I have played cm ss13 off and on for many years now. I'm not particulary robust, in fact I'm pretty bad considering how long I've played. I'm not involved in the server in any way besides logging onto it and playing. I've played both sides and many roles in the past, but for the last year or so I play as squad marine pretty much exclusively. I say all this to establish that my point of view is more or less an "average player." Let me also say that I don't really know much about predators except as I've encountered them in game.
Today I played for the first time in a few months. I joined as squad marine and made my way to the front lines. On the way there I see a predator push over a marine. I take out my gun, and he pushes me over too. "Fuck it" I thought, and after I got up I just left. I know I can just leave, because the pred isn't going to do anything. I know he isn't going to hurt the other marine, unless the marine hurts him first.
This is BORING. As a player, I want to care about preds. I really do. But theres just NO REASON to care.
In any given round, if I hear over the radio that a pred killed someone, my only thought is "well, he fucked with a pred and died, thats what happens. Either he was a new player, or was bored." I continue to fight xeno. I don't think "A cloaked humanoid has killed one of my squad, he is a threat that must be dealt with!" Nope, I know the marine started it because if a pred sneezes too hard on a marine they get banned. This has been the case for as long as I've been playing.
I know that preds work hard on their back story. I know theres honor duels, elaborite lore, rituals, etc. They are a race of badass warrior spirit killing machines. In lore.
In gameplay, they are the equivalent to an unfunny, vanilla ss13 clown who is kill baiting. Literally knocking people over in the hopes that someone fights them so they can retaliate with their 37 badass sci fi weapons. I'm sure there are some preds that don't do that. I don't know but I assume they instead stalk around the map barely encountering marines. Thats pretty lame too.
The solution in my eyes is to nerf preds somewhat, and let them kill people unprovoked. Maybe not kill, just maim. Maybe not always, but only some pred rounds. Maybe not have carte blanche, maybe they just get one or 2 free murders. But please, let them do something. If that were the case, when I get the call over the radio that a pred killed someone, both IC and OOC I would consider it a legitimate threat and something thats going to have actual impact on the round. If that were the case, when I come across a predator fucking with a fellow marine, theres a high chance I pull the trigger instead of pulling out my gun with literally zero OOC intention to fire it.
Please make predators interesting. Please make me care about them. Right now they're just a tease and a wasted opportunity for cool shit to happen.