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Bully Squads Make Me Genuinely Upset
I just don’t understand why some people feel so entitled as to flat-out bully killers.
I’m never going to complain about ‘gen rushing’ because I know that’s the survivor’s objective and like… what else are they supposed to do?
But I constantly get put into games where I’m t-bagged, looped and spun around 24/7. And I’m not an experienced player in ANY sense, I don’t know how to counter them.
Even with Bamboozle and Unbreakable to deal with loops I always miss my hits because of their 10000% sensitivity that allows them to spin around like ######### tornadoes.
I know I sound a little pathetic, I’m not even really asking for anything, I just wish I could enjoy killers more.
Comments
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I don't blame you. This coupled with my own lack of skill is why I rarely play killer unless I'm ######### around. Yeah, yeah, get gud, but I'm not having fun, so it's just masochism and not in a fun way.
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Matches against bully squads in this game are legitimately some of the worst gaming experiences I have had, ever.
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It's very easy to dehumanise the killer when playing survivor, especially in SWF, and DBD's playerbase is especially toxic. I partly blame the bully squads' existence on certain content creators, especially during the game's early years, and the obsession with being "TOXIC Nea" and "bullying the baby killer" being endorsed and treated as a normal and good thing.
In reality, though, things like this would happen regardless of these beliefs and concepts. DBD is an asymmetrical game, and because it can feel very embarrassing to lose some players feel the need to PROVE they're better than you and that they are very cool and not insecure. So things like teabagging at the exit gate, flashlight clicking, bully squads, old Ebony Moris, and hitting the survivor on hook and nodding will always be present in some form until the community collectively decides to develop empathy, which will never happen.
My best advice is to dodge lobbies where every player is readied up before you enter the lobby, or when it is all but certain it is a 4-man SWF due to things like names and cosmetics. Not because these matches are guaranteed losses, just because people are SWFing doesn't mean they're god players, but because the amount of SWFs (at least on console) that do the above BM far outclass those that don't in my experience.
But be sure to take a break if you get a string of BMing teams. That helps me - regardless of whether I win or lose, BMing teams always leave me feeling annoyed and drained.
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It is definitely a problem. Especially the fact that if you lose three or four games in a row with sfw/bully squads sometimes the players you keep getting are the exact same and you don't get in better circles. What Altarf said is the best advice I've heard, avoid and take breaks.
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Taking a survivor perk to a killer game was your first mistake
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Same here and I think a lot of people feel this way, which is why survivor queues were insanely long before incentives and the much needed nerfs to things like DH etc.
It is also how many of us Nurse mains were created lol...
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It's fine to vent, and yes the bully squads are a bit of a disease on this game. It would be nice if BHVR did a little more, although it's not as easy sometimes to differentiate between perceived bullying , or a tactic to distract the killer. It's tough to call.
The looping and spinning isn't a part of what I'd deem bullying, but it can be tough to counter. As beginner tips, if a survivor tries to do the 360, spinny thing, either move with them, or stand still and hit. That can be a good way to combat it.
Otherwise, you can find videos on YouTube which can offer tips. But the best thing is, if you face this in-game, slow down and give yourself space to breathe. Bully squads rely on confusing the killer. Keep cool, and you'll start to spot patterns and weaknesses.
Until there is something BHVR put in place, or can do, treat those games as training and keep cool. See them as sparring npc characters to improve your game, regardless of the outcome. Disassociate, if possible - they aren't worth your time.
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Unfortunately there's not a ton you can do about it until you either get the experience you need to know how to handle them. Nine times out of ten, your best weapon against a bully squad is slugging and patrolling the slugged person. It sucks, it's tedious as hell, and it's super boring but a lot of times it's all you can really do against them.
It's not very useful advice but all you can do is try not to let them get to you. If that means you have to just walk away from the game in the middle of it and let them bully each other instead, so be it. I know it's frowned upon to go AFK but if they're gonna be jerks and not actually play the game and just try to beat you down instead, F'em, walk away. Ideally you can just play and not let it bug you but I know from experience that is WAY easier said than done.
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I’ve been playing as Doctor with an anti healing build. I’ve been destroying these teams with flashlights by spamming my power on them so they can’t use the flashlights ✌️ I actually look forward to facing these teams. BUT! I’d probably rather die than play agaisnt these teams as the Trapper HAHA
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I fully understand this. I used to have terrible anxiety playing killer games (I know that might sound silly...) because once I went to say ggs to a twitch streamer and him and his friends were just bad talking and laughing at me because they all got out and I was experimenting with Devour Hope. This was about the time I started playing killer.
