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The answer to Freddy is Sadako and her next changes

GeneralV
GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

During the recent Reddit AMA, there was a particular question that got my attention:

Q: Hi, thanks to the dev team for making this Q&A possible!

When the first Sadako rework hit the live servers, a lot of Onryō mains were very vocally upset about the huge changes in how her powers work, requiring players to shift to fundamentally different playstyles, and also creating a more confusing experience for survivors. Is the upcoming Sadako rework aiming to make her more similar to the original version of the character, is it going to be just a couple of tweaks on her current iteration or will it be an attempt at "fusing" these two versions?

A: We have definitely heard the cries of anguish from Onryo fans. :D Our initial intention was to make condemned more relevant, but we've reassessed and yes, we are hoping to restore much of what players loved about the old kit while still enhancing it in some important ways. We sincerely hope her latest kit will resonate with killers and survivors alike. -Mike

And you see it, don't you?

we are hoping to restore much of what players loved about the old kit while still enhancing it in some important ways.

Whoever Mike is, he has the answer to Freddy. That is exactly, precisely what should happen. It is what I did with my own concept, and it is what I hope BHVR will do with him.

If restoring Sadako's old kit with improvements is possible, then why not do the same with Freddy?

There is a golden opportunity here, devs. Take it.

Please, take it.

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Comments

  • MechWarrior3
    MechWarrior3 Member Posts: 2,528

    Thank you for sharing this! I’m a sadako main and I missed this question answer.

    I also agree with you, I do believe Freddy deserves the same same treatment. He needs some love. I do know he’s on the radar to get enhanced! 💕

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    I'm glad to help, my friend.

    And thanks for the support! We all hope Freddy receives the same treatment.

    We need our killer back.

  • MechWarrior3
    MechWarrior3 Member Posts: 2,528

    I’ve never met a Freddie main before, but I really would like to!

    I quite enjoy Freddie, I’m just not very good at him! Really understand his dreamworld power.

    I know Freddy will get some love! I’m looking forward to it for all the Freddie Mains out there!

    I think I’m gonna practice him some more :-)

    He seems to be a very unique character!

  • MechWarrior3
    MechWarrior3 Member Posts: 2,528

    Please devs give Freddy some love! I’m a sadako main, but I would love to see the very few Freddy mains out their feeling powerful and threatening 💕

  • radiantHero23
    radiantHero23 Member Posts: 4,238

    I loved reading this.

    We where many dedicated players that genuinely wanted the best for Sadako. We all got hurt so bad.

    Mike, if you can read this. My sincere gratitude for going into the right direction.

    #bringbackSadako


    If it workes for us, it can work for you as well @GeneralV.

    Freddy might not be a lost cause.

  • MechWarrior3
    MechWarrior3 Member Posts: 2,528

    I love your ideas!

  • radiantHero23
    radiantHero23 Member Posts: 4,238

    I'd love to see any form of skillful power. Is that maybe possible? I thought of maybe he could extend and swing his noodle arms at survivors.

  • radiantHero23
    radiantHero23 Member Posts: 4,238

    Hi, fellow Sadako friend. Are you also looking forward to her homecoming?

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Thank you, my friend.

    As I've said before, it is dangerous to have hope, but if they have the right idea for Sadako then maybe, just maybe, there might be a chance for Freddy.

    I haven't seen my favorite killer in the game since July of 2019. Please let this be the end of this situation.

    I really want my favorite character back.

    Thank you so much, I am happy you liked it <3

  • radiantHero23
    radiantHero23 Member Posts: 4,238

    Keep them coming good sir. I'll support you all the way o7

  • NomiNomad
    NomiNomad Member Posts: 3,181

    I remember, when the Freddy rework very first came out, I actually liked it more than old Freddy - but I was a different player back then.

    Old Freddy was incredibly unique and he fit the NOES franchise perfectly. current Freddy is one of my top 5 least favorite killers in the game. Not because I find him too strong or anything, but because he's so damn boring.

    I also happen to know we disagree on this, but I dream of a day where we see Robert Englund Freddy in the game, voicelines and all.

  • MechWarrior3
    MechWarrior3 Member Posts: 2,528

    Hello! Indeed I am. I’m P100. Very excited 💕 I listed many of my ideas on the rework page. I’m so very excited!

