How would YOU fix the Hillbilly?
In theory, the Hillbilly has everything a killer could ask for. Map mobility and a power with a high skill ceiling, that allows him to end chases quickly and can be used in creative ways. The issues lie in his inability to play around certain loop shapes (mostly squares and circles) with his power, many random objects blocking his way on most maps making it much harder to traverse them, windows and vaults, hitboxes and his addons.
I have thought about some ways to make him a bit nicer to play and also to compensate for some of his weaknesses:
1) The Hillbilly is very map and addon dependent. On some maps all you need is the turning addons to have a much better time. On other maps you absolutely have to have engravings or you will never be able hit a survivor by curving around an object. That is mostly due the loop's geometry allowing the survivor to turn around the next corner quicker than you can catch up or the loop being so long that the survivor can always step to the side without needing to mind game / guess how the Hillbilly will curve.
I suggest allowing the Hillbilly to switch between 2 chainsaw modes:
- The turning mode, that makes him move at a lower speed (210% instead of 230%) with an increased turning rate of 40°/s (currently 32°/s) during his Chainsaw Sprint. In this mode the overheat progresses 20% slower during an active Chainsaw Sprint.
- The speed mode, that makes him move at an increased speed (240% instead of 230%). However the chainsaw charge time is increased to 2.7 seconds (instead of 2.5 seconds). ~ Basically a weaker version of the Death Engravings. Unlike the Death Engravings, the speed mode does not alter the overheat rate.
Changing between turning and speed mode happens by pressing the active ability button and will take 3 seconds. During these 3 seconds the Hillbilly moves at a decreased speed of 85%. The charging sounds for each mode will be different (higher pitched sound for speed, lower pitched sound for turning), allowing the survivor to adept their play style.
2) The Hillbilly's Cool-downs (bumping, hitting a survivor, stopping the chainsaw) are reduced by 15% to 2.55 seconds (currently 3 seconds). For his addons the 2.55 seconds will serve as the reference point of 100%.
3) To help him deal with hitboxes a bit better, the Hillbilly will no longer bump for the duration of the enhanced turning rate (0.75 seconds).
4) Addon changes:
Brown addons:
- Steel Toe Boots: Reduced cooldown changed to 10% (currently 12%) to compensate for 2).
Yellow Addons:
- Dad's Boots: Changed to Dented Metal Plate. "An old plate of metal, that has seen better days." Increases your Field of View by 15%. Field of View gains do not stack. ~ Tier 3 Shadowborn. You know why.
- Death Engravings: Nerf: Increases the Movement Speed during a Chainsaw Sprint in speed mode by 10% (currently 15%) to compensate for the added base speed. Buff: Increases the Charge time of the Chainsaw in speed mode by 5% (currently 12%). Other effect stays the same.
- Off-Brand Motor Oil: Added effect. Decreases the time necessary to switch between speed and turning mode ( and vice-versa) by 0.2 seconds.
- Big Buckle: Added effect: Press the active ability button twice to overload the Chainsaw causing a non-directional map wide noise and immediately gain 40% overheat. This effect has a Cool-down of 15 seconds. Buff: Reduces the Terror Radius by -12 metres (currently -8 metres).
Green Addons:
- Low Kickback Chains: Nerf: Decreases the Cool-down time after hitting an obstacle during a Chainsaw Sprint by 20% (currently 28%) to compensate.
- Leafy Mash: Added Effect: The Chainsaw is now smeared with Leafy Mash covering up the Chainsaw's glow and slightly reducing the smoke eminated from it. Buff: Gain the Undectable Status Effect for 20 seconds (currently 15 seconds) after hitting a Survivor with the Chainsaw.
- Doom Engravings: Nerf: Increases the Movement Speed of the Chainsaw Sprint in speed mode by 15% (currently 20%) to compensate for the added base speed. Buff: Increases the Charge time of the Chainsaw by 5% (currently 12%). Other effect stays the same.
- Black Grease: Changed to Dad's Wrench. "A trusty wrench to get the job done, often used by Max Thompson Senior." Decreases the time necessary to switch between speed and turning mode (and vice-versa) by 20% (0.6 seconds).
Purple Addons:
- Spiked Boots: Nerf: Increases the Turn speed during the Chainsaw Sprint by 30% (was 44%). This effect is halfed while in speed mode. Buff: Increases the Cool-down time after hitting an obstacle during a Chainsaw Sprint by 20% (currently 28%) Added Effect: Reduces the Cool-down time after ending a Chainsaw Sprint in turning mode manually by 30% (0.765 seconds).
- Iridescent Brick: Added Effect: Silences the Chainsaw for all Survivors outside of the Terror Radius.
- Apex Muffler: Rework: After hitting a Survivor with the Chainsaw gain 100% overheat for 5 seconds. ~ 5 seconds of full overheat, then back to 0 overheat.
All addons not mentioned above stay the same.
What do you think of these suggestions? My goal was to make the Hillbilly a little bit stronger (and versatile) and a lot less frustrating to play as while still allowing for sufficient counterplay from the survivor's side. The reason I did not suggest to remove the overheat mechanic is because it was implemented for the purpose of making it impossible to deny unhooks by revving the chainsaw indefinitely, limiting the Hillbilly's camping ability.