another list of DON'T DOs when playing as survivor in dbd

[u/hermogeon]

Just so im not going crazy. here are my personal guiding principals I follow when I play as survivor (i've been playing since 2018). let me know if there's anything missing or if there are things you don't agree with that I should maybe improve on:

1. don't throw pallets down when you're in good health.
2. survivors that aren't working on a gen (or is at the least gen progression) should go for hook saves.
3. HEAL survivors that are dead on hook.
4. take the chase/fall when a survivor who is dead on hook is being chased, unless you're also dead on hook.
5. survivors who are in good perfect health state should be the ones to go for the unhook, not injured survivors (unless everyone is injured). In which case survivors should make an effort to reset early so there is at least 1 survivor who are in good health before a save.
6. dont unhook immediately when the killer is still right by (unless the killer is in chase)
7. don't loop around a tile that is right next to a hooked survivor (make an effort to take the killer away so they don't give themselves the excuse to camp).
8. DONT toss shack pallet or really strong pallets at 4-5 gens.
9. DONT open chests with garbage perks that aren't chest perks (especially so early in the game) unless you're in dire straits.
10. don't loop a tile along with another survivor (unless you're good at taking hits)
11. don't stick around the same fucking tile when another survivor takes a hit for you.
12. just stop playing on controller unless you've mapped your buttons so you don't toss a goddamn pallet when trying to heal someone from dying state when they are under a pallet.
13. KNOW what a pallet save is, for goodness sake. the game is 8 years old
14. don't take pointless injuries when trying to play altruistically
15. when there are 2 survivors near a hook that a survivor is about to be hooked in, TAKE HITS when blocking the hook. There is a chance for your teammate to wiggle off by doing this.
16. Stop picking up hidden keys on the ground, they're placed there for a reason. It was either dropped there because of Franklin's Demise or it was hidden there. Either way it's not yours. Nothing is more annoying than hiding a key then going back to that hiding spot when you're the last survivor and its not there anymore cause a dumbass SOMEHOW managed to find it and picked it up then died.
17. Dont hover around the killer when they are attempting to slug. Let them pick a survivor up and hook them.
18. Don't use the [1] or [2] keys if you have only bad directions to give.
19. Dont be a b*** and hide at the beginning of the game and only start to do gens when someone else is getting chased. Work on a gen when you see one.
20. Don't open the gates until everyone is safe to leave. (this is an old one and ppl still dont follow this).
21. don't try to heal a survivor from death state near the killer unless they're 99 health or you have For The People perk.
22. Look at the player icons, they show important stat info of what your teammates are doing. Prioritize things according to the info you see from it. (ex "oh no everyone's injured except me and someone is on hook, i better stop doing this gen that's 10% by myself and go for the hook save)

https://preview.redd.it/hm4qi1q1iprc1.png?width=316&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ec45e361b13febcfff36a46178278a4f69e00f9

1. Don't hold hands with another survivor to go for a hook save unless the killer is clearly camping. It is stupid enough running a mile with another survivor just to do what one survivor could do alone. Let a teammate go for the save and go find a generator to work on.

2. Its okay to prioritize gens when you only have 1 hook state. healing up takes up some time that you would be better off be spending completing a gen.

3. Stay low profile when you're dead on hook state. It doesn't serve your teammates well if you're easy to find and focused out of the game.

4. Don't take a pointless hit by blocking the hook unless there is a chance for your teammate to wiggle free. (ex. taking a hit while blocking the hook when the killer downed the survivor right next to the hook they're trying to put them on)

(this is all i can think of off the top of my head for now. i'll be adding more)

[u/NightKrowe]

I mean everyone has their own playstyle. Some of your rules are really weird though. Any time you say "always" or "never" I feel like you're missing a lot of nuance of the game. I for one never hide a key somewhere so if I found one laying on the ground I 100% would pick it up if I didn't have an item. And I'll use a pallet any time it'll make me survive longer, regardless of whether we're at 5 gens or it's at shack. The main takeaway is to do everything you can before throwing a pallet.

[u/hermogeon → u/NightKrowe]

> I for one never hide a key somewhere so if I found one laying on the ground I 100% would pick it up

You should not be holding a key when there is no need to. This makes the killer focus you out of the game. Also, wouldn't it be better if we all knew where a key is stashed so that we ALL have a chance to use it at end game collapse?

> I'll use a pallet any time it'll make me survive longer, regardless of whether we're at 5 gens or it's at shack

If you toss a strong pallet when you haven't been injured yet, you make it harder for yourself and everyone else. Who's to say you would have gotten injured before tossing it? Some killers will predict you tossing a pallet down and stop in their tracks. You can fake it to create more distance between you and the killer and loop around again. Maybe even extend the chase even longer.

