Predator still weak against good FTs

#1

Hello everybody,

Just like 5-10 minutes ago I have played 3 beautiful private games against party of fire team members. As I understand those guys are playing ONLY fire team and only in party. After playing these 3 games, I made some conclusions and would like to share them with you:

I realized that against the good team (not just randoms), the predator is still incredibly weak.
Of curse, I am not the super gamer, but predator is my main and I didn’t lost a single battle in last 20 games in the public. But in private matches, versus well-coordinated team predator just has no chances… Their tactic was pretty simple - track and kill a predator. The main task for them was something like a measure in case the predator does not show.

So, why is hunter still weak?

  • Firstly, I tried three different builds versus fireteam: slam spam build(hunter), berserk combistick build, and like middle build with just some similar abilities - hunter too. In these three builds the main problem for me was that FT is always waiting for you. And I’m not talking about the situation in public. There, people know that you are somewhere on the map, but still try to complete the main task.

If you are playing against a team, they will purposefully search for you wherever you are. Hearing one sound, one rustle, one clock from the side of the any tree, they will immediately begin to shoot on it and the surrounding area. If your second breath was activated - they will just follow you(not one guy, full team) until you will die. If you escaped, healed after second breath and now you’r trying to heal on full hp - they are hearing sound of healing and will follow for the it. Such team will constantly keep you in suspense. Thus, three of them looked at any points from where I could attack, while the fourth was doing the main task. And even if you move from place to place, then one of them will still watch your movement and in a second the whole team will know where to wait for you. Yes, from one side - it’s an interesting game. But from another side - what sould you do if you can’t even show yourself from behind the rock?

  • Secondly, predator is still has not much hp. In those moments when I still managed to somehow catch them by surprise, they simply destroy me after a few seconds. Good team will stick together and cover each other. And as soon as the predator attacks, all members of the group focus on it. After that your second breath will be activated and as I said before they will just follow you and keep you in suspense. Also, if you managed to attack not full group but maybe half, you still in dangerous because every guy can easily deflect your attack and his friend/another part of team will start attacking you.

  • Thirdly, the main task and the bots … are useless. As I said before, in such matches FT doesn’t need main task. They are hunting predator. Also bots are quite useless too because smart people can control them and destroy alarms fast. In these 3 games, they tried to complete the mission only one time, when I escaped from following too far. I think it’s not normal

Eventually, what can we say here. Is it all good? I don’t think so. Putting all the facts together, we can see that the problem is not only In balance of the characters, but also in gameplay itself. For example let’s take Evolve. Hunters are trying to hunt the monster. It’s their mission. And beast must survive and then destroy hunters/core. They can follow the monster, track him, make tactics, traps etc. But Predator isn’t game about that. It’s a game where THE BEAST is trying to hunt down his prey. But what can we see right now? If FT’s members are good players they don’t even should complete the main objective. They can just hunt down the predator. And predator can’t even answer them because if compare to evolve - he doesn’t have any evolution, hundreds of hp, any skills or damage. He only have some not always useful gadjets and skill of player. But all this skill grades down because game doesn’t give you a chance to have an equal fight.
Is it normal that FT is just can follow hunter and wait until he start healing and then catch his ass? Is it normal that FT can just ignore main objective? or is it normal to pair giant combistick? I think no

Some people can say that pred is really good after 1.06. But let’s see facts. He’s good only versus some noobs or against bad coordinated teams. Good party, with not bad players have their own objective - to kill the pred and they will always destroy him because in this game reality predator is much weaker

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Predator OP or no?
#2

good enough points but this is a more of a “meta” argument and it seems most players want to balance around the average where combistick zerker is still considered op and fireteams have no tools to deal with it
even though i agree with everything you’ve said here

2 days ago i played against a simaler team who wasn’t all using the meta guns on fireteam and i still only won a single game out of 4 games the other game we tied the other 2 i lost

2 Likes
#3

The meta question only works for public game for my opinion. It’s all because not all people know how to deflect, or because half of players are guys from PS4(Do not be offended, guys, but admit that playing vs PC pred is harder than vs PS4 pred) and so such OP things as stick and zerker will work agains some noobs or just a typical gamer. But really good player doesn’t feel this.

I tried to deal with those guys with zerker build, but as I said, they were always waiting for me, because i was their objective. And if i jumbed to kill one of them(that was separate from the group), he deflected my first attack and for that few seconds when I was in stun, his teammates came to help him. So zerker meta works only in public

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#4

i’d say the meta question applies for all methods of playing the game is it not “meta” to use the best equipment in the game and employ the best strategies available with the sole purpose to win the game as quickly or as efficiently as possible?

#5

Yeah, I think you right here. Now I understand you. But then, what is the meta for pred in this situation? Just if you look like that, the mechanics of the game give FT much more opportunities than a predator. It turns out that the meta is broken. Of course it’s a question of patches, but it seems to me that the developers won’t do something with a problem of such FT behavior. It is clear that for public games everything will change, but in a more competitive confrontation, FT will be stronger for a long time .

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#6

sadly it seems the meta for pred is to either abuse bug’s ie slamming thru rooftops for free 95 dmg or infinite boars
wait and simply approach only during alarms going off if they do if they don’t you just poke forever leaping away with extended leap perk and accept one kill for an entire game is good enough currently or
abuse ridiculous strats like fast hands beartrap/netgun into melee weapon for downs then shooting downed targets or going for the quick claim and risking it all. Or ranged builds with bow plasma pistol and infinite cloak perk set up
otherwise some kind of crazy balance patch has too occur either reducing the number of resources fireteam has or reducing dmg to the point that fireteam can’t kill predator without 2 people or adding some additional obj without adding more resources for either team to cause a war of attrition on the predator’s side or some other mechanic for predator to use like melee power attacks with special effects

#7

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.

