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Why shouldn't I tunnel?

Everyone in post-chat likes to complain if/when they get tunneled, and treat you like the worst human being on earth. Here's a question that should hopefully challenge your conceptions about the game: why is it wrong to tunnel?

Tunneling is objectively the most optimal way to play the game, because the pressure is split amongst 3 people instead of 4, and it makes a 1 or 2 gen remaining scenario mathematically winnable. One downside of tunneling (if you wanna call it that) is that one survivor in particular isn't having fun being targeted.

Now, here's the thing, and this comes down to the anecdotal. Every time I'm playing a killer below B-tier, and I decide to play "fair" and not tunnel, I'll typically get 2-3 outed, maybe even a 4 out with bodyblocks, and I will get mass teabags at the exit gate. This is a massive slap in the face; the survivors are openly being toxic against a killer who didn't use the tactic that most consider the holy grail of toxicity. This provides me (as well as other people) with an added incentive to tunnel - if a higher chance to to win wasn't already enough.

It can be argued that playing optimally (or being "sweaty") when the people on the other side aren't doing so is toxic. However, how do you establish how a group of survivors intends to play? If you figure out too late that they're not messing around, the game may already be lost, with the last 3 gens being on opposite corners and the survivors being on first hooks. Even thus, it can also be argued that most survivors nowadays are learning to play the game in a very optimal way by default.

So again, in the current state of DBD, why is it so wrong to tunnel? Survivors certainly aren't shy about splitting up on gens across the map, doing 4 different ones on 4 different corners of the map, as well as bringing loads of second chance perks, and stacked medkits, and BNP toolboxes, and taking hits. If it's okay for survivors to play as optimally as possible, why is it looked down upon for the killer to do so?

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Comments

  • KingFieldShipper
    KingFieldShipper Member Posts: 612

    If you want to tunnel, just tunnel. Most people are just going next and most people really don't care, and if someone sticks around post chat they are literally just wasting their own time.

  • dollidahlia
    dollidahlia Member Posts: 343

    the same goes both ways. You can decide to gen rush but don’t be surprised that the killer is irked at you in the chat

  • Deathstroke
    Deathstroke Member Posts: 3,492

    Well if you tunnel 5 gens remaining that is the most effient thing you can do if you have to win so badly. But don't expect survivors to like you... In that situation it is not really neccesary. 3 gens left then it is neccessary/justified and survivors should not complain I actually said sorry for tunneling in that situation to survivor and he answered it's ok and it was fair play as it was just last gen left. But I still felt bad for me doing that.

  • TerraEsram
    TerraEsram Member Posts: 651

    Because, if survivor, even the better, make one mistake, it' can be the end for him

    If the killer make one mistake, it's not a big deal...


    When I play survivor, and see someone beeing tunneled for no reason, I become more "toxic" if you see that like that, try to save him, stopping the killer by using my body to block you or trying to be the "new obsession"

    The only time I "T-bag" is for dodge the hatchet of the Huntress


    Technically speaking, even without a dead survivor, you can always pip, survivor, even doing all the gen's, saving someone and beeing chased, you can have the probably to not having a new pip, even depip in some cases

    When you tunnel or camp a survivor, he depip instant, if you don't kill somebody but got some hook, you don't have the same problem, even in the bloodpoint case, it's not the same


    So yeah, after three or four game when survivor got tunneled or camped, I can understand this people get angry, the insult are stupid, but understantable

  • Crazewtboy
    Crazewtboy Member Posts: 1,259

    As someone who splits my time up fairly consistently, I will give you both standpoints

    KIller: It is wrong to say that you shouldn't play optimally, and in certain instances tunnelling is the only strategic method or you might just happen to find that one survivor again. As soon as you get that person out, the game goes downhill fairly quickly for survivors and you are pretty much set up for a win. Always do what you feel you need to do to get a snowball, so long as it isn't cheating of course

    Survivor: When someone is tunneled out early on, it causes the enjoyment to be sucked from the game not only for the one being tunneled but for everyone else who now has to sit there and try to win a 3v1. When this happens multiple games in a row, it causes survivors to become frustrated as they feel there is no point to them playing the matches. It can be especially bad if the person it happens to is new to the game. I have watched friends become frustrated very quickly as they try picking up the basics only to be quickly taken out of the match. After about three games of this, they leave and never play the game again. The efficient strategy just cost the game another player.


