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What to do against the psychological issue playing killer?
Hello
First of all before survivors jump on my throat: No, survivors are not more powerful then killer. If any, the matchmaking in pub is even or more likely killer sided - at least in terms of numbers. I dont want to debate that either. Second, i am not a killer main, i play on average 60% survivor and 40% killer.
But
Have you ever loged in DBD, intending to play killer, sitting there and thinking through witch killer to play and eventually switching to survivor (or closing the game) because you cant decide with what killer you want yourself stress out the next 5-10 minutes? This happens to me from time to time.
It almost feels like i am a little terrifyed even in advance to play that role. Dont get me wrong, i win most of my killer games, but sometimes alone thinking of it feels odd.
If you ever had this feeling, and i am sure some probably know what i am talking, why is that?
What makes playing killer so unpleasent? Or even the thought about a certain match?
And what is the solution to that problem? We are not talking here about "Buff killers", because that is surely not the issue, but rather how to make the game more enjoyable for us/them.
Kind regards
Comments
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to me it's simple. I press triangle while I watch a video on youtube.
just to distract myself a bit.
it goes away after the game starts.
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Although I've not had that level of fear regarding a role before, it's understandable why some feel this way. It stems from the basic fear of the unknown, mixed with some historical or rumoured fears of experience or hearsay.
It may not be of the actual trial itself, but a fear of what might happen, whether it's being bullied or endgame salt. This is common with many other situations: that is to say the fear of what may is rarely smaller than fear within. It's like a bungie jump for me: the idea is terrifying with all the what-ifs, but when actually doing it then it feels great!
It often comes down to what you unconsciously are telling yourself beforehand, as the mind likes to avoid any pain or stress where possible to keep you safe so the fear works as a shield.
It depends on the situation but, in a game such as this where you have an interest in the killer role, the best thing is to push through the waiting part at the beginning. Distract yourself with your phone or chatting with someone whilst waiting. Get that pre-game nerves out of the way and dive straight in. When it becomes clearer that the bad aspects aren't as common as you feel, it gets easier.
It's down to you at the end of the day though. There's no shame in it. It's a case of creating a new viewpoint of the game, away from the fear of the unknown. I wish you well.
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Truth been said.
The thing is, survivor feel much less stressful and chill the killer, no matter the outcome. I wonder why that is and how to change that factor. I can sympatice with killer mains tbh even i often sound like a complete survivor player, because those games can feel very unpleasent.
The problem is, that i dont think it has anything to do with balance. It might be the overall nature of the game. But the big question still stands: What can the devs do, to change stressful killer games , or is it just ment to be that way?
For example, when i watch the Streamer TrueTalent, he always seems to be in this situation i have discribed, at least when he plays killer. Eventually he will (or already has) burned out on DbD because of that. I am not a Truetalent fan , but i know what he actually means when he complains about killer experience. His problem is that he can not sort his feelings correctly. In his mind the game is unballanced, and thats why he has this bad killer experience.
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Well because as you said, in all situations the killer is more powerful than the combined survivors. If you fail in the killer role, its all your failure. And you failed when you held the winning hand to start. Failing as a killer means you're bad, and then twice bad!
Opposed to the survivor role where you can blame the other survivors, or even better, a tunneling killer, who face camps, and has OP perks!
I find the solution in skill building and expectation setting.
When the match starts I want to do a thing, it may not be killing the survivors, it might be figuring out how to use alien's tail. And that is what I'm going to do. I won't M1 anyone, I won't chase anyone in a tall walled loop, I won't hook anyone(wastes time). So I set the goal and I do that thing, I meet my goal and I learn and feel like I succeeded.
You might play a match and discover you suck on garden of joy. Your next ten matches you might run the map offering to get better at the map.
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I see people saying "Matchmaking in public", like in DBD we have a "Ranked matchmaking"... You don't need to say "In public" tbh.=)
To answer your question, I need to ask a few things:
- Are you afraid to be embarrassed in front of a 4 randoms?
- You think your favorite killers are "unplayable" in the current meta?
- You stressing out because... You want to win?
I remember I got this feeling when I was playing singularity, literally after 2 matches I told myself - "I don't really want to play again..."
The matches were really stressful, after each match I was smoking 1 sigarette.
Also - any player who have 1k+ hours in the game playing both roles, the game should stop being stressful.
Unless the player's personality is highly competitive.
So my advice: Stop being serious and play for fun, funny moments, fun chases, goof around with survivors from time to time. It will help.
