Fog Vial thoughts from killer mains
I swear on my mama I main killer, but so far I had ONE game in which fog vials were a problem to fight, and it was because this one Rick Grimes was running a stealth build with it. I've been seeing the weirdest inconsistencies regarding Fog vials and people's takes on them, where people seem to think they 100% blind killers like a flashbang would. Some of what I think is effecting this is…
- The red add on that increases their opacity.
- I think certain filters mass with players ability to see through the fog. I don't use filters, and I don't even know how to, so I can't test this, but I'm starting to suspect that might make up a good amount of the problem.
I'm asking mostly killer mains here, how many people actually mind the fog vials and why, and how many people are like me.
I kind of like the idea of survivors getting a new item, and information is probably the least harmful thing for a survivor to take away. It doesn't slow you down, or only work when you have to break a pallet, which means you could play trapper or nurse, and if you in theory predict where the survivors is going, it's not going to matter.
Fog Vial thoughts from killer mains 20 votes
2 votes
18 votes
Comments
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I don't mind fighting them as killer
They've caught me out a couple of times, due mainly to survivors knowing not to drop it 5" away from you, but even then they didn't appear overly problematic.
I do feel having an unlimited use was overkill, and they ought to have charges (or at least an extra step, such as refilling at a fountain after the cooldown), but otherwise I am fine with them. I don't feel reducing the opacity is needed.
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I mind fighting them as killer
i cant read and clicked the wrong option so now i look like a scumbag
theyre fine, usually are popped too close to actually be useful on the survivor side, if someone is playing into them to actually be useful in escapes (quick and quieting into lockers, deception, plot twisting into some grass) then all the power to them, those are simply new strats to learn to counter. i havent had an example of survivors trying to throw them into my face as often as possible, so i can see why spamming them is annoying to some, but ive had no issues since their inclusion
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I don't mind fighting them as killer
My only issue was the ambient noise and the fact they messed with spirit + singularity's powers. Other than that there was nothing wrong with them.
The opacity was definitely hit too hard, but I doubt they'll stay like that forever. A lot of people liked these (including me when I played survivor) and I assume BHVR is testing the extremes. Without the Iri add on the only use case is probably to hide scratch marks.
Although, I think they need to have some opacity difference between killer or survivor (for killer its a bit more opaque) because when using them altruistically I sometimes messed up my friend to the point he banned me from using them.
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I mind fighting them as killer
The only reason I mind them is just that they do too much to be an infinite use item. I don't think a lot of people realize how and why fog vials are effective though.
Aside from certain maps making the things really bright before the update (particularly with the iri addon), they supress scratches, survivor noise, and auras, and can be used for a "shell game" type maneuver in areas with multiple exits if the killer is a bit behind you, and also makes it much harder to aim with ranged killers. The fog also lingers for a surprisingly long time, and spreads out quite a bit, which can especially suck if multiple survivors throw them down in an area.
The aura masking in particular can:
hide hooks
hide teammates you're healing
let you safely prerun from a gen in areas with multiple exits to obscure (particularly due to scratch marks and pain grunts being silenced as well)
and I'm pretty sure you can use it to hide gens
and all of that, infinite use, on as low as a 55 second cooldown.I like the fog vials quite a bit, they spice things up, but I'm definitely of the mindset that they needed to nerf something on it.
Take off the aura masking and keep it infinite? works for me!
Keep the aura masking and recharge but lower the radius/duration? works for me!
Keep the aura masking and everything else but limit the charges? works for me!But god damn, pick a lane for the things, or at least move the aura masking to an addon or somethin, otherwise it's just a bit too many effects for one item imo. (which, in fairness, they are picking a lane for them, and seem to be prioritizing it as a utility item instead of a getaway tool).
I also think people are heavily exaggerating the nerfs that fog vials got, especially since it seems like most people just… didn't understand how to use them. (throw it down before the killer reaches you, make sure there's multiple directions to go, and avoid running in a straight line to the nearest pallet/window, it's too obvious)
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I don't mind fighting them as killer
They're mildly annoying, but that's just it.
That's the best and worst aspect of them.
It's like the Chemical Trap item - it's not even GOOD it's just a giant "lmao you stink" at the Killer.
Sometimes Fog Vials trip me up, sometimes they dont, but there's the kicker that makes it kinda worthless and also infuriating.
Medkits, Toolboxes, flashlights, keys, maps, flashbangs - they all have a binary mechanical benefit that is given to a survivor in a particular field. Health, objective speed, blind the killer and save a friend, see vaults and important landmarks, open the hatch, etc. You know what the value of the items are and how they are used.
Fog Vials though?
Drop it and maybe the killer might not see where you are or arent perhaps ? Escape a chase ? Confuse the killer ? Buy yourself 2-4 seconds of distance ? It's not absolute.
I don't mind them. They're kinda fun and not overpowered. I do get a general sense that folks that use them are less interested in winning the game than they are trying to bully me. Unlike with flashlights there is no skill expression and it's all kind of pathetic in my eyes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - just like a blast mine or chemical trap; more times than not they don't really add to the survivor's escape, but they certainly do mess with me a little, and that's the only reason they ever bring them. I just don't particularly care if they mess with me so long as we have a good chase.
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I don't mind fighting them as killer
thats very fair and I do like how you put it but to me as an Xbox player I haven't been affected by them yet because people haven't known how to use them heck I didnt know how to use em right until you just said it to me
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I don't mind fighting them as killer
Fog vials before the nerf that gave them uses were already easy to follow, but now they are basically just a light fog you don't even have to acknowledge at all xD
Only thing they had to do where limiting them to 3 uses and that's all, maybe even increase the strength by 5% as a way of balancing them better for the limited uses.
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I don't mind fighting them as killer
Now that the opacity has been reduced, there is a fixed 2 charges, how has your opinion about them changed?
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I mind fighting them as killer
I definitely think they overcorrected. 2 charges is also very low, even if if they hadn't had their opacity reduced, although I guess you can bring it up to 3 with the brown addon.
My ideal fog vial, both as a killer main, and as a survivor that really likes the smoke bomb idea, would be 3 charges (brown addon can do something else), high opacity like the original + iri addon for the first second or two, and then fades to 0% over the course of the duration. Iri addon could be changed to give the fog vial a fixed opacity like it currently has, albeit a bit higher (not as potent as the pre-nerf opacity tho).
Also, most importantly of all for the health of this item: devs need to fix the inconsistency with map lighting, since it can make the fog vary anywhere from "steamy shower" to "silent hill" (which was actually the main issue with the pre-nerf opacity).
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