Key Revamp: Balancing Hatch; Revamping Aura Reading; Adding Additional Mechanics!
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TL;DR
β Skip to Unlocking The Hatch
, Aura Reading
, and Using Dark Magic
.
PROLOGUE
With recent news of the developers changing keys to be more healthy for the game, I wanna quickly pitch in my ideas to making them fun to use while keeping their legacy! π
Identifying Key Problems
Ignore the amazing pun, it's pretty cringey!
Keys are primarily known for their ability to open the hatch, but other than that β they are hardly ever used by survivors solely for their aura reading!
Even if we balanced both sides of the key: Hatch and Aura Reading β they will still be underused because they wouldn't offer much utility!
Revamping Keys: Hatch Mechanic
Here's your new keys, ordered by strength and rarity, enjoy! π
Rusty Key (Uncommon) βΆοΈ Iron Key (Rare) βΆοΈ Cursed Key (Very Rare) βΆοΈ Iridescent Key (Ultra Rare)
Charges: Rusty Key; 8 Charges βΆοΈ Iron Key; 16 Charges βΆοΈ Cursed Key; 16 Charges βΆοΈ Iridescent Key; 32 Charges
Unlocking The Hatch
: Takes 20 charges (1 c/s) to unlock the hatch! The killer will see the hatch and the survivor's aura for as long as the survivor commits to opening it! The survivor will be Oblivious while they commit to unlocking the hatch! If the survivor is not successful, the key will lose its ability to open the hatch permanently and all progress towards opening the hatch is lost!
Hatch Reasoning: The idea is for survivors to use the key when the killer is occupied to buy their teammates time! While they may not be successful, having the killer stop whatever they're doing to prevent the escape can sway the game into the survivors' favor! However, this can backfire as the survivor is vulnerable to a surprise attack and can potentially get grabbed! π
Hatch Related Add-ons
:
- Decreases charge consumption when unlocking the hatch.
- Increases the time it takes to unlock the hatch, but removes the Oblivious effect while unlocking.
- See the aura of the hatch when channeling the key, and reveal your and the hatch's aura to all survivors when unlocking the hatch.
Revamping Keys: Aura Reading
Aura Reading
: All key variants will have aura reading as their basekit (16 meters), but it's limited to reading the auras of your teammates! This goes without saying, but you still have to channel the key to gain its effect!
Aura Reading Reasoning: Having to waste an add-on slot for aura reading is pretty lame and restricted the survivor from trying other aspects of the key! It shouldn't be an add-on when you had to commit charges to using its effect as well!
Aura Reading Related Add-ons
:
- Increasing the keys' effective range.
- Allowing the key to hide your aura from the killer, but at the cost of consuming charges.
- Allowing the key to also read the killer's aura.
- Decreases charge consumption when channeling the key for its aura reading abilities.
Revamping Keys: Repairing Breakable Walls and Pallets; Repairing Keys
Using Dark Magic
: To separate keys from other survivor items, they can repair breakable walls and pallets! This goes without saying that keys can destroy breakable walls as well! To add on, survivors can sacrifice a health state to repair the key by 16 charges!
Repairing Pallets, Destroying / Repairing Breakable Walls: Takes 16 charges (16 seconds), if the survivor is not successful β all progress is lost!
Repairing Keys: While crouching (and you're committing by pressing the action button), takes 8 seconds to repair the key and injure yourself once you're successful; You will become broken for 60 seconds afterwards! Progress is lost if you're not successful and you don't injure yourself in the process! Cannot repair above the keys' starting charges!
Dark Magic Related Add-ons
:
- Increase the speed at which you repair pallets and repair / destroy breakable walls.
- Decrease the duration of the broken status effect upon repairing the key.
- Increase the amount of charges you repair the key.
Revamping Keys: Powerful Add-ons
Rusty Remains (Rare)
: Adds 8 charges to the key.
Odd Ring (Rare)
: Auras revealed from the key is shown to all survivors.
Key Remains (Very Rare)
: Adds 16 charges to the key.
Gold Coin (Very Rare)
: Successfully using dark magic reveals the killer's aura for 8 seconds.
Cursed Ring (Ultra Rare)
: Healing survivors repairs the key at a 50% conversion rate.
Iridescent Soul (Ultra Rare)
: Prevents you from entering the next hook phase for as long as you have charges remaining. Consumes 1c/s every second you would enter the next phase.
Eplogue
I know a lot of things look OP on paper, but I encourage you to give it a chance and discuss the idea with me! If you have any concerns, I'm more than welcomed to improving the idea and taking the community's imput! π
Comments
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I'm probably one of the only dweebs who brings broken keys into matches to read auras. But you can make it work at a greater range than Bond, even, and it's not just limited to when someone is hooked, like Kindred. I like the idea of the aura concealment the most out of this, I think. I assume keys would cover one second of aura read per charge? That might need balance,, though. Perhaps the add-on reduces total charges. Obviously, there's already an add-on for reading the killer's aura, would a revamped key add-on also consume more than the usual charges?
Perhaps I'm missing something, but I don't quite see what is unhealthy about keys. I hear it a lot, but people never explain. The few times I've seen someone use one have been in odd circumstances, usually selfish, and occasionally, I've been forced to try it for a challenge. The reason for the rarity might be because every match I'm in, if a survivor has a key, the killer goes out of their way to remove it from play using Franklin's Demise, tunneling, camping, formerly Ebony Moris, whatever means they deem necessary. It all seems a bit excessive for something that requires at least four generators done or three survivors dead to use.