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I remember having this feeling years ago back when I was learning the game when it was still ludicrously broken. The most important thing that changed for me as I continued to play was my mindset and expectations when going into a match.
I used the most powerful perks and add-ons as running into a bully squad unprepared was a miserable experience. However, I ultimately got bored of running the strongest stuff every single match. And didn't have much fun during games despite winning often. I decided that I would rather lose using an interesting build that win using a boring one.
This lead to me going on a spree of using different gimmick builds for each killer that significantly improved my understanding of the game since I no longer had a reliable build to fall back on if I started to lose. And understanding that I was likely to lose a match not only made losing significantly less stressful, but it also made winning that much more satisfying.
Think of the dumbest build you can that focuses on a mechanic you normally wouldn't consider and see how it goes!
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I used to have a similar issue. For me it helped quite a bit to change my approach to the game and find a killer, that I really want to dedicate myself to. I no longer care too much about winning or losing. For me it's more important to have fun and improve at the game.
You can always learn something. Even when the game doesn't go your way. And when you have one killer that you invest your time in, then you start to improve and see progress. Ask yourself the question: "What is one killer, that I'd really like to master?" Then play this killer. It doesn't matter, if you lose a couple games in row as you are only starting out. When I first started learning Hillbilly I lost about a douzen games in a row.
Something else that can help is to play at a handicap. Using the strongest possible perks will carry you quite far. However, it will also lead you to win some games, that you should lose because you aren't yet good enough to beat your opponents with your skill rather than your perks. Use some more gimmicky builds. Yes, you are likely going to lose quite a few matches until eventually your MMR adjusts and puts you against players, that you can beat with only your skill but it also cushions the blow on many of your losses. You played at a disadvantage, so in order to win you would need to play a lot better than the survivors.
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It's obvious why it's more stressful IMO. You don't have as many believable excuses for losing when you play killer. If you are bad then you will lose consistently. If you are good then you will win more often than not. You can load up solo queue and lose a lot. You can also credibly say that it wasn't your fault in a lot of cases since it's a team game. I think that alone reduces the pressure. I've always felt like a lot of people who are scared to play killer are just trying to protect their ego. The thought of losing and not having anything to blame is too much for certain types of people. Survivor also has more downtime where you are just holding M1 on a generator which I suppose makes it feel less stressful to people.
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"Terrified" is a strong word but yeah you need a lot more focus when playing killer, survivor gameplay is chill
I just stay away from m1 killers because regular m1 gameplay of running 5 times around pallets is unberable against good players, I can't anymore, only m1 I play is clown but lately I play a lot of knight/xeno and I'm not stressed in the slightest
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First of all, I like all your advises and they are all logical to me.
While i was always a competetive player and i take the role of survivor more "serious" something bothers me from time to time playing killer - as you mentioned with your singularity experience.
To answer your question:
- No, i could not care less.
- Absolutly not, most killer are in my opinion either overpowered or ballanced.
- Not really win, but i hate those specific moments - for example you get stunned at a pallet the very lust millisecond. I am one of those guys (even after thousends of hours and 30 years of gaming :D) that i still move with my head when i try to hit and it is really close :D That sounds silly but it is what it is.
All good advises i must say. Thanks for that and your shared experience! I dont think it is a skill or experience issue anymore at this point, i mean i played every killer besides a handfull a lot. I had big winstreaks with many of them, not on the level of Otz but close. Dont get me wrong, most of the time, it wont bother me.
Its just super strange to me that i never had any simular feelings when i play survivor. Maybe its the way some survivors behave? I am really not so sure.
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I dont remember the last time if ever Ive been stressed out playing killer, at least to the extent youre describing. If Im not having fun I simply play /do something else.
This game isnt a full time job, no reason to treat it as such
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You can be good with most killers without being good at any killer in particular. This sounds contradicting but it actually isn't. In general you can make a distinction and say that the killer's skill consists of macro gameplay (the 4v1 aspect) and micro gameplay (the 1v1 aspect).
This is something, that you will also notice when you watch Otzdarva a lot. He is fairly decent with most killers but it's obvious, that he is not particularly good with their individual mechanics (with some exceptions, of course). The best comparison in my opinion would be his performance and play style during the Clown streak as opposed to how he plays Clown today. There is a huge difference in mechanical skill there and it definitely shows.