The turning point for me was just finding a killer I could vibe and have a blast with, and not take the role too seriously. Once I stopped actually caring about winning / losing I started to enjoy myself a lot more. Dare I say it... I became more selfish as a killer player too. Play to enjoy yourself and have a good time. Don't worry about the crap from the other side.
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I agree - it's the most disheartening experience I have had in all my years of gaming.
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It's easier said than done at first.....but ignore the BS teabagging and let them show their insecurities.
Once you find the right killer and learn the techniques needed, you will begin bullying the bullies using tactics that will bring them to these forums complaining about you. Trust me...look at all the hilarious threads about tunneling...lol.
I, as well as all other killers were in your shoes. It does get better....especially if play for your own fun and don't worry about the people you're trying to kill.
Good luck and and I hope you find your groove.
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Bully squads are really frustrating because I almost always go into this game with chill vibes - I'm not throwing the game or anything, but fun is my first and foremost goal and winning is secondary. So when I encounter people whose goal is also not winning but instead anti-fun, making their opponents as miserable as possible, it's something of a moral clash - they're the exact opposite of what I'm here for and I resent them for being like that because I can't even begin to understand taking pleasure in that behavior. Beating them isn't fun in the way I like to have fun, it's more angry vindication and revenge porn, and that's again not what I want out of a video game.
Bully squads are going to get way worse with the new mori system unless BHVR makes significant changes, too. Best advice I can give is to dodge lobbies with four flashlights or close the game with alt-tab or task manager if they all last second switch, as those are usually signals that the survivors are going to be extremely annoying people.
(I should note that stuff like looping and spinning isn't inherently bully stuff, though, that's just strong play. Bullying can involve that, but it's more tbagging/clicking, cheese plays like Flip Flop/Boil Over + map offerings or double lockers + flashlights, and very aggressive flashlight/sabo/bodyblock saving. Taunting is a staple and it's not bullying without it.)
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Don’t play PvP games if moving pixels hurt your soul.
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Don't go on forums if pixelated letters hurt your soul.
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I feel very strongly that they should make separate lobbies for casual players and swfs. Dbd is supposed to be a party game, but it's been hijacked by the competitive element found in most other multi-player games, and that makes it less enjoyable for those of us who don't want or feel the need to be alphas and just want to have fun.
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This games becoming very unfun. Healing and gen speeds are out of control.
Top tier perks are basekit. Solo q is trash.
The difference between low tier and high tier killers is ridiculous.
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Bully squads are pretty much the reason why most killers don't give any respect to solo queuing survivors.
I quite often run starstruck builds, because it's pretty easy to snowball average SWF bully squads with that kind of build. Depending on how toxic they've been during the game I might just let them bleed out for the sake of it.
I play much more survivor these days than killer, due to the fact that it's significantly less frustrating & less stressful.
People should really play both survivor & killer to the extent that the experience multiple bad games with toxic gameplay from either side. You soon learn to appreciate first hand that being bullied or mocked is just bad for the game & it will make you a more respectful player.
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It also doesn't help that MMR is a total joke. I'm a Bronze III as killer. I just loaded into a lobby with an obvious swf, and one of them was (and I kid you not) a 46 Prestige. What the actual f***?!?!?
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I agree, being on the receiving end of a bully squad that you know is also talking major trash about you and your gameplay on their comms is a lot to handle at first.
It makes my heart sink when I see people BMing players on either side. Sometimes karma comes by and teaches valuable lessons in humility and empathy though!
Wish this game had more fun interactions between the two sides. It is wonderful how there can still be funny/fun bonding moments in this game but they are becoming increasingly rare the more competitive players become.
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In my opinion, the experience a player should get out of DbD should be on par with going to a really good haunted house during Halloween, or watching a really good horror movie. I really feel this is the spirit in which the game was conceived; the thrill of survival horror and slasher films. It's been taken over by the COD and Apex and Overwatch crowd, who seem intent in turning DbD into an e-sport. It's incredibly frustrating.
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Not trying to disregard the OP feeling about game experience but if you complain about 360's, then most matches will seem like a bully squad to you.
The only advice is to play & get more experience, nothing else.
That's the nature of most online games that are around for years, you can't expect to jump in and destroy opponents right away.
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Missed the part where anyone was complaining of 360s. That is not a bully squad.
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Pft, personally, I was forged from Deathslinger's post nerf tears.
But I enjoy being fairly bully proof.
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At the end of the day, though, there's only so much a killer can do; he or she is just ONE person. And yes, with years of commitment and practice, some killer mains can end up disassembling 4-man swfs on comms. However, 1) not every player is going to be capable of that level of play, no matter how much time they put in, and 2) this is a GAME; players shouldn't have to feel like they're training for the Olympics just to enjoy it.
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I constantly get put into games where I’m t-bagged, looped and spun around 24/7.