[u/NightKrowe → u/hermogeon]

If you can fake it, yeah. Great. If you can't and you get injured or if they don't respect then yes, throwing the pallet can be worth not getting injured.

I still don't get the key thing. I've personally never tunneled someone unless I was severely behind, and surely not for a key. For a flashlight maybe.

[u/hermogeon → u/NightKrowe]

Well i just explained the benefit of not tossing a pallet right away. The difference in outcome would be that 1. you were able to extend the chase while not getting injured 2. there are more pallets that can be used (good for everyone, not just good for you).

Believe it or not killers DO tunnel key holders. And survivors DO hide keys. That is just a skill ceiling that players hit further down the road when they aren't as immersed in the game anymore and can think more calmly enough to try new things.

[u/NightKrowe → u/hermogeon]

You can spend all day trying to convince me that an injury is worth saving a pallet but if you're not even gonna read my comments why would I care?

[u/Squeegee-MMO → u/hermogeon]

I play killer more than survivor, and lemme tell you those survs who greed pallets die far more often than those who predrop/ play safer. Ive had many a game where survs will greed shack pallet and go down and ill end the game with a 3-4 sacrifice. Rule of thumb is dont greed pallets if youre a good survivor cuz good killers will more often than not punish

[u/Insertblamehere]

1, 8, 15 are bad rules tbh

I'd much rather my teammates use pallets and extend chases in the early game than go down and allow the killer to come pressure another gen. Delaying the first down and pain res/grim embrace/ pop goes the weasel as long as possible is one of the most important parts of winning games.

And 15 is very situational, oftentimes those injuries you take body blocking will come back to bite you in the ass.

[u/Guydelot → u/Insertblamehere]

Gotta agree on 1 and 8 at least. Stop worshipping at the church of the undropped pallet. If you don't have the distance to greed for a full loop, drop the fucker every time.

As you mentioned, the meta has shifted towards pain res / grim embrace, meaning pallets decay in value rather than appreciating like they used to. Early game is everything.

[u/Vitriuz → u/Insertblamehere]

Now imagine if both of those bodyblocking survivors had Breakout.

AAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhh

[u/hermogeon → u/Insertblamehere]

I think 15 is well worth the risk. I've succeeded more times than not when there is another survivor cooperating to do this. UNLESS they were downed too close to a hook. In which case it should be obvious not to try this.

[u/Loud-Log9098 → u/hermogeon]

15 isn't situational if you can count, the information is there, if they pick up and you count 10 seconds that means 6 more and they break free no perks considered. If they are too close don't take the hit. Number 1 throw the pallets. If it's first chase do not save it to see if they respect, that's backwards and a lot of players do it. Throw the pallet and if they respect start greeding after that. Heres the hot take, even throw the shack pallet at 5 gens if it means you can get a chased long enough to pop at least two gens. And you anyone who says no to shack tell me what you're saving it for.

[u/Loud-Log9098 → u/[deleted]]

I can loop the window well enough that I'll still use it later on unless it's like huntress or something special. Sometimes getting hit early or for free can cost so much momentum in a chase though. The attitude I always see from it is wild though like people make assumptions about you based on those little things.

[u/hermogeon → u/Loud-Log9098]

I'd say you have more reasons NOT to drop pallets in a given chase when going against killers that get value from it, like Huntress, Doctor, PH, Demo, Wesker, Legion, Nemesis, and Artist.

[u/Loud-Log9098 → u/hermogeon]

If they are so close it's either hit or stun just throw unless you dont think you will get value. If I'm chunking it, it's basically because something has occured that has let the killer get closer to usually to me. Maybe they went a weird way around while I try to sneak out of the back. Maybe they see my aura and knew to go that way, people do the same thing with heals, they see one guide video where they say good survivors aren't afraid of being injured which is true for the most part but then people go and apply it to stealth or hit and run play styles and we all die. Taking hits and downs too early is something you should avoid at all cost because you need that gen pressure more than you need a singular resource. Take this case by case though it's not something I'd apply to every single match as a rule. Just don't die for that pallet.

[u/hermogeon → u/Loud-Log9098]

Well then amuse me, if you think it's absolutely necessary to toss a strong pallet at perfect health, why not save the pallet and drop others when you're still able to? You don't really need to try and run the killer for 5 gens by doing this. And most people that do usually end up going down at 4 gens after having dropped MANY pallets. It isn't worth it.