If you play all killers, then you will become fairly good at macro gameplay. However, you won't master the different mechanics of a killer that way. There are some killers, that have such depths to their powers, that you need hundreds or even thousands of hours of practice to really master them. This is what I meant, when I suggested looking for a killer to main.
I think this is a fairly common feeling for the killer role in this game. Most experienced killer players have probably experienced this at some point. And it does make sense when you think about it. If I were to describe the feelings of the killer role, I would say it's mostly about time management, concentration, multi tasking, constant decision making and planning. As killer you don't really get any down time. You are constantly on edge and one little slip up can easily result in you losing all the pressure you built up over the past couple of minutes. I think the lack of any down time is what causes this feeling. Because you cannot really relax without getting stomped. At least not with a MMR system. As survivor you get a break every now and then. Yeah, doing gens isn't exactly fun but it's a very relaxing thing to do because there aren't any stakes involved in that part.
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Have you ever loged in DBD, intending to play killer, sitting there and thinking through witch killer to play and eventually switching to survivor (or closing the game) because you cant decide with what killer you want yourself stress out the next 5-10 minutes? This happens to me from time to time.The age old DbD question: which role is more stressful.
I find survivor more stressful, a few reason why I think that is true.
1: Some people have said you can blame the other survivors, while you can only blame yourself as killer. I feel the opposite. If I let down myself, no big deal, if I let down my team that's a huge problem.
2: I find lots of partial victories in playing killer. A single kill, 8 hooks, all feel like good games even if I didn't 'win'. It doesn't feel the same as a survivor, there's no accomplishment in almost getting the gens done or moral victory because we did pretty good against a cracked nurse. Anything short of an escape feels like a defeat.
3: As killer I play under various nice guy rules. I try not to eliminate anyone before 3 gens have popped, if I'm chasing two survivors I go after the one who has been hooked less, I refuse to bring what I consider overpowered addons and limit my perk selection. I go into the game with the mindset to be chill, if I lose, so be it.
4: Loss streaks. I've had times as survivors were I've lost upwards of 15 games in a row. The most I've ever lost as killer in a row I think is 3. If I get trounced as a killer I can always go next for a different experience, as survivor its easy to just get into a rut of loss after loss.
What makes playing killer so unpleasent? Or even the thought about a certain match?And what is the solution to that problem?Some people are looking for the stress, its part of the game's appeal, so not sure it is even something that should be fixed.
I'd say change your expectations, but that's very close to impossible. Once you have a mindset that's likely what you are going to keep.
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If it stresses you out, then don't play it. It's not worth it. I play mostly survivor and will only play killer when I'm in the mood. It doesn't stress me out at all - I actually find DBD very relaxing (I have anxiety) - but I play whatever role I feel like and it's usually survivor. I think because survivor you have the opportunity to switch off every now and then. With killer your mind is active frequently.
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Use the anonymous mode and perhaps have the chat closed. Nobody will ever know it's "you", so you can forgive and forget your own misplays or misdeeds, too! It's a pretty liberating feeling. Even though I'm a "veteran" of the game, I still sometimes do this, mostly when learning and practicing new killers. Psychology is a thing and it affects our behaviour, and I have an easier time concentrating on really just improving if I don't even think about having to think about what people may make of me playing in this or that way. "Me" being my gaming persona that they may see in and around the fog.
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Your question and example using Tru feels linked from a psychological point of view. Your watching someone who has some strong influence on people playing DBD and observing how they are being affected. This reinforces your standpoint, but it's also true that this may be a strong part of what made you feel anxious in the first place.
It's a reinforcer, but what may help is realising his perception on the game is just that. Tru talks about a lot of negative things in his streams and watching enough will seep the negativity into your viewpoint. People are often affected by external forces, whether they're conscious of it or not.
For me, I watch more humourous or positive videos. HybridPanda, Ohmwrecker, Negoose and CoconutRTS are videos I watch, which focus less on the mechanical and depressing nature, and focus more on positive or relaxed approaches. HybridPanda is chilled and focuses on community art, news and testing the Shrine perks out; Ohmwrecker feels like your the character in the game rather than a player; Negoose is just laid back and focuses on the trial, not the complaints; and CoconutRTS is basically a made scientist.
Try watching YouTubers like those and you may feel a more positive outlook towards the game.
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A lot of good advise here. Not always running the strongest stuff and getting carried by crutch perks is the key to develop your skills as the killer.
I have two builds that helped me a lot in getting better, which eventually lead to me not stressing out as easily.
