Roboto's basic guide for not being a Bot (with Trapper)
Before I start, if you disagree with anything I say, tell me right away! I'd like to clear it up or make an edit if I'm wrong.
The Trapper is DbD's poster child. He's the first killer that gets shoved in your face and the current tome revolves around him. For the first however many years, he was the killer in the startup screen (I'm sure they're going to showcase new killer/survivor from now on). And with all this, he is marked as easy to play in-game. People just don't think much of his viability. The post that got me thinking of this (again) was:
I was reading through the replies and saw a common 'he is only good against new players' or 'he would be good if he didn't sacrafice 3 gens to make a trap zone'. Now, while both of these things are true, they're missing the point completely.
I just think people don't know how to play him. Still.
Before I bought DbD I got into it with YouTube (Fun fact: DbD is pretty damn high for Twitch and YT watchtime). By chance Otz started to be my favorite. There really are simple things people miss all the time. Here they are, all in one place:
1. Trap Placement
One must understand that just because you put a trap somewhere, a survivor won't always run into it the first chance they get. You've got to trap common transit spots and loops. If it's in grass, they'll see it not nearly as much. Don't be afraid to trap the side of loops. It's always unexpected and really messes with a survivor after the first time you get them. Learn good spots. This is the hardest part because it mostly comes with experience. But, again, Otz is a master at this. Check him out, it helped me a lot! Once you get the general idea you'll be able to come up with situational traps on the spot!
2. Some lesser-known tricks
You can completely deny pallets being dropped on your head when picking up a survivor. It's powerful as hell and you may even get another free down this way. If you down a survivor on an upright pallet assume another is near, ready to hurt your head and make all that effort you just made undone! If you trap one side of the pallet, then walk towards the other, when you pick the survivor up, you cannot be disrupted! When you do this, you are (soft) body-blocking one side and the trap is on the other. Sometimes when someone comes for the save you'll get a free hit or a free trap as they attempt to drop the pallet! Here's another tip; Trap exit gates early. If the game is not going your way, you can trap an exit gate switch before the last generator is popped. It's unexpected! You'll either trap the survivor or get needed information as it's disarmed when it's most useful, before the gate has any power. One last trick here, too. You can fake survivors out of a loop. If the pallet gets dropped you can fake setting a trap down. That is, starting the action and ending early. In most cases, the survivor will run away assuming you are spending enough time setting a trap for them to get to another loop. Of they are calling your bluff, switch it up between faking and setting the trap. Everyone's biggest weapon in this game is unpredictability. Or an OP killer/add-on setup.
3. Don't spend too much time setting up
If you spent the first few minutes not pressuring generators, you'll lose. Thirty seconds is all you need. If you can pick up traps while in a chase that is even better. It's a great use of your time. Get a few down quick and go to work! Remember to not put a trap down if a survivor has LoS with you. If they're on comms, it won't ever be used or disarmed before you know it.
4. Pick a spot to control
While the above point is very true, you will sacrifice a generator or two for the furture game at higher ranks. Zone out an area. Make sure it's not too large or too small. If it's too large, you'll not be able to use it fully. If it's too small, the survivors can just avoid the area and your just an M1 killer for the game. At any rate, too large is better because some traps will be useful rather than none.
5. Slow generator progress
Most killers don't have a tool to get extremely quick downs. As The Trapper, you do. You should reserve a perk slot or two for generator slow or regression. These points together mean the time where your setting traps is less negatively impacting your chances because it's a good investment and is not costing you too much too early.
I hope you get an appreciation for Trapper's viability with this, if nothing else. I personally don't mind that Trapper is not seen as great because less people play him so less know proper counterplay. I play against red ranks often and do just fine. I know you can too!
Learning how to play Trapper is a great and satisfying challenge to overcome!