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Hello, Nomi! It is good to see you, old friend. It has been a while.

    I remember the day that rework dropped. That was easily my worst day of playing DBD. My love for Old Freddy will never change.

    And yes, current Freddy doesn't have anything going for him. I still play him because I like the character, but he feels awful. It seems the developers are aware of this, and will change him at some point. What they are doing with Sadako is giving me hope, as dangerous as it is to have hope.

    And honestly, I wouldn't mind if we got Robert Englund's Freddy, as long as Jackie's Freddy isn't removed.

  • ili
    ili Member Posts: 65

    i hope they don't change the teleport, I love the generator teleport.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Hello, fellow Freddy player.

    Did you like my concept? I aimed for a modernized version of Old Freddy while keeping the teleport.

  • UndeddJester
    UndeddJester Member Posts: 3,361
    edited December 2023

    I have been thinking about OG Freddy a while, and I do think his old power suits him way more and want it to return... but I think some of new Freddy's kit can be utilised for the QoL improvements, as you have here with the Teleport.


    I personally don't think the failed skill checks waking up Survivors is a good mechanic. It makes it RNG driven as to whether or not you can escape the dresm on your own. I also thought his rapid snatching people into the dream world seemed like something you just spam when in range.

    Ofc that was Freddy's whole gameplan, keep people in the dream, but this rapid bouncing in and out of the dream world seems odd to me.

    An idea I've been toying with is: -

    • Survivors have a pool of 80 microsleep in the trial, but cannot see their microsleep progress. They gain microsleep at a rate of 1 c/s (80s). This mimics the tension of the films in that you don't know you're falling asleep.
    • Conspicuous actions double the rate at which this builds to 2 c/s (40s). Straining yourself causes you to fall asleep faster.
    • Survivors who have maximum charges see Freddy intermittently, and can be attacked as normal, injuring them and pulling them into the dream. Making a loud noise notification also pulls them into the dream. Mimics the sudden surprise transition of the films where the victim realises they are in the dream and can be injured only when Freddy actually wounds them... good jump scares. Also offers counterplay where survivors can choose to enter the Dream.
    • Freddy can see this progress on each survivor and can channel his power on a nearby target survivor to add 8 c/s (10s from full). Channeled power makes pulling survivors in a little more deliberate, and naturally encourages Freddy away from tunneling, because other targets will take less time to transition.
    • Channeled surviors who reach max charges are immediately pulled into the Dream. So Freddy can exert slow down pressure on a micro-sleeping/near micro sleeping target while chasing other survivors if he pays attention.
    • Skill check misses no longer wake Survivors up. Being asleep isn't countered by RNG of stealth checks or Self Care shenanigans.
    • Survivors outside of the dream can wake up dreaming allies using the wakeup action. Normal counterplay, and now actually useful as skillchecks aren't a thing.
    • Dreaming Survivors see a Dream wakeup station (blood fountain, steam jet, red hot pipe) the survivor interacts with to wake up, and gain immunity from microsleep. If wake up from allies isn't possible, survivor can race Freddy to their wake up station... for the love of god something better than clocks...
    • Each WakeUp action / WakeUp station action taken will add 2 seconds to the time it takes to wake up the survivor. Counters SWFs constantly trading sleep.
    • Adrenaline no longer wakes up survivors... because why?

    This keeps bouncing in and out of the dream less common, and means survivors have a race to the Wake Up station vs. Freddy.

    It also gives Freddy some limited immediate chase pressure if a survivor is microsleeping/near microsleeping.

    It's kinda half baked at the moment, but I think it could be fun and quite immersive for survivors with a bit more thought/polish.

  • NomiNomad
    NomiNomad Member Posts: 3,181

    Good to see you again!

    I was excited back then - But only because i thought it would be more interesting at the time. I disliked the fact that Freddy as basically an m1 killer without anything else other than pulling survivors into his world.

    I still enjoyed Jackie's performance, but I'll always appreciate the classics.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Adrenaline no longer wakes up survivors... because why?

    Actually, I can answer that.

    Adrenaline waking survivors up was introduced together with patch 1.8.1, also known as "the Freddy nerf". Essentially, Freddy on-release was different from the Old Freddy most people know about. I still think that on-release Freddy is the best killer the devs have ever designed.

