In just a week after Behavior Interactive rolled out a new matchmaking system in a bid to set a balance among players, the developers announced that it’s temporarily suspending the implementation across all platforms. The disabling of the new mechanics becomes effective as of 10 AM ET, August 12, today.
At 10 AM ET today, the matchmaking rating system will be disabled on all platforms. We made this decision following reports, data gathered and player feedback. We'll keep you posted as we continue to work on solutions. Thank you for your feedback.
— Dead by Daylight (@DeadbyDaylight) August 12, 2020
The developer cites the need to evaluate the system closely by taking into account community feedback, and the need to plan how to improve upon the idea with a better result in the future.
Back to the Old
With the rollback in place, it appears that the system is back at its old self again. This means players getting sorted merely on ranks, which implies frequency of play, instead of skill which infers good mastery over the game.
But, then again, the new system as it appears, did not fare any better. Many anecdotal accounts claim how similarly broken the new system is with the former—citing “mismatching” players based on a faulty criterion.
Take, for example, a TheGamer writer’s story involving his experience with the new system. Who, by virtue of having several hundreds of hours in his belt, was pitted against high-level but low-skill players. Essentially, winning most of the matches he participated and leaving only a very small margin for defeat. The experience of which he described as the “least fun” he has ever had in the game.
Deriving from the experience, it lends to the notion that he, as a player, was inaccurately were mixed up with newcomers. An idea that he bolsters on by claiming the possibility of a lowered matchmaking rating due to recent inactivity. Yet, another case of experienced players whose actual skill is discrepant to their existing rank.
However, that was under the context of playing as a Survivor. Subsequently citing a different experience when playing as a Killer. One that he described as “more balanced” with opposing players able to go toe-to-toe with his style of play, even evading death altogether.
The Ideal Contradiction
Try as we might being idealistic about the game, though, Dead by Daylight is still an asymmetric game. A nature of a game that fundamentally contradicts the idea of “balance,” given also the players’ subjective perception of “winning.”
What a self-centered perspective of victory about surviving despite the means may, therefore, not necessarily apply to a utilitarian who is more selfless in the notion. The latter of which could even go as far as self-sacrifice and not self-preservation.
Despite its failed attempts at wanting to set a fairground for everyone, it’s still a good sign that the fault is laid out. Which, if anything, could be playing as a catalyst to a truly “balanced” asymmetric game, however ironic that sounds in context.
Image used courtesy of Dead by Daylight