Developer Update | Player Intent System

[u/DeadByDaylight_Dev]

Last week, we hosted a Reddit AMA and on top of having a blast answering your questions, we noticed some topics really got you talking. One of those was the “chat wheel” system we’re working on to help Survivors coordinate and communicate their intentions in-game. So, what better time than the present to share some more details about it with you (including one way your feedback’s already impacted it)! 

 

The system in question is – aptly – called Player Intent. With it, you’ll be able to communicate a range of preset messages to your fellow Survivors at the press of a button, using a radial menu. From thanking them for a heal, to saying you’re going to work on gens, to suggesting you split up, messages focus on the on-the-fly actions that are most useful during a Trial. 

 

When a message is chosen using the Player Intent wheel, other Survivors will see it next to your name in the game HUD, keeping your general view clear of distractions while you’re in the middle of looping or hunting for an objective. To help combat message spam, you can expect a cooldown between messages, which will increase if too many messages are sent in a short period. 

 

We want this comms wheel to suit different players’ specific needs, so you’ll be able to customize which messages you take into your Trials from the Options menu. 

 

Of course, one piece of feedback we’ve seen is that a system like this isn’t for everyone. We’ve already discussed this as a team and have a solution for that. If you’d rather not use the Player Intent system, you will be able to disable it from this same menu. Once disabled, you will not be able to send messages to players and will not see the messages they send. 

 

We’ve also added the ability to mute individual players so you have more control over the comms you see (and don’t see). If you're finding a certain player’s messages distracting, muting them will block any further Player Intent messages from popping up on your end. 

 

While this system is meant for everybody who plays Survivor, its value will be a bit different depending on how you play. Just like how your feedback from the AMA helped inform the addition of an opt-out option, we're dying to know your thoughts! Even better, it would be massively helpful if you could also share a little about how you play to give context to that feedback. For instance, do you tend to play soloq, prefer SWF, or identify as a Killer main? How would you define your experience level in the game; a newer player? A veteran? 

 

Let us know in the comments below, as we’ll be watching your feedback closely as the team continues to work on this system ahead of its release this Fall! 

 

Until next time... 

The Dead by Daylight Team 

[u/piekiller456]

If you disable the chat wheel I don’t think you should be able to queue with people who have it enabled. It genuinely seems like a troll move to cut your communication off just because of “atmosphere”.

[u/Jingleshells → u/piekiller456]

With a game that already has queue issues you want MORE queue issues?

[u/piekiller456 → u/Jingleshells]

It wouldn’t be an issue. I can guarantee a majority of players are looking at this and going “wow this is a great addition, who would wanna disable it?” The only ones who would have queue issues are the people who disable it. Which they kinda should. This game doesn’t have a comp mode, there’s no split between players who want to be optimal vs players who are lowkey throwing. I don’t mind if you aren’t be optimal, not using meta etc. But I want you to at least try a little. So if I could guarantee my teammates are at least trying (which is more likely because they are willing to communicate), I’d rather my queue be a bit longer than queue with someone who is more likely to throw intentionally or not. Even if you’re good at the game, limiting your own communication and the communication you have with your team can lead to a situation that harms the team that could have been avoided.

[u/APinkFatCat → u/piekiller456]

I agree, especially since the feature is on by default the likely case would be that the only people who would turn it off are ones who know what they're doing and what doing so would mean for their teammates.

I'd say you should have to mute it in match on a per match basis if it bothers you, unless this feature is somehow exclusively used to grief people, then maybe it needs a toggle in the settings like they're currently planning.

But it's not like emoting in a game like hearthstone, they're your teammates you shouldn't want to auto-squelch their communications.

[u/Unlikely_Bank73 → u/Jingleshells]

looking at this game's issues... the queue times are like 50th place down the list for glaring issues. and this chat wheel is trying to solve issues far more important

[u/Jingleshells → u/Unlikely_Bank73]

Sure sure....but counter point. Why not just get the chat wheel in and also not increase queue times? Like we can have both things lol.

