http://dbd.game/killswitch
Does anyone else just not like original killers?
I've been playing since 2021 and imo the quality of originals vs licensed has been pretty disappointing. Original killer characters range from questionable to completely uninteresting. All of them also feel indirect in their application and don't feel good to play.
Meanwhile licensed killers feel very exciting almost always and are very high quality usually. Their applications are much more direct and and feel much better to play.
I understand that some killers are just not for me but i've noticed a pattern and it concerns me because i think without original killer characters to latch on to, dead by daylight doesn't have much of it's own identity but becomes mostly a playground for licensed killers. Which isn't bad but it's overshadowing.
Oh but i would like to say, i think some of the older killers like Plague and Oni are masterpieces. Their thematics in their design come off strongly and their gameplay is balanced between feeling complex but visceral.
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No, I find the complete opposite to be true. Original killers are more exciting for me. A lot of licenses DBD pulls from are popular, which isn't a problem, but popular = mainstream and that typically comes with types of horror that we've already seen before. Original chapters break that as a lot of the non-licensed killers in the game do have an archetype written around them but is twisted to feel organic and unique to the game.
Licensed chapters I feel as if have more of an opportunity to let players down or just be underwhelming. Springtrap is a prime example of this. Everyone was expecting a full chapter with a killer, survivor, and map, but we practically got a sidegraded huntress and a map that was decent but could have been expanded on much more. Not only that but we've been getting WAY too much licensed chapters recently, the devs are losing popular IP's to pull from.
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I think for some of the licenses it can be really hard to adapt certain characters in a limited game like this. Freddy is a great example of that. Personally I find myself enjoying the original killers more. I love the lore behind them and it just feels more creative.
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So you are one of those people who only played Krasue because she was busted. Because she was unenjoyable before, she was just super strong and therefore common. Now that she is not super strong anymore (but she is still a very good Killer), people dont play her, because she is boring.
100% this. Springtrap in particular is a good example - because FNAF is such a huge license, the Devs did not need to make him really strong or unique. People would buy him anyway. Springtrap is ok as Killer, but I dont think anyone would put him into their Top 10 Killer List. Ghoul on the other hand was made extremely strong and easy, because Anime was controversial in DBD and they needed a buying argument for people who would not buy him because of the license.
And you dont have stuff like that with original Chapters.
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I mean historically Licensed Killers were very hit or miss: old Myers and old Freddy were among the worst Killers in the game for a very long while, with Sadako not too far off that title either. Freddy in particular got reworked like 3 times before he got to a playable state. Bubba and Ghostface are extremely niche and not considered very strong by most. Demogorgon is painfully mid and has been powercrept substantially by other Killers. Pig and Pinhead have great potential but often struggle to realise it because of map RNG, and they really require Survivors to screw up to do at all well. It's only been recently that we've had solid Licensed Killers and even then I don't think we can call them unqualified successes: Chucky was obnoxious until he got nerfed, and then was useless for a good while and is only just barely in an OK spot now. Ghoul is still extremely unpopular for how oppressive he is and how he just won't stop screaming. It's only really been Vecna and Dracula who I would consider to be well-conceived and well-executed Killers from the start, hopefully Vecna 2 will also be in that number.
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I began playing when Myers was the only license in the game, and I'd say that although I do love licenses being added, I also believe that they kind of diminish the game's charm. It used to feel that dbd was in its own little secluded universe, and although the incorporation of licenses has definitely allowed the game to soar, it also doesn't really feel like that little game that I fell in love with anymore.
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im just waiting for a TCoFS (The Casting of Frank Stone) Chapter as fas as original chapters are concerned….
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right beside ya
I need me Linda as a survivor man
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dudeeeee id 100% main (young) Linda. and Frank stone/The Champion as killer
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For the older killers, this is objectively not true.
Nowadays tho....
The issue is that, if they could, BHVR would likely only churn out licensed chapters.
In the last year and and a half, we got only 2 original killers, and lookie look, they both fell into the Dashslop™ pit.
Meanwhile on the licensed side we have several killers with unique powers. ST Vecna, Springtrap, Kaneki, Dracula if you want to go further back...
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3 of my 4 p100 killers are licenses, and all 4 of my p100 survivors are licenses. I feel more connected to licensed characters and they seem to feel more important than the originals. I still play the originals and like them, but not enough to dump 100 prestiges into. And it drives me nuts when they make cosplays of licensed characters on originals, without making the licensed character first as a legendary atleast.(attack on titan was understandable because at the time they didnt really have a way to convert anime characters to look normal in dbd)
Gameplay wise its like the simpler the killer, the more fun it is to use. Which the killers have gone from really simple to something where you have to read and memorise a whole rulebook for. Ive started to enjoy the current Krasue due to her simplicity of infect target, chase down target in very aggressive head form. But my mainest killer is xeno due to being a big fan of avp since the early 90s. Looking forword to Henry(Vecna 2) as ive seen the show and enjoyed the last season despite its problems. But depending on how strong he ends up coming out at launch, he might end up overplayed like kaneki which is another of my 100s because of Rize, but i barely ever play her due to everyone else playing them too often and survivors are never enjoying the experience as if you were on legion.
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You guys make good points but what i am starting to think is that they make original killers appear novelty to attract sales but the consequences are that their gameplay is more complicated. But they dont have to do that with licensed killers.
Whilst this approach probably does attract attention and sales short term but when they aren't as simple to play long term as licenses they will just become niche.
I find that quite unfortunate but it makes sense.0 -
I like the original killers more than licenced.
The 5 i play most are Huntress, Clown, Ghostface, Trickster and Trapper.
They are exactly what I want from the game
Easy to get a win against decent survivors no
Strong anti loop no
Good map pressure no
Fun to play yes
And the fun part is more important to me than winning.
No reward for winning so why get so worked up over it?
Give me 8 hooks to a boring easy 4k any day.
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Steam charts seem to prove that most people prefer licensed characters across the board. But to be totally honest, even people that have been around for years like myself aren't that interested in the newer content either. I still default to (most of) the older characters and perks.
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I love the licences. I love seeing how they are adapted at launch. killers like Ghoul, Freddy, Springtrap, Myers etc. all were really neat.
he ain't the best but I'm still in love with Springboi and his beautiful, loud n clanky default model
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Meanwhile Pig, Cenobite and Springtrap. Lazy, weak and often buggy powers that are just not useful if there isn't a whole build made around them
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Me.
I don't care about original content at all. You could delete all characters from both sides (which would help the fact half the original killers are ass in one way or another).
If wasn't for licenses I wouldn't even installed this game.0