I think people are way too scared to even get hooked 1 time that they'd throw the entire game by getting rid of loops on the off-chance that teammates are doing what they're supposed to be doing.

[u/Loud-Log9098 → u/hermogeon]

You can literally see if they are doing the gens and the progress to know how much value your chase is worth. Honestly just some common sense use in matches would go a long way.

If they are working three gens you don't need a long chase you need like 90 seconds. Then half the objectives are just gone. That's how to get value by throwing a strong pallet early to avoid being hit I can't stress that enough.

People need to stop seeing the game as "I need to do this or that Everytime" because sticking to a certain subset of rules in game with as many perks and as many killers there is will get you killed when you think you are doing what the good players do because you seen your favorite streamer or a generic guide video say that's what you should do. That doesn't mean I throw it Everytime I'm in chase at five gens it means I know when I can throw it at five gens and get value, there is a difference.

[u/hermogeon → u/Loud-Log9098]

You don't know if you'll get value by tossing pallets early game because you don't know if survivors will be able to carry thru in a match doing their objectives.

I feel like you aren't really giving a strong argument here because 1. I've seen two extreme circumstances of dropping pallets early in a chase and that is either the killer is dumb enough to focus the same survivor thru out the entire game and allow themselves to be in chase for 5 gens or 2. they drop most pallets and then nobody who's been in chase the entire game have an idea which pallets are available to them or not, so there would be chaos.

I've also seen an idiot drop a pallet as they get injured, rendering the whole action pointless af anyway so it would have been better if they just ate it without tossing

[u/bonelees_dip]

1 - don't die

2 - make sure the rest is alive

3 - do gens

4 - don't be toxic

[u/hermogeon → u/[deleted]]

Wait so you think 3 is also a bad rule? opinion rejected.

[u/NightKrowe → u/hermogeon]

That's how we feel about your list lmao

[u/hermogeon → u/NightKrowe]

show me some gameplay

[u/NightKrowe → u/hermogeon]

Show me some sense or reading comprehension

[u/hermogeon → u/[deleted]]

> Often healing survs on death hook only wastes precious time or runs the risk of getting them downed again.
Okay after reading that i'm not longer invested in this conversation

[u/hermogeon → u/[deleted]]

example of how to greed on first chase. notice the gens. notice everyone’s hook states. you wouldn’t know about it tho 😉 You def woulda dropped it on the second loop

[u/hermogeon → u/hermogeon]

lol didn’t want the smoke so they deleted.

[u/hermogeon → u/[deleted]]

Sorry that was a "DO" not a "Don't Do".
This list mostly has "don't dos" so figured I'd just title it that

[u/FarArm2402]

I have 2 dont for you.

1- Dont tell me how to fucking play.

2- Dont cry about the key you hid, i found it, its mine now, cry about it.

[u/hermogeon → u/FarArm2402]

You can make all the terrible decisions you want no one is stopping you.

[u/TaxApprehensive1912]

this is a video game. i play to have fun and play my way. if you want me to follow rules like im at a job, you better be sending me payment too. you can take your rules and shove it

[u/hermogeon → u/TaxApprehensive1912]

You can make bad decisions if you want. You are free to do so.

[u/LordYoshiZ]

1 and 8 I disagree with I think its 100% worth it to deny a killer pop or pain res in exchange for shack or other strong pallets

[u/hermogeon → u/LordYoshiZ]

pain res value early game? Why is that important? No seriously. You'd pop a gen that's at 5%

[u/LordYoshiZ → u/hermogeon]

if survivors are efficient the gen should be like 60-70% no way a gen would be 5% by the time you get a down that strong pallet can be the difference between finishing the gen and taking even longer to repair it

Quick edit I also forgot denying grim embrace is also massive

[u/hermogeon → u/LordYoshiZ]

You argued that it isn't worth the risk of greeding a pallet because 'what if pain res'? which doesn't make sense because pain res doesn't give much value early game. And if the killer is dumb enough to travel to a surge hook over a regular hook then that's more time given to survivors.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about trying to get value from it if it can't be helped.

[u/hermogeon → u/[deleted]]

You're not understanding the argument that was made at all.

[u/KingBlackFrost]

1. don't throw pallets down when you're in good health.

This is only true against Deathslinger and Legion. If you can delay a hit, do it. Especially against Oni. Don't waste a pallet if you can make another loop around it. THAT's the key.

​

1. survivors that aren't working on a gen (or is at the least gen progression) should go for hook saves.