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#8

I don’t think spotting is a problem nor are reinforcements.

I think the biggest problem are health stims.

The predator has to either seek out and kill a boar for a slightly quicker heal or use his healkit, which in addition to healing over a long period of time lets out a loud roar to give away his position.

FT health stims are a near full heal in 1 second on the move.

Make the FT use med packs like the predator. It’s not only more realistic but it’s tactical.

2 Likes
#9

I think they only need to hard nerf reinforcements and it’s fine. I see from what you wrote that you didn’t pay much focus on range damage. If you have good aim with bow you can just kill one with that and choose one of three options:
-put a bear trap over him to kill the one who is trying to revive
-jump in into quick execution into jump out fast (it always works if you are fast specially with Hunter)
-wait from range until some one run in for revive and full charge head shot him, so you can just shoot him one more time even without charge and he is down

The fact that Predator need way more skill to be played against good fire team is the reason (plus reinforcements broken) why you think is super weak. But if you improve your AIM with range weapon (that is the most important thing) you can deal also with 4 x pc players.

#10

I tried my trapper build vs them but it was really useless because you can’t just walk to them because as I said before, FT is always ready for you and they were controlling all place from where I could attack.

Also, as for the your words about range weapons. I used it(bow and plasma) but when enemy sniper knows your position it’s very risky to peak out. Plus, he will quickly tell his teammates where you are and you will not be able to peak out without losing a lot of health(or mask). Then, you will want to change your position, but since invisibility is quite easy to see, they will again know where you are and the whole story will repeat.
And I think you didn’t read my text inaf. As I said, FT in private match doesn’t have any other objectives except killing the predator. So when they are hearing any sound from you they all will just watch that place and trying to shoot in some random places(if you are standing still). They are always ready to open fire on you, and always keep you in suspense.

And how should you doing your range attacks in such situation? That’s a suicide mission.

And again, I am not telling about some random teams or like middle parties which playing with beer. I’m telling about really well coordinated squad, that know what should they do, how to do it, and know all weaknesses of predator. Unfortunately, against such players, your skill does not matter simply because your character is weaker on a mechanical level. And due to your words, I think that you haven’t meet such teams

1 Like
#11

This is interesting. And the stints would be for reviving, e.g. a shot of adrenaline to the heart from a team member to get them back on their feet.
Or, make the Predator “normal” heals able to be applied on the run and they only need to stop and do the full long heal animation when in second wind.

#14

The game should be balanced not only in some skills, stats etc. , but in mechanic way. For example, the situation from my text: main objective for the FT is like a joke, because their main mission(for their opinion) is to destroy the predator. They are too concentrated on it and game doesn’t punish them…
In such games like those 3 games which I played with really good FT, there is like no sense to play as predator because you becoming the prey but not hunter.

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#15

When I first started playing, I thought the Predator was vastly under-powered. Once I started to think about this game as Predator Hunting grounds not Predator Slaughter grounds, my attitude towards balance changed.

Remember, in order for a Predator to have a match, 4 other players have to be interested in playing FT. It is in the best interest for the health of the game to make the FT fun to play.

The Predator is one player, with some very slight numerical and tactical advantages over four others. Against a pre-made/disciplined FT of four it will be tough. Coming away with a kill or two would be a win in that situation in my opinion.

The Predator is not hunting deer or ducks, the FT is meant to be a threat to the Predator which is why they are worth it for the Predator to hunt in the first place. Only worthy trophies should adorn your wall. This is the way!

4 Likes
#16

Fire team is stronger than predator, but is not impossible to beat a good Fire team premade group if you are a Good Predator. Maybe they win more games but is not actually impossible to win one game. Also balance has to be done considering both avarage and high level player, not only high level. most people still have problem with berserker (because they are on ps4 probabily) and we can’t over buff the predator now.

#19

Bingo

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#20

Try playing random and see how underpowered the fireteam feels when you don’t run with friends or find a good team (something that happens most often then not).

1 Like
#21

Great post, it really is. As a Predator, you can absolutely not do anything against a good team, even if you are a great player. A good team will always see you before you can see them, because it is always clear which side the Predator will appear from, as it makes too many loud sounds and your disguise is simply useless when you are constantly tagged with this “spam marker.” I played in such teams, when before the match you plan who is responsible for ammo, who is for the first-aid kit, who will be the sniper, who is the support, etc. That is, if the team is correctly assembled, then it will surpass any class of Predator. On the other side, a Predator will almost always destroy a random or noob command. And this balance problem is hard to solve. But I believe that the Predator can be helped by fixing its bugs, such as binding weapons to keys - this will allow you to instantly select the right weapon, process sounds made by the Predator, fix bugs with stuck on trees, and other bugs.

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#22

Well my FT is currently on a 79 win streak. We’re trying to get to 100 xD

#23

I don’t thing so, coz you can block his hits and in this moment ( near 1 sec) you and your friends get time for attack him then repeat this. I saw that moments almost in every match. FT knife is still OP in my opinion

#24

well yeah i’m not saying i think zerker combi is op i certainly don’t
but for some reason the majority of players do think so

1 Like