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- How To Communicate As A Survivor In Dead By Daylight
- How To Communicate As A Killer In Dead By Daylight
Whether you're a Survivor or Killer main, Dead By Daylight is a fun online multiplayer game you'll keep coming back to, with scars and hooks to prove it. Having spawned numerous DLC packs, the opportunity to play as a classic killer or the final girl from famous slasher movies draws you in — or perhaps you'd rather try one of Behaviour's own sadistic creations.
The lack of in-game chat makes communicating a chore, both as a solo Survivor or a friendly-ish Killer. Here are a few ways you can use the game's mechanics to converse during Trials.
How To Communicate As A Survivor In Dead By Daylight
Dead By Daylight is an uneven multiplayer game, which in this case makes it a four versus one game for five players total. Survivors don't have the gnarly weapons or fearsome powers of their enemy Killers, but what they lack in brawn they make up for in sheer numbers.
Unless you're playing as a SWF team — a "Survive With Friends" buddy team consisting of pals going into matches as group — you will inevitably have to play solo queue.
Being part of a SWF unit is incredibly beneficial, as these teams tend to use an external service such as Discord in order to talk to each other during each Trial, allowing them greater coordination than they would have without.
Sure, you can type messages in the pre-game and post-game chat (as well as talk to the Killer in the latter), but when you just want your teammates to heal you mid-match you won't want to annoy them by accidentally vault-blocking them whilst the Killer is on their tail.
If you find yourself going in as the only solo player alongside what appears to be a solid SWF trio, these communication tips will help you make your voice heard — even if only through a well-timed emote.
Survivor Communication Tips: Crouching
- Survivor crouches once or twice quickly when they see you at the start of the match: this is a way people say hello to each other in Dead By Daylight, and is not meant as a rude taunt if done to a fellow Survivor.
- Survivor crouches next to you repeatedly whilst they are injured: this Survivor wants you to heal them.
- Survivor spam-crouching very quickly, followed by an emote (either "Come Here" or "Over There): this Survivor needs your attention, usually either telling you to go for a teammate unhook, watch out for the Killer, or work on a generator in the direction that they are pointing in.
- Survivor working on a generator next to you suddenly gets off the generator, spam-crouches a few times, and runs or moves away: this usually is a sign that the Survivor has seen the Killer making their way over and is warning you to follow their lead and hide — or perhaps their Spine Chill perk has gone off because the Killer is looking directly at you both!
- Survivors start spam-crouching in front of the Killer when they are either idle, breaking pallets, or standing by windows: this is a way Survivors taunt the Killer, usually trying to goad them into a chase. Join in if you feel like it — but remember that a Killer holds a nasty grudge and won't soon forget your disrespect…
Survivor Communication Tips: Emotes
- "Come here" emote: you should follow the Survivor as they might want to take you to a gen to work on together, show you a healing boon, or want to heal you.
- Pointing emote: look at what the Survivor might be pointing at, whether at a fellow Survivor who is in need or to warn you of the Killer's presence nearby.
- "Come here" emote, but to the Killer: sometimes, you might be able to convince your Killer to throw the game and engage in Bloodpoint farming activities with your teammates instead. If a Survivor feels confident that the Killer isn't taking the game too seriously, using the "Come here" emote with the Killer can be a gesture of good faith as an invitation to enter into a lengthy chase with perhaps a free hit for you both to farm extra points. This is risky, but has been known to work.
- Crouch and slowly approach the Killer: usually performed as an act of self-sacrifice, you can do this to a Killer if you want them to take a swing at you instead in return for sparing a teammate they have been chasing. This is common when the Killer finds two Survivors healing one another, with one of them imminently on death-hook if the Killer takes them down a third time.
Survivor Communication Tips: Tools
- Flashlights: whilst these serve a practical purpose, such as blinding the Killer for a Flashlight Save or to burn through the Hag's traps, you can use your torch to get your teammates' attention with a series of rapid clicks. You can also use it to point at generators, chests, totems, or other items on the map.
- Toolbox: Dropping your toolbox mid-chase or at the exit gate relates to a meme, Trade Tools For Life. Dropping them mid-chase might appease a Killer and stop them from pursuing you, whilst dropping your tools at the exit gate and approaching the Killer empty-handed signals respect and that you wish to give them a free hit in exchange for letting you go. This does not always work — indeed some Killers find it insulting to their pride to be offered a consolation prize, but hey. A hit's a hit.
- Keys: Though they can be useful, Killers take Keys as an act of aggressive play. Don't be shocked if you get tunneled — or targeted disproportionately — early on in the game for bringing such an item with you!
How To Communicate As A Killer In Dead By Daylight
Unlike Survivors, the Killer's body language was made to intimidate rather than communicate. Killers have no emotes, and only The Pig and The Ghost Face can crouch like their do-gooder counterparts.
However, there are ways you can still make contact as a bloodthirsty Killer, should you wish to use them:
Killer Communication Tips: Moving Your Head
- Moving the camera to indicate nodding/shaking your head: since the Killer plays in first-person perspective, the way you move your camera indicates the way your head is pointing. If you want to shake your head, whether at a Survivor you have downed that has deeply irritated you or to signal that it's ok for them to leave, the universal signs of "yes" and "no" still apply in Dead By Daylight.
Killer Communication Tips: Being A Nice Killer
Girls and ghouls just want to have fun, so if you're not here to hook all your prey this time around, why not try communicating to the Survivors that you're happy to play around and farm those Bloodpoints?
- Rather than lunging for a Survivor who is healing, blessing a totem, or doing a glyph, move away from them and nod. Doing glyphs and boons could be a daily challenge for that Survivor, so letting them finish up before attacking almost always goes appreciated. By standing back and nodding, you tell them not to be afraid. In return most Survivors will lead you into a friendly chase and let you land a few free hits – or maybe even a sacrifice in exchange for your patience.
- Giving the last Survivor the exit Hatch by slugging them (or hitting them twice until they have been downed) and carrying them to it. Be sure to hit the hook with your weapon as you pass by if they are struggling — they might not realise that you want to give them Hatch. Alternatively, stand by the Hatch and nod your head.
Killer Communication Tips: Being A Salty Killer
- Hitting a Survivor who is already on the hook: this is seen as childish, bullying behaviour if done unprovoked, as it is a form of face-camping. However, it could be understandable in the case of a particularly toxic Survivor who has been taunting you with crouches or flashlight clicks, has been body-blocking you on the way to hooks all game, or keeps jumping in and out of lockers to spam you with noise alerts.
- Standing directly in front of a hooked Survivor to ensure a kill, or lurking in the shadows nearby: these are both forms of camping that, though frowned upon, are viable game strategies if you are up against a particularly well-oiled SWF.
- Spam crouching as The Pig or The Ghost Face: not only Survivors can be toxic and abuse the crouch mechanic to silently jeer at their opponent. Sometimes these two Killers spam-crouch by a downed Survivor as a sort of victory dance, but be prepared to be called a "sweaty salty Killer" in post-game chat if you do this.
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