The Responses To Flashlight Changes...
I really did think the community would at least have some level of maturity, or have the ability to read a single sentence, but I guess the DbD community proved me wrong.
What exactly was changed?
- Flashlights are having a buffer time added as well as some other smaller changes to make the game more accessible to those with photosensitivity and epilepsy.
This is of course a good thing, it makes the game more accessible and available to all, but some people are upset that they now cannot click their flashlights. But overall clicking your flashlight had almost zero effect over gameplay at all for a majority of people, and this change will still have almost zero effect over gameplay for a majority of people. This change only effects a minority group, but it still is a positive change for the community and game.
Let's look at some of the common arguments I see against the flashlight changes:
- "Oh but there are other issues that cause seizures, they just hit flashlights on purpose," just because there are issues does not mean it wont be fixed, it takes steps towards making the game better, and this is just a small step forward. BHVR is known for rolling out changes over time instead of releasing everything all at once, just look at the map reworks from 2020-2021 for example.
- "Oh but people with photosensitivity or epilepsy should not play a game if they fear having seizures," people bring up this argument and not only is it insensitive but overall just proves the lack of empathy of others. People should not be excluded from something they enjoy because of such.
- "But they are catering to a minor part of the community," and who cares? It's more people playing the game, more people interact with, more people that can enjoy something they otherwise couldnt before. It would be selfish to not want these changes because you are admitting that you only want yourself to be catered to, and not anyone else.
If you are actually upset by the flashlight changes, I understand. But in my opinion, these changes make the game better and allow more people to be able to play without health risks.
Comments
-
I've seen people say it'll nerf flashlight saves when It's a skill issue for people that can't aim flashlights properly lol or mess up timings
24 -
The overall sentiment seems to be positive, not sure why you posted this.
11 -
Look on Twitter lol
8 -
Who cares about Twitter lol. It's always been a cesspool there.
26 -
I don't really think it will from what I am seeing but I understand where you are coming from. Timings seem to be okay.
0 -
Twitter.
Also you can go through replies on some other forums posts about the change and people are being really insensitive and hateful about the topic.
4 -
Never look on Twitter for feedback.
9 -
I'm happy about it. Now, just put a cooldown on successive crouches and between that, flashlights and the upcoming Unbreakable most forms of BMing will have been removed.
2 -
The removal of the clicking and the way the flashlights worked will make them undoubtedly and without a doubt less fun to use. I don't think DBD needs that right now. Survivors have already been packing their bags and leaving from what I can see.
14 -
Sometimes you have to just come to the understanding that some people in this world will just never graduate middle school mentality. Insensitivity will still be prevalent even long after we're gone from this world. I'm not saying it's okay but I always see the two extremes of etiquette, sometimes it's nice to just not care about what people are saying online about something.
Most do it for shock factor, some are just hateful/spiteful by design.
6 -
its not a nerf or anything, its just a quality improvement so people with Photosensitive epilepsy can enjoy the game too
if someone is mad about just ignore them, they are just mad they can't be toxic because the killer missed one M1 on them thanks to auto lock
6 -
Very thought out and written thank you for that. I would like to add what if someone playing dosnt know they suffer from photosensitivity and seizures....then it's no fault of their own.
I had a friend who never had a seizure or any type of issues but also never was exposed to the right circumstances to cause seizures. But one day we went to a concert and in the final part of the show there was a pyrotechnics display and all of a sudden he collapsed on the ground having a seizure. Later his parents took him to the doctor and ran a few tests and found he was prone to seizures if exposed to certain patterns of flashing lights.....we have to think of the players who are affected by seizures but don't know it or have not been diagnosed
8 -
The cooldown changes are good, but I don’t like the new sound. It doesn’t sound like a flashlight at all imo
2 -
it was me...im the second option.
0 -
I get that your entire thing is that you think the game is extremely killer sided, but this is just flat out wrong, I'm sure there's some survivor players who love this change because they don't have to fear having an epileptic seizure every time Meg wants to bm them on hook.
16 -
My favorite thing to do with my best friend on DBD is have flashlight arguments when we find each other in the match. We literally can't blind to save our lives and we aren't toxic to killers either it; we genuinely only bring them to be goofy on her stream.
