Some Ideas For Boons

jesterkind

Now, before I delve into the ideas I have, I do want to mention that this is more a series of changes intended to adjust the more annoying parts of boons (from either side) and boost the more interesting parts to bring some more attention to the archetype. I'm not trying to lift them out of the gutter and into the light, because they're not in the gutter to begin with.

That said, there's always room for improvement, and boons do have some issues. I'll tackle my ideas for the boon framework first, then some adjustments for the specific perks I think need them.

The Boon Framework:

• Dramatically shorten the vertical range.

One of the issues with boons from the killer side stems from the fact that boons on a higher/lower elevation than you are can make snuffing them a chore, leading to boons that essentially get to skip the intended risk/reward cycle of the killer being able to disable them and the survivor juggling how frequently they can afford to relight them without wasting too much time.

Now, the exact numbers would have to be tested, but my gut tells me that the vertical range of boons should probably be enough that if a boon is lit on top of a hill and you're at the bottom of the hill, it should still cover you. However, if it's on one floor of Midwich and you're on the other, that's too far. In exchange…

• Increase the horizontal range.

…One of the issues with boons from the survivor side is their restrictive horizontal range, making boons in general somewhat tricky to place and specific boon perks much weaker than they could be.

I wouldn't recommend a huge boost here, probably just up from 24 to 32 metres, but larger could certainly be tested.

• Survivors within the boon's range should see the aura of all other survivors in the boon's range.

A small change largely geared towards solo queue. Think how Circle of Healing currently works, but for everyone and not just injured survivors. Useful for a variety of contexts, and more team-aura tools for solo queue is very much a good thing.

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With the framework done, let's look at the perks themselves.

The Perks Themselves:

Boon: Circle of Healing & Boon: Shadow Step

• No changes.

Notes: These two are already the top of the boon list and for good reason, they're potent perks that pull their weight in their respective niches. Circle of Healing is definitely the stronger perk, but not by so much that there's something actually wrong with Shadow Step. Both perks benefit from the larger horizontal range anyway, so no extra changes needed.

Boon: Exponential

• Recovery speed bonus changed to 50% (was 100%)
• Crawling speed in the dying state increased by 50% (new)
• Grunts of pain in the dying state decreased by 75% (new)

Notes: Exponential is by no means a bad perk, but the specific ways in which it's good can be very annoying to deal with on the killer side. Exponential currently shines in "unhookable" builds, where survivors attempt to make it impossible to hook them and also impossible to leave them on the ground; these changes are aimed at weakening it for that purpose, while giving it some extra utility. These new effects alongside the larger horizontal range should make Exponential more reliable outside of forcing unhookable builds.

Boon: Dark Theory

• Vault speed increased by 10% (new)

Notes: Dark Theory is a perk that it can be difficult to get consistent use out of, despite its effect being quite good on paper. While the horizontal range increase would help this perk a lot, adding an extra effect is still appropriate. A vault speed increase on par with Resilience shouldn't be too overbearing, while still being potent enough to justify being on a Boon.

Note that this effect would be in addition to its current effect.

Boon: Illumination

• Now shows the aura of Exit Gates within its range (new)
• Now shows the aura of every survivor interacting with a highlighted object (new)
• Blessing speed increased to 25% (was 10%)

Notes: Illumination is a perk that doesn't benefit as much from the horizontal range increase, so boosting it on its own terms is still appropriate. With these changes, the perk becomes a very potent information tool while within its range, especially useful for solo queue players who may not know what their teammates are doing. Additionally, the blessing speed increase isn't really noticeable now, so increasing it allows for more flexible boon placements as the match progresses.

Note again that these new effects are in addition to the old ones.

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With these changes made, I think boons would be in a much better spot. Annoyances shored up on both ends, the mediocre perks given a leg up, and more toys for everyone to enjoy.

A couple more things could change here and there - some survivor perks should maybe increase blessing speed but don't right now, Shattered Hope shouldn't exist - but this post is already long enough sticking to the directly-relevant changes.

SoGo

Interesting changes.

I think these could work pretty well.

Except Dark Theory is still Dark Theory, a.k.a the worst designed boon ever, but that's not your fault anyway, and the vault boost would likely help it not be as eh.

Rokku_Rorru

Maybe Dark Theory could work as an exhaustion perk buffer/status cleanser:
-add some ms or duration to the speed boost of some
-work like vigil as a vigil alternative for a group

Or maybe it could prevent hindered within its radius?