Trapper needlessly punishes new players and limits skill expression
Considering the Trapper is the marquee character (in the cover art, opening cinematic, etc.) and is listed as an "Easy" character to play it is fair to say that a brand new player is likely to play Trapper first. I believe that having the Trapper step in his own traps is needlessly punishing to a new player who is still getting used to the game.
It also creates an expectation in the new player about how trap placing characters play. Other trap placing characters don't trigger their own traps when they walk over them, and are therefore not punished by their own power in the same way. Also, a good survivor can actually use the trap against the Trapper situationally because the Trappers hit box is larger and their maneuverability while carrying a survivor is compromised somewhat by wiggling. Events like this create feel bad scenarios for the player, which is extra bad for newer players to the game and might deter them from becoming more invested.
I understand this game is a game of skill. A skilled Trapper won't generally step on their own traps and needs to make strategic placement decisions so they don't fall prey to their own traps. However, if this change were implemented then the Trapper would be able to make different strategic decisions about trap placement that would allow them to cut off survivors in a chase. Making this change would augment the skillful play of the killer without diminishing it.
I would also suggest removing the maximum limit of how many traps the Trapper can carry at one time. I believe having a limit creates a needless resource management component that is not fun to engage with. The decisions created by needing to manage your trap usage aren't the fun kind of skill expression that other killers' powers create (stalk vs chase with Ghostface or Shape, track and hit after fast moving with Nurse or Spirit, etc.).
I would keep him starting with one trap (or more with add-ons) and having to traverse the map to collect more like he already does. However, by not needing to place a trap before picking up another the player would have more agency in when to deploy these traps so they can react to the survivors. If they need to use a trap to counter a pallet, they can. If they need to set a trap to cut off a loop, they can. If they need to trap generators/the exit doors/the hatch, they can. If they need to abandon a trapped generator after it gets repaired and set up later, they can. This change would give the Trapper more interesting choices and make them a more engaging killer to play.
I believe these changes would be beneficial without being overpowered because the time it takes to set a trap, the time it takes to collect multiple traps, and how obvious setting a trap can be during a chase or to survivors with aura reading abilities still limit an abuse these changes are likely to cause. However, I only have anecdotal evidence as to how this might play out based on my experiences and those of others I've spoken to. Behavior Interactive has the metrics to decide if these changes would be more problematic or beneficial. I just hope that these suggestions would make people's experiences better and making a cool killer like the Trapper a more viable choice for players.
Comments
I dont mind Trapper stunned by stepping on his traps. But I mind sometimes Im too busy slashing down survivor, picking up, avoid getting flashlighted, then I unable to see my own traps at close range.
I think it would be overpowered if he could just walk over his own traps and carry them all at once. Hag is basically that, and she is the trapper on steroids.
Trapper is definitely easy to play, in that your map knowledge is more important than your mechanical skill. A good trap lets you just walk over to a survivor and push spacebar for a hook. It doesn't matter how good at looping they are at that point. I almost never step on my own traps, and when I do I usually think "damn, that's a good trap".
Although once you get into the highest ranks, it is hard to set unpredictable traps unless you have the tar bottle. The tar bottle lets you set them basically anywhere, allowing for very high skill expression since you can trap loops without grass.