I know it's a small thing, but it's one of the last things that was funny and enjoyable about the game.
5 -
Just learn morse code and teabag silly messages at each other instead then :)
4 -
The intended purpose of flashlights is to blind the killer or save survivors....all this other stuff that players say is "fun" are not the intended purpose and subject to change by the Devs to removed those unintended uses.
7 -
I am upset by the change not because it happened but because of their reasoning. It's lame and a PR message just to protect themselves against potential backlash (if they were to get any).
2 -
I welcome the change to flashlights.
Yeah the whole reason may not be due to photosensitivy but it is at least partially the reason. Removing the overuse of flashlights has been needed for a long time as it takes a really triggering part of the game away.
There was zero reason why any survivor needs to macro flashlights or to spam flashlights if not for BMing.
For those who argue that its a nerf to flashlights then I ask truely how is it a nerf. It doesnt stop anything that the flashlights are intended for (blinding killers, getting rid of hag traps, artist birds and blinding zombies).
5 -
I think it is a good change. I don't get sick or have seizures but quantum-speed clicking can make my skin crawl.
If survivors who macro or scroll-wheel flashlights are leaving the game, screw them. It's probably not the only reason they're leaving. They're more likely to leave because the game is stale and they're bored.
Survivors can still click their flashlights and and have fun.
14 -
I'm sure people with photosensitivity issues care a lot more that they did it than your personal cynicism. And thats coming from an extremely cynical person regarding this game.
9 -
You missed what I said, i don't care for the change, as in i am indifferent to it. Not that it shouldnt have happened, but whatever dude lmfao
2 -
No I got what you said, i'm just trying desperately to find a constructive avenue from it. If your entire point of any of this was just to ****talk the devs for having some kind of ulterior motive in doing something that helps people be able to play the game, you should probably reflect on why you feel the need to prioritize that sentiment.
6 -
Are the forums any better?
5 -
Nobody cares what the intended purposes are. Nobody intended hooks to be camped, but here we are.
The point of games is to have fun. This game is now just killers shidding on survivors and getting second chance kills. You take away the fun, there's no reason to play.
0 -
Nah because I seriously believe crouch cooldown is next at this point. It's clearly so gamebreaking.
0 -
You know what helps make sure you have the right angle and timing?
Clicking to see where you're aiming, so that you don't have to readjust while trying to get the blind in time.
1 -
I'm not surprised. I will never forget that thread earlier this year where a guy claimed his nephew or something had a seizure from stuff like this, and some of the most upvoted posts in the thread were people blaming the guy and his relative and defending keeping stuff like that in. Genuinely the one thread here that has made me angry.
Of course, a lot seem to have pivoted to the argument that it's not REALLY about accessibility. Usually these posts show the poster doesn't really understand photo sensitivity at all.
2 -
If you ask me this change should have happened with the blinded color change years ago. I'd have it be limited to a half second instead of nearly a full second.
2 -
The colour-blind settings and addressing epilepsy issues should've been one of the earliest changes added to the game. Are we literally forgetting that they nerfed the flashlight because it was TOO blinding to someone without epilepsy?
0 -
Hey I agree with Sluzzy about something! 😄
1 -
i see no downsides to flashlight changes
8 -
It should be client sided option only. If they are photo sensitive. That way things like battery, timing, and flashlight communication between survivors, and killers are not affected. Its BHVR taking away agency and calling it "accessibility". As someone wo is photosensitive, Its a very small trigger in comparison to several other game mechanics, like the new awful Last Standing animation and anything involving Dredge
1 -
I’m probably in the minority here, but I think this change is bad and will make the game less fun. I play both sides and as much as flashlight clicking is annoying when playing killer, it’s fun and humorous on the survivor side and makes the game more enjoyable to play IMO.
I also fully disagree with people who claim it’s not a nerf. I’ve had countless times where I’ve distracted the killer away from a chase using the repeated flashlight clicks. Now you can’t do that anymore.
I understand that BHVR needs to take accessibility into consideration, but this is yet another example of a change that is probably going to impact a larger number of players negatively than the very small number of player that it will benefit.
When making game changes for accessibility starts to infringe on other players’ enjoyment of the game, that’s when the devs need to step back and re-think these changes or at the very least come up with better solutions that don’t make the game less fun for people to play.