    Sadly, a free weekend happened at the time. Many new players didn't bother to try and learn how to play against Freddy and instead just complained, called him "OP" and "impossible to escape" and all of that stuff we know.

    He was nerfed a week later, and Adrenaline is a part of that nerf.

    If you want to read more about it, here it is:


  • radiantHero23
    radiantHero23 Member Posts: 4,238

    Im grinding her up again. I stopped playing and leveling her after the rework. She stayed around p70. Now that my hopes are high, shes gonna go to 100.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    I'm happy to read that :)

    I see. For me, I straight up just lost my favorite character. The first of many things I lost in this game because they slowly got removed.

    But maybe the tide will change. Not only for Freddy (though hopefully he will come first), but also for the game around him. I know the request for a classic mode / pack gained a bit of popularity recently, so who knows?

    There might be a chance here.

  • UndeddJester
    UndeddJester Member Posts: 3,361
    edited December 2023

    Yeah the history of Freddy is equal parts interesting and tragic... 😅

    I like your suggestion BTW! Don't think I actually said in my post above! One thing I would like is some kind of indicator when teleporting where it'll tell me where I'll be facing, or have me move rapidly there instead of a sudden switch, so I can keep my bearings and isn't quite as disorientating.

    The teleport is cool part of his kit, especially with the blood spewing from the Generators. Would that be something you would have visible only in the dream? Or always?

    If my hybrid microsleep idea is worth a damn, might be cool tacking it on to that 😁

  • NomiNomad
    NomiNomad Member Posts: 3,181

    I would love a classic mode. While I don't miss their loops, I still miss the classic hues of the original maps. They looked so much nicer.

    I would also love a return of Classic Freddy. I can't say I would play him a lot, I simply prefer killers with dashes or movement abilities, but the state he's in now is a travesty. Bland, uninteresting, and a far cry of what one of the most recognizable Slasher names deserves.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    It sure is. I wasn't here for all of it, unfortunately, as I only started playing DBD in 2018. But I enjoyed every second I played with my favorite killer, and I really want to play him again.

    Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! Your idea is pretty interesting too, quite elaborate in fact.

    As for the teleport I'm thinking:

    Blood- visible in the real world and the dream world

    Freddy's husk- only in the Dream World

    That way, survivors who aren't asleep won't know exactly where he is every time he teleports.

  • UndeddJester
    UndeddJester Member Posts: 3,361
    edited December 2023

    Jackie I think was an excellent cast.

    I can't remember the film all that well, but I remember my conclusion. I think the 2 big mistakes for him were:

    1. He wasn't given enough moments to talk and really give him that "Oh hell naw" feeling. Freddy was always as much a psychological manipulator as he was a sadist, and his kills always felt like they weren't just nasty, they were personal. Sometimes this went goofy ofc, but for the most part, kills were drawn out and torturous as well as brutal. I don't remember getting that feeling from his Freddy, ehich was more a writing issue than his.
    2. His makeup made him look like a legit burn victim. He couldn't really move his face under that makeup, and couldn't draw that sinister smile, or twisted look, whete his face was so immobile. He basically ended up looking kinda frail instead of scary, where you kinda felt sorry for him...

    I actually really wanted him to get another chance at Freddy, cause his voice and his intensity were spot on, but those 2 flaws that weren't really his fault let him down.

  • MechWarrior3
    MechWarrior3 Member Posts: 2,528

    I’m proud of you fellow sadako main💕

    She crawled out of the tv into our hearts. 💕

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    I gotta tell ya, my friend: if we had a classic mode, I would never leave it.

    And Old Freddy is a must for me, obviously. Ah, if I get my killer back... just thinking about it makes me happy.

    Agreed!

    I actually prefer the remake over the originals. I think Freddy's darker approach was exactly what the character needed, and Jackie was excellent. Easily my favorite horror movie out there.

    And yes, I think he deserves another chance as Freddy Krueger. As unlikely as a sequel is, it would be awesome.

  • ChaosWam
    ChaosWam Member Posts: 1,842

    I'm still wary about whatever they have planned for Sadako considering the Trickster changes they did, but I will agree that if they focus on her being fun like before but stronger, I won't complain.

    Freddy definitely needs this treatment too. I like playing Freddy but his mechanics are incredibly weak.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Yes, I understand. It is dangerous to have hope around here, after all. Many of us had our favorite things removed from the game, sadly.