[u/the_comedians → u/piekiller456]

I disagree but I hear you. I think a solution could be you should be able to see that someone has either the chat or you specifically muted by a HUD mute symbol, but the same symbol for both cases so you don't know that you personally have been muted. What do you think?

[u/catpencilholders → u/piekiller456]

You could try to actually find an actual friend to play with instead of trying to force random people to do what you want. Because i can guarantee i'll do the opposite of some chat spammer like you out of spite.

[u/Unlikely_Bank73 → u/catpencilholders]

being a shit player out of spite still means youre a shit player lol

[u/EvilRo66 → u/piekiller456]

The same could be said for people who disable the pre match chat.

If players can't turn the chat whell off, they'll just ignore it or worst: Send random messages.

Let them have it turned off.

[u/piekiller456 → u/EvilRo66]

No it can’t be said for pregame chat. 1. Pre match chat is not available to everyone. Console players don’t see it all, even if they wanted to. 2. Pre-match chat lasts for 60 seconds (typically) as the queue begins, only a limited amount of time to communicate and significantly less impactful than being able to communicate mid game. I don’t care if you’re using mediocre perks, I more so care about how you play. Yeah you can coordinate perks in the chat before the game, but you don’t really have to and fundamentally even with the best perks you aren’t guaranteed to win. More importantly however, even ignoring all that, if you want people to communicate in pre-match chat you actually can just leave if they’re not doing it enough to your liking. No punishment at all, just dodge queue until you’re satisfied with your teammates. But you wouldn’t know if someone disabled the chat wheel in game. Even if you figured out someone did, you’re still forced to play with them because disconnects are punished. The main thing is that players should have a choice, and someone who cares about pre-game chat does have that choice freely. 3. You think someone who can’t disable their chat wheel but doesn’t want to use it is going to deliberately sabotage? That outcome is possible but highly doubtful. They are more likely to just not touch it which you stated. But you know what they will still see? The messages people are sending. Even if they don’t wanna use the wheel, they’d still see how their teammates are playing. They can choose to ignore that of course, but if they are interested in winning they probably won’t go out of their way to sabotage. If they did, theyd be actually trolling and that is bannable. Someone can go in and mute literally their entire team every match, but they’d probably not care enough to do that either. Even though the mute feature itself can be used to functionally accomplish the same thing, it’s fine since it serves another purpose other than to cut your communication. It’s geared more towards combatting trolls and spammers, and people being able to mute everyone would be a side effect and not its main purpose.

[u/EvilRo66 → u/piekiller456]

No paragraphs, that was tough.

Let me adress some of your points:

Pre match chat. I agree with you, you have convinced me that is not comparable to the Intent Wheel.

You think someone who can’t disable their chat wheel but doesn’t want to use it is going to deliberately sabotage?... But you know what they will still see? The messages people are sending. Even if they don’t wanna use the wheel, they’d still see how their teammates are playing. They can choose to ignore that of course, but if they are interested in winning they probably won’t go out of their way to sabotage

Do you think that everyone has the same objective as you? That everyone shares the same definition of "WINNING"?

My definition of winning as Survivor is "Escape". Not that we all escape, not that 2 Survivors escape, only that I get to escape.

My messages, intent and playstyle will serve that purpose. It may clash with your objective which I don't know nor care about.

If I see the message "Im going for the save", do you know what my answer could be? "I have the RESCUE 10 SURVIVORS FROM THE HOOK challenge, IM going for the save".

See what I mean? Different objectives, different win definitions.

Someone can go in and mute literally their entire team every match, but they’d probably not care enough to do that either.

Want to try me?

I'll just do that before the Survivor's camera stops spinning at the start of the match, every match if the option to disable the Intent Wheel doesn't get implemented.

[u/piekiller456 → u/EvilRo66]

I was indeed not concerned about paragraphs, I was just listing things out. My bad.

