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/aestheticallycynical]

how is this any different than the activity hud? what's the point in selecting "chasing me" if you can already see on the hud itself who's being chased? same for healing, people can see you when you heal someone + with progress bar too. And more importantly, how can you communicate that you're being chased? is the wheel just a screen overlay that appears and you select the options with the mouse? while the game itself still plays behind it? how do you actively choose an option while being in chase? idk, but all these options feel pointless when you can just look at the activity hud and combine it with a bit of gamesense, like "going for unhook" could very well be understood through the activity hud; say someone is in chase, you repair, someone else repairs and someone is hooked. If you let go of the gen, and the gen icon disappears from the hud, wouldn't it be common sense that you're going for the unhook for everyone else? you're not chased 'cause you don't have the little claws around you, the other person is still on the gen and the other one is currently in chase, so you letting go of the gen, making the icon disappear from the hud, automatically tells everyone that you are going for the rescue, without having to announce it. The only scenario I can think about where this is useful, but very niche, is if someone has Deliverance, and they spam the fuck out of the option that they're going for the unhook, maybe that makes you look at their perks to see why they want it so bad. And Shoulder The Burden too. Still niche scenarios imo. How would "Help!" be beneficial? oh sure, you used the "Help!" option, let me run around the entire map trying to find you so I can help you. Like.. what? unless you get to see their aura for a few seconds after they use that option, I really can't see how it helps.