http://dbd.game/killswitch
[Bug + Feedback] Why Houndmaster's 4 second cooldown is a band-aid fix
When any other Survivor is unhooked, Houndsense abruptly ends early for all Survivors. I've experienced this many times playing as Houndmaster so I wanted to document it. She's been my most played killer recently and I have 2.5k hours split between killer and survivor. The bug usually happens once or twice a match.
Houndmaster is so deserving of a tune up. She is so unique and thematic and skill expressive but the bugs hold her back. Residual gen targeting inconsistency, Snug teleporting and canceling a chase command, and Snug getting stuck on a search path and unable to use for several seconds are her three main issues you constantly feel in every game.
Gen targeting inconsistency example: Spend 10 seconds trying to target a gen after getting a hook, lose the targeting at the last second, arrive slower than if you'd just walked.
Snug teleporting and canceling a chase command example: Line up a shot at a pallet loop, but Snug's anti-stuck teleport cancels your command and you lose the hit and the pressure.
Snug getting stuck on a search path example: Send Snug to search a gen after getting a hook. He spends 5 seconds stuck on a rock after you already arrived, forcing you to play M1 killer at pallets where you otherwise would've gotten the catch as the Survivor was running to it. That being said, pathfinding is really complex and this is the hardest fix.
A fix for the gen targeting issue could be allowing the Houndmaster to press the secondary ability button (Ctrl, L1, LB) while aiming to toggle between 'Objective Targeting' and 'Location Targeting' modes, giving you control over what you're actually trying to hit.
Additionally, making location-targeted searches travel slower but reach 64m instead of 32m(?) would give actual utility to searching areas beyond your sight line, while the slower speed would provide better control over placement.
If possible to implement, showing the Search Path's aura while aiming (perhaps only while stationary to avoid constant updates) would let you preview Snug's routing before committing.
So, the ridiculously short cooldown is a band-aid fix that makes her very strong despite the bugs and it makes her oppressive and widely hated to play against and inconsistent and unsatisfying to play. Her ability feels like spam until it works which makes good shots feel pointless. The power that misfires 30% of the time was balanced by letting you shoot it every 4 seconds instead of by fixing it. There's so much potential in her that I know can be realized. Us few Houndmaster mains would be elated and Survivors would appreciate it too!
Houndsense also has a really meaningless effect since you already know where the Survivor is and it only gives you meaningless info like making downed Survivors louder..? But you just detected them? And the Deep Wound doesn't matter unless they have Dead Hard or you drop them. Giving it a more thematic and interactive effect would be awesome!
Houndsense could cause survivors to leave a scent trail that is visible to both them and the Houndmaster which lasts for only a few seconds BUT only decays as the survivor moves instead of with time like scratch marks. The visuals could be the same as the search path. It lets survivors understand why they are being found and has clear counterplay while not being oppressive AND its a thematic effect on top - the dog sniffed you out. It makes using the search way more interesting and unique too. In return for making the power consistent and giving Search a unique function, her cooldown could be increased to 6-8 seconds to make each use of the power, success or miss, feel more meaningful for both sides.
Also her original PTB terror radius layers 2 + 3 should be brought back! Some may be confused about her many music changes given how they're so rare to hear. Every layer was changed for her live release, made less dramatic to presumably try and be more scary. But Houndmaster is a gothic and dramatic killer! She isn't like the Singularity, who deserves his crazy music. Then in Tokyo Ghoul PTB, her music was changed back to the PTB version. Then the PTB chase music came back to live but the terror radius didn't come to live and this is now the current version. Many probably don't know that the PTB terror radius layers were all more detailed and in being changed to be more "scary", lost a lot of sound depth and progression. Take a close listen!
PTB & Live:
Layer 1: Made much quieter and uses synth. Genuinely hard to hear in game, makes her feel unthreatening. PTB version sounds much more dramatic.
Layer 2: Threatening brass "barks" from Layer 3 were added. Reduces the impact. Bass sounds more flat.
Layer 3: Etherial ghostly sound removed. Makes it sound a lot more flat. Wub-wub bass is gone, removing the sense of imminent danger.
The changes to her Terror Radius make her feel more like an angry woman with a dog, not the dramatic fallen aristocrat under the influence of the Entity.