The Unknown's Cosmetics and an Appeal to the Devs

Link the cosmetics so people stop using them to be #########. No need to get rid of them entirely.

It's just easier to remove the tools that toxic trolls use rather than waiting for them to use them before banning them. Because it doesn't stop them from using them and causing harm in the first place, it only stops them from doing it afterwards but only on that account it is used it on. They can just come back. And these types of people are never going away. It's more efficient for the support team as well who i think are already overloaded, it takes weeks sometimes for support to get back to you.

I think BHVR should just make those outfits sets. I think it's the most effective and least disruptive solution.

I mean, cosmetics are a form of expression. Devs can decide what cosmetics are available which dictates what expressions are available.

Problem with the unknown cosmetics is that it allows you to mix the cosmetics in a way to resemble a harmful stereotype. If they made the outfits sets then you couldn't do that anymore.

To be clear, i am not saying the outfits should be removed, i think that would be going too overboard and it would limit the character too much. Only that the head and body pieces of the current very rare and rare outfits of the unknown should be unbreakable.

The price is you wouldn't be able to mix those items anymore which i think is a small price to pay.

The benefit is that people wouldn't be able to use those cosmetics to cause harm anymore. It would save support resources. Cause the problem with these scenarios as well is you can't prove the people using those cosmetic combinations are trying to be transphobic. Especially when they try to do it implictly, and as well if they don't express that in the game themself, they can't ban based on things on other platforms.

So, that's why i think it would be an effective and least disruptive solution.

The simplest solution would be to designate sets as male and female sets, so you can mix and match sets which share the same sex, but cannot combine beyond that range. That way, it prevents the option of transphobia, whilst not removing any cosmetics from the shop. It would restrict the variety, but I'd rather that than any removal of cosmetics.

The most ideal way would be to perma-ban, but banning IP addresses or accounts are often countered because people just make new accounts or change IP. Although I'm not well-versed in what can be done, I'm unaware of any thing that can be done to ban a player by putting a lock on their console or PC. Accounts and IP addresses are free, and so long as the game is downloaded they don't have to pay again to use it.

Ok so apparently the VA of the unknown has come out and refuted the statement

Wait I’m confused. First she said she was potentially gonna pursue legal action and she felt ’tricked’ by BHVR and stuff but now she’s… saying we should back off because BHVR isn’t responsible for people using the character to harass transwomen?? I’m totally confused now. What exactly is she wanting people to do here? I know she’s saying ‘leave it alone’ but what does that even mean now?

It’s good that she’s received support from BHVR for the harassment but it seems her initial reaction was hasty and presumptive. She typed that a non-binary voice actor may have been better suited to provide lines for the character (in a tweet I believe she has also since deleted), but now I’m confused why her providing voice lines brought her discomfort. This character isn’t trans or even human. And it certainly isn’t a replica of her personally. She is a character actor and this is a video game monster. Reflecting now I must wonder if maybe she’s somehow intertwining herself into the fabric of the character. I don’t know why it would bother her to provide voice lines for it otherwise.

Damn, you know when the general speaks, everyone should shut up and listen

and yes i agree with you

The damage is already done IMO.

The survivor VA is also (technically, though I don't know if they identify as it themselves) trans so I don't think every bridge has been burned just yet.

Regardless of the reason I would agree that the report system BHVR has as a whole could use improvements. There have been recent feedback changes for players reporting which is great but there's still a lack of tools / options for players.

I doubt the cosmetics go anywhere but I'd hate to see them restricted in some way because a minority of losers who play DBD.

Hopefully not 🙏

BHVR have always been strongly pro-LGBTQ+ so I’m hopeful this won’t deter them.

I do think it might unfortunately lead to them setting future Unknown cosmetics though. I guess time will tell.

I hate the implication that using cosmetics is automatically evidence towards some sort of hatred.

Add onto that that I, and I assume many other players, haven't once looked at a survivor and noticed their charms (unless they're the ones that are all lit up and you see them when they're trying to hide) and I think the "I get tunneled for my charms" holds a lot less water than I think people think it does.

The problem is that people go out of their way to let the player know they were targeted.

in case of in-game chat or even player name I suppose it’s easy for BHVR to take action. But there are edge cases where the attacker knows how to use words in a way to not actually break any rules but still be clear enough. There are many homo-/transphobes on these forums that do this as well.

also, and probably more relevant, those that target the players outside of the ga - eg on the players profile, platform direct messages or streams. BHVR can’t take any action here and it’s completely out of their hands even if they wanted to act. Btw that was the case with Bubba - many streamers were directly harassed in-game and on Stream but to an extent that BHVR couldn’t do anything and streaming platform didn’t act/care or whatever.