I like the concept of unlocking using charges, but I think the purple tier key would need to have at least enough to open a hatch fully. Also, probably would need to reduce the number it takes to open the hatch. Twenty seconds is a long time to be stuck in place, oblivious, and unable to stop lest you "break" your key. In the times I've used one, I had about three seconds before the killer would have cut me down mid-unlock. I think requiring that others be present to distract the killer would make keys virtually useless at all levels of play except the very top.
The pallet and door repair sounds a bit more... complex. I think that might be better handled by something else, or perhaps, not included at all. Pallets are, currently, a non-renewable resource that requires survivors to use them with purpose to prevent their waste.
One more thing. Would this make keys usable more than once, without add-ons that prevent their consumption? More like other items, they just sort of grey out, but if you live, you keep them?
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I appreciate the open response and not jumping to conclusions, these discussion are the ones worth doing! π
I'm probably one of the only dweebs who brings broken keys into matches to read auras. But you can make it work at a greater range than Bond, even, and it's not just limited to when someone is hooked, like Kindred.
Broken Keys are pretty useless, not only do they have a measly five charges, but they can't even open the hatch.
On subject through, you must've used a duration add-on and an aura reading add-on to make it useful for at most, twenty seconds. On the other hand, most items can be used without add-ons, such as Med-Kits and Toolboxes.
Assuming the player had a choice, they would more likely pick a item that's useful just by itself than an item that's add-on dependant. This is why I gave keys base aura reading, freeing up an add-on slot for extra duration or something else, but most importantly, keys with this change, are no longer useless by themselves! π
I like the idea of the aura concealment the most out of this, I think. I assume keys would cover one second of aura read per charge? That might need balance,, though. Perhaps the add-on reduces total charges.
Correct, if your aura was revealed by BBQ (4 seconds), you'd lose 4 charges from your key as a result if you're using the add-on.
It could be changed if proven OP, such as taking more charges.
Obviously, there's already an add-on for reading the killer's aura, would a revamped key add-on also consume more than the usual charges?
Yes, but I thought I'd include that to let people know I didn't get rid of the idea of an add-on reading the killer's aura.
Perhaps I'm missing something, but I don't quite see what is unhealthy about keys. I hear it a lot, but people never explain. The few times I've seen someone use one have been in odd circumstances, usually selfish, and occasionally, I've been forced to try it for a challenge. The reason for the rarity might be because every match I'm in, if a survivor has a key, the killer goes out of their way to remove it from play using Franklin's Demise, tunneling, camping, formerly Ebony Moris, whatever means they deem necessary. It all seems a bit excessive for something that requires at least four generators done or three survivors dead to use.
Basically, an experienced group of survivors can use the key as a backup plan and completely recover from a lost game.
Here's a video, the commentator explains why keys are unhealthy for the game:
I like the concept of unlocking using charges, but I think the purple tier key would need to have at least enough to open a hatch fully. Also, probably would need to reduce the number it takes to open the hatch. Twenty seconds is a long time to be stuck in place, oblivious, and unable to stop lest you "break" your key.
Unlocking the hatch is something that pulls the killer's attention away from whatever they are doing and to you. This is something you can use to force the killer into a dilemma and effectively sway the game into your favor.
You don't lose the key if you're unsuccessful, you just lose the ability to unlock the hatch, but you can still use other aspects of the key.
You only get one attempt because having multiple attempts would allow one survivor to camp the hatch and keep forcing the killer to the hatch. This would waste so much of their time that the game would be difficult to play.
In the times I've used one, I had about three seconds before the killer would have cut me down mid-unlock. I think requiring that others be present to distract the killer would make keys virtually useless at all levels of play except the very top.
Your goal shouldn't be to unlock the hatch, it's just there as a consequence to force the killer to take action against you.
The goal is to waste the killer's time by forcing them to stop whatever they are doing and come to the hatch. If you're clever, you can try unlocking the hatch when the killer can't afford dropping what they are doing without suffering great loss!
For example, the killer knocks a survivor who's on death hook to the ground, but you begin to unlock the hatch elsewhere.
The killer has two options:
- Forfeit their catch
OR
- Let you and potentially more survivors escape
This is where you gain value because the killer has to pick their poison. π
The pallet and door repair sounds a bit more... complex. I think that might be better handled by something else, or perhaps, not included at all. Pallets are, currently, a non-renewable resource that requires survivors to use them with purpose to prevent their waste.
That's what makes keys pretty special, they are the only thing that can bring back pallets and breakable walls, but it takes 16 charges (16 seconds).
It's a gamble in my eyes because you're wasting time (not doing generators) to bring back a single resource. That pallet might get value or it might not do anything, but since there are strong pallets in every map, that's why pallets are so taxing on keys. I might have to increase charge consumption to be safe, but this is something I really want to keep as this would separate keys from any other item.
Would this make keys usable more than once, without add-ons that prevent their consumption? More like other items, they just sort of grey out, but if you live, you keep them?
Yes, keys won't be consumed if they open the hatch.
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Okay that video was insanely helpful. I know one of my friends likes to keep track of the gen:surv ratio, but I guess I forget the hatch spawn rules.
Now that I understand better, I like it even more. I've just been basing all of my thoughts on keys around a different tier of play.
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They are pretty insane when used correctly, and to be quite honest, that's what they are mainly used for.
That's why I toned down how powerful it is and revamped / added other mechanics to compensate. π
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its not hard to kill them before they can use they key so why make it worse
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It's easier said than done when facing a group of survivors who know what they are doing! π
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if they use key and they are 4 man they are trash mate , u can take pride in that even if they win , its not from skill so why care
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