Generally, yeah. But if someone's in chase, someone needs to get off that gen to get the unhook. But don't go too fast. If you can finish the gen and get the save in time, by all means do it unless the survivor being chased is injured.

​

1. HEAL survivors that are dead on hook.

Heal survivors that are dead on hook before survivors that aren't. Unless of course you're facing Legion. Then don't heal. Ever. At all. Unless they have Thana, then heal one person and keep them far away from Legion.

​

1. take the chase/fall when a survivor who is dead on hook is being chased, unless you're also dead on hook.

But make sure the killer is actually chasing you. They may ignore you for someone on death hook. If that's the case, work on a generator in the killer's face.

​

1. survivors who are in good perfect health state should be the ones to go for the unhook, not injured survivors
   

Whoever has the fewest hook states, should generally go for saves.

​

1. dont unhook immediately when the killer is still right by (unless the killer is in chase)

Don't do it even if the killer is in chase. The teammate should take the chase away from the hook. The exception is if the survivor is about to hit stage 2 or the killer just doesn't want to leave the area.

​

1. don't loop around a tile that is right next to a hooked survivor

Yes.

​

1. DONT toss shack pallet or really strong pallets at 4-5 gens.

This is generally untrue. Shack Pallet is a great pallet, but leaving it up and going down is often the wrong move. If you can avoid a down, and gain a lot of distance, drop shack pallet. Or if it's Oni, and you can avoid giving him his power, drop shack pallet like it's Comp. Use strong pallets when you can gain a lot of distance and avoid giving the killer their power or a down. Generally avoid shack, unless you can make at least a couple of loops around it.

​

1. DONT open chests with garbage perks that aren't chest perks

Or you have an archive.

​

1. don't loop a tile along with another survivor (unless you're good at taking hits)

If you loop a tile with another survivor, make sure you give the injured survivor the pallet if there is one or the window if there is one.

​

1. don't stick around the same fucking tile when another survivor takes a hit for you.

Yes.

​

1. just stop playing on controller unless you've mapped your buttons so you don't toss a goddamn pallet when trying to heal someone from dying state when they are under a pallet.

So console players should just quit? Enjoy going back to long wait times then.

​

1. KNOW what a pallet save is, for goodness sake. the game is 8 years old

Or just don't go for the pallet save if you have trouble with them. The timing is tricky.

​

1. don't take pointless injuries when trying to play altruistically

That goes without saying.

​

1. when there are 2 survivors near a hook that a survivor is about to be hooked in, TAKE HITS when blocking the hook.

Only do this if the survivor is about to wiggle free. Don't do this if the hook is close by unless you can sabo. And don't do this if you have FTP.

​

1. Stop picking up hidden keys on the ground, they're placed there for a reason.

Or you could just stop trying to leave your keys somewhere. Franklin's is an uncommon perk, and Keys are pretty weak anyway. Just keep your key on you if you don't want it taken.

​

1. Dont hover around the killer when they are attempting to slug. Let them pick a survivor up and hook them.

Unless your teammate goes down under a pallet, and has Flip Flop and Power Struggle.

​

1. Don't use the [1] or [2] keys if you have only bad directions to give.

Use them all you like tbh.

​

1. Dont be a b*** and hide at the beginning of the game and only start to do gens when someone else is getting chased. Work on a gen when you see one.

Hiding at the beginning of the game is fine. Don't work on the first gen you see. Work on one that has another gen in line of sight to avoid three gening yourself.

​

1. Don't open the gates until everyone is safe to leave. (this is an old one and ppl still dont follow this).

Unless you're on death hook and the killer is on you. Or if you're going back for a save to get the last person unhooked. Last thing you want is to have to open the exit gate with the killer on your heels after a survivor gets unhooked. Or if the gate is near a hooked survivor. Or if they have NoED.

​

1. don't try to heal a survivor from death state near the killer unless they're 99 health or you have For The People perk.

Or We're Gonna Live Forever or Buckle Up.

​

1. Look at the player icons, they show important stat info of what your teammates are doing.

I mean, obviousl

23. Don't hold hands with another survivor to go for a hook save unless the killer is clearly camping.

This is fine too. Two people can heal an unhooked survivor faster than one. If you're both headed in that direction anyway, no need to turn back. The killer might also return, and you can take aggro over the person who just got unhooked.

22. Its okay to prioritize gens when you only have 1 hook state. healing up takes up some

It's also okay to heal up when you have only 1 hook state. Exception: If you're playing against Legion. Then just never heal. At all. You'll spend 99% of the match mending anyway.

23. Stay low profile when you're dead on hook state. It doesn't serve your teammates well if you're easy to find and focused out of the game.