Skill issue. And not a tiny, actually massive skill issue. Go to YouTube and learn the basics of the game
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I have the most fun in these. Easiest 4k stomps if you know how to abuse their altruism
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You can't do anything against them! That's why it's so infuriating.
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just afk hide on basement facing the wall and do nothing untill all gen completed, open the gate for game finishing
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The real problem is everyone wants to pretend this game is real life instead of an amusement tool for bored people, outside of chat nothing in game is toxic that's within the rules, Have you tried loosening up and trying to make friends with any of those people? That's another thing people take it so personal over a game they want to insult someone who may have bm them in the match instead of learning to laugh and move on, I had a guy just 2 months ago my SWF trolled with a sabo build and instead of crying on here about how unhappy he was he friended us and we play all the time with him, I even paid the dudes water bill because he was in a tight spot this month my point being you can't judge people's actions in a video game as real life unless you try to befriend them and they're still jerks for no reason, people are here for laughs and jumpscares and having fun with friends, not to show respect in a video game you use to get away from the real world, I mean how do you guys play any other multiplayer games that allow way more bullying tools than this? Do you play GTA and hide yourself online because you're scared the bullies might show up? I'm genuinely curious
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cant do anything against them eh?
I think thats more of a skill issue tbh
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You dont see the irony in your comment dont you?
What kind of party game would dbd be if you couldnt play with your friends.
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You would say that. But look at what most of these killers can do. If they don't have any anti-loop, like Legion or Ghost Face, they have to play the M1 game, which isn't very reliable. Can't mindgame pallets and windows that take away the option to do so. Doctor's shock: you can hitt them after 1 shock or it could be 8, plus their connection is favored. Hag and Dredge's teleports aren't instant as they should be, so they mostly have to almost play the M1 game. Demogorgon, Twins, or Wesker misses once with their power, the entire chase resets, and no true anti-loop for any of them. Meanwhile survivors can take away your hooks, block as you're about to down someone, flashlight save, heal up real quick in a boon, and tbag behind pre-dropped pallets and god windows. These are all actions that waste or undo an arbitrary amount of time the killer spent just to get the survivor one time. I think y'all just like to cry skill issue as a way to destroy character, so that you've 'won' the argument before it's even begun, because whatever the person says, "They don't know what they're talking about anyway."
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Getting 360'd is one of the most annoying things about playing killer in this game (and the game I just played had me missing 5 or 6 hits in a row at one point before I remembered to counter - was still a 4K), but you can learn how to get around it. The key is to bait them out like you would an old Dead Hard, and then, after they try their little 360, back up slightly, aim low (the hitbox is weighted more towards the floor), and do a basic (not lunge) attack by tapping the key or controller quickly instead of holding it.
Takes a little practice, but you'll get the hang of it.
Once you've figured how to do that, you'll be excited to see bully squads in the lobby, because if their main focus is annoying you, their main focus is not on doing the gens.
Tip: Tunnel, tunnel, tunnel. The most important thing you can do against groups like this (especially SWFs) is to just get someone out of the game as soon as possible. Some people consider it scummy, but it's not like the survivors care about whether or or not you're having fun.
Another tip: when it's a true bully squad, facecamp the ######### out of them. Not just to punish them, but because squads like this can't help but go for the rescue over and over again even if you're having a round-the-clock staring contest with their hooked buddy, and if you're running Forced Penance and STBFL (like I was these last few games), you can knock their game completely off-balance for the rest of the match in the process of trading a hook or two, leading to an easy win.
I find that it's usually better to get them on hooks and facecamp them. If they're really a bully squad, they're going to be following you around with flashlights, so either be careful and look at walls when you pick up or else smack them (slug if necessary, but not necessarily systematically) until they run away to heal and then hook.
Thing is, half of them are going to be running Unbreakable (For the People isn't too uncommon, either), and hooks work much faster than slugging at getting someone out of a match (which should be your primary goal, ASAP, against a bully squad). They also feel more of a need to respond to hooks than slugs, and they'll go for the stupidest saves even if you're straight-up facecamping, even though they might not try to heal someone out of the dying state right in front of you seeing how you can just put the other survivor back on the ground immediately and maybe injured them in the process.
Slugging is also going to be a bad habit to get into going forward since Unbreakable is going to be basekit eventually.
Their ego is the biggest weapon you can use against them. They feel entitled to every save and confident that they'll get every unhook and walk away clean.
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The reason people do it is because they feel strength in numbers and know that they can get away with a lot. If it was a 1v1 that would not happen in this form. Pretty much everyone sometimes feels like they have to absolutely dominate to make themselves feel better. For some folks bullying is just that. Asserting dominance. I don't like it and I try to just play good with a weak build instead to make myself feel like I really played well. Maybe we should all be a little more calm and considerate towards others. We can have fun without going out of our way to bully someone, can't we?
