The second iteration of 2v8 is now LIVE - find out more information here: https://forums.bhvr.com/dead-by-daylight/kb/articles/480-2v8-developer-update

The Hidden Problem With The End Game Collapse

Video Version for those who don't like reading: https://youtu.be/ar4sHUsUTpM


So patch 2.7 is finally here and with it the end game collapse. Whether the devs will openly admit it or not. the end game collapse as it is was something created to deal with a few fringe issues of late game Dead by daylight.

Part1 Why Is The EGC a Thing


Whether the devs will openly admit it or not. then game collapse as it is was something created to deal with a few fringe issues of late game Dead by daylight.

One of the most egregious examples of this was a particular stalemate between a large streamer known as admiral bahroo and a random stream sniper. Who essentially refused to leave the game and continue to keep bahroo trapped based on an infinite that existed at the time. bahroo went as far as to play other games on stream while waiting for the player to leave. After staying in the game for 3 hours the player was finally caught after making a mistake and was banned by one of the developers of the game for his actions. This event occurred in the game well over two years ago however ever since the devs have been trying to come up with a way to prevent this from happening. Hence the birth of the end-game collapse.

These particular stalemates became far more common on the ptb where the devs first tested Killers having the ability to close the hatch to counter the hatch standoff issue. Where survivors would essentially stall out the game infinitely due to them having few options of actual escape.

part 2 The HIDDEN PROBLEM


This now brings us to the problem with this new end game collapse. The the developers first implemented a counter to the hatch standoff with the killer being able to close the hatch about player test build over a year ago. However in the first iteration of this the major feedback from survivors was it a one-v-one scenario it was nearly impossible to finish a single generator against the patrolling killer to reopen the hatch. After which the developers implemented a change that made it to where when the killer close the hatch both exit gates powered and the survivor could choose to use the exit gates to leave. However, due to the randomness behind how the doors at spawn, it was not uncommon for the survivor to not be able to open a door either  before the killer would be able to find and catch them.

So in response to this players would simply choose to do nothing away from the doors and wait for the killers to essentially give up so they would be able to escape rather than risk the impossible task of opening a door on her right in front of the killer in a one-v-one situation.

The hidden problem with the I'm game collapse is that even though the developers created it to prevent survivors from stalling out the game indefinitely, they did not address the reason why players would do so.

Part 3 Examples


Currently in the game there are multiple maps that have strategic high points, that allow Killers to watch both exit planes almost simultaneously. Meaning that if they managed to close the hatch a survivor has no possible chance to be able to open a door before the killer would reach them. This is not accounting for perks such as whispers, or spies from the shadows, among others that already greatly assist with Killers being ever to pinpoint a survivors location.

    Killers already have a huge advantage in a one-v-one scenario, which to an extent they should do to the nature that it is a 4v1 game

However this particular Situation The advanage, is so absurdly high that are Robs both players, of any satisfaction or skilled play options.

    Essentially what happened to these games is the survivor has two options they can either try for a door, which the only way they would have get it is it the killer simply doesn't pay attention or doesn't care or wait the two minutes to die.

    The killers in a situation are given the best scenario of stand, wait and watch both doors or wait 2 minutes for the player to die. Neither have the opportunity to be rewarded for some sort of skilled play or decision. Whether or not a player lives or dies is based entirely on the roll of the dice or the RNG of the map

   I know that One versus One situations seems rare however they are far more common at Higher-Ranks,This  issue is exacerbated by the fact that the killers that perform best in these scenarios are also more commonly used at These ranks like the nurse or the hillbilly.

Part 4 suggested solutions.

I don't think the in-game collapse is terrible however I feel like some balance changes would need to be made immediately to help keep these end game situations within the fair play.

    The first thing I would change is the exit gate timers. Currently it takes 15 seconds to open an exit gate after they are powering without any additional adjustment such as perks. I think that in one v one scenarios this time should be reduced.

    A lazy man's way of handling this would be to simply cut the time in half, if in a one-v-one scenario.

    Another more interesting option however would be the reduce the timer based on a percentage on how much time was left in the endgame collapse .

   They could simply put it to go down a percentage inversely with the End Game timer.

