Aura Revealed Gone Wild

Baby_Victor

I was just thinking about a few things...ya know, general DbD things. Like different survivor mindsets on different survivor strategies and how at odds they can get (Loop skills vs Immersed skills). Plus the duality of Killers who ‘want’ to try and get a 4k but also ‘try’ to want to play in a fair way. Teeter tottering back and forth between the two, based off of personal experiences or survivor interactions.

So, I asked myself, what core mechanic would I change to maybe open up the doors for everybody to get what they want.

Auras.

When survivors are highlighted, they are easy to find, easy to get in a chase with, and hard to lose track of.

When survivors are not highlighted, they can use their perks, skills, and environment to confuse or lose the killer and virtually disappear.

So...

How do you feel the games would pan out if...

• After the first 120 seconds, All survivors Auras were revealed, to the Killer, and remained revealed. The survivors do not get this all encompassing aura reveal of the Killer. The Survivors, who have not received their first hook gain a permanent ability to recover from dying state.
• Within the Killer Terror Radius (or maybe base kit 32m), the Killer cannot use the free Aura reading anymore but can still trigger aura reading perks or add-Ons.
• After first hook, for the survivors (assuming you were rescued before struggle), then you go to OoO status.
• On Death Hook, your Aura can not be revealed. Maybe not even a reveal upon perks and add ons, depending on how strong that might turn out. The Aura of all other Survivors are revealed to you and remain revealed to you until the EGC. You lose OoO status.
• When EGC has triggered, all free aura reading goes away. You can still proc other aura revealing perks, like BBQ, Bitter Mumur, Alert, or Dark Sense.

———

So how I think this ‘might’ work out (feel free to tear this idea down).

I think, to some degree, the Killer should have early game strength and feel oppressive and strong. Much like killers should, but, as horror movies have taught us. In the long run, survivors have a frightening will to survive and the means to do so with individual strengths and team work.

So, after a 2min free-for-all, per usual. We go back to Old Freddy Nostalgia and the Killer gains an edge over the survivors. Using the edge to close in and start a chase, plus be able to consistently survey what everyone is doing and try their best, to manage his Killer power and time, depending on survivor actions. Even with this strength and edge, he will be pressured to hook the survivors and not try and slug everybody, since he needs to start hooking to take away the survivors free ability to pick themselves up (until first hook, then they gotta use a perk). Even though he can get close to a survivor, he still needs typical skills to rival survivors at a loop. The aura reveal doesn’t work in a certain radius, it’s not like a permanent I’m All Ears effect.

As the game progresses, so does the power balance. Survivors, in particular, can fall into their natural power roles. Strong Loopers can always be a source of temptation and bait to the Killer, who has to consistently watch them decimate his gens or be the only survivor they see, because the others have already been hooked once or twice.

Those who took a hook and survived (before struggle), have the option to play more Immersed and try their best to not look in the Killers direction, or choose to try and gain the killers attention and bait another chase. So it’s a stage with the most options, however the Killer can start slugging at this stage so be careful.

Lastly, Survivors on Death hook will get that near death strength and be able to see everyone else (on team) around them and lose OoO status. So now they can watch their teammates, without revealing themselves, and have a better understanding on if they should hide, work on gen, or go for a rescue.

On the flip side.

If Killers want to get the 4k, then they can still use the same tactics that exist now, such as slugging. Just not ‘immediately’, they would have to at least hook 3 out of 4 survivors and still work through any perks that might work against a slugging Killer. Killers after the 4k would now have stronger early game naturally built in, and could still use tracking killer perks to be able to handle mid-late game survivors. Not to mention the End Game Perks which will probably be the new Killer Meta for securing the 4k.

Killers who want to play more fairly can simply choose to take each survivor down one by one and make sure to get those first hooks for everyone and use in game clues to know whether or not he is chasing someone at first stage, second stage, or death hook. Act accordingly.

———

So, just a thought I had. Im not sure if I accidentally made either side too powerful but I think Killers would be less upset about the end result if they could more easily collect hooks and do damage, which is more easily attainable with information, information that is provided early enough to make the game more fun for killers.

Yet, I think survivors deserve a real strong chance of escape. If they are willing to take an early game beating, dust it off, and still complete an objective, then they earned it. Periodically, since I’ll see survivors pop in and out of my vision (depending on hook stage they are on), then I’ll always have some self awareness of why they escaped.

Maybe I spent too much time with the strong looper and need to learn to break chase, especially when I got a glimpse of which gen someone was on. Maybe I lost because I got too greedy for an early game kill and decided to hunt down the completely immersed survivor on death hook, despite still having three other survivors I can clearly see and chase.

Anyway, post your thoughts~

Mr_K

• After the first 120 seconds, All survivors Auras were revealed, to the Killer, and remained revealed.

Like to point out, there are people on this forum that ######### about 4s of BBQ.

Baby_Victor

https://forum.deadbydaylight.com/en/discussion/comment/2015839#Comment_2015839

They also ######### when the killer kills them or a survivor escapes. Lol.

Im not expecting universal support but thanks for trying to prepare my heart :P

DarKaron

I think this is an interesting idea.

Potentially a flawed one, but very interesting nonetheless.

It also may make certain perks moot without tweaking to fit, but still.

Very interesting. Well done!