Buff Premonition: Why Removing the Cooldown is Necessary

Thank you very much!

The argument presented suggests that Spine Chill was too easily countered by killers who could walk backward to avoid triggering the perk, and that Premonition should not be buffed as it offers less counter-play for killers. However, this view oversimplifies both the issue with Spine Chill and the potential utility of Premonition in its current or improved form.

While it’s true that killers could walk backward to avoid triggering Spine Chill, this required them to sacrifice speed and, in many cases, time. Walking backward is not an efficient or reliable strategy for every killer, especially during moments where they need to pressure survivors or secure key objectives. In practice, many killers would still trigger Spine Chillunintentionally, making the perk valuable for skilled survivors who capitalized on those moments.

Premonition, on the other hand, is an active perk that provides a directional warning when a survivor is facing the killer within a 45-degree cone. Importantly, Premonition does not require line of sight, meaning it can trigger even through walls or obstacles, but it still offers limited information. Survivors don’t know the exact distance or location of the killer, and since the perk only triggers when the survivor is looking in the killer's general direction, there is still a degree of unpredictability involved. The killer could be farther away, approaching from an angle that doesn't immediately threaten the survivor, or simply moving in a way that doesn’t immediately result in a chase.

The argument that Premonition offers less counter-play ignores these inherent limitations. Survivors relying on Premonition must continuously adjust their view and position to receive its warnings, and it provides no information about how close the killer is or whether the killer is even aware of the survivor's presence. Killers can still approach survivors from behind, flank them, or use their game sense and stealth to catch survivors off guard despite Premonition's warnings.

The suggestion that the only counter-play to "pre-running" is to use high-mobility killers like Nurse, Blight, or Billy is too narrow. Killers have various tools to create pressure, including perks, map control, and mind games. Pre-running is not a foolproof strategy, and many killers excel at predicting survivor movement and using map design to their advantage, even if survivors are trying to get a head start on loops. The idea that only high-mobility killers can counter this strategy overlooks the diversity of playstyles and killer abilities available.

Finally, removing the cooldown for Premonition would not create an overwhelming advantage for survivors. The perk would simply provide more frequent directional information without significantly affecting the core dynamics of the game. Killers still have ample opportunities to outplay survivors, even if the survivors use Premonition more frequently. It would give survivors a chance to react more actively to killer pressure, but it wouldn’t provide them with an insurmountable advantage.

In conclusion, buffing Premonition by removing the cooldown would give survivors a slightly more reliable detection tool without compromising killer counter-play. It would strike a fair balance between skill-based survivor information and the need for killers to adapt their strategies without resorting to niche tactics like walking backward to avoid detection.

Let’s break this down based on the mechanics of Premonition and its interactions with undetectable killers:

Undetectable Killers and Premonition: Premonition does work on undetectable killers. The Undetectable status effect removes the killer’s terror radius, red stain, and visual heartbeat, but it doesn’t prevent Premonition from alerting survivors when the killer is within their facing direction. This sets Premonition apart from perks like Spine Chill, which used to offer continuous feedback regardless of the killer's stealth status.

Spine Chill's Role and Premonition's Function: When Spine Chill worked on undetectable killers, it was a crucial tool for surviving against stealthy killers such as Ghost Face, Wraith, or Myers in his Stalker phase. It provided consistent awareness, helping survivors effectively counter stealth tactics. However, with Spine Chill no longer functioning in this capacity, survivors have lost a significant means of countering undetectable killers.

Premonition now fills a similar niche by providing directional alerts when the killer is in the survivor's line of sight. While it still works against undetectable killers, it only indicates the direction the killer is coming from and doesn’t provide detailed information on distance or the nature of the threat. Unlike Spine Chill, it doesn’t offer continuous feedback and is hampered by a cooldown, which significantly limits its utility.

The “Big No” Argument: The concern that buffing Premonition would overly weaken stealthy killers overlooks several key factors. While Premonition does give survivors an indication of a nearby undetectable killer, it still requires the survivor to actively look in the direction of the threat. This limitation means that Premonition does not grant continuous awareness or detailed information, and the survivor must be vigilant, making it less of a comprehensive solution.

Moreover, stealthy killers retain their strengths even with Premonition in play. They can still use their abilities to reposition and catch survivors off guard. Killers with high mobility or stealth abilities can exploit survivor distractions or approach from angles not covered by Premonition, ensuring that the perk doesn’t negate their advantages but rather balances the playing field.

Given that Spine Chill no longer functions against undetectable killers, allowing Premonition to maintain its current effectiveness is a fair compromise. Removing the cooldown on Premonition would provide a needed buff, making it a more viable option for survivors against stealthy killers without unbalancing the gameplay. The perk’s current limitations, including its directional nature and cooldown, prevent it from being an overpowering tool, ensuring that stealthy killers can still employ their tactics effectively.

In conclusion, allowing Premonition to continue functioning against undetectable killers, with a potential buff to remove the cooldown, does not break the game or overly penalize stealth-based killers. It provides a balanced alternative to the lost effectiveness of Spine Chill, keeping the game dynamic and fair for both sides.

I understand where you're coming from. My aim is to find a balance where survivors have some form of awareness tool against undetectable killers - what currently is non-existing - without making the killers too weak. Premonition provides directional awareness and doesn’t offer the same level of detail or continuous feedback that Spine Chill used to. If there are specific concerns or points you disagree with, I’d be happy to discuss them further. My goal is to ensure that gameplay remains fair and enjoyable for both sides.