    Or they could just have a flat amount of time removed based on every end game reminder during the end game collapse.

    for example if you try opening the door within the first 30 seconds of the collapse it would take 15 seconds however if you tried opening the door during the second 30 seconds of the EGC it would take 11 to 12 seconds, if you try to open the door at during the second half of the engine collapse it would take 8 to 9 seconds and if you tried opening the door within the last 30 seconds of the end-game collapse it would only take five to six seconds.

This change would award the survivor for being able to elude the Killer during the end game collapse and would make the door times closer to something that is reasonable for a survivor in a 1v1 scenario.

   Inversely this would also incentivize the killer to make an attempt to search out and find the survivor as opposed to simply just watching their escape routes. due to the fact that the longer it takes them to find the survivor the easier it is for the survivor to escape. this to also becomes a risk reward for them because yes they could simply watch the door is to ensure that they see them as soon as they try to escape. But the longer they wait again the easier it would be for the survivor to make said escape.

    another thing that I would like to entertain the idea of is having the Hatch re-open on a timer. This can be done at any end game markers however I feel like the healthiest ways for this to be done, would be one of these three scenarios. One at every end game update, meaning every 30 seconds, 2 halfway between the end of the end game collapse meaning one minute after the endgame collapses has begun, or three during the last 30 seconds or basically the final endgame collapse reminder.

   My reason for this is during the entire game the killer is responsible for always patrolling are protecting at least three objectives. even when survivors are working on the last generator there are always three options for the killer to have to protect. I feel like by giving Killers a simple either or makes it too easy for a killer to simply be able to lock down both objectives. Having that Hatch as a third option at some point would increase the killers patrol radius thus making it more likely and possible for a survivor to be able to slip in the cracks. And again this is a risk-reward, the killer knows exactly knows exactly where the hatch is if he’s started endgame, if the hatch opens they can simply re close it before the survivor jumps in it. however this means the killer would have to mitigate time to choose to be at the hatch as opposed to being at either was the doors. Giving the survivor a much-needed window to actually open the doors. now the killer can forgo this option simply leave the hatch for the last 30 seconds and assume the survivor will more than likely make a play for the doors. this makes the game more a game of rock-paper-scissors as opposed to a simple coin flip as to whether or not the killer finds the survivor.

There have been talks about other options for the survivors well like for example having a dull key spawn in any chest even open chest at the start of the endgame collapse so the survivor has the option to find a key to reopen the hatch. I don't hate this idea but I feel as if it makes it a little less consistent I am would also give the killer a lot more things they would have to protect, to the point of being the killer would have to protect both doors the hatch and essential 3 chest versus one player. And from the survivor side, they would have to, search 3 chest and find the hatch in 2 minutes , anyone whos ran plunder’s Instinct  can tell you how unrealistic that is

TLDR in closing.


    I understand the need for the endgame collapse. One they needed to do something to shake up the game and two end game has been an issue since this game came out.

   And although this is clearly not a rush to fix, because of the lack of ulterior balance updates it feels like a rush fix. There's a lot of new pretty colors that come with endgame collapse but realistically it doesn't change anything from when ptb hatch closing a year ago.

   Whether it's reducing the time to open the door, creating situations where the hatch will reopen periodically, or some combination of the two. Something should be done to rebalance this one-on-one situation.

     I mainly speak for this because as a high-ranked player this is something I deal with more often than not. And I feel as if this issue is not addressed promptly it will just become another, thing that exacerbates other issues with the game such as Deranking, smurfing and player retention.

«1

Comments

  • xxshinobazuxx
    xxshinobazuxx Member Posts: 21

    i disagree wheater or not you live or die in a 1v1 is completely luck, if the doors spawn on one side you are screwd no ifs and or buts... also what if the killer has whispers youll never get a door open

  • xxshinobazuxx
    xxshinobazuxx Member Posts: 21

    the idea of making it better as time goes on would be to incentivze, the killer into searching for him, and not just waiting at the doors, right now 15 seconds is way to long and if you are in chase its impossible it means just wait to die

  • lasombra1979
    lasombra1979 Member Posts: 1,142

    1v1 is not completely luck, though I will admit some luck is required. I have survived with doors spawning on the same side. I have survived when the killer has whispers. I survived against Billys and Nurses. It can be done, it takes a little skill, a little stealth and a little luck.