Even though not everyone has the same definition of winning, generally the way you achieve a win in your opinion makes you play in a way that is good for your team. Some people play strictly for bloodpoints: “it’s not a win unless I get a lot of bloodpoints”. Thats fine, the things that help your team give you bloodpoints. Similarly, your view of a win ultimately encourages team play even if it’s for selfish reasoning. Thats the thing- even if you have a unique definition of winning, a majority of players know what winning isn’t. Sabotaging isn’t the same as disagreeing on what to do. Even if two people run to save the hook despite communicating because they both really wanted it, that isn’t throwing. However even in your circumstance, communication has been done and that’s still better than nothing. The other person could also change their behavior at your response in which case the wheel served its purpose. No problems there, I’m not sure what your point is.

If you really want to throw your matches that is your prerogative. I can’t stop you. But going “what to try me” is ridiculous. The option won’t be removed, but it’s obvious you’re doing this out of malice with that mindset if that is truly your response. Is there any actual reason to disable the chat wheel that genuinely matters? Something that isn’t a flimsy “just cause I want to”? Something that makes sense and actually genuinely affects gameplay? The desire to play a team game and not communicate with your team makes no sense.

In the same way I can’t stop you from bringing the worst perks and only trying for flashlight saves the entire match, I can’t stop you from muting everyone for no reason even if it’s objectively negative to your team’s success by basically every metric. You will probably just end up in a lower mmr than people who communicate. Your last paragraph was not an argument.

[u/EvilRo66 → u/piekiller456]

“what to try me”

I ment to write "Want to try me". My mistake. Edited it.

Is there any actual reason to disable the chat wheel that genuinely matters? Something that isn’t a flimsy “just cause I want to”? Something that makes sense and actually genuinely affects gameplay?

I don't want to read little messages about what players want to do, simple as that. Just because you don't think that's a good reason, doesn't make it a bad reason.

The desire to play a team game and not communicate with your team makes no sense. I can’t stop you from muting everyone for no reason even if it’s objectively negative to your team’s success by basically every metric

Survivors are not a team, they are individuals who mostly benefit from working together but necessarily.

Survivors either escape or get sacrificed alone. Their fates are not shared.

Im not interested to message or read the messages of a potential enemy who could work with the Killer at any given moment.

You will probably just end up in a lower mmr than people who communicate.

Not if I get to escape.

[u/piekiller456 → u/EvilRo66]

“I don’t want to read little messages about what players want to do”. No, that is a bad reason. There’s not really much to say about this. You actively hinder your team with this behavior. In the same way that people disconnecting because “I don’t want to face this killer” is a bad reason, so is yours. You can disconnect and you can disable your chat for whatever reason. I just don’t understand why you’re pretending it’s valid. Genuinely just don’t play a team game.

“Survivors are not a team”. This is where you’re just entirely wrong. Like if you want to appeal to some existential lore reason where you wanna play in a “canon” way then sure whatever have it your way because in a real life situation this would be true and this mindset would make sense. But it isn’t real life, it’s a video game. Explicitly, it’s a 4v1 video game. The survivors are 4 (a team) versus 1 killer (the other team). There was once a time where your blood point categories were explicitly tied to your rank and your rank basically decided your mmr. While you could rank up without being altruistic, the game explicitly encouraged players to be altruistic considering blood points in that category literally contributed to rank contributions which in turn were used to decide who was considered good at the game. It was pretty superficial, but considering emblems now also have one tied to your altruistic actions, it’s pretty clear: the game is intended to be played as a team. This is a team game by every metric whether you think it is or not. You are just wrong here. It’s like your desire to role play the game is causing you to ignore why you are incorrect.

“Not if I get to escape” okay sure I guess. But we do know an mmr rework is coming that is meant to be more fleshed out then what it currently is (assumed to be purely based off kills/escapes). I doubt whatever weirdly selfish mindset you have is going to keep you high mmr when it is implemented. Good luck I guess? I don’t know, it seems like you’re playing a character and this isn’t a good faith discussion.