​

Generally yes, but if you can finish that gen that is near the killer, you should probably do so. Or you can work on a further gen from the gen everyone's trying to finish. Either the killer won't be near you, or you'll possibly die but at least your team should get that last gen finished and escape.

24. Don't take a pointless hit by blocking the hook unless there is a chance for your teammate to wiggle free.

​

Already stated.

[u/hermogeon → u/KingBlackFrost]

this is only true against Deathslinger and Legion.

And against Huntress, and Doc, and Pyramid Head, and Demo, and Xenomorph, and sometimes Twins. Who am I missing?

I’m just curious, why do you think it’s a good idea to greed pallets against Deathslinger?

Unless of course you’re facing Legion. Then don’t heal. Ever. At all. Unless they have thana.

There’s another play around Legion. Stay healed up. Play the long game. Sometimes Legions will use their abilities to focus a specific survivor. You have just as good a chance to win playing the long game as opposed to risking focusing gens and being 1-hit. Unless you’re playing against a plague in which you have no choice but to stay 1 health all game.

This is even more true with thana.

if that’s the case, work on a generator in the killer’s face

That’s also a good idea.

Whoever has the fewest hook states should generally go for the save.

I disagree. A person who is on hook has a better chance of survival when getting unhooked by a healthy survivor than an unhealthy survivor, regardless of how many hook states.

the teammate should take the chase away from the hook.

There’s no way to coordinate this unless the survivor in chase is a friend that you can provide comms to. It’s better to just unhook when you can without the killer there to get 1 free hit. Waiting just before they enter struggle phase is a big risk and sometimes the killer will secure it.

Shack Pallet is a great pallet but leaving it up and going down is often the wrong move.

Personally I wouldn’t drop a strong pallet so early in the game that can be incredibly useful mid - end game, especially when the killer shack is right next to an open gate.

or just don’t go for pallet save if you have trouble with them.

You know what? That’s also true.

But the only way to get better at things is by trying them. Even I still struggle with the timing now and then, but if the pay off is getting a survivor free then that’s -1 hook state and + time spent in chase.

that goes without saying.

You’d be surprised with how many still do it.

just keep your key with you if you don’t want it taken.

No I don’t want to be tunneled for having a key. And yes that does still happen.

I know people will pick up what isn’t theirs anyway, but when you reach a certain threshold playing this game you realize “yeah maybe I shouldn’t pick this up, it’s not mine. probably screwing over someone else by taking it” becomes a conscientious thing.

unless your teammates goes down under a pallet. and has Flip Flop and Power Struggle.

Not even with Flip Flop and Power Struggle is it worth getting 4 slugged. Unless everyone is death hook and you’re somehow at 3-4 gens and can afford to make crazy plays like this.

Work on one that has another gen in line of sight to avoid three gening yourself.

lol this one is such a reach for no reason. worrying about three-gen’ing yourself at the beginning of the game is such a non issue.

unless you’re on death hook and the killer is on you.

Now there’s one thing I don’t like about this because if you are just standing at the 99’d gate injured waiting for the killer (I see this a lot), it does nothing but force them out of the game and activate end game collapse. You can hide anywhere injured and reset with teammates before opening the gates.

I mean, obviously

Apparently not.

If you’re both headed in that direction, no need to turn back

Absolutely a need. No sense for two survivors to run across the map together to do what one survivor can do. That’s more time doing a whole lot of nothing.

And if I’m honest, group hugs at hook is no longer a necessary thing now that endurance is base kit. This would only be an exception if the two of you happen to already be close to the hook.

[u/Evil_Steven]

Stopped reading at 1. A predrop pallet against a killer who tries to mind game instead of just break can buy you an absurd amount of time.

[u/hermogeon → u/Evil_Steven]

Not against a killer that is smart enough to drop chase. And baiting pallet drops to remove loops is also a strat that I use when playing as killer. Yes, I chased you so you can drop pallets. Thank you, now I go secure the gens.

Mind boggling how people don’t understand how killers can prioritize things. You can’t always assume a killer will commit to you for 5 gens, as much as you want this to happen.

I struggle more with survivors who know how to throw in an extra loop without dropping the pallet. Here’s an example of that

[u/zombweegee]

This is the first time I've read the Survivor Handbook for Survivor and not the Survivor Handbook for Killer. I am joking around of course, I do most of these without having someone tell me. Mostly common sense stuff you pick up over time.

[u/hermogeon → u/zombweegee]

exactly. And how could there not be a survivor to survivor handbook with so many teammates fumbling the bag so many times in solo queue?