing prohibits me from doing that. I would have to leave the pool at the worst.

  • hailxsatanxeveryxday
    hailxsatanxeveryxday Member Posts: 920

    Please don't use Jesus' name in vain. You'll offend the FNAF fans.


    A pair of crutches allow to you to walk when can't otherwise walk. A crutch is something that you can't make progress without and reply upon in order to move forward, without which you'd be significantly hindered.

    DH was a crutch for a lot of survivors (75% pick rate). Ruin/Undying was mine on some killers.

    Crutches don't have to be good perks, just ones you're personally addicted to. For my first year of playing the game, I could not play survivor without running Urban Evasion. It just didn't feel right, and when I tried, I'd hit the crouch button and wonder for a second why I was moving so slowly, or I'd try to walk in an area where I should have crouched and got hooked.

    Get it?

  • Phantom_
    Phantom_ Member Posts: 1,413

    First of all, no need to be rude. You misread what I said.

    You said: Cheesy tactics, some exploits, abusing some imbalances, etc.

    Using exploits/imbalances are the game's fault, not the player's. What if it's a new player and they have no clue as to what they're doing/getting away with is due to an imbalance/exploit? You're generalizing. If someone is consciously deciding to use exploits, then yes, you'd be right. But to think that applies to everyone is ignorant.

    Using cheats is a whole different subject that you yourself didn't even mention in your post, so IDK what that's about. IDC what definition you give to the word crutch, because that wasn't even my point. Either actually read what I'm saying, instead of reading what you're thinking I'm saying. And if you're not going to then fine don't, like I care. 🤷‍♀️

  • Grigerbest
    Grigerbest Member Posts: 1,959

    In my country, in 2013, we used to name things that player abuses to "bump up" his skill. Who was playing really bad, but get "crutched" on by badly design mechanic or exploits... We used such "exploits" or "bad design" as -

    "Crutch for the handicapped" or "A crutch for the handless"

    Yes. Previous DH is exactly what we used to name like this.

  • FlameGNG
    FlameGNG Member Posts: 746

    for me a crutch perk is NOED you dont need to do anything to get it besides not being to good... BUT its important to keep in mind that crutch perks doesnt have to be good (my opinion) I've seen killers get 2 3 kills when they should have had 0 not even close to 1 just because the survivors cant find the totem...

  • FlameGNG
    FlameGNG Member Posts: 746

    How was old Dead Hard a crutch perk? its a worse sprintburst, easier to bait out and you knew everyone had it so its 1 perk slot wasted

  • FlameGNG
    FlameGNG Member Posts: 746

    Well even when i pounce and lose victor to a dead hard user it isnt that bad like whatever i lose 20 sec but you can always make it up... NOED is a real big crutch perk it rewards you for not winning by giving you a 2nd chance to atleast somewhat have chance at coming back or securing a kill or 2 (keep in mind that NOED isnt good or strong but its a crutch perk since you have to perfrom bad to even get it to activate)

    I do appreciate the dead hard update but it wasnt that bad we have seen worse (boil over buff, old DS was a crutch perk, old enduring 75% + reduced perk stuns by 20%,Old mettle of man, old OOO, haha old selfcare we will make it combo like a 4 sec heal, Old undying, CoH )

  • Mazoobi
    Mazoobi Member Posts: 1,598

    Everything in this game apparently.