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The reason why we cry "skill issue" is because we quite literally dont get bullied. I have been in the past when I was a newer player, but over the years Ive been able to deal with it. Cant even remember the last time I was "bullied". What I can remember how ever is the last time a group attempted it when I was playing Trickster and they got absolutely bodied. They went into that match clickin, t bagging, and attempting all sorts of crazy stuff, only to call me a "boring killer" in the endgame.
TLDR: We "cry" skill issue for a reason, nothin complicated about it
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Looping and spinning is not bullying, but I get your point.
Dealing with a squad that's much more skilled or coordinated than you feel you can deal with is never pleasant, but can be disregarded as an mmr blooper. Them adding BM to injury is where it gets really problematic.
I think the best way to go learning how to handle playing killer is, weirdly enough, empathy. If you play survivor, than you know surely, surely most survivors are your average gamer just looking to have fun and do their best, same as you. Then there is no reason to get anxious expecting bully squads left and right, because (at least in my experience) actually mean-spirited opponents are not as common as we fear.
I found learning to separate being outmatched from being bullied a great way of reducing my pre-match anxiety and helped me get a clearer head during the games.
I hope you won't give up on playing killer because of some bad experiences. I promise the community is not as toxic as it is reputed to be. I've met several friends playing killer, and plenty of survivors that were fun or genuinely nice. :)
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Each bully squad has to be dealt with differently. For my suggestion when I think of a bully squad, it's a flashlight sabo squad. If you are able to get one hooked, facecamping is a great way to deal with them as well (just don't get baited into swinging/going after someone not going for the unhook, stay disciplined).
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I don't think it is a case of skill issue if people complain about it, I still win most of my games against these teams but it is an incredibly un-fun experience and a win feels hollow since it was not fun getting it. I suspect that is the issue for many people when facing bully squads - they often throw due to being thirsty for flashlight saves and altruism but they also prioritise making the killers life miserable
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No, you don't seem to understand the difference between a party game and a competitive one. I never suggested people shouldn't be allowed to play together. Explain to me how the presence of a bully squad lends itself to a party atmosphere.
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Dunno what you are trying to suggest than <3
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I thought it was pretty clear: we need two separate lobbies. One for the 4-man sweat squads & bully squads and the experienced killers who want to take them on, and one for casual players who can't or don't want to play the game like it pays their rent, and have a good time.
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Oh yeah thats what i thought you meant. Than yea your suggestion is pretty ironic <3
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Getting 360d is almost exclusively a console issue. You're probably on PC. 360s exploit the auto aim and terrible controller dead zones so they punish console killer players. Just another way that it's clear that BHVR doesn't care about the console player experience
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How? It doesn't prevent friends from playing together, and it preserves the fun atmosphere that a party game should have. What kind of parties do you go to, anyhow? 😂
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I'd gladly take a longer Q if it meant I'd be going against Survivors that don't stomp. At least have some type of option. This one size fits all match making rating/ranking just isn't working...
Oh never mind.. I forgot we are playing a simulation of IRL hockey. It's fine then.0 -
Cause saying if you want to play with your friends you should have to play with 'sweaty killers' is the exact opposite of what a party game does.
You want dbd to me more competitive, not more party game-like. I know you wont understand why or how but yeah <3
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Do people purposefully ignore the issue here or are they genuinelly dense.
Losing because you lack skill isn't the problem. The other team using every tool in their arsenal to get on your nerves so it's easier to win is the problem.
I'm all for losing matches if we all have a pleasant experience, but if people turbo-flashlight my ass or teabag me to annoy me because that's their concept of "fun", that's where I draw the line.
I've won matches against teams like those and still I find them the worst experiences I've had in the game. If I could exchange a 20% win rate for a life not having to face asshats, I'd take it on a heartbeat.
But then you say you want ######### banned and of course they come out of their holes like cockroaches and immediately go like "I think you're taking the game too seriously lol". No, man, I just started the game to have fun and someone decided to bring psychological warfare as if their entire worth as a human depended on winning that match.
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op literally said he i still learning the game and EVEN with youtube its still dumb and frustrating, its not skill issue its people like op exist that are nice or just trying to enjoy the game, and bully squads that should always face a 3k nurse because they deserve it and people like you telling others Skill issue instead of having a valid opinion
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I'm a killer main, and when I play survivor, I solo queue. I never said anything about playing with my friends, because I don't play in a swf.
Whatever it is you're smoking, snorting, dropping, shooting up, or taking rectally, I think I want an ounce of it.
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