    Obviously it isn't either side's job to make sure the other has fun, but every now and then maybe we should give the weaker links a break

  • IronKnight55
    IronKnight55 Member Posts: 2,932

    You can do whatever you want. Just don't be surprised if you get hate. I've taken a break for now because the game is a mess. Tunnel every game if you find that fun.

  • Entitled_survivor
    Entitled_survivor Member Posts: 828
    edited March 2023

    To begin with, tunneling isn't toxic, its just boring and unfun for the person targeted and the rest of the Survivors that want to get some chases, at the end of the day you play killer you choose how to proceed,, when i play weaker killers I prefer juggling between 2 survivors while ignoring the rest two so it doesn't feel as oppressive as being runneled of the hook,, i dont always get the best of results but i don't usually play for the 3 or 4 k,, i prefer chases and messing around,, however if survivors go super obnoxious i slap on spirit mdr /cherry blossom for my next game and vent off 😂

  • Nazzzak
    Nazzzak Member Posts: 5,407

    I mean, you can? No one is gonna reach through your screen and physically stop you lol it's a much derided strat though, so endgame comments aren't going to be too positive

  • SMitchell8
    SMitchell8 Member Posts: 3,302

    Depends on if you set out to tunnel or you are reactive to the opportunity to tunnel. I won't go into a game looking to tunnel one out quickly, but if I get gen rushed and/or you keep popping up in my vicinity, I'm going to keep sticking you on the hook. I do giggle at how often a player you hooked once or twice ignores your terror radius and refuses to keep away from you and then gets the hump when they get caught again 🤨

  • C3Tooth
    C3Tooth Member Posts: 8,266

    Because tunneling bring killers to MMR that they should not be there.

    You can easily win teams that have equal skill of your by tunneling, just dont wonder why the game constantly putting you against Ayrun, Zubat alike after.

  • Gamall
    Gamall Member Posts: 487

    Who asked?

  • Reinami
    Reinami Member Posts: 5,432

    The problem is, the game is designed in a way that snowballs extremely hard for either side. So if you don't tunnel at 5 gens, then by the time you realize you "need" to tunnel, it is too late. Better to just play to win from the start, then chill out once the survivors show they are lacking the experience/skill needed to deal with it.

  • Cassiopeiae
    Cassiopeiae Member Posts: 263

    Blatant tunneling deserves every pinch of salt it gets and more.

    Strategic tunneling is a valid strategy.


    An example of non strategic, salt-worthy tunneling would be The Pig tunneling an active trap.


    A strategic tunnel would be facing a weak link in a SWF and killing them early.


  • pseudechis
    pseudechis Member Posts: 3,904

    No tunnelling justifies being salty. No matter how you dress it up.

    Neither does camping or gen rushing.

    Being a sore loser who gets upset about a game is never justified.

  • Nazzzak
    Nazzzak Member Posts: 5,407

    Pig tunnelling an active trap survivor isn't salt worthy. It's just amusing lol they're playing against their own power

  • Cassiopeiae
    Cassiopeiae Member Posts: 263

    I don't personally salt over peopel that do it, but that doesn't mean people that do aren't in their own right to do so.

    I wouldn't be happy if someone poured hot coffee on me at a cafeteria.

  • Grum
    Grum Member Posts: 273

    Because it's ****** and unfun for the people you're playing against.

    And probably why every survivor is intent on cranking gens as quickly as possible and then leaving; because they've been conditioned to do so in response to every killer tunneling every match and then holding a 3 gen hostage until everyone dies of boredom.

  • Caiman
    Caiman Member Posts: 2,581

    They crank gens and leave because that's literally their win condition.

  • SunsetSherbet
    SunsetSherbet Member Posts: 1,607
    edited March 2023

    Because I should be guaranteed x amount of time in a match even though no other PVP game does that. Also chases are unfun.

  • Grum
    Grum Member Posts: 273

    It's been the win condition for the past seven years. It didn't become such an issue until the meta shakeup and everyone becoming brain poisoned to play as optimally as humanly possible.

  • Rulebreaker
    Rulebreaker Member Posts: 1,833

    At this point to its show you have some skill at beating a team. Maybe we're biased from being tunneled 5/5 games though.

  • Sava18
    Sava18 Member Posts: 2,439

    Yeah no. Survivors who wanted to win always played efficiently and there was plenty of that before 6.1.0. Your implying survivors didn't try before that patch, which is wrong. Even if that was the case that would imply that could not try and still win before that patch.

    Yes, the current killer meta is boring and getting tunneled isn't that fun for most people. But that in itself didn't really change anything on the survivor side, it just made some killer players boosted.

