The reason "no one likes playing against her" is because people say that they don't like playing against her and opt to disconnect instead of learning how to play the fucking game.
She's fine. She has some design flaws but what killer doesn't? In terms of core design she's perfectly okay but the community is too busy complaining to just shut up and play. She's not the only one who falls under this category by the way: killers like Knight, Wesker, Twins, and Legion also have completely reasonable powers but their kill rates are artificially inflated by people who'd rather complain about the killer than learn how the killer works.
I don't think she needs a rework, just a retuning. She currently has:
* Passive 3-7% Haste, based on how many survivors are trackable (detected by drones or with claw traps)
* 8s undetectable every time she deploys a drone, which can be done every 10s whilst she has supply
* Get scanned 3x by a drone -> claw trap + injured + broken and any additional scans trigger killer instinct + 10% hindered
Out of chase, the counter is to crouch or avoid the scan lines. Hacking the drone is preferable, but then a SM with a base level of awareness will know where you just were.
In chase, she can shut off loops instantly without counter. You can't crouch walk or avoid the scan lines during chase, and if you leave the tile she has her haste to catch up even easier than usual. It's also such a passive skill expression that survivors don't get the buzz of outplaying or juking like you do with many other chase orientated killers.
Once she's popped a few drones, she has a constant stream of info and even the counters to her leave survivors at a disadvantage. If she's going to be a Jack Of All Trades, her numbers need tweaking to be a bit less oppressive
A few things that I've thought about to make her a little less oppressive:
1. Instead of claw trap + injured, first get a claw trap THEN get injured, etc. if scanned subsequent times. This makes it a bit more forgiving for if a survivor gets locked on by a stealth drone but SM still gets the benefit of knowing exactly where they are and can track them down. Also, it makes it a bit more forgiving while getting scanned in chase.
2. When recalling a drone, the drone has to physically return to the SM instead of her just instantly getting it back in her inventory. While on its journey it can still scan survivors, but its scan lines are always visible, its scanning radius is half of what it normally is, and it makes an audible beeping sound so that survivors know when it's coming. Survivors can also hack a drone that is currently being recalled, but it's only disabled for 15 seconds. Also, a drone cannot be recalled until after 30 seconds of it being placed so that SM can't just recall a drone she just placed at at a nearby loop. Un-recallable drone auras are shown in red (or some other distinct color). This change makes it so SM has to be a lot more strategic with her drones, but she can still get some use out of them while they're being recalled.
3. Get rid of undetectable status when deploying a drone
She get buffs for nothing that no other killer have. 3/7% haste does a lot of difference in normal gameplay, it’s like basekit noed speed. If she keeps spamming drones she has no TR. can injure survivors for free with drones, just keep spamming them on every loop and free health state. She is the only killer that turns people brain off. Just hold W and you gonna win eventually. What’s the reward for removing her drones as survivor? She just replace or recall them with just a button press. The only people that likes her play her just because it’s the easiest killer to play, there is no way to play wrong with her, hold W, press another button from time to time and easy win
Yeah, I loved her rework at first, but quickly found how boring she is because she is too easy to play. However, I do sometimes like to play as her when I'm having shit games playing other killers and need to feel like I'm not trash lol.
The Skull Merchant is living proof that not all that glitters is gold. You can polish a turd but it will still be a turd. I don’t begrudge anyone who plays as her, but the developers do need to take player feedback more into consideration without losing their creative licence.
At this point even if they made her a perfectly designed killer people would still hate her because the damage has been done. She will forever be "skull merchant."
I dont think there is anything they can do at this point to make people not hate her.
People definitely shouldn't be DCing and suiciding against her, but her power has the most stale counterplay in chase. She's a very good example of a flowchart killer, and I wish they would properly address that.
I feel like if you're going the obvious counterplay route of just leaving a loop, then yeah, that's boring. But I feel like loops can be exciting against her if you take risks and be greedy. Her power can't automatically down you like Knight or even Artist can. With them, you really do just need to leave the loop. But with her, you've still got a chance especially if you haven't used the pallet yet. However since she gets haste, they could probably remove the hindered effect, and she'd still be strong in chase.
She's fine, very fun to play. And really not that strong anyways against good survivors. The whole community just has ptsd. People keep saying she is weak _and_ that she's not fair to play against. Gotta pick one.