    I have been hooked more than I have survived, as I should. The 1v1 EGC survival rate should be less than 25%, no matter the rank. The killer should have a huge advantage in those situations. Survivors have enough chances before they get to the 1v1 EGC situation. The escape in EGC should be a frantic intense do or die situation. The fact that more survivors do not try to says more about them than the gameplay. They give up instead trying the "impossible." Every once in a while, a miracle happens.

  • xxshinobazuxx
    xxshinobazuxx Member Posts: 21

    you dont though 25% makes no sense if the game is balanced around 2 living 2 dying, and you saying stealth , you cant stealth whispers, if there are using it right they won't leave that door for 15 secs there is no skill in watch both doors from a hill, these are skill or stealth this is basically win or lose is based on RNG how the map generated which has nothing to do with skill

  • xxshinobazuxx
    xxshinobazuxx Member Posts: 21

    he moves faster, has probably already seen the hatch, and doesn't have to move the map in fear.. he doesnt lose power in the situation. if the survivor is found he is already dead, thats legit game over. these changes are to give him a win state barring hes able to avoid that game over

  • lasombra1979
    lasombra1979 Member Posts: 1,142

    @xxshinobazuxx At this point, we are best at agreeing to disagree.

  • Horus
    Horus Member Posts: 850

    This guy has no idea about the real problems from back thrn

  • DemonDaddy
    DemonDaddy Member Posts: 4,167

    Im loving egc. The randomized gates and hatch only add to the unknown and unenforceable. Some might complain cause gates can be close and in killer favor, but the reverse is true as well. When the gates are a full split across the map its nearly impossible for them to stop survivors. Accept that some things are random and overcome the challenge for a more rewarding victory.

  • Warlock_2020
    Warlock_2020 Member Posts: 1,867

    The problem is the devs are listening to the forums to begin with. A minute percentage of the player base posts here, and most who do are cry babies to begin with.

    The OP brings up good points. Add in that I place traps at each door and you are adding in more time to escape. I've had 7 games go to egc this week and none have escaped. Since egc started, I've won every one on one without much effort.

    It feels pretty empty

  • Dreamnomad
    Dreamnomad Member Posts: 3,935

    TLDR please.

  • darktrix
    darktrix Member Posts: 1,790
    edited May 2019

    I'd say it was fringe, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease as the saying goes. In the well over a year I've been playing I've only witnessed a hostage situation a few times.

    Once while spectating I watched a Kate hold it hostage for about 15 minutes, which as one of the other survivors I reported.

    The other was a wraith blocking the stairs for over 10 minutes keeping three survivors hostage, I was the fourth who avoided that, but they only stopped trapping the other survivors when the twitch streamer disconnected. In after game chat the killer said that was their intention.

    The third was when I was playing huntress on swamp and an immersed Claudette and Meg were both keeping so well hidden I could not find either one for a good 30+ minutes - which is something EGC would not have prevented anyway since there were two survivors doing it.

  • Atrushan88
    Atrushan88 Member Posts: 2,092

    A big problem about this is in my opinion is one big balance problem that it feels like no one thinks of. All maps should be the exact same size. This would allow them to balance things better based on things that they know to be true. If for example every map was x by x, the doors would always be able to be x meters apart, allowing somewhat of a realistic chance of escape if you were the only one who managed to evade the killer's grasp up to that point. If all maps had X number of pallets, X number of windows, X distance doors, then things would be a lot easier to balance rather than just throwing your hands up in the air when someone gets something unfavorable to them and saying "oh well".

  • ReikoMori
    ReikoMori Member Posts: 3,333

    I told someone this in another thread proposing changes to the egc when they said this exact same thing.

    You are expected to build a working knowledge of what is happening with the game map while playing in the game. You have to build spatial and map awareness just to survive in this game. You should know where the hatch is when you know it is going to become something you need to make use of. The killer can't use anything other than their eyes and ears to find the hatch. As a survivor you have items and addons that allow you to track the hatch from the moment it spawns, not opens, spawns. So you have many more tools to help you with map awareness. The issue is survivors suddenly don't want to use them. Same with keys. If the hatch is closed you need to open it with a key. They drop so much now people are complaining about the rate at which they find keys mid trial. At some point you can't keep laying bad outcomes at the feet of killers or the devs when you've had the tools and the same amount of time to find it.