  • crogers271
    crogers271 Member Posts: 1,708

    I think you should be able to pursue whatever strategy creates the greatest chance you'll win.

    BHVR's design though isn't about win conditions. People can play for the win, or bloodpoints, or hook states, etc. Some of the tactics for winning are rightly viewed as boring. As killer, in situations where I do have a survivor out early, I dread the rest of the game because of how boring it is going to be. Tracking and finding the 3 survivors who haven't been tunneled is so incredibly boring.

    Mainly, do what you want, I wish BHVR would make some game element changes to penalize certain playstyles, but they probably won't, accept that tunneling will leave you in situations with survivors hiding out on you (I'll take a dozen teabags over spending five minutes playing find the survivor), and might push you into an MMR bracket you don't want.

  • tyantlmumagjiaonuha
    tyantlmumagjiaonuha Member Posts: 550

    Good playing,wrong game design.

  • Grum
    Grum Member Posts: 273

    Some people always played this way.

    It didn't start to feel like the vast majority of matches until recently.

  • PrincessCalla
    PrincessCalla Member Posts: 139

    I dunno, seems boring and takes no skill. I've had lots of killers try to do that to me, overcommit and lose. Bad idea, at least when trying it with me.

    If I see someone getting tunneled I step it and try to do something.

    My best games are where the killer doesn't tunnel and still wins, those are great, it's always more fun to go against a killer who has skill than one that has to resort to tunneling and making the match short asf and boring. I don't mind losing to a killer who doesn't do that.

    I never tunnel either, never have and never will. So I have nooooo clue.

  • Anti051
    Anti051 Member Posts: 606


    Actually, it's the opposite.

    Right now efficiency is very high while resources are overabundant, so most killers in higher mmr matches go to desperation tactics right off the bat, lest they lose.

    The higher gen efficiency gets, the faster the killer has to jump to desperation tactics to stand a chance i.e. tunneling, camping and hard slugging.

  • bazarama
    bazarama Member Posts: 242

    It's your game. Play the way you want and don't give a toss about what survivors say. You're not playing for their fun. Also just avoid going to the gates at the end and leave them standing there looking like plonkers hoping you'll come over so they can be toxic.

  • 09SHARKBOSS
    09SHARKBOSS Member Posts: 1,270

    man listen im a killer just go for somone else after geting them to need to mend from deep wound

  • 09SHARKBOSS
    09SHARKBOSS Member Posts: 1,270

    if you camp on purpose you need to not play killer anymore

  • Dogma_loki
    Dogma_loki Member Posts: 436

    Intentionally forcing someone out of a game for some perceived "statistical advantage" or whatever broke or lame reason killers mains and the devs love to throw around is absolutely grounds for being unhappy. If survivors were allowed to indiscriminately remove killers from the match for their own gain you guys would throw a massive fit. But nah, gotta love the double standards in this game.

    But please, keep on with the mental gymnastics. Its amusing.

  • Dogma_loki
    Dogma_loki Member Posts: 436

    Cool. By your logic then, when do survivors get to remove killers from the game because they're bad? By your own words, its a PVP game and its fair play.

    Right???

    🤨

  • Raptorrotas
    Raptorrotas Member Posts: 3,235

    Im scared to ask, but how did the community come to the conclzsion that tunneling takes no skill?

    Like "winning two chases on the same person" taking no effort?

    Or does tunneling now include facecamping? Did they update the definitions again?

  • 09SHARKBOSS
    09SHARKBOSS Member Posts: 1,270

    im not trying to be rude im just saying dont camp or play survivor i mean they literally have a camp set up

  • Vhillain
    Vhillain Member Posts: 127

    I play a lot of both sides and usually go out of my way to play fairly and avoid attitudes that are considered toxic, but that being said, I do get situations where I play completely by the survivor rulebook for killers (no slowdowns, committing to chases for a reasonable amount of time, not sitting around a 3 gen, and only facecamping if i happened to catch someone after all the generators were already completed) and then get teabagged in the gates for getting a 0-1k in Cowshed on an m1 killer, and people giving "playstyle recommendations" like "hehe shouldn't have chased me."

    Honestly dude, you can't win either way so just play however you want to play. If you want to get all the kills, do whatever is necessary to secure the 3/4k, if you want to play fair, then play fair, and when you've lost feel free to stare into a corner and leave the post game chat immediately to avoid the "cocky" survivors who look down on the people that play exactly how they ask you to.

    The community is unkind, do what you want to do, do what you can to avoid the toxicity, and just have fun. If you can't have fun, it may be time to look elsewhere.