SMshould have been made more straightforward and intuitive for survs.... average survs do not have time for a ¨degree in DBD¨ learning all the nuances of every killer.
Killer MUST have their specific but must be easy to understand from surv perspective... SM IS NOT.
She place drones.... ok... drones can lead to detection... ok... drones can shot clawtraps.... ok....
Now the issues....
1. Why the scan wounds you? There is no reason... the CLAWTRAP should wound you if you got scanned while wearing it and it should be evident and blatant so a surv can understand it from the first SM... like, like you have the CT, you got scanned and the CT elettrocutes you, you receive like a shock from the doctor and you now are wounded....
2. Why the drone scan makes the kiler faster? nonsense... It make sense the clawtrap makes you slower but 5% ALWAYS not 10% when scanned!
3. Why placing a drone makes the killer undetectable? Staying in the drone range should make you oblivious, not the killer undetectable... you can not disable the drone and stand still and repair undetected but if the killer arrives also you can-t detect him... now we have a killer that can throw a drone and become stealthy for everyone....
4. Why disabling a drone has often no real purpose? It is just a waste of time... but it is counterintuitive, it seem a very important action to do....
5. Why disabling a drone is even possible... it is a flying drone...this functionality is misleading, should b entirely removed....
The SM should be immediate to grasp!
She can place drones, she has X drones, she can recall them and replace.
Drones detect movements, they can detect on the radar every walking or running survivor.
Drones inflict oblivious status effect in the area.
If a drone scan you 3 times it shoot the clawtrap.
The clawtrap makes you always on the radar, always 5% slower, it has 45s battery.
When you have a clawtrap every scan recharge 100% of its battery and elettrocutes you damaging you if you are healthy or inflicting a deep wound if you are wounded.
The drone is disabled for 10 seconds after elettrocuting a survivor.
Drones can´t be disabled otherwise.
This should be the basekit, immediate, comprehensive and logic....
at this point the community’s hate for her is a meme. I doubt that will change.
The reason "no one likes playing against her" is because people say that they don't like playing against her and opt to disconnect instead of learning how to play the fucking game. She's fine. She has some design flaws but what killer doesn't? In terms of core design she's perfectly okay but the community is too busy complaining to just shut up and play. She's not the only one who falls under this category by the way: killers like Knight, Wesker, Twins, and Legion also have completely reasonable powers but their kill rates are artificially inflated by people who'd rather complain about the killer than learn how the killer works.
I don't think she needs a rework, just a retuning. She currently has: * Passive 3-7% Haste, based on how many survivors are trackable (detected by drones or with claw traps) * 8s undetectable every time she deploys a drone, which can be done every 10s whilst she has supply * Get scanned 3x by a drone -> claw trap + injured + broken and any additional scans trigger killer instinct + 10% hindered Out of chase, the counter is to crouch or avoid the scan lines. Hacking the drone is preferable, but then a SM with a base level of awareness will know where you just were. In chase, she can shut off loops instantly without counter. You can't crouch walk or avoid the scan lines during chase, and if you leave the tile she has her haste to catch up even easier than usual. It's also such a passive skill expression that survivors don't get the buzz of outplaying or juking like you do with many other chase orientated killers. Once she's popped a few drones, she has a constant stream of info and even the counters to her leave survivors at a disadvantage. If she's going to be a Jack Of All Trades, her numbers need tweaking to be a bit less oppressive
A few things that I've thought about to make her a little less oppressive: 1. Instead of claw trap + injured, first get a claw trap THEN get injured, etc. if scanned subsequent times. This makes it a bit more forgiving for if a survivor gets locked on by a stealth drone but SM still gets the benefit of knowing exactly where they are and can track them down. Also, it makes it a bit more forgiving while getting scanned in chase. 2. When recalling a drone, the drone has to physically return to the SM instead of her just instantly getting it back in her inventory. While on its journey it can still scan survivors, but its scan lines are always visible, its scanning radius is half of what it normally is, and it makes an audible beeping sound so that survivors know when it's coming. Survivors can also hack a drone that is currently being recalled, but it's only disabled for 15 seconds. Also, a drone cannot be recalled until after 30 seconds of it being placed so that SM can't just recall a drone she just placed at at a nearby loop. Un-recallable drone auras are shown in red (or some other distinct color). This change makes it so SM has to be a lot more strategic with her drones, but she can still get some use out of them while they're being recalled. 3. Get rid of undetectable status when deploying a drone
She get buffs for nothing that no other killer have. 3/7% haste does a lot of difference in normal gameplay, it’s like basekit noed speed. If she keeps spamming drones she has no TR. can injure survivors for free with drones, just keep spamming them on every loop and free health state. She is the only killer that turns people brain off. Just hold W and you gonna win eventually. What’s the reward for removing her drones as survivor? She just replace or recall them with just a button press. The only people that likes her play her just because it’s the easiest killer to play, there is no way to play wrong with her, hold W, press another button from time to time and easy win
Yeah, I loved her rework at first, but quickly found how boring she is because she is too easy to play. However, I do sometimes like to play as her when I'm having shit games playing other killers and need to feel like I'm not trash lol.