  • anarchy753
    anarchy753 Member Posts: 4,212

    There's some definite issues with this.

    First, the hatch is already a second chance for your team failing. It's meant to be the 1v1 point where either you get out or you get killed. The killer shutting it is basically them having done everything they can to have a perfect match.

    BEYOND THAT opening an exit gate is pretty much a formality, you don't just have to give up and die as you have a goal. THIS IS YOUR SECOND-SECOND CHANCE. It shouldn't ever be a favourable chance that once you've failed as a team AND as the final survivor, you still have a huge shot to get out. The gates don't need to open faster, they SHOULD be hard to do at that point. Even then you can plan for that and bring Wake Up, or even a key. Wake Up is not considered a top tier perk because its effect was rarely of any value, now there is a very real chance of a situation where it can be very impactful, so people need to stop this mentality of "anything that isn't a free hit is a garbage perk" and experiment with perks they've avoided that are the solutions to issues they're having.

    Lowering the time the exit gates take to open once the hatch has already been shut has huge issues, it basically turns both gates into 2 of the old hatches. The killer can get to one, but then has to either guard it or go to the other, but the survivor reaches either and it's a free escape, they'd almost NEVER die in that situation.

    TLDR: The exit gates AFTER a hatch has been shut should never feel like an easy thing to do, you and your team have failed to complete objectives, and you have failed to reach the hatch, you should not be coddled with a new mechanic for a third option of an easy escape.

  • NoShinyPony
    NoShinyPony Member Posts: 4,570

    @lasombra1979 This. Implement a min/max gate distance and that's it.

    At some point the survivor has lost the match and the game is over. There can't always be another 2nd chance to survive.

  • Orti
    Orti Member Posts: 198

    EGC is fine as it is, you have still a chance to escape but it's hard if you didn't completed the main objective before. It's similar to getting kills if all survivors are still alive after the gates are open, possible but unlike to happen when you passed a certain rank.

    They won't change anything about it anytime soon, the old mechanic was in the game for more then two years before it got changed

  • prayer_survivor
    prayer_survivor Member Posts: 626

    A survivor asking for a fair EGC, and 17 killers saying no. Sadly is the usual in the forum

  • prayer_survivor
    prayer_survivor Member Posts: 626

    Yes, it's an asymmetrical game, but in this game you have to kill 4 survivors, not 3 survivors and have 99% chance of killing the 4th in 1v1 EGC.

  • prayer_survivor
    prayer_survivor Member Posts: 626

    Well, they can change the game so if you hook 1 survivor, all of them became hooked. Is an asymmetrical game so is fair too

  • Kenshin
    Kenshin Member Posts: 912

    end game is fine how it now. you can also always run wake up to make it easier. survivors always have a choice and counter.

  • prayer_survivor
    prayer_survivor Member Posts: 626
    edited May 2019

    It's only 3 sec lesser with wake up. Nobody uses this perk. And I agree, End Game is fine now ... for killers

  • Mochan
    Mochan Member Posts: 2,886

    Here's another simpler option: if the hatch has been closed by the killer, the survivor can open the hatch, but it is like repairing a generator, he must tug and pull at it for say 15 seconds, same as opening a gate, before it bursts back open. And Killer can kick it shut like breaking a gen to reduce the progress.

    This way it becomes similar to the tertiary last gen patrol standoff of the normal endgame where there are three exit points, and provides more options for actual skilled play and counterplay between survivor and killer in the final stage.

  • Orion
    Orion Member Posts: 21,675
  • Mochan
    Mochan Member Posts: 2,886

    It's balanced around 2 living 2 dying, but EGC hatch battles aren't that scenario, they are for those cases where the killer got the upper hand and pushed the game to his favor killing 3.

    In this case I do believe killer should have an advantage over the survivor. But the advantage shouldn't be 99% to 1%, the survivor should still have a reasonable chance of surviving, 25% sounds about right.

  • prayer_survivor
    prayer_survivor Member Posts: 626

    I suggested the same days ago, and imagine the responses

  • prayer_survivor
    prayer_survivor Member Posts: 626
    edited May 2019


    Don't know to answer you if you don't understand what I said previously (bad english, I know).

