Kaneki Requires 0 Skill
While it’s not unusual for a new killer to feel strong on release, my concern with Kaneki isn’t just his strength—it's how little skill he requires to get value out of his power.
Compared to other top-tier killers like Nurse, Blight, or Spirit, who are undeniably strong but demand a lot of time and practice to master, Kaneki seems to offer similar results with far less effort. His power basically grants a free hit with the push of a button, thanks to the built-in auto-aim and how forgiving his ability is. This results in a killer who can dominate games even in the hands of inexperienced players.
With other “OP” killers, there's at least the comfort of knowing that a new player picking them up will struggle for a while before becoming a real threat. But with Kaneki, that learning curve seems nearly nonexistent. He brings a high floor and high ceiling without the usual tradeoff, and that raises some balance and design concerns for me.
IMO, I shouldn't be able to go on a 20 win streak the first time playing a killer.
Comments
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I think people have a very narrow and wrong idea of what "0 skill" actually means.
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I'll clarify since apparently the words "zero" and "skill" used in conjunction is confusing for some:
The killer is very oppressive even in the hands of a someone playing as the killer for the very first time (aka me). Strong characters should require skill and knowledge to get results with, not $20.-1 -
Just wait till the honeymoon period is over and you face actually good survivors, that will break line of sight and never give you a clear target ^^ The shrinking of the the bite hitbox and the cooldown after breaking a pallet really did a lot to reign this killers power in. He remains indeniably strong, but is nowhere as easy and "braindead" as people claim.
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@Akumakaji Fair point. Counter play against him will certainly evolve the longer he's in the game. But, I think that there is still an issue with the core design of his power: the hentai tentacle attack (or whatever it's called) should not have built in auto aim. That part of his power is the perfect opportunity for skill expression imo.
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People tend to conflate different terms. Autoaim is a system, that will help you to hit a target by moving your recticle or shots towards the target. Thats not whats happening with Kanekis bite attack, he got a hitscan attack.
Hitscan is most often used in FPS games in order to simulate bullets that have a muzzle velocity so high, that they pretty much hit instantly. In games this is done by checking the position of the crosshair at the moment you push the mouse button: if it is over the target, you get the hit, no bullet flies out of the muzzle of your weapon towards the target.
In his first iteration the hit box of the survivors was a big, phat circle around their model, like a full thumb or so on an average screen. That was severely reduced in his nerf round and now pretty much only emcompasses the survivors body, so now you you got to really click on the survivors and not just in their general vicinity. But his tentacles are hit scan, so the game only checks ones when he clicks, and if there is a clear line of effect between him and the target, then the hit is awarded - the confusing part is that the tentacles are also shot out, but they are just ornamental and for show, they are not part of the power. Thats why you sometimes move past a wall and get hit by the Kagune tentacles through everything - because the game checked and awarded the hit before you moved behind the walls.
So the bite attack is a hitscan, not an auto aim. The other priminent Hitscan Killers is Deathslinger, so there is that. This ability being hitscan makes it much easier to appy and get in that first hit, but its nowhere as automatic as some poeple wanna make it, survivors can still hide and break line of sight and I have gone through entire chases without getting enraged.
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Some players still forget the part that he must chase you down and hit you with m1 like all m1 but they will find it hard maybe one day when their opponent will know how to loop well and his conterplay to catching ap with leap( is very similar like agains nurse with charged blink)
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Autoaim? Yes dbd in its core is just many hitboxes working togeather. Thats why you can make killer mis with 360 somethimes, same as huntress thin hatchet have hitbox of size of big ball( thats why many players gen confused when she hits them behind corner), or thing like crouchtech, blights shoulder flick and many more. He doesnt have autoaim he just has to hit you almost like all killers. The reason he somethimes he hits you when you are partly behind something like wall is game evaluate the sitiation like hit because his hitbox is 2 meters will play with him hitting you still partly behind wall. Same was the counterplay for kidnap tech just before he thried to hit you, you moved to window causing him to make grap hit.
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deathslinger is not hitscan, if he were he'd be s tier for sure.
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You are right, my bad! His spear is obviously a projectile.
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