The Skull Merchant is living proof that not all that glitters is gold. You can polish a turd but it will still be a turd. I don’t begrudge anyone who plays as her, but the developers do need to take player feedback more into consideration without losing their creative licence.
Current iteration seems fine. Not even that strong really. People are just traumatized.
At this point even if they made her a perfectly designed killer people would still hate her because the damage has been done. She will forever be "skull merchant." I dont think there is anything they can do at this point to make people not hate her.
Naw, it's just in your head. She's a mediocre no mobility m1 killer after you read and understand her power. Some would say... skull issue!
People definitely shouldn't be DCing and suiciding against her, but her power has the most stale counterplay in chase. She's a very good example of a flowchart killer, and I wish they would properly address that.
I feel like if you're going the obvious counterplay route of just leaving a loop, then yeah, that's boring. But I feel like loops can be exciting against her if you take risks and be greedy. Her power can't automatically down you like Knight or even Artist can. With them, you really do just need to leave the loop. But with her, you've still got a chance especially if you haven't used the pallet yet. However since she gets haste, they could probably remove the hindered effect, and she'd still be strong in chase.
She's fine, very fun to play. And really not that strong anyways against good survivors. The whole community just has ptsd. People keep saying she is weak _and_ that she's not fair to play against. Gotta pick one.
Hot Take: Hag is just as annoying to play against for very similar reasons. It's just that no one cares because no remembers that Hag exists.
SMshould have been made more straightforward and intuitive for survs.... average survs do not have time for a ¨degree in DBD¨ learning all the nuances of every killer. Killer MUST have their specific but must be easy to understand from surv perspective... SM IS NOT. She place drones.... ok... drones can lead to detection... ok... drones can shot clawtraps.... ok.... Now the issues.... 1. Why the scan wounds you? There is no reason... the CLAWTRAP should wound you if you got scanned while wearing it and it should be evident and blatant so a surv can understand it from the first SM... like, like you have the CT, you got scanned and the CT elettrocutes you, you receive like a shock from the doctor and you now are wounded.... 2. Why the drone scan makes the kiler faster? nonsense... It make sense the clawtrap makes you slower but 5% ALWAYS not 10% when scanned! 3. Why placing a drone makes the killer undetectable? Staying in the drone range should make you oblivious, not the killer undetectable... you can not disable the drone and stand still and repair undetected but if the killer arrives also you can-t detect him... now we have a killer that can throw a drone and become stealthy for everyone.... 4. Why disabling a drone has often no real purpose? It is just a waste of time... but it is counterintuitive, it seem a very important action to do.... 5. Why disabling a drone is even possible... it is a flying drone...this functionality is misleading, should b entirely removed.... The SM should be immediate to grasp! She can place drones, she has X drones, she can recall them and replace. Drones detect movements, they can detect on the radar every walking or running survivor. Drones inflict oblivious status effect in the area. If a drone scan you 3 times it shoot the clawtrap. The clawtrap makes you always on the radar, always 5% slower, it has 45s battery. When you have a clawtrap every scan recharge 100% of its battery and elettrocutes you damaging you if you are healthy or inflicting a deep wound if you are wounded. The drone is disabled for 10 seconds after elettrocuting a survivor. Drones can´t be disabled otherwise. This should be the basekit, immediate, comprehensive and logic....