It came upon me after watching a Back 4 Blood video, talking about how the devs from Back 4 Blood killed speed running. Jailing, in STW, is the equivalent to speed-running in B4B. It is seen by the developers as an unintended way to play the game, or at least it hurts the flow of the game.

The Intention

Outside their core concept, both games have some things in common: Co-op, zombies, guns and melee, customizable perks, and projecting objectives to progress. The closest links are their goal to be Co-op games, while providing us with a perk system that can be tuned to fit many play-styles, like a swift ninja, heavy gunner or durable tank. The finale intention is that you come together in a group of 4 and play the game.

The Problem

The freely customizable perk systems undermines the idea of the developers: A co-op game, where you fight as a team. Here come the players, like B4B speed-runners and STW jailers, that take these systems to the extreme to create play-styles that were never intended by the developers. Focused loadouts so viable that they work as standalone or carries, like Stoneheart Farrah or Fragment Flurry Jess. The only difference between B4B and STW is how the competitive nature of speed-running doesn't intend to interfere with public matches, while jailing can interfere with public matches.

My View

Dear u/Magyst and u/Chryztos, I really hope you read this, because let me tell you this: In my opinion the latest patch has changed nothing in the balance between jailing and playing normally. I have months of experience jailing with the ultimate trio: Kyle, Knox and Ice King. They are still as reliable as before, with the only difference being, that I place down some anti-airs, and actively take out any smashers, flingers and lobbers. This all can still be done by one person while the rest can AFK. All jailing did was ruin traps for the rest of the player base, the same happened in B4B.

The Solution

Jailing shouldn't be shunned by the developers, but neither be seen as a standalone. One player shouldn't be able to control the entire situation of as co-op match by themselves, at least not without any effort. Farrah and trapping would achieve the same goal, but through actively playing. The developers should stop attempting to suppress jailing in general by breaking the entire balance of the game, and rather embrace it as a group effort.

STW is a co-op game, so why shouldn't jailing be co-op as well?

You can't change those people who want to solo a co-op game, but I call upon you, damned Epic Games, forgotten developers and the lone survivors u/Magyst and u/Chryztos to consider the idea of jailing to be a valid group strategy and not a burden that can be inflicted upon others by a single person. Stop juggling with the balance of the entire game for everyone, just to stop jailing, instead focus on moving jailing from a standalone strategy to a group effort.

Cheers!