    But if BHVR gets it right with Sadako, then with Freddy, it will be a massive improvement.

  • katoptris
    katoptris Member Posts: 3,180

    If they use this concept I will played Freddy again. The Nancy masterpiece with class Freddy was my favorite to run on him pre-work.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Hey! Good to see you again, my friend! This thread has some familiar faces :)

    I'm happy to see you still like my concept for a Freddy change. I think I've said it before, but what I wanted with this idea was to fix the issues Old Freddy mains had with him while keeping him fun and unique.

    It makes me really really happy to see that I've succeeded.

    P.S: I usually ran with Nancy's Masterpiece and Green Dress. That combo never failed.

  • Ayodam
    Ayodam Member Posts: 3,123
    edited December 2023

    So Freddy is invisible like Wraith but can still attack survivors, and every 7 seconds a survivor falls asleep (if they’re awake) while Freddy gets…

    1.) To see the aura of all survivors outside of his terror radius (permanent Lethal Pursuer).

    2.) Built-in pre-nerf Eruption.

    3.) Three stacks of Thanatophobia (40% action debuff) —that can stack with other slowdown perks.

    And the counter is built-in slowdown for survivors to seek each other out to wake up from this extremely powerful invisible Freddy (who can still attack/‘target’ them when they’re awake). Or get hooked. Or fail skill checks notifying invisible Freddy where they are.

    It’s an ambitious rework. I’ll give it that.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    No, Freddy cannot interact with a survivor who is awake. You target them with your power to initiate the Dream Transition, after which you can attack.

    Like this:

    Except that I've added the Incapacitated status effect, so you cannot interact with generators or hooks during that time.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    I miss him too, my friend. He was my favorite killer and always will be.

    Ever since that awful day patch 3.1.0 dropped I hoped I'd see him again. Now is the time to bring him back, as Sadako's upcoming changes are a small step in the right direction.

    The devs have a golden opportunity here, and I sincerely hope they take it.

  • Batusalen
    Batusalen Member Posts: 1,323
    edited December 2023

    I don't know why so many people wants the old Freddy back when AFAIK was the weakest and easiest counterable killer BHVR design team has ever come up with (and that includes the Singularity).

    I mean, I get that Freddy on release was more unique and lore friendly, but I don't think a killer whose power is waiting 7 seconds to be able to attack survivors if they don't miss an skill check before you get to them would be any fun to play.


  • Ayodam
    Ayodam Member Posts: 3,123

    It’s thematic but it seems OP. Just like old Freddy. In your video he’s targeting survivors from at least 20 meters away. And if he’s forcing survivors to sleep he is interacting with that survivor. There doesn’t appear to be a counter to this (besides trying to find a survivor who is awake to wake you up—built in slowdown). He’s intermittently visible more like Onryo than Wraith but it doesn’t matter because he casts this spell at a range. Looks like it can be done over loops and pallets. And he still gets..

    • pre-nerf eruption
    • three stacks of Thanatophobia (that can presumably stack with other slowdown perks)
    • Permanent lethal on all survivors (outside of his terror radius)

    He can presumably target multiple survivors with this power? And the counter is to randomly find sleeping survivors to wake you up or basically go down to the killer (get hooked, notify him of your location by failing a skill check). You don’t mention any cool down for this power and in your clip it does not look like there is one.

    it needs a better counter than hope for the best & you need to scale your figures back (40% thana, incapacitated, etc).

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Please, read the full post before you comment.

    No one here is asking for him to return exactly as he was. Old Freddy was my favorite killer and he always will be, but my love for him doesn't make me blind to his issues. That is why everyone who wants him back, and many people do, also demands QoL improvements.

    That thing you mentioned would no longer by a thing, thanks to the Incapacitated status effect being added during the Dream Transition. He also gets mobility.

    If he were to come back EXACTLY as he was, I would main him again, sure. But I understand this is not what the majority wants nor needs, so that is why the improvements are there.

    Does that answer your question?