6 -
I wish this post aged better.
8 -
One of the few times the community actually ignores negative posts and immaturity is ironically at one of the worst times to do it.
I feel like people are really downplaying how people have been acting in regards to this change, not just the forums, since it's so sad to see people act so negative towards such a good change for the game.
4 -
Twitter ? The biggest online circus ? 😂
1 -
So people are not allowed to disagree that this is a positive change for the game?
0 -
But like...if they really fear having seizures, DBD isn't the only game that would cause it
I don't care at all about this change, I'm just saying if you are playing video games, you're most likely not scared of getting seizures, and if you are, might be time to hang up the controller
3 -
They could just use everybody who complains about the Flashlight Change as an index of all the game's survivor trolls.
Then change it so killers who M1 people on the hook while no other survivors are nearby knock them off of the hook instead to round up all the killer trolls.
Then just mass-ban the lot of them.
2 -
How is removing a feature (characteristic) that people have enjoyed and associated with DBD all these years being removed good for the game? At a time when people are definitely not enjoying survivor, this is the worst thing you can do.
1 -
Well that's because we as a whole feel that game developers will do things to midigate the risk of seizures but they might not be able to make anything 100% seizure free so hence warning labels to protect themselves from possible lawsuits.
But in this case we have players using macros to use flashlights in a unintended way. People call it "Having Fun" but many like myself have gotten headaches from the strobing light and that's what this change is to stop so people need to start blaming the right people, and it's not the Devs or people affected by seizures.
4 -
Thank you for this I just saw the post about bhvr arming this by using it to nerf flashlights never been more furious at a human being if I can even call someone with that moral one.
Thanks random citizen
1 -
The fact that some of this community think that the most minor of change to their game is more important then the health and safety of human beings is quite frankly disgusting.
You people clearly never saw someone have a epileptic seizure.
This community never seems to surprise me with how horrible some of you are
6 -
You are completely oblivious and ignorant to how harmful flashlight click is to those with epilepsy and photosensitivity. As well as to how this is more than a small step for DBD and it goes beyond that.
Within the real world, people with disabilities and issues are often left in the dark because people do not want to help bridge the gaps that create the common barrier to entries we see. It takes people coming together and applying Universal Design (UD) to different core subjects and providing alternatives that work for everyone.
Something as simple as ramp accessibility means a lot yet you see stuff like that missing from most places.
Gaming is the one place where people go to distract themselves from the struggle of the real world, and a lot of people with disabilities use it as a comfort area. (e.g. People with autism or ADHD typically tend to cling towards games and media for self expression, comfort, and entertainment.)
Within the gaming sphere, developers (not just BHVR) are working to incorporate UD to make gaming more accessible to everyone, so people can use games to escape the issues of reality and deal with stress/anxiety, etc.
It does not matter at all about if flashlight clicking is iconic or not to the game. What matters is making the game more accessible for all and providing a wider sense of home and community for everyone. Reducing the barriers to entry so everyone can thrive, because the only thing holding them back from doing as much as anyone else are those barriers. It's a small step in a series of small steps to elevate the game for everyone.
4 -
Ironically the forums have had some pretty tame stuff so far. I saw some people on harassing and sending hate to DbD streamers who have some form of photosensitivity in their stream chats, blaming them for the changes and such.
It's really just an awful thing, they really lack empathy.
2 -
You're right. The worst possible change DBD could make is making it harder to give people with photosensitivity epilepsy seizures.
6 -
Crouching isn't giving people with photosensitivity problems.
There is a real accessibility concern that the Devs have finally addressed. I'm not photosensitive, but flashlight macro's give me awful headaches from the noise, let alone the strobing.
This doesn't affect flashlight saves nor communication using flashlights. All it does is take away an obnoxious agility that could harm members of our community.
9 -
I agree that macros were a problem, but regular clicking was not. Now we get a clunky, useless item with which blinds can no longer be adjusted in time to make a save.
There are more flashing lights and visual distortions in this game than some annoying clicky clickies, so let's be honest and call it what it is: a way to keep slugging killers playing because they're upset with the basekit unbreakable changes upcoming.
0
