Does Walter need a change?

[Beeremy the III]

Recently I made a thread talking about why I don't like Walter and why I think his perks are all a big mashup of random junk piled together.

However, some comments on that thread have gotten me to rethink my views. So I'm wondering, what's the general consensus? Is Walter a good character, or not? Does he need a change? If so, should it be a full rework, a refresh, or sending him off to live with Warbucks and auctioning off his perks to the other survivors?

[Hornete]

I don't think he needs a change.

Id like to see some more scout crafts though

[Mysterious box]

His slingshot needs a refresh otherwise he's fine.

[Yuuko]

I don't like the answer options for this poll so I don't answer that.

I think Walter is an interesting and unique character.  I grew up with boy scouts and like how his kit gives him odd things, like the allergies and camp fire stories.  Scouts always have a lot of odd things added together because scouts tries to teach you a little about a lot of different things, and a lot of nerdy kids who usually need some prodding to get outside are sent to scouts, so the allergy problems are pretty common lol

When I play walter I really enjoy using his slingshot for some early farming.  Butterflies, rabbits, and birds are all easy meats in your early days exploring with him.  Mid and late game it can be useful to draw out aggro, but using for it for damage is a bit out of the way...  Its usually easier to just kite things with a ham bat then craft all those expensive rounds and try to run n gun it.

Woby is a great way to get around from early to late game.  The extra storage is useful, as is Woby's immunity to damage.  You don't have the aggro control / distraction uses like chester has, but that's cool because it makes them both unique and worthwhile.  Woby can be a bit annoying when he tries to run away from you when you go to open his inventory or mount him... even when there isn't combat anywhere nearby... but its not a big deal.

The amount of sanity damage you get when you take damage is kinda absurd.  I feel that Walter was supposed to be like Wanda - a damage averse play style.  Where Wanda wanted to hover at low health, and thus wants to avoid damage in fights, Walter was supposed to be a ranged support and thus damage averse.  So when he takes damage he drops his sanity, immediately complicating any fights with shadow monsters.  If he's riding Woby he gets bucked which can be severely punishing...  The problem is his ranged weapon is just too weak...  The risk of trying to run n gun on Woby with the slingshot far outweighs the advantages you get for it.  In short - its fun to run n gun with Walter, but its not rewarding...

I wouldn't want a rework on Walter - just his slingshot.  And not really a rework, just some tweaks.  The low rate of fire combined with low damage rounds really ruins it as a weapon.  I think the penalty for taking damage on Woby, combined with the sanity drop leaves more than enough room to make the sling shot a more formidable weapon.  Basically let Walter be a ranged character.  Otherwise maybe remove the instant sanity drop from damage, and just increase the drop over time penalty so you get a bit more flexibility when you're hambatting through a fight and simply have to take damage.

[Pruinae]

1 hour ago, Pruinae said:

uh oh stinky

I just wish his slingshot was a bit better and that they made it clearer how well-fed Woby is

and +40 hunger

[DarkPulse91]

Personally.. woby needs some BIG QoL changes.

She is so infuriating to deal with half the time. She will run away from you nearly every time you try to open her storage or feed her and that's KILLED me multiple times because either my light or weapon were (and this shouldn't be the case) stupidly inside of woby. 

They need to seriously fix woby's AI so that she isn't scared of her damn owner.

(And no, this wasn't only when there was a hostile enemy nearby, this is ALL the time)

[LinknAllie]

I like Walter as a character but he could use a few QOL tweaks.  

[Dextops]

yeah hes way to op gotta nerf take away woby his slingshot camp fire stories bee allergy tent tree sanity boost sanity lost when hit sanity items not working on him ect

[Gi-Go]

What's up with Wobby? She is so precious and cute in trailers but in the game Walter is chased by a blob. 

[Parusoid]

His only defining feature (slingshot) is underwhelming in every aspect. It is outclassed by a mere spear

[ALCRD]

Little increase in firerate on his slingshot would come a long way.

[Dr. Safety]

It would be a lot more practical if initiating a string of attacks with his slingshot (or switching targets) didn't take so long of a windup to begin firing, especially when you still have to be pretty close to fire a ranged weapon.

[Mike23Ua]

Yes he needs a change. Get rid of campfire stories for a marshmallow/ Hotdog roasting animation- Instead of having 6 different Walters all telling different stories out of sync- They will instead gain sanity from cooking yummy hotdogs/marshmallow on a stick over campfire- AND if Klei wants to keep the perk of “restores sanity of anyone close enough to listen to his stories” then when they are in close enough proximity to a Marshmellow cooking Walter, they TOO will pull out Marshmellow sticks and cook over the fire.

That’s literally my only gripe with Walter: I hate his dumb campfire stories (this becomes significantly intensified if there’s more then one Walter)