A way to add objectives other than gens.
I've been thinking a while about how the game could be improved without changing the core of it, and I think I've come up with a new model for game play that could make things better. I'd love constructive criticism.
New Game Model: Runic Decay
The generator indicator in the bottom left of the screen is replaced with a spiraling entity rune. From the moment the match begins, the rune "decays" as the spiral slowly disappears. The rune is a visual representation of a hidden timer that determines how much time is left before the exits may be opened. In general, this timer is 30 minutes, and it may be increased or decreased slightly by survivors and killers offerings. Mainly, the timer is reduced by survivor actions within the trial. Generator Completion is the primary means of causing decay, causing 4 minutes worth of decay upon each generator's completion. However, event objectives and map specific objectives may also be used to cause runic decay.
New Feature: Event Objectives causing game progression
A point of contention that comes up when in game events are going on is that survivors must either choose to progress the trial or complete event objectives. With this system in place, event interactions can be used in order to progress the trial. For example, completion of a pustula plant during the hallowed blight would result in 20 seconds worth of runic decay.
New Feature: Map Objectives
While map specific objectives do not cause nearly as much match progression as generator completion, map objectives add some much needed flavor and intractability to each map within the game as well as the opportunity to earn some unique achievements. The following are examples of unique map objectives.
- Backwater swamp: When a generator is completed, the pale rose ship receives power. While the ship has power, a single player may press and hold the ship's fog horn for three seconds. During this time as well as for 3 seconds after, all players in the match are deafened. Performing this interaction results in 40 seconds worth of runic decay. Performing this interaction three times awards the "S.O.S." Achievement.
- The Game: Upon the start of the trial, four jigsaw machines are spawned. Each machine is unique, may only be completed once per trial, and the completion of the test results in 1 minutes worth of runic decay. Completing each unique test awards the "Survival Instinct" Achievement. The following are some examples of testing devices.
- Blood Drive - With this machine, the survivor instantly injures themselves. The machine collects the survivor's blood, and is completed after collecting 30 seconds worth of blood.
- Razor Wire Box - The survivor must complete increasingly difficult skill checks in the same vein as a Pyramid head cage over the course of 10 seconds. Failing a skill check will trap the survivor in place for a couple seconds as well as cause a loud noise notification. Failure while healthy results in injury and failure while injured results in the deep wounds. When a skill check is failed, the box will not progress for a few seconds, and ending the interaction early results in the loss of all progress.
- Syringe Roulette - A small device sits on the table with six syringes slowly turning. The survivor places their hand under the dosage administrator and the other on a button. When started, a skill check with six success zones will appear. One zone will trigger test completion, all others will result in negative outcomes. Four of the zones result in 30 seconds worth of the blinded, hindered, exhausted, or oblivious status effects, and one will result in the survivor screaming.
- It's a team game - This test requires the interaction of two survivors. Both receive three moderately difficult skill checks over the course of 10 seconds. Failure of any skill check will result in the injury of the other survivor and a loud noise notification.
- Mother's Dwelling: On a table inside mother's dwelling, three masks will spawn. picking up a mask both places the item in the survivors inventory which may be kept upon escaping as well as results in the "mother's watching" status effect for 30 seconds. While effected by this status, players hear a faint huntress lullaby, receive a VFX trail, and have their aura revealed to the killer when further than 32 meters away. After the thirty seconds is up, one minute is removed from the timer. Escaping three trials with mother's masks awards the "Mask Collector" achievement.
New Item: Mother's Mask
This item is not available in the blood web, and may only be gained by stealing it from mother's Dwelling. The mask provides a continuous audio cue whenever the survivor holding it is having their aura revealed. Additionally, the mask may be channeled for a total of 10 seconds during which the survivors aura is hidden.
Perk Changes:
Remember me - For every 35/30/25 seconds spent in a trial before the exits are powered, the time it takes to open the exit gates increases by 1 second.
Wake UP: When the exits are not powered, standing within 12 meters of the exit gate will reveal the auras of the 1/2/3 closest objectives which would cause runic decay. When the exits are powered, the auras of the exit gates are revealed to you and you open exit gates 15% faster.
Closing statement
I believe this change would improve the longevity by addressing the problem of genrushing, prevent gameplay from becoming too stale, and giving the game a definitive end. By default the 30 minute timer means that if the five generators were all to be completed instantly, the survivors must still remain in the game for another 10 minutes, complete additional generators, or complete bonus objectives. On the opposite side of things, it means that if the game play is too slow, the match will also be drawn to a close. In other words, if the gens pop too quickly, the survivors should be stuck there for a couple more minutes, and if they pop too slowly then the requirements to escape will decrease. On the gameplay side, I think it is evident that this kind of change opens up more avenues to explore while keeping the core gameplay of completing generators. Finally, this means the match could not be held up indefinitely by survivors who refuse to work on gens.