1) Basic M1 build
STBFL/Endurance/Brutal Strength
This build has no tricks up its sleeve, but makes playing pure M1 a bit less brutal by taking the sting out of your biggest weaknesses. The last perk slot can be used for something flexible, but some info perk usually fits the bill and theme best. Play an evening with this build and you should hone your basic killer skills.
2) Perkless Endgame Surprise
Remember Me/No Way Out/Bloodwarden/NOED
This is a fun build that forces you to play perkless all trial, but then power up and get the upper hand in the endgame. The main objective is to collect your stacks, ie hitting the obsession a couple of times and hooking everyone at least once. If you got your basics down with the first build, this one here let's you employ those skills, as you have to rely entirely on your own skills and powers. Often you will fall a bit behind and survivors get cocky...until NOED comes along and they are trapped for ages inside the playing area..and when they finally get the gates open you might trap them again. It doesn't work every time, but when it works it's extra satisfying.
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Most of the time, the game wont stress me out. I might have used a to hard word with "terrifying", pardon my english. I think the better word is "unpleasent". When i feel this way, i wont play killer, i either do something else or i play survivor.
Thats the thing, survivor never stresses me out in the first place or makes me not want to play.
I used true not because i think he is a role model for the community or i like him that much. I rather used him for pinpointing how i sometimes feel. He always seems so stressed out. I am talking about this kind of stress he is apparently feeling during his games.
That is a great advise, but i dont think it is solving the issue overall. It has nothing to do with peer pressure, rather a sometimes unenjoyable overall experience in some games as a killer - no matter the win or loose. If this is really a me thing, then we dont have a problem here, but i doubt it.
I guess people are very different in that regard. As survivor i always feel much more chill. It might be true that some people like to have that stress level, which would then be fine for the game i guess. I cant tell for sure. Thanks.
I think both builds are great, especially the first one. Helps you out in chase a lot and wont make you so "helpless" when you get stunned by a palet. I often also play like this, STBFL is arguable my favourite killer perk - most time i run it on M1s. I might play a little bit around with your second build.
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I personally don't have too much issue playing killer, it's gotten alot better since I started focusing on just completing challenges and just amusing myself by running fun builds or wacky builds and not really trying too hard. So long as there isn't a overly toxic survivor, if there is then they can leave the match extra early, although I've only had that happen once or twice ever. Normally I'll aim for 2 hooks per person then I'll just chase without hooking anyone else, some people catch on and will even heal someone I down so I can chase more or even help me do challenges in occasion.
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Rough out here sometimes for a killer main. You have an objective, the survivors have an objective. Everyone wants to reach said goal. Only advice I can give you is set a semi reachable goal. For me, at least 2 sacrifices. If I'm doing very well I usually let the last person go but occasionally find a survivor that will hide the entire end game collapse. Now if they are "crouching" a bunch to get my attention I'll ignore them and save them for last and not let them go. Other than that I about 75% of the time let the last one go. Keep in mind you cant win them all, thats why I set a goal. Yes you will have matches where you'll get obliterated, you'll have matches you'll do exceptionally well, and even ones that are just ok. Just gotta accept it sometimes. I know the frustration all too well. Let out a little steam and move on and realize that bad actors in previous games does not translate into the next game.
Edit to add: you can always consider once in a while having a nice killer match. Sometimes if im working on pips but want to be nice I'll hook everyone twice and then let them go. It still makes the survivors a bit nervous when I do, but that way I maximize my score. Hard part though is keeping track.
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I think it's becuause your solo and for some people playing solo is stressful and causes anxiety compared to playing team game. That's why I now just play killer on tcm and dbd survivor.
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I had the same feeling.
I think, it's a combination of multiple things.
1) Killer gameplay is always on the edge. You have to perform lunges that will hit survivors last 0.01 seconds of the animation or you are robbing yourself, but if you don't perform them properly you will fail. The same with playing around pallets, killer powers and so on.
2) Mental burden of playing killer is high, and BHVR doesn't want to make it easier. Go keep track of hook states, gen placement, where survivors are going, what they are doing, also mind your perks, and all of that is squeezed in a rather short match.
3) Survivors too often jump on the train of thinking you are playing to make the game fun for them and not for yourself, and when they don't have fun you will have four people screaming at you. It doesn't help that this community approves this behaviour and can't distinct playing the game in a way that's not fun for the opponent and trying to ruin someone's day.
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