    " What's unfair about a 1v1 in an asymmetrical game being in the power role's favor?"

    Well, do you think if killer make 4k every game is fair? Yes, I know you want to make 4k and if you can you want our houses and possessions, but this is a game and all of us want to have fun.

    Not going to answer you more in this post, it's impossible we agree

  • Orion
    Orion Member Posts: 21,675

    We're talking about a 1v1 situation in a game that's supposedly balanced around a 4v1. Your bad attempts at dodging the issue only make your argument weaker.

  • Orion
    Orion Member Posts: 21,675

    4 seconds is enough to make survivors question just how useful healing is, so surely 3 seconds must make a big difference.

  • Johnny_XMan
    Johnny_XMan Member Posts: 6,432
    edited May 2019

    Well stated @xxshinobazuxx .

    Not only is the Hatch piece in the EGC unbalanced, but it is also unfun in it's current iteration.

  • SunderMun
    SunderMun Member Posts: 2,789

    I agree. Unfun for both parties, IMO. Although certainly a step in the right direction....

  • prayer_survivor
    prayer_survivor Member Posts: 626

    "Also, I don't see you mentioning how now you can escape even if zero generators are done"

    I don't like this change too. I prefer the previous version when you need 3 gens done.

  • KaoMinerva
    KaoMinerva Member Posts: 451

    Killing legion is an every day topic too and will be for the next 2 years until you actually make him playable again lol.

  • KaoMinerva
    KaoMinerva Member Posts: 451

    Killing legion is an every day topic too and will be for the next 2 years until you actually make him playable again lol.

  • lasombra1979
    lasombra1979 Member Posts: 1,142

    Actually, I primarily been playing survivor since EGC. I have found it more exciting since it started. So while I am not a survivor main, I am certainly not a killer main. So make that 16 killers and 1 sorta survivor.

  • AsheruSwiftwind
    AsheruSwiftwind Member Posts: 156

    If your the last survivor in EGC and that hatch has slammed shut you have 3 options:

    (Disclaimer: Don't be that guy and use option 4.)

    1. Try and open the door.
    2. Pray you can find/have a key and reopen the hatch.
    3. Wait for the Entitdaddy to take you for cupcakes.
    4. Be a Rage baby and DC

    You have had the entire game an god only knows how many second chance perks to make it to the end game. You have 0 weapons and are being chased by someone who has weapons and wants to kill you. You can either stealth it or try and out play them but in 1 v 1 its not meant to be a cakewalk or a free escape. The best fix and one you didn't list in your video is they take the killers movement speed into account and set up a system where the gates spawn a certain distance from one another depending on that movement speed. (Except Nurse she gets gates 900000 miles from each other...)

    You need to look at it from both points of view as a killer and a survivor player. Just looking at it from one side leaves you biased and lets a video like you made where you just offer nothing but free escapes. Now I will say this if you want the weaker timer the closer it gets to EGC ending you should also add crows alerting the killer to the players for each quarter of the timer (AKA every 30 seconds) that the survivor is hiding as that is all they will do is hide till its basically free. That is how you would make something like what you suggested balanced for both sides and that is what you should be looking at as it makes it a challenge and yet gives both sides a fair chance.

    PS. As I said on your video I dislike killers who Slug in the EGC and personally refuse to do it myself if I catch you, your going on a hook. But honestly just a small boost to the killers late game sacrifice points would encourage more people to just end the game rather than wait for the entity to do it for them. Survivors are encouraged to try and save with 2000 points. Lets make it worth it for the killer to want the death on the hook.

  • Dehitay
    Dehitay Member Posts: 1,726

    It was NEVER supposed to be a fair chance for the last remaining survivor to make it out through the hatch. If the killer killed 3 people, it was always supposed to be a killer favored scenario, there just wasn't the knowledge of what would happen when they added the hatch option from the beginning.

    The original intention of the hatch was for it to be a last hope option that occassionally allowed you to get out. However, they didn't think hatch standoffs would be a thing. They accidently made it to where being the last survivor was in complete advantage of the survivor which is the exact opposite of what they were going for. And now survivors have gotten so spoiled and entitled that they can't accept it being in advantage of the killer which was the original intention.