  • Ayodam
    Ayodam Member Posts: 3,123
    edited December 2023

    I read your post which is how my critique is so pointed. I pulled everything from what you said. But what I didn’t say was that you want him to become Old Freddy. I’m pointing out your suggested changes would make him overpowered—like Old Freddy. And of course you’d play that. Who wouldn’t play an overpowered killer? Lol. I would too. But it isn’t balanced or fair. You can’t give him 3 built in perks and a half-ass “well go find someone to help u” counter that’s really just passive slowdown for the killer. The rework is thematic but Freddy was changed precisely for a lot of the things your rework does for him. It’s just a conversation, it isn’t like BHVR would implement such extreme things in any killer. He would become too oppressive.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    That reply wasn't for you, it was for the other comment.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Okay, now this reply is for you.

    First of all, I'm sorry for the little confusion up there. I make it crystal clear that I want Old Freddy back WITH QoL improvements and people still come here and claim otherwise. It is extremely annoying and it gets on my nerves. So I apologize for that.

    So... I must confess to being a bit shocked. No one has ever deemed this concept overpowered before, you're the very first.

    As you may or may not know, Old Freddy (not the pre-nerf one, the one in the video I shared) was considered by many people as the worst killer in the game. As someone who mained him, I disagree completely, but I understand he had issues which needed to be fixed.

    This is what this concept aimed for.

    The Incapacitated status effect is there to prevent a scenario where a survivor would finish a gen or rescue another survivor right in front of you and there was nothing you could do about it. Now you can no longer do that, but you can interact with that gen / hook after the Transition.

    The built-in slowdown is only for the Dream World, it disappears as soon as you wake up. The same goes for the aura-reading.

    Survivors being unable to interact with the generator targeted by Dream Projection is something that I think should've been given to current Freddy, but this in particular could be removed if the majority decides so.

    I definitely wouldn't call it overpowered. It is stronger than current Freddy for sure, but then again, most killers are.

  • Batusalen
    Batusalen Member Posts: 1,323
    edited December 2023

    Not really, because the main problems with him was not being able to attack anybody unless putting them to sleep and the easy skill check fail counter and even in your rework it is still a thing.

    Don't get me wrong, you do you and I'm not going to say what people should like or not, but I think that if what happened then proved something is that as cool and lore friendly that design was it is not viable, much less today were there is less casual players and more people would know how to counter him and gens going on so fast that adding a minimum of 84 seconds (7 seconds to sleep * 12 hooks, counting you only needed to put a survivor to sleep 1 time per hook) on top of a normal chase time would mean survivors would get the gens done before you could kill anybody.

    Add to this all the other problems this design would bring (i.e. being unable to change targets without losing those first 7 seconds to sleep the first survivor, forcing you to commit to that single survivor until you down him) and as much as I like the concept I still don't see how bringing it back can benefit the killer in any way (without making it unfair or changing it drastically from what it was).

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    But I don't think that wasn't the main problem with him. The main problem was being unable to interrupt survivors doing stuff right in front of you, and this change fixes that. As for the skill checks, people need to wake up. Alarm Clocks are awful so they're out of the question, and I can't keep people trapped in the Dream World until they get hooked or find someone else. There has to be an escape.

    Besides, there would be add-ons to decrease Skill Checks, as he actually used to have those.

    Thank you for respecting the opinions expressed here, that already makes this better than many discussions out there. As for the rest, this depends on the playstyle. The thing about Old Freddy is that you weren't supposed to play him the way one would play Wraith. If you do that you lose, of course.

    My strategy with him, and hell I wish I had my own footage to show you, was more inclined towards control. It worked back then, and I'm sure it would work with this concept.

    If I do get my way, and that is one big "if", I'll try to expand more on possible playstyles, as we would be seeing him in action once more.

  • BlightedDolphin
    BlightedDolphin Member Posts: 1,875

    To be fair current Freddy is still the weakest and easiest to counter killer.

    Old Freddy was weak and I can see why some people wouldn’t find him fun to play. He was fun to some of us though and it sucks that we can’t play that killer ever again and instead got stuck with a killer who is still bottom tier and is also the most boring killer to play.

    I honestly don’t care if Freddy stays the worst killer in the game, I just want him to be fun again. That doesn’t have to mean old Freddy returning, just make him fun and feel like Freddy Krueger.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 11,292

    Yeah, Freddy got hit hard with those last nerfs.

    Old Freddy though... ah, those are sweet memories. My very first killer who will always be my favorite. I miss him so much.

    That is why I talk about him everywhere. I need my killer back, even if he were to return without any of the QoL improvements that everyone wants I'd still play him.