Cosmetics vs Mechanics: Dead by Daylight
By Xander Townsend | Misfit Media Editor
(Includes Graphic Content)
Videos games have had gamers debating over what elements of the medium should be prioritised since the uprising of the games industry. Are graphics or gameplay more important? Do people care more for open world or linear narrative games? The one I would like to discuss is the importance of mechanics vs cosmetics in an online multiplayer game.
One game that unfortunately showcases the results of the prioritisation of cosmetics is Dead by Daylight (Dbd). I recently discussed the game and the consequences of crossplay on gameplay quality on Misfit Media, make sure you read for the game outline. That previous article was more directed at the player base, but this will focus on developer prioritisation and choice.
Developers are always having to make decisions regarding where their resources are allocated, especially when competing with such large budget games. Recently, Dead by Daylight released another character model and graphic update, along with a Stranger Things collaboration skin pack. I won't even go into the disaster that was the Jonathon Byers skin within this skin pack, resulting in it being pulled from the game for adjustment due to ''buggy animations'' and clearly not because the skin was so poorly executed with little to no likability to the character.
Stranger Things, Johnathon Byers, 2016
Dead by Daylight, Johnathon Byers skin update comparison, 2021
As a game artist, I understand the importance of graphics and game art especially when it comes to marketability and hype. Consumers (especially when new) prioritise the graphical elements of games at face value. The main problem with this is that there are several mechanical aspects of Dead by Daylight that need some attention, especially with regards with balancing killers.
There are currently several limiting and preventative mechanics implemented in Dbd that make the game impossible for survivors to progress based on a decision the killer can choose to make at the very start of the game. 'Camping' is when a player decides to sit on or around an already downed/immobile player on the opposing team and wait for other players to come and help their teammate up in order to kill/down them also. Usually, games implement response abilities/mechanics to provide players options to counter this play. Dead by Daylight unfortunately hasn't done so effectively. The game facilitates cooperation and teamwork, implying its necessity and therefore showing that progression and success is close to impossible without it. Survivors must time manage and allocate resources to get up downed survivors, therefore balancing it mechanically from a survivor standpoint.
The problem is that killer players can (if they feel so inclined) camp the first player they down, waiting for another player to come and help them up (a necessity of survivor gameplay) and down them also. This creates a gameplay preventative domino effect until all players are downed with no options of counter play. It is a responsibility of the developers to create options for survivors or limit killers when it is a necessity for progress. Currently the killer mechanics have too many gameplay preventative and limiting measures for survivor players, unbalancing the entire game and rendering it completely unplayable/unenjoyable. If a killer player can choose to automatically win the game based on one 'dick-head' move at the beginning of the match, why wouldn't they?
This has been a problem within the game for years yet they continue to release graphical updates, skin packs, and new IP related content. Why? Because it makes them money and it looks good as marketing and promotion on their twitter. I hope this soon changes as a balanced Dead by Daylight would be a very needed change.